Friends & Lovers

My friends are looking up and opening their eyes and looking around. I love that my friends seem to be opening their hearts to mixed possibilities.

My friends are finding love in many places, in mixed race relationships, in partners, perhaps, their parents wouldn’t have chosen as easily.

Cutting edge love, they say.

Cutting edge, hey?

Asian girls traditionally like Asian boys, so I am told, and white girls traditionally like white boys. Not amongst my friends. White girls are liking Asian boys more and more and Asian girls are liking white boys just the same way. A black guy likes an Irish girl, and she loves him back the same way. 

Their children are usually beautiful, the best of both races involved. It’s practical, you know, mix the genes, make the race stronger, it’s true.

Just as, pretty Asian girls are catching the eye of white boys and pretty white girls are turning Asian boys on, Asian boys are liking white boys and Asian girls are liking white girls, so I am told.

It is a modern world, it is a new time with choices expanding exponentially, it would seem. Why deny yourself. Why? Thank the universe, we all collectively sigh in relief. Barriers are being broken down. Love is expanding. Suddenly, the world is a bigger place. Brighter too for everyone. And better, you know

Aki has been seeing Lachlan, they met at the pub. Aki has been marvelling at how good she feels in Lachlan’s big arms, as she said, but that is just Aki being shy, because what she really likes is Lachlan’s smile and his kind heart and how he smells.

Kaito has been seeing Ava, they met studying architecture, where I met both of them. She loves his handsome face and his muscular arms when he wraps them around her. “He is just so lovely, gentle and kind. He took me to his grandmother’s place and she cooked a feast welcoming me into the family. It was really lovely.”

Lachlan took Aki to a football match with his mates and they ate meat pies and drank beer and Lachlan wrapped Aki up in his jacket when the weather turned cold.

Kaito to Ava on a car rally with his mates. Kaito has a Subaru rally car and he is promising to teach Ava how to navigate.

Aki took Lachlan to her favourite movie at The Astor Picture house. Lachlan said he loved it.

Ava took Kaito snorkelling for abalone at her favourite beach. Kaito said he’d never been snorkelling before.

One day, Aki found herself pregnant to Lachlan quite unexpectedly. She was worried what her mum was going to say, but her mum said she should stay calm and really decide in her heart what she wanted to do.

“Don’t worry about what other people think,” her mother said. “That won’t do you any good. Just find out what is in Lachlan’s heart, that is what is important.”

“I’m in his heart, mum,” said Aki.

“But is the little one in his heart too, Aki?” asked her mum.

“Yes. No, I don’t know,” said Aki.

“Well, my darling that is what you need to think about now.”

Grandma told Aki it was a blessing. “It is a joy and a life long delight to be blessed with a child.”

“But, we’re not married grandma.”

“Oh darling,” said Grandma. “That is not the important bit, the important part is the child and Lachlan. Does he want a child for which to be responsible?”

“He does now,” said Aki.

“That is a good start,” said Grandma. “But you had better find out for certain.”

Aki took Lachlan to the country for a picnic to tell him about the baby. Lachlan was over joyed and said he wanted to be a father. They aggressed the would continue living in their separate house for the time being.

They made love on the picnic blanket in warm afternoon sun.

“I have never had sex in broad day light out in the open before,” said Aki.

“I can’t believe how warm the sun was on my bare arse as we made love,” said Lachlan.

Aki laughed.

Lachlan’s parents were overjoyed at the baby news, saying they couldn’t wait to be grandparents.

Ava and Kaito decided to get married. In the summer, they got married bare foot in a derelict church with a dirt floor, they had bought a year before, less than an hour away from home. There were 50 of their friends helping them celebrate. Aki was 9 months pregnant when she attended Kaito and Ava’s wedding. Ava wanted to feel the earth as she said I do. Kaito agreed to do it too. The whole dinner was in the filed in front of the church. There was no back up plan, and the weather held.

Baby Tao was born at the end of the summer. A beautiful baby boy. “We make pretty good children,” Lachlan said to Aki after Tao was born.

Kaito’s architecture practice started on plans for the wedding church renovation for Kaito and Ava to use as a country house.

“Nothing fancy,” said Ava. “Just a roof and windows to make it water proof.”

“And some heating to make it warm,” said Kaito.

“And a deck on the north side to sit on.”

Lachlan’s law firm gave him parental leave to help Aki who took a year’s leave from her doctor’s practice.

Aki and Lachlan bought a beach house down the great ocean road just before Aki’s 12 month parental leave was up.

Aki and Lachlan, and Kaito and Ava celebrated life on Aki and Lachlan’s beach house deck the next summer. The four of them went snorkelling around the rocks at Wye.

Kaito organised a car rally to the country church house when it was done. Lachlan act as navigator and was so excited by the who experience he said he intended to buy a rally car of his own.

We all take turns in looking after Tao, he has a whole posse of acquired aunties and uncles who take care of him. He is a lovely little boy, easy going, easy to look after.

I looked after him one weekend where I was busy doing stuff, and I put him in one of those baby back packs and took him everywhere I went and he never complained.

My girlfriend saw me with Tao in the back pack that weekend and she said she was sure she ovulated. As I said, he’s a cute kid.

No, none of the rest of us are having kids. We’re all in our 30s and no one else has reproduced yet. We all might say we want kids, but none of us want the disruption.

Ginger has been dating Chaquille for the last 6 years. He continues to make her smile.

“Oh, he’s just so big and strong.” That’s all Ginger has said in her gentle Irish accent. Then she blushes in the cutest way.

Chaquille is a personal trainer and a huge dude.

Ginger just says no if she is questioned about children.

My girlfriend, Xavier, has her heart set on making partner, and nothing else, to be honest. And I don’t really give a fig, not really. Sure, I’d probably like to see a mini me of myself, but? Aren’t there too many people on the planet already?

Cody and Quinn are committed environmentalists. “Do you know what sort of life we are inflicting our kids with climate change being what it is?” asks Quinn.

“No, I don’t,” I say.

“No, exactly,” says Quinn. “How could we in all conscience do it to them.”

Besides Cody and Quin are house flippers, and they are juggling enormous financial debt at any given time.

Caitlyn is up front and honest, I love that about Caitlyn. “Fuck know, I’m far to selfish and self centred for that.” She lights another Marlboro.

Joshua agrees with Caitlyn and kisses her on the side of the head. “I’m with her.”

Caitlyn smiles at Joshua as though he is just the cutest thing and she kisses him back.

Joshua is the cutest thing, of course. He is an English model now walking the runways of the world.

Caitlyn is a highly strung actress, known for that soap, As The World Churns. She does a lot of live theatre, we are all always going to see her in her latest play.

“You know, I would have said the same things as you guys,” says Aki. “But then Tao comes along and changed our lives completely.”

“For the better,” says Lachlan.

“Put me down to baby sit any weekend you like,” says Caitlyn. “And I mean this with all the love in the world, as long as I can give him back.”

“I’m doing a beach shoot in Bali in a month’s time,” says Joahua. “Why don’t you guys come and bring Tao.”

“I’ll take him on his first environmental protest,” says Quinn. “When he’s old enough, of course.”

“You can put me down for baby sitting duty too,” says Cody. “You never ask me to look after him?”

“You are on,” says Aki.

“You always seem to be too busy on the tools,” says Lachlan.

“Actually, I’ve been meaning to ask you?” say Ginger. “I’m doing a shoot for, um, well, it is for, well, a anti racism campaign, I guess is the easiest way to explain it, now that we are talking about Tao, and I’d like to use him for the shoot.”

“Oh,” says Lachlan.

“I don’t see why not,” says Aki.

And then Lachan looks at Aki like he didn’t agree at all.

You see Ginger has made quite a name for herself as an edgy photographer. The full nudes of Chaquille come into everyone’s mind. Her real name is Saoirse Quinn under which she has becomes quite famous.

“Not nudes,” says Lachlan.

“Of course not,” says Ginger. “But I do want to make a feature of his, and Chaquille’s skin colour.”

She’s called Ginger because Chaquille couldn’t pronounce Saoirse and Ginger has red hair.

“He’d have a full time body guard in Chaquille,” Ginger added, as though that might sweeten the pot.

You haven’t seen Chaquille, his legs are bigger than my torso, if that gives you some idea. Chaquille Ross is a big boy. Intimidating to look at, but the biggest softy under all of that.

“What about you?” asks Aki.

“Me?” says Ginger.

“Yes, you haven’t put you opinion in,” says Quinn.

“My opinion?” questions Ginger.

“Yes,” says Caitlyn. “Where do you stand?”

“Where do I stand?” says Ginger.

“Kids,” says Caitlyn, Quinn and Aki together.

“Oh, with my red hair,” says Ginger.

“It’s a life changing experience,” says Aki.

“I’m not sure I want to change my life,” says Ginger.

“It changes your life for the better,” says Aki.

“Listen to Aki,” says Chaquille. “Listen to what she is saying.”

Chaquille looks at Aki nodding his head. Chaquille is the only one of us who really wants to be a dad.

“How would our kids come out,” says Ginger?

“A black kid with red hair,” says Caitlyn.

“He’d be mocha choc orange,” I say.

“Mocha choc orange,” repeats Chaquille. He laughs. “I’d have a kid in any colour.”

Not Rape

"It wasn't rape," said Doug. "She got me all skank-arse drunk out of it and then drugged me, I mean, what could I do but oblige her, willingly, it seemed like the polite thing to do."

“Oblige her, willingly?”

“It seemed only fair, when she’d gone to all the trouble of getting the drugs and slipping them into my drink.”

“What could you do?”

“Well, not be too critical of her work, go with it, it’s tough work, but you know what they say?”

“No, what do they say?”

“Good for her, somebody has to do it.”

“Somebody has to do it?”

“Credit where credit is due. She bought the tape, she bought the knife, which bought a genuine feel to the whole thing, even if it was small, you know, that’s not a knife, this is a knife, chuckle. She laced the drink, she rented the room, she went to all that trouble.”

"That took some organising."

"I had to admire her work."

Ivan held up his fist, Doug bumped his fist with Ivan’s.

“You can’t help but admire it.” Ivan shook his head in admiration.

“Yeah, sure. Knives, tape, drugs," said Doug. "Just the organisation alone, you know, has to be commended.”

“Has to be commended?”

“Yeah, not to mention the muscle who cornered me in the parking lot.”

“There were other people involved?”

“Yeah, two huge thugs, in the car park, when I was trying to get to my car.”

“After you’d been slipped the mickey?”

“Yeah, the Mickey. Laugh. One of these huge bruisers were called Mickey.”

“What?”

“No, not what you are thinking. Mickey kept his pants on through the whole procedure.”

“I’m pleased to hear that.”

“I was out in the car park, it was dark and I was losing the fight against the strong sedatives, it turns out she’d given me.”

“Sedatives?”

“Yeah, Rohypnol. The date rape drug. Never thought it would be used on me.”

“Jesus!”

“And suddenly there were two massive guys standing in front of me, as I stumbled towards my car.”

“Massive guys.”

“They both had on shorts that looked as though they belonged to their little brothers. They had those massive thighs the ones that are all veiny.”

“Veiny?”

“You know, like the skin is set to bust right off the flesh they are so tight.”

“Mr Universe?”

“Two of them, right in fucking front of me.”

“What was it that my old dad used to say, like two brick shit houses.”

“They looked impressive?”

“Except they were blokes. I tried to walk, ha ha, stagger, around them thinking they'd just accidentally gotten there.”

“But not accidently?”

“No, that became pretty obvious when I couldn’t get around them no matter what I did.”

“What did you do?”

“I remember looking up at these couple of man mountains, and one of them said my name. I think my last thought was, how does this guy know my name.”

“That was your last thought?”

“The last thing I remember.”

“And?”

"I woke up in that dingy house, in that dingy bedroom, with both my wrists tied behind me to a brass bed head, and my ankles tied to the brass bed end like some terrible cliché from the worst B movie you’d ever seen.”

“You woke up like that?”

“It was more of a 'come to' situation. Jesus did I feel groggy. It took me the longest time just to kind of understand where I was.”

“Understand?”

“Well, there wasn’t so much understanding, as I didn’t have a fucken clue, there was a lot more, um, what would you call it, absorbing the situation.”

“Absorbing the situation?”

“Um, taking in something that was an absolute and complete befuddlement of all of my sense. I had no fucken clue where I was, or how I got there.”

“No clue?”

“Nothing. Just a huge fat blank.”

“Jesus.”

“It was as if my reality had been snatch from me, and while I was unconscious a new reality was morphed in.”

“Like that?”

“Actually, I don’t know why I say like, there was no fucken like about it, that is what had happened, I just didn’t know it at that point.”

“You. didn’t know what you didn’t know?”

“Exactly.”

“So, you woke up?”

“In the dingiest bedroom you have ever seen. With Mark Normand comedy playing constantly on a screen.”

“Fuck me. What did you do?”

“What could I do? Nothing.”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing. I had no idea where I was. I had no idea how I got there. I assumed those two muscled guys had something to do with it, but what good did that piece of information do me?”

“Nothing?”

“Nothing. I had no idea what they had to do with it, but that was all I had to go on.”

“Not much.”

“No. Except for that room.”

“The room you woke up in?”

“Except for that. It was green like ferns.”

“Like ferns?”

“No. More like algae. Rotting algae.”

“You mean it was wet, damp?”

“Not as such, just the colour, the wallpaper was the colour of slime, peeling off the walls in places. The ceiling was nicotine yellow as if a million cigarettes had been smoked in there. The carpet, what I could see of it, was green shag.”

“Green shag?”

“Old, like it was straight out of the 70s.”

“70s shag, sounds like my teenage years.” 

“There was one small window with a nicotine yellow blind pulled all the way down. It was the kind of room a 100 year old chain smoking grandma with dementia was left into die, that was the feeling it gave me.”

“That gives me shivers.”

“Until her emaciated, cancer ridden, 101 year old carcass was carried out in a body bag.”

“Poor grandma.”

“Poor fucken me.”

“Did it smell?”

“Like sweaty gym clothes left in a gym bag for too long.”

“Was it cold?”

“I was probably lucky it wasn’t winter.”

“So, what happened?”

“What happened? Ah, what happened?”

“Give me the gory details.”

“Well, it turned out to be my stalker, mad Charlotte.”

The Office

And then I was running down the street and the office was on fire behind me. I don't know if it was just that I was more sensitive to the smell knowing the building was burning, than if I hadn't known. I could certainly smell it in the air, but nobody around me seemed to be paying it much attention.

And then I was home. Closing the front door.

They were photographic chemicals, the delivery guy said. He made some joke about not lighting a match around them, probably the same joke he'd made at every stop ever since he began making his rounds, and jokes. Ha ha, everybody laughed. He was clearly a funny guy.

I’m guessing her never expected someone to, actually, light a match around them, despite what he said.

It had to be done, I decided there and then on the spot, as I was accepting the delivery. Everybody was full of so much talk against the evil overlords, but nobody was up for any action, despite the talk. If the despots in charge were to be toppled, something had to be done. Clearly.

I only tipped one of the containers over and, yes, I had to throw one lit match – I first considered using my cherished zippo, but realised that would look too much like evidence, then I found that box of matches in a draw – it didn't half make a woof when it caught. I was glad that I had hustled myself out of there when I had.

I liked the symbolism of the HR department going up first. Witches burn, at the stake, wasn’t that always done? 

No? 

It was some hobby of Di's, the photographic materials. She likes taking children's portraits, for her friend’s kids, or something like that. (I would say a hobby of the barren, but she had a beautiful son, I should talk about him?) I was lucky to get a moment to myself in the office, from the mail room, from the counter. And there it was, the few moments I needed, just like that.

All I had to do was unscrew the cap and roll up that old rag, like I’d seen them do the movies. What movie was that? The rag was one of Di’s scarves, I liked that touch. I knew it would come in handy some day for something, when I acquired it. The rest, as they say, is now history.

The people in the street were very slow in noticing the smoke billowing from the building, and I was able to get all the way up Main Street and around the corner. I just naturally check where the CCTV cameras are because, you know, in my fantasies of also had of fixing the restaurant next door to my house that doesn’t adhere to its noise levels, so I knew which route to avoid. Usually, the restaurant ‘fix’ involved a gun, and watching them all drop one by one but, you know, fire makes just as strong a statement. I knew exactly where to walk, I knew just to walk casually, as though it was any afternoon that I was walking home and I was home quickly, cuddled up to my dog Nudge.

I couldn’t tell if I was nervous, or excited? I was like a ginger horse in the wind, as my granny used to say. So, I made a cup of tea, it was the end of the day, after all, and drank it down strong and hot. 

My granny also used to say that nothing can’t be solved with a hot, strong cuppa. She used to stand the spoon up in hers, that is the expression, isn’t it?

The fire sirens seemed to wail loudly from every direction. (I only took the job in the first place because it was close to home)

Fatty Cake Snoop Lady, Lauren, my boss, had headed home early on one of her many excuses to head home early. Translation, she was heading out for a big dinner for one. She and her fat boyfriend, who she met at the Big Girl’s Night, for men who are interested in the larger lady, had split up weeks ago. Apparently, he’d found a bigger girlfriend.

I was surprised that was possible. But, apparently…

Our anorexic bitch boss, Belinda, who had been jogging the stairs manically, in all her decrepit glory, as she does starting around 5pm every night, was greeted with flames when she came back down to our floor. She called Lauren to see if she and I had been accounted for.

So, Belinda didn’t burn, more is the pity, maybe water would be more effective against the likes of her. "I’m melting! I’m melting!" The thought made me laugh.

Lauren called me in her little girl voice and broke the news to me, sometime in the evening, which meant she finished her all-you-can-eat buffet first, before she called.

“Oh Josh, I have some bad news,” Lauren’s voice was a near whisper coming down the phone, not unlike how those young boys would have heard Michael Jackson.

She told me that the head of HR, sorry People & Culture, Di's chiffon pant suit caught alight as she tried to escape and, from all accounts, she went up something like a Katherine Wheel, she was so panicked to get it put out. And all that black hair of hers, not a wig after all. So many people make the mistake of trying to beat the flames out in their panic.

“Oh, really when?” I feigned shock. “Now? That is terrible.”

I wondered if Di had a momentary realisation that I was as unsuitable for the role as she had always claimed, before she, at best, burned, or, at worst, suffocated? I guess we’ll never know? Shiver! I was made for that role. Or, more precisely, that role was made for me. She shouldn’t have plotted to get rid of me, after all I have put up with.

Lauren told me there would have to be an investigation, the police and the fire department would coordinate.

We were all advised to stay home until further notice. 

“It would be on full pay,” said Lauren. “Another office will be sourced quickly.”

“Could nothing be saved?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Do they have any leads?”

“I think it is too early to tell.”

“I see,” I said. I wanted more details than that.

“Apparently, it started in HR,” said Lauren.

“All that hot gossip, no doubt.”

Lauren laughed nervously into the phone.

“Do you think Di suffered?”

“Well, it all looks pretty grim for her,” said Lauren.

That made me smile. I knew I had to be careful not to let Lauren hear the smile in my voice. “Well, that’s…” Oh, I just couldn’t say it. “That’s…” Um, my mouth just wouldn’t work. “Poor.” It was poor that I couldn’t finish the sentence. 

“Yes, poor Di,” said Lauren. “We’re all feeling it.”

“We are.” My voice just naturally went up on the 'are', like a question, but Lauren didn’t notice.

“At least Belinda fared better,” said Lauren. “They don’t think she will be kept in hospital for very long.”

“Two birds…”

“I’m sorry?”

“Two of them,” I said. “Who’d have thought?” Dared to dream. My fingers were twitching, I was trying to keep them still, but I was having trouble.

“It’s awful,” said Lauren.

“Awful,” I repeated.

“I’ll keep you updated,” she said. She hit end.

It had been my role, it was coming to an end and they wanted someone permanent. Lauren had asked me to apply. “You are a shoe in,” she said.

A shoe in, I thought, that sounded good, even if I didn’t exactly know that I wanted the job. Lauren kept checking with me that I had applied.

They had a meeting about the role. My team managers were quite keen for me to get the role, apparently.

But there was Di, head of People & Culture, even if we didn’t exactly have a People & Culture department. She said in that meeting, in front of everyone, all the senior managers.

“Couldn’t we get someone younger,” said the head of People & Culture. “Someone more ‘with it.’” She would have said with her Jackie Kennedy hair do, now died a little too black for her paling skin, her pearls, her cashmere scarf and her silk blouse with her Katherine Hepburn trousers.

Don’t employee him, he is too old. Some one more with it? Seriously?

I mean, apart from all the employment laws she just broke, what was she, a 65 year old woman whose had too much work, with a sphincter that is permanently clenched? With a soft voice she has perfected as a purr? Does anyone buy that voice? With an HR department with only one person under 40? Fat Karen. 

And, I have to say, that I didn’t really, completely, want the job – or vengeance – up until that point.

Of course, I wasn’t in that meeting and I was told 3rd hand. Is OCD Jess prone to exaggeration? Not something I had thought about until that point.

At first, of course, I didn’t want the job after that. Oh fuck you, I’m leaving. 

I thought about Sarah, who I temporarily replaced originally, and how she told me that when she found herself taking tentative steps out into the traffic one night after work one night when the pressure had built to such an extent, she knew she had to say something.

I thought of Jesse, who had been the original ‘with it’ young thing who’d replaced me, and how she had felt so miserable after months in the job that she too had trouble making sense of her life altogether.

That was when Sara called me back to fill in, because she had no idea what she was doing. No idea. That was when she asked me to take the job, which I was disinclined to do because I realised she was a major part of the problem, not knowing what she was doing.

But then moments after I returned, Sara was walked out by the bitch Belinda – because the cruelty is the point of her life – Di’s, I can only assume, ‘with it’ manager who resembles an anorexic only moments off death, er, treatment.

Sara and I were at our desks after lunch one day. Belinda entered the room, saying to Sara, “Can I have a word with you?”

“Sure,” replied Sara.

“Would you like to get a coffee downstairs at the coffee shop.”

“Yes, okay,” said Sara. At that point, she gave me a wide-eyed look, which I recognised as odd, but I was unclear why?

Sometime later, Di came into the office, with a waft of Chanel and without saying a word she picked up Sara’s bag and left the office.

I never saw Sara again.

Sara was replaced by Fatty Cake Snoop Lady, my new obese Chief Financial Officer, who also encouraged me to take the permanent job.

It was Sara who told me what Di had said about me as a parting gift, I think by phone a few days later.

Fatty Cake Snoop Lady, you ask? Well, she was bought in as a (parenthesis) consultant to look at why so many people had been through the Financial Accountant’s position that I filled in for, a month, or maybe 6 weeks before Sara’s departure. Sara and I didn’t trust her, didn’t believe she had been bought in to help, hence the ‘snoop.’ She was obese. Now, when I say obese, she seemingly had a whole other entity hidden under the front of her dress which at times seemed to be moving independently to her, hence the ‘fatty.’ Just about every lunch time, certainly after Sara had been walked out by the anorexic, she would bring me back cake. 

“I picked up this lovely chocolate cake while I was out at lunch, and I got you a piece,” she’d say to me, hence the cake.

She immediately took over Sara’s role, and nothing more was said. Really, very little. “Sara has decided to look for new challengers at a new company,” she said.

“Really,” I said.

So, there you have it, I was in office services as Di said there was an important delivery and she had no one there to accept it, 

“Could you please wait for it, Josh, it should only be moments away. I have an important meeting I have to get to.” 

So, I did. 

It was a delivery of personal items for Di. The driver told me it was photographic chemicals for Di’s hobby, as I was staring down at the box of stuff, my phone rang.  

“Oh Josh, it’s Lauren.”

“Hi, sorry to call you at home…”

“I’m still in the office.”

“Why are you still in the office?” 

“Di wanted me to wait for a late delivery”

“Di did?”

“Yes.”

“Oh yes, she was going on a date tonight…”

“A date?”

“Yes. I guess it’s a last hurrah… you know, at her age.” Lauren’s one weakness, she liked to gossip.

“I see.”

“Did I leave my blah blah at work?”

“I don’t know, but wait, I’ll look.”

And there it was on her desk.

“Yes,” I said, “It is here.”

“Oh good.”

“Do you want me to do anything with it.”

“No, I just wanted to know where it was.”

That was not long before the delivery. No, not ideal. And if I’d known what was going to happen not long after that, I would have said I was at home. Still, it couldn’t be help, what was done, was done.

Don’t light a match around them, said the delivery guy. That was the last thought that went through my mind, as I flicked the match and made for the back lift door. Don’t use in case of fire, I read, as I pushed the button

I chuckled. I put Nina Simone on. It was definitely a Nina Simone moment. In The Dark started to play and I thought of the office again. 

I sat back in my lounge chair. I lit a cigarette. I blew the smoke into the air rather exaggeratedly.

How would I know that Di would come back to get her delivery? I wasn’t to know that.

I didn’t know that Belinda was coming back to the office having been out exercising every last gram off her 40 kilo frame at the gym.

I wasn’t to know that they had met up in the carpark and were probably heading up in the other lift to me, probably as I got out on the ground floor.

It was good that I didn’t know, as I probably would never have lit that match and chucked it at the spilt chemicals. 

And we never would have got the delicious result that we did.

The police said it was suspicious. They also acknowledge that I was the last person in the office.

“Yes, I took delivery and left the office immediately.”

As long as you stick to the exact truth, right up until you can’t, you should be okay, I told myself. Get away with it. That way, your story never changes, you can’t afford to change your story, no you can’t.

“And you left them on the head of People & Culture’s desk?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“Was there anybody in the office when you left?”

“No, I don’t think so. The delivery took longer than anticipated, so I think I was the last.”

“So, Belinda Horton wasn’t in the office?”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“So, she wasn’t still in the office before the fire started?”

“I don’t think so,” I said. “Although, she could have been in her office and I just didn’t realise.”

“What is your impression of Belinda Horton?”

“Oh, I think she is possibly unhappy in her life, as she seems to take it out on the staff, for no apparent reason.”

“So, is she not liked in the office?”

“I don’t always understand he reasons for doing things.”

“Can you elaborate on that?”

“Well, sometimes the only point I can see to her behaviour is cruelty.”

“That’s very blunt.”

“Oh,” I said. “I assumed you wanted me to be blunt.”

“Could you make any comment on her health.”

“Well, she trains 5 nights a week, and her weight must now be down to 50 kilos.”

“Has that always been the case?”

“Oh, no, this has been true for her for the last 12 months.”

“And would you say her, as you say, cruelty has escalated with her loss of weight?”

“She’s always been hard work, but to answer your question, yes.”

“Do you think her obvious diminished physical capacity has affected her mental state?”

“Well, in my untrained capacity, I’d have to say yes.”

“Well, thanks you Mr Smith.”

“Oh, call me Josh.”

“Thank you, Josh.”

Di’s funeral was a simple affair, from all accounts, I didn’t attend.

Sometime later, Belinda left the company and from all reports entered a facility for the bewildered, as they say in nice circles.

I turned down the full time position and left the company.

Switch

Ethan and Ebony took a side road off the Stuart Highway, for no real reason, other than they could.

They had no real deadline or schedule; they could pretty much do as they liked.

They were mowing down the kilometres on their central Australia trip, and they decided to get off the main highway just to see some of the desert up close and personal.

They hadn’t travelled very far off the main highway when they saw a white car in the distance.

The ute was beside the edge of the dirt road with its bonnet up way out there in the middle of nowhere.

Ethan worked his motor bike down through the gears to see if there was anything he could do to help, as he wasn’t only a lawyer, he was an avid amateur mechanic.

He pulled his Royal Enfield motor bike up with Eboni sitting on the back, and flipped up his helmet visor.

“Anything I can do to help?” Ethan asked. “I’m pretty handy with cars and engines.”

“Yeah, cheers, mate,” said one of the three men standing by the ute. He reached into the back of the ute right at that moment and pulled out a double barrel shot gun, pointing it at Ethan and Eboni. “You can both get off the bike, to start with.”

Eboni inhaled sharply.

The second and third guys pulled out hand guns seemingly from nowhere.

“Okay, mate,” said Ethan. “Sure. We’re getting off.”

Ethan and Eboni got off the motor bike on that dirt road in Central Australia.

“Take the helmets off,” said the second guy standing by the ute.

Ethan and Eboni pulled their helmets off.

The second guy wolf whistled when he saw Eboni.

“What do you want?” asked Eboni.

“Well, lookie here,” said the first guy. “We’ve gone and got ourselves a couple of models. Are you two models?”

“What do you want?” said Ethan.

“What do we want, you ask us what do we want,” said the first guy. “I want peace in the world, I want equality for all, I want a healthy planet, I want a million dollars in the bank and,” he looked closely at the bike, “a Royal Enfield motor bike, you know, probably the same things you want.”

“I want the TattsLotto numbers for next Saturday,” said the second guy.

“I want to touch you,” said the third guy talking for the first time, looking straight at Ethan.

“Get over here,” said the first guy, pointing the shot gun at Ethan, then pointing the end of the gun at his feet. “Hands behind your head.”

“What?” said Ethan.

“Mate, you sound kind of educated to me,” said the first guy. “I don’t think that instruction was too fucken hard to understand, for a smart guy.” He raised the gun up again, pointing it at Ethan. “Now move.”

“Okay, okay,” said Ethan. He walked over to the first guy. 

“Now lie on the ground,” said the guy behind the double barrel shot gun.

Ethan got down on the ground.

“Face down,” said the guy with the shot gun.

“Grab her, Wolf,” said the first guy. Indicating to the second guy to grab Eboni.

“I’m not going to do anything,” said Eboni.

“Sure, Gaz,” said Wolf.

“Yeah, well,” said Gaz, “What is that saying. It’s better to be safe than fucken sorry.”

Wolf grabbed Eboni by the arms.

“Don’t you hurt her,” demanded Ethan. 

Gaz put his foot into the middle of Ethan’s back, and point the shot gun at his head.

“Ethan!” Eboni cried out. 

“You are in no position to demand anything at the moment, buddy,” said Gaz.

“We’re in control now,” said Wolf, as he slipped his hands into the front of Eboni's jeans.

“HEY!” Ethan protested and tried to get up.

"Oh, big guy thinks he has some sort of power," said Gaz.

"He doesn't like his pretty girlfriend making it okay for us to let them go," said Wolf.

"That's okay," said Gaz. "You can take her place pretty boy."

"We cater for all, ah, sorts," said Wolf.

"Juso," said Gaz. He motioned with his head. "You're up."

The third guy, a big, musclebound guy, who had been standing back stepped forward.

"Don't mind if I do, Gaz," said Juso. He reached down and grabbed the back of Ethan's leather motor bike pants. "Fancy." He took hold of the waistband and gave them a huge tug ripping the back out of Ethan's leather pants, exposing Ethan's pristine white underwear."

"Ethan," Eboni cried out.

"Don't worry, little sister, me and Wolf can cater to you, but Juso has always had eyes for the boys."

"The pretty ones too," said Wolf. "Just like your boy here."

Just at that moment, Juso tore the back out of Ethan's undies, exposing his well exercised hairy arse. "Nice," said Juso. "Just how I like 'em." 

“What? Incapacitated,” said Wolf.

Juso licked his finger and inserted into Ethan's anus.

Ethan cried out.

"Ethan," Eboni called out again.

Juso worked his finger in and out of Ethan arsehole. "Squeal like a pig, model guy, squeal like a pig."

“Ethan dropped his face into the dirt and moaned in pain.

"Now you give us what we want, that's me and my mate Wolf here, or I can tell you Juso is real keen to stick something other than his finger into your pretty boyfriend."

"What?" said Eboni.

"What?" said Ethan. Pain was still in his voice.

"You can't be serious," said Eboni.

"Deadly," said Gaz.

"I'll do it, I'll do it," said Ethan exhausted.

"A real gentlemen to the end..."

"With his end," said Wolf. He laughed.

"You got a good one there," said Gaz. "It's not too many blokes who'll take the rape for their gyrls."

"Oh, but," said Wolf.

"You better get oclymatised to hairy beef curtains if you wanna see some action," said Gaz. He pointed to Ethan lying face down on the gravel road."

Wolf rubbed his crotch looking down at Ethan too and shrugged. "I've done worse."

"We've all done fucken worse," said Gaz.  He knelt down and took Ethan by the chin. "He sure is a handsome fuck, you've down real good for yourself, girlie." Gaz ran his hand over Ethan's back down to his bare arse, sliding his own finger into Ethan, next to Juso's. 

"Ah FUCK!" Ethan cried out in pain. 

Gaz looked up at Wolf. "I don't think you'd be disappointed." Gaz worked his finger in and out of Ethan, with Juso working his finger in and out of Ethan at the same time. 

“You guys are fucken fucked,” Eboni screamed out.

Ethan screamed out loudly. "OH MY FUCKEN GOD!"

"He's so pretty, I'd even consider sticking it to him."

"Ah, but." Wolf gazed at Eboni.

"Oh, come on, you've let Juso relieve you on more than one occasion, mate."

"Well, that's what gay mates are for," said Wolf. "If there are no chicks around."

Gaz pulled his finger out of Ethan and pointed at Eboni.

"Tie her up," Gaz said to Wolf.

"Okay," said Wolf.

"Hog tie him," Gaz said to Juso. "We might all park our bikes in his bike holder yet."

"Okay," said Juso. He sounded excited.

"And let’s smoke some pot," said Gaz.

"I've got some meth," said Juso.

"Nah," said Gaz. "We'll all be up him if we take meth."

"Yeah," said Juso. "His pretty arse needs our loads.

Wolf laughed.

"Hey, you guys, I've got money," said Ethan. 

"On you?" asked Gaz.

"No. Er? Take the bike, it's worth a lot," said Ethan.

"What would we do with one bike between 3 of us?"

"It's a nice bike," said Wolf.

"I bet ya he looks real pretty riding it," said Juso.

“Tie them up,” said Gaz. “I’m gonna look through the panniers on the bike before we have a smoke.”

“The what?” said Juso.

“Them bags on the side,” said Wolf.

Gaz walked over to the bike and flipped open the panier flap.

“Hey, lookie ‘ere,” said Gaz. He held up a big bag of pot. “We’ll smoke their pot.”

“Any cash?” said Wolf.

“Um, er,” said Gaz. He rummaged through the bike’s bags. “Hey look here.” He pulled out a wallet. He flipped it open. “Not bad. Hundred dollar notes.” 

“Goodo,” said Wolf.

Juso pointed two handguns at Eboni, as Wolf taped Eboni's wrists and ankles with thick, grey duct tape, the same tape covered her mouth. She was left sitting by the side of the road

Wolf pointed the shotgun at Ethan's head as Juso tied Ethan's ankles to his writs behind his back. Ethan's bare, white arse was exposed to the world, his cock and balls lying in the dirt.

"There's a good job done," said Gaz.

"Pity," said Juso.

"We'll get you something to play with on the next job," said Wolf.

"Promise?" said Juso.

"Promise," Gaz and Wolf said together.

Gaz slid 3 ready rolled joints into his mouth and lit all three. He handed one to Wolf, one to Juso, drawing heavily on the last one which he kept for himself.

"Don't mind if I do," said Wolf.

"Ta," said Juso.

The three guys smoked the joints enthusiastically, as if they hadn't tasted pot in a long time.

Gaz dropped his smoked joint on the ground and ground it into the dirt with his shoe.

Wolf flicked his smoked joint high into the sky with a flick of his fore finger and thumb.

Juso tossed his smoked joint aside with little to no care.

“That’s good shit,” said Wolf. “Trust a fancy pretty boy to have more than home fucken grown.”

“Blown my head,” said Juso. “I wanna lick his arse.”

“No way,” said Gaz. “We’d better get going. We’ve been here long enough.”

“Aren’t we going to…”

“Nah, Juso, we’re no gonna...”

“You have to get a fucken room for that shit,” said Wolf. “Jesus fuck.”

“Come on, we gotta go,” said Gaz.

“Ah, but…” said Wolf.

“But what?”

“What about her?” said Wolf.

“What about her?” said Gaz.

“She sure is pretty,” said Wolf.

“No way,” said Gaz. “Let’s go.”

“But you let Juso…”

“Let Juso what?”

“Let Juso touch him.”

“He’s a guy, it doesn’t matter…”

“What?”

“It doesn’t matter with a bloke, they’re okay, but touching a girl is way different,” said Gaz. “Now get in the car and let’s go.”

“But,” said Wolf.

“You are not touching her, not while I’m ‘ere, no way,” said Gaz. “Now let’s go.”

Gaz walked to the driver’s side of the ute. 

“Fuck it.” said Wolf looking from Eboni to Gaz getting into the driver’s side of the ute. “Come on.” Gaz demanded of Juso. “You are in the middle, faggot.”

Juso walked over to Ethan. He exhaled loudly as he looked over the prone man. “Another fucken time.” Then he ran to the ute and got in, in front of Wolf.

Ethan thew himself sideways to try and catch the number plates of the ute before it drove off, only to see for the first time the ute didn’t have any number plates on it.

“Eb?”

Eboni grunted.

“You okay?”

“Eboni grunted again.”

“Can you come over here.”

Eboni got to her feet. She hopped over towards Ethan. She lost her footing and fell heavily on the dirt. She groaned loudly.

“Eb!” Ethan called out.

Eboni groaned again. She got back up on her feet and hopped the rest of the distance to Ethan.

“Lean down here,” said Ethan.

Eboni grunted in a question.

“Get down here, and I’ll try to get the tape off your mouth with my teeth.”

Eboni grunted in a question a gain.

“It’s all we’ve got Eb,” he said. “Get your face up against mine.”

Eboni got down to her knees carefully. Then she lay down with her face against Ethan’s.

“I’m sorry, Eb…”

She grunted as a question again.

“I’m sorry this happened.”

Eboni grunted dismissively. She pushed her face up against Ethans.

“Yes, like that. Bring the corner of the tape to my lips.”

She did.

“Yes, now hold still.” Ethan grunted. Then he grunted again. He got hold of the corner of the tape and ripped it from Eboni’s mouth.

“Oh, Ethan,” Eboni said. She kissed him. Then she kissed him some more. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, Eb, I’m okay.”

“OMG! I can’t believe that this has happened.”

“Eboni, bring your hands up to my mouth. I’ll try to do the same with the tape around your wrists.”

Eboni rolled around onto her side and brought her hands up to Ethan’s mouth.

“There’s an end piece that is sticking up, put that in my mouth.”

Eboni put the end piece of tape in Ethan’s mouth. Ethan took hold of it with his teeth. Eboni pulled her hands sideways until the tape started to unstick from her wrists.

“Yes, good,” said Ethan. “Keep going.”

Eboni put the end of the tape back in Ethan’s mouth and pulled it from her wrists some more. They continued the process.

“Ethan, I’m exhausted.”

“I know, I am to babe. Keep going, though.”

It took a long time. There was more and more grey tape. Ethan would bite down on it, Eboni would pull more tape from her writs. The longer the tape got, the harder the process become.

“We’re nearly there,” said Eboni.

“Yes, we’re nearly there,” said Ethan.

Eventually, Eboni was able to pull her wrists apart.

Eboni let out a yelp as her wrists became untangled.

“Oh, thank god,” said Ethan.

Eboni quickly pulled the thick grey tape from her ankles.

“Eb, believe it, or not, but I have a Swiss army knife in one of the paniers, get that, it will be quicker.”

Eboni quickly got the knife from the motorbike and got to work on Ethan’s tied legs and arms across his back. She cut the ropes, it wasn’t easy, but she seemed to find a steely resolve to cut those ropes free.

“I hate those guys,” said Eboni.

“Yeah, me to.”

She kept cutting.

“I want them to pay.”

“Yes, me to Eb.”

She kept cutting.

“What they did to you…”

“Don’t worry, I’m fine,” said Ethan.

She cut and cut and finally the ropes cam apart. Ethan was able to roll around onto his arse and sit up.

Eboni untied his hands.

“I love you,” Ethan said.

The ropes around his wrists came apart.

Eboni burst into tears. Ethan wrapped his arms around her. “It’s okay, it’s over now.” They held each other tight.

Ethan rubbed Eboni’s face. “Come on, we’re okay. We need to get going.”

“I know, you are right,” Eboni said.

Eboni stood up.

Ethan untied the ropes around his ankles and stood up to. His torn leather pants and underwear fell to the ground.

They hugged again. “I love you,” said Ethan.

“I love you too,” said Eboni.

They kissed tenderly.

“We’re okay,” said Ethan.

“Yes,” said Eboni.

Ethan walked over to the motor bike and pulled a pair of jeans from one of the paniers and pulled them on.

“Ah,” he groaned. “I think my arse is a bit sunburnt.” 

Eboni laughed for the first time. “It hasn’t seen the light of day since Mykonos a year ago.”

“I won the shaved butt competition,” said Ethan.

“I was thinking of the beach,” said Eboni.

Ethan grabbed his and Eboni’s helmets. “Here, we’ve got to go.” The two of them got back on the motorbike and road off.

They rode to the Barrow Creek police station, nearby. They pulled up outside the police station and ran inside.

“How can I help you good people,” said the desk sergeant.

“I’d like to report a robbery,” said Ethan.

“More than a robbery,” said Eboni. “A sexual assault, as well.”

“A robbery. A sexual assault?” said the desk sergeant.”

“Were you sexually assaulted, miss,” said the desk sergeant.

“No, he was.”

“He was?” asked the desk sergeant.

“Yeah, I guess.

“They tore his leather pants off…”

“Leather pants?”

“And they digitally raped him.”

“They what?”

“Two of them,” said Eboni.

“Two, you say.”

“Yes, I guess,” said Ethan.

“Yes, then they tied us up…”

“Tied both of you up?

“Yes,” said Ethan.”

“Yes,” said Eboni.

“And they stole our money,” said Ethan.

“And our…” Eboni stopped herself.

“They stole from you?”

“Yes,” said Ethan.

“They tied us up and left us for dead,” said Eboni.

“In the desert,” said Ethan.

“They, um, sexually assaulted him, not you?” asked the desk sergeant.

“Yes,” said Eboni.

“Then they stole your money, tying you up and leaving you in the desert?”

“Yes,” said Eboni and Ethan together.

“Okay, who and where?” asked the desk sergeant.

“There were three of them,” said Ethan.

“They had guns,” said Eboni.

“We were riding on the back roads,” said Ethan.

“Where?” asked the desk sergeant.

“Oh, um, er… out on the back roads, kilometres south,” said Ethan. “I tripped the counter on my motor bike as we rode here.

“His ripped leather pants mark the spot,” said Eboni.

“Ripped leather pants mark the spot?” questioned the desk sergeant.

“And his underwear,” said Eboni.

“His underwear?” said the desk sergeant.

“Yes, designer. Calvin Klien, I think.” said Eboni

“Yes,” said Ethan.

“His designer underwear?” questions the desk sergeant.

“Yes,” said Eboni.

“You’re not from around here, are you,” says the desk sergeant.

“We’re from Melbourne,” Ethan and Eboni said together.

The sergeant took a deep breath. He left the desk for a moment. He returned with an incident report pad. He selected a pen from a pen holder on the counter.

The desk sergeant started to fill out the details asking Ethan and Eboni questions.

“Okay,” said the desk sergeant. “You are on a motor bike, you say?”

“Yes.”

“How did they, um, stop you?” asked the desk sergeant.

“They had a ute…”

“Can you describe the ute?”

“It was white.”

“White?”

“Yes.”

“Make. Model. Number plates?”

“It was a white ute. It had no numberplates.”

“No number plates?”

“No.”

“Okay.”

“They pretended to be broken down on the side of the road,” said Eboni.

“We stopped to see if we could help,” said Ethan. “I’m a bit of an amateur mechanic.”

“Then they pulled guns,” said Eboni.

“Pulled guns?” repeated the desk sergeant.

“Yes, all three of them,” said Ethan. “A shot gun and two hand guns.”

“So, they were armed?”

“Yes,” said Ethan and Eboni together.

“Did they use names to speak to each other?” asked the desk sergeant.

“Yes,” said Ethan.

“Gaz and Wolf and Juso,” said Eboni.

“Gaz and Wolf and Juso,” repeated desk sergeant. He looked from Eboni back to Ethan.

“Yes,” said Etan and Eboni together.

“They stole your money,” said the desk sergeant. “How much?”

“About $500.”

“$500.”

“Yes,” said Ethan.

“After which they tied you upp and left you out in the desert.”

“Yes,” said Ethan.

“And they sexually assaulted you?”

“Yes,” said Ethan.

“Not you?” asked the desk sergeant. He looked at Eboni.

“No,” said Eboni.

“So… when did the sexual assault happen?” asked the desk sergeant.

“Oh, um,” said Ethan.

“First up,” said Eboni. “As soon as they held us at gun point. Before they robbed us.”

“Before they robbed you?” said the desk sergeant.

“They ripped his leather pants and underwear off. From behind,” said Eboni. “And two of them digitally raped him. The younger musclebound one was said to be into men.”

“Who said that?” said the desk sergeant.

“Gaz and Wolf.”

“The other two?” said the desk sergeant.

“Yes,” said Ethan and Eboni together.

“And they never touched you?”

“No. Well. Kind of threateningly, at the beginning but it was nothing,” said Eboni.

“I think Wolf wanted to,” said Ethan. “But Gaz stopped him.”

“Gaz was the leader,” said Eboni.

“Something about girls being off limits…” said Ethan.

“Oh yes,” said Eboni. “Something about it didn’t matter with guys, but it did with girls.”

“Okay,” said the desk sergeant. He rubbed the sweat from his forehead. “Um, ah, well, Jees. Was anything else stolen other than money?”

“Well, to be completely honest,” said Ethan. “And a bag of pot.”

“You had a bag of pot?” asked the desk sergeant.

“Yeah, just for complete transparency,” said Ethan. “You know what I mean.”

“Had you smoked any of the pot today?” asked the desk sergeant.

“Oh, well, what can I say?”

“Have you two consumed any other drugs today?” The desk sergeant’s attitude seemed to change ever so slightly at this point.

“No,” Ethan and Eboni said together.

“Just a joint for the ride,” said Ethan. “You know, to enhance the experience…”

“Ethan?” said Eboni.

“But that was hours ago.”

“They smoked some of the pot,” said Eboni.

“They? The robbers?” asked the desk sergeant.

“After we were tied up,” said Ethan.

“Before they took off in their ute,” said Eboni.

“The robbers stopped to smoke a joint…”

“Three,” said Ethan.

“Three?” questioned the desk sergeant.

“They had a joint each,” said Eboni.”

“The robbers tied you bother up, they stopped to smoke a joint each, before taking off in the white ute, of undisclosed make and model with no rego plates attached to the vehicle.”

“Yes,” said Ethan and Eboni together.

“And this was after sexually assaulting you, but not you, before all of that?” questioned the desk sergeant.

“Yes,” said Ethan and Eboni together.

“I see,” said the desk sergeant.

“Yes,” said Ethan.

“It is a pretty incredible story,” said the desk sergeant.

“Yes, I guess it is,” said Ethan.

“But that is what happened,” said Eboni.

The desk sergeant wrote more information down on the pad in front of him

“Had you two consumed any other drugs?” asked the desk sergeant.

“No,” said Ethan and Eboni together.

“But you admit to smoking cannabis before taking charge of your motorbike?”

“Well,” said Ethan. He laughed. “It was just…”

“It’s a yes, or no question,” the desk Sergeant stated.

“Yes,” said Ethan.

“So, you would say you were impaired?”

“No,” said Ethan.

“Where were you two headed, when this robbery” he made parenthesis in the air, “took place,” asked the desk sergeant.

“Oh, nowhere in particular,” said Ethan.

“No where in particular?”

“No.”

“Oh, really.” The desk sergeant sounded suspicious.

“Possibly Darwin?” said Ethan.

“Maybe Darwin.”

“Yes, maybe.”

“We’re just touring,” said Eboni.

“Nowhere in particular?” the desk sergeant sounded doubtful. “You say.”

The desk sergeant made notes on the paperwork.

“Do you know any perps by those names?” asked Eboni.

“No.”

“And a trace on the white ute?” asked Ethan.

“Jees, do you know how many white utes we have?”

“No,”

The desk sergeant read through what he’d written.

“So, you’ve taken no other drugs?” he asked.

“No,” said Ethan and Eboni.

“No alcohol?”

“No,” said Ethan and Eboni.

“Okay,” said the desk sergeant.

“We’re the victims here,” said Ethan.

“So, you say,” said the desk sergeant.

“No,” said Eboni. “We don’t say, we are.”

The desk sergeant looked at Eboni and raised his eyebrows.

Ethan looked at Eboni. Eboni looked at Ethan.

“Okay,” said the desk sergeant. “We’ll be in contact.”

“Okay,” said Ethan. “Do we need to stay around?”

“No,” said the desk sergeant. “We’ve got your contact numbers.”

“You don’t need anything further from us?” asked Eboni.

“No,” said the desk sergeant.

“You’ll keep us updated?” asked Ethan.

“Updated?” questioned the desk sergeant.

“On the investigation?” said Ethan.

“The investigation?” questioned the desk sergeant. “Oh, yes, the investigation, yes, of course.”