Sunday Morning

Another glorious morning dawns. Flinging open the shutters and stepping out onto the veranda, I saluted the sun and stretched. You really have a much better sleep when you are in a huge bed alone. No sweaty, hot man draped over you, no rod poking in your back, no fight for the blanket or being shunted to a tiny edge of the pillow by the sheer size of your bed partner who sleeps like a beached whale. I sat on the cane chair with a glass of fruit juice and sipped lazily. Bloody missed him. What the fuck got into them last night, apart from the skinful of alcohol they must have consumed?

I had missed most of the fun. After my romantic dinner with Dino on Friday night, I had kept a low profile. For some reason the crazy bastards at the Mother House lost it completely and caused the assault. About midnight I had heard all the noise and ran out, but all I had seen were a group of men disappearing into the building and Dino saying , "S'okay, nothing to worry about. Got everything under control. Your men just made an abortive coup. They are under wraps until they sober up. Back to bed, honey. And that beautiful negligee is see- through against the light. I knew I'd been a good boy today..."

I looked down at the flimsy soft fine cotton shift I was wearing. See- through with the light behind it? No wonder Terry likes it so much. He said I looked virginal in it. He is such a fucking liar. Wonder how he is this morning? Just then I saw him, loping round the side of the building, obviously recently released from prison. He looked rough. Crumpled, unshaven and clearly nursing a king-sized hangover, as well as walking with that stiff gait of a man who has slept on a floor and probably has a few bruises. My heart went out to him.

I didn't give it a moment's thought and was on my feet and out of the door in seconds. My first port of call was the kitchen but I was not alone there. Helping himself to a cold glass of milk, I found Maximus. He also looked under the weather, heavy-eyed and sluggish.

"Oh...you." I gasped with surprise. He turned round and looked at me.

"Uma...I was just on my way up to your room..."

"My room?" I gasped again. "You would come to my room? Are you trying to get me into trouble?"

Maximus held out his hands in supplication. "Please. Let me finish. For once, do not interrupt me. My head is aching and I am tired. I want to sleep not argue. I was on my way up to your room to apologise for what I said the other day. It was unforgivable. I should never have spoken to a lady - any woman- like that, let alone you. Please accept my apologies." He gave a slight bow. I knew what such a come-down cost a man like him, unused to deferring to women in anything.

"It isn't necessary. I, too, spoke out of turn and said some dreadful things. Do not trouble yourself on my account. I should not have hit you. That was not right."

We continued to stand like two statues at opposite ends of the room. "Nevertheless, I beg your indulgence. I need to know that you forgive me and understand that I will never hurt you, nor will I ever try to importune you again. You have made your choice and I respect that."

I nodded and realized that this was the best conclusion I was ever likely to get. Once he gave his word, he would not break it. Then he did it. The very thing that would throw my inconstant heart back into confusion. I wonder if this was just a random gesture or did he understand the impact of his simple act?

"For you as a peace offering." He reached to the table by his side and extended to me a rose that was lying there. "A rose for my English Rose." He placed it in my trembling fingers and stood before me. "Goodbye, Uma."  Bending forward, he kissed the top of my head and then moved away towards the door.

"Max, please...stop..." I pleaded at his retreating back. He came to a standstill but did not turn back to me. "I didn't really mean what I said. You must know that. I just had to make the choice..."

"The choice is made. Ave atque vale." And he moved swiftly towards the stairway. I stood for a moment, biting my lip while I struggled to shake sadness from me. The choice was made, just as he said. He was right to walk away and I must now let it go.

Busying myself to hide the confusion that beset me,  I gathered a tray of breakfast food and, as an afterthought, found a small rose vase for my gift. With the repast complete, I went in search of him. He wasn't hard to find. He was slumped on a bench at the side of the house with his head in his hands.

"You look like a man who needs a pick-me-up..." I set down the tray on the wrought iron table before him as his head shot up; his eyes were blood shot and he looked embarrassed. "I have orange juice, ground coffee, rolls, butter and honey. Oh yes and some fresh fruit, too.  Painkillers for your head and antacid for your stomach. If you want eggs, I can go and get you some..."

"No. That's fine. Come on, let's have breakfast." He moved over and made space for me to sit down and I poured coffee. We ate in silence for a moment. Then we started to speak at once:

"What happ..."

"I'm sorry about..."

We both smiled and rolled our eyes. Terry said "You first."

"Nothing really. I was just saying that I didn't know what happened last night. I just heard the noise. I was in bed." His head shot round and he looked at me. "Alone, Terry. Alone. Like most nights."

He nodded. "But not all?"

"No, not all." I was not going to say anymore than that.

"I need to tell you something...Uma...I slept with someone this week." He looked down and rubbed his hands along his thighs; he was uncomfortable and ashamed of himself but was not shirking his promise. No secrets.

"Lachlan on the porch?" I said with a soft smile. He smiled too. "Two people then." He cleared his throat. "I ...there was somebody on the Stag Night..." he looked down again and grimaced.

"Were you careful, sweetie?"

"Of course. You know I wouldn't take a chance..."

"Then, that's it. C'mon, Terry. I'm no convent school girl anymore. I can survive the thought of you banging a hooker after a drunken bachelor night. I'm impressed you could get it up, actually." My manner was chipper but it was hiding my emotions. His words had touched my heart. He was sorry. He would rather face my anger than lie to me- even by omission.

"Well, I couldn't have done last night, that's for sure. Christ, I was seeing double," he joked, his feigned levity as false as my own. His eyes revealed the way he felt as clearly as if he has spoken the words out loud. I reached out a hand and stroked back his hair; he grabbed it and kissed my palm. "Missed you, little girl," he whispered, his eyes closing as he bussed my fingers.

"Then we're even, big boy," I replied, snuggling up to him. We fed each other honey bread and bits of fruit; neither of us saying much at first. "What did happen last night, Terry?"

He snorted. "We were drunk and angry. All the week we'd been mad but those reports just kept ramping us up. That last one- Jack nearly split his skin."

"Reports? What do you mean?" Terry pulled a page out of his inside pocket and I scanned it, my eyes widening in shock. "You didn't think...? Surely you didn't believe this shit?"

Terry shrugged. "Not exactly... but drunk and horny- you know how boys are...So we got this idea to break in. Fucked it up. Dino and the Teddy Boys rounded us up and checked us for weapons. Forgot, didn't I? Nothing in my pockets but my wallet and a flower."

"What?" I sat up straight and pulled a face.

"Yeah." He emptied his pockets, pulling out his wallet and opening it. "My girl." It was a picture of me that I didn't even know he had. I stared in surprise. "And this." He showed me the tattered remains of a flower, clearly plucked from the garden.

"Why the flower?" I asked in surprise. He blushed. "To give to you. I had some notion of climbing up to your room and presenting you with it..."

I stifled a smile. "And if I had been with anyone?"

"I'd have thrown him out of the window. And then given you the flower." He smiled and chuckled at himself. "Crazy, hey? Look what you've done to me. Ruined my fucking rep on several continents...Anyway.... It was Kim, the little bastard- he wrote the reports and I want his arse for all the trouble he's caused. We all talked it out and decided we needed a way to bring the Brothers together again. I suggested a Rugby match this arvo- enough physical to get rid of the tension and enough sportsmanship to bond us together. Aussies versus those not lucky enough to be born in God's own country. At least I'll score in this, hey?" He smiled, sheepishly, and I ruffled up his hair.

But I wasn't smiling. I was sort of grinning from ear to ear and suddenly feeling all coy and girly. The footie and bonding with the Brothers could wait. "You were bringing me a flower? You were going to climb up to my window? And you brought my picture with you?" I took the flower from his hand and cried. Then, still sobbing, I removed Max's rose from the vase and plopped the sorry petal-less stem in its place.

TERRY

Just when I think I have a grip on what makes her tick, she goes and does something completely unpredictable. I had been reluctant to go up to her room that morning. Firstly I didn't know who the fuck was in her bed, secondly I thought she would bloody kill me for my part in last night's manoeuvres,  and thirdly because I thought she would laugh her head off when she heard what a nong I'd been. That is prior to cutting my dick off for my little adventure with Chantal, of course.

Instead she brought me breakfast, acted all tender, forgave me outright for my little sexual peccadillo, felt sorry for me and finally acted all cow-eyed when I presented her with the petal-less flower that I had stuck in my pocket.  Un-fucking- believable.

She looked absolutely beautiful. Framed against the morning sunlight, dressed in a delicate long white nightdress, her long, slender legs visible through the sheer fabric, her dark hair wild and messy around her face.  She looks so virginal and pure like that. I love her face in the morning, before makeup spoils the natural prettiness, when she is still soft and sleep-soaked, her eyes dreamy and lazy. She wakes up slowly and is fairly quiet at this time of the morning. As the day progresses she gets gradually more wired. Late night she can be like a whirling dervish- a different kind of beauty- wild and uninhibited. But not in the mornings. There is a stillness about her then. I love her in the mornings most of all. She looks absolutely beautiful to me.

So there we were staring at each other, me all dirty and rumpled, Uma all clean, fresh and white. I could smell the stale booze and cigarettes on my breath, not to mention the filth of a night on the floor of a dusty cell clinging to my clothes. I wanted to kiss her so badly that my tongue could almost taste her; her lips were parted and slightly moist, she smelt of fruit and honey. But not like this. I wouldn't touch her like this, when I was so dirty and unkempt.

The state I was in didn't seem to bother her, though, as she cuddled up close. I noticed that she was clutching the bare stem of the flower to her breast and crying. Women? They are the strangest creatures on God's earth.

UMA

He is so wonderful. I will never say anything negative about him again. Can you imagine? He just sat down and confessed all - even though I never asked him to. He admitted to being drunk and behaving badly, to messing about with a call girl, and then brought me that flower and showed me my picture in his wallet. He is such a romantic. I know he hates for people to think of him like that but he's always doing romantic things. Surprise weekends, flowers, gifts left for me, tickets to the opera and ballet ( which he doesn't really like, although he claims he does) little notes, room service arriving with champagne and strawberries, jewelers delivering, beautiful clothes left draped on my bed. But, you know, I don't think anything he ever gave me was quite as special as that flower he fished out of his pocket. I adore him. I just wanted to kiss him and take him upstairs, draw him a bath, wash him, shave him and then fuck his brains out. Instead I sat there all goofy like a bit of a kid and drooled over him while he ate his breakfast.

Sitting together hand in hand on that bench, we just chatted and smiled and I felt like I hadn't done in ages. Nobody does it like Terry. Nobody.

Just then I heard a voice from a room above breaking into our romantic idyll. It sounded like Lachlan. He was angry and letting rip at someone. Woo...was he shouting. I have never heard Lachlan talk like that. I couldn't believe it. He was so mad. Then in response came Heather's voice. Terry's eyes opened wide at that.  You should have heard her- what a hell cat! Poor Lachlan! Then he replied- bloody hell, I didn't even know he knew those words! Heather neither. Terry and I exchanged glances and then I started to laugh. So did he. How refreshing not to be the pair who has the public row when the girls and boys are all together. You could see this virtuous look come over both of us. We would never do anything like that in public...like two little children who are watching friends misbehave.

Each further jibe made us wince and then chuckle. Terry was running a boxing commentary on it in whispers. And then Lachlan said something that stopped us both in our tracks. Terry's face changed from crinkled amusement to stony disapproval instantly. "I don't like the way that little fucker is talking to her," he muttered.

Heather's reply was muffled, I think she was crying. "Terry, it's nothing to do with us. They are a couple and that is a private matter. He doesn't have to run what he says to her by you first," I reminded him, a little sharply.

"Well, you would take his side, wouldn't you?" He snapped. 

I blew out air slowly. "Terry, I wasn't taking his side. A man and woman have to deal with their own shit. OK? Would you take kindly to anyone interfering if we had a disagreement?"

"Anyone like whom?"

"I don't know, anyone. Anyone at all."

"You mean like Dino or Lachlan or the great Maximus - or one of your other champions?"

"That is such a load of old cobblers and you know it! Why must we always talk about Maximus? Every time you get copped with your pants down, suddenly you turn it back onto me. I haven't been near him all week - oh, apart from when I slugged him one. Are you satisfied?" I jumped up and knocked my coffee cup over. The pieces of china shattered all over the stone-flagged ground and I bent to retrieve them. Just then I heard a noise. It sounded like...I didn't believe it! I just didn't believe it! Terry also looked up and his mouth fell open. They were having sex. The unmistakable sounds of a man and woman having wild, abandoned, don't-care-who-hears-them sex. They had a fight, drew us into it and then went and had sex, leaving us at each other's throats?

I looked at him and he looked at me. We started to laugh. "Bloody ridiculous! How did we get pulled into that? What the fuck are we doing down here? The rest of this bloody place is full of Number Ones fucking and the rest wanking on the memories. Upstairs now! I need a woman to wash me and give me some serious relief. You got any numbers I can call?" He sprang up, winced as the sudden movement jolted his alcohol- battered brain, and dragged on my hand. I had just the number he needed.