“Get out of sight.” Jeff said and we went below to where Mary Ann waited. Mother and daughter had a huge hug and a quick “Are you all right, Yes I’m fine” discussion.
Mary Ann turned to me, “Thank you, David.” She said. Second woman in the last half an hour to thank me. I must be doing something right.
Jeff had started the engines and we were slowly moving forward when the spotlight picked us up.
An amplified voice boomed out, first in the local language, and then in English. “Stop your vessel now and prepare for inspection.”
Jeff continued slowly forward.
The message was repeated and then Jeff, wearing a large hat I had not seen him put on turned on a megaphone and said something to them in Vietnamese followed by “No English.”
A brief discussion on shore with the next announcement being “Stop or we will shoot.”
Jeff said quietly to us, “Hold on tight this will get very bumpy.” Then again called out “No English.”, in his best Vietnamese accent.
On the jetty they finally responded with the international shot across the bow, but only from a rifle, then Jeff opened the throttles and the boat leapt into motion. A volley of rifle shots followed and I heard a couple of hits. We shot out of the harbor at full speed and another boat started to give chase.
I looked around as Jeff asked, “Anyone hurt?” and was about to say no when I saw Wendy was holding her arm, and there was a fair bit of blood.
We panicked a bit and eventually I was steering the boat as Jeff applied a field dressing.
Mary Ann came up and shouted; “Don’t lose them.” as the boat behind us fell away.
“Why not?” I yelled over the screaming motors.
“Carlo will be on board,” she replied, “if we can get them out in international waters Rupert will get them.”
I backed off the throttles slightly, and Mary Ann went back to the radio.
We allowed the pursuing boat to slowly gain on us and they occasionally fired shots, but none came close. As we went Jeff came up with a number of packages which he fiddled with. Mary Ann came up and said “Now.” And Jeff started throwing them in the water behind us.
We watched and waited for what seemed an eternity then a waterspout erupted behind the boat chasing us, they swerved quickly but it was too late as the second explosion flipped them into the sea. We saw a chopper coming up and smiled as the rest of the bombs showered the swimmers with water.
I went below to see how Wendy was and it was bad, but not life threatening, Mary Ann spoke to Rupert and they had picked up Carlo and his henchmen who were all in custody. We arranged to have Wendy taken off the boat for treatment and I chose to go with her.
Eventually we were stopped, waiting for the chopper discussing the future.
“Wendy and I will go straight back to Australia,” I said to Jeff and Mary Ann, “what do you guys want to do, this will leave you shorthanded.”
They looked at each other and smiled in anticipation.
“This is nice.” Said Mary Ann.
“We might explore for a bit.” Said Jeff.
“Just come back in time for the wedding.” Wendy said.
“Yours or ours?” Mary Ann asked grinning.
Wendy looked at me and I nodded.
“Both.” Said Wendy.
I gave Jeff a credit card and an authorization to use it and the boat, “An early wedding present.” I told him.
We hugged the girls, shook hands with each other and Wendy was winched aboard the chopper and I climbed the rope ladder.
As we drew away from the boat I think I was the only one that saw Mary Ann waving her bikini top over her head. Have fun kids, I thought.
Seventeen years on and I am lying in bed with Wendy, my wife, sleeping beside me. We have aged a bit and are a little frailer, but life is good. We got married as soon as Jeff and Mary Ann returned, and went to their wedding the next weekend. They honeymooned in the Pacific Islands and we honeymooned in the Australian inland. I remember the excitement of packing the old Chevy pickup and just going exploring. We could not keep our hands off each other and made love on the original seat, next to Ularu, in Kings Canyon, in Standley Chasm, at the Devil’s Marbles and in countless other places. We touched each other up at the Mataranka thermal springs, in a cruise boat up Katherine Gorge, on Cable Beach in Broome and even on a plane above the Bungle Bungle National park. One of my favorite memories is of Tunnel Creek, where in the cave running through the mountain I took Wendy from behind, both of us standing calf deep in water where the harmless fresh water crocodiles swim, the bat colony above restless due to our cries of passion. We had a lot of lost years to catch up on, and the eventual introduction of Viagra meant we could catch up that much quicker.
We play with the grandchildren, between trips abroad, and we still enjoy sex immensely. I have bought a retirement home and converted it to double beds for couples, something that did not exist before. We had to improve the soundproofing because some of the younger staff were quite disturbed to find out that people that are old and wrinkly still had sex, but bad luck, we do.
Wendy’s theory of four seasons is right. I had four virgins in my life, one for each of my four seasons, Wendy, my first, for Spring, Wendy brought me Mary Ann for Summer, she brought me Tash for Autumn (Fall) and also took me to Louisa for Winter. The reasons varied but each one holds a special place in my heart, with Wendy the pivotal part of it all. My life has been very good.
All this thinking about sex has made me horny, I might just see if Wendy is awake.
“Darling?”
“Mmmm?”
“Look.”
“Mmmm.”
Fade to the sound of squeaking bed springs.