Chapter Ten: Part Two
As soon as they were out of the sight and hearing of the others, Natalie said, ‘There is something you’re not telling me that you think I should know, or something else about me that you’re uncomfortable with. I know it can’t be my sexuality, since you share your life with two lesbians. May I ask what it is, Catherine?’
Kate rarely blurted her words out, but after a small tornado of emotions, thoughts and fears, she found herself confessing her voyeurism and the circumstances around it to this remarkable, blonde woman. This remarkable, blonde, beautiful, smiling, laughing woman.
‘Catherine, there was an emerald finch in that bush; probably the same one you were following. That’s what I was looking at this morning. Grandmother says it’s my totem animal. I often see one when something wonderful is happening.’
She grabbed Kate’s shoulders warmly, saying, ‘See, it’s true, here you are. I am so glad you told me. I thought all sorts of things might be wrong.’ Breaking apart, she looked at Kate with a wicked grin. ‘He is one hell of a lover, isn’t he?’
‘Dom?’ asked Kate, deflecting for time.
Kate realised just how much she had admitted when Natalie’s eyes sparkled mischievously. ‘Why, Catherine! Who else could I possibly be talking about?’ Yet again Kate’s blush answered for her. Natalie chuckled happily as Kate realised what she had just acknowledged to herself. ‘Did you like what you witnessed?’ Seeing the look on Kate’s reddening face, Natalie added, ‘There is no judgement or competition here, Catherine.’
‘Yes. Yes, I did, Natalie. I talked to Rick over lunch about it, sorry.’
‘The thought that you watched us like that is a bit of a turn on for me, and speaking with Rick about it is a healthy and logical thing to do, so there’s nothing to apologise for. To answer your unspoken question, I won’t bring it up with Dom. I know that if you did feel the need to confess all to him, he would only be concerned for you, and would probably laugh at the situation that you found yourself in. If you feel uncomfortable about it at any level, just talk to him. What did Rick say about it?’
‘Just what you said then, almost word for word. He also said that you and Dom taught him about that stuff.’
‘That seals it then, Catherine. He would not have shared that with anyone that he didn’t both trust, and more-than-like. I assume by your earlier Freudian slip that you also more-than-like him?’
Kate said, ‘Yes. I do like him.’ Natalie stayed silent, but raised an eyebrow at her. ‘Okay, I more-than-like him… a lot.’
‘Would you like Rick to give you a similar experience to the one you saw Dom give me?’
Kate almost stammered, not used to talking this freely. Her conservative self was having to run to keep up with the conversation. Kate surrendered and abandoned it. ‘Yes, very much so, but I am scared by it as well.’
‘Catherine,’ Natalie said, standing square in front of Kate and holding her lightly by her shoulders, ‘there is absolutely nothing to be scared of. Nothing. Rick would never take you past where you actually wanted to go, even if you don’t know where that is yet. Every man here would die before they allowed harm to befall any of us. I unhesitatingly trust everybody here with my life, and Ricky is a gem beyond trust. I am not saying to rush it, but if you feel the desire for the experience, take it.’
‘Thank you, Natalie,’ she said. A thought came to her as she remembered Juanita in the car, when they were waiting for the barge. She held out her hand. ‘Hi Nat, I’m Kate.’ Giggling, Natalie stepped past Kate’s hand and wrapped her in hug filled with friendship and warmth.
Kate was shocked at the instant connection she felt with Natalie, and held her tight for a moment, trying to work out why her eyes were stinging again, and wishing they wouldn’t. Their smiles were wide when Natalie took Kate’s hand and said, ‘C’mon. Let’s head back.’
‘Five on Dom to win,’ Nat said loudly as they walked back down the beach. She then added quietly to Kate with a wink, ‘Although he may be a little tired.’
The swimmers were on their final leg and stroking hard back towards the beach. Dom and Juanita were two lengths ahead of Rick, who was leading the rest by a similar margin. As they rejoined the others, Nat asked, ‘How’s Nita doing?’
Madison said, ‘Not this time, she’s cooked herself trying to keep up with Dom on the back stretch. I don’t know, Nat, he still looks waaay too fresh.’ The heavy innuendo of her last line was met by chuckles all round.
Natalie’s face lit up. ‘When doesn’t he, Maddie? When doesn’t he?’
Madison giggled. ‘True.’
Dom gradually pulled ahead of Juanita with his relentless pace, finishing almost a body length ahead of her and sprinting up the beach to slap Natalie’s backside lightly, making his first place ‘official’ as he fell backwards to sprawl on the sand. Juanita just managed to touch Natalie’s thigh with a flailing finger before she flopped heavily beside Dom, joined only a moment later by Rick and then the other men. They were all gulping for air and gasping loudly.
Natalie said quietly to Kate before breaking away, ‘Talk to me about anything, Kate, any time. Remember that you and I are family now, both granddaughters to Grandmother.’
Kate recognised the magnitude of Nat’s statement and acceptance. Her joyous smile in response took Natalie’s breath away and she said, ‘Thank you, Nat, for everything. I can see us having some interesting talks.’ They shared a moment of deep understanding before Natalie grinned and leapt away in a predatory pounce, finishing in a deep push-up position over Dominique’s head and kissing his salty and grinning lips.
Kate joined the rest of the women, standing to one side and gazing at the recovering bodies sprawled out in the afternoon sun. As their chests heaved to take in more air, the sunlight, water and sand made their freshly exerted bodies look spectacular. Gazing at the recovering competitors with great interest, Madison said, ‘Shall we do a more refined and somewhat less strenuous version of that, ladies?’
The afternoon passed with more horseplay, laughter and swimming in the warm protected waters of the Shelf. Kate’s favourite sporting event at school and university, after gymnastics, was the 800-metre freestyle. When she and Juanita raced a single leg of the 750 metre course and tied, everyone applauded loudly. After finding out that Juanita regularly trained with a squad that included most of the swimmers from the state team, Kate understood why.
The breeze fell away into that magical late-afternoon calm as the shadows lengthened. Carrie and Maria excused themselves to check on the earth oven that had been slowly roasting bundles of meat and baskets of vegetables all day. The new evening breeze wafted over the beach, languid and balmy. It carried rich aromas from the ovens that spoke directly to their well-earned hunger. With growling stomachs, they collectively decided that it was time to wash the salt off and prepare for the evening meal.
Walking up the beach, Kate noticed a number of boats converging on the island. Another fiesta, by the looks of it. Part of her was hoping to get some alone time with Rick, but the pure joy of the people was also something to look forward to. Kate just surrendered to the situation, deciding that she would enjoy whatever happened.
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