By: Lothriel 72

PROLOGUE
It was very like one of his movies, the tension, the heli skimming the ground, chasing the bad guys, the beautiful woman needing to be saved by the hero he was portraying and yet this felt real, more gripping than any scene he had played before. The scene changed and he watched in horror as the burly men tugged her hair, ripping out chunks, leaving her scalp bloody while she bit her lip, refusing to cry out, to give them the satisfaction that they wanted of hearing her scream with pain. He tried to reach her but was blocked, the air like thick jelly that closed around him, robbing him of breath, inhibiting his forward motion. He sat up, suddenly wide awake, dripping with sweat, to find Flip standing in the doorway of his bedroom. “Urs, You alright Man? I could hear you yelling all the way downstairs.” Urs swung his legs off the side of the huge, lonely bed and rested his arms on his thighs, needing a moment to curb the residual fear from the dream. He looked up at the young Maori man and smiled. “Nightmare, this waiting for him to attack is getting to me. Any word?” Flip shook his head. “Nothing, talk to Andi. You’ll feel better if you know she’s safe. And stop worrying. He can get in here, but he won’t get out, except dead or in handcuffs.” Flip flexed his considerable muscles and turned on silent feet to go back downstairs, taking up his position once more, waiting as they all were for Evil to fall into the trap they had laid.

CHAPTER 1

The soothing sway of the van should have lulled her to sleep but she swam up through the haze of pain, knowing that she was in trouble. Her stomach was warm and wet, as was her shaved head. She was bleeding, the stitches loosened from their struggle to sneak out of the hospital and now the wounds were open again. She called out but even to her ears the sound was feeble, not nearly strong enough to be heard over the rumbling of the engine. With great effort she moved her bruised arm, up from her side, over the dressings on her stomach and chest, resting at her neck for a moment then traveling on to grip the back of the driver’s seat. Selma’s sweater hung just out of reach, teasing her fingers with a light brush as Selma moved with her efforts to drive the mountain roads. Finally she grasped it and tugged, the motion feeble but noticed by the small woman. She cursed in a rapid stream of Maori and looked ahead for an area were it would be safe to pull off. “Hang on, Child. I can’t stop here. I think the sign said two clicks to the next pull out. Just hang on!” Somehow the usual honorific of ‘Child’ soothed her as nothing else might have. Good old Selma, steady, loyal, caring and so brave. She tried to smile, her dried lips cracked and she tasted the coppery warmth of blood in her mouth. They pulled into the rest stop and Selma quickly came around to the back doors of the van and entered to crouch beside the mattress. She saw the problem immed-iately, the stomach wound oozing through the light blanket, a trickle from the head wound running down onto the pillow. Selma rummaged through one of the plastic bags until she found gauze and wide adhesive tape, scissors, all supplies she had stolen from the hospital. “I’ll put fresh dressings on, tight. It may hurt but I can’t do anything else, at least not until we get further away. Try not to cry out. There are others in the pull out.” She pulled back the blan-ket and removed the sodden dressing, took a deep breath and with a swift firm move pinched the edges of the open wound between her fingers. She felt her patient stiffen with the pain but there was no sound and she quickly placed strips of tape with a gauze pad in the center over the bloody mess. Firmly she pulled the tape across, forcing the edges of the gaping hole closed, taped the opposing side and reinforced it with two more strips of tape. That done she changed the dressing on the shaved head and then chanced a look in the woman’s blackened eyes. The green pupils were dilated and glazed but defiant. She refused to weep, hadn’t cried out though it meant biting through her lower lip. Selma kissed her forehead gently and wept for both of them but briefly for she knew that their survival depended on her. Efficiently she checked on the padding she had wedged between the casts on the useless legs, put fresh ones in place, offered a sip of water and exited the back of the van. She stretched for a moment in the fresh mountain air, refilled their water bottles at the fountain in the rest area and climbed into the driver’s seat. She kept up a chatter of cheerful talk, telling this dear friend how far it was to the border, fixing a scarf through the button-hole of her sweater and tying the other end to the blanket. “I have the money all ready to pay the guards, I hope you’re right, I hope they take it. If you need anything just tug on the scarf. As soon as we get to Switzerland, I’ll call that number you gave me and we’ll get you to a doctor.” They eased out onto the road once more and soon were speeding along the curving highway towards the border. Time drifted with little meaning, an endless blur of pain and gentle motion, and she allowed the tears so long held back to flow freely, coursing down the sides of her face, running into the pillow. After what seemed an eternity, or a few scant minutes, they slowed for the border crossing and she felt the freshness of the breeze as Selma rolled the window down. The guards requested their passports and Selma handed them the new ones, softly saying that her friend had been in an accident and could not get out of the van as they requested. She spoke of a vicious husband and the young guards hesitated in sympathy. Discreetly Selma motioned the nearest one to come closer and again showed him the passports, this time with a thousand American dollars in each one. The guards took a passport each and the money vanished. They smiled and waved the van on. In the first large town Selma parked near a phone Kiosk and called the number on the slip of paper given her so many months before. A crisp voice answered in French and switched effortlessly to English at her request, identifying the company as one of the larger banks. She asked for the man on the paper and when he answered spoke quickly to him in English. “I am calling for client #473-668-0901-66, code words Mae Govannen. She is in Switzerland, heading for Geneva, is injured and needs a discreet doctor.” “Yes, it will be my privilege to assist you,” the answer came instantly. She could hear the soft click of computer keys and the cultured voice came back. “Dr. Candessa, Rue Silissi, #37. I will tell him to expect you. Where are you know?” Selma mentioned the name of the town and he estimated their arrival time as one hour 15 minutes from this point. He broke the connec-tion with a wish for good luck and she returned to the van. They found it easily, asking directions only once of a young man on a bicycle, were met at the door by two orderlies with a gurney. It was a clinic, very clean and anti-septic smelling and they took her into a room, leaving Selma to wait on the hard wooden bench in the entry. Half an hour later a white coated man came to her and drew her to one side to speak quietly. “Your friend needs to stay here for 2, maybe 3 days. A small suite has been made available for you, here is the address. Get some rest. Except for her legs she should recover nicely, such a shame, I believe she was a beautiful young woman before this incid-ent.” Selma faced him with defiance. “She will be again, just give her time. Thank you for your help.” It was only a few blocks to the suite and Selma found it with only one try, parked in the numbered slot and entered. It was ground floor, two small bedrooms, comfortably furnished and clean. Cleanliness and efficiency were two trade-marks of the Swiss. She put the kettle on for tea, the basics in the cupboard thanks to their unseen host, and sat at the table, finally allowing herself to relax. The tears flowed all through making the tea, drinking it and cleaning up after. At last able to let go her emotions she cried through her shower, and for the first 10 minutes after she collap-sed on the bed. Finally emptied, she fell into a dreamless sleep.

He couldn’t really hear the music, just the beat, just enough to annoy him in his present state of impatience and he leapt to his feet, forgetting in his anger the cast on his right leg, the source of his vile temper. Before he could tumble to the floor he caught his balance, reached for the cane his actions had knocked to the floor and stormed as fast as his gimpy leg would allow to the terrace to see where the racket came from. It was a beautiful, bright day, one of those cloudless days that New Zealanders seldom saw, New Zealand, the land of the long white clouds. A gentle breeze came from the south, bringing with it the sounds from the Carstairs house, a sprawling one story that had been empty for several months. Just a few nights past, Neil called Urs to let him know it was rented for the next year to a woman recovering from an auto accident, a courtesy call really. They had been neighbors for the past 5 years until Neil was transferred to head office in Auckland. From his vantage point on the second floor balcony he could see into the adjoining yard, the pool shimmering in the sun and empty, the deck scattered with loungers and at the built in bar/kitchen area, the offensive stereo blaring out Bonnie Tyler in full, raspy voice. On the tiles of the deck a slight woman wearing pale shorts and tank top was collapsed in a huddle, weeping, her shoulders heaving with the depths of her despair. She raised her head and roared with rage, pounding her fists on the tile, rearranged herself into a sitting position and began massaging her legs, thin legs with little muscle tone and the red lines of scars that could be seen even from this distance. She reached out and grasped a discarded alumin-um walker, pulled herself up and carefully, painfully it seemed, made her way across the deck to the stereo, ejected the CD and with a scowl threw the disc towards the pool. Just as the missile hit the water a streak of brown and black flashed from the thick hedge between the yards, dove in the water and retrieved what could be mistaken for a very small Frisbee, Iree! Urs frowned as he realized that he hadn’t played with his terrier/Lab cross for days, his self pity too overwhelming. Iree found the steps and left the pool, shaking vigorously to spray the whole area and with tail wagging, approached the woman to offer her this prize. Urs could see a change come over her as she stared at the dog. She lowered herself onto one of the lounge chairs and held her hand out, talking he knew for the dog’s ears came up and she stepped closer. The new neighbor glanced around for the owner, saw Urs on the terrace, smiled and gestured, asking if the dog was his. He nodded, watching as she rubbed her hands over the dog’s head, knowing just the right spots to caress, the ones that needed scratching. The woman was thin, painfully so, her collarbones prominent, clothes bought for a woman of more generous proportions but attractive in a pixie way. Her hair was short, a curly cap of dark red/brown and though it was hard to tell when she was bent over the walker she seemed to be no more than five foot four. He whistled for Iree and the woman waved to him as the dog raced home, through the gap in the hedge. Soon he was nursing both a wet dog and a cool beer as the gentle strains of classical music wafted to him from the next yard and when he glanced, unable to control his curiosity, he saw her doing easy stretches and slow, graceful, almost balletic movements, something more appropriate at this stage of what was obviously her recovery. For the remainder of the day Urs clumped around the house, answering the phone, making plans for this enforced free time, snooping brazenly when a large truck arrived with boxes of office and exercise equipment and saw the work-men set up the home gym under the half- roof of the deck. Apparently she was determined to get her mobility back. It was during dinner, some tasteless frozen delight, that Nona called, his father’s sister. The sheep and horse ranch outside of Wellington was his second home throughout his school years and now she insisted that he come so she could take care of him. “I know what kind of cook you are, so you just get yourself and that mangy mutt out here. You know your little house is always waiting for you.” “Gladly Nona. I’ll starve to death if I stay here. A couple of days and I’ll fly out. Some things I have to take care of first.” They chatted about the ranch for a while but Urs could tell that Nona itched to get off the phone. She never was one to indulge in idle talk, preferring to work at something, her hands seldom empty, even when she sat on the porch in the evening looking out at the land and the sky. The phone rang again and he swept it up impatiently, not eager to explain why he was laid up, not again. This time, the caller already knew, in fact it was Saul, the director of the movie he was currently working on, that is as soon as he was able to go back to shooting. This was his second movie with the perennially cheerful director and Urs had become a family friend as well, the 4 children referring to him as Unca Urs, Celia, Saul’s practical blonde wife an older sister type, peppy and sharp at times, soothing an comfortable at others. She was slightly taller than Saul’s five foot 9, carried about 20 pounds more than her ideal weight, the calm haven in her husband’s busy life. “I’ve called with the latest gossip, boyo. The scuttle is you have a new neighbor, a writer, in fact one of mine on Dark Destiny. Met her yet?” As always Saul wasted no time on pleasantries, getting straight to the point in his constantly cheerful way. Urs laughed as he thought of how fast the grapevine worked in the industry. It was a small world but the woman had just moved in last night. That was really fast. “No, but Iree did. She seems pretty crippled up but determined as hell, lots of equipment. What’s her name?” “Andi, Amanda Becker. She’s supposed to do some re-writes for us, if she’s up to it and I hope she is. This gal is young, a year younger than you but she has a lot of talent and we need something to juice up the action between you and Julie. I’m over that way tomorrow to see how she’s coming along. Want to meet her?” They arranged the time and Saul hung up abruptly, not given to long goodbyes. Urs laughed as he thought of the friendship that developed so quickly between himself and the ebullient director and the way Saul had of drawing the best from every actor on the set. He never bullied, never ranted but somehow in his big brother way managed to find that spark that made the performances outstanding. He made his way up to the bedroom, stood on the terrace a moment gazing at the dark house next to his, then went to bed.
_________________

CHAPTER 2, PART 1

Though the houses were side by side, the front of each property faced at an angle, making it a good quarter mile from door to door. In deference to Urs’s cast Saul suggested using the gate in the hedge to shorten the walk and they entered the grassy yard beside the pool from the back. Iree, of course accompanied them, never one to be left out, and they made their way slowly across the deck, stopping to check out the equipment opposite the bar/kitchen.

“Looks good,” Urs commented as they took in the Universal, leg raises, butterfly bars, weights. “I hope she has enough sense to go slow.” “She’s very determined to get better. The doctors told her she would never walk again and she told them to go to hell. Andi isn’t a quitter, she’s come a long way since the accident.” He poked his head in the open sliding glass doors and called out. “Andi? Where are you hiding?” They heard a laugh coming from the right. “Saul? In the office, the hallway to the right.” Urs was familiar with the house and pointed past the rattan couches and chairs, the vases overflowing with flowers, to the wide hall, the usual Oriental runner removed from rust colored marble tiles to make it safer for someone with a walker. The office door stood open, light and The Red Hot Chili Peppers turned low spilling out and they paused in the entry. She was behind a large cluttered desk, on the phone and though she raised her brows in question when Urs hobbled in, motioned them to sit while she listen-ed to the caller, taking the opportunity to study Urs as he glanced politely about the office. He was even better to look at in person than on the screen. Thirty-two, dark hair worn a several inches below his ear and swept back to form a soft frame about his face, strong features, large amber brown eyes below thick dark brown brows and a narrow, well groomed mustache that curved around the corners of a full- lipped mouth. He was taller than she expected, probably close to six foot, and very well built, not like a weight lifter but an active person who used and treated his body well. He caught her staring and grinned and she knew from the sudden heat to her cheeks that she was blushing. “Selma, I’m fine. And I have company. Saul and a friend are here to go over the re-writes.Yes of course I’m working. Yes, I have someone coming in to keep the house in order. Yes I miss your dear face like crazy but family comes first. I know, I know. I love you too, you bossy old bag. Say Hi to your Mama and give her my love. And get someone in the family to email me. This is costing you a fortune since you won’t phone collect and you’re a ‘puter virgin. Take care, Namarrie, Luv.” She turned to the men seated in comfortable chairs across the room and smiled as she replaced the receiver. “Some things never change. We’ve been together so long Selma thinks the world will end if she isn’t here to keep an eye on me.” The walker was beside her and she leaned heavily on the desk to rise, pulled it closer and started an arduous trek around the desk. It was painful, yet when Urs began to rise to help her, Saul shot him a glance that clearly said ‘NO’. She made it to a chair opposite them and sat with relief, smiling as she pushed the walker away and joking. “My extra legs, much sturdier than my own at the mom-ent. Saul get your skinny ass over here and give me a hug.” Urs watched, amused, as Saul obliged, though his ass was anything but skinny. Andi stroked his cheek and thanked him for the cards and flowers and the jokes he had emailed almost daily. “There wasn’t much to smile about at first, those doctors are such a sour lot. It got so the only laugh I had was your corny jokes. When you missed a day, not often, don’t get upset, just twice, when you missed, my day went flat and I was eager for the next one. Thank you, my friend.” She turned to face Urs as Saul, still babbling on that his jokes weren’t corny, resumed his seat. “Kiaora, Urs, I’m so pleased to meet you. No don’t get up, I understand, it’s difficult with that cast. I’ve followed your work with pleasure over the years, often thrill-ed at the intuitive way you have of bringing life to the words I pen for you.” “You’ve written for other shows I’ve been in? I wasn’t aware of that.” Andi laughed selfconsciously. “Quite a few actually, and a lot of re-writes. I’m one of those unseen people, part of a team, usually just a quick line lost in the credits, and that’s how I like it. It’s a living, satisfies my creative muse and keeps me out of the rain.” Saul was restlessly squirming in his chair and Andi motioned to the corner of the desk where a thick folder waited. “It’s right there Saul, though it may need a bit of tweaking. I don’t usually do that kind of stuff, you know that, but I gave it a shot. See what you think.” She turned to Urs. “I don’t have a housekeeper right now, Selma, my assistant and second mother, is away on family business, so I can’t offer you more than a cold beer or some wine. Interested?” She rose and used the walker to get Saul a beer from the bar fridge cleverly built into the bottom of the bookcase, poured herself and Urs glasses of red wine and nudged them on a tea trolley across the room. Saul was deeply involved in the script, little noticing when she leaned on the walker, poured his beer and placed the glass in his free hand. Urs took the brief lull in the conv-ersation to study her, intrigued by her casual attitude, the way she had of making them feel comfortable, the pain he could fleetingly see in her eyes and movements and the lack of self pity. She wore long sweat pants today and a Tee shirt, both a dove grey that enhanced the fluffy mahogany hair and brought out the few freckles splashed across her pale skin. Her eyes shone, a bright green that glazed periodically with pain, but for the most part held the gleam of laughter. She caught him staring and smiled in a direct, amused way. “Thank you, I haven’t been looked at like that by an attractive man for some time.” Urs grinned at her. “Then all the men you’ve met lately have been blind. I’m trying to place your accent. You aren’t an American or British. Where are you from?” “Canada, and I don’t have an accent, you do.” She laughed again, a musical sound, soft, real. Beside them Saul put the folder down and stared a moment at Andi. “Now Saul, do you want to hear my reasoning or are you going to yell at me that it won’t work? It integrates nicely into the whole of the storyline and explains the many moods that your star, Urs here, has, his difficulty dealing with what he has to do. Don’t tell me that Urs can’t do it, cause I won’t buy that. I’ve watched all of his movies again and again, and the personal stuff you sent me. He can do this and it will be a key point in building the action and the character of the roles.” “I agree.” “The scene would be pivotal, you agree?” “Urs, here, read this.” He passed the folder to Urs and continued talking to Andi. “I think it’s brilliant, Julie won’t like it but I do and I think it makes the storyline come to life. How can you look like a virgin and write like a slut?” Her face blanched and her look grew hard, icy, but only for a moment and she smiled at him, the feigned mirth not reaching her eyes. Urs was surprised at the reaction to Saul’s jest and glanced at the jovial director, who, if he noticed, chose to ignore it. Andi leaned back in her chair, a satisfied look gradually replacing the icy aura about her as she waited for Saul to run down. Urs read, glanced at Andi once, went back and re-read a page, tuning out the conversation in his rapt study of the scene. “What are ya doing about someone to help around the house?” Saul asked. “You can’t stay here alone while Selma is away, it isn’t wise. How are ya going to cook or get out of the tub or drive to the market? At least get someone part time or by the time Selma gets back you’ll be up to your butt in dust.” Andi laughed at him. “You sound as bad as Selma. You’re such an old Mother Hen, Saul, Frozen cardboard dinners, lots of fruit and salads, showers and order on line, delivered. I already checked, found a service. Where do you think the beer came from? If I have to go out I’ll call a limo. Between you and the script I’m working on I have enough work to keep me busy and then there’s the exercise program I’ve worked out. But I will get a woman to clean a couple of times a week, there must be agencies for that. Not that it makes any difference. I’m pretty neat and there won’t be much company, except for friends like you and Celia.” Urs finished the printout and leaned back in his chair, draining his wineglass before he looked at the questioning gazes. “Wow! This is serious stuff. I like the subtlety, the little things you wove in. It’s also very sensual, so much so that I don’t think I could walk right now. It’s going to be hell to play but I want to give it a shot.” Andi liked the way he didn’t apologize for his blunt speech. In fact, she liked everything about this young man. His face was so familiar to her from the hours she had studied him on screen, his walk, mannerisms, the intensity of his craft. She knew all the details, amber eyes and almost black hair from his Maori heritage, a grand-father if her memory served her, the mother from Switzerland many years before, his parents and uncle killed in a plane crash about 3 years past. He was tall, especially compared to her scant height, a little under six foot, well built from all the sports he enjoyed, a deep, well enunciated speaking voice and a lyric tenor when he was required to sing as he was today, often dressed in black, a Tee and shorts and nursing a torn cartilage from a surfing incid-ent. “How’s the knee coming along?” she asked as Saul helped himself to another beer and topped up their wine-glasses. Urs shrugged and then admitted his impatience. “I’m going to North Island for a week or so to my Aunt’s ranch. She’s a great cook, lousy baker, but sure can turn out a good meal. I get the cast off in ten days, should be ready to work in two weeks.” “Andi,” Saul chimed in. “Can you print out a copy of this for Urs to take with him? I doubt there will need to be any changes and he can get into the scene while he’s away. Right, you’re way ahead of me, I can tell by the grin.” She pointed to the desk. “Sorry for the clutter, I haven’t had a chance to get organized yet and I knew you wanted this like yesterday. It should be the blue folder on top of the printer, ten copies.” Saul drained his beer, retrieved the folder and came to stand behind Andi, draping his fleshy arms about her shoulders as he hugged her again. “You are the most darlin’ woman! I promise that this time you get higher billing. Now I’m going home and drag Celia into bed. This young buck isn’t the only one your writing stirred.” He kissed the top of her head and waved to Urs, asking him to call when he got back and like a gust of wind was gone. Andi smiled and shook her head. “He never changes. There’s enough energy in that man to change the world if that was his passion.” She rose and struggled to the door with the walker. “Let’s sit out on the deck for a while. I hate being cooped up inside on such a nice day. It’s one of the reasons I came to New Zealand, that and the job and the fact that people leave you alone here, none of this crap of snooping reporters and stuff. I need the quiet and warm weather.” Iree had been sitting quietly by Urs’s feet and now was torn, wanting to go with her new friend but hesitant to leave Urs. He motioned for her to go and she leapt away, quickly became entangled in the legs of the walker and tipped Andi to the hard marble flooring. Urs tried to catch her as she went down but his cast made him slow and he succeeded only in landing on top of her. He could feel her shaking, her thin body but full breasts crushed against his chest and at first thought he had hurt her so badly she was crying. “Andi, I’m so sorry, this damn thing makes me clumsy.” He leaned on one hand and was amazed to see that she was laughing, so hard that her face swam with tears. “Don’t we make a fine pair?” she laughed, pushing her shoulders off the floor and leaning her face into the curve of his neck. “Poor Iree, I think we scared her to death. Can you get up? You’re very heavy you know.” And she laughed again. Urs struggled to his feet, retrieved the walker and helped her to her feet.

CHAPTER 2, PART 2

“And we forgot the wine. My God do we ever need keepers!” “I’ll get it, you try not to kill my dog on your way to the terrace.” He collected the bottle of red wine, stuck two fresh glasses in his shorts pockets and found her lazing back in a lounger when he hobbled outside. A Bob Marley CD was playing on the stereo, one he wasn’t familiar with, and she waved the remote control at him. “It’s a compilation. I don’t ever get enough music now that I’ve been sprung from the hospital. It just isn’t the same with a head set.” They sat in companionable silence for a while, enjoying the music, the warmth of the day and gradually he told her of his life in New Zealand. She was a good listener, asking a few questions but mostly listening intently, nodding in agreement until finally he stopped.

“I’ve never felt so comfortable talking about myself. It seems like bragging most of the time so I don’t do it.” “Don’t think that way. I could have stopped you any time but I’m truly interested. I spend so much of my time living in my head, working things out in my imagination, it’s nice to hear about real people. Don’t ever change, Urs. You have a wonderful skill but it’s the result of who you are as a person. Keep developing and growing but never stop being who you truly are, a kind, gentle, yet strong person with a love of life that comes across when you speak.” Urs was at a loss for words and reaching out took her hand in his. “And who are you Amanda Becker? Who hurt you so badly that you keep to yourself, locking yourself away from the world except for the few people you allow to get close? I see it in the jokes you make, even with Saul when he gets too personal. He’s a great guy, could be a wonderful, caring friend if you let him. And I’ve just met you but I’m drawn to you. I want to be your friend. Don’t shut me out.” Andi gently drew her hand from his and sat a moment staring out across the softly stirring treetops. Her eyes were shining when she faced him and smiled, a sweet, sad smile, at odds with the tears forming in her eyes. “I can’t Urs. I’m not ready to bare all the sordid details of my life, not to Saul, not to you. This is what I am, what you see and I have to hold on to the future, to the faith that I can pull myself back up. You offer me your friendship. Is that offer with strings? Must I bare my soul to you? I would value the gift of your friendship but it must come with no qualifiers. You are a person I could treasure, for you have so many qualities I admire. Someday I’ll be ready to talk about what went before, not now.” He grasped her hand again, rose unsteadily and bent to kiss her brow. “So be it, Friend. Now, I know a great Chinese place that delivers. How about it?” Andi’s face lit up at the thought. “Oh, yes! I haven’t had Chinese since, I can’t remember, before the accident at least. Is it real or the American stuff we get in Canada?” He rattled off the names of a few dishes and she laughed. “Sounds wonderful and I’m starving. I lost almost 40 pounds in the hospital and have to get some of it back.” They chatted about the movies, about New Zealand, about books and music, about the location shoot coming up in Australia and ate an enormous meal of various Chinese delicacies, all spread on a long, low table between them on the deck. It grew dark and Urs, familiar with the layout of the house, turned some of the lights on, changed the CD stack for another ready beside the stereo. They liked a lot of the same music, Bonnie Tyler however not one of Urs’s fav-orites. “I’m sorry, that was poor judgment on my part. I used to exercise to that CD all the time, its got such a great beat and I thought I could just jump back in. I’ve come to terms with my impatience. I know it’s going to take time.” “Do you ride?” She nodded ‘Yes’. “That’s a great work out for your legs. Once you get a little stronger I’ll take you out. I know some terrific trails.” Andi smiled at him, thinking how good it was to hear someone other than herself or Selma talk about ‘when’ not ‘if’ she got stronger. It was long after dark when Urs sighed and stood to head home. His flight in the morning was very early and he still had to pack but was strangely loath to leave now that he and Andi had become friends. He bent over her where she sat, placing his hands on the chair back for balance. “Take it in slow easy stages, Andi. I’ll be back in about 10 days and you should be improved so much that maybe I’ll have to loan you my cane. If you need me for anything, ANYTHING, you can reach me easily through Saul. Don’t even think twice. Better still, I’m taking my laptop now that I’ve finally mastered how to use it. Will you give me your email address so I can keep tabs on you?” She told him and he wrote it on a piece of the delivery bag, handing her another jagged slip with his on it. Once more he bent over her and started to kiss her on the brow, changed his mind and caressed her lips gently with his. “Take care, Andi,” he said, his voice a bit raspy and he left to make his way slowly across the deck and yard, waving as he exited through the connecting gate. Andi sat for a while longer, watching the lights come on in his bedroom, watching his shadow on the drapes as he moved back and forth, clearly packing, enjoying the tingle that lasted on her lips long after he had turned out the lights. At last she used the walker to leave the terrace, turning off the lights and locking the glass doors, so desperately lonely and alone that her heart ached. She refused to give in to despair and self pity and steeled herself for the work ahead, something she was now more determined than ever to accomplish. With difficulty she washed and changed to nightclothes and went to bed. In his house next door, Urs finished packing the few items he would take to the ranch, turned off the lights and sat with Iree beside him on the balcony of his suite, watching the lights go out next door, the glow of lights in what he assumed was her bedroom that were on for a few moments and then darkened.

He thought about this new neighbor, about her courage and her skill with words, about the secrets that lay just under the surface, guarded carefully. For some reason he was loath to do the usual male thing of mentally undress-ing her. Andi was perhaps too special to treat that way. He didn’t understand his feeling of reluctance but heeded it. He thought about the silky feeling of her under his hands when they had fallen, the sharp, hard outline of her bones, the lush softness of her breasts against his chest. She did need to gain some weight and muscle tone. A plan of massage and strength training began to form in his mind as he sat watching, lazily stroking the top of Iree’s head and he laughed at himself. It was a little early to assume that this new friend would trust him enough to go along with any plans he made. He rose and clumped across the floor to his bed, thinking of her laughter, drowning in the depths of smiling green eyes as he let himself relax and fall asleep, smiling.

CHAPTER 3

He emailed her everyday, sometimes more than once, chatty messages that told her about his flight, the reception he got from his aunt and the hands, the way Iree dominated the ranch dogs, the meals and the dreadful pies. Twice he made suggestions for the scene, ones she thought about and agreed on. He told her that he had grown restless, not able to ride or do any work, not suited for a life of sloth. He described the ranch in such vivid detail that Andi felt she could easily find her way around it in the dark. And he said he had decided she couldn’t have his cane ‘cause she was such a shorty but he would bring her one from the ranch. Andi’s messages in return were consider-ably less personal, from years of practice keeping herself private and a part of her closed off. She wrote about the part time housekeeper, sure that the woman only took the job to be next to ‘that movie star fella’, but she was on time and diligent. She never mentioned the hours put in on the equipment or the slow progress or the daily pain. Saul and Celia had come by, bringing the children and she wrote a long report of their antics, clearly loved having them around. She spoke briefly of an appointment with a specialist in Auckland but neglected to say when it was and once, only once, said she missed having him close by. The flight back to Wellington had never seemed so long. He was restless and eager, unable to nap in the small plane that had picked him up at the small airstrip on the ranch. The pilot thought his restlessness was nerves and tried to talk him calm, but Urs laughed, telling the older man that he had made the flight so many times he could almost do it without a plane. No, he admitted in his mind he was anxious to get home and see how Andi had progressed and to get his own cast off. He had enjoyed most of his visit to the ranch, except the enforced idleness. It was great to visit with Nona and the hands, some of whom he had known for years and the drives with the foreman, Yano, out to the pastures had been wonderful, all the fresh air he had craved, the views of the land that he loved. Even the time at the ranch house had been fun as he honed old skills, playing the piano for Nona and singing with his incredible Lyric tenor voice, the skill he had once thought of developing to the point of having that be his career, not completely abandoned now that he had chosen acting over Music. Music was still his first love and would be the driving force in his existence long after his days on the silver screen were over, he knew this just as surely as he knew how to breathe, kept his voice practiced daily, though he seldom shared it with anyone other than Iree or Nona. He stored up the memories as always, feed-ing his soul for the work ahead, the cities on promotional tours, the crowds, the actual work, studying, repeating scenes over and over to get them just right, the endless waiting while shots were set up, all the tedious parts of being a screen actor. He had chosen this career or perhaps it had chosen him. Whichever it was, he was in it for the long haul and would do his best to succeed. So long as he had this beauty to come back to he could put up with the more unpleasant aspects of life as an actor. And he did enjoy the work. The variety was appealing, never static. Each new movie opened up challenges that gave him a new benchmark to reach and with his streak of perfection-ism it became a game, a new skill to achieve, often driving other directors to drink. Saul was different, trusting, accepting when Urs asked for just one more take, quiet when the dissatisfaction made him moody and silent, somehow knowing that his star would come through if handled just right. As they began their ascent into the small airport in Wellington he wondered again about Andi. Would she welcome him home, as her emails had indicated? He was a bit concerned. There had been no reply to his message yesterday. Had she tired of their long distance friendship already? He stopped at the doctor’s on the way home to have the cast removed, happy to be free of it and promising to be careful for a few days. It felt good, a little weak maybe but that would come back and he exit-ed the limo at his front door quickly, dropped his bags in the hall, waved at his 3 day per week housekeeper and headed out the doors, across the deck and through the hedge gate. There was a strange woman on the deck, wiping down the chairs and tables and when he approached she went pale then blushed. “You’re that Urs, that one from the movies. You look the same but different. It’s an honor to meet you sir.” She tried to curtsey, didn’t really know how and ended up bobbing in place. Urs smiled at her and asked her name. “Jenna, sir.” “Well Jenna, is Miss Becker home?” Jenna shook her head then clapped her hand to her forehead. “Sorry, sir. She had to go to Auckland and left a message for you. On your computer she said. And if you brought the dog I’m to give her a biscuit, but I don’t see NO dog.” Urs laughed and turned to leave. “I left her on the ranch. Thank you Jenna. Nice to meet you.”

He almost ran back to the house. Of course, this one day when he didn’t think to check his email, he searched the entry, saw that his bags were gone, put away by his housekeeper, finally found his laptop in the office and switch-ed it on. He scrolled through the messages until he found hers and brought it up on the screen. Hi Friend: Gone to keep an appt. in Auckland with an orthopedist, a Dr. Stringer. It shouldn’t take more than a couple of days if he’s happy and maybe more. If he isn’t, tough$%^#&*. There’s a welcome home present in the fridge, something I made to counteract the desserts your aunt baked. LOL. I begged your temp to put it in, ‘cause my burglar skills are not up to par. I’ve thought a lot about what you said that night on the terrace and you’re right. I don’t let anyone close. So here goes an attempt at honesty between friends. I’m scared, Urs, so scared I’m shaking as I type this. What if he says this is as good as it will ever get? Is it selfish to want my old body, my old life back? If it is, then I guess I am. I want to be able to run and dance and ride on those trails you spoke of and I’m scared this stranger, this Dr., will tell me that it will never happen. Keep your fingers crossed for a life for me. I’m taking my laptop if you have any words of wisdom to impart. Love, Andi’ Urs went to the kitchen, opened the fridge and there, wait-ing in glorious chocolate splendor was the biggest, most decadent chocolate torte he had ever seen, all smooth glaze on the top with curls of chocolate around the sides, looking like it came from one of the exclusive bakeries downtown. He shut the fridge carefully and went back to the office, hit ‘new’ on the email screen and keyed in her address. Andi: That note you left honored me so much I don’t have the words. Thank you for trusting me with your feel-ings. My only words of wisdom are these: If that doctor gives you bad news it’s because he doesn’t know you. You will beat this temporary set back. Don’t forget you aren’t alone anymore. Hurry home so we can get started getting you stronger. That is the most decadent torte I’ve ever seen, and you made it? I’m going to invite Saul and family over to help me eat it and we’ll all think happy thoughts about you. Let me know when you’re coming home. Soon I hope. Urs It didn’t take long to decide that the house was too quiet, no music from next door, no Iree to get under his feet. Urs phoned Saul, found that there was a party in progress, at least it sounded that way though Saul insisted that a few people just dropped in. Urs packed the torte in the back of his Jeep and drove to Saul’s, very careful not to hit bumps or take corners too fast. He wanted Saul and Celia to see this creation in its full glory.

The few friends turned out to be 15 or twenty and after a quick glance and the comment “Ah, one of Andi’s cakes. I’m not letting the mob see this” Celia whisked it off to the office, away from the kitchen and patio, areas where they would have to share. It was like home coming week, Urs knew nearly everyone and they were all happy to see him mending. He wandered from group to group, finally parked his tired legs on a chaise, shamelessly enjoying being waited on by friends. One glass of red wine followed another until he felt nice and fuzzy around the edges and found himself in deep conversation with Saul, the noisier, more{or less}sober partiers dancing or swimming.
Saul had just asked if Urs had any news from Andi and he admitted that they were in touch daily. He relayed part of the latest message, saving the personal disclosure of her fears as something only Andi had the right to speak of.

“Urs, did I ever tell you how Andi and I met? About nine years ago I was in London doing some post-production work, a few interviews with actors and looking for a screenwriter who would do justice to Gabriel Du Champs book, ‘Honor!’ It wasn’t going well until Celia came in to the office and plopped this thick manuscript on my desk and said ’Try this one’. She was 6 months preggers with Molly and supposed to stay off her feet so to keep her occupied I gave her a whole pile of submissions that wouldn’t be answered, no return envelopes, no addresses, in this case only a first name and an email addie. I resisted, she gave me ‘The Look’ and insisted, I gave in and by the third page was hooked. I read all night and was so eager to talk to this person but the only contact I had was an email address, some unpronounceable Tolkien name. Before the sun was up I sent a quick note, something to the effect of loved it! We need to talk.” He paused for a moment topped up Urs’s glass, popped open another beer for himself and continued. “Celia and I met her three days later, though I didn’t know at the time Andi was a ‘her’. We arranged to meet for lunch at Cisero’s, waited about 5 minutes and this attractive red-head came toward the table. I figured autograph time but Celia had an instinct and murmured, ‘that’s our writer’, and I believe my comment was something profound like ‘Bull! She’s only a kid.’ Women when they’re preggers! They develop all sorts of weird skills. Anyway she held out her hand and said, “Hello, I’m Andi.” Urs you just wouldn’t believe. She looked like a movie star herself, that pale white and peach skin, long mahogany hair below her waist and a body most women gnash their teeth over, a soft yellow pant suit that Ceel said was a DKNY. “She told me her full name, at least the one she was using at the time, and no I can’t tell you what it is ‘cause I promised. She cut all those ties, including the name when she came to NZ. Just believe me when I say that she has an amazing background in the industry, nothing big, that was her first major work on a full adaptation, but she has paid her dues, newspaper, magazines, a few books, some T.V. She wanted a contract that kept her totally in the background, gave her creative input and asked for whatever I felt was fair as compensation. Can you imagine that? No hassle about fees, no demands for as much as she could get. “Andi has worked with me ever since, with friends of mine also, and always behind the scenes, using the name Becker, I don’t know what’s on her passport. I believe Becker is the name of a Dairy bar in Canada. She’s talented, kind and generous and funny and incredibly strong on the outside but we think,” Celia had joined them and sat on the arm of Saul’s chair, taking over his conversation in mid sentence. “we think she’s really very fragile, easily hurt but too tough to let it show. We’ve become very close over the years, got together often, never where she lived at the time, always meeting somewhere with her and sometimes her aide, Selma. Once we spent a week with her in a little house in Aruba, another time, a weekend in Sydney. She’s very insular, secretive, sometimes even frightened, though she tries hard not to let it show. She’s hiding from something or someone and I don’t know what.” Urs had been staring at his feet, his arms on his thighs, the wineglass clasped between his palms. Now he looked up and met Saul’s eyes. “Why are you telling me this, Saul?” Saul seemed to be struggling for words and Celia sighed and spoke for him, for them both. “We’re worried, Urs. We can see something developing between you two, you ask about her all the time, the two of you email constantly, every other word out of your mouth begins with ‘Andi said’ or ‘Andi did’. Just be careful Urs. Don’t hurt her.” Celia kissed his cheek and ruffled his hair as she left them and Saul raised his glass to her departing back, then to Urs.

“What she said! We love you both!” “Saul, what say we sneak into the office and sample some of that cake? How did you know Andi made it?” They wandered casually that way, fending off the attempts of several groups to en-gage them in conversation. Saul admitted that Andi had once let slip that she taught herself how to bake and took a course at a community college on decorating. He waxed eloquent over her butter tarts, a Canadian delicacy and groaned when he remembered an apple pie with fresh whipped cream. “And her cookies, chocolate chip so full of chocolate it’s like eating pudding, shortbread that my old Scottish Nanny would kill for, hurry up boyo, my mouth is drooling.” Celia had beat them to it but left the desk arrayed with knife, plates, forks and napkins, and they each took a generous piece. Not too sugary sweet but oh so moist, the glaze on the top just right so that it cracked when they cut it and the filling between the seven thin layers gooey and with just a hint of some liqueur, maybe Bailey’s Urs thought. They ate in silence, except for the soft ‘MMMs’ and clinking of fork on plate and without discussion Urs cut another piece, slightly smaller, for each of them. “Did you get a chance to go over the new scene while you were away? I want to shoot it first thing when you come back on Tuesday, kind of help to set the tone for the rest of the shoot. Also, it won’t give Julie too long to bitch. I’m giving her the rewrite on Monday afternoon.” “For sure you’ll hear her bitch about that. Yeah, I’m OK with it just leave me alone after makeup, let me get the mood going and maybe we could just shoot it right through the first time. I’ve never done a rape before, might be kind of diffi-cult to keep the intensity going if we have to stop and start. And for Julie’s sake I think you should clear the set. I don’t mind being nude but I can’t promise not to react.” Saul laughed and agreed. Urs stayed another hour then took a rather large chunk of cake and left for home, pausing at the doorway to hug Celia. “You know Ceel, if it wasn’t that you’re so concerned for our friend this could be kind of funny, almost like you were asking me what my intentions are. Rest easy, Andi and I are friends, that’s all. I enjoy the little time I’ve spent with her, her witty letters and her courage, probably a lot of the same qualities that drew you and Saul to her. Hurting her is the furth-est thing from my mind.”

CHAPTER 4

‘Hi Urs: Talked to Saul this a.m. via instant messenger. He’s jealous that you got the first cake in Wellington, so thanks for sharing it with him. I have exciting news and I’m bursting to tell it. I’m taking the 1:25 flight back to Wellington today. See you soon! Luv, Andi’ He read it again, noted the time it was sent and cursed himself for sleeping the morning away. He had stayed up until nearly 5 a.m. reading a book that he thought would make an excellent movie, one that he would only have a character role in, as a singer in fact, something that made him smile as he thought of it, but that he wouldn’t mind trying his hand at producing and as a result his usual early rising habit had been interrupted. His beside clock glowed with the time, 5 to 12 noon. If he hurried he could make the airport in time, the 1:25 landed about 2:30 and it wasn’t that long of a drive. He headed for the shower, grabbing the cordless on his way, speed dialing Saul and Celia to tell them the news. They were eager to go but couldn’t and promised to drop by the house later in the afternoon. Urs showered and dressed, his usual tee shirt and shorts, sandals, everything black because of his blue color blindness, a fact not known to most people. By one he was in the Jeep rocketing down the highway to the airport. He parked, got his ticket and raced in to the busy terminal to check the arrivals board. The flight from Auckland was early and he was waiting at the gate when the passengers began coming to the carousel for their luggage. She would be last to deplane, needing help and he waited with growing impatience until at last there she was, dressed in a long pale green print skirt and white tank top, a stewardess pushing the wheel chair, another carrying her laptop and one green leather carry on bag.

“Andi, over here,” he called out and began pushing through the crowd toward her. She saw him and motioned to the flight attendants to go in his direction, her face lighting up as she met his eyes. “You came, what a nice thing to do, Urs,” and she reached up to stroke his face when he bent to kiss her brow. “Of course I did. That’s what friends are for, to pick you up at the airport.” He grinned at her and turned his face to kiss her hand lightly. “Thank you ladies, I’ll take it from here.” He retrieved the laptop, placing it carefully on Andi’s lap and slung the carry-on over one shoulder, taking the handles of the wheel chair and looking for the walker, so totally absorbed in his mission he didn’t notice or chose to ignore the awed looks of the flight attendants. “I didn’t bring it, the hospital has plenty. Let’s get out of here, this is claustrophobic. I have a great view of bellies and butts from this damn thing.” He laughed and wound through the mob, coming out of the arriving passengers into the calmer check-in area. They were part way to the door when Andi shrieked. “Urs, he took our picture!” Urs laughed. “Happens all the time. Don’t worry about it. Some tourist will have a great time bragging about how he met a movie star on his vacation.” He pushed the chair out onto the sidewalk and paused. “We aren’t supposed to take the chair any further. I can carry you if you let me or you could wait here while I get the Jeep.” She looked at him in distress. “I don’t want to burden you but I really would be uncomfortable if you left me alone. Could you?” “I think I can manage. It’s not like you weighed much.” He scooped her up easily and strode across the pavement leading to the parking lot, prêt-ending to stagger with the weight and making her laugh. She looked healthier, had maybe gained a bit of weight back since he was away, her face and arms not quite so thin. “You aren’t going to tell me your news yet are you? Do you enjoy stretching out the suspense, making me suffer?” Andi laughed at his feigned suffering and shook her head. “ I need to show you something first and then we’ll talk, on the deck with a glass of wine, that is if I’m not keeping you from something? I don’t want to be a pest.” “When you start being a pest I’ll let you know, my friend. I’m often quiet but shy is something I’ve never been.” This time both of them noticed the flash of the camera and Urs glanced about for the photographer. Several people were looking their way, a common occurrence in his life for his face was well known but he couldn’t see anyone with a raised camera and smiled to calm the fear he saw on Andi’s face. “Don’t panic. Just another tourist.” They reached the bright yellow Jeep and he placed her carefully in the front passenger seat, depositing the laptop on the floor in the back and her carry-on on top of it. A long cardboard tube lay on the seats and he grabbed it and lay it across her lap. “Here’s something from the ranch, something you should soon be able to use.” He spoke gruffly, not used to giving presents, a little embarrassed. Andi pulled the wrapper off and tipped the tube and out of it slid a hand carved wooden cane, the wood highly polished, the top a smooth ball just the right size for a small hand, the shaft tapering in swirls and some kind of runes to a metal tip of beaten brass. It was made from dark wood that had natural swirls of lighter colors and black splotches and the artist used the natural design to enhance his carving, the black forming beards on some of the faces, eyes shining with the glow from tiny light flecks. “Urs, this is beautiful! What an exquisite, thoughtful gift! And it looks like it will be just the right height for me. Wherever did you find it?” He came around the Jeep and slid into the seat, starting the engine before answering. “I needed something to do, used to do a lot of carving when I was younger. I’m glad you like it, Andi.” The return trip was a little longer since Urs drove carefully, not now giving in to his usual need for speed and too, enjoying the fresh air and sunshine. He asked Andi about the visit with Dr. Stringer and she told him of the tests and exercises and laughed about the grim hospital food. And she mentioned that Selma would be back today. She asked about Iree and grimaced when he admitted leaving her at the ranch, his upcoming schedule too busy to leave the friendly dog alone daily. “Anyway she likes it there. The ranch dogs are all male and even though she’s spayed they won’t fight with her so she lords it over them, typical female.” Andi punched him in the shoulder at this slur on her gender and they arrived at the house laughing. Almost instantly the door flew open and a very short, chubby, dark woman burst out, her face wreathed in smiles, her black hair and loose shift swirling as she raced to the Jeep, laughing and crying. “Andi, my Andi! Give us a kiss you naughty girl!” She jumped up on the running board and clasped Andi to her, still crying and laughing as Andi was now too. Urs left them to it for a moment, retrieved the luggage and took it to the door, came back and waited patiently while the babble went on. Finally Selma, he was sure it must be her, slid back to the ground and looked up at him, way up for he saw she didn’t reach five feet of height. “G’day. You must be that Urs fella she spoke of, the friend from next door. She didn’t tell me you were THAT Urs. Nice to meet you. I’m Selma.” “G’day Selma. It’s good you’re back. I don’t think she would have lasted much longer with take out and frozen dinners and I hated the thought of her being here alone.” “If you two wouldn’t mind not talking about me as if I weren’t here, could someone help me out of here? The ground is too far away for me to jump on these gimpy legs.” Andi scowled at them but her eyes held a twinkle that made them both laugh. He lifted her easily from the seat and she held on with one cool arm around his shoulders, the other hand clutching the cane and waving it at Selma. “Look what Urs made for me Selma. Isn’t it beautiful?” Selma took it and looked at the carving thoughtfully as they walked into the house, through the living room and out to the deck. “It’s Maori,” she said as Urs placed Andi on the lounger. “The runes are a blessing for long life and much joy. This is a great gift and will help you heal faster.”

“Urs is part Maori, from a grandfather. Can’t you see it in the eyes, such deep amber they’re almost black at times and that thick dark hair?” Selma spoke a few words of Maori to him and he answered her, then laughed and added in English. “I’m dreadfully out of practice. Tell me, how did a nice Maori lady like yourself end up working with a woman from Canada?” Selma looked at Andi, both of them a little on guard and Andi laughed. “That’s a story for another day. Urs, would you like a drink or some juice or coffee, tea?” Once again, with the skill of much practice, she turned the conversation away from her past. She rose with the help of the cane and Selma raced to the walker to pull it closer, but Andi waved her off and took a step. She was wobbly and agonizingly slow but she walked, one step, two and then a third before stopping to rest, her face shiny with sweat but a determined look in every line of her body. Urs and Selma almost forgot to breathe as they watched, afraid to break her concentration and again she took a step, a second and then through gritted teeth, hissed “Help me!” Her legs and arms were shaking as Urs supported her, taking all of her weight in his strong arms. Andi leaned her head against his chest and smiled as she caught her breath. “Well, what do you think? That’s two more steps than yesterday and then I only had a clunky old aluminum cane to use, not a magical Maori wand.” “I think it’s amazing but I knew you could do it, just not this soon.” He parked her on the lounger again and held her down when she tried to rise. “Sit, Woman! Even if you are getting stronger I’m still bigger than you. I’ll get the wine.” Selma called out that she wanted juice, wine made her dizzy and he laughed as he pulled the fixings from the bar-fridge. The two women had their heads together, talking softly about something. They had been very careful not to give any details of their past, just as Saul had mentioned. It was a mystery but not one Urs felt was dishonest or evil. Perhaps some day Andi would feel secure enough in their friendship to talk to him about it. They sat chatting about the house and Urs’s upcoming schedule and Andi told them of the plans she had made with the Doctor. “He wants me to get a little stronger and gain a bit of weight, then check in to a spa, somewhere near Rorotua, something about mud baths. He was very encouraging, says that if I follow his routine of massages and exercise that in time I could make a full recovery. In time, It’s taken on a new meaning for me now. When you’re a kid it means someday when you get old. When you have your heart broken it means when you allow yourself to really look at someone new. For me it means days of being dilig-ent, of pushing myself, of taking one more step each day.” Selma hugged her. “You can do it. You’ve come so far.” Urs took her hand and stroked it. “And you’re not alone. You have friends, let us help.” They talked far into the afternoon, Selma leaving to throw together a meal, Saul and Celia and the tribe arriving with a tray of cold lamb and a huge salad, the kids in the pool without a pause, shouting G’day as they passed. Nothing would do but Andi had to show Saul and Celia how she could walk now, though she only managed 3 steps before Urs scooped her up and re-seated her. It was dark when Urs left, going out the front to retrieve his Jeep, Saul and family long gone. He took the last piece of cake to his room and checked his email, found an instant messenger query, accepted it and almost immediately was beeped. It was Andi. Pixie says: Hi Kiwi Thought this might be a more satisfying way to chat than email. Thank you again for picking me up and for practicing your long ago talents in making my cane. It’s something I’ll treasure long after the need has passed. Sleep well. Kiwi says: This is a great idea. It was my pleasure, little one. We’ll start on your regimen in the morning so you better get a good nights sleep. Pleasant dreams, my Pixie.

CHAPTER 5

All too soon it was Tuesday and Urs was off to the location, back to work. The weekend had been full, days spent setting up an exercise program that was doable for Andi, massages by Urs or Selma on Andi’s thin legs, while they told her Maori folklore and legends, small milestones accomplished and celebrated. In the evening Urs attended long planned outings, Friday a pub crawl with some soccer friends, Saturday night a date to attend an opening with a tall blonde starlet, Sunday morning just after the blonde left his bed and his house, taking his hangover to Andi’s to drink gallons of coffee and help with her routine. She teased him mercilessly, laughing so hard she lost her grip on the side of the pool where she had been doing a round of flutter kicks to strengthen her legs. Urs dove in and pulled her up, sputtering and still laughing at him and he found his headache disappearing. “I hope your blonde friend was worth it, Urs. It would be a shame to be suffering so much today for nothing,” she said as she toweled her short hair dry and giggled. He scowled and snapped his towel at her. “A gentleman never gossips, you minx. Enough to say that I won’t be asking her out again.” He laughed and pushed her back into the pool. She swam out a few strokes, using the power of her arms to keep herself afloat. “I’m going to wait until you can dance, then take you out and dance your feet off.” Andi flicked water at him and smiled, pleased at the shiver of pleasure that waved through her, only now admitting to herself that she was jealous of the nameless blonde. After she was dry he lifted her onto the massage table and worked on her legs, his strong, oiled hands massaging the skimpy muscles, adjusting the angle of her legs to reach even the tiniest hidden group until she felt loose and tingling from her toes to hips. He flipped her easily and she rested her face in the cut out while he worked on her back, commenting that she was a whole person and everything was connected. She had spent so much time in bed over what he had now learned was a matter of several years, not the months that Saul had hinted at, that her entire body needed toning.

He was singing softly as he worked on her, a little louder when she told him how much she liked the sound, pop tracks, classical, some old, some new and a few Maori songs that she had heard Selma do on occasion. They talked about the book he would like to see developed and that he would love to do the part of the vocalist in it. He had to push her back down on the table when she became so enthused she tried to rise, forgetting for a moment that the top of her bikini was undone. “No flashing the masseuse, Woman,” he said, laughing at her as she flushed bright red. Monday was a quiet day, Andi working in her office until noon and then going to the pool. Urs studied his script, trying out some of the lines with different tones of voice, rejecting them until he ran through them with Andi playing the female lead. She was a natural, drew out the feeling from him and he played it with passion, stopping when action was needed. They both worked out, swam and then napped in the shade of the deck for an hour. Selma watched carefully while Urs gave Andi the last massage he would be able to do until the next Sunday. She had to stand on a bench but was sure she could do it while he was away. They spent the evening watching videos, shamelessly critiquing the performances and laughing over some of the lines, some so dreadfully obvious that Urs and Andi both spoke them along with the actors in a parody of the poor writing. Early Tuesday morning, before sunrise, Urs threw his bags in the back of the Jeep and started the engine, ready to leave for the small airport where he would take a helicopter to the location. It wasn’t until he was unloading the vehicle in the airfield parking lot that he noticed the large container on the front passenger seat with a had printed card that read ’Pixie Products’. A quick peek and sniff told him that it was bulging with goodies, an assortment of cookies and tarts and homemade candy, enough to keep the whole crew on a sugar high for the week. He laughed, packed it carefully under his arm, his bag and laptop in the other hand and jogged for the chopper. ‘Saul says: Had to message you about the scene. BRILLIANT, BRILLIANT, BRILLIANT! Even Julie was pleased and thought it was wonderful. Urs played it so well we did the tough part in one go and the crew was speechless! Andi says: I knew he could do it! Saul says: You being good and keeping to your routine? Andi says: You bet! And I’ve gained 2 pounds! Saul says: Will bring the rushes home for you to see, after I spend some time with my wife. See ya Sunday.’ For 5 weeks the routine never varied. Saturday late, Urs and Saul arrived back in Wellington, tired but happy, shooting going well and ahead of schedule. Sunday morning, just before noon they would gather at Andi’s for an afternoon of swimming and BBQing and often to watch the rough copies of the filming from the week. That first weekend they watched the scenes of the rape, the one she wrote. It was an incredible scene, full of violence and lust and then pathos when Urs’s character realized what he had done. He played it well, with such passion and reality that Andi, though she wrote it, felt overpowering fear. She was shaking, her body drenched with sweat, yet unable to look away, only able to retain conscious thought when Urs heard her whimper in fear, glanced at her, saw her ashen, distressed face and stopped the film. Selma raced to her, forced her head between her knees and growled at the two shaken men.

“Give her a minute. One thing to write about it, seeing it so real right in front of you brings back too many memories.” They left her with Selma and a few minutes later she joined them on the deck, not speaking of the incident, not until many months later watching the scene in its entirety. After the first week Urs, and, if the truth be told, the whole crew looked forward to the week’s supply of goodies, a supply that quickly expanded to include sheets of brownies and several pies, some still frozen for Andi made them during the week long absence and froze them. It wasn’t long before the catering company offered her a contract and she passed it on to Selma, the tiny woman as good a baker as Andi after years of helping in the kitchen. The instant messages flew back and forth, sometimes daily, chatty little notes of what was happening, how the exercise was going, what had been shot that day. In the sixth week Andi again visited the doctor and suddenly there was no more contact. Urs arrived home after sundown Saturday and flew through the house, across the 2 yards and into the open doors of Andi’s house. Selma came from the kitchen, happy to see him. “You’re back. She said you would be and left a message ‘cause they tell her you can’t get computer letters out of the place she’s gone unless you have some special connection. She said to feed you and tell you that she’ll be gone about a month and she didn’t say it but I know she’ll miss you.” Suddenly the weekend didn’t have the same appeal for Urs. He liked the routine they had set up, was going to vary it a bit this Sunday by taking Andi to the indoor rock climbing arena, for though she couldn’t yet get back to doing it she would enjoy watching, helping to plan the moves. He stayed for a while with Selma, hearing about her week, borr-owed a book he had been waiting to read, a little confused when Selma said she hoped he liked it, that it was one of her favorites, though the copy looked new and the spine had not been cracked. He looked at the title and author again and the nickel dropped. “Mandy Aroha, this is one of Andi’s isn’t it? That’s her pen name, right?” “Saul knows so I guess it isn’t a big deal if you do too. Enjoy the book. I think it’s her best one yet.” “Aroha, the Maori word for love, your idea?” Selma smiled and shrugged. “Sort of, the editor wanted a full name and suggested Love but we thought it sounded cheap. “They argued and Andi told him if he wanted her to sign a contract for more books she insisted on the choice of name. He knew it would be a money maker so gave in. This one is number 4, to be released around Christmas, one every three years after the first.” Urs left soon after, taking home a platter of food that Selma had thoughtfully prepared. He sat on the balcony eating and started on the book, as always from the first pulled into the lives of the characters and it was after midnight when he forced himself to stop and go to bed. It was strange how knowing the author made the story different, he thought as he drifted off to sleep. Now when he read about the heroine, Cara, this character he thought he knew so well from the other three books, he pictured her with Andi’s smile, with her courage. He dreamt of her, this Cara/Andi and woke because of a throb-ing erection, took care of it in a quick warm shower and returned to the book, reading until he finished it long after dawn. He filled his days that week before the trip to Australia on location, surfing, rock climbing, again a pub crawl with some old soccer mates, a few dates who bored him with their artificial ways, their eagerness to be seen with him, and who stayed over to perform mechanical sex. He found that his erotic fantasies about Cara/Andi were more fulfilling and he thought of them and relieved himself with the fervor of a teenage boy. At the end of the week there had still been no word from Andi and the cast and crew left for Australia.

On the other side of the world a tall wiry man looked up when one of his hired men came in the office. “Well? Did you find out where she went from Geneva?” The bull necked man shifted nervously from one foot to the other knowing the rage that would erupt at the bad news. “There’s a dead end again. We found her house but she spooked and was gone before we could do anything. And we spent the last couple of months trying to buy information about where she went but no dice. Sorry, sir.” He rose from behind the desk and with a sweep of his arm cleared the top, papers, pens, partly full wine glass, all crashing to the floor. “SORRY? What good does that do? Find her! How can she stay hidden, she’s a cripple for Ch***t’s sake!” He stormed about the room, stopped in front of the big man and glared at him. “Get me a woman from the street, young, clean her up and have her ready. Young, you hear? Very young!” The hired thug breathed a sigh of relief and left the office smiling slightly in anticipation.

CHAPTER 6

The first thing noticeable about Rorotua was the smell. The pilot laughed when she commented on the sulphurous odor, asking ‘what smell?’ He added after a second that it is less noticeable with time and she hoped that was true. The hot springs and mud pools around Rorotua were the obvious reason and it didn’t seem to deter the tourists who came in droves to bath in the restorative waters and mud. Andi was met at the heliport by staff from the Spa and efficiently whisked off to an outlaying area. The odor was no less strong here but the scenery was marvelous and soon she learned to take shallow breaths through her mouth and ignore it. The spa was not the most luxurious place she had ever seen but planned for efficiency and very comfortable. Many of the staff were Maori, big burly men and tall slender but strong women who carted her around with ease, lifting her out of the mud baths that started immediately, massaging her weak legs several times a day, encouraging her to go just one more step each time she worked out. And the food was both plentiful and tasty, fresh fruit and juices always available everywhere, lots of nutritious veggies and broiled meat or fish. She had little free time but used it to work on the computer, doing a final read through and edit of the script she was working on, trying to keep busy and not think about Urs. There was no point to it, in her head she knew this but her head didn’t always rule when thoughts of him crept in. Nightly as she went to sleep she allowed thoughts of him to run through her mind, the way his hands felt on her skin when he massaged her legs, the deep sound of his voice, that wonderful bad little boy grin he had when he teased her and that body, that body that she found so sensual, yearned to stroke, to touch with her hands, her mouth. Nightly she came the closest ever in her life to having an orgasm just by thinking of a man, refusing to let the fantasies go on by releasing the tension herself, the touch of her own hands familiar, safe. She chided herself to grow up, abandon this childish crush and slept, her dreams often invaded by a tall, self-assured, dark haired man with a smile that made her bones melt. Daily the progress was remarkable. She progressed from the walker to an aluminum cane, her left leg healing and strengthening quickly, the more injured right lagging but improving. Her natural cheer and wittiness endeared her to the staff, the determination and refusal to cry or give in, earning her respect. It was part way through her busy days at the Spa that she asked if it might be possible to speak to an Ariki, a tribal leader or at least to an elder who could relay her request. Three times over the following days she spent time with an elder, a wizened man of advanced years, the second time bringing a female elder with him, the third an elder who had many years but still stood tall and erect. Each time Andi showed the proper respect for the traditions of the people, spoke in hesitant but fairly good Maori and on the final visit learned that the second man this time was in fact the Ariki. They were intrigued by her story, though they knew she did not tell them everything, asking for trust that she had done nothing illegal, more so by the knowledge of their language and customs and the faith she had in the honor of the people. At last the Ariki rose and inclined his head to her as he placed his hand on her head in bless-ing. “Your blood is not of the people, but I believe your heart is. You have my oath that if you find yourself in need of sanctuary or assistance you have but to call and it will be given. May that day never come, daughter.” And he left, leaving the other elder to give her the numbers and names to call or email if needs be. The last week went fast and though she was saddened to leave the many friends at the Spa, she was eager to return to Selma and to see Urs and Saul and Celia of course. It was a tremendous let down to find that Urs was gone, the whole cast and crew in fact gone for a 2 month location shoot in Australia. Andi felt like crying but steeled herself to go on, just as she had done for the past years, made escape plans, hoped they would never be needed, but with her usual efficiency made them anyway. She contacted a Maori run garage, through them bought a good used van, rented a storage gar-age to the rear of a doctor’s office, stocked the car with get away goods, clothing for disguise, water, juices, maps. She arranged with the garage to have the van started once a week to keep the battery charged and waited. Selma was amazed at her progress, and Andi found that in her absence there had been a change in her friend’s life as well. Through the bakery she had met someone, a well off Maori man who lived in Wellington, thought she was cute and funny and ‘lusty’ as Selma so proudly said. Andi envied her friend, though she didn’t begrudge the older woman the pleasure of a companion other than herself. ‘If only I could have the same fortune’ she thought, still not able to stop thinking about Urs, sure now that she loved him desperately but could do nothing about it. She worked with a frenzy, pushing her body to the limit and beyond, ate because she needed the nutrition, but Selma saw the sadness and challenged her. “There’s only one thing to do, find out how he feels. You might be happily surprised.” A week before the Australia shoot was to be over, Saul called and Andi summoned up all the courage she could find. Yes, she would come to Australia to work on the script and while she was there she would find out if Urs was still her friend or willing to be more.

Another hot day! It seemed the heat only got hotter daily in this desert-like part of Australia and everyone spent their off hours seeking shade that was near impossible to find. There was sand in everything, their hair and clothes, in the trailers and seeping under the coverings on the cameras. The Aussies, mostly recruited from Alice, laughed at the Kiwi’s, this weather normal to them, hard for those with little desert in their country to endure. One more week in this inferno and this part of the shooting should be over, then back to civilization, something Urs, among others, was looking forward to and none too soon. Tempers were frayed, there were arguments and the occasional push and shove fight, everyone was impatient, not working as well as they should and of course that meant delays and more bad tempers. Urs had taken to going off alone, his company not something he wanted to inflict on friends, not in his present mood. He tried to spend some time in his trailer with a book but it was difficult to even breathe in the stifling confines and he left, seeking shade, any small slice of shade. The awning in front of the office trailer promised a brief respite and he trudged to it, took a cold bottled beer from the cooler, rubbed it on his neck and forehead, popped the cap and guzzled it down in one go. Geoff joined him but they didn’t talk much beyond the usual, ‘G’day, another hot one’, and they both sprawled in chairs with their shirts open, praying for a breeze. He heard raised voices and the sound of rotors coming from the other side of the mess tent and glanced up to see the arrival of the helicopter, bringing Saul back from the film lab in the city. “Guess that means back to work,” Geoff said and struggled to his feet, the heat so enervating that just stand-ing took considerable effort. Urs leaned back in the chair, not yet willing to give up this little slice of shade. “Here now, who’s this? He’s brought a Sheila with him, a right nice one. I saw her first boyo, get first shot at her.” The eager tone of Geoff’s words was too much and Urs leaned past him to get a look. He sprang to his feet as he saw the tiny figure, dwarfed by Saul’s bulk, meeting stride for stride, her mahogany hair peeping out from under a cotton cap, shorts and tank top the same color as the sand, the Maori walking stick helping to keep her balance on the soft ground. Andi! “Touch her and die, Geoff. She’s mine,” he growled at Geoff and took off at a lope across the short distance. Andi saw him coming and waved, smiling as he neared. “G’day Kiwi. Thought I’d drop in since I haven’t heard from either of you for weeks.” She felt her heart leap at the sight of him, suntanned even more than usual, his shirt open, exposing a sixpack chest with a sprinkle of curly black hair. He wore a sheen of sweat, like everyone else in this climate, grey shadows under his eyes from the stress of work or, she hoped, from missing her company. Urs laughed at the glint in her eyes, the healthy glow about her, noted that she had filled out, rather nicely in fact, and that she walked, even on this shifting ground, with very little difficulty. “G’day yourself, Pixie. You look wonderful,” and he lifted her into a bear-hug so fierce it took her breath away. He put her back down and glanced at Saul, saw the raised brows and slight smile and backed off a bit. “’Puters full of sand, like everything else here. This is where Hell is going to be when the world ends.” “Andi came to do some re-write, surprised hell out of me when she agreed. I’m not happy with the way that scene in the canyon plays out and she has a few ideas. C’mon you two, let’s get out of the sun.” Saul strode off, heading for the awning spread in front of his trailer, leaving Andi and Urs to come more slowly. He took her tiny hand in his and felt the strength of her grip as she clasped it, a tingling in his skin when he touched her. An intensity rose inside him and his words to Geoff kept playing again and again, like an old fashioned stuck record. She WAS his, or at least he wanted her to be. After only a few steps he stopped and pulled her in front of him, searching her face, looking deep in her eyes, question-ing. With no hesitation she stood as tall as she could, pulled his head down to her and lay her mouth against his, teasing his open with a moist eager tongue. Passion exploded in Urs and he took her mouth, tasting, stroking, drowning in the essence of her. Her eyes were glazed when he left her mouth to look at her. “I’ve missed you, Kiwi,” she said releasing the grip she had on his hair and stroking her hand across his cheek, down his bare chest and coming to rest on his waist. “Andi,” he began and groaned. He buried his face in her hair and held her close to his chest. “Andi, I can’t be just your friend anymore. I missed you so much and now I know why. I love you, my little Pixie. I need you in my life, in my arms, in my bed.” “Thank goodness, I was afraid I’d come all this way to sleep alone.” She blushed as she faced him and he laughed, throwing his head back and laughing so hard that people came out of the mess tent to see what was happening. Urs lifted her and with his long legs made short work of the remaining steps to Saul’s office. “If you two are quite finished with your public display of teenage necking, would you like something cold to drink? I’d like Andi to read this script and give me an idea of what she’s think-ing, about the scene.” The broad grin on Saul’s face was almost a smirk of satisfaction at a plan that worked. Saul laughed as he opened a beer for himself and the bottled water they indicated from the tub of ice and drinks in the cooler. Andi accepted the script with a sigh and opened it on the table in front of her. “You’re such a slave driver Saul. It’s a wonder that anyone works for you more than once.” She smiled so he would know she was joking. His phone call from Canberra had started this whole episode in motion. “It’s time to be blunt, little Andi. Our friend Urs is suffering though he hasn’t yet admitted why to himself. He’s in love with you Andi, so besotted that his work is suffering. He’s testy and misses cues and forgets his lines, nearly punched out one of the crew over some stupid little thing. What I want to know is what are you willing to do about it? Do you care for him at all?” “Care, no Saul I don’t ‘care’ for him, I love him. I have since that first day we met, maybe even before that. When are you back in Canberra?” “Tomorrow, I have to pick up the rushes that aren’t ready yet.” “Give me the address and I’ll meet you there. But Saul, if you’re wrong, you better be there to pick up the pieces. I’m afraid it will destroy me if he pushes me away.” Now at the site, Andi quickly switched into her work mode and became absorbed in the scene, going rapidly from page to page, murmuring to herself, turning back to a previous page and shaking her head, idly drumming her fingers on the table. She paused only once to turn to Urs who sat beside her, one long arm resting across her shoulders. She rested her hand on his cheek and kissed him lightly. “Urs, I love you but Back Off! I can’t think when you’re so close. Go do some work or eat or something.” He leaned over her, his eyes burning as he held hers, trapping her between his braced hands on the back of the chair. “Say it again, I need to hear you say it again.” Their mouths were almost touching when she smiled softly and parted her lips, whispering before she leaned forward to caress his lips with her tongue. “I love you, Kiwi.” He kissed her with barely contain-ed passion for a long minute then drew back, murmuring “and I love you, my precious Pixie.” He sighed, then grinning, both he and Saul left her, rounding up the crew for some re-takes. One hour, then two, they worked, glancing often at the figure hunched over the table, a growing stack of papers in front of her as she wrote the new scenes out long hand. They saw her rise and stretch her limbs, get another drink from the cooler, pace a bit and stop, then hurry to her spot at the table to begin writing again. Their timing was perfect for they finished the last re-take and saw her rise, shuffle the papers into order and close the folder. She grabbed her cane and walked toward them, patting the horses used in the scenes as she passed them, and smiling. “Try that Saul. I think it might work. I left it on the table. Walk with me a bit Urs? My legs are stiff from sitting so long.” He took her free hand. “Want a massage?” “Later,” she said and blushed again, an act he found delighted him. They walked about the site idly, Urs pointing out the different trailers, remarking on the lack of good desserts in the mess tent, a comment that made her smile. “Selma is expanding the business already. She’s now doing 3 catering companies and is thinking of opening a shop in downtown Wellington. I’m really happy for her, she’s been so wrapped up in my life for so long, it’s time she had something of her own.” Urs didn’t say anything, not wanting to pry but intensely curious about this woman he had fallen deeply in love with. “I can feel the questions you aren’t asking me. There are dark secrets in my life, Urs, secrets I can’t or at least can’t now tell you. For now, just know that I love you as I have never loved another being in my life and I will be in your life as long as it is in my power to do so. I can promise you that I will always love you. I can’t promise more than that. Is it enough?” He stopped and crushed her to him, holding her as if he would never let her go. “This three months without you has been torture enough. It would kill me if you left me, Andi.” She murmured against his chest, so softly he wasn’t sure at first what she said. “No, if I have to leave you it will be to keep you alive.”

CHAPTER 7, PART 1

They had come full circle and found Saul had just finished the script. He beamed at Urs and thrust the script at him. “Day off tomorrow, we shoot this at dawn on Thursday. Come sit with me, Andi and tell me all the news from Wellington. I haven’t seen my tribe for so long and I still don’t know what they did to you at that mud ranch. Whatever it was, you look wonderful, and your hair is getting long again.” “Kept it short ‘cause it was easier for Selma to wash. It grows about an inch a month, though I probably won’t ever let it get as long as it was when we first met. Saul, I noticed the chopper is gone. Did you have my things unloaded?” “Had them sent to trailer #7, I think that’s where you’ll spend the night.” Urs looked up and grinned and Andi knew who’s trailer #7 was. They talked for a while, quietly, while Urs read and when he closed the folder looked at him expectantly. “It’s magic. How could you pull this stuff out of your little head just like that? Between Saul’s directing and your writing this won’t be just another action movie.” “And your acting, without your skill it would just be so many words, it would fall flat. Never forget your worth to this project, boyo. I didn’t go after you for this role because of your pretty face you know.” The gong for dinner rang soon after and though Andi was reluctant to eat in the mess tent, the two men convinced her. She was uneasy, through long habit or bad experience they didn’t know but they sat her between them amid the noisy crowd and soon had her talking and laughing. A couple of the female crew shot her envious looks, women that Urs had shared his bed with on a few occasions, nothing serious, just for mutual pleasure. Andi noticed but chose to ignore it, not expecting Urs to have been celibate. “Thank you,” he whispered to her as he squeezed her hand under the table. “For?” “For not throwing a jealous fit. Most women would take offense at the looks you’ve been getting.” Andi met his eyes squarely, a very slight smile on her face. “Urs, I am not ‘most women’. I am myself, Andi, who loves you. I understand this business. You can’t be expected to perform well if you don’t rehearse. They were merely stand-ins. I am the star!” He laughed and hugged her, planting a quick kiss on her head and she couldn’t resist a triumphant smile at the two women. Saul tapped his spoon against his glass and stood to make an announcement of the script change. “I guess you all saw the arrival of one of our writers on the helicopter today. Andi, stick your hand up so they can see you hiding behind that big Kiwi. She’s a little shy but a damn good scribbler and I think she’s pulled our butts out of the fire again, like she did when she penned Urs’s rape scene.” He paused a moment as the crowd in the tent murmured. “Tomorrow will be a day off for most of you while we set up the dollies and marks for the new canyon scene and while the actors involved study the new shots. Fortunately the printer hasn’t given up the ghost to the sand demons, not yet, so you’ll all get print outs of the new scene as soon as we have them. Questions?” He looked around the room, knew that most of the questions would go unasked since they centered on Andi and Urs. He started to sit then raised his hand for quiet once more. “Oh and those huge containers on the side table are a little something from Pixie Products. Enjoy but put the lids back on to keep out the sand.” Two of the women were first at the table and held the mad scramble off as they unpacked the containers. Inside they found a wealth of plastic boxes, containing Pavlovas, small individual pies in assorted flavors, brownies, gooey bars topped with chocolate and butterscotch, tarts and small squares of cake dipped in 2 or 3 icings and candied fruit, and 20 different varieties of cookies. Saul rose to go for a sampling and gestured to Urs, who shook his head. “Not tonight, Saul. I have everything I want right here.” He took Andi’s hand and while the mob clustered about the table for dessert they quietly left the tent. It was cooler now that the sun was down and the sky blazed with what seemed to be millions of stars. They walked for a bit to stretch Andi’s muscles and enjoy the quiet. “The desert is so beautiful at night, so peaceful and quiet and there’s so much sky. It’s hard to remember that out there in the real world there are people with souls so black that their very existence fouls the air around them.” She turned from the stars and met Urs’s eyes, shining dark circles that reflected the light from above. “I don’t know what private demons drive you, my Andi and tonight it isn’t important. For this night there’s just you and I. Let me love you.” They were in front of his trailer, went in, softly shut the door and locked it. It was set up as most of the rented trailers were, entry directly into a living room area with a couch and table that folded down to provide an extra bed, small sink and stove, built in refrigerator and tiny bathroom with a shower that only midgets could use. The far end was the bedroom, the extra long bed that Urs needed taking up most of the space, a couple of wall mounted fans stirring the cool night air that wafted in the open windows. He lit several candles, all in little brass and glass lanterns and gathered Andi in his arms. She was shaking and Urs found to his surprise that he was as well. He laughed and tightened his arms about her. “I haven’t been this nervous since I was a teenager. I’m afraid of hurting you, you’re so delicate, so tiny.” “I can’t lie to you. I, I don’t have any experience, not in making love with some one. This is different from sex, it means more. I’m frightened that I won’t please you, but oh Urs, I want you so.” He felt his body leap with desire, felt the blood flow increase as she stroked her hand gently across him and he lowered his mouth to hers with a low moan. It began tenderly but the joining of mouths deepened as he took from her and she entered his mouth with her hot, wet tongue, licking the inside of his lips, his teeth, drinking from him and holding his hair to keep his head closer. He could feel the tension in her body. She was eager, but frightened and he gentled, touching her as if she were made of glass, taking the time to infuse her mind and body with the passion he felt, that he wanted her to fully share, thrilling when she hesitantly touched him, gently, then with more abandon. He schooled himself to be patient, tender and slowly led her on the path they would take to share love. Without thought his hands dropped the straps of her tank top off her shoulders, found the closure for her bra and her breasts sprang free, cupped in hands that kneaded them and rubbed the already swollen nipples. For a moment only he released her and ripped his Tee shirt off over his head, pulled her to him and sighed when her breasts flattened against his chest. She was bigger than he thought, more than a hand full, more than a mouthful he found as he suckled first one then the other and she writhed against him in passion. He left her breasts trailing his mouth over her chest, anointing her silky skin with moist kisses, across her collar bone, up the tender column of her neck, settling just under her ear to cup the lobe in his mouth and suck, his hands stroking her back, down over her round bottom to pull her closer. Her hands were shaking as she touched his chest, moved around him to run her nails lightly down over his ribs, making him shudder with pleasure and his mouth found the spot he sought, just at the base of her neck, the soft flesh begging to be suckled. She moaned at the sensation as he marked her, sucking the blood to the surface, moving back to her tender ear to skim his hot tongue around the rim, breathing lightly while she moaned at the exquisite torture.

He felt her hands on the waist of his shorts and helped as she pushed them down, over his hips, bending to lower them to his knees, then ankles, then off, all the while her hair caressing him until he stood fully exposed and she knelt to gaze up at his body. He was magnificent. His washboard chest was broad and lightly sprinkled with curly dark hair that arrowed in a vee across his flat stomach to the thick patch between his long, sculpted legs. His manhood stood out proudly from the nest of black curls and he caught his breath as she reached out one delicate hand to touch it softly, a light touch like the caress of a butterfly wing. She looked up to his face and whispered. “You are so beautiful, like the statue of a Greek God. I’m afraid this is a dream and it will vanish any moment.” “This is no dream, Baby. This is love and there are no rules. Do what gives you pleasure. Let go and give yourself to me, take from me.” Urs placed his hand over hers and held it firmly around his penis. She could feel it jump at her touch, feel the velvet smoothness and the pulsing blood inside the steel hard shaft. Gently she pushed Urs’s hand away and moved her grip along the shaft, back and forth from curly nest to tip, curving her palm over the head with each stroke. She gently fondled the silky sacs and rubbed the flat space behind them and Urs moaned as he tried to keep control. Suddenly he felt a moistness and realized she had lowered her mouth to him, tasting the length of him, the wet tip, but gently, so gently, as if she was unsure, afraid. He drew away, panting for control and with one movement picked her up and took the few steps to the bedroom. He lay her on the bed and bent over her, one strong hand on each side of her head. “If you touch me like that again, I will not be able to make it last.” He braced himself on one hand, the other stripping her shorts and panties in one swift move, her bra and top left in the other room. His mouth roamed over her face, the curve of her neck, where he suckled until she cried out with pleasure and pain, her breasts to lick and suck, and finally to her firm belly to explore her innie. Her garments gone, he knelt between her legs and allowed his hands to wander, caressing the developing muscles in her legs, touching the faint line of the scars, brushing gently over the mound of mahogany curls, pausing and stroking his long fingers through the soft hair. He found the tiny nub of pleasure and lifted his head to look at her. Her eyes were open but glazed with passion and she gripped his shoulders, clenching him with spasms. “Let me taste you, Andi. I need the taste of you in my mouth.”

He didn’t wait for an answer, parted the soft, hot folds with his clever fingers and lowered his mouth to the wet opening. He sucked gently on the tiny button, moved down and plunged his tongue into her, flicking the sides of her vagina, tasting the silky flesh. She was so wet, hot and ready but he couldn’t leave his treasure and dove in again, darting in and out with fast rotating movements, came out and caressed her clitoris with his tongue, teasing.

CHAPTER 7, PART 2

She writhed under him and gasped, ‘Inside me, Urs I need you inside me’ and he lowered his hot, heavy body onto hers, lifting her bottom and driving into her nearly to the full depth of his shaft. She was so tight, so small and closed around him like a glove and for a moment he rested, content to ease off, to make this last, determined to stay in control so he could pull out at the last minute, something he always did to prevent pregnancy. He found her mouth and she attacked him with hers, sucking and biting, their tongues licking and mouths drinking until both were gasping. He rolled them over so that she was on top. “Ride me Andi, I want to watch your face.” He cupped her breasts in his hands and she placed hers on his chest, rocking her hips, reaching a rhythm that matched his. Slowly she folded herself onto his body, her knees grasping his sides as she rubbed along his belly and kept him inside, tightening and releasing the muscles to caress him as he slid in her juices, deeper and deeper with each thrust. She lay her mouth against his male nipple and teased it with her tongue and sucked. Urs felt a shiver of pleasure course through him and thrust faster. She moved to the other nipple and suckled and he cried out, meeting her fast pace, their bodies fused, and they reached the top, his seed a hot flow, sucked deep by the spasms as her body tightened around him, the waves of pleasure so intense as to be near painful. She collapsed on his chest, straightened her legs, shuddering again and again and murmuring his name as the waves continued, lessening gradually. Urs held her to him with arms suddenly gone weak, stroking her hair and whispering her name, feeling the spasms too, feeling a sense of loss when his penis began to shrink and withdraw, felt too a sense of dismay that he had lost control and they had no protection. “Andi? I’m sorry, I thought I could control it. I didn’t use protect-ion. I’ve always just pulled out before the end but with you I couldn’t stop.” He could feel her smile, her mouth curving where it lay against his chest. “That’s the difference between the understudy and the star. The leading man just needs the right star to deliver a great performance.” He laughed and wiggled to a more comfortable position, allowing her legs to rest between his, her body soft against him. “Am I too heavy? Do you want me to move?” “No, I just thought we should let your legs stretch out and you weigh nothing. It feels good to have you against me like this.” She stroked her hand on his cheek, across his mouth and he nipped her fingers, then caught her hand and kissed the palm. “Urs I have to tell you something, something I probably should have said before but I took one look at you coming to the chopper and all I could think about was having you naked, of jumping your bones.” He laughed but stopped when he saw she was serious. “They say I won’t likely ever have children, something about damage during the accident. So you see it isn’t a problem that you didn’t use protection.” He could feel tears dripping from her face onto his chest and held her close, rocking her as if she were a child. “Shh, don’t cry, Luv. Don’t spoil what we have with sad thoughts. You have no idea how wonderful it felt to pour into you, to feel those amazing muscles inside you spasm and stroke me until not a drop was left. You are a star! My star! I’ve never lost control like that before.” “And I’ve never really made love and been given such pleasure before,” she whispered.

He half sat up and stared at her. “It’s true. I’ve read about it and even written about it but that was all from books. I didn’t know it could really be like this. This joy that’s almost unbearable.” She glanced at him then wouldn’t meet his eyes. “Andi, look at me. Don’t turn away. Nothing could ever make me distrust you or be angry with you. Ah, Luv, someone has treated you so badly. Never again!” He rolled them over and they slept spoon style for a while, her head tucked under his chin, his long arms wrapped around her to make her feel safe. She woke after an hour and found him sitting with crossed legs beside her, the bedside lamp on, his gaze on her as she stretched. “You have an amazing body, Pixie, so perfectly formed and proportioned. I was going to wake you but found it fascin-ating to watch you sleep. You smile and almost laugh, then sigh and lay still for a while. If I touch you, you moan and you reach out for me.” He smiled at her and rolled off the bed. “C’mon. I need to see if there’s any goodies left. After the workout you gave me I need fuel.” He pulled her to her feet and kissed her, groaning as he felt a stirring. She laughed as he pushed himself away from her. “Stay away from me Woman, at least until I recharge my batteries.” They dressed rapidly in the discarded clothing and left the trailer, laughing and holding hands, Andi needing the cane after the exercise her legs had gotten. The days went by too fast, full of love and laughter and work, the heat not nearly so oppressive somehow. Andi seemed to glow with happiness and Urs performed his craft as if inspired, the new scenes in the canyon meeting with approval from all the crew. Andi rode out to the site on a calm mare and watched with Saul, the first time she had ever seen Urs in action. Ever the professional, he ignored her completely, became the obsessed person he was playing and brought life to the words she had written. She held back until he was in makeup again, having the thick coating of greasepaint and the wig removed, tousled his hair when the wig was gone and was rewarded with a grab that pulled her into his lap. “I saw you riding. How did it feel?” She chuckled. “Good, I think that poor mare has been in the sun too long. She likely can’t move any faster than I can walk. This was my first time to watch the actual filming. It’s fascinating.” He leered at her and cupped her face in his hands. “There’s a lot of firsts in store for you, Baby. Wait till you find out what I have plan-ned for you tonight.” He whispered in her ear and laughed when she blushed. If the crew noticed that Andi and Urs disappeared into his trailer early in the evening each night, they politely didn’t mention it, even though occasion-ally someone walking by the trailer could hear deep-voiced moans or the soft cries of a woman in the throes of passion.

Once more his burly guards had succeeded in the quest he had given them. The girl was over twenty but looked young enough, one of those slow developers, just barely filling out her skimpy shirt, street wise, and he looked at her with distaste. She demanded her money up front and he paid her, not at all concerned, for, like the others, she wouldn’t likely leave his home alive and he would get his money back. He led her into Gabrielle’s old room and told her to dress in the clothing on the bed. She laughed at his choice of clothing, an outfit suitable for a younger girl, but donned them, washed the makeup off her face as instructed and came back into the bedroom. He circled her. The hair was wrong but she was close, not perfect, just close. The door opened and Stan came in, closed the door and waited. “Hey, I get paid more to do two,” the brash young hooker exclaimed, gasping on the end of her words as his hand gripped her throat, a rough grip that hurt and impeded her breathing. “Stan, come and teach Gabrielle some manners.” The big man crossed the room and pulled her out of the choke hold, back handing her across the face, picking her up off the floor and ripping her clothing until it hung in strands. He pushed her down on her knees and growled at her “Open your mouth, slut!” He looked at his boss and found him ready, fondling his thin member, exposed, semirigid. The girl wrapped her lips around it and tried to free herself from the grip on her hair but found her head forced closer as the small penis pumped rapidly and spurted on her tongue. “You whore, it was too fast! Stan!” She was thrown onto the bed and pulled by her legs to the edge, her legs thrown over Stan’s shoulders. He dropped his sweat pants and she gasped for he was huge, fully engorged. He rammed into her with-out waiting and she cried out, looked to the boss for help but saw that he was watching and stroking himself again.

“You must please him, Gabrielle, or he will become very angry. Perhaps we could also get Hugo to help, he likes to fuck little girls too. Harder Stan, she’s a very bad girl, give it to her harder!” The thin man moved closer to the bed, bending over her, ignoring her whimpers of pain, sucking and biting her small breasts. He left her but mom-ents later she was flipped to her stomach, relieved to no longer have the dry shaft of the big man ramming into her until he entered her again and laughed as a hard cold object poked against her anus and forced its way inside. The pain was too much and she screamed, trying to crawl away but a hand grasped her neck. Another man had come in the room, another large man and he pulled her hair forcing her head to the side, choking her with a short but thick penis that forced in past her teeth. She tried to bite him. And that was when the pain really began. In the early morning hours Stan drove the young hooker to her next appointment. He stopped at the back door of a building and passed her over to a pale man who waited expectantly as an envelope changed hands. They took the remains of the girl through a room full of a variety of caskets, on into another and placed her in a wooden coffin, laying an acid-dent victim on top of her, closing the lid and wheeling the whole thing into a huge crematorium oven. Stan waited as he had been told until the casket was fully engulfed, then left, the attendant went back to his porno magazines and the evidence went up in smoke.

CHAPTER 8, PART 1

Finally the last day of shooting was over and the crew began packing up, readying for the arrival of the trucks to tow away the trailers in the morning. Helicopters arrived for the people not needed to transport equipment and Urs and Andi along with Saul were among the first load to leave the isolated place. Andi had made a few friends among the cast and crew during the times when Urs was busy shooting and now she made arrangements with them to keep in touch, a commonplace action for most people but for one who had made a habit of being insular for so many years, it was a major step in socializing for Andi. They arrived home, each unpacked in their own houses, sent their computers out to be cleaned and met on Andi’s deck. Urs coaxed her onto his lap where he sat in one of the deck loungers, not a difficult task, for she came easily and snuggled against him. “There’s a wrap party Monday night at the Paladium. Will you go with me? It’s private and you should know most of the people there.

Andi looked panicked for a moment then laughed at herself. “I’m not very good with crowds, Urs but if you prom-ise not to dump me in the middle of strangers, I’d love to go.” Urs nuzzled her breasts, enjoying the rise of her nipples as he caressed them through the cloth. “Unless there are re-takes to do here in the studio, my time is my own for a couple of months. I don’t start the new project until mid June. It’s lambing time on the ranch and I prom-ised Nona I’d help out. Would you like to see a real NZ ranch? And visit Iree?” He laughed as he mentioned the dog and saw her eyes light up. “I’m surprised you don’t have a dog, the way you love animals. Or a cat or some-thing.” “I’ve never had a pet, Urs, never was allowed as a kid and then it just wasn’t possible. Selma and I moved around a lot.” That familiar look came over her, tough, frightened and lonely and she nestled her face into the curve of his neck and went silent. “Well now you do and his name is Urs.” She laughed at him creating a ripple through his neck and chest. “What time is Selma home?” She glanced up and frowned. “Why?” “’Cause your pet would like a swim and wants to know if we need suits for the pool.” Andi laughed as she stood and slipped easily out of her shorts and top. Urs picked her up quickly and took the four steps to the edge of the pool and dropped her in, almost out of his tank top and shorts when she surfaced. She was like a seal in the water, slicing through it with little splashing, diving down with a smooth flip of her bare pink bottom. He stepped into the water and swam strongly to come up under her, tangling their limbs and taking her weight in his strong arms, his legs propelling them to the air. Her skin felt silky and smooth and cool, slick with water, her free hands going to his nest of black curls to find his shaft stirring, coming erect as her hands stroked it. “We’re supposed to be swimming, pet.” “This is more fun,” he murmured, his voice husky with passion and he found her mouth and submerged them both as they kissed. She left him, too slippery to hold, and raced for the edge, he swam after her and caught her in the shallow end, the water reaching only past his waist. He pinned her to the cool tile wall and caressed her breasts, suckled them until she was moaning and reached above and behind her to grasp the rolled edge of the pool, her hands under his. Automatically her legs came up and curled around him, pulling him in to the rising heat between her legs and he entered her, moaning as the need grew. Her legs tightened and her back arched, pulling him deeper and he knew they would both come quickly. He surged into her, rubbing his body against hers, quickening the pace, holding both of her hands in place on the rim with one as he freed the other and parted the folds to touch her. He felt the spasms start and it pushed him beyond control. Once more, twice he plunged inside and cried out as his shaft was gripped by the spasms inside her and he emptied. After a few moments he released her hands and pulled her up onto his chest, both of them panting and their hearts racing as they embraced, still joined, still with her legs about him, her head under his chin, resting on his broad chest. He walked carefully into the deeper water and released her when their bodies separated, letting her float on the surface, watching as she lay with eyes closed, her face rosy cheeked from love. Over the years he had indulged the needs of his body many times, the women plent-iful, more so as his career grew. Never had he been offered such uninhibited passion, such total giving, such joy. He smiled as he thought of the years he hoped to share with her, years when he knew he would never be bored. He swam to her and she let her body sink as he neared, tugging him down and wrapping her body around his, their mouths joined. He thrust off the bottom of the pool and tread water to keep them afloat, laughing at her as the kiss ended. “You are insatiable, little Pixie, but I understand. I take what you offer and still want more. This passion for you will be the death of me.” He felt her stiffen in his arms and she lunged away from him and swam to the stairs. At the top of the steps she turned and stared at him for a moment. “Don’t joke about your life, Urs, about the danger loving me brings to it. You know nothing about me or about the danger that our love could bring to you.” She limped away from him, gathered her clothing and began to dress. He caught up with her and spun her around to face him. “You chose not to tell me of your past, your choice, Andi, so don’t keep throwing these hints in my face! Let me help you with whatever brings these foul moods on you. I will always love you and be here for you. Nothing you could tell me will ever change that.” She looked at him, her face streaming with tears and backed away one step in fear at the anger in his eyes. “Andi? Are you afraid of me? Don’t you know that I would cut off my hands before I would ever hurt you? What you see is an anger so deep at whoever hurt you, so deep it has my guts in knots, but never at you.” She whimpered and came into his arms. “I know. The only time I feel really safe is when you hold me.” They dressed and sat together in one lounger and gradually Andi relaxed and slept, safely curled against him and held by one strong arm. Selma arrived home and waved at Urs when she saw them on the deck, nodding her head at his motion for quiet. She left them, showered and came back to putter in the kitchen, throwing together one of her famous ‘Clean the fridge’ casseroles and by the time Andi woke was setting the table.

CHAPTER 8, PART 2

“G’day Sleeping Beauty,” she said as she toddled onto the deck and smiled at them. “Well I see he didn’t laugh at your offer or chase you away. Good on ya, Urs. It’s the Maori blood. We’re a lusty lot.” She laughed at the strick-en look and the blush that came to Andi’s face. Selma held Andi’s face in her brown hands and lay her wrinkled cheek along side the smooth younger woman’s. “He’s a good man, child. You can trust this one.” She straightened and beckoned to the table. “Dinner in 5 minutes, just time to wash up.” Dinner was a riotous affair, Selma seeming in a mood to tell jokes and they tried to out do each other. After the dishwasher was loaded they all sat on the deck and shared a bottle of red, sipping and talking of the location shooting, of the progress of Selma’s business, of the upcoming trip to the ranch. Urs promised to let Andi work the whole day tomorrow in payment for her company at the party, adding the qualifier, But tonight you’re mine!’ and Andi blushed while Selma hooted and promised to wear earplugs to bed. They showered together before bed, a lengthy affair since he was in a playful mood and when they had rinsed off spent a good deal of time exploring her slick body as the water rinsed them off. Each time they made love it was different but always intense, so filled with pleasure that Andi thought she would die from the joy of it. The old memories of being forced, faded, replaced with a rapture she had never really believed existed except in fiction. Gradually she relaxed and teased him, finding out what he liked, how to make him happy beyond anything he ever had experienced before. He carried her into the large bed she no longer had to spend restless nights in alone and loved her, bringing her to the brink of orgasm, then easing off tenderly, again and again until she thought she would go mad with desire, filling her with his body at last in a long rolling orgasm that left them both collapsed on the tangled sheets, gasping for breath. They slept locked together, totally spent and sated until the morning light woke them to start the new day. As promised, Urs left right after a quick workout and breakfast in the morning, promising to pick her up about 8 for the party. He mentioned that it would be formal, at least when it came to dress, most of the crew seldom having the opportunity to get ‘duded up’. Andi thought for a moment that this would be her excuse not to go, for, since she never went out, there was nothing in her closet suitable. “Not a chance woman. Right after lunch someone will be here to offer you a choice, complete with shoes and jewelry.” He held her and whispered “Pick something easy to get out of” and laughed as her cheeks flushed and he felt her nipples enlarge against his chest. Andi worked all morning, lost in the thrall of her creativity and was surprised when Selma poked her head in the door to call her to lunch. They sat at the deck table and shared a large salad liberally laced with shrimp, iced tea with wedges of lemon and fresh fruit. “He’s good for you, Andi. There’s a glow about you I’ve never seen and I like him. He’s a strong man, strong of spirit and soul.” “Ah, Selma I’m so blessed it’s scary sometimes. Urs isn’t like anyone I’ve ever known. I feel so safe when I’m near him, so loved, and then when he is away I start having these doubts, no, not about how I feel or if he loves me, I know I can trust him, trust what he says. It’s just I don’t know why. I mean look at me. I’m short and gimpy and won’t tell him who I am, what my life was like before I met him. Peter can’t hurt me, doesn’t even enter my thoughts when Urs is near but.” “What have you told him?” Andi looked at her in surprise. “Nothing, absolutely nothing. I can’t. It’s too dis-gusting and much too dangerous and I don’t think I could bear to see the look of disgust in Urs’s eyes, if he finds out how soiled I am. How can I admit to him what I allowed to be done to me for so long, the danger to him because he loves me? It would make him sick and I would lose him.” Selma threw her napkin on the table in contempt. “You were a child, for god’s sake! None of it was your doing! Have a little faith in him! Soiled, I can’t believe you’re thinking that way. Your life, your real life began when we came here, when you met this gorgeous man, when you thawed enough to let him love you. Child, sometimes you make me so angry!” Andi was saved from a further diatribe by the chimes of the door and Selma left, used the peephole and let in a crew of three with racks of gowns sheathed in plastic. A thin gray haired man in an obviously expensive suit came to Andi and shook her hand. “Such a pleasure to meet you Miss Becker, I am Andre. Perhaps your friend could show my assistants where to set up? And this is from Mr. Buhler.” He held out a black velvet jewel box with a small envelope. She opened the note and inside found a message scrawled across the double page. ‘If the gowns don’t please you just wear these. I couldn’t resist, they’re nearly as beautiful as your eyes. I love you, Pixie. Urs’. Inside the velvet box was the most stunning emerald tear drop necklace Andi had ever seen, both the necklace and accompanying teardrop earrings set in platinum, the chain and findings so delicate they were nearly invisible. She glanced up at Andre in wonder and he clasped his hands together in delight. “I am so pleased! He was right, Mr. Buhler was right. He looked at this exquisite set and said he had to have them for they were the color of your eyes and he was right. Now we must find you a suitable gown to wear with them.” Andi was swept up by the energy of Andre and his staff and by the excitement of Selma who went through the racks one by one, ohhhing and ahhhing. Finally they settled on 3 and she was bustled off to the bedroom to try them on, each a perfect fit, each with soft flat shoes in a matching color, for Urs had thoughtfully explained that she could not yet wear high heeled shoes. They settled on one and an assistant chose a box from among many, opened it to show Andi the accessories, explaining that with a fitted gown like this one did not wear undergarments but there was a garter belt and whisper thin hose, a small purse that matched exactly and an embroidered shawl with a design of Maori runes and figures, some with tiny emerald-like stones sewn in for the eyes. Andi thanked Andre and his helpers for their time and the wonderful array they had created, their attention to detail. She asked discreetly for the account and Andre shook his head, smiling broadly at her. “It is always a pleasure to create beauty for one who is already beauteous. There is no account, Miss Becker. Mr. Buhler has taken care of it. If we may be of further assistance, do not hesitate to call.” He left his card on the table and bustled out with his racks and boxes and helpers, shutting the door quietly as he smiled and gave a little bow. Andi was ready when Urs arrived, incredibly nervous but ready. She was on the dark terrace when Selma let him in the front door, only a few candles lit to throw pools of light about the tile floor. He stopped part way across the living room when he saw her moving to meet him, caught the glint of her gown and the jewels on her breast and dangling from her earlobes. She floated to him, unaided, and he drank in the sight of her. She was a vision in emerald silk, a glove like gown that molded her body, flaring below the knees in soft full folds, strapless, baring her chest to show the teardrop emerald, her hair pulled back in soft waves and the teardrop earrings flashing as she moved. He held his hands out to her and she grasped them, laughing nervously at him for he had said nothing. “What’s this then? Urs Buhler speechless?” He smiled and held her arms out to each side. “I’ve always thought you were beautiful, even when you were skinny, but tonight, yes, I’m speechless.” He dropped one hand and turned her in a circle, admiring the very low cut back of the gown, the way it clung to the curves of her hips, her bottom, the way the skin of her back glowed, showed a light sprinkling of freckles, the curve of firm muscles on her arms, as she came around to face him again he saw the emerald flashing light from the cleavage of her breasts, the matching green flash from her eyes as she looked at him. She stepped closer and placed her palm against his face. “Thank you for the emeralds, Kiwi and for the gown. I will treasure them always.” She kissed him softly and he held her gently, afraid of marring this perfection. “You look wonderful, Kiwi. I’ve never seen you in anything but costumes or shorts or jeans and Tees.” Indeed he did look amazing. Some men wore a tux well and Urs was one, his strong, tall body filling the lines of the tux well, the snowy white of his pleated shirt with discreet diamond studs, a contrast to his shiny dark hair and tanned skin. His shoes were patent and so shiny they reflected the light and when he moved his arm to bring her hand to his mouth she saw a platinum Piaget watch peeking out from under his cuff. “You clean up real nice. Are they going to feed us there, Urs? I’m dying of hunger. Selma wouldn’t let me eat in case I messed up my gown.” He laughed and started them toward the door. “I hope so, I haven’t eaten either. Baby, do you have a wrap, it’s chilly tonight?” Selma appeared out of nowhere and handed him the Maori shawl. “Get outta here you two. You look so good I might just cry.” Urs admired the shawl as he spread it over her shoulders then he bent and kissed Selma on the cheek while Andi kissed the other side. “Now I’m sure I’m going to cry,” the tiny woman moaned. They laughed and went out to the limo, Urs taking the tiny purse from her and slipping it into an inside pocket. It was a short trip to the Paladium, the longest part the lineup of limos at the entrance. Saul had gone all out for the party as usual, his thought that if any movie they made was up for an award it would be impossible for the whole crew to attend so this would be their night of indulgence. There was a red carpet from the curb to the doors, a few ‘stargazers’, and to Andi’s horror quite a few photographers. Urs saw the naked fear come over her face and gripped her hand. “I thought this might happen. Don’t worry, we’ll just switch to plan B.” He tapped on the glass dividing them from the driver and the man nodded, stopping the limo well before the red carpet where a tent came right to the edge of the drive. The valet, a huge man, towering over Urs, opened the door and they exited into the tent, went quickly through it to a door recessed into the wall and used the elevator to get to the ballroom. “This is a private affair, there won’t be any paparazzi in here,” he said as they entered and were greeted by security. The guard nodded to Urs and they passed into the room, looking about at the crowd.

CHAPTER 9, PART 1

It was an elegant, high ceilinged room done in shades of blues and silver, a dais at one end for a rather large band that played a mix of current and older show tunes, tables scattered about the edge of a dance floor, topped with shimmery cloths and wine glasses and a couple of long buffet tables along the sides, positively groaning with a variety of food, some in ice tubs, some with a gentle flame underneath to keep them hot. With difficulty they made their way to the table where Saul and Celia sat with a small group, all people Andi had met at the location outside of Alice. Friends stopped them every few feet to comment on what an attractive couple they made, to chide Urs that he should get cleaned up more often. Finally they made it to the table and greeted their dinner mates. “Every-one looks so elegant, it’s amazing how putting on some fancy duds can change a person. Celia you, of course, are stunning.” Urs kissed her cheek after he seated Andi and laughed at Saul’s ‘Hands off boyo, you’ve got one of your own!’ Saul appeared as he always did, uncomfortable in anything but shorts and short sleeved shirts and Urs wondered how long it would be before the tie came off. He noticed that several of the women waved to Andi and they glanced at him and laughed among themselves. She saw his frown and patted his hand, whispering to him ‘Just wait, it’s a surprise!”. They shared champagne with the others at the table, the head cameraman, Jean and his wife Charlotte, who giggled when she met Andi’s eyes, Freddie and Stephen from makeup and Geoff and his date, a blonde who couldn’t take her eyes off Urs. Andi had stopped shaking from nervousness, he was pleased to see, her eyes sparkling and she joined in the conversation flowing about the table, smiling and laughing with real happi-ness, joking with the many people who stopped to say hello, to comment on her gown and jewels, to remark on how different Urs looked. He saw she was a little shy and unpracticed at accepting compliments and again felt a flush of anger at whoever had been in her life before and been unappreciative of this special woman. He sat side-ways on his chair and leaned closer, lifting her silky hair to gently kiss her neck and whisper ‘I love you, Pixie’. She turned her face to him, her glowing, happy face and her smile was enough though she mouthed ‘Thank you’ and ‘I love you too’. They could see that some of the partiers were heading for the buffets and as if this was a signal Saul rose and went to the bandstand, took the mike and the band quieted. At their table Celia wore a smug smile of anticipation and about the ballroom everyone looked up as Saul called out for quiet. “Being up here with everyone looking isn’t my favorite place to be so I’ll make this quick. We were going to have entertainment during dinner but spent so much on desserts for you greedy lot that the budget wouldn’t run to hiring performers.” He paused for a moment when everyone laughed. “So Celia and I came up with an idea you’re either going to love or hate. We call it Hidden Talents, of which, not surprisingly there are a wealth in this crowd. Without further ado I’ll leave you to our band leader who has promised to assist. Ladies and gentlemen, Larry Feldman.” “Good evening, folks. Enjoy your meal and the dancing after this entertainment. I won’t introduce our first Hidden Talent for I think his face is very familiar to you though perhaps not this skill. Urs, please” Andi spun around and laughed as she looked at him. He grinned and rose, bent over and kissed her and while the crowd applauded, moved quickly to the grand piano and sat for a moment with his hands resting on the keyboard. Softly the music started and the sweet sounds of Beethoven’s Pathetique flowed out of the instrument. Andi sat with her hands together in front of her mouth, almost as if she were praying. Celia leaned over and asked if she knew what he was playing. “Oh yes, its one of my favorites,” she answered but didn’t turn from her intense focus on Urs. He segued easily into the Emperor concerto, some of the string section of the orchestra accompanying him and when the stirring music end-ed he stood and still grinning left the stage to thunderous applause. He waved to the crowd and joined Andi to be hugged about the neck so hard he couldn’t breathe. “That was wonderful. I didn’t even know you could play and you do it beautifully. And two of my favorites. Thank you Urs.” ‘That’s why it’s called Hidden Talents, Baby. Saul was the only one who knew I took lessons. I haven’t done anything for a while but it’s kind of like riding a bi. You know that old saying, I’m sure.” They missed the introduction of the next act, a flowing up beat tango done to perfection by Eddie, a cameraman, and his wife. Then it was an older man doing polka’s on the accordion, one of the Best Boys doing a credible Garth Brooks and all too soon Andi saw Charlotte nod at her and rise. Across the room 3 more women rose and they all met in the center of the floor, waiting. Andi stood and grinned at Urs. “This is special performance, just for you, Kiwi.” She crossed to stand in front of the four women, nodded at the smiling band leader and he gave the down stroke to start the music. It was fast music, Faster than the speed of Night, a Bonnie Tyler track. A quick peek showed her that Urs recognized the tune and had thrown his head back in laugh-ter. The women left Andi and danced to the stage, Charlotte tossing her a battery mike and as the pace increased she began moving, feeling the music in her body, while on the stage the women kept the tempo by clapping and humming. Suddenly Andi became Bonnie Tyler, belting out the quick lyrics, dancing like a rock star while the back up singers harmonized, one of the women with a high soprano that came close to not needing a mike. Andi joined them on stage and they huddled together on some of the lyrics, danced from one end of the stage to the other and when the song was drawing to an end she joined the high pitched voice with her own, the two women bending backward, almost double as they hit the upper notes. But it wasn’t over for the band segued into another song, the beat changed, became harder, more driven and the crowd clapped along with it, the back up ladies starting while Andi sat on the steps with the mike and she started belting out I Need a Hero, another Bonnie Tyler song. She rose slowly, gradually increasing her rhythm until she was rocking with the music and giving the song her all, trailing her hand over her body, mussing her hair, swiveling her hips and looking sultry. She danced from table to table, rejected man after man, many of whom cooperated by reaching out to her and at last came to Urs’s table, passed on Saul and Frank, Freddie, Stephen and Geoff and danced sensuously around, behind and on Urs. The lyrics were over and she ruffled his hair and pulled his head down to hers to kiss him while all about the ballroom the crowd went wild. She could feel his reaction when she released his mouth and smiled at him, licking her lips, her eyes full of passion. “Ohmigod! Andi, do you realize what you’ve done? How incredible that was? And how did you have time to arrange it with the girls? Charlotte, thank you. That was awesome.” He looked across the table as Charlotte regained her seat and Andi disentangled herself from him to tidy her hair and take a quick sip of champagne. She laughed as Charlotte too had a drink and explained. “Well Saul called and told us about this Hidden Talents thing and mentioned that Andi had a good voice and so I phoned her and she thought it might be fun to do this Bonnie Tyler thing since you like that music soooooo much, so we emailed back and forth, met at her place in the after-noon and were blown away by the set of pipes she has and this is what we came up with. Did you like it? I know most of the other men did. I’ll bet most of the women in the room will get really lucky tonight.” “Char!” Her husband chided her. “Oh, hush, don’t pretend to be so proper. They all know we have 5 kids and not one by Immaculate Conception.” “Girl, if I ever do a musical you better get over your fear of the camera,” Saul said and Urs could feel her tense, saw the blood leave her face. She drew a calming breath and he took her hand. “Do you realize we still haven’t eaten? Have you caught your breath enough to visit the buffet?” He pulled her to her feet and they excused themselves, going slowly across to the buffet, both accepting kudos from many tables as they passed. Urs felt her relax again and looking down smiled as she glanced at him. “OK now? How are your legs? You really gave them a workout.” “I forgot. I got so into the music I plain forgot. I’m a little shaky, couldn’t run a marathon, but I feel good. Oh, Urs they have prawns! I love seafood, but prawns are my favorite.” The rest of the night they stayed together, hands clasped, chatting with friends, new to Andi but long acquaintances of Urs’s, drank glass after glass of Champagne, danced a few slow tunes and had a good time. By two in the morning the party showed no signs of fading, Saul’s tie was long gone, as was Urs’s jacket and a few of the guests were into beer or hard liquor. Urs showed no signs of having over indulged and Andi, knowing her limit, had switched to cocktails, virgin cocktails. They danced again, a slow amble around in circles, pressed together until Urs could stand it no longer and he took her hand to lead the way out onto one of the terraces, the small one with a bench tucked tidily among some over grown bushes. Andi held back when he sat on the bench, lowered his zipper and pulled her onto his lap, pushing the silky green dress up to her hips. “Urs someone might come out.” but she saw the grin on his face and laughed. “Let him get his own girl. This one is mine!” He freed his penis to snuggle into the warmth of her. He had felt she wore no panties when they danced and his hands roamed over her perfect bottom and now she was wet, hot and ready. He slid into her like a hot rod into butter and she closed around him, moaning softly as he loosed her breasts and found the nipples with his mouth. She rotated her hips and rose slight-ly, her weight on her knees on the bench and they found the rhythm, Andi bracing her arms on his shoulders, Urs’s hands holding her bottom as he helped her move to meet the thrusts of his hips. Faster and deeper, deeper until he could give no more and he felt the surge coming and drew her face to him to take her mouth and they came togeth-er. Somewhere in the ripples of passion that consumed them they heard a voice, Saul, calling Urs’s name and he managed to rasp out “Go away Saul!” his voice choked, harsh. They could hear distant music and hasty footsteps, someone muttering what sounded like ‘Sh**! Sh**! Sh**!’ and as the ripples eased Andi began to laugh, the rumble of it starting deep inside. Urs leaned back on the bench and grinned at her. “You’re amazing, my little Pixie. So tough and steel hard at times, soft and dainty at others, a bundle of energy, yet I watch you sleep some-times and you look like a child. You blush all the time at the things I tease you about and yet now when we are caught making love out in a public place all you can do is laugh. How can you be so many different people? Isn’t it crowded inside that little body?” They straightened their clothing before she answered, sitting sideways on his lap, her hands tidying his mussed hair. “There are many people inside everyone, Kiwi. Look in the mirror. You look rough and tough and strong, yet you treat me so gently, as if afraid I might break. You listen to Bob Marley and Nickleback and play Beethoven like a virtuoso. You’re a master of the craft of acting yet so honest it sometimes causes you pain. All these things and more are why I love you more than I can ever put into words.” Urs cuddled her closer and murmured into her hair. “Andi, I think we should talk soon about our future, about where our relationship is going. I can’t think of a future without you in it.” He could feel her stiffen, saw the fear in her eyes when she looked at him. “Please Urs, don’t rush me. I can’t think logically when I’m so close to you and I must make the right decisions, for myself, for everyone.” He sighed and kissed her head. “I would ask to share your burden, whatever it is but know what your answer would be. What do I have to do to show you can trust me, to lighten this load you carry by letting me help you?” He could feel the resistance in her body, the fear, and before she could speak, shushed her as if she were a child. “It’s OK Baby. When you’re ready, I’ll still be here.”

CHAPTER 9, PART 2

They sat a few minutes longer and then strolled back to the party to find it breaking up. Saul had a hard time meeting their eyes at first then when he saw they weren’t embarrassed or angry, ignored the close call and chatted a mile a minute as usual. They too left shortly after, Saul and Celia promising to keep an eye on Selma while Urs and Andi were away, the young couple for the first time planning on spending the night at Urs’s house and they sped there in the waiting Limo. It was the first time Andi had been in Urs’s house but other than a quick glance around as they went from the entry, through the hall and living room and on up the stairs to the second floor she saw little of it, an impression of openness and comfort, carved pieces of Maori art on the creamy tones of the stairwell walls, not the typical bachelor pad. At the top of the curved stairs the wide hall went right and left, a couple of inlaid highly polished tables with tall, slender pottery lamps that Urs had turned on from the entry, the pools of light picking up the varied colors of a woven hall runner with an intricate design, Maori runes Andi found on closer inspection. They entered the last door on the right into Urs’ suite, one large room with a sitting area, doors to the terrace and the biggest bed Andi had ever seen. “Omigod! That bed is huge! You could play football on it!” Urs laughed and crushed her in a hug, leering and raising his brows in mock threat. “If that’s what you want. I can think of more fun things to do.” She laughed and pushed him away. “Down, boy! I need to snoop first, you know, check for forgotten undies and bras, that sort of thing.” “Too late. The rooms already been sanitized. I had a truck cart all of it away, a very big truck.” “Right!” Andi said as she went out on the terrace and he followed. She stood at the railing looking down into her own yard. “This is where I first saw you, other than on the screen that is. When I looked up from Iree and saw you there it seemed like a dream, I had such feeling for you for so long and there you were, in living color.” She laughed a little, embarrassed to admit the crush she had on him before they met, the heat rising in her face. Urs framed her face with his big hands and kissed her cheeks gently. “I love the way you do that. Your face gets all hot and rosy and your eyes look shy.” His hands roamed around to her back, found the zipper for her gown and lowered it slowly. When it was all the way down Andi stepped out of the emerald silk, lifted it and placed it over the back of a rattan chair. She turned to Urs, clad only in the sheer stockings, garter belt and jewels, murmur-ing his name. His eyes never left hers as he responded, eager to share love with her once more. Her body shone in the moonlight, breasts swollen and nipples beckoning, the bush between her legs a dark tangle crying to be touch-ed. She ran her hands across her breasts, down her sides to the dark triangle and threw her head back, murmuring his name. Somehow his clothes came off and he knelt in front of her, cupping her soft butt in his hands, pulling her to meet his mouth, his tongue parting the folds to find her clitoris and suck, going lower to thrust inside the wet heat of her body. She was moaning, digging her fingernails into his shoulders and widened her stance to take his tongue further into her. He tasted the juices flooding to meet his mouth, felt the orgasm start and turned her body quickly to brace her hands on the railing, her bottom and vagina exposed to his shaft. He entered her hard, his man-hood dripping, the crest just out of reach. His strokes were fast and deep, his engorged penis clasped by the orgasm she still writhed with, slick and stroked by her muscles and he emptied into her with such force it drove the breath from him. It was several minutes before they could stand erect, Andi’s back against him while they calmed and the waves of passion slowly faded. He carried her to the bed, stripped her completely, lay beside her with her head on his chest, and they slept, both sated beyond words. The morning seemed to come quickly, too quickly and both wanted nothing more than to stay curled together in the huge bed but knew their flight was booked for early afternoon. They ate breakfast, made by Urs, in the well appointed kitchen, each wearing only a towel from their shower. “Another hidden talent, you’re full of surprises, Kiwi.” “Self defense, I’ve never had a girlfriend who could cook. Or for that matter who could give me so much pleasure.” He came to her and wrapped his long arms about her from behind, bending over to nibble on her neck. “Our bodies were made to fit together, Pixie.” He felt the blush rise in her cheeks and laughed as he looked at her. “Urs, is this normal? I mean, don’t be annoyed with me for asking. Are you always so randy?” He roared with laughter and swept her into his arms, sitting in one of the chairs with her on his lap. “No, I’m no different than most guys, pretty, willing girl, screw her brains out, trying to make sure she comes too and doesn’t get pregnant, then that’s it.” He touched her mouth gently with his, his face no longer amused though he smiled. “With you it’s different. I see you and get hard, think of you when we’re apart and have to give myself relief by hand. I’ve always prided myself on my control but once I’m inside you, feel the tightness, the heat of your wet body, the spasms when you come, I lose myself, have no will of my own. It would kill me to try to pull back. I love you Andi, when we’re together we Make Love. That’s the difference and it’s wonderful.” She smiled and he could see the pleasure in her eyes. “You don’t know how many times I wonder-ed what it would be like with you. When I watched your movies, studying the way you moved, the tone of your voice, this feeling grew in me and it frightened me at first. I’ve never, ever lusted after a man but the more I saw of you the stronger my yearning and then I met you. Before I went to Alice, determined to find out if there could be a chance for more than friendship, That one night when the blonde stayed over, I could have ripped her apart. I wanted so much for it to be me sharing your bed. And now, this is beyond my dreams. You seem to know exactly where to touch me, and when. Just feeling your skin, your mouth, even now talking about it and I’m ready.” She smiled and pulled on his earlobes with her teeth. “I didn’t know how earth shaking it would be to make love with you but one thing I was right about, you have big hands and feet and, surely you’ve heard that old saying?” She swung her legs around and straddled him, pushing his towel out of the way and letting hers slide to the floor. “Love me, Urs,” she whispered and he grinned as their mouths met. He was engorged, erect, waiting for her and she lowered herself onto him, taking the full length inside and riding gently, increasing the rhythm as he fondled, then suckled her breasts, bit her shoulder and sucked until a red mark appeared. He could feel his black nest tangle with her mahogany bush, feel the small nub of her clitoris rubbing against him, rotated his hips, as her legs came up to grip the back of the chair and she ravaged his mouth, gasping for breath. The ride was wild now and his control was gone, he felt the spasms of her orgasm and emptied into her with a groan, their bodies tense and still but for the shudders of pleasure that poured through them. Andi curled against him, liquid, and he held her with arms gone weak. Gradually the strength came back to them and they laughed, promising to only talk of their love when alone if this was to be the result. They made it to the airport just in time, climbed aboard the small plane and in the fading sunlight headed towards the farmland on the North Island. It wasn’t a long trip but the pilot was nervous and as they neared the small landing field on the ranch they understood why. The temperature had dropped over the last hour and the sky was quickly filling with ominous dark clouds coming from the nearby mountains, clouds that looked heavy, laden with rain or if the temperature continued to fall, an unseasonable snowfall. They waited a few minutes for someone to pick them up, watching the pilot hurry to take off and make his home base before the weather hit. “Here she comes,” Urs said nodding toward a fast moving dust spume. “I’d recognize Nona’s driving anywhere.” Sure enough the Jeep screeched to a stop and a rangy older woman got out, hugged Urs quickly, gave Andi a swift smile and welcome and hustled them toward the vehicle. Andi had an impression of nervous energy in the tall grey-haired woman. She looked strong, weathered, her clothes those of a woman who worked outdoors, jeans, denim shirt, high leather boots, a serviceable wool jacket, leather gloves that showed heavy use on her long fingered hands. “No time for manners. Let’s go. We have to get the flock to shelter or we’ll lose some of the lambs, maybe the ewes too. That’s snow or I’m a horses ass.” Urs lifted Andi into the passenger seat, did up her seat belt though she looked at him with amusement and coiled his long frame into the back with the luggage.

CHAPTER 10

It only took a quarter mile for Andi to be thankful of the seat belt. Nona drove like a maniac, leaving the road often to take short cuts, double clutching around corners, speeding through long grass and around trees, over a cattle guard and stopping abruptly 15 minutes later in front of a long, low house of stone and slate. “Are you any good in a kitchen?” she asked as she bundled Andi into a huge kitchen and began grabbing piles of small blankets, a box of something heavy that Urs took from her. “There are 15 of us now that Urs is here. It’s cold work and they’ll be hungry. Try to keep tea and coffee going, maybe some sandwiches if you can manage. We’ll meet properly later.” Nona paused as Urs came back in. “I’m going to the North pasture, start a sweep there. You can join up with the other team South. Keys are in the Jeep, horses out there. Glad you’re here, Child.” They heard the Jeep roar off and Urs began donning some of the foul weather gear hanging from pegs near the door. “Baby I’m sorry, I have to go. There should be someone in now and then with lambs and to get the thermoses filled. It might take six or more hours to get this done and we’ll all be starving. Poke around and see what you can put together, Nona always has lots of supplies.” He took extra gear and piled it near the door, coming swiftly across the room to Andi who still stood in bemused silence. “Are you OK? You haven’t said a word?” Andi laughed and hugged him, gave him a hard, fast kiss and pushed him to the door. “Do what you have to do. I’m tougher than you think. I’ll be fine. Just be careful, don’t let any important parts get frostbite!” She laughed as he raced to the Jeep parked at the corner of the house, started the engine and roared away, waving once before he vanished in the darkening light. She went back inside, noticed the first few flakes of snow that fell on the porch as she passed, and shut the door. It was more than two hours before she heard a vehicle outside and a tall heavyset man pushed past the door into the warm kitchen, his arms full with a large, lidless plastic box. He placed the box on the floor and toed his boots off, shrug-ged out of his slicker and brought the box across the room to place it near the Aga. “Kiaora,” Andi said welcoming him in Maori for now that some of his concealing clothing was off she could see that he was of the people. “G’Day Miss Andi. I am Yano. They sent me in with two lambs, the ewes are dead. Can you feed them and keep them warm? I know where Nona keeps the bottles.” He went to the adjoining store room and came back with several bottles, filled them with milk from the frig and set them in a pan of water. Andi continued with her self assigned chores while he worked, watching him and assuring him that she could and would gladly care for the orphans and asking if he brought the thermoses for tea or coffee. He brought them in and she wiped her floury hands on a damp cloth. “Sit for a moment while I fill these, get some warmth back in your bones. I looked out an hour ago. It’s amazing how much snow has fallen in just a few hours. Here, eat this while you get warm.” She handed him a thick sandwich of thinly sliced piles of roast beef with paper thin rings of raw onion, placed a mug of coffee on the oilcloth covered table beside him and a dish of something that was warm, steam rising from the surface in a steady cloud. The thermoses went to the sink for a quick rinse and she began filling them from a couple of commercial sized urns, added sugar and capped them again, red caps for tea, brown for coffee. She placed the thermoses in one of the many plastic tubs that seemed to have multiple purposes about the ranch, added stacks of bundles of foil wrapped sandwiches, and a plastic bag full of dry gloves. “Can you think of anything else that would make it easier? I’m kind of new at this.” Yano looked around the kitchen. It was tidier than usual, but showed evidence of work done or in progress. There was something in the ovens, of that he was sure for he could smell something baking, and on the counter on the far side of the room were a number of cloth covered containers, possibly bread set to rise. The Aga had several large pots simmering, steam rising from the slightly tilted lids, some kind of meat put on to cook slowly, scenting the air with whatever spices she was using to season it. He finished the sandwich and the coffee, which she refilled, adding a dollop of whipped cream to a warm dessert while she was at the table. Cobbler, a warm berry cobbler. He felt it warm his insides and silently blessed her, watching as she tested the bottles of milk, wrapped a lamb in a warm blanket that she took from one of the microwave ovens, and began to coax it to drink. She was a pretty little thing, he thought, not at all like the sort of woman he always imagined Urs spending time with, the big, blonde and dumb type who would be useless for anything except eye candy or possibly sex. This one seemed content to be dumped into such a hectic situation, pitching in with good humor and intelli-gence. She looked up and saw him staring and grinned. “Well, for a city girl, am I doing OK?” Yano laughed and took his dishes to the sink, stepped into his boots and began pulling on his cold weather gear. “You’ll do, Miss Andi. Thank you.” She grinned at him and switched to the other lamb. Another two hours and again one of the hands came for coffee, this time a younger Maori man but even larger than Yano. He was desperately shy and Andi found this endearing in such a large man. She followed the same routine, fed him, filled the thermoses, added two more large ones with homemade soup, thankfully this time receiving no new orphaned lambs. He managed a self conscious smile and Thank you, said they would likely be another hour or maybe two and went back out into the swirling gale. Andi fed the lambs again and tucked them into their warm bed. She sat at the table for a brief moment to gather her thoughts, sipping on a bracing cup of tea. They would be cold and tired when they came in, would pen and feed the flock, tend their horses and then come to the house. Thankfully the kitchen was designed for just such a purpose, to cook for and feed a large group of hardworking, hungry men. The adjacent store rooms were massive and well stocked, freezers of large cuts of meat, bins of veggies, shelves of baking supplies and tins, an enclosed room with jars of preserves, pickles, jams, etc. There were shelves of platters and bowls and serving utensil in handy metal pails, every size and kind of pot or pan or baking tin. The frigs, 2 of them, were restaurant size and the Aga was her favorite of the two stoves and blessedly there were 2 dishwashers. Andi sighed and rose, checked the lambs and collected a large stack of newspaper from the store room to spread near the door. Fifteen people coming in at once with wet boots, better the paper than trying to keep up with a mop. She set the table with condiments, butter dishes, salt and peppers, dishes of pickles; glasses with spoons, forks and knives, rolled napkins; set out trays with glasses for milk, mugs, cream, sugar and spoons for coffee or tea; plates and forks for desserts; and lastly, on the counter near the Aga, ladles and stacks of bowls. Except for the few things that had to stay in the frig, she was ready. She went to the window for perhaps the hundredth time and was rewarded with the dim sight of lights moving about near the barns, a couple actually moving in her direction. Minutes later Nona and Urs came in bringing a blast of cold air with them and shook the snow off their clothing as they stood on the news-paper. “Good thinking, girl, this will save on the mopping.” Andi put down the bread knife she had been wielding and came to help them with their heavy coats. They looked half frozen, Urs’s mustache full of ice that was slowly starting to melt, Nona’s grey hair that had escaped from her hat, shedding its ice coating as well. Urs stuck his icy hands under her shirt and she yelped but curled against him and accepted a quick, cold kiss. “MM smells great in here. You’ve been busy and thanks for the soup, warmed me right to my toes.” Andi scurried back to the warmth around the Aga, checked on the lambs again and went back to slicing bread, putting it in baskets and covering each loaf with a clean towel. Nona had disappeared, coming back in the kitchen a little neater just when the rest of the men arrived. She poured coffee into mugs and let the men help themselves, all the while looking about the kitchen with approval. “Well done, Andi. What can I do to help?” she said with a smile. Andi glanced at her, saw no sign of censure and smiled. “It doesn’t seem right to give you orders in your own kitchen, but if you could get the cream out of the frig and the jugs of milk, that would save some time.” “Child, this is your kitchen right now. It will be mine again when I don’t have to be outside up to my butt in snow.” They both laughed and each went about their tasks, Nona to the frig and Andi to place four baskets of warm bread on the table. She began dishing up the stew and placing the full, steaming bowls about the table, helped by Urs and Yano and soon all the men sat to eat, tentative at first then with gusto. “This is great, Miss Andi,” Yano called out when he finished his first bowl, helping himself to more of the fragrant bread and passing his bowl for seconds. “Where did you learn to make it?” Andi laughed as she passed him his bowl and took Urs’s to refill. “In the middle of a forest fire, a few years back I lived in West Texas and there was a forest fire. The law is that anyone can be conscripted to help and since I’m not exactly firefighter material I got to cook. There was this little old lady who kind of took charge and she had us make stew, gallons and gallons of stew. This one is called Fireside Beer Stew. You throw everything including some beer into it, and cook the hell out of it to make the meat tender.” She glanced at the table and saw that most of the bread was gone, went to the warming oven of the Aga and took out two more loaves. Urs watched her mov-ing about the warm kitchen, noted that she was limping slightly, often holding the back of the chairs as she circled the table providing more food. He knew she had been on her legs too long, also that she would say nothing. “Andi this bread is so light it could float,” Nona said spreading another slice with butter. “You aren’t leaving here until I learn your secret.” The noise was deafening as every man at the table cheered, quieting and then laughing when Nona glared at them. Urs caught Andi as she passed behind him and pulled her onto his lap. “And I was worried that you were sitting here all alone and bored to tears. You’ve been busy, Pixie, and baking? Are those pies I see on the counter?” “Apple, New Zealand apples make wonderful pies and some berry cobbler. I’ll just get the whip-ped cream from the frig.” Urs held her on his lap and at his request Yano brought another chair to squeeze in next to him. “It’s our turn, Andi. You sit and eat. I’ll just bet you haven’t eaten yet yourself.” She laughed as one of the men brought her a bowl of stew, Urs speared two slices of bread, one for himself and she finally relaxed and ate with them. The talk drifted to the flock, stories of how some of them had been nearly buried in the snow, how dumb the ewes were, almost impossible to herd without dogs, and they couldn’t let the dogs out in this deep snow. After the second hour, they had been penned in the barn. Andi sat listening to them talk, amused at the way they had of downplaying the feat they accomplished, no one bragging about what he had done, all happy to have been so successful. Urs finished his third dessert and slipped his arm around her shoulder, stroking her bare arm occas-ionally, joking and laughing with the men, most of whom he had known for a good portion of his life. She saw that they all respected and maybe even loved Nona, took care that she ate, didn’t work too hard. They all, to a man, took their dishes to the dishwasher, without being obvious cleared the table, put the food away, what little was left, refilled her coffee. At last they wound down. Nona asked several of the men to take turns checking on the flock and rose to retire for what was left of the night. “Urs, the thermostat should have kicked the heat on in your house so it should be bearable for the night. I believe Tedi took your luggage there. Sleep in in the morning. Maybe this snow won’t last long.” Nona came down the row of men and stopped at Andi. “Thank you for your help tonight, Child. I’m happy that Urs chose to bring you. You are welcome in my home.” She dropped a quick kiss on Andi’s head and in her abrupt manner strode off to her room. Andi remembered little of the rest of that long day, suddenly running out of energy and leaning on Urs’s shoulder while he talked with the remaining men. She struggled feebly when he wrapped her in a couple of soft blankets, stopping when he laughed and said they had no foul weather gear for Pixies and he carried her the short distance to the small house that was his quarters when he visited the ranch. It was warm inside and cozy but she saw little of it, just the steamy bathroom while they quickly showered, and the bedroom with the extra long bed. They snuggled into the downy blankets, secure and tender with each other, clasped together in an embrace that was almost more intimate than making love, an impossible act since neither had the energy to enjoy anything more energetic than the most tender of kisses.