Thanks for the great feedback. I'm so pleased that you could picture the house TessaTessa. I realise that a house like I have described would probably have cost around $2 million Australian but, hey, it's fiction. Who knows? Maybe Mike had a really guilty conscience... (grin)
Saturday 13 December 2014
It was late Saturday afternoon. Kate had had a lunch date and was driving home to Mandurah from Fremantle. She was playing Vika and Linda Bull's Princess Tabu album on the car stereo – slightly dated, but a favourite of Kate's – as she thought about the date.
"Well, that was a waste of time. A nice-looking guy asks me out to lunch and spends the whole time talking about why he should get more contract jobs on the base. I'm not even in that area. I have no idea why he wanted to meet with me to talk about base contracts. It's not like I could do anything. He'd have been better off speaking to Nikki. At least she's in logistics and supply. And he kept talking with his mouth open when he was eating. Gross."
She paused in her thinking to sing along with 'Hard Love' as it came over the car stereo.
"At least the trip here wasn't a total waste of time. I was able to do my shopping without being too crowded by Christmas shoppers. I've got the presents for Pete and Dylan and the voucher for Nikki. I got some new summer clothes for myself, including that gorgeous new swimsuit. I also managed to get some books from Elizabeth's Bookstore. Just what I want for the work shutdown period when I'm on leave. I'm really looking forward to relaxing by the pool with a few good books, the odd glass of wine, and just doing nothing. It's been one hell of a year and I think that I've earned the break. I've only got to be Officer of the Day once and that'll be it for work for the Christmas-New Year break thanks to having my paperwork up to date. I'm glad my duty day's on Monday 29 December, and not Christmas Day. It means that we can have Christmas Day together. After what happened the last time I did duty over the holidays, these holidays couldn't be any worse."
Kate frowned slightly. She was mostly over the loss of her baby girl almost a year ago, but the loss still hurt occasionally. At least she was finding that she was turning less and less to alcohol when the memories swept over her. Her friendship with Nikki, Dylan and Pete had definitely helped there. The men had helped her particularly as they were more on the spot than Nikki. They were in a better position to see her mood worsening as the melancholy feelings came over her.
Also, Sally's support had been invaluable. Sally's loss of her husband meant that she understood something of what Kate had gone through, and she and Kate had become good friends over the last months, almost as good friends as Kate and Nikki. Sally and Kate didn't catch up in person often, as Sally lived in the northern beach suburbs of Perth rather than Mandurah, which was to the south, but they spoke regularly on the phone. Kate appreciated the female support. She'd been so long in the Navy that she wasn't close to many women. Having two friends living in the same area had been wonderful for her. Kate also had to acknowledge that Andy and Lani had helped. Like Sally, she didn't see them much in person, but that was more because of Andy being away for work in the north, as well as them also living in the north of Perth like Sally.
Kate was definitely over the end of her marriage – had barely given Mike a thought since the night she had told Pete and Dylan about how her marriage ended. That part of her life was closed now. She occasionally mourned how much time she had wasted on her on-again/off-again relationship with Mike, almost a dozen years, but that was the extent of her thoughts about him. Soon she would be able to file the necessary papers for their divorce and then that would be the end of that chapter of her life. Nevertheless, Kate was glad that she would be spending Christmas Day with her friends and not alone.
"I'm really looking forward to spending Christmas Day at Nikki's with the guys. Thank goodness she gave me the easy dish to bring. I've ordered the pavlova and I can pick it up on Christmas Eve. I've just got to find room in the fridge for it for that night, and for the prawns and bugs the guys are buying."
More music interrupted Kate's thoughts and she sang along to 'Princess Tabu' for a while before returning to her thoughts.
"The guys. I'm so glad that I asked them to move in. It's been great having them in the house, well mostly Dylan of course these past months while Pete's been at sea, and not just rattling around by myself and regretting buying the place. I hoped that I wouldn't regret the decision to invite them, and I certainly haven't. In fact, I think it was a great idea to have them share the house. They were both pretty easy-going guys on Hammersley, and they haven't changed, except to mature a bit. I mean, let's face it – we're all older now, we've matured. Pete's dressing better than he used to – no more t-shirts saying 100% beef or other double entendre; and he only seems to wear singlets when he's pottering about at home – and he used to practically live in them on Hammersley when we went ashore. Dylan isn't nearly as much of a womaniser as he used to be. I haven't seen any convertible girls like he used to have. Actually, neither of them seem to be bringing women home much, although it's not like I'm doing anything in that line either. Both of them have been away for the occasional all-nighter but that seems to be it. Mind you, given Dylan's history with unsuitable women, perhaps it's not such a bad thing. Anyway, it's been good to go out with them, and Nikki, for movies and stuff. And getting together with Sally and Andy and the others sometimes also."
Kate paused in her thinking while she overtook a slow-moving car before continuing her train of thought. "I mean, there was a bit of settling in of course, and I really did have to put my foot down about them walking around the house in their jocks. Not that I actually objected to the view. I mean – they're both incredibly fit and look pretty good with their shirts off, but really it has to be swimmers or shorts at a minimum."
Kate paused briefly and recalled various images of both men relaxing around home and in the pool. "Ah – who am I kidding? They both look bloody hot in their jocks, and I wouldn't mind jumping either one of them if I had the chance. But that's not appropriate, they're my housemates, so I just have to file those images of them away in the back of my mind, and only bring the images out in the privacy of my bedroom, very late at night. I really shouldn't be lusting after them. It's got to be due to the lack of actual sex in the last year. And also, let's face it – both of them are hotter than Mike ever was."
Kate smirked slightly as she mentally compared her hopefully soon to be ex-husband's physique with those of Dylan and Pete. Mike definitely came last in that comparison. He was ten years older than Kate, who was thirty-nine now, which made him eight years older than Pete, and fourteen years older than Dylan. Forty-eight when he and Kate had split, and having had a shore job for two years before then, middle-age spread had definitely taken its toll on Mike as he had exercised less than previously and ate more. Dylan and Pete on the other hand were both in excellent shape, regularly attending the gym and working out, as did Kate. The three ate well but not excessively and it was reflected in the trim and fit bodies of all of them.
Kate's thoughts paused briefly while she changed out Vika and Linda for Pink's Greatest Hits … So Far! album.
"Lusting after my housemates. Now there's a thought. That's the sort of thing that I should have done when I was in my twenties, if I'd been sharing a house back then. Well, that never happened. I joined the navy and was sleeping in female dormitories, or my own cabin, and studying as hard as I could in order to progress in the Navy. No wonder my nickname was Princess Perfect." Kate wryly smiled "These feelings are just due to the proximity to two good looking guys, who have protected me, and even saved my life in the past. Although on the other hand, there was that black eye that Dutchy gave me." Kate laughed to herself at the memory of his overprotectiveness when he'd first been posted to Hammersley as the buffer. She'd been so mad at him that day. "I just have to make sure that I never let on to either of them that I've had sexual thoughts about them. Although I really don't know if it's just lust or something else …"
Kate's thoughts were interrupted here as she turned into her street in Mandurah and saw her house.
"What the bloody hell have those two done?! I leave the house for the day and just look at it. The house looks like… it looks like they've taken every Christmas light and decoration that the shops have and put them up on the fence and yard and roof. You can barely see that there's even a fence there."
Kate used her remote to open the gate and then the garage. She parked the car in her spot in the garage before gathering her various shopping bags and going into the house through the connecting door to the kitchen. Dropping her bags on the breakfast bar, Kate followed the sound of voices and went outside. She folded her arms and glared at the two men who were relaxing in the pool on lilos, each with a beer in his hand.
"Anything you two would like to tell me about? And what the hell have you two done out here?" she snapped at them as she looked around. The back yard, like the front of the house, was covered in Christmas lights and decorations of all types. Kate's eyes briefly widened at the giant inflatable Santa that was beside the pool, although she noted that it was facing away from the house, out towards the canal, which was somewhat puzzling. Kate turned her gaze back to Dylan and Pete.
The two men glanced at each other before Pete began, "Well Kate, it's like this. I saw a flyer at the shops about the Mandurah Christmas Lights Canal tours. People living along the canals decorate their houses for Christmas and different companies do boat tours to view the lights. There's a floating wishing well that people throw money into to raise funds for the Mandurah Districts Rotary Club, which then donates the money to different local community groups."
Dutchy chimed in at this point. "Pete told me about it, and we thought it would be a great idea to be part of. We're all going to be here for Christmas which, frankly, is a miracle in itself, and we thought it'd be fun to get involved. And well, we started decorating and – surprise!"
Kate looked at both men and asked "So, you both thought that it was a good idea to make our house into a cruise destination?"
"It's for charity" said the two together. Kate rolled her eyes at their response, before Dutchy continued, "We thought you'd be OK with it and we figured that if we did all the decorating ourselves, it wouldn't put you out." He smiled at Kate. She'd never been totally immune to his puppy dog smiles, and this was no exception. When Pete also smiled at her, Kate gave up the fight, but she wasn't prepared to let them know that yet. The fact that the two were dressed only in their swimmers may have had something to do with her decision, in view of her recent thoughts.
"And just how long are these decorations up for?" she asked in a slightly less abrasive tone.
Pete answered "Well, the boat tours continue into early January, about the 8th or the 10th, but we figured that Twelfth Night was probably as long as you'd stand for them, so 6 January."
"Dutchy will be gone on holidays by then. Are you going to take them down all by yourself, or were you thinking that I'd be helping you?"
"Ah, hadn't quite thought that far. Well, if you really wanted to, I'm sure that your help would be greatly appreciated" responded Pete. "Otherwise, I'm sure that I could manage."
"Well, that explains the decorations out here, but why is the front also decorated?"
Dutchy responded, "Well, we figured that you've got to have street appeal also. There're people who drive around neighbourhoods looking at the Christmas decorations. We've missed the official Mandurah Christmas lights trail evening, that was a weekend or so back, but there's still people who drive around the neighbourhood to admire the lights."
Kate rolled her eyes at the pair again before going back inside the house to deal with her parcels.
That evening
Kate was in the living room after dinner, getting ready to watch a movie. Looking around she thought to herself "The guys really got a lot done when I was away today." Not only had Pete and Dylan decorated the front and back yards, fence and roof – back and front also, they had found time to put up a Christmas tree in the living area. Kate paused in her preparations and admired the tree. It was actually rather attractive, she conceded. A green faux pine with snow tips standing about two metres tall, the men had decorated it solely in red and gold with an assortment of baubles and tinsel. Even the lights draped over the tree were also red and gold.
Kate spent a little longer admiring the tree, before turning back to continue getting ready to watch 'Passport to Pimlico'. She'd been trying to convert the guys to her passion for classic movies, specifically the ones from Ealing Studios, and this was the latest in a series of movies that they'd been watching when all three were home together. She was about to call the guys to join her when the sound of Elvis Presley singing 'Blue Christmas' burst out from the back yard.
"What the hell is that?!" she exclaimed.
Dylan walked into the room just then. "That's the music for the sightseers."
"Since when do we have a sound system in the back yard?" asked Kate.
"Well, Andy came over this morning and set up some speakers and wiring, so that we could play Christmas carols when the cruise boats are out. To give it a bit more atmosphere."
"And just how long are you planning to play the music for?" Kate could feel her blood pressure starting to rise.
Pete walked in at that point and answered her question. "Well, we've got about 80 songs on shuffle in the playlist. It should run about three and a half hours if we do the whole thing from start to finish. There's some really great songs on it. We've got John Lennon doing 'Happy Christmas (War is Over)', 'Last Christmas' by Wham! and Johnny Cash singing 'Little Drummer Boy' for instance."
"No! NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT! I am NOT listening to 'Little Drummer Boy', and I don't care who's singing it!"
Dylan was quick to respond "OK – sure Kate. No 'Little Drummer Boy'. I, we, didn't realise that you felt so … uh … strongly about it. I'll delete it from the song library now if you like?"
"Just go" groaned Kate. Both men left the room, while Kate leaned back into her armchair and started banging her head against the headrest. "Three and a half weeks of nightly Christmas carols. He said three and a half hours. Argh!"
Kate sat by herself for a while not really thinking of anything in particular. Gradually she found herself listening to the Christmas carols coming from the back yard and humming along with them. She wondered about some of the songs. For instance, who would have thought that either of the men knew about 'We need a little Christmas' from the movie and musical 'Mame', and Chris de Burgh's 'A spaceman came travelling'? Kate even found herself quietly singing along with some of the playlist.
Truth be told, she was feeling like she had been a bit of a grinch. The guys were so excited by the decorations, and the cruise boats and everything, and she felt that she was putting a dampener on their excitement by not joining in their excitement. Kate wasn't used to such enthusiasm for Christmas. Christmas had never been much of a celebration for her. When she was single, she usually volunteered for duty on that day, so that the people with families could have the day at home with family. In a cruel contrast, last Christmas with Mike had been wonderful. She was halfway through her pregnancy and so looking forward to the baby. Once the baby came along, Kate had figured that she'd get a bit more into the whole Christmas spirit. And then the memory of that Christmas was ruined by what happened only days later.
Kate sighed to herself. She got up from her armchair, went into the kitchen and set to work. A little later she walked out to the back yard, carrying a tray with a jug and some glasses on it. She set the tray down on the table that was on the terrace where the guys were sitting, having a beer and waving at the passengers on the tour boats that were sailing past.
"Guys. I'm really sorry for being such a grinch today. I'm fine with the decorations and the music – just not 'Little Drummer Boy'. I really dislike that song – it was Mike's favourite and he played it constantly at Christmas. It really got on my nerves. Anyway, I thought you might like some homemade eggnog. There's rum in it."
Both men murmured their thanks to Kate and took a glass of the eggnog as she poured it out. Kate sat down at the table with them and sipped her drink. The guys would never ask, but she felt that she needed to explain a bit more.
"It's just that I've never been a really Christmassy person. And twelve months ago, I thought I had everything ahead of me to look forward to. This year, this Christmas, I'd have a baby and a husband and my job – maybe even be thinking about going back to sea at some point in a year or so. And here I am – no baby, no marriage, and no sea posting. I don't know that I'll ever get back to sea properly." Kate's voice trailed off, and she tried unsuccessfully to suppress the tears that pooled in her eyes.
Pete was the first to react. He got up, pulled Kate to her feet, and enveloped her in a bear hug. Kate had been there for him in the past after some of his worst days on Hammersley. He hated to see the strong woman that he knew she was being in such pain. Kate felt Dylan's arms wrap around her waist as he leaned into her back, effectively sandwiching her in the middle of the two men's embraces.
Kate felt comforted by their proximity. She was gradually able to stop crying. Eventually she loosened her hold on Pete and took a few deep breaths. Kate stepped out of the men's embrace and smiled tremulously at them. "Well, I think that's enough emotion for tonight. How do you feel about watching the movie? Or would you rather stay out here and be a tourist attraction?"
