Down Under Odyssey

By Starhawk

It was a brilliant day in Canberra, in the Australian Capital Territory, where I stood in a church waiting for my bride to walk down the aisle so we could be married. I was as nervous, as any groom could be. I had been waiting for this day to arrive for months. The day when the rest of my life would begin with a woman I truly loved beyond all measure. Even beyond my own life. When they started to play the wedding march, I turned to look down the aisle and saw her. Cat began her walk and looked to the entire world like an angel. Though the bridal veil obscured her face from me, I remembered each and every feature.

I couldn't take my eyes off of her. She gave me the strength to keep standing since the herd of butterflies in my stomach threatened to stampede at any second. As she came closer, I could see her eyes were locked with mine. We were less than an hour away from becoming one in life and love.

I never thought this day would come to me. After so many disappointing relationships in my life, I had resigned myself to being single for whatever was left of it. Then I met Cat, and everything changed for me.

Cat took her place next to me. On impulse, or was it out of a sense of need, I took her hand and gave it a light squeeze to let her know I was glad we were getting married. Cat's smile blazed through her veil with a warmth I knew she meant for me alone which eased my nerves.

The pastor began the ceremony and the two of us turned to face one another.

The sound of her bridal gown rustling against the carpet summoned the memories of the time I met Cat.

It was in early September a year ago that I volunteered to take a trip to Australia to migrate one of our customers to the latest and greatest email system. I was hoping this trip would help me get over my last relationship with a woman named Liz. I needed to clear my head about her and I figured going to Australia would be a great place to recover. Why Australia you ask? The answer was simple. Australia was about as far away from Texas as one could get without leaving the planet, and that was exactly what I needed.

Liz had so many of the qualities that I was looking for in a wife. She was intelligent, had a great sense of humor, brilliant smile, and a caring heart. She was physically beautiful as well. Oh not like a Nicole Kidman or anything though she did have red hair like Nicole. Liz was a bit heavier than Nicole was, and her figure was more like the 50's actress Jane Russell. Yes Liz was beautiful to me . . . inside and out.

Then the bottom fell out and Liz vanished. There was no note, email, or voice mail to say she was leaving. There didn't appear to be any good reason for her disappearance. One day we were happy as two peas in a pod, then she was gone and my heart was just so much scorched earth. Needless to say, that day was one of the worst in my life.

As the big Qantas 747-400 took off from LAX, I did my best to leave all memories of Liz behind and look forward to the coming adventure of Australia. The great Down Under was a land of mystery and excitement. It was a land of warm people and great tasting wine. During my education as a geologist I learned of the fantastic mineral wealth there and knew that, one day, I would have to take a trip to see it for myself.

During the flight over I had the good fortune to sit next to a native Aussie woman and struck up a conversation with her to find out more about her homeland. Her name was Kathy Seale and she was from Brisbane. She had a brilliant smile and infectious personality. She fit the profile of the typical Aussie based on what I had heard through movies and such. Listening to her voice I thought about some of my favorite Aussie actresses like Virginia Hey and Claudia Black from Farscape. The sound of their voices were so soft and sexy, just like Kathy's. As we talked we couldn't help but smile at our very different accents. My Texan and her Aussie. We had a great time and became fast friends.

"So what brings you to the Land of Oz, Jim?"

"I'm heading down to Canberra to help one of our customers migrate their current email system to Microsoft Exchange."

"Who's your customer?"

"Australian Customs Services."

"That's aces. I have some friends who work in Customs and they constantly tell me how frustrated they are with their email. I hope your project will help them."

"I think so. Exchange is a pretty stable platform. It isn't perfect, but it works well if no one mucks with it too often." I paused a moment to shift my legs around to get comfortable then asked, "So where are you from?"

"Perth originally, but now I live in Brisbane."

"Really? Why did you move cross country?"

"Work mostly, but I also wanted a change of scenery."

"I can relate. I was born in Connecticut and now live in Texas. Not as far a move as you've gone through, but a good ways nonetheless. For me it was more an issue of moving away from all that snow. More to the point the removal thereof."

"How long have you lived in Texas?"

"Closing in on twenty one years now."

"So you're a naturalized Texan?"

"You bet."

"I passed through Houston a few days ago, but never got to Dallas. I really enjoyed your Tex-Mex food. Lots of spice."

"You like spicy food?"

"Among other things."

Kathy's mouth broke out in an impish smile which led me to wonder what she meant by that comment. I let it slide for the moment, but logged it for future reference. "Did you try any of our barbecue?"

"Shua."

"What did you think of it?"

"Good tucka."

"Excuse me . . . tucka?"

"In 'strine, our Aussie slang, tucka means food."

"Thanks for the clarification."

"No worries," Kathy replied letting her hand come to rest on mine.

That first touch was amazing. It didn't last very long, but it was friendly. Was this woman sending me an invitation or just being typically Aussie? I did my best not to let my feelings runaway with me, and moved on.

As we continued our conversation I told her that I was looking forward to touring around Oz and hoped to see Ayers Rock. She told me that the Aborigines call it Uluru, and that it's a sacred place. There are all sorts of caves at its base where the Aboriginals lived. Cave paintings too.

She asked me how I had gone from being a geologist to an email engineer. I told her that it is was out of necessity. When the oil and gas market went bust in the mid 80's I had to get a new job. So to help put bread on the table, I took a job selling computers. It wasn't long before I was supporting them. From there, I went to our engineering group where I specialized in email systems.

After dinner and drinks we went to sleep. Kathy told me it was a good idea to get as much sleep as possible to help adjust to Aussie time. I took her up on her advice and headed off to dreamland.

When I awoke, I found Kathy's head resting on my shoulder. Not wanting to disturb her, I let her sleep. At least she didn't snore. I couldn't help thinking how quickly I had become comfortable with Kathy. Was it her Aussie accent? Was it her warm personality? Could it be that my need for female companionship was stronger than the hurt within my heart? Or God forbid that I was suffering from rebound. I did my best to calm the fears that rose within me and tried to enjoy the moment. I adjusted Kathy's blanket and watched as she shifted in her seat snuggling closer to me.

Some time later Kathy woke up. I felt her body stir and saw her face lift towards my own.

"Sorry."

"Don't worry about it Kathy."

Kathy sat up and finger combed her hair into some semblance of order. "I just don't want you to think I'm being too forward."

"That didn't even enter my mind."

"Thanks. If you'll excuse me I need a trip to the crapper."

I stood to let her out and off she went. Realizing my own need, I followed.

After making ourselves, presentable to the day we enjoyed some conversation. Being curious about the strine she'd mentioned earlier I asked her some questions to see what I could learn.

"So are there any words I should be careful of when talking to other Aussies."

"You mean of the fairer sex don't you?"

"Frankly, yes."

"There are a couple of words you should be aware of I suppose. The word 'randy,' for instance, means horny."

She touched me again. This time on my forearm. Be still my heart.

"I'll definitely make a note of that one. I wouldn't want to offend anyone by a slip of the tongue."

"Another word which I find has a different usage for you Yanks is the word 'fag.' In strine it refers to a cigarette, and if someone says to you that your 'kangaroos loose in the top paddock' . . . their telling you you're crazy." Kathy looked off to the front of the airplane for a second or two in thought before continuing, "Then there's 'spunk' or 'spunky' which means sexy looking. In the States I noticed this means spirited."

"That's right." I learned about a few other words and phrases so I wouldn't make a fool out of myself when I arrived. I thanked Kathy for her help and moved on to ask her thoughts on America.

"So what did you think about us Yanks? What about the country itself?"

"Wow where do I begin? First, I'd have to say that I really enjoyed my time in the States. I've been touring your country for almost two months so I got to see quite a bit of it. I especially liked the southwestern portion around Arizona and New Mexico. The Indian Reservations were sad though. Such a proud people like the Navajo or Hopi living at poverty level."

"I know. I have seen it too during my studies at Arizona State University, but you know something? I learned that they are also a strong people and their culture and love for the land is undeniable. With all that we have done to them they still, for the most part, have a strength we white men will never understand. It's almost as if they draw strength from the very land they live on."

"Much like our Aboriginals I suppose." She remained quiet for a moment to collect her thoughts then said, "I like the people and found them much like my own countrymen. Sure I didn't enjoy some of the cities in the northeast, although New York City surprised me with its friendliness. I also liked Florida and especially the Keys. What a great place to have a party! Such great beaches, clear water, and warm sun."

"Never been there myself, to the Keys I mean. I did go to Jacksonville, Florida some years back and enjoyed myself, but never made it that far south."

"You really should make an effort to get down there. You won't be sorry."

"I'll do that. So what else did you enjoy about America?"

"The food was great. I love the Tex-Max as I already told you, and the Italian was great too. One of the things I loved was the variety of foods you have. Everything from Chinese to Greek and back again. It is truly a smorgasbord of flavors. I will say that I was disappointed in the chocolate. You see I'm a chocoholic in the worst way. I can't get enough of the stuff. In Australia we have Cadbury everywhere and my favorite chocolate bar is Flake."

"I love chocolate myself."

"Then you must try the Flake. Take two of them, crush them, and then sprinkle them over a bowl of vanilla ice cream. Yummy! Additionally, get yourself a big Cadbury Dairy Milk bar. Your mouth will think it died and went to choco-heaven."

"Thanks I will make a note to try that the first chance I get."

We landed at Sydney's Kingsford Smith Airport and deplaned just after 7am local time. Kathy and I went through Customs together. I walked Kathy to her gate where we said our good-byes.

"Jim, I had a great time talking with you and I hope we meet again. For a Yank, you're alright. Who knows maybe I will get down to Canberra or you can fly up to Brisbane. If you can get away let me know and I'll show you round the place."

"I'll do that Kathy. If you do get to Canberra, I'm staying at the James Court. Do you know where that is?"

"Yes. Actually, I do. You'll like it there. It's close to everything, but beware the shops close up early. When all the city workers leave for their homes in the burbs, as you Yanks say, the place becomes a ghost town, except for Friday night partying."

I asked her if I could give her a hug and she readily agreed. Kathy felt wonderful after such a long flight. Like a ray of sunshine peeking through the clouds on a cold winter's day.

As I walked away I hoped that we would meet again one day, but knew that was unlikely since we were heading off to different parts of the country. To put it into terms any Americans can understand it was like she was going to Boston and I was going to be in Dallas. In short, we weren't going to be next door neighbors or anything. Still we were in the same country and so there was a chance.

Part 2

The flight to Canberra was less than an hour and uneventful. After deplaning for the final time I walked out to the main terminal and found a woman holding a piece of cardboard with my name on it. I introduced myself to her and then went over to the carousel to retrieve my luggage.

I picked up my bags and followed her a short trek through the parking lot to her car, a silver 2001 Holden Vectra I noted with a strange looking bumper on it. I took the passenger seat as she put the car in gear and headed into Canberra.

Being curious I asked her about the bumper and she just smiled at first. Then she explained that it was a roo guard. To help prevent damage to her car in case she encountered a kangaroo on her travels. She said it was quite common nowadays since the roo herds were getting so large. The Aussie government even allowed cullers to go out and shrink the herds. Kangaroo was one of her favorite foods she elaborated. My immediate reaction was curiosity and I made a mental note to try kangaroo while I was here.

Karen took me on a brief tour of the city and showed me Allara House, where I would be working. Then she took me to my hotel, the James Court where I checked in and got settled.

All in all a full day considering my trip from the U.S. I retired early and fell right to sleep although my body clock was not fully adapted to Aussie time.

My second day in Canberra was far more business than pleasure as I reported for duty. I was going to be working for Australian Customs Services (ACS) out of Allara House. I left the James Court early to allow myself plenty of time to walk there, something I enjoyed doing.

It was a cool late winter morning in Australia. It was made tolerable by the bright sunshine that accompanied me this day. There were few people out and about, which made the trek through downtown Canberra City much more enjoyable in my opinion. Quiet walks were a necessity to relieve any stress in addition to getting some exercise. It was a time to think and simply spend time alone.

After a half hour of walking I found Allara House and took the elevator to the second floor where I reported to my company's representative at ACS, Tom Evans. Tom was a native Aussie who was a bit on the heavy side, I estimated him to be around 270 pounds, although he stood a full 6'3" (a shade under 2 meters) in height. He had a mustache and a great "can do" attitude from what I had heard through my boss, Jack Williams, back in the States.

Tom and I spent most of the morning discussing what was expected of me during my stay in Canberra. Then he took me around to meet some of the people I would be working with to get my project completed.

The first person I met was Ian Stowe who was the senior mail administrator for ACS. Ian struck me as intelligent and competent, though a bit on the quiet side. Maybe he just needed time to get to know me. For that matter, I needed to get to know him too. After all, I was entering his territory. I was the visiting team so to speak so it was up to me to make the first inroads so we could work together. Ian was around my height of 6'1" though he clearly weighed less as evidenced by his thinner physical frame. Ian's primary responsibility was for the email system, though he focused his maintenance efforts on the eastern half of the network.

Next I met Mark Foster, Ian's second in command who primarily took care of the mail network in Western Australia. Mark was an older gentleman, perhaps in his early 50's and somewhat out of shape. Still I found him pleasant and competent as well.

Finally, Tom introduced me to Scott Markham who was in charge of the overall network infrastructure for ACS. Scott was the youngest person I met that morning. He was married as evidenced by the picture of his wedding sitting on his desk next to his computer. I also noted a picture of a young boy on the wall of his cubicle, his son I assumed. I thought him to be his mid to late 30's and quite fit as indicated by his athletic build.

Tom and I broke for lunch and headed to the Canberra Centre food court where we had a pleasant discussion about anything and everything but work. Being "on duty", I did not partake of any beer or wine. Happy Hour was hours away, and I could wait. However, I did ask Tom where one could satisfy a parched throat after work. He suggested a local pub called PJ O'Reilly's which had a good atmosphere and was a great place to meet the locals. I told him it sounded perfect. In fact, one of my goals in coming to Australia was to get into the local culture since I had no idea if I would ever be back this way and I wanted to enjoy my time to its fullest.

I spent the rest of the day getting acquainted with my workstation and acquiring whatever network access I would need to accomplish the task, which lay before me.

After work I headed over to PJ O'Reilly's and walked up to the bar where I asked for a VB. It was the only beer I knew although I did see a variety lined along a shelf about halfway up the wall. Now, I should say that I am not a boozer by any means. In fact, I make it a point to maintain control of my faculties so that I could avoid getting into trouble. I simply enjoyed taking time out to relax and have a beer or two.

I took up a position at the end of the bar that would offer me a good place to observe the patrons as they entered the pub.

The place filled rapidly as businesses shut down for the weekend. One thing I was about to learn - Australians love to party, and they work to live. Something we Americans have yet to learn, as we tend to live to work. Think about it.

Another thing I was to learn this evening was that Australian women were among the most beautiful in the world. Additionally, there were more redheads in the Down Under than I had ever seen in my life. Some of them were obvious fakes due to the odd shades of red that walked through the door. However, the number of natural redheads outweighed them.

How do I know so much about redheads you ask? Well all I'll tell you is they have been a favorite study of mine for decades. I have seen tall and short ones, fat and skinny ones, young and old ones, male and female (though I focused on the female variety if you get my meaning). To put it plainly I found redheads irresistible. Especially if they had green eyes, the deeper the shade of green the better.

As I ordered my second VB, I caught a flash of red out of the corner of my eye as two women sat down next to me. One of them turned out to be a drop dead gorgeous redhead. No surprise based on what I had seen in the past half hour. The other was an equally beautiful brunette. Within seconds I felt my pulse quicken in response to their closeness.

My beer arrived and I focused on the golden elixir within the glass. As the two women began to talk I could not help but intrude on their conversation. The warmth of their Aussie dialect drew me like a moth to flame. As I listened I learned the redhead was named Caitlin and the brunette was Deb.

As I sat there, I took whatever opportunity I could to take in their presence. Caitlin was dressed simply in jeans and a dark gray sweater, which belied the voluptuous form beneath. I could not accurately gauge her height and weight since she was sitting down, but guessed her to be around 5' 8" and 145 lbs. A bit on the heavy side, but attractive nonetheless. I saw her smile at something Deb said and the brilliance of her smile was breathtaking. Her pearly whites were straight out of a Hollywood dentist's office. Her lips were full and enticing. Caitlin's voice was lower than Deb's, and had a breathy quality I found exotic and sexy. Her hair fell in softly curled tresses past her shoulders. Her skin was milky white in color and accented by a generous number of freckles.

Deb, whose back was to me, had a more athletic body and well-proportioned. She had a narrow waist and long legs. Her hair was pulled straight back and tied in a pony tail high on the neck. The way it shone in the ceiling lights told me she took care of it as it looked like silk. Deb's voice was melodic and warm and her laughter was friendly.

From what I could see, they were drinking wine, Caitlin a red and Deb a white.

As my beer disappeared I decided to have one more for the road and called the bartender over to take my order. As I spoke, I caught Caitlin smile and nudge Deb before whispering something into her ear. Deb took a quick look at me before turning back to Caitlin and answering her in tones too quiet for me to hear.

Did you ever have one of those moments when you sensed your life turning a corner in a direction you never thought it would? Well that is what happened to me. I could actually feel my life changing direction. The only problem . . . where was I going?

As my third beer arrived Deb and Caitlin turned in my direction and said, "Hello, Yank."

"Howdy," I replied as calmly as possible.

"So, do you have a name?" Deb asked.

"Yes."

"Are you going to make us guess?" Caitlin asked.

"Might be interesting to see what you think my name is, but no, the name is Jim. Jim Connors."

"Pleased to meet you Jim. I'm Deb Mortonsen, and this is my friend Caitlin Carstairs."

"Howdy."

"So what part of the states are you from?"

"Dallas, Texas."

"Wow Caitlin, a real live Texan."

"And you . . . do you come from the land Down Under?"

"Yeah," Cat replied.

"Where women glow and men plunder?"

"Oh puhleeze," Deb exclaimed.

"Sorry. I couldn't resist."

That is how I met Deb and Caitlin. For the next hour or so, we made small talk, which I thoroughly enjoyed. It wasn't the content so much as simply listening to their voices with that sexy Aussie dialect. They could have been talking about Psychology 101 for all I cared. I especially loved Caitlin's lower sexier tones. Her voice mesmerized me.

At seven, we decided to grab dinner and continue our conversation at a nearby restaurant. I jumped at the chance to spend more time with these ladies and had them take the lead. I paid my bill and followed them out towards Garema Place where we entered the Red Back Café.

The Red Back was an intimate place and would be great for continuing our talk. Deb and Caitlin ordered more wine. At their suggestion, I asked for a Cascade from the waitress who gave me a warm smile when I spoke to her with my Texas accent. After she left, I turned my attention back to Deb and Caitlin.

"You better get used to that Jim. That accent of yours is going to get you a lot of looks. No worries though we Aussies don't bite . . . much." Caitlin said.

"I kinda figured that would be the case. Still it hasn't been too bad so far so I think I'll be able to handle it."

We continued to get to know each other. I enjoyed hearing about their travels and found that both of them had been to tons of places. They told me it was part of being an Aussie to travel. They loved to explore. Their ancestors had come to this island as rogues and prisoners. They were the unwanted of a now non-existent empire. Deb told me Aussies were fiercely independent. It was obvious that they loved their country. Just as much as, I loved mine.

As I thought about what I had just heard I realized how similar Americans and Australians were. We were both formed from the castoffs of society. The United States from religious exiles, and Australians from prisoners. Both of our societies rose from the ground up. Lastly, we also loved our lands deeply.

Yes we had a great deal in common.

As it neared 9pm I decided it was best to call it a night so I could get some sleep and get one step closer to getting my body on Australian time. After paying our bill we walked out on to Garema Place and breathed in the cool night air. The late night crowds were out and about and I knew it was time for me turn in.

Deb and Caitlin said they had a good time, and they enjoyed meeting me. I replied in kind and told them I hoped I would meet them again soon.

As I walked back to the hotel, I found myself thinking about Caitlin and those piercing emerald green eyes of hers. Don't misunderstand me, I liked Deb too. It is simply that Caitlin's looks and that voice of hers was drawing me to her like a moth to a flame. Maybe it was her red hair or those emerald eyes, the smooth sexy voice, or that gorgeous body. Whatever it was about her that attracted me, I was going willingly.

Arriving back at the hotel I took the elevator to my floor, after taking a much needed trip to the bathroom I got undressed, and went to bed. My dreams were filled with images of Caitlin and Deb.

They were, as you might imagine, very pleasant.

Part 3

I did not see Deb or Caitlin for several days after that first meeting. I sincerely hoped I would see them again soon.

Until then, I filled my time by getting out and seeing the city. I took walks around Lake Burley Griffin and had a nice time just sitting by the lake and watching all the activity that took place on and around it.

I also explored the myriad of shops along Garema Place. Bookstores, jewelers, music shops, and even a Subway. Just like home. I wandered through Canberra Centre and came across a shop called the Mineshaft, which was a geologist's dream. It was a small shop as shops go being little more than 4 meters wide and 10 meters long. It was filled with all sorts of stones, carved, polished, and rough cut. There was jade, fire opal, malachite, azurite, and amber. There was even something called "tiger iron" which was a mix of tiger eye and banded hematite iron ore. Top notch stuff too. It soon became my favorite stone and I bought several pieces that first trip. I knew I would be back as there were several other stones I wanted to bring back home with me.

In my wanderings near the center I found the local supermarket and bought some food stuffs for the weekend. It was great fun too since I purchased foods I had never heard of in the States. There were sultanas and capsicums (Yank translation - raisins and bell peppers), and many other things. I stocked up on sandwich meats, milk, and even bought some Vegemite. I had first heard about Vegemite in the song by Men At Work several years ago and became curious about it. Now I would have my chance to try it and see for myself. I also found some Flake and ice cream based on Kathy's recommendation.

On my way back I made one more stop at a nearby liquor store near the hotel and picked up two bottle of local wines, one red and one white, based on recommendations from the owner. One of them turned out to be a DeBortoli Cabernet Sauvignon 1995 vintage that would come to be my favorite.

Prior to coming to Australia, I had learned that Australia and New Zealand were known for some fantastic wine making. Regions like Hunters Valley, Yarra Glen, and Barossa Valley to name but a few. The southeastern portion of Australia covering New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia seemed to have the majority of fine vineyards, though other portions of Australia were well represented too. Even Alice Springs out in the middle of the famous Outback had a winery of some note.

My shopping complete I returned to my room and put my purchases away.

The rest of the day I spent relaxing with one of my books and enjoying the peace and quiet. As for the Vegemite . . . I found it salty, but surprisingly good.

Part 4

My first full week in Canberra was a blur as I spent most of my time in and out of the various existing established email sites around Australia so that I could see how much work was ahead of me. I gathered data on each location and cleaned them up of old data so that my information was as current as possible.

I worked with Ian and Scott to gain the necessary access and soon found myself jumping from one part of the country to the other in a matter of seconds. Their network wasn't as fast as those back in the States due to Telstra's higher rates for leased lines, but when in Rome you had to work with what you had. Scott was most helpful in obtaining a diagram of the ACS network that helped me get a grasp of the 'big picture.' Based on my knowledge I knew the new system would function though not as well as it could.

On Friday I found myself back at PJ's in the hope of meeting Deb and Caitlin again.

I ordered a Cascade and settled back to unwind.

I was on my second Cascade when I saw Caitlin enter the pub. I waved her over to my booth and stood to meet her.

"My what a gentleman," she said beaming her smile at me.

"You're quite welcome Caitlin."

"You can call me Cat." Her green eyes flashed brilliantly.

"Thank you Cat." As I thought about her nickname I could see how that fit her for there was something feline about her. Was it the shape of her eyes? Could it be the way she moved across the floor in fluid motion, reminding me of a cat stalking its prey? Or was it the way she purred when she talked? Maybe I was imagining the whole thing. Yeah. That was probably it.

I asked Cat what she wanted and went to the bar to get her wine. I watched her sitting there in the booth and took note of her relaxed form. Picking up the glass from the bartender I walked back to the booth and placed it in front of her. She thanked me as I took my seat.

"So where's Deb?"

"I'm afraid she won't be able to make it tonight Jim. She has a date with her boyfriend, Corin. Hope you're not disappointed."

"No way, Cat."

"Good answer," she smiled in reply.

"Don't you have a boyfriend?" I asked hoping for the best and preparing myself for the worst.

"Not now." Cat paused to take a sip of her wine and gather her courage before continuing, "I broke up with my last boyfriend some months ago and I haven't been quite ready to dive back in to the dating scene. I guess I'm still a bit fragile over the whole thing."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to open up any wounds."

"No it's okay. I can talk about it now Jim. A few months ago it might have been a different story, but the wounds are pretty well scabbed over now."

"I know how that goes."

"Do you?"

"Yeah, I do. My last break up occurred about a year ago. I truly thought I had met the woman of my dreams. She was a few years younger than I and had gorgeous auburn hair. She was a little overweight, but that didn't concern me greatly because I really fell for 'her'. The 'her' within, Cat. Do you know what I mean?"

"Yes."

"She had me hook, line, and sinker as the saying goes. Liz, that was her name by the way, and I had a wild ride, and one I wouldn't trade for the world. You see most of my relationships prior to Liz could be compared to mild tropical storms in terms of their strength and emotional power. With Liz I felt as though I had been thrown into the middle of a category 4 hurricane."

"Wow. That's quite a picture. So what happened?"

"Well, we were together for almost eight months before things went south."

"Excuse me? 'Went south'?"

"Oh, sorry. 'Went south' means they turned for the worst."

"Okay. Now I understand. Please continue," she said taking a sip of her wine. "Why did you two break up?"

"You know that's the funny thing. I truly don't know. One minute we were all lovey dovey and having a great time, and the next thing I knew Liz was gone. Left me bawling on the floor of my kitchen wondering why someone so wonderful was gone." I slugged the rest of my beer down to gather my courage and continued, "I tell you what though Cat . . . I have never hurt so much over a woman as I did with Liz. I suppose that's why it took me so long to venture out into dating again."

"Sounds like you do know," Cat stated.

"What about you Cat? Feel like talkin' about it?"

"I'm not sure I should just yet Jim."

"That's okay Cat. Don't worry about it."

"Thanks for being so understanding Jim. For what it's worth, I think you are a great guy and you're lucky you have at least experienced love. Not many people get that in life."

"Have you been in love Cat?"

"Once or twice."

"Do you think you will ever fall in love again?"

"I hope so Jim, but I don't know." Cat sipped her wine then leaned forward to reveal her ample breasts. "What about you? Do you think you will ever be able to fall in love again?"

"If you had asked me that question a few months ago, I'd have said no."

"And now?"

"Now I am not so sure. I think the best thing I can say is that I still have hope that love is possible."

As the evening progressed, Cat and I submerged into a world of our own. It was unreal, but I felt so comfortable with her.

After PJ's we took a walk along Garema Place where we found the fountain outside Canberra Centre. We sat down on a nearby bench and watched the fountain waters rise and fall in their rhythm. It was peaceful there by that fountain. However, as the chill night air settled in around us (partially due no doubt to the effects of the alcohol wearing off) we decided to get something to eat at the Tip Top Asian Garden that specialized in Thai food.

The restaurant wasn't as intimate as I would have liked, but the food was great, and the company was awesome. I think we could have been anywhere and I wouldn't have minded. I found Cat enchanting.

We left the restaurant around 9:30 and I offered to escort Cat back to her car which she readily accepted.

It was getting colder now so when we reached her car she offered to drive me back to my hotel. Not wanting to get sick, I accepted.

As we pulled up to the James Court, she turned to me and asked what I had planned for tomorrow.

"Nothing much. I was going to take a walk in the morning down by the lake and then come back for a nice hot shower. Why?"

"Well I was wondering if you'd like to take a tour of the Black Mountain Botanical Garden?"

"Sounds like a deal to me. What time do you want to meet?"

"The place opens up mid morning so why don't I meet you in front of your hotel around 9."

"Sounds great. See you then Cat."

Part 5

Cat, true to her word, picked me up bright and early. We took the short drive through Canberra to the Black Mountain Botanical Garden where we had a wonderful tour through a veritable jungle of native flora. Now I am not normally one who likes such things, plants I mean, but I do enjoy the outdoors and being with Cat made it enjoyable. I learned that Cat really enjoyed being in and among the native flora. She seemed to be energized by them almost as if she drew strength from them. She took pride in pointing them out to me. Names like Silver Wattle (a.k.a. Acacia), Tea Trees, and Banksias. The latter reminded me of a big corn dog from the Texas State Fair in flower form. There were Kangaroo Paws too. They really looked like big red kangaroo paws. I found enjoyment in seeing them through her eyes. Then again, maybe it was simply her enjoyment that made me happy.

It was during this outing that we had our first romantic moment where we were listening to the tour guide and our hands touched. Now, by most people's standards, the touch of a hand might not be that romantic, but with Cat, there was a definite spark between us. I wasn't sure Cat felt it because her face showed little recognition in the moment. Maybe she was being cautious because of her past relationships. Maybe she was trying to keep the pace slow so things didn't get out of hand. Whatever the reason I did my best to respect her feelings and moved on with the tour.

On our way out of the botanical garden, I asked her about the roo guard she had on her car.

"Yeah we really need them. Especially if we go out into the bush. You just never know what you'll hit out there."

"Can roos really do that much damage?"

"Believe me they can. I've had friends spend several thousand Aussie dollars on repairs after hitting a roo. Especially the big reds. Those blokes can get really big, and if you hit one of them . . . watch out!"

Later that day we decided to have dinner in the famous Telstra Tower, which had a nice restaurant, that revolved offering an ever-changing view of Canberra and the surrounding area. It was a great time made even better with Cat. As we settled down to our meal Cat spoke up.

"Jim, do you think you'll ever be able to let anyone into your life again?"

"I don't know Cat. I guess I'm split on the subject." I took a sip of some wine and looked deep into her sparkling green eyes. "Part of me hopes I will. The nights in Texas can get mighty lonely at times, and it would be nice to spend some time with someone I care about."

"And your other half?"

"Let's just say I enjoy my independence and like being able to do what I want . . . when I want."

"I can understand that mindset. Which side are you leaning on now? At this moment."

"I don't know truthfully Cat. I will admit that I'm attracted to you. I would have to be dead not to be. You're beautiful. Those big green eyes and that luscious red hair you have draw me like a magnet. I love talking to you. I love your smile. I like your spunk. I like the way your mind works, and most of all I love the way you make me feel when I'm with you."

Cat was taking a bite of her kangaroo filet when I said the last bit, which made her gag. She brought her hand up to cover her mouth followed by her napkin. After taking a swig from her wine, Cat took a moment to compose herself.

I thought I had said too much laying my feelings out there for her. I prepared to get them stomped on, but secretly hoped she would accept my invitation. Or was I accepting hers? I decided it really didn't matter as long as we chose to walk together for whatever time God had granted us.

"Do you really think I'm beautiful, Jim?"

"No doubt in my mind little lady."

Her eyes dipped down for a second or two, but when they came back up, they were filled with a fire I had never seen before. Not even in Liz. And yet there was something else too. I wasn't quite sure what it was, but I was determined to find out. The best I can say is her eyes offered me something far more than I could ever imagine. I could hardly wait to find out what lay beneath the surface of this woman who had so captivated my heart in such a short span of time.

What was it about Aussie women that made me weak in the knees. First Kathy and now Cat.

I know I hadn't told her that for there was still some caution within me that refused to let my expectation get out of control. After all, I had been hurt before and I wasn't sure I was willing to open myself up to that again. The prospect of a romance with this woman was most frightening. I had to admit my fear for I was indeed scared that a romance with Cat would spark to life and grow into something far more than either one of us could ever imagine. I was scared because I remembered the pain I suffered when Liz left me. It was a pain I couldn't wish on my worst enemy. A pain that reached into the very core of my heart and ripped it out -- leaving it utterly desolate.

Yet my heart, while desolate, was not dead, and Cat was working her way into it whether I liked it or not. Could I resist her charm and beauty? Should I? Would I? God I was scared of what Cat was doing to me.

"I hope you still think that after you get to know me, Jim."

"I haven't heard anything that would scare me away Cat."

"Ah, but you don't know all of my dirty little secrets Jim."

"Hmmm. Now you do have me curious."

"Just remember what they say about curiosity."

"Yeah, but that cat wasn't a Texan."

Cat smiled and my heart took another step closer to hers.

Cat and I finished our evening out by driving up to Mount Ainsley where we found a great scenic spot that overlooked the sprawling city of Canberra. Lights as far as the eye could see. Even in the evening light, we could make out Northbourne Avenue and Government House off in the distance. It was incredibly beautiful. We put the seats back and enjoyed the peace and quiet of the evening. It was perfect. Made even more so by Cat's presence.

As our eyes adjusted to the night sky, Cat pointed out some of our heavenly observers. The very first one she pointed out was the Southern Cross, which was brilliant. Then she pointed out another constellation called Centaurus with the two brightest stars within it being Alpha and Beta Centauri. She told me that the Abos call them 'the twins which created the world'.

I couldn't see Cat's eyes clearly in the darkness of the night but imagined the green flame that burned in them.

At that moment I felt compelled to take her hand and at the same time wondered if I should. I wanted to let her know how much I wanted to be with her, but knew I should be cautious. Not only for my sake, but for hers as well. She was fragile, as she had said, so I had to be careful.

However, nothing ventured nothing gained as they say.

Tentatively, I reached out with my right hand and found hers open and inviting as I enveloped it. I noted its warmth and surprising strength. It was not a hand lacking in power. Something else I liked in Cat. I knew she gave a good firm handshake from our first meeting, but this was different. Her hand was strong and yet it was supple at the same time. What a great combination to find in a woman. I had never liked people who shook hands like dead fish. It always made me feel like I needed to wash my hands.

So far so good.

What would it be like to kiss her I thought? I remembered what her lips looked like and knew they would be worth kissing as they were full, not bee stung full, but naturally so. Kind of like those on Raquel Welch though a bit smaller. They were perfect in my book. Just like so many other things about her.

I looked over at her and admired her profile in the starlight. The cute button nose and the gentle curve of her chin. Yes she was beautiful. In the light or in the dark she was gorgeous.

Just then, she gave my hand a gentle squeeze, "Enjoying the view?"

"Actually . . . yes. Yes I am."

"Good. Me too."

I knew she wasn't talking about me since she was looking out at Canberra's city lights. I couldn't compete with that, nor did I want to. However, Cat outshone the city by a fair ways in my eyes.

"Cat?"

"Yes?"

"May I . . . "

"Yes?"

"May I . . . kiss you?"

Cat turned her head to face me. She remained silent for a time before answering, "Jim I don't think that would be a good idea right now. It's not that I don't want to kiss you. I just think it's a bit early to go down that road. Would you mind if we took it slow for now?"

I was disappointed naturally, but I wanted to prove to her that I respected her wishes so I agreed. She gave my hand a warm squeeze and then brought it to her lips to kiss it. I think it was her way of thanking me. If not, I accepted it as such and leaned back to look out at the city lights again.

Finally, Cat started the engine of her Astra SRI and we zoomed back down the mountain. Shortly thereafter, we found ourselves back at the hotel where we said goodnight. Man how I wanted to kiss her and there was a sense that she wanted that too. Before I changed my mind I opened the door and closed it just as quickly.

Part 6

I didn't see Cat until the next weekend when we arranged to drive out into the country. Cat said she would let me drive her car so I could get the feel of it. I was eager to try right hand drive and so jumped at the chance. Besides I would get to spend more time with Cat, and that was even better.

The morning air was cool and crisp as Cat picked me up in front of the hotel. She was dressed simply in jeans and a denim jacket. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Her makeup was simple (one more thing I loved about her - a woman with too much makeup was a turnoff to me). She also wore a perfume that was light and citrus in character. It really worked on her.

"You smell wonderful this morning."

"Why thank you kind sir."

"You are most welcome, gorgeous."

Cat turned her car north onto Northbourne Ave and accelerated. In less than an hour we were halfway to the 'Never Never' (Yank translation - the middle of nowhere). Cat found a good spot and pulled over so we could switch places.

I had a blast driving Cat's car. I wasn't reckless or anything because that wasn't me and this wasn't my car. While I felt awkward driving on the left hand side of the road Cat helped me through it. I even got to negotiate one of the roundabouts I had seen during my travels around Canberra City. Cat told me they were quite simple to navigate once you got the hang of them. If you want to go left out of the roundabout you signaled right and took your first turn. If you wanted to go straight, you simply took the second turn. Finally, if you wanted to go left you signaled left and took the third turn.

Cat and I had lunch at a restaurant where she introduced me to one of Australia's sweetest treats - a sticky date. This dessert is a pudding served with a toffee based sauce. Yummy!

As I wrapped my lips around that first bite I could see that I would be wanting more of this Aussie treat.

"So what do you think?"

"I love it."

I cut of another piece with my fork and fed it to her. The way she wrapped her mouth around the sweetness was both sensual and sexual. Gosh she was beautiful. She then did something I hadn't seen her do before. She wrinkled her nose and blinked her eyes. It was sooo cute.

The restaurant itself was rustic in appearance with a well trampled wood floor that gave it a nice atmosphere. Like something out of the late 1800's. A great place to have a meal with someone you love. Did I just think that?

After paying the bill, I gave the keys back to Cat, then took her hand as we walked back to her car. With the air warming up Cat decided to put the car top down so we could enjoy the sunshine. As we pulled onto the highway gaining speed, I watched as Cat's hair blew back resembling wind blown flame. Like the engine flame paint jobs on the roadsters from the 50's and 60's. I wondered how much fire lay beneath the skin of this woman. Only God knew for sure, though I hoped to find out.

I reached over and turned on the radio. I found a station playing some cool jazz and took note of the setting, FM 92.7. I asked Cat about it and she said it was ArtSound Radio of out Canberra. It was one of her favorites for relaxing. Not only did they play jazz, but some classical and world music as well. A good eclectic mix I thought, although I wasn't all that high on the classical stuff.

On our drive back to town we decided to pick up some wine and head back to my room for some quiet conversation. I sensed that Cat was nervous. So was I for that matter. Here I was bringing back this gorgeous woman to my room and I had no clue what was going to happen. Yes I had my hopes, but would they become reality?

I should explain something here so you know a bit more about me. First, I consider myself a nice guy. I am not one of those 'bad boy" types which most women seem to be drawn. I am stable and do my job to the best of my ability. I have had several relationships as I stated earlier, but have one trait that has served to derail several of them. You see I have the unerring ability to obsess about things in my head. What I mean by that is I think too much. This had killed many an opportunity for me. Some were romantic interests and others career possibilities. It was infuriating to me since I hadn't been able to figure out a way around it. No matter what I tried, this obsession always seemed to win out.

Then there were my fears of commitment and rejection. I had heard that courage was not the absence of fear, but the ability to take action in the face of it. This had resulted in my losing out on several great opportunities in my life. I can't tell you how many nights I had sat up praying these fears would disappear, but they hung on like some kind of pit bull in battle.

In short, I was a mess in ways, which could destroy this relationship if I wasn't able to control or defeat them. God I hoped this time would be different.

After stopping at a nearby bottle shop (Yank translation - liquor store), we went to my room and I pulled out a couple of glasses, some cheese, and crackers to go with our wine. Cat and I set up some chairs on my balcony and made ourselves comfortable. I opened the bottle and poured the wine, a nice DeBortoli Cabernet Sauvignon 1995 - one of my favorites since coming to Australia.

We spent the next few hours drinking and talking, talking and eating, and it was not long before the bottle was dry.

Cat finished her glass and then got up to go to the bathroom. As she stood, she bent over quickly and gave me a quick peck on the cheek. "Whoa! I'm pissed," she said steadying herself on my chair.

The kiss caught me completely off guard and before I could respond, she had left the balcony. However, the impact of the kiss stayed with me. The softness of her lips was just as I had imagined, although I wished they had met my own. Then her parting words seeped into my dulled brain and caused me to become deeply saddened.

I was staring out over the balcony railing thinking about her words when she returned and sat down next to me.

"I think we need more wine Jim."

"Yes . . . yes we do, and it just so happens I have another bottle in the fridge. Let me get it." I did my best to hide my sadness as I left to retrieve the bottle.

"Aces!" she replied.

When I returned I couldn't help wondering what Cat was thinking. My mind was a tornado of activity. On the one hand Cat had kissed me. No doubt a good sign. However, her words concerned me. So which way were we going? Closer together or breaking up? I had to know. So I asked.

"Cat?"

"Yes?"

"A moment ago you said you were pissed." I looked straight into her eyes and continued, "Have I done something wrong?"

Cat looked at me and then began to laugh out loud.

I scowled at her in response.

"Oh Jim. It's not what you think. It's not what you think at all. You see 'pissed' in Aussie slang means I'm drunk."

"Oh." After a moment to let my impaired brain process this new information, I began to laugh at the misunderstanding.

I poured each of us a glass and then settled back down in my chair. Cat leaned forward, picked up a bite of cheese, and popped it in her mouth. Why was I obsessing on her mouth? I desired Cat. My whole body wanted to be with her - skin to skin.

She caught me looking at her and smiled. As she leaned back, she slipped her shoes off and put her feet up in my lap that sent my heart racing at warp speed.

"Uhhhh," I responded looking deep into her eyes.

"Don't you like this?"

"Yes I do Cat. I'm just thinking about what this means."

"What do you mean? It means what it means. It's my own version of Aussie Rules football or footy. No holds or rather 'feet' barred." She took her feet off my lap and leaned forward. She took my hands in hers, pulled them to her and me along with them. "Are you getting the message now Jim?"

Her breath was sweet from the wine. My heart though was torn. Partly I wanted to be swallowed up in the emotion of the moment. The other half wanted to run away from the pain that lay just beyond my reach. A pain born from past relationships gone bad. The battle within me raged on. What would I do? Would I face my fear and take another step down the road of my relationship with Cat, or would I turn and run away like the coward that I thought myself to be? Cautiously I moved in and tenderly kissed her.

My whole body vibrated with electricity at that first touch of our lips. As she put her arms around my neck the kisses continued burning deep into my soul. I was so afraid I could barely think.

We broke from our passion. Cat poured a bit of cold water on the moment when she said, "Now Jim I want you to understand that my sharing kisses with you doesn't mean we are going to sleep together tonight. It just means I want to get closer to you because my feelings for you are growing and I want to explore them with you. I don't know where they will lead, but I wanted you to know that things are changing between us. I think you agree. Or am I wrong?"

I stared at her for a moment before giving my answer; "No you are quite right Cat. I have been wanting to kiss you for a long time, but didn't want to push things."

"I know Jim, and I have appreciated your patience." Cat leaned in and kissed me again.

"You have been worth the wait Cat." I hugged her close feeling her body comply.

"I hope you still think that after we know each other better."

"Me too."

As twilight gave way to evening Cat and I made dinner and finished off my last bottle of wine - a Penfolds Bin 128 Coonawara Shiraz.

By the time she left at 2am, she was stone cold sober, and I felt comfortable enough to let her drive home. I did get to share many more kisses which made me feel great, and yet wanting more when she left.

I had tasted Cat. A taste of sensuality and passion. I knew then and there that no other woman would satisfy me ever again.

Part 7

My relationship with Cat grew rapidly after that night.

We tried to spend as much time together as our schedules allowed. We shared dinner at various restaurants around Canberra. Took long walks together so she could show me around town. One of the things I loved was that we were talking on a deeper level than before. It was great. Even better was the fact that my fears and obsessions hadn't raised their ugly heads yet. Sometimes I felt like the mythical two-faced god Janus was hunting me just so he could spoil my chance for happiness. I hoped he would stay out of my way.

In mid December Cat and I made plans to go down to Bateman's Bay on Australia's southeastern shore where we would spend the week together on holiday. I was really looking forward to the trip so we could get away from Canberra for a while. Cat, on the other hand, was nervous about the trip though she wouldn't explain why. I just figured it was because she assumed I would want to sleep with her. I tried to calm her fears and told her that we would have adjacent rooms at the hotel. That helped somewhat, but I could still see some nervousness in her eyes. All I could do then was to hold her and re-assure her that we wouldn't do anything she didn't want to do.

Cat told me she would trust me, but insisted we take her car for the journey. This gave her some measure of control over the situation too.

The day we left was brilliant. It was warm at 30 degrees Celsius with a clear blue sky above. Cat took the wheel and we made our way down the King's Highway 52. Along the way, we passed wide open fields and thick jungle-like forest with huge ferns and thick vegetation of varied types. Cat explained some of what we saw as we passed by, but kept her focus on the road. Toward the end, I was glad she did because the highway became very twisted with a sharp drop-off of about a hundred meters on our right. Fortunately, we were driving on the left hand side of the road. We pulled in to Bateman's Bay just before dark, which gave us just enough time to check in to our motel.

After unpacking, I went to her room where we shared a kiss. I wasn't sure whether it was the saltiness of the air or the warm breeze coming in off the ocean, but her kiss seemed sweeter to me.

I wrapped her in my arms as I had done on many previous occasions and pulled her close. I took her head in my hands as we moved inside her room and closed the door for some privacy.

Later we had a nice quiet dinner in the motel restaurant, which was delicious. We shared a bottle of wine and closed the place down several hours later. It wasn't a big deal as the restaurant traffic was light. We even had the owner sit down with us for a while when he heard my accent and wanted to know about Texas and America in general since he hadn't been able to travel there in some years. He had been there back in the 80's while on holiday with his wife. He said he liked Arizona the best with its people, the wide open desert, and its harsh beauty. He remembered seeing a huge rain storm come in over the desert and marveled at nature's awesome power. Having studied at Arizona State University, I had seen such storms many a time and appreciated their strength as well. They were indeed a beautiful sight.

Finally, Cat and I turned in after sharing a good night kiss. We made plans to wake early and travel south along Highway 1 to a place Cat knew about called Bingie Point.

Cat found a place to park her car and we took the short walk out to the point where I beheld the Pacific Ocean in all of its glory. Huge waves crashed against the seemingly unyielding shoreline that lay about 20 meters beneath us. I took a deep breath of the salt air and closed my eyes to listen to the power, which I was witnessing. I could feel the power of the ocean and all that lay beneath its surface. The salty air, the roar of the waves crashing against the shore, and the wind coming off the water flooded over my senses. Cat took my hand and we stood there enjoying the moment of connection with nature.

We then walked down a path to the beach and took off our shoes to let our feet feel the white sand push up between our toes. Cat took off to the edge of the water with me trailing close behind.

Cat and I splashed about for a while before walking on down the beach hand in hand. I looked over at Cat and saw her hair blowing wildly in the wind. The way the sunlight played with her hair made it seem like it was literally on fire. She turned to look at me and smiled warmly. She put her arm through mine and moved closer. About a half kilometer down the shoreline, we found a rock that we climbed upon and sat down.

For a long time Cat watched the waves hit our rock causing a huge splash of water. Being a geologist by education, I looked around down at the rock we sat on, and left Cat alone with her thoughts. My own thoughts drifted into the archives of my brain wondering how this rock formed.

Sometime later, I was brought out of my concentration by a sense that Cat needed my attention. Don't ask me how I knew. I just knew. She hadn't really gone anywhere, nor had I for that matter. It was just that we had been in our own little worlds for a time and then come back to reality. Cat reached out, took my hand, and said, "Jim, I need to tell you something, and I need you to listen to me."

I knew she was serious by the tone in her voice so without saying a word I nodded and let her continue.

"Jim, for a long time now I have been trying to tell you that I have secrets which may jeopardize our relationship." She closed her eyes in silence for a moment before opening them again. "Jim I also want you to know that whatever happens today I care about you more than I have let myself care about anyone in a long time. It is because of these feelings I have for you that I have to tell you that I am not who you think I am."

"Cat . . . "

"Please don't stop me now or I might not finish and I must get this out now. Oh God . . . this is harder than I thought."

I remained silent giving her the time she needed and simply gave her hand a light squeeze.

"Jim, I'm . . . I'm a man." She became utterly silent.

My mind was buzzing. It was a strange sensation, and one I was unprepared to deal with now. Cat had dropped a bomb on me and I wasn't at all sure what I was going to do. Would I walk away from her never to see her again? Would I wrap my arms around her and tell her I loved her anyway? Would I do something in between? Was there even a middle ground to stand on?

I turned to look off into the vast ocean which lay before us. I closed my eyes and let the roar of the waves crashing against the shore focus my thoughts. I know it sounds strange but the ocean has always had a calming effect on me, and right now I needed to calm down. I drew my knees up to my chest and buried my head in my arms.

Slowly my thoughts crystallized. The image of beauty, silky red hair, and gorgeous green eyes along with her milky white skin, freckles and all, simply did not make sense anymore. Cat was a contradiction to me. On the one hand she was the very image of womanhood. Then there was the physical reality of her masculine anatomy. How could I resolve this in my head and, more importantly, in my heart? I was desperate for her and yet repulsed by the idea of her being a man. How could I continue this relationship now that I knew her secret? How could I go on without her? Him? It was clear that I was very confused.

I don't know how long I was in my cave, but I slowly became aware of a soft voice calling me back to reality. It was her . . . I mean him.

"Jim?" Cat called. "Please say something? Anything?"

"I . . . " was all I could manage.

Cat rested her hand on my shoulder causing me to pull away. The moment I did I looked into his eyes and knew I had hurt him. I saw that pain and my heart cried out within me. I was obviously torn, and I knew it had to be resolved so I could move on. The only problem was what would I do to reconcile my emotions?

Cat's voice called out again.

"Jim please talk to me. Tell me what you're thinking? Your silence is driving me crazy, and I need to know whether we have a future."

Then I started to laugh. I knew it wasn't funny, but it was the only thing I could do. The whole thing was just something right out of a movie. As I watched Cat's face reflect his sadness and fear, he stood up and began to walk away.

My laughter died quickly turning to desperation as I saw him leave. I rose to my feet and ran after him.

When I caught up to him I grabbed his arm and turned him around to face me. "Cat, please stop a minute so I can talk with you."

"Why? So you can laugh at me?"

His words bit deep into my soul. He could not have hurt me more if he had slugged me. No doubt his way of striking back at me. I hung my head in shame but did not move away.

"Jim, like it or not I have feelings for you. Do you know how long it took me to build up the courage to tell you my 'big secret'? Do you know the fear I have? To know I am falling for someone who could very likely beat the crap out of me when he finds out I am not who they think I am? The only reason I told you was because I thought you were different Jim. I saw you as someone with compassion and passion. Someone I could trust. Someone who would accept me as a person. I may be a guy dressed as a woman Jim, but I still need companionship. I need people in my life." Cat pulled away from me but kept his eyes fixed on me. "Jim, I want you to know that I care about you. I still want to be with you. However, I will respect your wishes if you want me to leave you alone."

"Cat I . . . "

She remained silent.

"Arrgghhh." I turned to face the ocean to draw strength from it. When I turned back to face Cat I found him with his arms crossed in front of him waiting for me patiently to continue. What would I say? I wasn't sure I knew what was about to come out of my mouth, but I began, "Cat there is no doubt you make a beautiful woman. Your body is feminine and you carry yourself well. I want you to know that I am still attracted to you."

"Even now?"

"Yes . . . even now. That is what is causing me so much confusion. I know that I am sexually and emotionally attracted to you. I don't deny that in the slightest. I enjoy talking to you. Taking walks and spending time with you. I love kissing you and holding your hand. In short you have become a part of my life and I don't want to lose you."

"Then don't." Cat took a step closer to me. "I don't want to lose you either. Crikey Jim! I care about you more than I thought I ever would considering how my last relationship ended, but the fact is I do. I want to be the woman in your life. I want to be with you in every way possible. Blake's blood! I would even be your wife if you'd want me."

"Want you? Cat, it isn't a matter of wanting you. I do. My body tells me that every time I touch you. Every time I even look at you my blood boils. Don't you know how you affect me?"

"Yes, but it's nice to hear it once in a while."

I reached out my hand to him and braced myself.

My hand hung out there for an uncomfortably long time. Cat looked at it and then up into my eyes. When his face broke out in a smile, he took my hand and I drew him to me. I wrapped him up in a tight embrace feeling the warmth of his body next to mine.

"Cat?"

He lifted his face to look into mine. I moved my hands down to his butt and pulled him close. I gave a quick look down at this chest and noted how his breasts were clearly visible through his shirt. They were beautiful.

Cat smiled noting the object of my attention then gave me a squeeze, "Yes Jim?"

"I need to tell you something, and I'm not sure what I am even going to say."

"Sounds like a personal problem to me," he smiled. He must have known how difficult this was on me and so was trying to bring some humor to the moment. It worked to a point because I smiled at his remark.

"Cat, I first want to apologize for laughing earlier. It wasn't directed at you personally. I am not sure why it came out at all except that my mind went round the bend for a time. I hope you will forgive me."

"I'll think about it, though I will say it did hurt coming from you."

"I can understand that Cat. After all we have shared, I know it would have been hard for me to hear you laughing at me for a similar reason. You must know how hard this is for me though."

"I do."

I looked into his eyes letting their green fire burn into me. The flame was not painful though if he were truly angry it might very well consume me in seconds. "Cat I want you to know that I care about you. I have felt drawn to you from the first moment I laid eyes on you back at PJ's. The combination of your red hair and green eyes are beautiful. The fire in the them is brilliant, and your body is gorgeous. I can't tell you how many times I have wanted to get skin to skin with you."

"You still . . . "

"Please let me finish Cat. I want to make sure I tell you all that I am feeling right now." Cat closed his mouth and let me continue, "You see for most of my life I have tried to find the right woman for me. I have dated older women, younger women, shorter women, and taller women too. None of them has ever been able to hold my attention for very long. Except for Liz that is." I took Cat's hands in mine and our eyes locked onto one another. "I think the reason I laughed is that here I was with a person I care about deeply and she turns out to be a man. My mind simply flipped out. However, I have thought about the last several weeks and have come to one inescapable conclusion." I took a deep breath and drew him to me. I turned my face skyward as if seeking some divine guidance for the right words then looked down in Cat's face again. "You make me happy. You make me feel alive. What's more you have given me hope, and that is something I thought I would never feel again after Liz. I'm not sure where our relationship will end up, but I know that I don't want you out of my life. I can't say there won't be times when I will need to regain my bearings occasionally. Moreover, I am sure our feelings will be tested as our relationship grows. Such is the nature of a relationship. Growth through trials I call it."

His eyes began to tear up as I spoke. He then put his arms around my neck and put his head on my chest.

Cat cried tears of deep release. These were not tears one yields due to chopping onions or some such, but tears of deep emotion yielded only on very special occasions. It was as though he had finally found love, acceptance, and most of all peace simultaneously. As I felt his body pulsate with the sobbing, I felt a peace I could not explain come over me. Maybe it was the power of the ocean. Maybe it was the belief that we were two souls who had finally found acceptance and love within a world of insanity. To find love in such a place was a gift beyond all value. I knew I could not give up such a treasure. I had to hold on.

Cat pushed away from me just far enough so he could look up into my face. I wiped away his tears with my hands and noted how he closed his eyes in response to my touch. He took hold of my hand in his and held it next to his face for a moment. Then I surprised myself by lifting his face to where our lips were so close I could feel his breath.

I didn't waste another second as I lowered my lips onto his, feeling them part in surrender. It was a kiss like no other. It was soft, sensual, and totally sexual.

In a surrender of my own, I decided to leap into this relationship with Cat with all the strength I could muster.

Part 8

We returned to the motel in Bateman's Bay the strength of our relationship renewed. In celebration, I invited Cat to my room where we enjoyed some time snuggled up in my bed. I have to admit it was a different kind of encounter for me in that it was not sex like one has between a man and woman, since Cat wasn't a woman. This made things difficult in some ways, but highly enjoyable regardless. There was much for me to learn.

What did I learn? I learned that Cat was highly sexual. I learned that I really liked his physical strength. The strength of a man yet the softness of a woman all rolled into one form. He was so erotic. This caused me some confusion in that I didn't think I should be enjoying his company as much as I was. I was a man after all, and being with Cat like this was in some ways 'unnatural.' However, my body was telling me that I was sexually attracted to him.

Furthermore, Cat was very good at making me feel like a man. He was attentive to my needs. He knew all the right places to touch me in order to excite me. There was something to be said for having another man for a lover. Having one that looked like Cat was icing on the cake.

As night fell, Cat and I took a short break to get some dinner since we hadn't eaten since breakfast.

Cat went to his room and said he'd be back in about an hour. I took a shower and let the heat of the water relax my sore muscles. Then I checked to see if I needed a shave and, finding I didn't, got dressed in my khakis and short sleeved shirt.

I sat down on the bed and began to think about the day in wonder at the gift I had been given. Even more amazing to me was where I had found the love for which I had been searching. Not only was it halfway around the world from my home, but the person I fell for was the same sex as myself, regardless of the fact that he looked like a woman.

A deeper question came forth, which brought into debate my own sexuality. Why had I fallen for a man? Yes he looked like a woman, but he was a man underneath it all. Did this make me homosexual? Or more properly, bisexual since I still enjoyed women. Yes I felt that was more the truth than anything else I concluded. What would happen if my friends found out I was going out with a transsexual? What would they think? Did I truly care?

Furthermore, how should I relate to Cat now that I knew his secret? The answer came back without doubt. Cat looked and acted like a woman and so that is how I should treat him. That meant referring to him as her in public. Could I do that? Could I continue to do so now that I knew Cat was a man? I figured there would be mistakes, and so I determined to do the best I could and hope that Cat would understand.

A soft knock at my door brought me back to reality. I got up and opened to door to find Cat standing there in a VERY little black dress. He smiled coyly and sauntered past me giving me a light kiss as he did so.

I closed the door, took him by the hand, and pulled him to me.

"You look good enough to eat, Cat," I whispered into his ear.

"Later luv," Cat whispered back giving my left ear a little nibble.

"You've got a deal."

I opened the door and led the way to the restaurant where we ate our fill of baked fish and a salad. Cat and I traded looks throughout our meal that only served to increase our appetite for one another. Cat even took his shoe off and played some of his hidden footsy games beneath the table causing me no end of embarrassment. He simply smiled impishly and winked at me. I think the owners saw what Cat was doing as I caught them with knowing smiles on their faces a time or two. A little more wine and we were ready for 'dessert,' so I paid the bill and we returned to our room.

"Now, my dear. I believe you mentioned something about dessert."

"I did promise you something sweet, didn't I."

"I'm already looking at something sweet enough to give me a sugar rush for hours."

"Flattery will get you everywhere Jim." Cat approached and put his arms around my neck bringing his face near my own. "Now let me make you as happy as you've made me."

Cat led me to the bed where he pushed me down to a sitting position. He then pulled my shirt off and threw it on the floor. He then pushed me down to a lying position on the bed and shifted around so he straddled my hips. Then he pulled his dress up and over his head before dropping it on the floor. He stared down at me and I couldn't help but see him as a woman. He had all the necessary features one could ask for, except one of course. Even that had come to be a turn on for me, though I hadn't told him that yet.

Cat shook his head from side to side to free his luxurious red hair. Gosh it was so beautiful. I reached up to touch the flaming tresses, pulled him down to me and gently kissed him. I brought one hand up to cup his left breast giving it a gentle squeeze. His breast was so firm and responsive in my hand. His nipple hardened quickly and he began to let out soft moans in my ear. My other hand moved to his back and then down to his soft, smooth butt where I found his silky panties. I slid my hand between the panties and his skin feeling the softness of him. It was hard to believe he was not a woman. At that moment I decided that I was going to call him 'her' so I could reconcile things in my head. It would be easier on me in the long run.

We continued to feed our passions through the night and on into the early hours of the morning. It was one of the most incredible nights I have ever spent with someone. There was no penetration in our sexual encounter, but that didn't seem to matter to either one of us. We simply enjoyed being with one another and making each other happy. Cat certainly succeeded in her part for I was very happy.

Cat and I fell asleep in each other's arms and let our breathing rock us to sleep.

I awoke several hours later, finding our bodies in the spoons position. My hand rested across her breasts and my left leg across her hips. Absentmindedly, I started caressing her right breast with my thumb enjoying the warm softness in the early morning. I buried my face in her hair and breathed deep taking in the remnants of her scent. Her breathing was slow and relaxed in its rhythm.

Cat stirred then and twisted around so we were face to face, and smiled through half open eyes.

"Good morning gorgeous."

"Mmmm good morning yourself handsome," Cat said in her breathy tones. She stretched out her body next to mine, allowing me to feel her virbate with the tension.

She was sooo spunky (Yank translation - sexy looking) . . . even in the morning. I reached out to pull her to me and hugged her close. I kissed her gently and moved her butt over until she was laying on top of me in a prone position. The weight of her body on mine was delicious. I brought my legs up and wrapped them around her waist and squeezed tight letting my back arch into her. 'Oh man this is great.'

I moved my hands down to her wonderfully feminine rear end and pulled her down with all the strength I had to intensify the sensation I was feeling.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Cat asked me with a big grin on her face.

"Immensely."

"So you like being on the bottom?"

"No. I like being with you. Position doesn't matter."

"Do you really?"

"Do I what?"

"Like being with me."

"Absolutely."

"Why?" Cat said pushing herself up on her arms.

"Why do I like being with you?"

"Yes."

"Hmmm. Where do I start?"

"Start anywhere you like, possum."

I stared at her for a time collecting my thoughts so I could tell Cat how I truly felt about her. What did I think about her? Did I love her or did I simply lust after her? "Cat, I find you intoxicating. I can't get enough of you. Yes I admit that you threw me a major curve when you told me you are a man, but you know something . . . I don't care anymore. What I do care about is that you and I get along so well. We communicate. We enjoy each other's company. I love kissing you. I love watching you." I took a breath and then staring at her intently said, "Cat I can't tell you that I love you yet, because I want to be sure. Those three little words mean a lot to me and I don't use them lightly. I hope you understand my caution. I can tell you that I care about you deeply."

The look on her face changed dramatically at that statement. Her eyes focused sharply on my own and I felt them drill into me with incredible power. It was as though she was trying to determine if I was telling her the truth. When her gaze softened she leaned in, kissed me, and let her head rest on my chest. "Oh Jim. I am so glad you said that."

"Cat I guess the short of it is I want you in my life. I don't know what I would do without you. Yes I would be alive, but I would also be extremely sad."

"You don't have to worry about that Jim. You're stuck with me for as long as you want."

"Then that is going to be for a long time Cat."

"Jim, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"What are your feelings about my still having a penis? Does it feel awkward to you? Does it bother you that we can't have sex like a man and a woman do?"

"To be honest Cat I am not sure what I feel about it. Initially, I thought I would be grossed out. However, now that I have had time to experience sex with you I don't mind it at all. Yes I wish we could have sex like man and woman, but in a strange sort of way I find you exotic and incredibly sexy just as you are."

"You find me sexy?"

"After last night how can you ask that? You have enchanted me. You know what it takes to bring me to ecstasy time and time again. That not only needs physical knowledge, but mental and emotional as well. Sometimes I think most women think men are one dimensional. I don't agree with that idea at all. Yes men have a strong physical side, but I also think that we can have strong mental and emotional sides as well. You proved this last night. You were physical and emotional with a little mental thrown in for good measure. It was one of the best nights of my life. One I hope to experience many more times."

"Jim, I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything Cat."

"Oh, but I do. At this moment, I need to tell you how much last night meant to me. You see while last night was not my first night with a man, it was the best night. For the first time, I felt like a woman. The way you treated me was intense. I don't think that I shall ever be the same again." Cat leaned down and kissed me on the lips.

"Me either. Until yesterday, I would never have thought myself capable of loving someone like you. To be honest with you, Cat, I find you offer the best of both worlds. Yes, we can't have sex like man and woman, but I find that I actually like it this way."

"Do you?"

"Do you want me to prove it?"

"Would you?" Cat said with an impish grin on her face. She began kissing her way down my chest - looking at me all the while. Those big green emeralds held me fast and I surrendered to them completely. When she reached my penis, her eyes turned downward to her prize and took me fully into her mouth.

"Unnhhh."

Cat began working in that most primitive of all rhythms. A rhythm driven by need . . . want . . . desire. There was no way to describe all of the emotions and pleasure I was feeling then, but I will tell you that I wanted time to freeze.

It was after noon when we finally left our motel room. The sun was bright and the air was warming nicely. I can't tell you what we did for the rest of the day since I don't remember any of it. What I do remember, was that I was with Cat, and it was wonderful. I will also tell you that I couldn't wait to get back into our room for more horizontal gymnastics. The only way to describe what I was feeling was that I craved Cat. For all intents and purposes, I was addicted to her. Frankly, I think she knew, but she never admitted it.

Part 9

Our time in Bateman's Bay ended all too soon and we drove back to Canberra arriving just after dusk.

I kissed Cat goodnight and watched her drive off wishing I could go with her, but knowing I needed to get some sleep for the coming week. We made plans to meet for lunch in midweek. Neither one of us felt we could last much longer without fulfilling our mutual need.

It was a time of emotional pain to be without her. The only way for me to get through that time was to throw myself into my work. The amount of concentration was tremendous, but I made it. Ian, Scott and I were able to accomplish a good deal of work, but not as much as we could have had I been operating on all cylinders.

I left early for my lunch date with Cat because I didn't want to wait any longer than I had to. When I left Allara House, I took the short walk to the fountain where I promised to meet her. As I sat there, I enjoyed the warm November day being careful not to get too much sun, as it can be brutal on one's skin. Most locals wore some kind of hat and sunglasses to protect themselves during this time of year.

As I sat there, I began to feel drops of water plop onto my head. Since I knew it wasn't raining, I turned to see if the fountain had gone awry. However, when I did so I found Cat smiling down at me with her hand held out over me with water dripping from it. She broke out in a laugh and stepped away from me in case I attacked her. I stood and brushed my hands through my hair to get rid of the water she had dripped into it.

Then I bent down as if I was going to splash her and she moved further away from me. I realized this wasn't going the way I wanted since I wanted her in my arms. So, I stood back up and held my arms open to her. Cautiously, she came near and, realizing I needed her, she melted into the arms that enveloped her. I planted a kiss on her lips and held her close.

"Mmmmm. I've missed you Cat."

"Me too Jim. Being away from you has been horrible." She kissed my ear and then my neck. "This is much better."

"Agreed." I took her face in my hands and kissed her lovingly, giving her just a little tongue. We then headed in to the Centre for some tucker.

The place was as crowded as usual this time of day, but fortunately, we found a table off to the side where we could watch people and more importantly talk with one another. After sitting down I took in Cat's appearance and found, she was dressed in a light weight white cotton blouse and khakis. Her hair was brushed out full with a barrette on the left side of her head revealing one of a pair of 2 inch loop silver earrings. I then took her hand and raised my glass in a toast.

"To the most beautiful woman I know." Our plastic glasses bumped together and we each sipped our iced tea.

For a moment, Cat just sat there staring at me without saying a word. Her green eyes sparkled and when she smiled, I knew it was okay. "Thank you Jim."

"For what?"

"For making me feel so wonderful. So loved."

"Hey you make it easy Cat, and believe me it is my pleasure."

Just then I sensed another person nearby and turned to see Deb approaching our table. Cat and I looked up as she stopped next to us. Cat stood to give her friend a big hug and then sat back down as Deb pulled up a chair to sit with us.

"So Jim. It looks like you and Cat are getting along quite nicely."

I gave Cat a knowing smile before answering, "You could say that."

"Good on ya. I'm glad Cat has found someone to love."

Cat dipped her head in embarrassment but couldn't help smiling at me. For that matter neither could I.

"You'd have to be blind not to see you two love each other," Deb continued.

Cat took my hand and squeezed it. "It was nip and tuck for a bit, but Jim showed me just what kind of man he is back at Bateman's Bay."

"You'll have to tell me all about it sometime Cat, but right now I have to get going. I just wanted to come over and say hello."

And with that Deb stood up and walked back to her table where she sat down with two men in suits. The two men stole a look at Cat before turning their attention back to their own lovely companion. That left us to enjoy the rest of our meal in relative peace.

I took a quick look at the clock in the food court and told Cat I needed to get going. We picked up our trays and dumped them in the trash before heading out to Garema Place. Deb nodded as we passed her and her friends. Cat and I answered her with our smiles. I took Cat's hand as we went up the escalator to the top floor and out into the warm afternoon sun.

"My dear Cat . . . " I said taking her in my arms, "I am already missing you, and can't wait until you are in these arms again."

"What are you doing tonight?"

"What do you have in mind?"

"Just a quiet romantic dinner at a place I know. I can pick you up around six, if that's okay?"

"Sounds good to me, gorgeous."

Cat leaned up and kissed me right proper. "Just a taste of things to come my love."

Later -

Cat picked me up and drove us over to Manuka (pronounced Ma-new-ka) where we had dinner at a small restaurant called The Tryst. The name couldn't have been more appropriate. The place couldn't seat more than about 40-50 people max. Booths lined the walls with flowers and plants everywhere. The final touch was the lighting which was perfect for romance.

The best part of dinner was Cat's idea of dessert. When we returned to my hotel room Cat opened the bag she'd brought and pulled out a container of fresh strawberries and some Cadbury Flake bar that she promptly put into a saucepan with a little milk. She told me to relax and let her finish her preparations. I opened a bottle of good red wine, poured two glasses for us then walked over to the couch, and sat down enjoying a healthy swig. A few minutes later Cat walked in bringing her goodies that she set down before us on the coffee table. She took my glass from me and set it down as well. Cat moved me onto my back then positioned herself on top of me which had the desired effect in my nether regions. Just being close to, Cat caused my body to react in all the right ways. She was so sexy.

Cat leaned her head closer to my own and let her hair fall in silken tresses of flame. Her breath caressed my face, smelling of wine, chocolate, and sweet strawberries. With her hand she reached over to take one of the strawberries and placed it in her mouth just far enough to hold with her lips. She offered it to me allowing me to take it in my own mouth. As it disappeared our lips met in a wonderfully sweet fruity kiss. This woman was knocking my socks off and rolling them back on. No woman had ever touched me so deeply, and she wasn't even a woman. Somehow, that didn't seem to matter right now. All I wanted to do was make her happy.

After we finished off the strawberries and chocolate, we moved into the bedroom where we began a night of fiery passion. I knew I had work in the morning, but I didn't care. I needed to be with Cat. Right here. Right now.

Part 10

When we woke up it was well past 9am. I was going to be late. So was Cat for that matter. We quickly showered and got dressed. With Cat's help I arrived a bit after 10am and settled in to the day's activities. As you might guess I couldn't focus worth a flip that day, but managed to get some organizational tasks complete. I put out some requests for server configurations for the twelve sites.

I took lunch by myself at the food court. I then took a trip to the Mineshaft rock shop to see if I could find anything for Cat for Christmas. I had been looking for something for some time and had narrowed it down to jewelry. Cat wore silver based rings and bracelets so I looked for a stone, which would look good in it. There were several choices in the tiny shop. There was my favorite tiger eye, or the ever gorgeous green banded malachite, which would go well with her eyes. On the other hand, I could splurge and go for fire opal. It would be expensive, but she was worth it. The manager of the shop was helpful and helped guide me in my decision making. After all he had seen me twice before and knew I was shopping for someone special.

I left the shop still not having made my decision, though I felt closer to finding the right gift for Cat.

The rest of the workday was better. By the time I left, I had accomplished more than I thought I would and felt satisfied as I walked back to my room. I reported to Ian on my progress. The accompanying spreadhseet included information on server size, number of users per site, proposed LAN link for each location, and the intended connector type based on that LAN link. Ian wasn't too happy with the costs of the LAN links, but that was Telstra's doing, not mine.

As I passed down Garema Place, I heard my name and looked up to see Deb coming my way. I stopped to let her catch up. I noted that she looked especially beautiful she looked today. Her hair was styled in long waves of raven hued silk that shone in the late afternoon sun. Her makeup was light and her dark brown eyes sparkled. If things hadn't gone as well with Cat I might very well have pursued her if she wasn't already taken.

"I'm glad I caught you Jim. I've been wanting to talk to you for some time about you and Cat."

"Oh?"

"Yes. I just want to find out what your intentions are Jim? Cat is my friend and right now she is a bit fragile over the ending of her last relationship, and I don't want her to be hurt again."

I let Deb finish her thoughts then gave her my answer. "Deb I don't know what our future holds. I'm not a prophet or anything. All I can tell you is that Cat is the best thing to happen to me in a long time. Even with her little secret. I can't begin to tell you all that I am feeling toward her, and yes I consider Cat a 'her.' Besides the fact that she looks female. She is as female as any real woman I know. I also know that I am hooked on her." I noticed that Deb was looking deep into my eyes as I spoke without a hint of emotion. I didn't know what to make of that, but continued anyway, "Deb . . . I love Cat. I haven't felt like this since my last relationship and that was over a year ago now. When Cat entered my life she did something I didn't think was possible after Liz."

"What's that?"

"Cat woke up my heart from its emotional coma. She has given me hope, and a new reason for living. After Liz, I didn't think I would ever feel anything again. Hell, I wasn't sure I wanted to feel anything anymore. Especially if the ending resulted in the level of deep pain, I felt when Liz left me. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy." I took a breath and continued, "There may very well come a time when our relationship will end, but it won't be because we didn't give it one heckuva go. Who knows? Maybe it won't end. Wouldn't that be something?"

Deb remained silent for a time before she spoke, "I can see why she likes you so much Jim."

"Oh?"

"Yes. You see Jim, for whatever it's worth, Cat loves you too. She is totally bonkers over you and now I see why. You really do care for her. I'm glad we had this talk Jim. For what it's worth, Cat has chosen wisely."

With that Deb walked away leaving me brain drained. I turned and headed back to the hotel on autopilot.

After a light dinner I headed up to room and went straight to bed. Sleep came swift and sure. Dreams of Cat danced in my head, causing my body to react out of memory to her touch. God, how my body ached for her!

Part 11

For the next few weeks Cat and I saw as much of each other as we could. We took walks in the Black Mountain Botanical Garden, had romantic dinners in the Telstra Tower. We took long walks around Lake Burley Griffen.

Life was sweet.

When Christmas arrived, Cat and I made plans for a quiet time together after attending a party at Deb's place.

I arranged for a car, a 2000 royal blue Toyota Camry, through the hotel and drove over to Cat's place in Belconnen just north of Canberra City. I arrived at her house just after 8pm and walked up to the door and knocked. I was not prepared for how good Cat looked when she opened the door. She was dressed in a tight fitting forest green dress, which came down to a point just above her knees. Her hair was done in a French Twist as she called it giving her an elegant look. Her makeup was flawless as usual.

After she let me in, she gave me a kiss and pulled me close in an embrace of souls.

The scent of her perfume wafted into my nostrils. A mixture of cinnamon, clove, and a woodsy smell that worked very well on her. I nuzzled her neck and breathed deep, letting my warm breath exit slowly into her ear.

"Ok. Down boy or we'll never make Deb's party," she said pulling away.

"Who cares about Deb's party?"

"I do. I mean to show you off tonight lover. The man who has healed my heart, and brought it back into the light of day."

I couldn't say a word, but answered her with my eyes locked right onto hers. It was then that I decided to give her my gift. "Cat?"

"Yes?"

"I know we were going to wait until later, but I can't wait any longer." I reached into my pocket, pulled out the jewel box, and offered it to her.

Cat looked up at me and with the hint of tears in her eyes, she opened the box revealing my prezzie to her. A necklace with a deep red tiger eye set in silver. The stone itself was oval and played with the light perfectly. She asked me to place it on her neck. I gladly complied. She walked over to a nearby mirror and broke out in a brilliant smile.

"It's absolutely gorgeous Jim."

"Just like you Cat."

"It even goes with my dress, and I love how it looks against my skin." She turned to face me and rushed into my arms. "Thank you so much." When she pulled away she looked into my eyes and smiled before continuing, "However, I am going to make you wait for your gift."

"So you're going to torture me?"

"Absolutely, but I think you will find the wait worth it."

"I have no doubt."

Cat looked at her watch and said, "We better get going Jim. I don't want to be too late to Deb's."

"Then let's book." I opened the door and said, "Our carriage awaits."

The drive to Deb's took no more than 10 minutes and we arrived to find her street lined with vehicles of all sorts. I got out and opened Cat's door for her, taking her hand as she offered it.

After I locked it up, I took her hand in mine and we walked down the street following the noise and other party goers to Deb's door.

Cat leaned close to my ear and whispered, "You ready?"

"You bet." I replied giving her hand a squeeze before moving it behind around her waist to pull her close.

Deb greeted us at the door and let us in. The air conditioning was on full blast to counter the rather warm evening air. The coolness felt wonderful against my face as I entered. Deb and Cat exchanged pleasantries and Deb gave me a warm hug to welcome me to her home. Cat showed off her prezzie and Deb looked over at me and gave me a big thumbs up, and said, "Good on ya Jim."

I smiled.

Deb led Cat and I back to where the rest of the people were and poured us some drinks. After introducing me around (everyone already knew Cat, well almost everyone anyway), I felt welcomed and accepted by everyone there which eased my tension immensely.

I should note here that, in my entire stay in Canberra, I had found the Aussies to be some of the warmest people I have ever met. They really enjoyed life. Something I had had difficulty accepting. Maybe it was my drive to work hard, or my fear of getting involved with life. Thankfully, Cat had changed all that and pulled me out of my shell with all of her patience and charm.

The night was a flurry of faces, food, drink, and Cat. Cat helped Deb out whenever she needed it, but Deb had things under control throughout the evening.

Things did get a bit tight later in the evening when I heard my name called and didn't immediately recognize the voice. However, when I turned to meet the person I was surprised to find myself staring at Kathy, the woman from my flight between LAX and Sydney. To say that I was surprised would be an understatement. However, I tried my best to go with the flow and greeted her, "Howdy Kathy."

"Howdy yourself Jim." Kathy took a sip of her wine and came closer.

Kathy wore a little black dress that accented her natural feminine beauty, and she was gorgeous. If I weren't already involved with Cat, I would surely pursue her flat out. However, I was involved with Cat and that could mean trouble if I wasn't honest with both of them.

"So what are you doing here Kathy?"

"Oh Deb is going out with my brother Corin, and she was nice enough to invite me to her bash."

I took a healthy swig from my glass and quickly scanned the room for Cat. I didn't know what she would think about Kathy, but wanted to make sure she didn't get the wrong idea. She meant too much to me now, and I didn't want to lose her over some misunderstanding.

"And you. Why are you here?"

"I'm dating a friend of Deb's."

"You mean Cat?"

You could have knocked me over with a feather when she said that. "Yes, but how did you know?"

"I saw you two kissing over in the corner a few minutes ago. Even a blind man could figure that there was more between you than just friendship Jim." Kathy leaned in close to my ear and whispered, "No worries Jim. I won't make any trouble for you two. I think it's great you've found someone, and for what its worth, she's a lucky lady."

My cheeks flushed red and I smiled. Did Kathy know about Cat's secret? What did she think of me? Did I care what she thought? If so, why?

"So how did you two meet?"

I then told her the whole story from the time Cat and I met at PJ's to our trip to Bateman's Bay and beyond. I didn't tell her everything since I wasn't sure how much she knew and wasn't about to risk embarrassing Cat in case she didn't know about her little secret.

"Don't look now Jim, but Cat is coming this way."

Cat entered our twosome making my heart quicken. Initially, Cat looked at me with some concern in her eyes and waited for me to make the first move. I took the opportunity to introduce Kathy and told Cat I met her on the flight over from the States. Kathy chimed in that we had spent the flight talking about all sorts of things to take away the boredom.

Cat seemed satisfied with that answer, and snuggled close to me. Claiming her territory I suppose. Kathy and Cat seemed to get along afterwards and I felt better for having told Cat the truth. Still having Kathy around made me feel uncomfortable. I couldn't do anything more about it, so I decided to get back into the party and enjoy myself.

I did have to answer a lot of questions relating to Texas and J.R. Ewing, but I simply laughed at all of the misconceptions about the Texas oil industry they had. I straightened them all out, of course, and we had a good laugh at the whole Hollywood thing. We also talked about Aussie wines, chocolate, Aussie Rules footy, and food. It was a great time, but as the evening came to a close all I could think about was Cat and her present. I could barely contain my excitement and Cat saw through my condition instantly.

True to her nature, she teased me by flirting with me through the crowd. A wink here. A touch there. The touch doesn't sound like much in and of itself, but it was where she was touching me that was so unnerving - I will leave it to your imagination as to the where. By the time she agreed to leave, my body was out of control. My mind was in such turmoil that Cat had to drive us back to her house. Blasted hormones. I hated it when they caused me to lose control. Then again Cat was worth losing control over.

I made it a point to find Kathy to say goodnight and to thank her for her discretion. I told her that meant a great deal to me and that I hoped she would find someone to make her as happy as Cat had made me. Kathy gave me a quick peck on the cheek, hugged me, and wished me goodnight.

During the short drive back to her place, Cat told me that she was okay with my encounter with Kathy tonight. All I could do was tell her how much she meant to me. This was the complete truth. Then why did I feel some hint of shame? Maybe it was my obsessive nature rearing its ugly head. I did my best to push it away so it wouldn't spoil the evening. I hoped that was all it was to tell you the truth.

Cat had me wait in her livingroom while she went to change into the proverbial 'something more comfortable.' I did my best to occupy my time by looking through her CD collection and finding some interesting music. There was Hanne Boel, Tangerine Dream, and some Aussie singers who I hadn't heard of before like Cloudstreet, Mangrove Jack, and some others.

Eventually, I sat down on the sofa and turned the lights down to reduce the glare on my eyes. With the smoky atmosphere at Deb's my eyes were burning. It wasn't but a few minutes later that Cat returned in a translucent nightgown hinting at what lay beneath. With the low light, it was hard to see everything, but it looked like she had nothing on but a bra and panties with stockings being held up by garters. Her hair was brushed out full. Her body radiated sex. All I could do was look at her with my mouth open wide enough to stuff a few baseballs into. She looked amazing. Cool and hot all at the same time.

"Merry Christmas, my love."

Cat walked slowly over to me and put her hands on my shoulders pushing me gently back so she could straddle my hips. I was instantly harder than steel in the only place that counted. With her body grinding against me I was in the most exquisite pain I had ever felt. My body began to vibrate with energy as she continued her assault on my senses. An assault I allowed to happen. I closed my eyes and let her minister to me. It was great not knowing where she would touch me next. There were kisses on my neck one minute. Then she was taking my shirt off. She caressed my chest and let her hair brush against my face allowing me to take in her scent.

After driving me to the edge of ecstasy, she lightly maneuvered me on to my back and placed herself right on top of me. She peeled off the nightgown revealing her bra and panties. She reached behind, unlatched the bra, and dropped it to the carpet. Cat then leaned down letting her warm full breasts come to rest on my chest. A kiss on my lips. It wasn't a kiss of passion, but of a playful nature. The merest brush of her lips with a hint of tongue. As she rose back to a sitting position she lightly raked her fingernails down along my chest resulting in electrical tingles running throughout my body.

I looked up at her in the dimly lit room and reached up to touch her breasts. My hands moved gently over their bounty. Then I took her nipples between my thumb and forefinger and squeezed just hard enough until she let out a soft moan. Her back arched as her face looked toward the ceiling.

Cat leaned down, kissed me soundly, and then worked her way slowly down my chest, giving me love bites as she did so. It was as though our souls were winding themselves around one another. As she reached my manhood, she wasted no time in taking me into her mouth, devouring me completely. The wetness of her tongue and rhythm of her motion brought us to the place where our most primitive emotions lay raw.

In the very next instant, Cat stopped on a dime and stood up. She reached out her hand without saying a word, I rose to my feet and followed her into her bedroom where I found a couple of dozen candles lit around her bed. There was cinnamon, orange, clove, and some other scents I couldn't identify. It was wonderful.

Cat pulled me down on top of her letting her legs wrap around my hips, trapping me. I could think of no better place to be. Her legs tightened their grip around me, and my body began to vibrate uncontrollably in response. It was an utterly intense feeling.

Our passion exploded several times that night and I knew there would never be another night like that one. Cat had truly bound my heart to her forever. There would never be another woman for me. Never in a million years.

Part 12

As with all things, I learned that, my time in Australia was coming to an end. My project was being turned over to the customer for implementation. Something about the locals doing the work or some such. Crikey! I was heartbroken at the thought of having to return to the United States and leaving the one woman who meant more to me than anything on this planet. When I told Cat, we both cried ourselves to sleep, waking up in each other's arms. That was the the second toughest thing I have ever had to do in my life.

Cat, of course, wanted me to stay in Australia with her. Part of me wanted to do that too, but I knew I had an obligation to my company. I had to think about what I was going to do. There had to be a solution somewhere. Maybe I could get my company to assign me here to oversee the implementation and administration of the new email infrastructure. That would be the best of all possibilities.

Maybe I could arrange for Cat to come with me. I'd ask her of course, and hope that she could work it out. Temporarily, if not permanently.

Regardless of what path I chose there would be pain and a trip to Texas in my future.

My trip was scheduled two weeks out, and that made our time together more urgent and far more precious. Each look Cat gave me was filed in my mind for future retrieval. Each touch of her hand was exhilarating. Each night we spent together was a memory painted onto the tapestry of my heart.

There were many tears between us. Enough to fill a river we thought. I cherished each and every one.

We learned that Cat would not be able to get off right away so would not be able to travel with me back to the States. She did promise to make arrangements as soon as possible so we could be together. I told her I would let her know as soon as I could if I had been able to swing more time in Down Under. We promised to stay in touch for there was truly no choice for either of us. We were bonded to one another with cords stronger than steel.

The days passed all too quickly and before I knew it the day had arrived for me to leave. Cat insisted on driving me to the airport. Both of us tried to put on a brave front though we knew we were feeling deep emotional pain. I laid my hand on her leg for the sheer need of touching her.

After Cat parked her car, we walked into the airport and I checked in, letting my baggage go on to the conveyor for the plane. We still had about an hour before boarding so we walked up to the second floor lounge where we purchased some orange juice. We took a seat on some sofas overlooking the tarmac.

For a long time we simply stared into each other's eyes and held hands. We shared kisses between sips of our juice. The taste of sweet orange made the kiss all the more memorable.

"This is unbearable Jim." Cat's eyes filled with tears.

"I know." Mine followed her shortly thereafter. "Cat?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

"I love you too Jim. With all my heart."

I took her head to my shoulder and we continued to let our tears flow.

When they finally called my flight, I let the others board so that I could spend every last possible second with Cat. Then when the final boarding call came we walked to the gate and I gave Cat the very best kiss I could. I wanted her to know that there would never be another for me. She was the last woman I would ever love. This was, without doubt, the toughest thing I have ever had to do in my life.

As I waited for the plane to pull away from the gate I looked out the window trying to catch some sight of Cat, but there was none. Tears welled up in my eyes as I scanned the terminal windows. My heart was already aching for her closeness. I could only imagine what the rest of the flight would be like.

Then, as if out of some dream, I heard the voice which had so entranced me for the past few months. For a moment, I thought I was imagining it, but as the voice called to me a second time I turned around and found my Cat looking down at me from the aisle. The warmth of her smile took my breath away.

I couldn't say a word. My heart practically leaped out of my body at the sight of her. In a heartbeat she sat down next to me and planted a warm, passionate kiss on my anxious lips. When we broke we noticed that several passengers were staring at us. We smiled knowingly at one another and kissed again.

"What are you doing here?" I asked her breaking from our passion.

"I simply couldn't bear being away from you, Jim. I just couldn't. So I found out what flight you were on and booked passage as well. Are you surprised?"

"To say the least." I touched her cheek with my hand and reveled in the softness of her skin. I silently thanked God for this unexpected turn of events. "But how did you find out my itinerary?"

"Easy enough. Remember that I was with you when you booked your flight. I simply went back later and asked the agent to book me on the same flights. This way, I figured, I could protect you from all those American sheilas, and see your home at the same time."

"So you're my bodyguard then, huh?"

"Bloody well right I am!" Cat rested her hand on my legs causing me some very pleasant reactions.

"Good then I know I will be in the best of hands."

"You know it luv. I plan on taking very good care of you."

I leaned in, kissed her, and let my tongue linger on her lips as we broke.

The plane pulled away from the gate and we began the long journey back to Dallas, but now my Cat was with me and that made all the difference.

Upon our return, I was able to convince my boss to let me return to Australia so I could oversee the implementation of the new email system. It wasn't that big of a deal, as it turned out. He had wanted me on the project from the beginning, but wanted to find out how much I wanted the challenge. I don't know if he suspected anything beyond that desire to finish the project, and don't know if he would have changed his mind if he had. I like to think he wouldn't, but you never know with company execs. They tend to live in a world all their own separated from reality.

Cat and I returned to Canberra some two months later.

And now you know 'the rest of the story.' Well maybe not, for you see what I did not tell you is that shortly before our wedding, Cat completed her transition to womanhood by having her little secret removed. She was all woman, and more importantly, all mine.

Fin

 

 

 

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