Authors Note: This part is written in the TJ Character.

  

Who Said That Three is a Crowd?

by Samantha Michelle Davies

Part 3 – On The Trail

  

After Mike left the suite, I lay on the bed with Judy for a while trying to sort out in my mind what had happened over the preceding few days. I couldn't quite believe why he/she had done this for us. There had to be some ulterior motive. A few old sayings went through my mind. "There's no such thing as a free lunch", "If it is too good to be true then it is probably is". Judy had dozed off so I was alone with my thoughts.

I just could not put my finger on what was bothering me. Sure I was scared of getting into a relationship with a man. My last affair and its sordid ending still hurt. I fell into a relationship with Judy on the rebound. I thought back to all the words of hate I had directed towards all men. Mike/Freddie just did not fit the normal picture of a man especially when he was Freddie. I felt that this was part of the problem but I was still not at ease with the whole situation. Could I accept that Freddie was really Mike underneath? Just as the whole lesbian affair with Judy was new and different, this was just strange.

I was also feeling unhappy about where he was going for the next six weeks. I had not really had time to breathe since the fashion show. My life had sort of started to revolve around him and suddenly he was off and out of our lives. Just like that. Here today, gone tomorrow. I went over our visit to Oxfordshire and what I saw in the house. I was trying to get some clues about who he/she really was. A sort of picture formed in my mind and it was still hazy. I saw something significant but I could not really put my finger on what it really was.

I was still going over the same things again and again when Judy stirred herself.

"Welcome back from the lad of nod" I said.

"How long have I been sleeping?" asked a drowsy Judy?

"A couple of hours. That's all".

I reached over and kissed her gently.

"What's that for?"

"Its for being here. That's all"

"I'm here" she said and reached up and embraced me.

When we broke apart she said "Ok TJ, what is troubling you. "

I tried to say something but I just could not get any words out.

She hugged me tighter

I eventually got some words out.

"Its just that everything had happened so quickly. And why did he pick on us? Life is not supposed to be like this"

Earlier, when we were here on the bed, did it feel like there was a man here with us? To me, it felt like another woman. He did not treat us as sex object as men do. There is certainly something different about Freddie," said Judy

"I know all that, but underneath all that there is a cock and testosterone and everything. Every man I have known has an ulterior motive to everything they do. That motive is sex. Its pure and simple."

I paused for a second

"I just don't trust men. At the moment, I don't trust men who dress up as women even more. I can't accept that he could ever really be our 'Fairy Godmother'".

There I had got it out.

"And"

"And what?" asked TJ.

"Do you want to live forever behind your grunge mask. You are a beautiful woman who is also talented to boot. You could never be the Dizzy Blonde type. You should be proud of being a woman. Freddie recognises this talent in you and wants to be with you," stated Judy as she held me close.

I said nothing for a very long moment

"I know all that but... I still have reservations. Why did he go away like that? Just as we were starting to get to know him. What has he got to hide?"

"I'm sure that he will tell us all in good time" said Judy still trying to comfort me.

"But..." I was almost weeping now. Quite why I didn't know but it sort of felt right.

"Look TJ, here is a man who has show nothing but kindness & sensitivity to you. In the light of your past experiences, this just does not feel right. I'm sure that when we get to know him better we will look back at this and wonder why we were being so silly"

I said nothing for a bit

"But..."

Judy cut me off.

"No more buts. Lets think about what we are going to do in the next four to six weeks with all this lovely money!"

I just held her tight with my eyes screwed shut and said nothing. Random thoughts were flying through my brain at great speed. I just could not concentrate on one thing for more than a few seconds.

Nothing more was said for what seemed like an age but was probably only a few minutes. I broke off her embrace and got up from the bed. I saw myself in the mirror. I looked like I had been dragged through a wet hedge backwards. Judy lay on the bed watching me.

I went into the bathroom clutching my makeup bag and decided that what I was wearing was beyond repair so I washed it all of and began to make myself presentable once more. My brain was still racing with lots of inconstant and incoherent thoughts but I started feeling better once my "war paint" was properly applied.

When I emerged from the bathroom Judy was pretty well dressed and getting things packed up ready to leave.

"What are your plans for the rest of the day?" I asked.

"Girl, you have made a quick recovery!"

"Not quite but getting better" I replied smiling.

"Well?" she had not replied to my initial question.

"How about dinner and a relaxing evening here. After all, this place is paid for," she suggested.

Just off the top of my head I said, "How about we go to a show? I'm sure that the concierge downstairs could get us some good tickets"

"My. We are feeling better aren't we? What do you suggest?"

"Chicago?"

"Good choice. Then what?"

"A late dinner followed by some bubbly back here," I suggested.

"The girl is back on form all right. You get dressed while I try to get us some tickets!"

After a short phone call Judy disappeared downstairs. I guessed that some folding money was changing hands. This was confirmed by the waving of two excellent tickets to one of the hottest shows in town when Judy re-appeared.

"Dinner is also sorted. We have a table for two at 10:30pm at a small Italian place in The Sicilian Arcade. The concierge's brother apparently runs it. Iced Fizz will be waiting for us when we get back" she said gleefully.

"Lets go then" I took her hand and we left the hotel in far better spirits than we both had been earlier. The whole evening was a great success.

During the evening we had a chance to talk about what we were going to do on the next few weeks. Judy said that she was going to see some family in Scotland. I was uncertain but I knew that I had to find out more about Mike/Freddie.

"I think I will do some window shopping in Paris," I told Judy.

"It is very quiet there during August. Many places close until September. It is a good place to relax"

We both slept in until well after the noon checkout time but this was not a problem after a little fluttering of Judy's eyelashes, the hotel said that it would add it to Mike's bill.

We kissed each other goodbye well, for a long time outside the front of the Hotel. I'm sure that more than a few people took notice in what we were doing. We didn't care...

We agreed to meet up back in London at the end of August.

I jumped into a cab and told the driver my address in Edgware. Judy got a cab and headed for her home south of the river. As we headed through Trafalgar Square I called out to the cabby.

"I'm sorry I have changed my mind. Take me to Australia House"

He just shook his head at the loss of a good fare.

"Don't worry," I said, "you will get a tenner for this short journey"

He turned his head and gave me a slight smile.

There I had made the snap decision; I was going to Australia. By know we were going round Aldwych and nearing our destination.

For some reason, since the break-up of my last relationship with a man, I had never gone anywhere without my passport. I would need it if I were going to get a visa for travel to Oz.

We pulled up in front of Australia House. I paid the cabby his promised tenner, turned and went inside. I asked for the visa section. The receptionist asked if my purpose was for Business or Leisure.

"What's the difference?" I asked.

"Tourist visas can take a week to issue. Business visas can be done in a day" came the reply.

"Business Visa" I replied. I thought why had I done that. I should have said Tourist.

I was directed to a room on the first floor marked naturally enough "Business Visas". I was given a form to fill out which I did to the best of my ability. I could not answer a few of the questions but I hoped that I could sort of blag my way through and get the visa.

I handed it over and the very charming clerk read through it carefully. He asked me some further questions and said that everything was in order.

"Do you have a another passport sized photo with you?" he asked when he had finished stamping the application form.

"No I don't"

"That's Ok. There is a Photo Booth in the Tourist Visa Section next door. Why don't you pop in there while I finish the rest of the formalities." He said smiling. His smile exposed a perfect set of white teeth that gleamed in contract to his beautifully tanned skin.

I went to the adjoining room and quickly obtained the required photograph. The clerk was just finishing up putting the details of my visa into his computer. A printer sprang to life and the completed visa was printed out. He stuck it into my passport and attached an official stamp. I gave him the still slightly damp photo and he stapled it to my application form. I handed over the £30.00 for the visa and left the High Commission my head really spinning from my good fortune. The clerk also gave me a copy of my completed application form, which I stuffed into my handbag without much thought.

I wandered back down the strand ironically towards the Savoy. I had passed several travel agents but my eye was caught by a window display with a large picture of Sydney Bridge.

Well, I thought. You have got the visa now you must get a flight. There was no time like the present so I took a deep breath and wandered inside.

"I would like to fly to Sydney on Friday if possible" I asked giving the agent as nice a smile as I could.

"This could be a problem. Most flights are full. It's the school holidays you know!" he calmly replied as he hit the keys of his PC keyboard.

"I can do you BA Business on Friday Night, back two weeks later for just under three grand"

He continued to hit the keyboards.

"Quantas is the same price" he kept hitting the keys.

"I can get you there on Singapore Airlines in economy for about £900. Otherwise, there is not much available"

I thought for a few seconds. What if I met Mike on the plane? Australia is a very big place. He could be going to Perth or some other place. I had not thought this through very well at all.

I took a deep breath and said, "I'll take the BA flight please". I thought, "There goes my car out of the door".

"How will you pay?"

"Cash"

He looked startled but shook his head at the crazy woman who was going to pay for a three grand ticket in cash and started preparing the paperwork for the sale.

Ten minutes later, I walked out of the travel agents in proud possession of a return ticket to Sydney, a visa and with a huge hole in the money Mike had given me less than 24 hours previously. Yes I was crazy & impetuous but in my heart I felt that I was doing the right thing (I hoped)

The next few days were a blur of activity. I made the decision to move out of my student flat and put all my things into storage. Ok, so I would be homeless when I got back but I was sure that I could find somewhere to crash out for a short while until I got back together with Judy and/or Mike.

One part of me dreaded meeting with Mike on the flight. The other wanted it to happen. After all, how many direct flights were there for Australia every day. I panicked when I thought of this one and called into a travel agent and asked. There were more than I had imagined but I just could not see Mike using some of the alternatives to the main carriers BA & Quantas. This cheered me up but I was still going to have lots of nerves when I went to the airport on Friday evening.

I sorted through my clothes and realised that most of what I had was going to be totally unsuitable for my trip. I was not sure how an Australian Winter compared with a British Summer but as far as my eye could see, the prospects were not very good.

I stood there looking at my decrepit collection of clothes and chuckled inwardly as I realised that whatever fate that this trip dished out, I would be a totally different person to the one that sullenly greeted Mike just those few short days ago.

"Sod it!" I said out loud and picked up almost everything and stuffed it into a plastic bin liner. A clean sweep was needed. This action and further similar drastic decisions greatly reduced the amount of Junk that I was going to moved wherever fate took me. I took the whole lot of the remaining "Stuff" and put it into store. One of the people sharing my house took most of the clothes I discarded so the decision to throw it all out was not a complete waste.

Now that I had disposed of most of my worldly goods in one-way or another, I needed some replacements. I headed towards the West End on the Tube. I got off at Brent Cross and toured the huge shopping centre. I used a pretty sizeable chunk of the remaining cash to outfit myself for my trip. Even if I didn't find Mike I would enjoy myself.

One of my favourite places to go to study during my off periods from college was Westminster City Library on Marylebone Road. It was here I returned on Thursday to spend the day doing as much research as possible into Mike and why he was heading for Australia. I knew his full name and address from the draft contracts he gave us so that was the logical place to start. As it was the holidays, there was not much business doing on the Public Internet terminals located in the Library. This was just as well as I sort of monopolised one for the best part of the day. At the end of the day, I was about the last person to be thrown out as they closed; I had built up quite a picture of Mike/Freddie. As I crossed over Marylebone Road towards Baker St Tube Station I saw the lights of Madame Tussauds Wax Works come on in the gathering gloom. I chuckled to myself. Well Mike/Freddie I now know a lot more about you and even though you hide behind a mask at times, all will be revealed in due course. The clues that I saw during my visit to your house now all fell into place and at last, I understood why I had made the decision to travel to Australia.

I was a much happier person as I travelled back to my by now bare bed sit in Edgware for the last time. All trace of the depression of a few days earlier had gone.

The next day was as busy as ever. I held a small party for the rest of the inhabitants of my HMO (House of Multiple Occupancy). One of the guys Dave had volunteered to take me to Heathrow in his ancient VW Camper (Circa 1968…) that was still gaudily decorated in Flower Power Symbols. They guy was a complete throwback. All that ever came out of his room was Hendrix, Zeppelin & Floyd. He was born a whole generation too late but I was not going to pass up the chance of a lift even though I had one or two doubts about the ability of "Sarah-Jane" to make it to the Airport without breaking down. Yes he called his van after his two sexual conquests in life. He was a sad person. I look back as I write this story and wondered why at one time I had even fancied him. I thought him so cool for being different. I now give a little shudder at the very thoughts I was remembering.

Having said my goodbyes Dave loaded my new suitcase into Sarah-Jane and we set off. My doubts were completely unfounded as she performed like a trooper and got us there in one piece, one time and without a breakdown.

Having a Business Class Ticket meant that I did not have to check in with the "unwashed masses" in Economy. I felt I was entitled to that opinion after all I had paid through the nose for the ticket. I kept my eye open for Mike but I did not see him as I waited in the Queue to check in. Mercifully, the wait was just a few minutes and I stepped up to the counter.

I handed over my tickets and passport. The Check-in clerk did her job and started to allocate me a seat. I plucked up enough courage and asked if Mike Thompson had checked in yet. I said that I was supposed to be travelling with him. She stopped my check in and looked up the passenger list.

"There seems to be no one by that name on BA0009. We have two flights to Sydney tonight. Let me look at the other one"

"Thank you that would be nice" I replied.

"I'm sorry there is no one by that name on that flight either. Both flights tonight a completely full. Perhaps he was booked on the Quantas Flight earlier."

I was disappointed and I probably showed it.

With the check in finished, I headed for the Business Class lounge. This was ca completely new experience for me. In the past I had only ever travelled with charter airlines. I was treated as if I was someone. Well I, rather Mike was paying for it so I supposed that I only got what I paid for.

The quiet of the lounge was so very different from the main terminal. I was feeling very relaxed especially with the aid of some bubbly by the time our flight was called. I had not expected to be presented with a bed instead of a seat but that's what I got. I knew that I was going to enjoy this flight even if we arrived in Sydney at about 05:00.

The flight was long and boring. The tedium was only broken by the short stop in Bangkok for refuelling.

Once I had passed through Immigration & Customs at Sydney I had several hours to kill before my connecting flight to Broken Hill took off.

I arrived in Broken Hill just before midday. It was a beautiful warm day with the sun shining. As I walked across the hot tarmac towards the terminal building, that if this were a typical winters day then I would hate to be here in mid summer. I was glad that I had dressed sensibly for the trip but I was relieved to get inside the air-conditioned building and out of the sun.

After picking up my bags I headed for the Avis counter where I hoped my car was waiting for me. The simple formalities were soon completed and I was driving out of the airport into the Australian Outback for the first time. It was about now that Jet Lag started to catch up with me. I decided that I would stay the night in town and head west the next morning hopefully refreshed from a good nights sleep. I found a motel on the outskirts of town and checked in. I fell onto the bed and soon fell asleep.

I slept right through the night and awoke refreshed and prepared for the day ahead. I hit the road after some breakfast and headed towards the border with South Australia.

As I passed from NSW into SA the butterflies in my stomach started fluttering. I was not only having second but third & fourth thoughts about what I was doing. There was not much traffic on the road so I made good time towards my destination.

Around lunchtime, I decided to stop for some refreshment at the next town. This was the small town of Leigh Creek. I reached there in mid afternoon and found myself in a coal-mining town. I pulled up outside the hotel in the main street. My car was the only thing moving. This was so very different from the traffic chaos that is London. I found the local tourist information office and obtained directions for the next phase of my journey.

I entered the restaurant/café attached to the hotel and ordered some food. The place was pretty empty. I saw from information on the menu that the place normally catered for coach parties on their way from Adelaide to Alice Springs. I ate the food and feeling refreshed I hit the road once more. I had less than a hundred miles to go to reach my final destination, Marree.

The countryside was becoming more and more arid. It had all the signs of being a virtual desert. The sighting of a couple of camels crossing the road proved it. I began to wonder if anyone could eke out a living in such a place.

A few miles south of Marree I saw a pained sign beside the road as I drove past, indicating the road to Willis Station. This was my destination. I did a U-turn and headed down this track. It was a dirt road. I had never driven on anything like this before. The road headed for some low hills and indeed it snaked up an over them into a small valley which much to my surprise had some green fields which was in a total contrast to the pretty barren landscape all around.

I saw the farm building ahead and pulled up outside the house. Stiffly, I got out of the car and went up the steps and knocked on the door.

After a few seconds, I heard someone coming towards the door. It opened.

"Hello Mike" I said.

 

To be continued in part 4

Authors Note:

I know there are hardly any TV events (actually NONE) in this chapter but I wanted to develop the character of TJ more. She is a complex person with a dark and troubled history and I think this is justified after all I am the author and I know (I hope) where the story is going. If you disagree please let me persevere with my story through a few more chapters before you pour scorn on my creative efforts. Even though there are some other efforts by myself already published on www.storysite.org, this story was the first piece of creative writing I have ever done. This chapter was not in the original draft but I felt that there were far too many loose ends left up on the air to leave them unattended to. The next installment is also not in the original draft.

  

  

  

*********************************************
© 2003 by Samantha Michelle Davies. All Rights Reserved. These documents (including, without limitation, all articles, text, images, logos, and compilation design) may be printed for personal use only. No portion of these documents may be stored electronically, distributed electronically, or otherwise made available without the express written consent of StorySite and the copyright holder.