Rachel’s description of her time on the neighbouring beach had been quite graphic. It was a couple of days later before I got her alone again. This time, she was not so open about what had happened during her last two days in Jamaica. She spent the first half hour trying to convince me how what had happened was a one-off and that she intended never to let it happen again. I think she was embarrassed by how much she had al...

This is a true story. My second wife and I got married in 1988, and we had not been married long when a girlfriend from her netball days turned up on our doorstep. Her name was Rachel, and she had just returned from her big OE in London. Having nowhere to stay, we put her up for a couple of weeks while she searched for a flat. Rachel was just your average-looking girl next door type, but she wasn’t plain and had a spectac...

In a moment of weakness, my good mate’s wife, Gina, told me this story. I need to go back a few years to explain our relationship and how she happened to open up to me. Gina was an old-school friend of my first wife’s. Her full name was Georgina, but I’d never known anyone to call her that. I first met her and her husband, Ivan, at our wedding. Neither my wife nor I knew Ivan before the wedding day. But in the following m...

Once Cory had paid Lewis for the ride, he, Maria, and Penny stood by the hotel's main door and watched Lewis drive off. Penny had a sad look on her face. Cory asked her if she was alright. "Yes. But Lewis asked me if he could see me later. I didn't answer him. I was too scared. I wish I had said yes." "Why didn't he come up with us now? Cory and I wouldn't have minded," said Maria. "He said he had two more groups to pick...

When Cory heard the banging on his door, he tried to work out where he was. It was some moments before the memories of the night before drifted into his mind. His daughter's wedding, making love to his ex-wife Maria, and then the fact that he was to meet her for breakfast. He leapt up and pulled on some briefs and the robe from the back of the bathroom door before heading to open the door. Sacha pushed past him. "You have...

In the summer of 1981, Cory Larson was twenty-five. Ronald Reagan was president, and John DeLorean had just released his flagship DMC-12. Cory had aspirations of owning one. He had graduated from the University of Cincinnati, third in class, with an Engineering degree. His high achievement had landed him an excellent position at one of Cincinnati's leading Civil Engineering firms. He was your all-American boy, tall, hands...

As we sailed into Akarana Marina, I asked Ryker what he wanted me to do. Aaron was already tidying up the ropes, halyards, etc., on the bow, and I wanted to do my bit. “Just go below and get your stuff packed, then look for anything in the fridge that needs to go in the freezer or be thrown out. We don’t need to do much today, as I will come down and tidy the boat tomorrow morning,” then added, “You could get Aaron to sor...

Rufus and I were much closer after the adventure above the river with Liz. We never really discussed the happenings of that day canoeing in any great detail, but we did give one another funny looks when certain things came up in conversation. However, I did have a lot of questions for him that stemmed from that afternoon. A couple of days after the trip we took my group of kids down to the river, to go skinny dipping. As...

In the Seventies, some mates and I travelled to England for the big OE (Overseas Experience). Many Kiwis do this in their late teens or early twenties, once they have completed University, or their apprenticeships, etc. We all found jobs around London, partied hard and did weekend trips to all the touristy spots. One day, one of our mates brought to our attention an advert for students to do volunteer work in an American...

When she awoke on Monday morning, Gerrie still felt uncomfortable about her actions on Saturday night. She looked at her still-sleeping husband and thought again about the exquisite feelings Chima had awoken in her. Emotions that had been so strong she had howled dirty obscenities like an immoral slut. All of the previous day, she and Brett had been a little hesitant with one another. So she made a vow to herself that she...

Geraldine's stomach felt queasy as the captain's voice announced that their flight was on approach to Louis Armstrong International Airport. She leaned against her husband, her head almost on his shoulder, and had such a firm grip on his hand her knuckles were white. Gerrie was not a good flyer, but it was not her fear of flying or the earlier turbulence that had butterflies in her stomach. The main reason for her anxiety...

In 2019, I did a cruise around the Indian Ocean. Now that I have separated and live alone, I visit my mother in Australia at least three times a year. On at least one of these visits, my mother and I go on a cruise, for although she is now in her nineties, she still loves to travel. On this cruise, we took in the ports of Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar, and Reunion Island. It was an Italian ship, so the only person who...

I almost felt sorry for Carson. Despite his indiscretions with Sacha, he had been the life of the party, and now he was sitting on the window seat looking pretty lonely. Then I saw Sally take Ethan by the hand and walk him towards the stairs. As she passed Carson, she whispered something to him. He smiled, gave them a minute, and then snuck down the stairs to join them. “Did you see that?” I asked Aaron. “Dirty little bug...

Tony had opened the table, and twelve places were set on it. Not all chairs matched, as Rex had brought six up from their house. Valerie ushered us to our seats, stating that no couples were to sit together. Tony sat at the top of the table, and then to his left were Bailey, Rex, Ethan, Myself, and Ryker. Carson, Valerie, Owen, Sally and Sacha were to his right, with Aaron sitting at the bottom of the table. But as we all...

Ryker put the phone on speaker, then hushed us all as the phone started to ring. When Ethan picked up, Ryker introduced himself and mentioned they had met at the volunteer fire brigade party two months before. Ethan said he remembered him, and Ryker told him that he and some friends were at Valerie and Tony’s riding out the storm. “We are cooking up a feed of seafood tonight. And wondered if you and Sacha would like to jo...