The Boys from Binjiwunyawunya by Robert G. Barrett Page B

one around him and had a shave in the large vanity mirror built around the marble basin. There were several bottles of skin conditioner, deodorant and after-shave sitting neatly to the side. He sprayed some Mennen under his arms and settled for a bit of Monsieur Rochas to splash over his face.
    â€˜Well, I certainly feel a lot better after that.’ He smiled at the others as he stood in the entranceway to the lounge in his T-shirt and stubbies.
    â€˜You look a lot better, too,’ laughed Mumbi.
    â€˜You don’t smell half bad either,’ giggled Numidi. ‘I can smell you from over here.’
    Murray smiled back a little self-consciously. ‘Anyway gang, I’m gonna hit the sack. Thanks for the grouse meal girls — and you too fellas. I’ll see you in the morning.’
    â€˜Goodnight Murray. Sleep tight,’ came the chorus from the loungeroom.
    Back in the guestroom, Murray felt tired but he also felt a strange kind of freshness from the shower. He switched off the main light and turned on the small fluorescent one behind the bed. There were several copies of
Hooves and Horns
on a small table so he decided to read for a little while before he went to sleep.
    He was standing there flicking through a couple with his back to the door when he heard it click open then close again. He turned around slowly to see Koodja standing there in the soft light wearing nothing but a pair of skimpy, pink knickers and a brief, white nightie held up by two tiny bows across her shoulders. The nightie barely covered her bum and appeared to be so delicate that if you looked at it hard it would disintegrate.
    â€˜Koodja?’ said Murray, blinking up from the magazine. ‘What’s... what’d you want?’
    â€˜Oh nothing,’ she replied coyly. ‘Tjalkalieri told me to look in and make sure our special guest was all right.’
    â€˜Oh he did, did he?’ Murray had to smile at her little white lie.
    â€˜Yes.’
    â€˜And did Tjalkalieri tell you I was a happily married man?’
    â€˜Yeah. He mentioned something about it.’ She shrugged, making the two little bows dance. ‘But that’s okay. I only came to make sure you were all right.’
    â€˜Mmhh.’
    Koodja moved to the other side of the bed and climbed in under the covers.
    â€˜I thought you said you were tired?’ she smiled up at him, patting the space next to her.
    Murray put the magazine down and looked at the exquisitely beautiful young girl for a moment. In twelve years of marriage to Elaine, Murray had very rarely strayed from the straight and narrow. He loved his wife and two sons fiercely and would kill anyone who happened to so much as lay a finger on any of them. But here he was, quite weary, a long long way from home, and his senses clouded somewhat from all the wine, beer and liqueur. And after all, he was only human.
    Koodja smiled up at him devilishly and ran her tongue slowly across her top lip. Murray drew back the covers and climbed into bed next to her. She immediately slid across to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Murray ranhis hand up over her ribcage and cupped her almost unbelievably firm breast in his hand. He squeezed it gently and the delicate, pink nipple straight away firmed up under the soft massage of his thumb. The next thing he was kissing her and her hot, sweet tongue was darting hungrily, enticingly into his mouth.
    â€˜Koodja,’ he whispered quietly. ‘You’re right. I am tired. Real tired.’ He kissed her again. ‘But I’m not that tired. I don’t think I could ever get that bloody tired.’
    The following Wednesday morning in Sydney, Les was up at six a.m. He had a run on Bondi, got cleaned up, had breakfast and was in the lounge room on the phone to Price when Warren got out of bed about eight. Price was having breakfast next to his swimming pool when Les told him it was on and he’d be needing that $100,000.