 Banner by Tabitha's Cat Chapter 6 That Ned fella is clearing his throat now, maybe one of those big creek bullfrogs jumped right in there and he is not laughing at the tomato outfit. Right “So where have they moved the bank to in Jerilderie?” Oh I don’t know about you but I find myself wishing for some other request about now, like ‘will you give me a hand getting out of these boots?’ or ‘are yer ready to do that again?’ something along those lines, something more enticing than finance and town planning at any rate. If I was hoping that my rather tired reply of “I don’t think they have one anymore- a proper bank branch that is. I just used the cash point machine.” would be an end to it then I am sadly mistaken. I notice another one of those glances, between the man whose lap I am taking up and Mr Hair over there, glances where they appear to have a conversation all their own in less than a second, and it crosses my mind that these men are, for all their joking, deadly serious. Hmmm Outwardly he is smiling like a boy who has just been told that Tims Tams come in many different varieties, kissing the side of my cheek with pleasurable anticipation of the next bite, and what I can only describe as a dash of something like pride in his most latest conquest being useful in other ways than simply the obvious. Yes I can stand in for double layer crunchy caramel centre, if you ask nicely. “A cash point machine you say Lass, now I like the sound of that! Grand- so what exactly is one of those?” This is getting bloody stupid I might not be Paul McKenna, but I do consider myself in possession of some intuition, and especially when a man is pulling one of my disappointingly short legs. A rather long suffering sigh precedes my “Oh you know- a hole on the wall- put your card in – tap the super secret numbers and out pops Australian dollars- easy peasy” Just to make absolutely sure of the heavy sarcasm I consider telling him about the little man that lives in the machine and counts it out, only I wish I didn’t half think he might believe me; I don’t want to hold his hand in the queue to open a savings account. I want to…well you know He is frowning now, no doubt debating with himself whether he will get away with this one “I don’t suppose you would happen to have one of them cards would you?” Oh nice try. Fucks sake Eva, didn’t see that one coming huh? And you thought you were one step ahead at least “Yes I have a card, but I haven’t got any money in the bank, so you are out of luck” But now they are all staring at me like I am from out of space, try words of one syllable; I must be in some kind of parallel world here, the intellectually challenged one, to put it politely. So while I slip my hand in my pocket to pull out my wallet, which just changes the angle of my tail bone, to keep the more pressing points to the forefront of our minds, I tell them about the rudimentary facts about the banking system. Just what I planned huh? No sounds of hard sex in the bush, instead I am prattling on about deposits and withdrawals of a considerably more dull kind. This Steve evidently thinks I am an idjut, he is examining somewhat dismissively the Visa I just tossed him, holding it to his nose as if you can smell bullshit. Funny enough my bank manager often has the same expression. Sort of goes ‘you are frigging jokin’ right?’ Just as I am beginning to feel the lust drain away in a sea of life skills education I hear a breath behind me “But some fellas must fill up the machine regular then, for people to ‘draw it out’. How often do they do it? Just the once a day?” Sharp Joe Byrne. Not only do you grasp the practicalities of 21st century banking but also the point of my private joke, the only thing that is keeping this conversation any way entertaining. And yes I do appreciate the barely perceptible and yet rather physical demonstration of the double entendre even if it is STILL from underneath cotton. Christ. “Listen I don’t know when they fill it up- maybe they only do it once a week.” A hiss behind his teeth makes me grin. At least that’d be something though eh? Keep it up and I might consider telling you the basics of an overdraft facility. “I only went there the once, and to be honest I wasn’t sitting watching the comings and goings of people drawing out their savings. Wasn’t marked on the Ned Kelly tour map you know? You would have to stake it out I suppose…to find out” Oh my God, so now I am the consultant on robbing cash point facilities in New South Wales. Cool career move. Mr Woodward WILL be proud of me. “Righto! Let’s go!” The beard moved before he did but this Ned chap, it appears, is a man of action “WHAT?” no no no No! I am tipped off a lap and into a standing position before I can grab hold. “You aren’t going now surely!” Don’t plead Eva; you know it isn’t good for your self esteem. Oh but!! BUT! “I thought you were going to stay here, I came to…” a rather pathetic “and it’s dark now...” only compounding my shame. Hmmmm might need to have a private conversation I think, this is really not good, and they are all smirking. All except Joe who has his eyes up to the heavens. Just perhaps this wasn’t quite his plan either. Hope springs eternal eh? Will avoid looking directly at his trousers for confirmation, as that no doubt will give the game away to the others. Hahahahah Eva. Yeah they thought you came up in the middle of an Australian Bush night for some amateur star gazing. Where is that Southern Cross again boys? Frankly though I am now a little close to tears, frustration and not to mention anger, oh and some ‘scared shitless I will never find my way back to town’ thrown in for extra measure, that’d about do it. “What about me? What are you going to do with me?” I don’t care if I sound whiny. I feel I have earned the right, having explained international finance systems on barely a drop of whiskey, to be whiny. Jeez, this relationship is getting on a pace huh? “Oh you are coming with us, can’t leave you behind to raise the alarm now can we?” Hmmm, well you know this does feel like a step on wouldn't you say? I move away from the group, straining to see whether I am about to walk straight into what passes for a tree in these parched places and hoping he is going to follow me. Buggered if he doesn’t. The others seeming to be intent now anyway, I can hear them, putting out the poor excuse for a fire and picking up the saddles they were sitting on, a sense of purpose suddenly. In the dark now I can just about see as I turn. Softer. His mouth open just a little as he licks his bottom lip, those lashes gracing his cheeks before he looks up. “Will yer come Eva? With me” “To rob a cash point machine?” Alright I can’t quite believe I asked that either “No. To spend what’s left of a night” “Well that’s what I had planned on…in case that was in question...” He is smiling, I can’t see it, but I can feel it, he is against me, taller by most of a foot I would say, so close I could almost be inside his jacket “We’d at least have a bed, not just the ground to lie on yer know...” Oh like that was the deciding factor. But I better see if I can muscle up some kind of a dignified response “How far is it?” ok ok so that wasn’t so good, bear with me. This man is just pulsing with it, can hear his heartbeat in the silence of the night. “Ah, I don’t know exactly, an hour or so across the countryside from Deniliquin” he is satisfyingly a little distracted “the Royal Mail Hotel is still standing yer say?” “Last time I saw it…not so sure after tonight..” hahahahah Christ. “Be softer on yer back…a bed that is” he really does seem to think he might need to do some more convincing huh? “And yours...” Jesus, I think I heard him groan against my hair. I really want to touch him, hear that some more. Feel his cock hard under heavy cloth and make him barely able to stop pressing into my hand. Starting off that helter skelter ride into what we both want to do right now, but the others are getting ready to leave, can hear them bringing horses up a slope, the clinking of buckles and the soft munching of sharp grass. And I can feel him holding his desire in check. “Can’t we catch them up?”/”I have to go with them” the words get all tangled up together and I stare up at him, watching him repeat the question before I nod. OK. No other choice anyhow is there now. 
You ever been on a horse? Stood next to one? They are fucking enormous. I can barely reach the top of this ones back never mind see how I am going to get myself up on it. Not only that but the bloody thing keeps moving, shuffling around and snorting. Who knew horses were such discerning creatures. “Put yer foot in the stirrup Eva, I will give yer a push up” Oh how romantic eh? Not quite the whisking of my sprightly lithe body into the saddle as he rides dashingly past, more “all hands on deck chaps, this one is going to take some muscle” There is a nasty moment at the top there, when it, or rather I, could go either way and I cling hard to the slippery saddle to steady myself. Hold tight for Christ’s sake, I imagine sliding completely over the top and down the other side is not going to do much for my image here, not to mention I would more than likely break my leg. “Hold up..” In the next second he is behind me on the saddle with a grin, hands taking the reins and the press of his hips against my ass. Jesus, an hour you say? Going to be the longest ride of my life...hahaahahah |