Chapter 30

For a good part of the trip from Bathurst to Sydney, the train runs close enough to the road that we can see the cars ... see IN the cars. The rail car is tall enough that we were able to look down into the cars...

The things people do while driving can be ... and sometimes is ... shocking.

I said, “I hope they don’t hit a real jarring bump.”

Alice agreed, “She’d choke to death.”

“He’d bleed out.”

“Yup.”

“Surprising ... that,” I giggled.

Our train had a breakfast/brunch buffet.

We sampled ... First Class, don’t you know.

On arrival at Strathfield Station, we who were First Class were escorted to the Brisbane departure platform. The delay was explained and we were cautioned against ‘wandering off’ as missing the train was ‘a pain... ‘ I’m sure the escort meant pain in the arse ... but he was too polite to say.

So ... here we have two reasonably cute teen age girls ... one already degreed and employed and one who tested out of all first and second year classes ... passed with near perfect scores. A redhead with a modicum of experience and a a virgin. One of us is an exotic and the other is a half. I’m a lot like Americans ... there isn’t a ‘purity’ bone in my body. Daddy is mostly a mix of northern western Europe. Mom was ‘orential’ and Irish. I am an impossible red redhead with slightly slanted blue eyes. Mom was very short ... dad is 6 foot ... I refere to myself as ‘medium.’ The required female parts are also medium. I can’t hold up a pencil. Gravity has NOT set in.

Alice is Australian and Oriental ... with the best features of the breed. Black hair and eyes and ... umh ... constructed. She can support a McDonalds drinking straw ... but not a pencil. The girl has hips and knows how to swing ‘em.

We are at loose ends, so to speak. Neither of us are tee-shirted or jeaned, neither are we cheaply dressed. We run, hike, climb and bike. We have a pool ... and SWIM ... we are exactly what nature intended. Prime breeding stock.

First class ... not the cheap seats. We were kept together whilst the pesants hauled their own luggage. In our group were well dressed men who noticed two well dressed women ... and several of the well dressed men ... executives or interns ... were also of oriental extraction and they were either unmarried or wished they were. Businessmen or brokers taking the leisurely route ... perhaps going to meetings, coming from meetings or just relaxing.

Conversations were light, non - confrontational and lightly suggestive. We Were on the NIGHT train platform and there are sleeping quarters ... we had our own ... I looked ... speculated ... it’s been a while.

The bar opened.

“Drinks?”

“Coke,” I said.

“Sprite,” said Alice.

“Barman? Coke for the redhead.” “Sprite for the lady. I’ll have a pint of Tooheys, 666 by. (That’s a pint of locally brewed beer and a shot of Australian vodka on the side.

“Brisbane?”

“Yes.” Like twins.

“Business?”

“Recovery,” Alice.

“What does that mean?”

I said, “Daddy has cars at the Toy Vault...” Raised eyebrows on that ... Alice said, “We’re going to fetch ‘em.”

“Ferrari?”

“Ford Utes.” Twins again.

“Your dad owns the roadster Utes?”

“Yes.” Uhhuh ... Twins.

“I have a vintage Jag at the Vault.” He said, “I’ve admired the ‘34 ... the ‘35 not so much. What...?”

Alice said, “Restore. my sister and I are going to restore them.”

That drew a look from the other young men ... whether it was the ‘restore’ ... or the ‘sisters’ ... It caught interest.

Fairly soon, we were surrounded. As it was I felt like a cow in a Hollywood western roundup. Alice and I ended up on opposite sides of the platform.

Thank god ... the train saved us.