Week 2 / Saturday

Larissa was last to arrive for dinner on Saturday night. It had been a very long day, and she gave a sigh of relief when she sat next to Julian after hugging the other guys who she hadn’t seen the night before.

Julian kissed her and said, “Hard day?”

“Yeah. You could say that. A very long day too. But it’s very lovely to be here with you all.”

Sophie served her some food, and said, “A long day? Oh yes, you’re still not on Australian time.”

“Oh no, that’s not it. I had a late night last night, and then I had a zoom call at 5am this morning. I thought it was 6, but I got the timezones wrong, so 5. But that was probably good because it went long, so I only just made it to work on time.”

“Why did you have a zoom call at 5am on a Saturday?” Xander asked. “I work weird hours but that’s extreme.”

“Oh, I was talking with a billionaire’s granddaughter. You explain, Julian.”

When Julian had explained, Xander said to him, “I hope you got up with her.”

Larissa laughed. “As if. Anyway, there were three of them on the call, the girl Alison, her cousin, and her best friend. And it was a weird call. Cause on the one hand, Alison is a princess among girls. I talked to her first, just getting a feel for her life. Her family is extremely wealthy, she’s always had maids and bodyguards, and she went to an expensive private school where she was the queen of the pack. Beautiful, fit, manicured. All that, everything you could imagine into a Hollywood movie about rich girls, it’s all her. And so I made some assumptions about her...”

“So then we started talking about being a vet. And Alison, she loves animals. She was telling me about it, the princess way, you know, the pretty horse, the prancing poodle. So I told her about my average day, all the mud, blood, and piss. Well, she mucks her horses pen out everyday. Herself. And she showed me some photos of her and her friend, feeding the pigs and holding the piglets, as filthy as I’ve ever got. So I unwound my assumptions, and it turns out she’s also a really compassionate girl who’s famous amongst her peers because she talks to the helps kids, and not only knows their names, she lends them clothes and looks after their animals and so on. Her cousin does not approve at all, by the way.”

“So then we got on famously, and I spent an hour telling her what I do, some funny stories, and some emotional ones. But then I shocked her, cause I told her about shooting animals. She pretty much responded how I did at first. And then finally I went inside to wake Julian up so she could ask him what’s like, being married to a first responder. Oh, and cause she liked his chest. And then she just decided that she really liked talking to me, and she’s a bit over winter, so she’s going to come and spend a day with me next week, and then go and check out Bondi, cause she’s heard the guys are good looking there. And probably the other two are coming, though they weren’t sure – one thought she had a date one of the nights, and they might not be able to get back early enough in the afternoon.”

The rest of the family were looking at her, eyes boggling. “They can just get tickets like that?” James asked.

“Oh no, they don’t need tickets. But she does have to check that the jet’s available.” Now they really were amazed.

“Me, I think that it won’t happen. But who knows? The billionaire told me to just tell her what it’s like, so I did. So she might become a vet. Except maybe she’ll go the Olympics instead.”

“Because, like, she just can?” Jaiden asked, laughing.

“Apparently, something horse related. Money counts there, and she can outspend anyone else, though she does have to train. But she does, and she’s nationally something or other. My mind zoned out for that. So I don’t know how that’ll go.”

“Anyway, then I went to work. And that sucked. They’ve upped the safety protocols – N95 masks at all times, all day. And surgical mask over that. And if I go anywhere, and people aren’t wearing masks, or aren’t wearing them properly, then I go straight back outside, and offer them a choice: mask up properly, or I’m out of there. Doesn’t matter if an animal’s dying, that’s the rules, and they’ve been warned in advance. And if they’re isolating or sick, then full PPE.”

“Man, they really don’t want you to get covid,” Steph said.

“Sort of, they don’t really care about me, they just want to have enough staff. We’re desperately short, and we’re trying to do televet services with all the vets home isolating or sick. So that means I’m left with much more hands on yucky work. And it was hot today. So, yeah, not a nice day. I saw an email that sad that if the staffing problem gets any worse, the minister will approve people working even when they’re supposed to be isolating. Or even after a positive test. The shift manager reckons the first will happen this week.”

“So I’m just really happy to be here. And really glad I didn’t have to ride up, I drove our new car for the first time, sweet!”

“OK. Now you’re here, we’re going to pray, and it’s my turn tonight,” Sophie said. “What do I cover?”

Covid, obviously, that the first responder and healthcare system stayed functional. That aged care could get enough staff. The food would still be available – teetering on the edge right now. That the death count would stay low, which it was, courtesy of vaccinations. That their friends with covid – a very long list that as of yesterday included Bam and Kemala – would get better. That they could protect the grandparents. And other than that ... thanks that Julian and Larissa were home safely and had a good time.

After the prayer they talked about their grandparents ... they weren’t coping with the changes going on. Just too much, too fast. James and Sophie were considering moving both their sets of parents in with them for a couple of weeks to help them cope. How would that work? After discussion, they agreed that they’d move into the Steph and Julian’s rooms, and if they came to visit while that was happening, they’d camp in the lounge, though they would probably skip next weekend, and if Sophie, Jaiden or Asha become a primary contact, they’d go and sleep on the floor at one of the other homes. What was important was to look after the grandparents, keep Larissa at work, and the others helping people out, for a couple of weeks at least.

Larissa took a deep breath; the next two weeks promised to be lots of ‘fun’.

“Larissa, you said before that you had a late night last night?” Sophie asked.

“Yep. We invited all our friends who weren’t on our daily report list to come around in the evening, and we had a nice party on the beach. No one inside, and you could come and stake out a perimeter and social distance, or you could mosh pit with each other if you wanted to get covid this week, whatever.” They laughed for that one. “And it was byo food and so forth. Then when it was darker, we did a presentation of our honeymoon, taken out of the daily reports, I hung a sheet off the deck, and Julian borrowed a work projector, and people just sat amongst the grass. Fun.”

“Tell me you didn’t show the photo of you kissing on the beach!” James said.

“Ok. We didn’t show that photo,” Larissa said, with a straight face. No, they all laughed for that.

“Who got in the mosh pit?”

“Actually, you should ask, who was the mosh pit? Toni decided – first week at school this week, she’s over school, even though it hasn’t started yet. So she turned up in jeans, and nothing else, and said she’d kiss anyone who wanted, please do, she needs an excuse to stay home. Of course, school is remote this week if you want anyway cause so many kids are home sick, she just wants an excuse to stay naked longer. Or maybe she just wanted to kiss. I’d do that if I didn’t have to work.”

“Did she get much kissing?”

Larissa shrugged. “Some. Well, lots, with some people. They kept going back for more. Brianna and Ana took her home at the end of the night, they decided to try the girl thing out. What, don’t look at me, that’s what they told me. And Scott and Phil were hardly going to mind. And no, Xander, Dave and Kat don’t approve but she’s pretty much screwing anything that moves right now. I messaged Kat later about it, well, she wasn’t happy at all. Also, they can’t believe she hasn’t got covid, and they’re wondering if some people can’t. And Michelle ... she’s tired. Just wants a break, so she’s on board with Toni getting it.”

“Anyway,” Julian said, “we had a really nice evening, all my mates and Larissa’s friends, and a big overlap, catching up with them all. And we zoomed it, so that the ones in isolation could be part of it too. And they were all really enjoying getting together, and deciding for themselves how much risk to take. It’s really great to live on the beach. A few got themselves plastered but most respected what we said about that. And then we went swimming at the end. So sweet.”

“Skinny-dipping!” Jaiden exclaimed. Julian shrugged. Of course.

They tidied up from dinner and moved out to the lounge. Larissa sat cuddled up to Julian holding Rachel and playing with her, and Nala sat cuddled up to her as well. Sweet. She’d missed Nala too, and she ran her fingers through Nala’s fur.

“So, everyone,” Steph said, “I wondered whether Julian and Larissa might settle down a little now that they’re married but I’m happy to report after yesterday that there’s no evidence of that.”

Larissa grinned at Steph and rolled her eyes. But then Steph caught her by surprise and showed the message thread they’d had with Tui on the big screen. No way! Steph really was wild, and she great delight in describing how it happened.

Julian gave Larissa a very intense stare during it. Yes. He was the only one who’d understand the ‘have you told him’ question, and no doubt that was the real reason Steph had put it up. When Steph got to the end of it, she said, “OK. Larissa, first of all, I wasn’t the only one who believed you.” Oh? “Layna believed you. And she noticed about the tissues.”

Larissa laughed.

“What’s that about the tissues?” Julian asked. Steph explained, so he said, “Babe, you did that quickly. I was holding you and I didn’t see. And I even knew.”

“Bah. Guys!” Steph said. “Not a clue. Now, Julian and Larissa, please explain just what Tui did that got you so worked up that Julian did you on the lawn, and Larissa came first.”

“You sure?” Larissa asked. “Because it won’t be quick, and you’ll all end up as crazy hot as we got.”

Steph put her hand over her forehead and announced in a dramatic tone, “Some of you may suffer, but that’s a sacrifice I am willing to make!”

Everyone laughed for that, it was another favourite line out of a movie, this time Shrek, which they’d loved as little kids. “Steph, you goof,” Sophie said, “it’s too early in the evening for that.”

“Never too early, but you’re right, Rachel’s still awake, and someone has to hold her. And it won’t be me missing out. No. I’ll put her to bed in a little while, and then you can tell me.”

For a while, they talked about the honeymoon, what were they going to film? And then they talked about New Zealand. And while they talked about it, she had to message Tui – how much could they share with their immediate family?

“Any of it. All of it was awesome and I know how close they are to you. And I’m having a great night. I’ll tell you more later.”

Well, great. Then Steph came over and took Rachel out of her arms to settle her, and then put her down to sleep. When Steph walked out, she indicated for Larissa to follow her. In their room, Steph said, “Got an idea for you.” And then she handed Larissa a pair of panties.

Larissa laughed. “You want him to come on them again, right?”

Steph grinned. Of course she did. Larissa looked them: they were interesting enough that Julian could be sure they were the ones, but not too different that he couldn’t miss it. And Larissa did have ones that were a bit like this. She tried them, and they fitted well enough though they were a bit stretchy. “Worn them a bit, have we?” Larissa asked Steph.

Steph got a rueful smile. “Kinda. More than a bit. Many special memories. Tonight is the end of their career, such an epic life, and they’re going in my archive.” Larissa didn’t know anyone else who had such an archive, but she wasn’t surprised. She asked Steph, what kind of memories? Steph grinned. “Well, I wore them the first time, on that date with Nigel, knowing we were going all the way. And also the first time with Xander. I thought about wearing them when we got married, but I had better taste in underwear by then. Or I could buy whatever I wanted, at least, without worrying about what Mum would think. And on my honeymoon, when I lay on the beach in just my panties, these ones.”