I'm Kate, Sam's flatmate, and close friend since childhood.

Sam and I became close friends in our first year at Area School.  By the time we moved to secondary school, we could run down a hogget as well as any boy could.  As most kids in our school, we both enjoyed going out hunting: if anything, more so than the boys as we really enjoyed the money from Possums, but the boys could carry and skin a Wallaby better than us. Bunnies were a pleasant hit too, as they tasted better than Possum, but a Wallaby would feed all of us.

We were best friends and didn't have any secrets.

We went to up VU and studied Chemical Sciences together and flatted with our school classmates Sarah, James, and Hogget. We were five country kids in the city.

We found that the uni boys were somewhat lacking as we wanted our heads and stomachs to be stimulated.  A lot of the uni guys were not too bad in the conversation department. While we didn't expect them to be able to go to the coop and two hours later present the now late ex-inhabitant on the table with a decent accompaniment like our housemate boys and we could, we did expect a guy to be able to go to the freezer and follow the process from then on.  Sadly, a lot of the uni guys had trouble with a microwave and a spud, which meant relationships fizzled due to that and our heavy coursework.

Sam and I weren't into flings: the idea of a quick one-off or very short-term root was not appealing.  We wanted regular roots with the value-add bits too, even if not a full-on relationship.

Sam and I diverged paths after uni: she got a job with an offer to do her MA, at the same time, I took the opportunity to do a through MA then doctorate, over the ditch at UM.  But our friendship remained strong, and we video-called often. Sam would come over sometimes for a long weekend.  We'd catch up over holidays back at our parents' places and go off shooting and camping for a few days, often coming back with 10kg of Possum fur, which meant a good top-up for my kitty.  On these trips, we would bemoan the dating problem: Sam groaned that telling a guy she had a Master's in Chemical Sciences was a good way not to get another date. I concurred that saying I was doing my PhD in Mechanical Sciences meant guy went bye-bye.

When I got offered the job at RocketFactory, Sam was joyful and said that I could stay at hers, which meant the old days again.  At the time, Sam was dating James. It was good for her that at least one of us had a BF.

But I had my side too.  When I heard about a Taipan or Osprey going down on the news, I would be reminded of my times during my Masters when I would suit up board a Puma or -225 at Essy or Avalon to head out to the platforms. I would wonder whether this was the day that the gearbox or tailshaft would give out like other Pumas and 225s had done, and send us down in to the cold, turbulent Bass. I would hope that I remembered the Ditch Drill.

Sadly, Sam and James' relationship had fizzled, and she too was now single.

My dating performance was woeful in part due to my baseline and also that work was picking up as I had got promoted which meant frequent trips over to Long Beach or the Pads.  Sam was nearing the end of her Masters, so like me, her interest and time for dating was low, but we were both on FS. It was just that it wasn't a high priority and no really good candidates to excite us far.

When Sam had texted me to say that she'd bumped into Tom on her run and hooked up with him, it was a surprise as they had never shown any non-running interest in each other, nor had there really been any opportunity for this to show as we never met Tom outside of The Dog.  When they came back to our place the next day, it was obvious that there was a very powerful, horny flame that had been lit.

But I soon found out where they were getting at it as her watch sync'd to FitApp which automatically posted to Facebook and I could see the bits where their speed stopped and their heart rate shot up. 

Shortly after they started dating, Tom had hit James up for a coffee.  After some small talk over the Flat Whites, Tom had looked James in the eye and got a nod.  He said, "I'm seeing Sam.  That's why I called."

James responded, "Sam and I were good, but we've done our time.  You two are happy?"  Tom nodded in response and James said, "I'm happy that you are," and shook his hand as they departed.

Two weeks after Sam and Tom had met, we were all at Tom's having dinner on his deck.  Reba's What do you Say was playing in the background. We had got through the main and two bottles and we were having a fun time. They were flirting up a storm, and I was wondering if I should head for the annexe for the night so they could have fun when his mood suddenly flashed deep dark as if he was in shock.

Sam and I had talked about his flashes, and we wondered if it related to Jo.  I made an excuse for the bathroom.  By now, the song was in the middle verse. She got up, let her heart lead the way and whispered to him, "Jo? Classmate."

He nodded and she whispered, "We miss her, too. We were at the funeral."  His heartbeat followed the gently ascending steel guitar beat of the song and started lifting. She knew that he was trying to reconcile his enjoyment of her with his ongoing love of his late fiancé.

I could hear male and female crying outside as they opened up which caused me to cry from the back of the kitchen.  A loud rap of her knuckles on the deck was our code for all clear, so I came out and hugged her who by now was wrapped around him, consoling him.  We stayed there for a while, our grief bonding us as the soulful Fleetwood Mac's Dreams played soothing our mood. The Corrs' more uplifting version followed, lifting our moods.   

Then I left for the annexe to a fitful sleep as they curled up on the deck.

For Kelly, jealousy of his ongoing love for Jo, amongst other reasons, had divided her from him.  For Sam, though, they could talk about Jo and relive their good memories, so it bonded them.  This would put the light at the end of Tom's occasional dark tunnels, and it helped turn their initial horniness to wide, deep emotional intimacy.  

Likewise, my friendship with him grew as I too could make light of Jo with Tom when needed to break the darkness and allow Sam to complete the re-light of Tom's mood.

A few weeks later, after they began dating, it was an evening before I was due to fly out again that Sam and I had a girls' evening, and the bottle was half gone.  She said that now she had a FB (well near enough a BF), I should go hunting on FS for friends and that she would help me after another glass.  I changed my Want profile to friends or dating. There were a number of guys that we thought might be hits on the friends score, so I ticked them and sent an intro.

Over the next fortnight away, six guys responded.  I made it clear that I wanted someone to have fun with in and out of the bedroom regularly and I wasn't going to have fun on the first date.  I told them that they had to be either single, or not exclusive with someone. This removed several candidates, leaving three that I arranged dates within the fortnight after my arrival.  None of them were ideal, but all had valid attributes.

I decided I'd simply do what we did at work: we would get each core ready (email chat), then it went out for an initial test fire (first date).  If the motors lit, there would be a pad fire (second date).  Then it was launch time.

I told them that a second date would be the day after a successful first date and some other gentle rules, though I didn't tell them that I wanted to what might happen at the end of the second date.  I decided that for the first date, I would wear a work dress, so they had to impress me with their head. The second date I would wear something a bit lower cut and they would get a better view of me to start with!  If things went well, I would get a good experience of them, I hoped.

The first date was Kevin.  He was five years older than me, a marine engineer that came up for two or three days a fortnight at the shipyard near my office.  He had done a few marathons and liked swimming which was a plus. He told me he stayed mostly in the Lagoon hotel, which I knew well, apart from the bedrooms, as RF used it for meetings.  

We met at the hotel bar, and he was, as advertised, tall with short hair and runner-lean still wearing his smart clothes.  I wore a fitted, formal black dress and heels that enabled me to look him in the eye.  He greeted me with a kiss on the cheek, said "Nice formal dress," and smiled knowingly.  We ordered martinis to start with as I needed a bit of courage for this first FB date. He asked about my trip, which I had got back the previous day and said that he had been down to NASSCO at San Diego a few times, but never to LA. The conversation flowed as we looked out over the lagoon over dinner.  Sometimes his knee would gently brush mine and I would return the brush.

Soon it was 10 pm, and I was fading.  He picked up on this and said that it was time for his bed, asked if I was free tomorrow.  I said, "How about we run the Basin?"

The basin is a 3k loop.  I had decided to see how fit he was. I was going to easy-run the first lap, then go hard on him on the second to see if he could keep up on the next lap.  If he could, he could go hard on me in the room after.

We got up and agreed to meet at 5:30 pm after work.  He kissed me on the cheek for goodbye and I close mouth kissed him on the lips briefly.

I had changed at work into my running bra and base shorts, then put some pocket shorts and a vest over the top. This was part of a haul I had got from the Outlet at Dana when I'd taken the Amtrak south for the weekend shortly before Sam had met Tom.  Sam had a slightly larger bust than me, but same likings, so I had bought some for her which had been the hit for Tom.  The top of my bust was peeking out of the vest so Kev would get a slight view of my stack.  I left my bag in the car and zipped my key into my pocket.

I saw Kev in the entrance wearing a singlet and shorts.  He walked to me and gave me a friendly hug and said "You look good today," and I saw his visible attraction.

I released slightly and gave him a brief closed mouth kiss. We set off down the hotel's grassy bank and jumped onto the basin pathway, chatting as we went along.  I kept my heart rate in the 140s - high enough to get a workout, low enough to still chat. 

I stopped and kissed him on the mouth, which he returned.  We started running and I decided to take off my vest, which I stuffed in my shorts pocket and undid the front zip slightly, so he got a better view of my stack.  He smiled at the view, and I could see his lump grow.

Now to see if you've got it, I thought as slapped him on the arse and shot off heading rapidly into the 160s.  He caught up and ran his hand over my shorts as we hammered round the basin. As we got three-quarters around, he called out "Left", ran his hand up my arse and dived off onto a side path.  I sprinted after him and caught him.  He stopped and grabbed me, spinning me into his face and kissed me open-mouthed.  I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him hard which he returned more intensely, then I took off hard to see if he could still hold me and we chased each other round to the hotel's embankment. 

We stopped and he put his arms around me and pulled me in close and open mouth kissed me.  I could feel his attraction as we made out.  He said, "Room service?"

I replied, "Anything from the special board," and mouth kissed him back.  

We stood on the verge, kissing politely and looking at the view. 

I led him by the hand up the slope and we parted at reception while he placed the order, and I went to my car and retrieved my bag.  

We met at the lift and kissed while waiting for the cabin.

Once we were in and the door closed, we latched on and kissed as if we could just fuck now.  But it was two floors, so we broke off and headed for the room.

He unlocked the door and let me in.  As soon as the door was closed, I pushed him against the door and kissed him hard as our fun began and we explored for the first time, causing twinges to shoot down my spine.

Ding went the bell. "Room service" called out.

He said, "Please put it outside and I'll grab it soon," then kissed me and said, "I'm eating where we are."

He unlocked the door and gently pulled the tray in, then put it on a chair next to the I was and the special he ordered for me was Chicken Curry

He had ordered Schnitzel, and he cut it up, then put the slice into my mouth and took the other end as we were affectionate with each other, and we romantically kissed.  Then more schnitzel, feeding it to me, and we kissed while eating and more affection as we enjoyed the moment until all the food was gone.

It was 10 pm now and we had a final make-out as I got dressed into the clothes from the bag I'd taken from the Zoe.

Holding me and kissing me, he said, "I'm back in three weeks, another date?" and snuggled onto me.

"Just enough time to recover, but I want to be eaten for breakfast next time too," and gave him a hard  French.

We stood in the doorway for another French and he escorted me to the car where we made out for a final time, I drove home, very tired.

Waking up on Wednesday, I was really sore.  My body hurt from the run and affection.  I texted Fred and told him I was unwell and that we'd try next week.  I packed an overnight bag as Sam and Tom had invited me to stay at his place.

At Tom's in the evening, we decided we would have a spa after dinner, so we got changed into our bathers. She was in a two-piece, and I was in a one-piece, but it still lifted me. 

He cooked a chicken, brie, and cranberry pizza that he'd made from dough he'd set off that morning, which we ate on the deck with the fairy lights and a few spots on with Tamarillo Sour beer from the local micro, and we finished off with the tiramisu that he’d grabbed today from Bay Pizza earlier.

He didn't have a coop, but he was mean with an oven, and stimulated our minds and stomachs.  

I put the dishes in the Dishdrawer and armed it.  She got the spa cover off and turned everything on as he grabbed another bottle and set it and the glasses by the spa, then walked back and turned off the spots.

"This is like our times at night possuming," I observed.

"Yes, but tonight we didn't shoot the dinner: I had a hot hunter to do that.," replied Sam as she turned around and kissed him on the mouth.

The spa jets were on full, and I felt them massage my body and the bubbles make their way under my costume, massaging me.

We talked for a while and including last night's date.  I said my date's test was that we ran a circuit of the Basin, then I hammered it like at The Dog to see if could hold me.  I said he held me very well as they laughed, and had certainly passed my test.

She looked at him Kate is very sore today.  I was sore after our first 'date' and she leaned over and kissed him on the mouth, then he returned the kiss.  She moved over and sat on his lap and wrapped her arms around him and recommenced a make-out and I made my excuses and left them alone and I closed the door and collapsed into bed.

Next morning, I dressed and went into the main kitchen for shared breakfast.  Sam said, "That was fun last night."  She continued, “Meet 530 for SwimRun?" Tom and I nodded.

We assembled at 530, wetsuits and towels in the bag, our usual tri gear - albeit zipped up for all on, then grabbed our bikes out of the garage and cycled around to Mid Bay for the race where we chained to a railing.

The temperature was in the low 20s, both the sky and sea azure only disconnected by the cone of Fire Island ahead. A light westerly on a neutral tide meant for a fast, flat swim offshore to Fire Island.  As I swam, I locked my core to rotate.  Sometimes at full extension, I would feel a twinge in my core from last night’s hard run, so I followed JoJo my SpineWave teacher's advice and blew a long out-breath down to my pussy to release.

I hit the turn buoy straight and hard and commenced the return, being happy that I hadn't been groped or slapped too much as can happen on big races.  When my feet hit the ground, I stood up and started running and immediately began stripping my wetsuit down to my waist.  Hitting transition, I stripped it off, shod and hit the run leg.  I was surprised at how well I ran after transition, given the pounding my body had received on Tuesday.   

Afterwards, we rode back, then showered apart and changed into our usual of shorts and T-shirts only. 

She reheated last night's pizza and toasted a Ciabatta that he had made from excess dough.  The pizza base was slightly tougher from the reheat, but the topping had mellowed.  His Ciabatta gave a close run to the pizza. Its soft pillow toasted to a gentle heat dripped with the melting butter that created a blissful warmth down my insides.

We ate at the table in our post-race glow, chatting about the race, finishing with a small slice of Tom's Christmas Cake.  Of his many delights, this one got me every time, as it was truly a labour of love for him.  When he had first brought it round to our place, he had explained that the recipe was from the 1950s and was now in its third generation of his family.  It was made in a mixer of the same vintage.

He had taken a very heavy, cold Winter Christmas cake and tweaked for the hot southern summer it by substituting the Brandy for Cointreau and adding extra lemon rind and peel: an enormous, sweet orange-sized one from his tree.

Leaden with rich, soaked sultanas, it warmed my soul, then a hit of apricot turned me around into a crunch of walnut, followed by a hit of date.  The cake turned me around and lifted me with its spices and the six shots of Cointreau that Tom had applied monthly between July and December. wrapped me in its soft embrace.  Each bite was like the soft, tender kiss of a guy.  The last bite, with its cumulative sensations and the slight booze buzz, was like getting seduced as I reached the gentle peak of sensual pleasure.  The Royal Icing with its lemon hit was just the perfect way to wind out of such sensation.