Educating Danielle
Part Eleven
by Karen E. Lea
Chapter Fifty
The Entrance is a
large holiday town, sitting on the entrance to TuggerahLake, one hundred kilometres north of Sydney, with the ocean to the east and TuggerahLake to the west.
Two hours after
leaving home, I drove in to the underground security car park, having done some
grocery shopping on the way. Pulling in to one of my allotted spaces, I turned
the Rover off and slid to the ground. My name was called, I turned and two arms
encircled my neck and lipstick coated lips met my lips.
“Darling, so good
to see you again.” the woman said as our lips parted.
“Leanne……..Hi…..how
you been?”
Leanne was in her
mid thirties, a gym toned and tanned body, large breasts, E cup was my guess,
flaring hips, very vivacious and outgoing. Her strawberry blonde hair hung past
her shoulders. “Really good, Richard is overseas, again, we’ll have to get
together on the weekend, I’m sure we’ll find something to interest us?”
“Sure……this is my
fiancée Laura…….” I introduced, as Laura appeared from the other side of the
Rover.
“You sly dog.”
Leanne squealed, kissing me again, her tongue trying to probe in to my mouth.
She swung to Laura and congratulated her; Laura thanked her with a look of
thunder. I introduced Danielle and Leanne called her daughter Sandra from the
shadows.
“You are the
luckiest woman alive, I knew there was somebody for him, Richard will be
devastated, he was convinced you were gay, I can’t wait to tell him and a ready
made family as well, that’s the way to do it, step in as they are ready to
leave the nest….”
“Danielle’s only
sixteen.” I interrupted.
“Are you sure?
Sandra’s sixteen, I’m sure they will have something in common for the weekend.”
“Positive.”
“This is so
exciting. Engaged. Who would have thought?”
Thank god, she
was slowing up. I invited her up for Sunday lunch. We excused ourselves and
pressed for the lift. We loaded the bags and groceries after it arrived, I took
a key card from my pocket, swiped it and pressed ‘P’.
“What’s ‘P’
mean?” Danielle asked.
Penthouse. I’ll
give you a card each; the lift won’t go there unless you swipe first.”
“Penthouse.” They
said in unison.
“Yep.”
“You said it was
a unit.” Laura squeaked.
“Well it is, just
takes up the whole top floor. This is my hideaway, well our hideaway, not many
people know that I own this.”
We rode the rest
of the way in silence, when the door opened at the top; I quickly unloaded our
bags and opened the front door. They followed me in to the unit mesmerised.
Turning lights on and opening windows, I returned to the lounge, they hadn’t
moved. Leading them around, showing them the features and bedrooms, they didn’t
say a word.
We finished out
on the balcony. “Take a deep breath, smell the ocean…..you are allowed to speak
you know……one of you please say something.”
“It’s absolutely
beautiful.” Laura said.
“It’s lovely
daddy.”
“I’m starved,
I’ll ring for pizza.” While we waited for the pizza, we put the groceries and
bags away. Forty minutes later we were eating out on the balcony, enjoying the
open air.
”Leanne seems
friendly?” Danielle asked.
“Too friendly. Is
she always like that?” Laura asked.
“Only when her
husband isn’t around, you’re not jealous are you?”
“If a strange man
kissed me like that, you would be too.”
“She was just
being friendly, the Leanne way.”
“Friendly. She
nearly raped you next to the car.”
“No that was last
time I was here, I still don’t know how I managed to stay out of her clutches.”
“Sandra seems
nice?” Danielle asked.
“Complete opposite
to her mum, she’s a bit shy.” I said heading for the fridge for more drinks.
We had discussed
the new offer on the way up in the car; Laura was flabbergasted that Spencers
had chased Danielle to sign. “Thought any more about the offer?” I asked as I
returned from the kitchen.
“Like I said, I’m
stunned they still want to go ahead.”
“What do you
think honey?” I asked Danielle.
“I’d really love
to do it, but a bit nervous if I had to get up and speak in public.”
“I’m sure they
would make sure you were up to it, if you look bad, they look bad.”
We chatted about
our day, and Laura told us about her day, “I’ve been showing that stupid
daughter my job for a fortnight, she still hasn’t got it. It’s not brain
surgery for god’s sake, how can anyone be so dumb. I had to do a catch up this
afternoon, so there was nothing outstanding. The best part is, I can’t believe
it, eight weeks off.”
“It had been a
big day and we were all yawning, I locked up and we all went to bed, falling
asleep to the crashing surf below.”
We arose the next
morning after seven and spent a relaxing day around the unit. Sandra came up
during the day and spent some time with Danielle, they decided to go shopping
the next morning, and so set about making times. That evening we went for a walk
around the foreshore of the lake, and then another early night.
Easter Saturday
dawned bright and clear, not long after we finished breakfast on the balcony,
Sandra arrived for Danielle, “I can’t go out with you like that.” she wailed.
“Why not?”
“You’re too good
looking.”
“I am not.”
“You should look
in a mirror more often.” Sandra retorted.
“It’s just a bit
of makeup…….come in to the bedroom and I’ll bring you up to my standard.”
Danielle said.
“Danielle. Please
show some manners.” I chastised.
“Like Jeff, don’t
sweat it. I need all the help I can get.”
I shrugged as
they walked off. Twenty minutes later they came out to say goodbye, “We’re
off.” Danielle chirped.
“Do I look okay?”
Sandra asked.
I turned, “Good
grief, don’t let your mum see you.”
“I know, like she
couldn’t stand the competition.” Sandra answered. We all laughed.
“You two have
some time……you know….” Danielle said as they headed for the door.
“Take your mum’s
phone.” I called after them.
“Okay. Bye.”
Chapter Fifty One
Laura and I
cleared up the breakfast things and then we headed for the bedroom for a
shower, half naked I attacked Laura playfully, which led to more intimate
things. As we lay there afterwards, Laura posed a question, “Would you like to
be more adventurous?”
“Adventurous?”
“You
know……sexually. Try different things.”
“What. Now?”
“No, unless you
want to.” she answered coyly.
“Any time you
want, is fine with me.”
“But seriously, I
just want to know if you have an open mind?”
“My little hobby
must answer that.”
“Your little
hobby interests me too, I find it very stimulating, you’re the girlfriend I
always wanted. I’m not sure that makes me gay, still trying to work that out.”
“I love you Laura
Williams.”
“I love you too.”
We kissed and
cuddled for a while, then the mobile rang, “Starburst.”
“Daddy, can we
catch the bus to Erina Fair, it’s not very exciting here.”
After a moment’s
hesitation, “Okay, but keep in touch.”
“Thanks dad.
Bye.”
“You hesitated
then.”
“I worry. She
attracts attention just being herself.”
“Maybe that’s
what Spencers see in her.”
“I think you’re
right.”
§§§
Danielle put the
phone back in her handbag and smiled, “Let’s go.” The Entrance shopping centre
wasn’t particularly big and there wasn’t much of a choice of shops. They climbed
aboard the waiting bus, paid their fare and sat down.
“Do you want to
ring your mum?” Danielle asked.
“No it’s cool. Do
you have to check in all the time?”
“Mum and dad
worry about me.”
“Is Jeff your
real father, he’s never mentioned anything before about you or Laura.”
“No. I wish he
was, I have never known my real father, he run off when I was born.”
“Sorry.”
“Don’t be, I’ve
got Jeff now. What’s your dad like?”
“He’s cool, when
he’s home.”
“What does he
do?”
“Sales manager
for Australasia, he sells software. He missed his plane
in Singapore Thursday night. I think mum had plans for
Jeff this weekend, boy, was she pissed after we met Thursday night.” Sandra
said.
Danielle giggled,
“So was my mum. Does your dad think he’s gay?”
“Yeah. Jeff talks
to mum about makeup and fashion; I think dad just assumed he must be gay. I
guess he’s not though.”
“Not going by the
noises mum makes in the bedroom.”
They both laughed
and the journey continued, while they chatted about school. Thirty minutes
later, they were at Erina Mall.
“This is more
like it.” Sandra stated. “We can do some serious shopping here.”
Danielle nodded.
“Where are we going to start?”
“This end, finish
at the other.”
“Sounds like a
plan.”
The girls spent
the next couple of hours trying on clothes, checking out jewellery and spending
money. Danielle made a dent in her bonus from Thursday.
Lunch time came;
they bought a slice of pizza and salad each and sat in the food court. Three
boys sitting nearby started to show interest in the two girls. “Would you girls
like to join us?”
“No thanks.”
Danielle retorted.
“Aren’t we good
enough?”
“I didn’t say
that. I’m shopping with my friend thank you.”
“Like she said.”
Sandra said.
They tried to
ignore the boys, but snide remarks kept coming to their ears, “Stuck up…think
they’re better than us…tourist sluts.”
The girls
finished their lunch, put their rubbish in the bin and headed for the next
shop. The boys followed at a distance. The next stop was a jeans shop, one of
the major chains. Danielle was keen to get a short denim skirt, she knew Karen
liked them for casual occasions and you could always dress it up with heels and
tops.
They sifted
through the racks, the boys waiting outside, “These guys are starting to piss
me off.” Sandra said.
“You’re not
wrong; know I know what the term stalking means.” Danielle replied.
Danielle had
found a skirt she liked and moved to the change rooms. A woman in her late
twenties was talking in a loud voice, “My last jeans were a size ten, why won’t
these fit?”
“I think madam
may have gone up a size.” the manager replied, trying to be nice.
Sandra and
Danielle looked at each other, the same thought crossing their minds; this
woman was at least sixteen.
“Bring me another
brand,” the woman demanded.
Danielle tried on
her skirt and was happy with the result. She changed back and left the cubicle.
The woman was in full flight now.
“You people are
doing this on purpose; your stock is wrongly marked, it’s obvious.”
“Madam. The stock
is not wrongly marked. I hardly think that four manufacturers have singled this
store out to send wrongly marked stock.” the manager retorted.
“You admit they
do mark stock wrong.”
“I admit stock
can be sometimes wrong, but it is not a consistent problem to this extent. I
respectfully suggest that you try another store in the mall to see if you have
the same problem. I also respectfully point out that maybe you have put some
weight on since your last purchase.”
“You’re calling
me fat.”
It was obvious
that the manager wanted to say yes, instead he said,”Please check another
store.”
“You people are
insufferable, I will go and I will make a complaint to your head office.”
“Madam, it’s been
a pleasure.”
The girl left the
store and the manager greeted Danielle, “Cash or charge?”
“Cash thank you.”
He processed the
transaction quickly and thanked Danielle and wished her a good day. The girls
left the shop and moved on with their shadows. “I wish I had this much time to
waste.” Danielle commented.
“Me too. It’s not
like they’re hunks or anything?”
“I wouldn’t care
if they were hunks. Normal people don’t carry on like this.”
They went to
another couple of shops, then decided to head for home. Danielle was a bit
dubious, “If we go out to the bus, they could follow us to our door.”
“Yea. I didn’t
think of that. Ideas?” Sandra asked.
“I’ll ring Dad.”
She quickly fished the phone from her handbag and dialled the number, she
waited, “Dad. Could you come and get us, some boys are bothering us.”
“Wait in a
crowded area, be there soon.” I replied.
§§§
I hurriedly
grabbed keys and wallets, while Laura summoned the lift. Twenty-five minutes
later we were parking in the car park at the mall. We found the girls sitting
in the food court, the boys quickly drifting off when we turned up.
“You two okay?” I
enquired.
“We’re great, but
we didn’t want to go out to the bus stop and the boys follow us home.” Sandra
said.
Walking back to
the car, the girls told us about their purchases and their day out. Driving
home Danielle said to Sandra, “What a bitch the girl in the jeans shop was, did
you see the way she carried on?”
“There’s a girl
at school, a bigger bitch than that. You’ve probably seen her in the Spencer’s
catalogue, you know the department store.” Sandra said.
Danielle shrugged.
“You would
recognise the face if you saw it. Wendy Wilkinson is her name, walks around
school like she’s a movie star. Sends everybody mad, been modelling for them
since primary school.”
“Nothing like a
long term job.” Laura said.
“Not any more.” said
Sandra with a grin.
“What happened?”
Danielle asked.
“She came to
school bitchier than usual Wednesday morning, she abused people, by lunch time
she had abused her maths teacher.”
“It’s a wonder
she wasn’t sent home.” I said.
“Oh but she was,
they rang her mum to come and get her. This is such good goss, my friend Amy
was up at the office and heard her mum apologising to the headmaster. This is
the best bit; she had been sacked by Spencers.”
“Why?” Danielle
asked.
“Who cares, she
finally got hers. By the final bell, Amy had spread it around the school. It
was so cool…….”
My phone rang and
interrupted Sandra, “Starburst.” I answered.
“Looking after my
babe I hope.”
“Sam?” I groaned.
“Hey, have we got
a deal for you.”
“Sam, we are not
interested.”
“Yeah, yeah, but
listen to this, one hundred g’s, plus one per cent of net CD sales. Whadya
think.” Laura’s chin hit the floor.
“Delusional and
crazed spring to mind. Find someone else. We are not interested. Goodbye.” I
said pushing END. “He just doesn’t get it.”
“He sure is
persistent.” Danielle agreed.
“That guy was
talking about one hundred thousand dollars right.” Sandra asked.
“Yeah, sorry
about that.” I said pulling in to our parking spot. We dropped Sandra at her
floor on the way up and continued to the penthouse, letting ourselves in, we
collapsed on to the lounge.
“What did you
think of Sandra’s story?” Laura asked.
“Interesting.
Moira must have been so sure we would sign, she gave Wendy her marching
orders.” I commented, when the phone rang again. “Starburst.”
“Just listen will
ya. She’s going to be in this video if it’s the last thing I do. How much?”
“How much what?”
“How much do you
want, put her on, I’ll convince her.”
“She’s sixteen,
you’ve got me.”
“Come on; be
reasonable, this is a great opportunity for a young girl. Hundred gs for a
weeks work, can’t go wrong.”
“Do I hear an
advance on a week; it was three days work on Tuesday. Look Sam, there must be
hundreds of girls out there who want this job.”
“Jeff, Jeff. We
have manufactured everything for this video, this is to make money. We picked a
song everybody liked, the boys were picked to attract girls and they could
sing. We wanted a girl that could stop traffic, enter Danielle. Everybody has a
price; I just haven’t sorted yours yet.”
“That’s because
we don’t have a price.”
“Yeah right, I’ll
find it, so help me.”
“Goodbye Sam.”
I stared at
Danielle, “Short, back and sides Tuesday morning, this is getting way too hard,
Daniel’s back. Danielle got hit by a bus.”
“Daddy. Nooo.”
“Wonder where I
can get a dead body from?”
“Dead body?”
Danielle wailed.
“Well everybody
will want to come to the funeral.” She leapt at me flailing her closed fists. I
retaliated by tickling her till she fell from the lounge, nearly hitting her head
on the coffee table.
“Come on you two,
stop it.” Laura ordered. “Someone’s going to get hurt.”
We untangled
ourselves from the floor, “Yes mummy,” we said in unison, laughing.
“I don’t know
what’s worse, you two or a couple of two year olds.” Laura said.
I cuddled
Danielle on the lounge and said, “We’re so adorable.”
“Two adorable
maniacs.” Laura retorted.
“Why thank you
mummy, we try hard.” Danielle grinned.
Laura rolled her
eyes, “Would you two like a drink?”
“Yes mummy,” we
said in unison.
“Daddy, what’s
the worst that could happen if we agreed to Spencer’s and the video?”
“We’d have to go
in to hiding for twelve months.”
“Seriously.”
“That was
serious. If the tabloids got hold of your secret, there’d be no peace.”
“What’s the best
that could happen?”
“You would be a
very well off young woman.” I replied
“Or man.” Laura
said with a mischievous grin, coming in with drinks.
“Mother.”
“After twelve
months, I don’t think there would be a boy to find.” I replied.
“But as Daniel, I
always felt I was Danielle anyway, I would be just dressing the way I want and
getting paid for it.” Danielle said with a pout.
“You want to go
for it?”
“Yes.”
“And the video?”
“Why not.”
“What do you
think?” I asked Laura.
“I’ll support
whatever he or she wants to do.” Laura answered. We sipped our drinks.
“Dad?”
“Mmmm.”
“Daniel won’t be
going back to school will he?” Danielle asked.
“Guess not. Twenty
four seven for you.”
“Yesss.”
“Not only that,
you’re going to be too busy initially.”
“Why?”
“After you come
back from Kim’s, you’ll have the catalogue, the video the way Sam’s going, then
Spencer’s will probably want a few commercials. There’s the next six to eight
weeks gone.”
We finished our
drinks and decided on a walk before dinner. Danielle changed into jeans,
joggers and a white sleeveless cotton top. We walked along the foreshore of the
channel to the lake, watched the pelicans floating in the shallows. The sun was
setting in to the west as we looked out over the lake. We wandered back, just on
dusk and decided to eat at the hotel beer garden. We all ordered fish, chips
and salad and sat and waited for our order with a bottle of wine.
I suggested to
Laura, that on Tuesday she should look at getting Danielle a bank account and
talk to an accountant. She readily agreed. I thought I’d better ring Moira
tomorrow and put her out of her misery. Our meal arrived and we ate and
chatted. Our meal finished we continued our walk back to the penthouse.
“Daddy. When are
you going to tell Moira?”
“I thought
tomorrow.”
“Why not now?”
“What if you have
a change of heart?”
Danielle stopped
walking and turned to me hands on hips, “Not funny. I will not change my mind.”
I handed her the
phone, “Well, ring her now.”
She scrolled
through the numbers till she found the number, pushed call and put the phone to
her ear. It seemed ages before she spoke. “Hello Moira…..I can’t hear you, too
much noise behind you……………that’s better, hi, it’s Danielle we’re ringing to let
you know our decision……..yes, I’m in.”
Danielle held the
phone from her ear; I could hear the screaming as well. She slowly put the
phone back to her ear, listened for a moment, then handed the phone to me.
“Hello.”
“Thank you, thank
you, you’ve made my night.”
“I can’t say I’m
completely happy with it.”
“Don’t be silly,
we’ll look after her, after all, we have a lot riding on this too.”
“That I can’t
dispute.”
“Talk to you
Tuesday, goodbye and thanks.”
“Bye.”
We resumed
walking to the penthouse, rode up in the lift and sat out on the balcony with a
drink. I cuddled in to Laura watching the stars.
It had been a big
day and soon we were all yawning. Danielle asked me to look at her breasts.
They had become very tender and the cups of her bra were overflowing. We went
to her bedroom and she stripped her top and bra off. His breasts looked full
under the forms, there had been definitely something happening, “I’ll buy you
some 12E bras tomorrow to get by and we’ll strip the forms off Monday night
when we get home, okay?”
“Thanks Jeff.” He
said kissing me on the lips, both arms around my neck.
“Danielle.
Daniel. Stop that.” I spluttered.
“I’m just
thanking you. You like it when other girls do it. I saw you the other night.”
“What?”
“Leanne. You
enjoyed that. You like her don’t you.”
“Yes, but not the
way you think. I like her body. She’s on my mental list of woman I would swap
bodies with.”
“Uh huh….. I
think daddy’s been reading too many Altered Fate stories.” Danielle giggled.
“Guilty as
charged, your honour.”
“I must admit, I
could live with it too. There’s a lot worse around.”
“You don’t have
to swap; you are a totally bodacious sixteen year old.”
She grabbed me
and kissed me again, “You say the yummiest things, thanks.”
“Put your pj’s on
and we’ll go and tell your mum what we’re going to do.”
Back on the
balcony, we explained to Laura what I thought was happening.
“I thought she
looked bigger the other day, fuller, if you know what I mean.” Laura commented.
Chapter Fifty Two
We arose to
another beautiful day and breakfasted on the balcony. The morning sun was quite
warm and we were quickly looking for shade. Even though it was autumn, summer
was still with us.
We finished
breakfast and cleaned up. Laura wanted to go to church, I wasn’t thrilled, but
said I would go, “But don’t blame me if the roof falls in, I haven’t been to
church on a Sunday for twenty years.”
We showered and
dressed. Danielle dressed in a above the knee beige skirt, a matching blouse,
panty hose and three inch beige sandals. Laura was in a similar outfit, but in
black.
“I noticed Karen
has clothes here, why don’t you come as Karen?” Laura asked.
“Too much chance
of bumping in to Leanne, I don’t think I could fool her. Thanks.” I answered
kissing her on the cheek.
“Give her
something to talk about.”
“You don’t care?”
“Not really.
Basically it’s none of anyone’s business, but I won’t force you if you’re
uncomfortable.”
“Thank you, but
no.”
“You don’t need
my permission to dress, I don’t care if you’re Jeff or Karen beside me, you’re
the same wonderful person to me.”
“Darling, thank
you.” I said kissing her.
We drove to
church and joined a large congregation in the Easter service, which was quite
enjoyable. After the service, we made our way to the local K-Mart at BateauBay for bras for Danielle to get by with.
Next we bought some groceries for lunch with Leanne and returned to the
penthouse where we made salads and marinated the steaks for a barbeque.
At midday Danielle went to fetch the visitors from their floor. Leanne greeted me
the same way as Thursday night. This elicited a stare from Laura who was not
impressed. As usual, Leanne held court, and at times was hard to get a word in
edge wise. We sipped wine on the balcony and listened. She asked when we were
getting married. Although we knew we would, we hadn’t actually talked about
when or how.
Leanne planned
some scenarios off the top of her head. Pity poor Sandra when she comes home
and says she’s getting married. Too weird for me. Danielle and Sandra cooked
and served lunch; Leanne continually talked about any subject that popped in to
her head. The two girls cleaned up and served dessert and coffee. When they had
finished, decided on a walk.
Once the girls
left, Leanne commented, “Danielle is absolutely stunning, a very beautiful
young woman.”
“Most stunning.”
I agreed.
“Does she do any
modelling?”
“The odd job.”
“I would have
thought she would be a full time model?”
“She’s only
sixteen and happy, plenty of time. If she wants to do it.”
“No. She’s got it
and you’re in the business. She has it made.”
“Leanne, I have
seen a lot of heartache, with kids been forced in to this business, totally
against their wishes in some cases. She has it made if she wants it, otherwise
I’ll support her in any endeavour.”