I rolled up to the hotel where I'd been booked in, got reluctantly out of the taxi, and stood looking at the smouldering edifice. I pulled out my phone and checked for messages but there weren't any. I turned to the taxi-driver who was grinning like a baboon and asked him if he knew where I could get an internet connection.
"Not a problem," he assured me.
With that we proceeded to an internet café and I again got out.
"Want me to wait a while?" he asked and I just nodded glumly.
Once in the café I connected to the internet and brought up my email. The message at the top of the inbox was titled 'emergency accommodation'.
'Don, your hotel has burnt down and they've cancelled all bookings. I've managed to book you into the Winstrop from tomorrow onwards. Unfortunately I couldn't get a hotel booking for tonight but I did find an Airbnb that will take you. Celia.'
The addresses of both the Winstrop and the Airbnb were attached. I took note of them and returned to the taxi, who was delighted to take me to the nominated Airbnb address. I also took his number so I could call him to pick me up the next day when I was ready.
I knocked on the door and was admitted by this guy. He was what you might call average. Average height, average weight, average looks, average everything. At least, that's what I thought until I got inside. In the lounge room there were three other people. Another man so much like the first that they had to be brothers, and two women, who were both above average. Very much above average in my opinion.
The first man introduced himself as Jim and his brother (I was right) as Andrew. The two women were Gloria and Helen and they were the wives of the two men. I was offered some coffee and was glad to accept it.
Over the coffee Jim told me that the two couples shared the house. Technically Jim owned it but Andrew had helped him pay for it. Now they all lived there while they pooled their finances so that they could put Andrew in a house. Jim got his first as he was the oldest. It soon became obvious that Jim suffered from verbal diarrhea, talking non-stop and quite satisfied with the occasional grunt for an answer. He also had no personal filter, spilling everything he knew as fast as possible. It was a surprise to me that the other occupants of the house hadn't strangled him.
I retired as soon as I could, the trip having been both boring and tiring. I went to bed and slept the sleep of the just and the good. Not having any appointments until the afternoon I didn't bother setting an alarm, figuring I'd wake up whenever.
Whenever turned out to be when Jim and Andrew went to work. I didn't get up; just stayed right where I was, hearing the household getting breakfast and then the two men departing. I could hear Jim yakking the entire time and when the front door banged closed I was so relieved I just went back to sleep.
The next whenever was about an hour later and this time I got up. The room I was in had an en suite bathroom so I grabbed a quick shower and dressed. Leaving the bedroom I headed toward where I could hear the two women talking and giggling.
Entering the kitchen the two girls turned towards me and wished me good morning. I responded and Gloria offered me some breakfast.
"Yes, please," I replied. "What's on offer?"
"Depends on you," Gloria said. "Cereal, if you want it, bacon and eggs with toast, pancakes. You name it and I can whip it up."
I opted for the bacon and eggs with toast and sat down at the table while Gloria got to work. I spent my time while she cooked watching the two women.
Now this was their house and I was the intruder but I was a little surprised at the informality of what they were wearing. It wasn't that I expected them to get dressed up for me but they were still in their nightclothes, with just a light dressing gown thrown over them. When I say light I suspect that what they were wearing came closer to being peignoirs than dressing gowns.
As well as wearing gowns that could be described as flimsy Gloria's gown, while tied at the waist with a belt, still showed a lot of leg when she moved around. Helen's not so much, but still somewhat more than I'd have expected.
Still, like I said, it was their house and they could do what they liked.
I finished my breakfast and decided I really should be going. I didn't have to worry about paying as that would have been done when Celia booked the room. I'd already packed and all I had to do was call the taxi and depart.
"Why do you keep looking at me?" Gloria suddenly demanded.
Because she kept flashing a pair of lovely long legs of course. Wasn't that why she was flashing them, so I could look?
"Just admiring your legs," I said affably. "Yours, too, even if I can't see as much as I can of Gloria's," I added in an aside to Helen. "They're quite lovely and worth looking at."
Gloria looked a trifle annoyed while Helen just looked embarrassed.
"Well, you've got no right to be looking," snapped Gloria. "I think it's time for you to leave."
"I was just thinking the same thing," I admitted. "Ah, just as a matter of curiosity are you actually wearing anything under that dressing gown?"
"None of your business," snapped Gloria, while Helen just blushed a little more. "Why are you still here?"
"Oh, it's just that this is one of those days when I'm feeling toey and contrary. Ever have days like that? Of course you do. You're a woman. I guess the main reason that I'm still here is that I'm wondering what it would be like to make love to the pair of you before I go. An exhilarating experience, I'm sure."
"Um, are you forgetting that we're married?" asked Helen. "We don't do things like that."
