Chapter 1
It had seemed a strange advert. Not even in one of the pornographic magazines - it was in the local newspaper "personals" column. "Couples: We can help you have the experience of a lifetime. Would you like to get roped in to something magical? You are bound to enjoy it. For more details, phone..." And it gave a local number.
It wasn't that Tim and Julie were not getting on, but they had been together for 20 years, and everything was a bit "samey". They had their routines for work. Tim left at 8.00am every morning for the government office, did the same sort of work, went home, got home for six, ate, watched the telly... And there was the prospect that for the rest of his life that was how it was going to be - he had reached the limits of his promotion, and now there was little else new. Tim wasn't unhappy. Weekends could be fun. Barbeques, friends. Take in a game. Holidays were always there to look forward to. But now at 44 he was at the age where middle age had taken over. Or rather, as he thought, swamped him.
For Julie it was the same. Married from the age of 19, she had blossomed into a beautiful woman, and now at 39 she should be at the peak of life. She was slim, tall, long dark hair. She could make people look at her but she wasn't interested in straying - she was crazy about Tim. But somehow the middle age had taken her over as well. A receptionist in an optician, there was little new to look forward to. Julie also enjoyed the holidays, the weekends, but she felt like Tim - there should be more.
Julie had picked up the paper to read - it was Saturday morning and Tim had gone to the shops to pick up some timber for the kennel he was making. Julie normally skipped the ads, but this time it was different - someone had ringed one - it looked like Tim's hand. She stopped to read it - read the advert: "Couple..."
Why should Tim ring that?
Julie read on through the paper, but several times returned to the ad. It didn't seem to say anything. She couldn't make sense of what it was about. Couldn't think what they might be offering. She would ask Tim...
Just that moment the door opened and Tim walked in. He put the timber in the garage, put the coffee-maker on and made both of them a coffee while Julie kept her head in the paper. At last she looked up.
"Honey", she spoke in her normal uncharged voice. "What did you ring this ad for?" She pointed at the ad in the paper.
Tim didn't look shifty, or uncertain - just his normal self as he replied: "Dunno. Just saw it there. Wondered if you knew what it was."
For the next ten minutes they chatted, neither having any clue. They had all sorts of guesses - rock-climbing? Gliding? Learning to be a magician? Neither could work it out.
At last Tim suggested: "I suppose I could phone them. You know, withold my number, find out a bit more..."
"No..." Julie was equally matter-of-fact. "You've got the Kennel to build, we've got the supermarket. Barbeque at Sue's this evening. Round at Kelly's baby-sitting tomorrow. Kelly was Tim and Julie's daughter - 19 - who worked weekends, living in her own flat with her 6 month old son..."
Suddenly something clicked in Tim as he heard the litany of his weekend. "Is that all there is...?"
Julie was resolutely cheerful. Somehow she knew what Tim meant, but they had to do it so they had to get on with it - no use moaning.
It was later that evening that the conversation returned to the advert, after they were home from the Barbeque. It was Tim who raised the subject. "I phoned that ad."
Julie looked at him scornfully: "You shouldn't have done that." But Julie was intrigued. "So what did they say?"
Tim paused. He obviously couldn't say what they said on the phone. It was a friendly woman's voice who had been on the other end of the phone. Tim hesitated before replying: "They specialise in organising, err..." Tim struggled to find the right words. "...unique family parties." He daren't use the word they used - orgies.
Julie didn't pick up that there might be something more as she replied casually. "Like what? What sort of things?"
Again Tim hesitated before replying. "Well, they don't give a specific theme at this stage. They talk to us to see the sort of things we are interested in, talk to other members of the family. Put a plan together and make it happen. They reckon it is a surprise because they don't tell us what it is to be - we have to just experience it."
Julie frowned. "That's all a bit vague."
Tim spoke again. "I know, but the lady I spoke to seemed very nice, but emphasised that it was special, and that we had to accept the surprise party they would give us. Um..." again Tim paused before finishing "...they will charge us $1,000 for it!"
Julie laughed. "You're mad!"
The conversation changed and the advert was forgotten, so Tim thought. It was over their evening meal on the Monday that Julie mentioned it again.