Page 15 of Walk on the Wilder Side

“That’s us!” I called back as I waved. “He must be our guide for the week! It’s part of the package.”

But instead of jumping forward with me, the other three Widows stared at him, slack-jawed.

“I’m a married woman. I’m a married woman. I’m a married woman,” Alice chanted as her eyes raked his chiseled frame that the tank top did nothing to hide.

“Holy smokes. He looks like a movie star,” Doris whispered.

“You weren’t kidding about the Australian men, Alice. Damn,” Sylvie whispered back.

I looked between their frozen bodies and the undeniably handsome man grinning and waving at us. “All right, you old dirty pervs. He’s in his twenties, and you broads are all old and married. So, keep your panties on, and let’s go.”

Sylvie and Doris giggled and then started after me. Alice stood frozen for another moment, and then I heard, “I’m a married woman,” whispered under her breath several more times before she started after us.

“G’day, ladies!” He opened the door of the old, vintage Jeep. “I’m Bryce, and I’ll be taking you to the resort. It’s about a two-hour drive and a beautiful day, so I thought we’d take the scenic route instead of the main roads and get you gals a little fresh air and good ‘ol Australian scenery. Whaddya say? Scenic route or highway?”

“Scenic route!” we all answered in unison. Well, all of us but Alice, who was still staring at him, mouthing, “I’m a married woman,” over and over again.

“That’s what I like to hear!” He grinned wider, his flashy white teeth bright against his suntanned skin. “Hop on in and get comfy. I’ll get your bags loaded, and we’ll get you off to our resort.”

Sylvie hopped in the passenger seat, and the rest of us climbed into the back. Bryce got our bags loaded, then a few moments later, he fired up the old engine, and away we went. He chattered at us throughout the drive, but the farther we got from the city, the less I could talk. The scenery was incredible. The aqua blue ocean. The vivid blue sky. Trees were so green and lush that they looked practically painted on a canvas.

“It’s so much greener and more tropical than I imagined,” I finally said as we turned off the main road onto an even smaller one, taking us away from civilization.

Bryce looked at me in the rear-view mirror. “A lot of people think of Australia and think of the outback. That’s accurate, of course, but that dry desert is only part of Australia. The rest is a lot like this. Lush and tropical.”

“I watched videos and stuff,” I answered, “but they don’t even begin to capture how incredible this place is!”

“Absolutely stunning.” Sylvie looked back at me with a smile. “This was a great idea, Marge. It’s gorgeous here.”

“I’m taking you a bit out of the way, but this route to the resort will show you a few different climate zones,” Bryce said as the Jeep hit a bump. “We’re in the tropical part now, but shortly, it’s going to turn into grasslands, and then we’ll dip a little into the outback so you can get a feel of them all.”

“This is so neat!” Doris squealed, her hair blowing in the wind as the Jeep picked up speed.

Alice remained fixated on a different scenery—watching Bryce like a big cat stalking its prey.

“Careful there, cougar,” I whispered in her ear. “You keep looking at him like that, and you may cause his head to burst into flames. You know, with all theheatin your laser gaze.”

Alice broke her stare and rolled her eyes. “I’m only looking. Nothing wrong with looking.”

“Mmmhmm,” I responded, giving her a nudge. “Well, you’re missing a hell of a gorgeous view out here.” As I pointed to the open lands surrounding the dirt road we traveled on, I spotted a small creature hopping across the grassland. “Look! A kangaroo! A kangaroo!”

“Where?” Doris gasped, spinning to look at my pointing finger. “I love kangaroos!”

Sylvie did the same, and soon we were all staring at the little family of kangaroos hopping around together.

“Actually, those are wallabies,” Bryce said. “Kangaroos are bigger. You’ll see plenty of both where we’re going.”

I couldn’t help but grin wide. I was in Australia. The start of my wish ... A wish that would end with me sailing above it, free-falling with wild abandon. With a happy sigh, I sat back and went quiet, enjoying the rest of the sights all the way to our resort.

***

“Marge, I still can’tbelieve your wish has us sipping cocktails on the beach in Australia,” Sylvie said after taking a long swing from her fruity drink, a gesture from her hand sweeping toward the ocean waves crashing on the shore in front of our lounge chairs situated beneath an oversized umbrella. “It’s not at all what I would have imagined you’d come up with.”

I took a deep breath of the fresh, salty ocean air and closed my eyes for a moment. “This is the life.”

Alice sat up and lowered her sunglasses, giving us all a passing gaze. “Um, are we forgetting the actual wish involves us jumping out of a freaking plane above this ‘beautiful world’ around us?”

Sylvie grimaced. “Oh, yeah. I forgot about that for a moment. Damn it, Marge! Why can’t ‘Sip cocktails on a beach in Australia’ be your wish? How about that? Huh? This is your wish!”

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