Jonno and Abby were having an afternoon coffee when a new arrival drove past. The small sedan contrasted with the large off-road rigs that were the norm for this campsite, where a non-flushing (long drop) toilet was the only public facility. They watched as the single female occupant made a couple of circuits of the area and pulled up next to them.
She emerged from the car and approached. "Hi, I'm Zoe," she offered. "Do you mind if I set up in that small clearing?"
"No, not all, go for it. I'm Jonno, and this is Abby. If there is anything you need, just ask."
"Okay, thanks," replied Zoe.
Jonno glanced at Abby, whose attention was focused on their new neighbor. He guessed she would be a few years older than their late twenties. She was taller than his wife, dressed in jeans and a loose-fit sweater that suggested tantalizing feminine curves.
"I must admit she is easy on the eye," mused Abby, who tidied up their afternoon coffee mugs. "Maybe she is here to visit the artwork. Are you ready for our walk?"
"Yeah, I'll get the backpack." The dry salt lake adjacent to the campground was a popular venue for hikers, campers, photographers, and bird watchers when the area flooded after rain. A local sculptor installed over fifty bronze human figures on the lake floor to add tourist interest. Many of the creations displayed exaggerated genitalia, and the walks to view them were popular with visitors.
After about an hour into their walk, they saw Zoe taking a photo of two men alongside a sculpture. She had changed into shorts, and her long, suntanned legs contrasted pleasingly with the harsh white of the lake floor.
Jonno and Abby decided to climb to the top of a nearby island to enjoy the view and developing sunset, already a kaleidoscope of reds and yellows.
While they took a selfie before the light faded, Zoe appeared and offered to take the photo for them. Her sweater was tied by the sleeves around her waist to reveal a close-fit t-shirt; she did not wear a bra. Jonno forced himself to avert his eyes from her pert breasts that defied gravity and culminated in prominent nipples clearly outlined in the fabric of her shirt.
"Thank you," said Abby as Zoe handed her phone back. "Would you like us to take one of you with this magnificent scenery in the background?"
"No, that's okay." They turned to walk back in silence. As they neared their camp, they met up with the two guys they had seen earlier with Zoe. They were both young, good-looking, with athletic builds, and in their early twenties, Abby guessed.
"Hi guys," said Zoe. "Abby and Jonno meet Brad and Tom; we met on the lake."
"How was the view up there?" asked Tom.
"Pretty awesome," said Jonno.
"Does anyone know if the Gorge Walk is open?" asked Abby.
"Not officially," said Brad, "Mainly because the track is closed due to flooding, but we spoke to a guy who drove in there yesterday, and he said it was passable with a high clearance four-wheel drive. There are some creek crossings, but the bottom is firm. The bonus was there were no other people, and they skinny-dipped in the waterhole. We plan to go there tomorrow; you're welcome to come with us if you want."
"Okay, can I let you know in the morning? I have a couple of things to sort out. What time do you plan to leave?"
"About seven."
"What do you think, Abby?" asked Jonno.
"I'm told it is a fabulous scenic walk, and I would love to go, but I think we should also take our own vehicle. I'm not sure about the skinny dipping, though."
"Okay, we'll see you in the morning," said Jonno. When they reached their campsite, Abby invited Zoe to join them by their fire for a meal.
"Thank you, I would like that," said Zoe, returning a few minutes later with a bottle of wine. "Wow," said Abby as she appraised the label.
"As you have probably guessed, I didn't put much planning into this road trip, but I did raid the cellar before I left. To put your mind at rest, I'm not a criminal on the run."
"We don't want to pry into your personal life," said Jonno.
"You're not prying; I need to talk about it."
"If it is okay with you, I will open this bottle."
"Yes, please do; there's more in my car if required. Okay, where to begin. My problems started three months ago when I found out my husband was having an affair with my best friend."
"I was devastated and basically had a mental breakdown. I couldn't bear the thought of my husband touching me, so I moved into the spare bedroom. He begged me to take him back; part of me wanted to, but I couldn't. That created more problems. We were still in the same house but led separate lives. He would go out, sometimes all night." Jonno handed her a glass of wine, and she swallowed a generous mouthful.
"Eventually, while playing the card game 'patience, I had an idea. I decided to list a series of options on what to do next and allocate each choice to a card. Then, I would draw a random card to determine what to do."
"May I ask what the first issue was?" asked Jonno.
"Yes, whether I would have anything more to do with my husband. I listed fourteen options; a two of any suite would mean I would take him back without complaint. If I drew the Joker, I would leave him permanently. There was a range of options in between. I sat and looked at the list for days. The adrenaline rush when I finally drew the card was indescribable and, as I have found out since, somewhat addictive. I drew the Joker."
"I get the impression you did not stop the card game there," said Abby, enthralled with the concept.