CHAPTER 154: What We See Along The Way

 

"Good morning, darling.  I made you a little pick me up drink...don't worry, it's just fruit in there"

"Good morning, Jeremy and thank you, that's kind.  How are you feeling today?"

Jeremy thought for a moment before answering.  "Do you know, I feel absolutely fine: The best I've felt in weeks."

"The wedding was lovely, don't you think?" asked Barbara, testing the waters as to how Jeremy felt about it now.  In the run up to the wedding he was grumpy, angry at Suzy for some reason and almost didn't attend it, so upset by it all.

"Oh yes, I had a good time.  And I could see you did as well.  Funny to think I didn't want to go and you had to practically drag me there!" he said with a little chuckle before looking off into the distance for a moment, as if he was trying to recollect some lost thought.

"Anyway..." he said, breaking from his train of thought.  "...breakfast: I'm famished.  Shall I wait until you get dressed?" he asked.

"No, I'm starving too.  Eat first, then I'll get dressed."

"You know I could whip that towel from around you in one flick and it would be naked breakfast!"

"You!  You're a tiger at times Jeremy Saint" she replied, flirtatiously chiding him.

After breakfast, Jeremy took a shower and Barbara got dressed.  She was relieved that Jeremy seemed more like his old self and less of the obsessive grump with irrational hatreds that he had become recently.  Maybe the wedding did have a positive effect on his mind...and if Action's hunch was correct, he may have been brainwashed.  It was also good that Jeremy was still aroused by Barbara; she was worried that he was starting to become infatuated with Nancy Landgraab as well.  Whilst he was still in the bathroom, she quickly took down the framed photo of Nancy off the wall in their bedroom and put it in the study instead.  To throw it in the trash would risk triggering him again; moving it was more subtle.

Jeremy left for work soon afterwards but Barbara wasn't opening up the shop today as there was a delay in restocking items and the suppliers were a day late.  Instead she decided to do a variety of things, first of which was trying to meet with John Action to tell him what she had found out about Jeremy's workplace.

She knocked at the door but there was no answer.  He must be doing an early shift today, she thought.  There was so much she wanted to pass on to him and she was anxious to do so but it would have to wait until this evening, at least.

She was too buzzing with energy to go home and potter around the house.  The best way to use that energy was go to Movers n' Shakers gym for a couple of hours.

Barbara was hoping Action was here as well, as he was fond of keeping fit, but although the place was buzzing and full of people, he wasn't there.

The resident body building expert...Barbara didn't know his name...was there with his extremely developed upper body that seemed to defy gravity.  Also present was Brent Hecking.  Barbara noticed that a pretty blonde with a curvaceous figure was talking flirtatiously with both Brent and the personal trainer.  What Barbara found interesting was that Brent seemed to be paying more than polite attention to her!

It was an open secret in the community that Brent was a homosexual and that he and his lover, Brant, were one of the most devoted couples around but Barbara saw Brent was somewhat enchanted with this woman, who was new to the gym.

"Wow, this place certainly has all the right...equipment" said the woman, looking more at the men instead of the apparatus.

"Oh yes, whatever you require is right here" said Brent, quite innocently.

"I can see that might be the case..." said the woman, looking him up and down.  "My name is Lisa, Lisa Richardson, and who might I be addressing?"

"Brent Hecking...and I'd be happy to show you around the place.  I don't work here but I'm around most days.  If you'd like I could show you the bench press..."

"I bet you could" she replied, flirtatiously.

Brent giggled nervously and seemed quite taken with Lisa, which surprised Barbara.  However, Brent's apparent infatuation was broken by the arrival of his boyfriend, Brant.  

"Hello Brent.  Who's your new friend?" asked Brant.

"This is Lisa, she's new to the gym and I was just showing her around" replied Brent, defensively.

"I bet you were.  Nice to meet you, Lisa, and I'm Brant...Brent's particular friend" said Brant, with a touch of passive-aggressive hostility to his voice.  Lisa looked at the two men but said nothing for a few seconds before she said "Ohhhhh".

"Yeah, I think you understand the situation now" said Brant.  Lisa took a few paces back and sat down at a weight lifting machine, keen to avoid a domestic row.

Barbara had witnessed all this but didn't say anything.  She did however see Travis Scott and went over to say hello to him.  They chatted for a bit, mainly about how happier Jeremy seemed lately, but their attention was drawn to a familiar acquaintance of theirs who looked very different from the last time they'd seen her.

It was Eliza Pancakes and her belly looked a lot larger than when they'd seen her at the wedding.  

"Hey, Eliza, come to work off those pounds..." said Travis but Barbara nudged him in the ribs.

"So, how far in to your pregnancy are you?" asked Barbara.

"Ohhhhh, you're pregnant!" said Travis.

"Not that long but I can tell this one's going to be a whopper by the size of it!" answered Eliza.

"That's why you weren't drinking at the wedding!" said Travis.

"Congratulations, Eliza" said Barbara, giving her a hug.

"No...got to stay healthy for the next few months at least" joked Eliza.  "Only a light work out today"

"What does Bob think?" asked Barbara.

"He's.....fine" said Eliza with a smile.  "He's getting used to the idea"

"Well, we've had a marriage in the neighbourhood and now a birth!" said Barbara.

"That just leaves a death" said Travis.  "Sorry...shouldn't have said that!" he added.

Fortunately Travis didn't put his foot in it any further and they were able to discuss due dates, baby names and whether it would be a boy or a girl.  However, time was ticking on and Barbara wanted to travel more.

The next port of call was actually a port, or more like a marina.  She was down at her new favourite tavern, the Salty Paws Saloon in Brindleton Bay.  She liked the views out into the bay, the rustic atmosphere and decor, a lot of the patrons and it was a hang out for a lot of cute neighbourhood cats.  She was wondering if she was going to see her favourite, ginger stray: The Senator.

Senator didn't make an appearance and the only person Barbara met there that she recognised was Julia's aunt Elle.

"Oh hello there..." said Barbara to Elle.  "You're Julia's aunt, aren't you?  I don't know if you remember me but I'm Bar..."

"Yeah, I remember you!" said Elle in a hostile tone.  "One of my niece's so-called friends.  Well, she hasn't checked in on me for ages!  She's forgotten about me!  Doesn't care!"

"Oh I know she does care...it's just she's a junior doctor who works long shifts!"

"I KNOW SHE'S A DOCTOR! You don't have to tell me what or who my niece is!  I'm family!"

Julia had told Barbara that her aunt suffered from violent mood swings and was on strong medication.  Barbara figured Elle must have skipped a dose today.  Despite the attempt to be friendly, Barbara thought that the prudent course now was to leave the tavern and head home...

She arrived back at Foundry Cove moments before Jeremy.  He seemed in a happy mood.

"Hey, sweetie" he said. "It's the Spice Festival tonight...we haven't been in ages!  C'mon, you and me and all the curry we could eat?"

"That sounds delightful...so you haven't got any assignments, projects or late night business calls you have to take?"

"Tonight, my darling, work is done and I am completely at your disposal" he said, putting his arms around her.

"Well I like that idea, let's go!" she replied.

The Spice Quarter was decked out in colourful festive decorations representing India, Thailand, China, Japan, Singapore and even closer to home with Cajun.  Along with the decorations there was the aroma of many exotic dishes.  Jeremy looked around, took in the sights and then looked at Barbara.

"This takes me back..." he said.  "...to when we met."

She smiled...she remembered that evening too and how nervous and awkward he was around her.  She remembered Travis egging him on to talk to her.  "We met in the bar there...and got talking over there." she said, pointing to the two different locations.

"I didn't exactly distinguish myself that night" he said.

"You did just enough to leave a positive impression" she said, holding his hand.  "Shall we go and get something to drink first or get some food?"

"Let's have that drink" he said.  

Inside the Waterside Warble they ordered drinks and managed to get a seat on the really comfortable sofa, which wasn't always easy as it was usually in demand on most evenings.

"Ahhh, this is nice" said Jeremy.  "I have very fond memories of this place"

"Same here.  We met here and right over there was when you kissed me for the first time!" said Barbara.

"Oh yes, gosh...I completely acted on impulse at that moment!  I was half expecting you to slap me for being that bold"

"On the contrary, it was romantic.  You seized the moment.  I was half wondering whether you would kiss me that night or not!"

"Here's to seizing the moment!" he said, raising his glass in cheer.  

"To seizing the moment!  Speaking of which...how about a sing-along?" she said, jerking her head in the direction of one of the karaoke rooms.

"You're on!"

"Hey! You go, Jeremy! Woo!" Barbara clapped and cheered Jeremy's full on rendition of a Tom Jones number. "I never knew you could get raunchy!"

"I've been saving this one up for some time.  HUH! Yeah, chills n' fever!" 

"Bravo!  Do you know some women throw their panties at Tom Jones when he performs?"

"Don't you dare!  Barbara!  No!  What if someone walks in on us?  No, put them back on!  This is...you're putting me off!  I've lost my place!  Don't...DON'T!"

But she was feeling mischievous and her panties flew across the little room at Jeremy.  He managed to catch them with one hand.

"Nice catch...maybe the Dodgers will sign you" she said with a giggle.

"Put them back on!" Jeremy pleaded.

"Oh alright, spoilsport!" she joked.

After the sing song they went to check out the spice festival itself.  Bakko Jang was there, performing, as he was the regular act for the festival.  His career was on the rise and getting more gigs in the city.

 The evening was going very well for them.  It brought back a lot of happy memories of their first meeting, first date and first time they kissed.  The story of Jeremy and Barbara began right here.  Bakko might have been playing that night as well!

They walked about the festival, arm in arm; the place was in full swing.  Barbara paused and turned to look Jeremy deep in his eyes.  

"So here we are now" she said, holding his hands.

"Indeed we are.  It's been wonderful." he replied.

"Just tonight?" she asked.

"And all the times before right back to that first evening we met." he said, softly.

"And going forwards?"

"Whatever we want it to be" Jeremy replied, stroking her hands.  "I don't see an end"

He was on the verge of dropping to one knee and proposing to her, but he held back.  No, not tonight but soon...very soon...he would ask her to be his wife.  She just looked lovingly into his eyes...no words needed to be said.  She knew as well that he would ask her to marry him, she just had to trust the process and be patient a little while longer.  But she also wanted him free from whatever grip the Landgraabs had on him.

They headed home soon afterwards.  Jeremy opened the front door but Barbara stood outside on the sidewalk.

"I'm going straight to bed...are you coming too?" he asked.

"I remembered I had to tell Action something...I'll be along shortly" she replied.

She headed over to Action's house next door, hoping that he would be in.  She had to tell him what little information she had about what happened to Jeremy on the day he was hired by the Landgraab Corporation.  Knocking on the door she was nervous: At sneaking behind Jeremy's back, at trying to tell Action what she knew and what the implications of that were.

She knocked then a few seconds later there was a rattling of the door chain and Action peeped out of the crack in the door.  

"Barbara! How's it hanging, babe?" he said, smiling.

"Action...I have something to tell you.  Something that may be important!"

"Better come in, girl"

"So what ya got for me?" asked Action, sitting down at his small dining table.  Barbara sat down opposite him.

"Well, I think Jeremy's feeling a lot better...since the wedding to be exact.  He seems calmer, happier and less angry at people"

"That's good to hear."

"But I asked him about what went on at his work and he let out a little detail...it might not be much but it's all I could get out of him"

"Go on..."

"Jeremy spoke of this room he had to go to.  It's downstairs, right below the Landgraab building.  He said there's this dark room underneath the pumps.  You access it via an elevator, he said.  I couldn't find out what happened in that room or what it's for because he started to babble about Nancy Landgraab...still calling her 'mother' and Suzy being his enemy."

"OK, well, that's definitely a lead to follow up...find that room and you find out what happened to him in there.  Babs, you did good...real good.  You look after him; I've got some snooping around to do!"

CHAPTER 153: Wild Thing

 

I've got to break the C barrier...I've been stuck on a C grade for some time now and I think I deserve a B at least.  I'm putting in the effort, I do my homework nearly on time...I mean, I could be doing something frivolous with my time right now but instead I've given up that to do this homework...how can the teachers grade me a C now?

I finish it with just minutes to spare before I have to go to school.  Finish it the night before, finish on the day, finish it in between breakfast and having to leave...it all gets marked the same way.

A few hours later...

Another C!  Ripped off!  Those teachers must hate me, that's the only logical explanation.  

"Jamie...can you take the trash out for us please?" 

"Sure mom..."  I say flatly.  That's all I'm good for I suppose:  Garbage collector or quarry worker.  I grab the sack of refuse and put it in the bin around the side of the house.  As I return, I see someone I really didn't expect to on my front doorstep.  I mean, when I see who it is I'm glad...pleased...even excited but still, how does she know where I live?

"Hi Jamie...I guess I found the right place"

"Morgan!  Yeah, this is my home...how did you find out where I lived?  I thought we only exchanged phone numbers the other night?"

"Yeah, but I'm no good with talking over a phone but I knew you were friends with Efrain Webber so I broke into his locker and looked in his address book and...hey presto...there were your details!"

"You broke...into....Efrain's locker?"

"Yeah, no big deal.  He has a crappy cheap padlock on it which I know how to pick.  Oh don't worry, I didn't steal anything:  I just wanted to have a look through it."

She...didn't...steal anything.  Oh well that makes everything A-OK then!  The way she says it, almost innocently with those wide, bright green eyes of hers it sounds like breaking into people's lockers to look at their private address books is just a normal, everyday thing.  I don't get it:  Is she joking?  Is she a nut job?  But she's so pretty and those big, bright green eyes...oh my!

"Oh hello, is this a friend of yours, Jamie?"

Oh no!  It's Mom!  Trust her to walk in on us...whatever is she going to make of Morgan?

"Ah...yes...yes it is.  Mom, this is Morgan...Morgan this is my mother" 

"Hey there, Mrs McGregor"

"Hello Morgan, lovely to meet you.  Jamie have you invited Morgan inside yet?"

"I was just about to"

"Now, Morgan, I'm just about to make some dinner...you're very welcome to stay and join us.  It'll be great meeting one of Jamie's friends...he rarely invites them around."

"Thanks, Mrs McGregor...I'm STARVING!"

Oh swell, Mom's moved right in...what if Morgan starts talking to her about breaking and entry?

"Yeah, Jamie and I are at high school together...although we're not in the same class.  We met down at the park a few days ago.  He was cooking up some delicious hamburgers on the BBQ grills there and I hadn't eaten dinner and lunch was sparse so he was literally a life saver.  Yeah, and we got chatting..."

Morgan has turned on that cute, chatty charm of hers.  This is the kind of thing that drew me to her...that open friendliness.  And those eyes!  And lovely long red hair...and her legs...anyway, I like this chick; why does she have to make me all tense with all the naughty stuff she gets up to?

"Hi honey I'm home...oh, I see we have a guest" 

"Hi dad, this is Morgan"

"Pleased to meet you" 

Dad quickly gives me the wink.  I think we share similar tastes in women.

"I was thinking, Mom, Dad...maybe Morgan and I can go out into town for a few hours.  Does that suit you, Morgan?"

"Sure does!  I know this great place!"

"Well that sounds good...OK, let's go"

"You know the rules, Jamie?"

"Yeah, Mom, don't worry.  This is just a casual thing.  Isn't that right, Morgan?"

"Yeah, casual like.  Don't worry Mr and Mrs McGregor...I'll return Jamie home in one piece!  HA!"

Things seemed promising.  We'd go somewhere cool; Morgan seems like the kind of girl who knows where all the cool spots are in town.  Maybe a bit of dancing, a bit of quality time and...well, who knows, maybe we could get to make out!  OK, I'll just ignore what she said earlier on...

"Do you mind if we swing by my place, Jamie?  I want to change outfits.  It won't take long"

"You look great as you are.  That's a nice dress."

"Meh.  It's a little too big.  Wofie knows my dress size so I'm annoyed he didn't swipe one that fits me properly."

"Wolfie?  Swipe?"

"You know Wolfgang Munch, don't you?  He's the leader of The Renegades; this gang I'm a member of"

"I don't know Wolfgang.  And you're in a gang?"

"Sure!  I'll tell you all about it but first I need to change out of this dress and get it back to Wolfgang."

OK, now I find out she's in a gang with this character called Wolfgang and he apparently swipes dresses.  This is just going swell and I'm being ironic here.

I travel with Morgan to her house but she makes me wait outside while she gets changed.  When she emerges she's in her black, form fitting outfit with the skin tight top, short shorts and red boots.  Wow, she looks amazing like this.  Again, my concerns fly out of the window when I look at this willowy beauty with those big, bright green eyes.

"Thanks for waiting for me.  I'd invite you inside but my step-sister is having one of her nerdy club meetings."

"That's OK, so where are we going?"

"Somewhere new, somewhere I've never been but I want to go to.  You'll see"

We head off to Newcrest and to the brand new Charrington Bowl complex.  It used to be the Bowl-O-Rama but it was getting old and dilapidated so they tore it down and built a new bowling alley and movie theatre on the site.

"So are we catching a movie or going bowling, Morgan?"

"Neither.  There's a nightclub downstairs.  I thought we could go there...if you like music and dancing"

"I love music and dancing.  Sounds good!"

This is shaping up nicely.  As we walk into the place some people are checking out me with this hot red head.  Yeah!  But as we got to the stairs that led down to the club, we saw a sign that read CLOSED FOR REFURBISHMENT.

"That's a shame, I guess a movie instead?"

"Pfft! I know for a fact they've finished refurbishing the club as the Renegades held a meeting there the day before yesterday.  They're just putting the sign there because of one or two minor things the fusspots who run this place want to tinker with.  Come on, let's head down there for some fun!"

"But the sign says 'CLOSED'!"

Morgan shot me a disapproving look and walked on down the stairs anyway.  What's a guy to do in this circumstance?  I quickly followed her, looking around to see if anyone had noticed what we'd done.

Downstairs looked groovy with all it's bright colours, swirling lights and fountains embedded into the walls.  I was impressed.  Morgan, however, went over to the record player and switched everything on.  She pulled out a record, put it on the turntable and whacked the volume up.  Then she trotted over to the dance floor and beckoned me to join her.

"This is a cool place but aren't you worried we're going to get busted?"

"Oh lighten up, Jamie, don't be so tense!  If anyone comes downstairs I can handle them"

"By handle do you mean....?"

"I'll bat my eyelashes, act all cute and innocent while you run upstairs, ring the fire alarm and then we'll all get out"

"...swell..."

This chick's on the edge!  We dance some more but there are definitely more questions than answers Morgan is raising.  I'll try to find out more, try to find out whether I'm going to make it out of this date in one piece and not in jail.

"So.  This club, The Renegades.  What do you do?"

"Oh we hang out, challenge each other to dares, push the limits a bit"

"What kind of dares?  Doing things like this?"

"Yeah, but this is small scale stuff.  A level one dare.  One time we kidnapped a sheep and put it in the Dean's office..."

"Oh my gosh!  Wow!  That would leave a mess I would imagine."

"What?  Who cares about the mess?  The Dean screamed the place down but he never caught us.  I hate that Dean:  Graded me an F on my history paper when I slipped in a little sentence saying he smelled in the middle of a 2000 word essay.  I just wanted to see if the teachers actually read the papers and I got an F and a week's detention!  I hate that Dean!"

Keep dancing, Jamie, keep dancing and maybe she'll snap out of this.  But I can't help but checking the staircase to see if anyone else is coming.

"Hey, quit checking the stairs.  Like I said, no one should come down here and if they did, we have a plan.  Sheesh, you are so square, Jamie"

"I'm just not used to sneaking into places where we shouldn't be and...well...shouldn't we keep the music down, just in case?"

"You're being a real drag, you know?"

"I just don't want to get a ban from coming here?  Listen, there's a club in Windenburg we could go to..."

"Huh...do you always play it safe?  Wolfie says..."

"LOOK!  I don't know who Wolfie is but he sounds like the kind of guy you should avoid!"

And at that moment the music stopped.  We both stood there, looking awkward.  I walked over to the couch and sat down.  Morgan joined me but that spark we had earlier had gone now.  We sat on that couch and didn't have anything to say to each other.  She looked hurt but I was worried that if I did what she said I'd end up in the hands of the law: I don't know how far she'd go.  The silence was too awkward and I had to say something to her.

"Look...I'm sorry I was rude about Wolfie.  I don't know the guy..."

"It's OK.  I think you and me are too different.  You're a nice guy..."

Oh here comes THAT line again...

"...but I'm not a nice girl."

"Don't say that.  I think you are."

"Yeah, right"

"No, seriously.  If you were a genuinely bad girl, you would have stolen stuff from Efrain's locker or you'd make for that bar and drink the contents dry but you didn't.  You certainly would have said something stronger than 'the Dean smells' in your essay.  No, you're not bad you just live life on the edge and, well, I'm a few feet back from that and I think that gap is too much for us."

She looked at me and I swear there was a tear welling up in one of her eyes.  She cleared her throat and stood up.

"Awww, don't make me feel so sentimental!  I hate that!  No, seriously, that's one of the nicest things anyone has said to me.  I hope you find someone more in tune with you...but if you ever get the urge to be a bit naughty, you've got my number."

Time to leave Charrington Bowl and this strange girl.  I had hopes when she approached me back at Desert Bloom Park, but it's all come to nothing.  The one time, THE ONE TIME, a girl took notice of me and it turned out to be crazy, wild Morgan Fyres.  I hope she doesn't get hurt on one of her escapades.  Ugh, it's a long, lonely walk back with nothing to show for it.

CHAPTER 152: Prancing About

"All the little pieces in place, neat and proper!  All the pawns ready to fight..." Edna mused one morning as she and her husband, George, enjoyed the beautiful warm air of a June morning in Oasis Springs.  " I must get better at this game" she added.

George, however, wasn't paying attention.  He was lost in his own thoughts; thoughts that Edna couldn't be privy to.

Once they had finished breakfast and Edna grew bored with chess stratagems, they went inside, showered, dressed and got ready for their respective days.  Edna was out on the campaign trail all day and George had a day off from the hotel, although he did have to do one small task for work the rest of the day was his and he knew how he was going to spend it.

"So first of all I have a meeting with the Mayor's deputy assistant commissioner for the removal of litter, waste and unauthorised scribble on walls, then I'll be having lunch with the Concerned Mothers About Television Violence and after that I'll be doing a door to door opinion polling in Willow Creek so I'll be rushed off my feet, as usual.  And what about you, George? What are you going to be up to?"

"I'm typing up the menu for the weekend, dear.  I have the recipes all worked out"

"Very good.  You know, we must have a big dinner function for the League and its supporters at your hotel one of these days.  I get to show off your culinary skills to the people who matter.  Anyway, I must change...this outfit is totally unsuitable for my meeting:  My new grey skirt suit would be more appropriate.  I won't disturb you, George.  Bye bye for now."

Edna went to the bedroom to get changed and George frantically typed away, determined to finish the menu in mere minutes.  Again, Edna called out goodbye and the front door slammed shut.  He could hear her footsteps jog down the street to the bus stop and, satisfied she wouldn't be coming right back, he stopped typing and headed downstairs to the basement bunker.

He got out his special suitcase, went back upstairs to the bedroom and began his transformation into Georgina.  Alas his cross dressing experience almost ended before he began as he struggled to fit into his corset.  George had put on weight and already the lingerie was barely fitting him.  He struggled and puffed, letting out groans and grunts until he had managed to squeeze his portly body into the corset and then almost tired himself out putting on a pair of stockings and attaching them to the garters.

"That was more trouble than I thought" he muttered.  "I'm going to have to go on a diet; no more of my own rich food.  If I keep putting on weight I'm not going to need false boobs" he said, feeling his enlarged man breasts.  However, he did put the falsies into the corset.

Then it was on with the makeup, the false nails, the dress, cardigan, high heels, jewellery and wig until his transformation was complete.  The dress was a little tight but still wearable.  Checking himself out in the mirror he was at least pleased with his hair and make up and the dress was nice...even though he was a larger lady today.  

Georgina pranced around the house in a feminine manner and occasionally paused to admire herself in the mirror.  She liked the little feminine touches like sitting cross legged, brushing some lint off her dress or adjusting a stocking.  

"What to do, what to do?  I'm a lady and I shall do ladylike things" she said as she did some chores or looked in one of Edna's fashion magazines.  Outside, the weather was beautiful and Georgina had a hankering to step out of doors.  It was a risk if anyone saw or recognised her so she peered out of the window to see if either the McGregors or Zest were out in their yards.  

"OK...I'm going to do it!" she decided.  Just a short walk, down the road...away from the McGregors and Zest...and back.  But getting the timing right was all important:  When there were as few people around as possible.  Georgina's heart started pounding faster and faster as she slowly turned the handle of the front door, opened it gradually and then looking out on to the porch and beyond.  She inched her way daintily forwards, through the doorway and on to the porch as a first step.

This was exciting for her and looking around the next thing was to walk down the road for a little bit.  Not too far and definitely not attracting attention.  She couldn't see anyone nearby and was pretty sure no one had seen this lady stepping out of Sneedley Burrow but there was a concern that someone might rumble that she was a he and that Georgina was none other than George Sneedley.

Georgina was an old hand at walking in heels but rarely had she done so on a sidewalk.  On stage with the USO and prancing around the house, yes, but a public pavement, no.  The issue wasn't maintaining balance as she sauntered down the road it was nerves.  But there were only two other people out and about and Georgina didn't know them so the fear of discovery wasn't overpowering.  There was a mild breeze which blew through her wig and around her legs with a slight updraft up the dress.  This sensation gave Georgina a thrill and now she was actually enjoying this little walk.

Up ahead was a bench and she decided to sit down and catch her breath.  This was exciting, she thought.  Again, she sat with her legs crossed in the feminine manner and enjoyed watching the world go by for a few minutes.  "I feel so feminine!" she thought to herself.

She sat there and sighed in bliss but that soon went when she saw who was coming down the road:  Nancy Landgraab, on one of her seemingly never-ending runs.  George knew Nancy somewhat and was now worried she'd notice him dressed in women's clothing.  Georgina dropped her head and pulled a strand of hair over part of her face to obscure it.  Fortunately Nancy was in one of her "zones" and wasn't distracted by anything...especially not a 270lb man in a dress.

Georgina thought she'd chanced her arm enough and that it was time to head home.  She got up, brushed her dress again and sashayed back along the road.  However, just as she was getting there she heard a voice behind her.

"Oh excuse me, madam, do you happen to have the time on you?" said a man's voice.  Georgina pretended not to hear him and walked on.

"Only I forgot to wear a watch today and it's important I know what time it is.  Please, madam.  You in the blue dress."

Georgina couldn't ignore that any longer and she turned around to see who was asking for the time.  Her heart sank when she saw it was none other than Geoffrey Landgraab.  Now Geoffrey did know George quite well and he was sure to see through the disguise but Georgina was trapped in a corner and it would take all of her amateur acting skill to get out of this one undetected.

"Oh the time, sir?" she said, suddenly speaking in a high, feminine register.  "Why it's 11:47am".  Not only was Georgina speaking in a high female voice, she had somehow developed a Deep South accent.

"Thank you...my that's a very nice watch you're wearing there.  May I have a closer look?" said Geoffrey, seemingly oblivious that he was speaking with George Sneedley.  In a dress.

"Oh this little ol' thang..." Georgina giggled Why the hell am I speaking in a Southern accent? she thought.  "It's nothin', just an adornment"

"It's exquisite for an adornment" Geoffrey replied, taking Georgina's left hand and holding it in his whilst he examined the watch.  "It's my wife's official 29th birthday, again, and I'm looking for something like this to give to her as a present"

"She must be a very lucky lady to have such a fine gentleman like yourself to buy her presents" Georgina continued the Southern Belle act.

"Keeping her happy is a full time job" he replied, wistfully.  "But where are my manners, my name is Geoffrey...and yours?"

Georgina froze momentarily.  She couldn't use the name Georgina as that would be too much of a giveaway so she had to think fast.

"Erm...Beulah." she said on the spur of the moment.  

"I'm guessing by your name and accent that you're from....Georgia?  Am I right?" asked Geoffrey, turning on the charm.

"Oh yes sir...a regular Georgia Peach am I!" said Georgina with a nervous giggle.

"I can see that" said Geoffrey, looking up and down at her in a slightly lecherous way.  "On a visit or do you live around here?"

"Oh no, sir, ah don't live in this here neighbourhood, ahm jus' passin' through so to speak.  Never been here before"

"Hey, I saw you come out of that house.  That one, over there!" said another passer-by: This time it was a little boy who had overheard the conversation and had stopped to interject.

"My, how observant you are little boy" said Georgina/Beulah in her falsetto Southern accent but through gritted teeth.  The boy smiled, smugly.

"That's Edna and George Sneedley's house, do you know them?" asked Geoffrey.

"Oh the Sneedleys?" began Georgina/Beulah, desperately thinking of something to say.  "Why yais ah duly do.  I do...erm...some cleaning for them.  Lovely couple."

"Ah, you're a cleaner are you?  I'd never have guessed.  Such a pretty dress to be doing the cleaning in...you must have very high standards."

"Oh Geoffrey, ah do declare that you'll make me blush with all this fancy talk!" She was really getting into character as Beulah now.

"You're a pretty big lady" said the little boy.

"That's on account of my big bones" said Beulah, glaring at the boy.

"As a matter of fact I live in a large mansion and my wife is very busy these days and good cleaners are hard to find.  I don't suppose you have the time to manage another property; I imagine you get a lot of work." said Geoffrey, again turning on the charm.

"Yes sir indeedy I am kept busy." she replied.

"Well, I pay well and...anyway...here's my card if you're interested" he said, handing her a business card which she took and then, impulsively, she curtseyed.  "Please think about it" he said, softly.

"Ah will, sir, I will" replied Beulah.

"It was lovely meeting you... Beulah" said Geoffrey, saying her name in a sultry voice.  "Another time, perchance?"

Beulah just nodded before Geoffrey waved goodbye and continued his run.

"He has the hots for you, lady!" said the boy, who also walked off.  Georgina was picturing ways of strangling the precocious little brat.

Georgina wasted no more time in getting home.  Once inside, she shut the door firmly and slumped against it.

"I hate children!" she muttered.  "Phew, that was close old girl.  I can't believe I fooled Geoffrey Landgraab!  Oh good grief; I'm 'Beulah' now as well!  I need a coffee..."

One strong, black coffee later Georgina...or was it Beulah?...was feeling calmer.  The experience of going out and about in drag was a real buzz and one she wanted to repeat, and there were good improvisation skills upon meeting Geoffrey but maybe choose a different time or place for the next excursion.  But reflecting on that encounter, not only did she fool two people into thinking she was an actual woman but it seemed as though Geoffrey was flirting with her!  And the Southern accent....well, it might come in handy in future; it helped her sound more feminine.

She walked over to the bookcase in the lounge, pausing to check herself out in the mirror.  "OK, I could do with losing some weight but my face with this hair...with the right make up I look convincing.  I have the mannerisms and now the voice...still need to work on that...yes...YES...I could lead a very convincing double life!"

She found the business card Geoffrey gave her but instead of throwing it away, she put it on a shelving unit in the lounge.  Feeling very feminine now, she picked up a popular romance novel and lost herself for an hour in the steamy passions of the fine art world...

Fun, exciting and sometimes terrifying this experience had been it had to come to an end.  Bit by bit Georgina...or was it Beulah?...was put back in her case, the clothes folded neatly, the nails and wig came off and the make up removed.  George had returned to Sneedley Burrow in time for when Edna came home.

"Phew, George, what.  A.  Day." she said when she arrived home.  "That lunch I went to?  Completely dry it was!  Their boss is a fervent tea totaller!  I need something to pick me up..."

"I'll make you a Wrench" said George.

"You read my mind!  But...and here's the really good news!  I got a promotion!" she said, excitedly.

"Congratulations, darling.  You deserve it!"  he replied.

She kicked her shoes off and walked around the lounge in her stockinged feet.  "You have no idea how hard it is to walk a whole day in heels, George" she said.  As she enjoyed her drink she noticed the business card on the shelf.  

"George...this is Geoffrey Landgraab's personal card with his home phone number on it!  I've only got his office number and you have to go through his secretary in order to speak with him!  How did you get this?  This will make contacting him so much easier."

George froze in his tracks again and had to think quickly.  "Oh, I have a contact...they gave it to me." he said.

"Well do thank them; this is gold dust!" she said, excitedly.  "Now is there any dinner for me?  And I'm sorry not to be more sociable but I'm beat so I'm just going to have some food and go to bed."

"No worries, dear, there's food.  We'll catch up more another time" he replied.

When she finished her dinner and went to bed George put on his sports clothes and went for a run.  He was sure going to shed those pounds now!

CHAPTER 151: Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder And All That

 

"I SEE THE GIRLS WALK BY DRESSED IN THEIR SUMMER CLOTHES NA-NA-NAH...I HAVE TO TURN MY HEAD UNTIL MY DARKNESS GOES!" Travis Scott was up and about grooving and singing to his latest purchase; The Rolling Stones' Paint It Black.  He was still in his pyjamas and hadn't showered yet but was still belting out the songs on his stereo at nearly full volume.  Summer had just entered the lounge, by contrast fully dressed, made up and with not one strand of hair out of place, and scowled at him.

"Travis, you've got to turn that noise down...Liberty's still catching up on her sleep!" she said.

"Hey babe!  Dig this!  TOTAL SOUND!" he replied.

"Total noise more like...turn it down!" she said, hands on hips and staring him down.

"Spoilsport..." he muttered as he reluctantly walked over to the stereo and turned the volume dial down.

"That's better.  Liberty's jet lagged, she's been working real hard and she came to the wedding having had only two hours of sleep...the poor thing needs to be left to doze" Summer remonstrated with Travis.

In fact, Liberty was already up.  When they had staggered home after the wedding she unzipped her gown, slipped off her shoes and just fell into bed where she fell asleep instantaneously and slept the whole night through undisturbed.  She woke up about 20 minutes before Travis' 'total sound' experience with her mind buzzing with the Gemini IX mission, Suzy and Neil's wedding and the thought of returning to life in Willow Creek.

It was great to catch up with her housemates but there was someone else she was desperate to see:  Her boyfriend, Gary.  They hadn't been together long and her going to Cape Canaveral was the first time she'd been out of touch with him.  There was a gnawing feeling in her stomach that maybe he'd found someone else or had grown bored or tired with her.  There was still so much about him she didn't know nor he knew about her.  Liberty had other boyfriends in the past and she knew those early weeks were when things were at their most vulnerable; where initial attraction could fade away and the signs of incompatibility reared their heads.  She really liked Gary and wanted to know if he still liked her.

Meanwhile back in the lounge, Summer managed to get Travis to sit down with her and have a quiet talk.

"The thing is, Travis, is that we must give Liberty plenty of peace and quiet..."

"What's that about me?" said Liberty, suddenly appearing in the room.

"Oh you're awake!" replied Summer, shocked at seeing Liberty up, dressed and full of energy.

"Of course I am!  When I hit the sack I fell fast asleep...8 hours of undisturbed peace and I feel fine!" said Liberty.

"I'll put my music back on then!" said Travis, getting up off the couch.

"Oh no, here we go again..." sighed Summer.  "Well, if you can stand the din, how about telling us all about your trip, Libs?"

Liberty sat down next to Summer on the couch.

"It was full on, I can tell you!  There were...complications...with the mission which I can't really talk about, even with you guys."

"The aborted space walk?" asked Summer.

"Yeah...when I left the Cape they were having a big debrief about it but I'm not on that side of the team so I came home. "

"I wish I knew more about space stuff but I leave that to you and Travis" said Summer.  She turned to see him back dancing and singing way out of tune.  

"Shall we split and leave dancing boy here?" asked Liberty.  "I was going to head to the gym, wanna come?" 

"To escape the noise?  You betcha!"

The two young women packed their exercise clothes into bags and headed briskly off to downtown Willow Creek and the gym.  Liberty said little but Summer knew her friend well enough to notice that there was something on her mind other than getting out in the sunshine and working out.  As they walked down the street to Movers n' Shakers, she pried for information.

"So...has Gary called you since you got back?" asked Summer.  Liberty turned her head to her friend and smiled ruefully.

"I found a message on the answerphone" said Liberty.  "He wants to meet later"

"That's good, right?"

Liberty shrugged her shoulders.  "Maybe"

"What do you mean, maybe?  He's been missing you!" said Summer, encouragingly.

"Did you see him while I was away?" asked Liberty.

"Erm...no.  But why would you think he's not missed you?"

"I don't know...a gut feeling, probably"

Summer didn't understand her friend's reticence.  She often found that Liberty overthought problems and created issues where there weren't any.  

They reached the gym and stepped inside.  Looking around, they saw that it wasn't too busy.

They headed upstairs to the locker room and changed into their fitness clothes.  All the while Summer was trying to instil some positive vibes and thinking into her friend.  Gary seemed like a nice guy, he was crazy about Liberty and she should trust in him more.  Then Liberty let out a little laugh.

"You know, Sum, I don't know anyone as peppy as you!  Alright, alright...you've convinced me; Gary still likes me and I'll stop worrying now will you stop with all this perkiness otherwise we'll soon have Disney animals frolicking around our feet!"

They headed back downstairs and hit the apparatus.  Liberty was focussed and pushing the limits but seemed happy enough.  Summer smiled; as long as Libs had something to focus on, some kind of project (and having a boyfriend was a project) she was happy.  The moment her world stopped turning and stood still, she started to fret.  Coming to the gym was the best thing for Liberty right now and Summer was sure Gary had a special homecoming arranged for her.

After the session, the two headed home where Liberty noticed a flashing light on the telephone answering machine.  Quick as a flash, she ran to find out who the message was from.

"Hello?  Hello?  I'm not used to speaking into these machines..." the voice was very familiar.  "This is Gary, if you can hear me, Liberty, would you like to come down to the Fashion Quarter for drinks and dinner?  Hello?  If you can here me, call me back:  I'm at home.  Oh, and one more thing....CLICK!" The tape had run out at that point but Liberty was wasting no time in calling him back.

Summer smiled; she knew everything would be alright.  Of course Gary still liked her.

"Oh my gosh, Sum, what if he wants to break up with me in person!" cried Liberty, when she hung up the phone.

"How did he sound?" Summer asked.

"Erm...happy, cool, I guess.  He's keen to meet up but I don't know..."

"Just go, have a great time!"

"But..."

"No buts...go...GO!" and with the Summer ushered her friend out of the front door.

Liberty raced down to the Fashion Quarter as fast as she could and once there was frantically on the look out for Gary; her heart pounding and her stomach filled with dread.  To make matters worse, there was a Llamaman live event going on and the place was filled with fans and curious onlookers, making it harder to look for Gary.

Her attention was drawn to someone dressed in a Llamaman costume but right next to them, wearing his distinctive flat cap, was Gary.  Liberty stood still and looked at him.  At that exact moment Gary turned to look at her.  There was a moment's pause where both of them looked surprised to see the other and yet no word was spoken.  Then Gary's face broke out into a huge, warm smile and Liberty's fears evaporated as they ran towards each other and kissed, passionately.

"Obviously I'm intruding..." said the guy in the Llamaman outfit before walking off.

"You are a heavenly sight, Liberty" said Gary, looking at her admiringly.  She, by contrast, looked bashful.  "Hey, is anything the matter?" he asked.

"No.  On the contrary" she replied, blushing.  "I was wondering how this reunion was going to go" 

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Nothing.  It's silly.  It's wonderful to see you too" she replied.

"Well, I don't know about you but I'm starving" said Gary.  "Do you fancy a bite to eat first?"

"First?"

"Sure!  We've got a lot of catching up to do" he replied, smiling.

"Lead on, I could eat a horse right now" said Liberty.

They grabbed some food from the street vendors and found a place to sit.

"You look even more beautiful than when I last saw you.  That's my favourite outfit on you" he said.

"This?" she said, giving her top a gentle stroke "this is my French look.  I saw Anna Karina wear this outfit in a French movie and I wanted to get it for myself."

"Well, vive la France!" said Gary.  "So, I hear the mission ran into some trouble" he said, changing the subject.

Liberty took a deep breath.  "There were difficulties...first, the target vehicle's launch shroud didn't jettison so Gemini couldn't dock with it and then the EVA..."

"EVA?" interrupted Gary, who wasn't up to date on all the NASA slang Liberty often used when describing her job.

"Oh, the space walk.  Anyway, there was a plan to use an experimental manned manoeuvring unit...kind of like a jet pack for space...but that had to be abandoned and finally Cernan, the astronaut, had difficulty on the space walk and almost fell unconscious."

"Oh, so the mission was a disaster!" asked a shocked Gary.

"Oh no.  It was a success.  We learned a lot from all the things that went wrong.  As long as the astronauts make it back alive the mission is a success."

Gary was impressed and let out a sigh.  Her job was infinitely way more interesting than his boring administration one.  "Well my work was very boring by comparison.  I kept counting down the days until you returned." he added.

"You old softie" she said.

"It's true!  Liberty...I truly missed you. I couldn't stop thinking about you either.  Now seeing you here, once again, looking stunning and with that cute look on your face whenever you describe something you're clearly passionate about I've realised that I can hold this in no longer....Liberty, I love you!"

Liberty was stunned.  He had said the words!  There she had been all day fretting over whether he was going to break up with her and instead he'd done the opposite.  She took his hand in hers and said "I love you too".

Gary jerked his head in the direction of the bar and said "Let's celebrate"

The two of them celebrated being reunited and talked about their respective weeks, their work and how much they missed each other.  Liberty was relieved and relaxed now  and opened up with Gary.  After a few drinks both were keen to move on from talking and instead wanted to be more intimate.  Liberty thought about inviting him home, but Summer and Travis would be there...making a noise...and Gary shared a large house with his parents and that wasn't ideal either.  But she was desperate to hold him, kiss him and do other things with him and, looking out of the bar window, she had an idea...

"Gary...do you see that observatory over there?" she asked in a suggestive way.

He looked out of the window and saw a wooden tower with a large telescope poking out of the round, dome like roof.

"Yeah...it's one of those temporary ones they put up for shows, fairgrounds, exhibitions" he replied.

"No one's used it since we've been here.  I'm pretty sure the guy who runs the concession on it went home.  How about you and me....make use of it?" she said, very suggestively.

"You mean...you and me go in there and...."

Liberty nodded fervently.  

"What if we get caught?" he asked.

"That makes it more exciting!" she replied.  The idea appealed to Gary a lot.

Gary took a deep breath.  "We just drink up our drinks and saunter over to the observatory, casually, and without anyone noticing we'll just slip inside and have a little fun"

"How about we run over there instead before anyone beats us to it!" replied Liberty.

"Alright, let's go!" he said, downing the last of his drink in one and running out of the bar.  Liberty was way ahead of him.

Liberty entered the empty observatory quickly followed by Gary, who had found a sign saying OUT OF ORDER which he put on the door handle to deter other potential astronomers.  Inside it was cramped and both of them found it awkward taking their clothes off but they persevered and were soon naked and trying to have sex without making a big noise; which was made more difficult by their bodies pushing up against the creaky, wooden beams.  Liberty was in ecstasy but had to bite her bottom lip to stop her yelling.  After the climax they disengaged and had the difficult job of putting their clothes back on.  There was no room or time for a post-sex snuggle and they both stepped out of the observatory, looking calm and innocent.

It was a tired and worn out Liberty who came home about an hour later.  

"Did you have a nice time with Gary?" asked Summer as Liberty staggered in.

"Oooooh yes!" Liberty replied as she flopped on to the couch, kicked off her shoes and gave her feet a rub.

"What did I tell you?  The guy is crazy about you!" said Summer.  

"Most definitely" said Liberty, shutting her eyes and thinking of the woohoo in the observatory.

"You look like you could use a coffee" said Summer, walking off to the kitchen.  She got out a fresh bag of ground coffee, put it in the machine which fizzled and popped with electricity. 

"Oh no!" cried Summer.  "This thing is broken again!"

Liberty opened her eyes and knew that the only person capable of fixing the coffee machine was her.  Reluctantly she put on her shoes, found the tool box under the sink and went about fixing the wiring.

Travis had just arrived home to find the girls busy.  "So how did it go, Liberty?  Was Gary pouring out his heart to you?  Did he serenade you?  Did he have a rose between his teeth?" he teased.

"Oh he did a lot more than that!" said Liberty, suggestively.

"Now that sounds juicy!  Spill the beans!" said Travis, suddenly getting interested in what went on.

"Travis!  It's rude to pry!" interjected Summer.  "Liberty and Gary obviously had a nice time together and I'm glad because he's a nice guy and Liberty deserves a bit of happiness and romance."

"Yes, ma'am" said Travis, feeling scolded.  He sometimes thought that Summer was too prim and proper for her own good:  A right Mary Poppins she was!

"The machine's fixed, I'll make us all a coffee" said Liberty.

The three of them sat down together to enjoy their food and drinks.  Liberty was very content, Travis was still keen on finding out what she and Gary had got up to and Summer was making plans...

"I think we should have Gary over more often!" she said.  "Invite him to dinner...or better yet, let's have a BBQ...a double date!" 

"At this rate why don't we invite him to move in?" joked Travis.  But judging by the serious looks on their faces, Liberty and Summer didn't treat Travis' off the cuff remark as a joke.