Marianne G

By Any Other Name. Part 21 of 35

Chapter 21

Ruth had laid the dining table and had put out some plates. We went and sat down as she brought out some sandwiches and poured tea. The talk was light, with some idea of a timeline. I would be able to work at it after we tidy up ‘Thirteen Women’. I still wasn’t sure about the sequel.

Nadir to Zenith

Nadir to Zenith

They say that pride becomes before a fall. I wasn’t feeling proud when I fell. I was concentrating very hard of the job at hand. My name is Damon Rose, and I was just nineteen when I lost my grip, and nearly my life.

By Any Other Name. Part 20 of 35

Chapter 20

Three weeks later, Colin was holding the back door of a glorious dark blue A8 for me to get in, while Brendon and Jeff put my things in the boot. In the meantime, I had been subjected to one major surgery and several minor ones. I was now classified as a genuine replica of a woman. One that was still a bit slow moving and still had minor horrors at my reflection.

By Any Other Name. Part 18 of 35

Chapter 18

The open gate was in a stone wall, and looked like an electric one, with a speaker set into the gatepost. The gravel drive led towards the house, but I saw older farm sheds on either side as we entered. The house was a barn conversion, single storey for most of it, but I could see a second storey towards the back, on both sides.

By Any Other Name. Part 17 of 35

Chapter 17

There was a knock on my door as I stood there and opened it to see the two comediennes.

“Julia, sweet cheeks. We had to come and welcome you to the home of bedlam, and to thank you for the friendship you showed us in Hawaii.”

“We hardly had a dozen words when we were there. You were off, filming, on the other side of the island. Congratulations on your scene. When I first saw it, I nearly fell off my chair for laughing. I was told that it was all ad-libs.”

By Any Other Name. Part 16 of 35

Chapter 16

Wednesday morning was sunny and bright, if a little cool. It was, I decided, a good day to wear Anna’s wool dress, and to give my latest coat a try. When we had been modelling, I fell in love with it. It was longer than my favourite, and a bright mustard colour, with a fur collar.

By Any Other Name. Part 15 of 35

Chapter 15

I took my time in the morning. I made sure that I had a good breakfast, tidied up, then spent a lot of time in the bathroom. Freshly showered, hair washed, and no errant wisps of hair anywhere else, I took a great deal of care choosing what I was going to wear.

By Any Other Name. Part 14 of 35

Chapter 14

When I went into my apartment, I looked around at the mess. My early morning breakfast things were still on the table. In my bedroom I picked the expensive dress off the floor, found a hanger for it, then smoothed my bed. I found a new pillowcase to replace the smeared one.

By Any Other Name. Part 13 of 35

Chapter 13

When we arrived at Gatwick, there was a sign with an arrow that just had ‘Turbulence’ on it. It led us to a reserved floor in the North Terminal car park, where attendants were there to show us to a parking area and open the doors for us. Our driver would be back at seven, to wait for our return. Jeff and I certainly looked like we should be there as we followed more signs that took us into the main concourse, through a very quick passport check, finally arriving in a VIP lounge where some had already started mingling.

By Any Other Name. Part 12 of 35

Chapter 12

David and C.J. left, leaving the six of us. I asked Cecil if he could give it a simple edit and gave him my email address, then got Jeff and Eric to give him their email addresses. I asked the sound man to keep quiet about what he had just seen.

“Don’t you worry, Julia. I could stand in the street and shout that their favourite country copper is really an actor who could rival Olivier, and nobody would believe me.”

They packed up the gear, leaving the four of us. I looked at Jim, who was smiling broadly.

“What’s so funny, Jim?”

By Any Other Name. Part 11 of 35

Chapter 11

When she said that, I knew what the part was. There was a lower rank police officer who is friendly with my daughter, and he learns enough to be needed to be killed. It would have him, on set, until fairly late in the shooting, and will be in a lot of scenes with Kurt. As an unknown, he would have to be good. The screenplay has his death the trigger for the unravelling of the coven.

“That’s a big part, Kym, for very little money.”

“You have read the screenplay, haven’t you? What would you think he’s worth if he passes the test?”

By Any Other Name. Part 10 of 35

Chapter 10

So, we had our first viewing of the complete film as the orchestra played along with it. I don’t know about the others, as my eyes never left the screen, but I was entranced with the music adding a whole new level of atmosphere. We were professional enough not to make a sound until the recording engineer put his hand up, and then we all stood and applauded the orchestra. David, with Irene beside him, looked totally washed out, with this being the culmination of nearly a year for him.

By Any Other Name. Part 9 of 35

Chapter 9

Firstly, though, was the matter of getting this project finished. David and the technical crews were on a plane next morning, bound for a post-production studio. Once they had the film in a rough cut, they would be looking for music to go with it.

By Any Other Name. Part 8 of 35

Chapter 8

While we were talking, Roger had received a call on his phone, leaving the room to take it. When he came back, he told us that David wanted to take me to dinner, to talk about how things were going, and that he would have to drop me off at home so that I had time to be ready. Anna seized the opportunity.

Mars Shot - A new beginning

Mars Shot – A Tale of New Beginning

When I was young, I read about the moon landings and wondered what it would be like to stand and look back at the Earth. Over fifty years passed before we thought about going back, but the only talk was about Mars, and just how difficult it would be. With the technology we already had, the trip each way would be nine months. Then there was the time on the Red Planet before the Earth was nearing a suitable position to come back.

By Any Other Name. Part 7 of 35

Chapter 7

Mum was extremely chipper when I went into her room. She was sitting in an easy chair, reading a book she had brought to the hospital, and stood, carefully, to give me a hug.

“Jamie, how lovely to see you. My! Don’t you look the lady! This new life has been good too you; I can see. Where’s your young man today?”

“He’s doing his job, looking after another film star. I didn’t ask, but the receptionist in the Agency said that he was in Paris, seeing why a starlet had a meltdown on set.”

By Any Other Name. Part 6 of 35

Chapter 6

After the salon I felt and looked like a star already. I thought that it would be a good time to see what sort of clothes the upper crust wore, so hailed a taxi to take me to the next destination. When we arrived, I saw that the dress shop and shoe shop were side by side. I say shop, but they were both more like fantasy lands. Nothing, in either window had a price shown.

By Any Other Name. Part 5 of 35

Chapter 5

When I let myself in, I looked around and decided that I wasn’t going to bed until I had given the place a clean. I spent the morning, after clearing some space in the wardrobe and drawers for my new things, with a broom and duster, giving everything a good clean. Seeing that it was all modern surface finishes, it didn’t take as long as I thought it would.

By Any Other Name. Part 4 of 35

Chapter 4

We stayed seated until the guys had finished, then, as we all stood, Kurt and Jack did the rounds with hugs, kisses and “Welcome to the Movie Madhouse" for everyone. We watched them as they got into a waiting limo and were driven away. It left a vacuum that could only be filled by one thing. Wanda voiced it.

“I don’t know about you girls, but I have just realised that what I was going to wear tonight, isn’t up to my new mindset. Are we shopping?”

By Any Other Name. Part 3 of 35

Chapter 3

We got everyone in, and then closed the door. As we were backed away from the terminal, the safety video started. Of course, nobody watched it, not even us, as we were busy making sure everyone was buckled up. Before long, we were in the air and heading north. It was an uneventful fight, with David engrossed in a big file of papers and giving me his brilliant smile whenever I served him with anything. In a quiet time, I went back to see Cynthia.

By Any Other Name. Part 2 of 35

Chapter 2

I had, of course, flown with my father several times, but with all of those I had been in economy and had never watched his manner with the passengers. I knew that if he did come out during the flight, he’d never go that far back. Belle saw me watching.

“Smooth, isn’t he. Most of the girls call him Creepy Curtis, no offence meant.”

By Any Other Name. Part 1 of 35

Chapter 1

I’m almost too embarrassed to relate this story, but I suppose that I should, as a warning for all who read it to make sure that they plan ahead and cover themselves for any contingency. Remember to double your back-up and to make sure that it’s at hand. My problems started at thirty-five thousand feet over Northern Italy, and things went downhill from there, mainly due to my own mistake in not having that extra cover.

Life at Tethers' End. Part 3 of 3.

Chapter 3

Next morning, after breakfast, he loaned me a gown and slippers and I crossed the garden between number two and number six, carrying my clothes. I was sure that I would be seen by the others but, today, I didn’t care. I had done what Jenny and Aggie surely did. My mind was full of memories of last night, a perfect way to lose my virginity.

Life at Tethers' End. Part 2 of 3.

Chapter 2

As I followed him into the garage, I was mentally kicking myself. As Susan and Dianna, I had made every effort to be that person. That’s what enabled me to pass. As Maxine, however, I had naturally become her, and that could be a problem.

Life at Tethers' End. Part 1 of 3.

Chapter 1

I was told that when you reach the end of your tether, you either fall off in despair or start climbing back in hope. My slide on the tether started the day my wife, Zena, came home early to find me in my office, slaving over a spreadsheet, dressed in a slim skirt, lacy blouse, stockings, heels and fully made-up under a strawberry-blonde wig.

The Devil You Know

The Devil You Know

It was Halloween, and the usual crowd had gathered in the pub to be safe from ‘trick or treaters’. They weren’t heavy drinkers, just steady drinkers, and were all mildly happy by nine. As usual, none of the talk was about the particular reason for the evening, until Harry suggested that it was a nice evening, if a bit foggy, perfect for the kids roaming the streets.

“You think that the kids like wandering around in the fog, Harry?”

“No, Bert, it’s just that it’s the one night of the week they can have fun and dress up.”

Hemmed In

Hemmed In

You’ve all heard the descriptions of different types of men. There are boob men, leg men, bum men, some that love tiny waists, pretty feet, even different hair lengths. Me, well, I was truly attracted to hems. It didn’t matter if they were on long, short, or mid leg skirts. It didn’t matter if they were on shorts. I didn’t consider hems on jeans or slacks as true hems worthy of my attention unless they were on those very wide legs.

Comfortably Numb. Chapter10 of 10

Sorry about the delay. I haven’t been able to get to the site for several days, with the message URL Not found.
Chapter 10

We arranged a date for the signing on a day the banks would be open. Then we left again, while Geraldine took a very confused Judy by the hand to lead her into the inner sanctum, to meet, I expect two women that she had never spoken to before.

Comfortably Numb. Chapter 9 of 10

Chapter 9

The afternoon was just wonderful. It was all elegance and flair, juxtaposed with industrial backgrounds. It was during this time that the Vogue reporter cornered me to ask some questions. When she asked what I drove, I told her about the Jensen, so she made sure that I was taken out to it, in my next outfit, for her photographer to take some pictures.

Comfortably Numb. Chapter 8 of 10

Chapter 8

The only break, the following Wednesday, was when we had the Mayor come along to cut a ribbon to declare Harrison Industrial Steelworks open for business. I took Carol and the girls in that day all of us dressed to the nines, and we met up with Janet, Gerald, and the rest of the Board, with their families. Geraldine turned up, with Bobby driving her and Astrid. Cyril and the rest of the office were there, along with some of the other union representatives.

Comfortably Numb. Chapter 6 of 10

Chapter 6

As I drove south, I was very mindful of the speed limits, something that I now took very seriously, not wanting to have my licence being checked while I was in a skirt. Being a nice day, I had opted for something casual but well made and we had bought a couple of good skirts, suited to a businesswoman.

I had a good collection of blouses that we had bought to go with the skirt suits that were in the garment bags hanging in the back of the car, alongside the new dress that had cost almost as much as a month’s salary.

Comfortably Numb. Chapter 4 of 10

Chapter 4

After that, Albert and I talked a bit of shop, but I tried to keep Raylene in the discussion, adding bits of information for her to add to whatever knowledge she had about running a Union. When I had paid, we stood and went to fetch our coats. Raylene gave me a hug, and then I did the same for Albert. I was happy that he didn’t recoil or flinch. Our time, tonight, had allowed him to think of me as a woman.

Comfortably Numb. Chapter 3 of 10

Chapter 3

Cyril told her that it would be our pleasure to be close to the project until we had installed competent workers who could carry on. He even offered to alternate with me, as I had so many other sites around the country that I was needed at. That was a revelation, as he had become office-bound lately. We discussed what the contract between us should look like, and Janet walked us to our car.

Comfortably Numb. Chapter 2 of 10

Chapter 2

After the others had left, I started making calls. If the girls I wanted to talk to weren’t at home, I’d leave a message for them to call before six-thirty today or tomorrow. By the time I put the phone down at a quarter to seven, I had a list of nine girls, who were all happy to be kept informed about a new site with female welders.

Comfortably Numb. Chapter 1 of 10

Chapter 1

I didn’t mean to end up this way. It just wasn’t in my thinking at all. Somehow, every step along the way seemed the right thing to do. There was a point where I could have called a stop to things, but I was, to the core of my being, a ‘Union Man’, and the Union needed me.

Family Ties

This was originally written as a contest entry, but has - shock, horror - a sex scene. So, it's just a short story about going too far.
Marianne

Family Ties

It was early evening, I was on my bed, and I was in trouble. It was purely of my own making, and it needed me to think clearly and work out how I was going to get out of the trouble I was in.

Gaining Traction. Chapter 9 of 9

Part 9

Steve had eased off on getting us shows this year, in deference to Angelica, Josh and Kieran, all who would be doing important exams. With that in mind, he released a single from the CD to the media, followed it up with putting the CD on the market, and just scheduled one show for us, in the break between terms.

Gaining Traction. Chapter 7 of 9

Part 7

On Saturday morning, we set out for Shaftsbury. The guy we were going to see was called Steve Harding. He had faxed Dad with directions to his house, and a list of the bands he already managed with a contact number for each one so we could get feedback. Dad had rung a couple at random, and had received good reports.

When I looked at the list, I saw that one of the bands had been on stage at the steam rally, after our show on Friday and also after we had crashed in the caravan. I wondered if this Steve had seen us there.

Gaining Traction. Chapter 6 of 9

Part 6

Sunday, we had a day at the beach at Lyme Regis, with the parents. It was the first chance that Dad had to be where we could talk quietly. He spoke to Angelica as we walked along the foreshore, eating ice-creams. Whatever he told her, it must have been good, as she gave him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.

Then, he walked between us while Mum steered Angelica away.

Gaining Traction. Chapter 5 of 9

Part 5

At another shop, my denim skirt was replaced by a lovely, pleated skirt in a colour that Sandra told me was light tan. When I stood still, it looked straight, but flared out as I walked. I added another couple as we dived in and out of the shops. We had lunch at Macca’s and then went back to the bus on the other side of the road.

Gaining Traction. Chapter 4 of 9

Part 4

“Girls, I wouldn’t have spent it if we couldn’t. You know I do the books for the business, and I can tell you that we do very well. We owe nothing on the house and land because they’ve come down through the family; the original truck fleet were bought just after the war for next to nothing, and the tank transporters came out of a military auction. The Burrells cost about fifty pounds each, so I was told, and are now worth over a quarter of a million, each.”

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