by Julie O & Amelia R & Bob Arnold

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Introduction: Josh Reid was a typical teenage boy when he was transformed physically into a young woman. She became Jirra Reid and struggled to accept her new female persona. This is the continuation of her journey to find balance in her life. This tale also contains cameos from many of my other stories, including Ambition, Celestial Awakenings, and the Turbulence series. It also contains a major guest star, Jennifer Stevens from Bob Arnold's wonderful series Zapped.

Chapter 49

When they entered the kitchen, Lindsey was busy looking into all the cabinets.

Jirra laughed. "The cook is in her element now. I'd say that within ten minutes she'll have the entire kitchen memorized as to where everything is and how much there is of it."

Alexis nodded. "You're right, of course."

They watched for a couple of minutes more as Lindsey finished by checking out the contents of the huge walk-in refrigerator. She scribbled a few notes on a pad of paper then sat down at the kitchen table.

"Well, Jen was right. She doesn't keep much around. I'll have to pick up almost everything I need. I can use some of what's here, but I'll have to replace it." Lindsey picked up the phone book and flipped through the pages until she found a certain phone number then dialed the phone.

"Hello? Is John there please? … Okay, I'll wait. … John? Lindsey Dylan calling…. Yes, we met last night. I was with Jennifer Stevens. … You can help me by telling me where you get your meat and produce. … Well, I'm cooking for Jen tonight and I need a few things. … Okay, I got that. Now what about produce? … Great. … Oh, how about fresh Italian bread? … Really? Thanks! … Yes, if she does, I'll make sure you get it, John. … Thanks again, Bye!"

"Who were you talking to, Lindsey?" Alexis looked confused.

"I was talking to John, the owner of the Italian place we were at last night. I needed to find out where to get a few things since I'm new to the area."

"What was that about ‘if she does, I'll make sure you get it' anyway?"

"John just asked that if Jen liked what I was fixing, he'd like a sample and the recipe. He likes to add his guests' favorites to the menu, if he can find out what they are. He also offered a few loaves of fresh baked Italian bread. They have a batch to put in the oven a little later today. All we have to do is stop by to pick it up."

"So are you ready to go?"

"Let me get directions to these two places and I'm all set."

It took a few more minutes for Lindsey to get good directions, and it turned out that Alexis knew the area well enough to be able to navigate for Jirra to find the stores. It took only a few minutes for Jirra to feel comfortable driving the H2. As long as she allowed a bit of extra room around the huge SUV, it wasn't too different from driving any of the smaller vehicles she was already used to.

Lindsey decided that the first stop was the supermarket. While her own plans didn't need much from the store, she'd decided to replace what she was going to use and to replenish the stocks of the various things she had already used in making breakfast the past few days.

Jirra found a parking spot for the Hummer then started to follow Lindsey into the huge Whole Foods store. She stopped a few feet away from the Hummer and grabbed Alexis' arm.

"Alexis, do you want to put on some sort of disguise or something?"

"Why?"

"Aren't you concerned about being recognized and getting swamped with autograph requests in there?"

"No, not really." Alexis noticed the look of confusion on Jirra's face. "Jirra, there are probably two places where I can walk around without a disguise and not be bothered too much. The first is my hometown where everyone knows me anyway. The other is here in L.A.. There are already so many famous faces running around here that one more isn't going to cause a major riot. Yes, I will get recognized. I doubt that I'll get a mob of people trying to tear my clothes off though. People may point and stare, and a few may come over to talk to me or ask for an autograph. It's just something I have to live with."

Jirra shrugged. "If you're sure about it, then I guess we'd better get moving."

"Lindsey's probably got a shopping cart half-loaded with stuff by now."

Once inside the store, Alexis grabbed a shopping cart then circled around the aisles until they found Lindsey staring at something inside a freezer case. She seemed to snap out of her trance then opened the case door, grabbed several bags of what appeared to be unsweetened frozen dark cherries and put them in her shopping cart.

Alexis turned to Jirra. "What was that all about?"

"I've seen that look in her eyes a few times before. I'm just taking an educated guess here, but I'd say she just got an idea for something new to make. Knowing what she's capable of and the fact that she put those cherries in the cart, I'm guessing that we're going to have a very special dessert to go with supper tonight."

"I think you're right, Jirra. We'd better catch up with her before we lose her again."

A few minutes later, Lindsey had nearly filled her cart and started in on the one Alexis was pushing. They spent nearly an hour in the store as Lindsey finished the rest of her list.

It took two baggers to help move the load of groceries out to the Hummer. Fortunately, there was a large ice chest in the back, and it was soon loaded up with the items that needed to stay cold. A cord with a cigarette lighter plug came out of the end of the cooler. It was lying next to an outlet in the back of the H2. Alexis plugged the cord into the outlet and a low whirring sound came from a small compartment on the end of the chest. "Cool. It's one of those camping type refrigerators. The stuff in there will stay cold for as long as we're out. Jen uses this when she does her own shopping."

Jirra started the H2 then turned to look at Lindsey. "So where to next?"

"Well, the butcher shop is the farthest out. Let's make that the next stop. We've got room in the chest, so I'm not concerned about the beef getting warm while we're doing the rest of the shopping."

Jirra nodded as she moved the H2 back out of the parking spot then headed in the direction Alexis pointed.

The butcher shop was easy to locate, and it took only a few minutes for Lindsey to pick up the order she placed over the telephone. Several pounds of prime stew beef, cut into two inch cubes were added to the cooler.

By this time, it was getting close to noontime, so the trio decided to head back to the Italian place for lunch and to pick up the bread.

As Jirra parked the Hummer in the restaurant's parking lot, the cell phone in Alexis' purse started to ring. "Hello? … Oh, hi Jen! … Okay. Let me ask her."

Alexia turned to face Lindsey. "Is it going to be a problem for you if Jen invites someone for dinner?"

"No, not all. I'm planning for around a dozen as is stands now. It'll probably wind up being a buffet style layout, since we don't really have a staff to serve everything."

"Did you hear that, Jen? … Okay then. I'll let her know. Bye!"

"Lindsey, Jen said to tell you thanks. She's inviting a friend of hers over at about seven tonight."

"I'll be ready." Lindsey scribbled another round of notes on her pad of paper before following the others into the restaurant.

To save room for supper, they all decided to have a small antipasto and a soda for lunch. John popped out of the kitchen and filled Lindsey in on the produce place he'd recommended. It was run by an Armenian-American family – a father and two sons, all of whom were short, stocky, and barrel-chested with full heads of curly black hair. The father was known as "Hal" and the two sons, even though in their thirties, were simply known as "Junior" and "the kid." They were all very knowledgeable, helpful, and very friendly. Their place of business was the whole bottom floor of a big, old brick warehouse, and it's always cool in there, even on the hottest summer days. Most of the produce is still in cases stacked on pallets, with the top case being open for retail trade and to let wholesale customers see – and sample – the produce. Anyone, like Lindsey, who could talk to them about produce in a really knowledgeable way would get wholesale pricing, no matter how little they bought.

As they finished their meal, John brought out a half-dozen loves of fresh Italian bread, still warm from the oven. Lindsey had inquired about getting some wine to serve with the stew and to use a small amount in the preparation of the meal. John surprised her with three bottles of an excellent Beaujolais, saying that Jen was personally responsible for bringing him a lot of business and that he'd be glad to contribute the bread and the wine so she could enjoy her meal in style.

It took just a few minutes to find the produce place. Jirra and Alexis followed Lindsey inside then trailed behind her, pushing the cart as she started to fill it with a large assortment of vegetables and other goodies. Lindsey stopped at a pile of boxes containing celery. The top box didn't have much left in it and as she looked at the box below it a large frown spread across her face. She told Jirra and Alexis to wait then took off in the direction of the checkout counter. A minute or so later she came back followed by a stocky man with slightly graying hair.

"See? The code says these two boxes were packed at least four days ago. All of the rest have today's date on them."

The man looked at the boxes then turned back toward the counter. "Junior!", he bellowed, "Pull the order you picked up from Graystone Farms this morning and tell them I want two new boxes of celery delivered or the cost for these two cases of old stock taken off the bill. You can also tell them that this is the second time that this has happened. Three strikes and they're out. There are other places I can get celery!"

The man moved the two cases out of the way then opened a brand new case. "There you go, young lady. Please accept your order for celery with my compliments. We do try to keep an eye on our suppliers but this order was picked up as a wrapped pallet this morning. I guess they grabbed a couple of boxes of old stock when they got our order together."

"Thank you, sir! I do appreciate it." Lindsey picked out three bundles of celery and placed them in the cart.

"Hal, please call me Hal. Sir makes me feel like my Dad was around somewhere." He looked at Lindsey then the cart for a few moments. "Are you by any chance in the business?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so. My mother is the chef at a spa in New Mexico. I'm out here to attend the awards this weekend with a friend and decided to cook supper tonight. My name is Lindsey."

"Again, thank you, Lindsey, for calling this to my attention. Our customers have come to accept that we carry only the best produce available. We'd never sell something that old to anyone. When you're done shopping come and see me at the checkout counter." Hal bowed slightly then headed off to talk with a few other customers.

On the way to the register to check out, Lindsey passed the store's exotic produce section. The selection of produce included several fruits she'd only seen in the pictures in her cooking books. She even spotted some fresh blueberries and raspberries and got a couple of quarts of each to use in pancakes or waffles and for desserts over the next few days.

The big surprise came at the register when Hal encouraged her to register for a wholesale card. He told her that she'd be able to get whatever she wanted at wholesale prices with the card. They would even ship her things at the spa if she needed something she couldn't get locally. Considering the delicacies she'd seen in the exotic section, she jumped at the chance.

Chapter 50

Back at the condo, it took several trips for the mountain of bags and boxes to get carried into Jen's kitchen. Instead of pulling the Hummer into the garage, they'd parked across from the back entrance, since it was closer to the elevator. With their activities out in the open, several photographers spent a few minutes snapping pictures. Jen's Hummer was well known to the paparazzi crowd, and that, plus the fact that a mountain of groceries was being lugged into the building by Alexis Eden, meant that the word that some kind of party was being planned got spread around town faster than the news that a TV show was being cancelled. Within minutes, both entrances to the building were staked out, with the crew at one entrance in cell phone contact with the other. Whoever showed up would be certain to have their picture snapped. The rumor mill kicked into high gear.

It took a few minutes to put much of the pile of groceries away. What remained on the kitchen table were the things Lindsey needed for the meal.

Lindsey put Jirra and Alexis to work cleaning and chopping the veggies as she browned the meat for the stew. After lightly browning it she drained off the pan drippings to cool slightly. Later she would remove as much of the grease as possible from the drippings then add them back to the stew for additional flavor.

The veggies, beef, some spices and a few additional goodies all went into the large pot on the huge stove. Lindsey carefully adjusted the flame under the pot then placed a lid on top.

While the kitchen was fairly large and well equipped, several collisions with Jirra and Alexis prompted Lindsey to shoo both of them out of the kitchen with the task of setting up the dining room properly.

The dining room was positively huge; Jirra counted at least a dozen round tables and guessed that the room could seat at least fifty to sixty people comfortably. Lindsey wanted to serve dinner buffet style so they set up three long folding tables they found in a storage closet. It took close to an hour to set up the room the way Lindsey wanted it.

Since Jen hadn't brought her housekeeper, Jirra and Alexis did a quick clean up of the first floor areas of the condo. The time just seemed to slip by as they worked with a vacuum cleaner and the cleaning kit they found in the storage room. With everything finished they headed back to the kitchen to watch Lindsey.

Just after five in the afternoon, they heard the front door open then slam with a loud bang. Moments later, Jen came storming into the kitchen and tossed her purse on the table.

"IDIOTS! Those flaming idiots! A whole week's worth of editing screwed up because…" The smells wafting through the kitchen finally tickled Jen's nose enough to completely register. "Ooooo, what smells soooooo good?" Jen headed for the range to peek into the pots bubbling away there. Lindsey cut her off though.

"Uh, Jen, things won't be ready until about seven, since that's when you said your friend was coming. Since you seem so keyed up, how about you go take a good soak in the tub and relax?"

Jen looked at Lindsey with the pout of a three-year-old girl who has just been told she couldn't have a new dolly.

Jirra laughed. "That won't work on her, Jen. Alexis and I already tried. She said no samples or peeking until everything is ready. And she owes us, because we've been helping!"

Jen crossed her arms over her breasts and stamped her foot. "Oh poo! It's my kitchen!" All three of the girls laughed even louder.

Alexis gently grabbed Jen's shoulders and guided her toward the door. "Now go take a good soak. That's Doctor Alexis' personal prescription. And use that special setting of yours. You need to work out all of your frustrations. I'll have Jirra bring in a mug of hot chocolate in a little while too."

"A hot soak in the tub and hot chocolate too? Why am I still here?"

Almost half an hour later, Jirra knocked lightly on Jen's bathroom door. There was no answer after several seconds, so she slowly opened the door, concerned that something had happened to Jen. As Jirra stepped into the bathroom, she saw Jen leaning back in the tub with her arms on the rim of the tub. The water was swirling furiously, and the mounting froth of bubbles hid what was going on just under the surface as Jen made little noises of pleasure. Jirra also noticed that the special button Jen had mentioned was lit in a brilliant red.

Jirra was about to set the mug on the edge of the tub and leave when the humming of the pumps stopped as the red light extinguished. After several more seconds, Jen sighed as her eyes fluttered open. She didn't seem upset at all to see Jirra standing there.

Jen smiled up at Jirra. "How long have you been there?"

Jirra felt the warmth flooding into her face. "Not long."

"But long enough, huh?" Jirra nodded. "Jirra, I'm not ashamed of this. There's no need for you to be nervous or ashamed either. In trying to find my own balance, I had to learn not to hide my feelings or refuse to experience new sensations. This is just a part of that."

"Killara keeps reminding me of that."

"Ah yes, your spirit guide. He's quite right you know." Jen sipped from the steaming mug of hot chocolate. "Maybe it would have been easier for me if I had someone like him. Can I ask a personal question?"

Jirra thought for a few seconds. "If I can decline to answer it."

"Fair enough. Are you still afraid that you're going to lose the old you?"

"How did you know?"

"Talking with your mom and Judy, but mostly from watching you. Occasionally, I see a very brief flicker of something on your face. Nobody would ever notice it unless they'd been through it too. It still happens to me, but not as often as it used to. Something happens that will trigger an old memory or behavior from before, and I struggle with that for a while. I…"

A knock came on the bathroom door then a few moments later it opened slightly. Alexis peeked around the door. "Okay, ladies. Your time is up. Jen you need to get dressed. It's a little after six now. You've been in here for nearly an hour. Jirra, you're needed in the kitchen."

Jen sighed. "Thanks. Alexis. I'll be out shortly." The door closed again. "Well, we can always talk later. Remember, don't be afraid to fully experience the wonderful gift you're been given. You really should try the red button you know."

Jirra smiled. "Have you been talking to Killara?"

Jen shook her head as she smiled. "I have not now, nor have I ever been on a spirit quest, although I'm not certain how close a session in the tub with the red light on comes. Now go see what Lindsey needs. I'll be recovered enough in another few minutes to get out and get dried off. Tell them I'll be ready around six thirty, okay?"

"I'll let everyone know, Jen."

"The three of you might want to freshen up and change before our guests arrive too."

Jirra nodded before closing the bedroom door behind her.

Chapter 51

About thirty minutes later, Jen was sitting on the couch in her living room, dressed in jeans, an orange Syracuse University sweatshirt, and sandals. She was looking through a stack of scripts and story proposals when the doorbell started ringing.

It was the start of a steady flow of guests arriving, and soon ten additional residents of the building were milling around in the living room. Jirra circulated around the room carrying a tray of finger food and introducing herself to each of the guests. She recognized the stars of five TV shows and at least one well-known supporting actor in the movies. She learned the rest were either involved in the production or distribution of movies and TV shows.

Alexis greeted one female guest by running over to her and giving her a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. Jirra felt a surge of jealousy for a few moments, until the man with her was introduced as her husband. Alexis explained that the woman was her stunt double on her latest movie and had been nominated for an award for her stunt work on another picture.

Shortly before seven, the doorbell chimed again. Jen greeted her guest with a warm hug and a little kiss on his cheek, then introduced the gray haired man as Wayne Zachery, the host of Around Midnight and the owner of the studio that had supported her latest picture.

The group quickly moved to the dining room when Lindsey announced that everything was ready. It was a stretch since there were several more people than Lindsey had planned for but with some extra salad and some additional appetizers there was more than enough for everyone.

The meal went off without a hitch. Jen noticed how professional Lindsey was when it came to cooking and serving the food, nothing was overlooked. The food was excellent and the guests asked who Jen catered.

Lindsey beamed with pride was Jen introduced her as the chef.

The after dinner conversation was interesting, and Jirra really enjoyed the evening. Her only concern surfaced after the conversation turned to the spa. Everyone wanted a business card to have the spa's phone number after Jen and Alexis raved about the service there. It certainly didn't hurt that Lindsey was a chef at the spa either. Jirra was a bit concerned that the people calling the spa would be asking for her instead of Judy to make a reservation or get information. She wondered if Judy would be upset about it.

Jirra was also amazed at the amount of business that seemed to transpire during the dinner. She heard at least three deals for appearances on Around Midnight and a couple of proposals for movie deals. She wondered if things were always like this whenever a group of people in the entertainment industry gathered anywhere.

Things broke up around eleven, and it wasn't long before everyone was sound asleep.

Chapter 52

The next few days flew by and soon it was Sunday morning. Lindsey made omelets for brunch, and as they ate Jen went over the schedule.

"The stylist and her crew are coming over at noon," stated Jen. "They'll do our nails, hair, and makeup in that order."

"I know how to do my own makeup," interrupted Jirra.

"No offense, Roo, but this is different; you're walking down the red carpet and you need to look gorgeous," answered Alexis. "Trust me on this one; you'll definitely stand out if your makeup is understated."

Jirra nodded and let out a sigh. "Okay, I guess that makes sense."

"Don't mind her, Alexis, I'm looking forward to getting a makeover!" interjected Lindsey.

"What time will the limo be by to pick us up?" asked Jirra.

"Three. I know that sounds early, but as we're not on the A-list we need to be there earlier for our trip down the red carpet," replied Jen. "We'll stop along the way and pick up the boys, and you two will switch to their limo. Now don't worry, as I've already told them to be perfect gentlemen or else!"

"So you and Alexis will be arriving at the same time?" asked Lindsey.

"No, I'm going in solo, and Alexis is going in with her producer," replied Jen.

"Richard Thorn?" asked Jirra.

Alexis nodded. "I promised him that if he let me go I'd walk down the red carpet with him, good publicity for the flick, but don't worry; we'll all be sitting together."

"What's he like?" asked Lindsey.

"He's very nice, I'll introduce you to him at the party afterwards," replied Alexis.

"So he won't be sitting next to us?" asked Jirra.

Alexis shook her head. "No, I think he'll be sitting with his daughter."

"Why isn't he walking down the carpet with her?" asked Jirra.

"She's almost eight months pregnant, that's why," replied Alexis with a smile.

"Yikes," replied Jirra.

"I met her a few times while we were in Crete; she a budding star in the archeological world. She's really nice; I hope she'll come to the party."

"Cool, what's her name?" asked Jirra.

"Hallie Thorn Pappadimos."

"Oh, I remember you e-mailing about her; isn't she a lesbian too?"

Alexis nodded as she sipped her juice. "Yes, and her partner, Kim, is also very nice."

"Does Richard know about you?" asked Jirra.

"Yes, and he was totally understanding. He's so excited about becoming a grandfather."

"That's pretty cool."

"Well, I don't mean to be the mother hen, but I think it's time for you all to go take your showers," interrupted Jen.

"Cluck, cluck," said Alexis as she stood up and carried her plate to the sink.

Jirra and Lindsey giggled and likewise make chicken sounds.

Chapter 53

The woman assigned to assist Jirra was named Gail and was an attractive woman with short blonde hair. She was friendly and went right to work on Jirra.

"This hair style looks good on you, Jirra. All I really need to do is mousse it up a little to make you look a bit more glamorous," stated Gail.

Jirra nodded nervously as she still wasn't used to being given so much attention. She kept her hair short to avoid extra work. As Gail worked, Jirra noticed that there was a bottle of nail polish already picked out. The color appeared to be a glossy red. It wasn't a bright red, rather it was slightly dark.

"Is that the color you're going to use on me?" asked Jirra.

"Yes, it's perfect. Jen sent us color photos of you and your friend, so we would know your colors. You have a very natural beauty, Jirra."

Jirra felt her face getting slightly warm. "Thank you."

"So are you trying to break into the business?"

Jirra began to shake her head, but was stopped by Gail's firm hand on her head.

"Oops, sorry. No, I live on a spa in New Mexico, and I met both Jen and Alexis there. I want to become a writer," replied Jirra.

"Smart move, but I tell you, Jirra, you have the looks to get the door opened for you," replied Gail.

"I think I'll pass," replied Jirra.

Gail laughed. "Well, you'll be the only young woman there tonight who isn't wishing that she'll get noticed by some hotshot director."

"Do you work on many stars?" asked Jirra, trying to shift the conversation.

"Oh yes, most are a real pain in the ass. Jen is cool, and from what I've heard so is Alexis, that's why we're here."

Gail began to work on Jirra's nails.

"Can I see my hair?" asked Jirra.

"Nope. Hun, I'm an artist, and I'm not letting you see yourself until I'm done. Now relax and don't worry. You're going to turn some heads tonight by the time I'm done with you!"

"That's what I'm worried about," mumbled Jirra.

An hour later, Gail told Jirra to carefully close her eyes.

"Okay, now open them up," ordered Gail.

Jirra opened her eyes and was stunned by the image that was staring back at her in the mirror that Gail was holding up. She looked stunning, and in spite of herself she felt a wave of pure joy sweep through her.

"Oh my God, I can't believe that's me!" gasped Jirra.

"Jen said that you don't like a lot of makeup, but I think what I did is understated, considering where you're going," replied Gail.

Jirra could only nod slightly as she stared at her reflection. She never used much eyeliner and was amazed by what Gail had done. Her lips also looked fuller and thicker.

"That lipstick color looks great on you. I'll leave you a tube, along with the eye shadow colors," stated Gail, as if she could read Jirra's mind.

"Thank you," replied Jirra, barely holding back her smile. She felt all giddy inside, and it was a confusing feeling, as she had never felt this way about wearing makeup before.

"I'm also leaving you a DVD that has my makeup techniques on it. Granted, you'll probably never need to get this dolled up at the spa, but you never know. Still, the basics can be used in your everyday makeup," continued Gail.

"How did you do the lips?" asked Jirra.

"Make up trick my boss taught me; it's on the DVD," replied Gail with a smile. "Now, you'd better go get dressed. Come right back out here, and I'll check your makeup again."

Jirra smiled and nodded as she stood up. "I'll be careful."

"That's what they all say!"

Chapter 54

As the dress had built-in support, Jirra didn't need to wear a bra. She stared at herself in the mirror and shook her head in disbelief. A year ago she was a boy back in Pennsylvania, and now she looked like a starlet. The dress fit perfectly although she felt she was showing too much cleavage. The only thing missing from her outfit was jewelry, and Jen said she would provide that.

She carefully walked downstairs in her heels and found Jen and the others waiting for her. They were all dressed and looked wonderful.

"You look dazzling, Roo," stated Alexis, barely holding in her lust.

To her disgust Jirra felt her face getting warm as she stumbled to find a response.

"Almost," interjected Jen. "I have these for you to wear."

She handed Jirra a simple gold chain with a small diamond hanging from it. There was also a matching pair of earrings. The earrings each had a diamond hanging from a gold chain.

"Here, let me help you get them on," stated Alexis, as she took the jewelry from Jirra.

Jirra couldn't help but feel like she was in a movie.

"Well, you all look wonderful," stated Gail. "Let me take a few photos of you all."

Jirra stared at Alexis. Her gown was completely white and looked like it came directly from a Greek Goddess. It seemed to flow over Alexis's body as if it was liquid.

"You look wonderful, Alexis," stated Jirra.

"Thank you. I have to admit that I wasn't pleased about wearing this sort of gown, but the studio insisted. But it does look nice," she replied.

Jirra shook her head. "Nice isn't the right word, fabulous is a better choice." She wanted to say how much she still loved Alexis, but couldn't find the words.

Alexis put her hand against Jirra's face and smiled back. "I know."

A short time later they were in a limo heading towards Hollywood and the awards.

Chapter 55

"I forget, Jen, which one am I going to be with again?' asked Jirra as they drove towards the hotel to pick up Nick and Kyle.

"It doesn't really matter, do you have any preferences?" asked Jen.

"Can I be with Kyle?' asked Lindsey. "I love his green eyes."

"You know, Lindsey, they're really contacts," interjected Alexis.

Lindsey glanced over at her. "No way!"

Alexis broke out in a laugh. "Sorry, I couldn't resist; yes, his eyes are that green."

"That's fine, it doesn't matter to me; I'll be Nick's arm candy," stated Jirra with a wink.

"Arm candy? You sure that this is your first time to Hollywood?" asked Jen with a laugh.

"I heard it on E!" replied Jirra.

"Okay, I just told them that they would be escorting two lovely friends of mine and if either of them did anything immoral, illegal or rude, I would make them wish they were never born," stated Jen in a matter of fact way.

"Wow, you're harsher than my dad," said Lindsey with a giggle.

Jen just laughed.

Ten minutes later they pulled up in front on one of the luxury hotels. Nick and Kyle each had suites in the hotel. They both had condos up in Malibu, but were staying in the hotel to make things easier.

They came down and greeted Jen and the others. Both were wearing classic black tuxedos.

Kyle was twenty-two and was six-one, with wavy blond hair and green eyes. He was originally from Seattle and had taken up acting after blowing out his knee playing football. His career had been mostly action adventure movies. He joked that he had been killed in four of his first five movies. His upcoming role in Jen's new movie was to be his breakout role.

Nick had classic Mediterranean looks – dark piercing eyes, black slightly curly hair, short, but very muscular. He was a native Californian; his family had immigrated to the states in 1902 and had become fishermen. He started acting when he was sixteen and had appeared in numerous commercials and bit parts before getting the role as a lab tech in CSI: Seattle. Those roles lead to a role in Alexis' movie.

Nick met Kyle while on location in Seattle, and they immediately hit it off. At first they kept their sexuality secret from each other as they hit the bars and clubs together. However, after a night of numerous shots of Jack Daniels, Kyle confessed to Nick. They had been lovers ever since.

Jen made the introductions.

To her total surprise, Jirra found herself suddenly very nervous in a sort of silly way. At first she couldn't even speak to Nick.

"I'm sorry," she stammered. "It's just you look exactly like you do on TV."

Nick laughed. "I'll take that as a compliment. Actually, it's me who's blown away; I had no idea that Jen was fixing me up with such a lovely date."

Jirra smiled and felt her face getting warm.

"Look, why don't we get in our limo and head on over, the traffic will be awful soon," stated Kyle. "We can talk on the way over."

"That's sounds great," said Jirra. She turned to Jen and Alexis. "See you there."

The chauffer was an attractive Japanese woman; she was wearing a very short black mini-skirt, high heels, white blouse, black tie, black jacket that barely hid her shapely breasts, and a black chauffeur's cap.

"Good evening, I'll be your driver this evening," she announced in slightly accented English. "My name is Mika, please let me know if you need anything at all."

She walked over and opened the door for them. As Jirra walked up to enter, Mika cocked her head and stared at her with a strange look in her eyes.

The look immediately caught Jirra off guard.

"I'm sorry, but there's something very familiar about you; are you from San Diego?" asked Mika.

Jirra shook her head. "Sorry, I've never been there."

"Strange, you remind me of a very good friend I have down there," replied Mika with a smile. "Oh, well, I'm sorry. Please watch your head."

A few minutes later they were heading to the Kodak Theater, the site of the Academy Awards.

"What was with the limo driver?" asked Lindsey.

"Beats me, she thought she knew me."

"Jirra, Lindsey, I just want to thank you both now for doing this," stated Kyle.

"I agree with him," added Nick.

"We don't mind," replied Jirra.

"Still, it helps us out a lot. Neither of us is big enough to survive being outed right now," said Nick.

"It really stinks having to keep a major part of your life a secret," added Kyle.

Jirra nodded to herself, as she knew all about keeping personal secrets.

"It must be awful," noted Lindsey.

"You have no idea. I mean, our close friends know, but whenever we go out we have to pretend that we're hetero," answered Kyle. "I wish I could just walk away from it all, but I really love acting."

"What would happen if your secret was exposed?" asked Lindsey.

"Our careers would be over. We're almost always cast as heartthrobs, not as serious actors. I get hundreds of letters and e-mails each week, almost all from women. It's why my part has grown since past season. Now, if it came out that I was gay, I would be a corpse by the next episode," explained Nick. "Pretty faces are a dime a dozen out here, and we would be replaced in a moment."

"So if you were older and more established, no one would care?" asked Jirra.

"Only if we agreed to be typecast in certain roles," answered Kyle. "But only a few have made it that far. It's far less risky for studios to cast a straight man than a gay one."

"You know what's funny, a straight man can play a gay man and no one says shit, so why can't a gay man play straight? It is called acting, right?" vented Nick. His voice was rising and his anger was growing. He then caught himself and smiled. "Whoa, sorry, I shouldn't have gone off like that."

Jirra smiled back. "No, I don't mind. I understand you both a lot better now."

Nick laughed. "I should have trusted Jen to get us some cool dates. I wish now that we had gotten together before tonight."

Jirra wasn't sure, but Nick suddenly seemed to have taken an interest in her.

"So tells us about yourselves," said Kyle.

Jirra motioned to Lindsey, who went first. They each gave a short bio of their lives.

"And neither of you wants to get into the business?" asked Kyle with a confused look on his face.

"No way, I'm going to own my own restaurant," stated Lindsey confidently.

"I'd rather write," said Jirra.

"Well, that's a breath of fresh air!" stated Kyle glancing over at Nick who nodded in agreement.

"So it's true about everyone in LA wanting to get into movies?" asked Jirra.

"Well, not everyone…" stated Nick. "Have you ever acted, Jirra?"

Jirra was about to say that she was acting right now, but instead she just shook her head.

"Too bad, a girl as attractive as you could get a lot of doors opened," continued Nick.

"But I'm not an actress," stated Jirra.

"Neither is the brunette on my show, but that hasn't stopped her," replied Nick with a wink.

Jirra laughed as she pictured the woman. "I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks she's a lousy actress."

"She's sleeping with the director," added Nick.

"Really, or is that another joke?" asked Lindsey.

Nick made a motion across his chest. "Cross my heart and hope to die!"

Jirra had to admit that she liked Nick a lot, as he was genuinely funny. They also shared something in common, keeping part of their lives secret.

"We'll be in front of the theater in five minutes," announced Mika over the limo's intercom. "I'll give you the signal when they want you to step out."

Jirra let out a long breath.

"Nervous?" asked Nick.

"Me?" asked Jirra as she pointed at her chest. "No, nervous would be good, I'm presently terrified."

"Just hang onto my arm, smile, and wave. If we get waved over by the press, just follow my lead. I'll get you through this," stated Nick confidently.

"Walk, smile, and wave, I can do that," replied Jirra.

"And you said that you can't act," said Nick.

"You mean that you're scared?" asked Jirra.

"You bet, Jirra; this is my first time at the Oscars. I've been at the Emmys a few times, but that's nothing compared to this."

"So we're both rookies at this?"

Nick laughed. "I like that choice of words instead of virgins."

Jirra felt her face turning red again.

"Okay, everyone, put on your best smiles; it's showtime!" announced Mika, as the limo slowly came to a stop.

Jirra had tried to imagine what it was going to be like to walk down the red carpet, but even in her wildest dreams she couldn't imagine the frenzy of the crowds and the press. Just walk, smile, and wave, she repeated to herself.

She was also amazed by the change that overcame Nick. He was no longer the laidback guy she had been chatting with in the limo, rather he was now Nick Carlton, TV star and supporting actor in the much talked about Minotaur movie. He slipped his arm around Jirra's waist and acted as if they had known each other for years, instead of only a few minutes.

Their walk down the carpet seemed almost dreamlike, as Jirra lost all track of time. In some ways, it almost felt as if she was in one of her vision quests, and she scanned the crowds for a kangaroo rat.

Several times along the way, Nick stopped and they turned towards the hordes of photographers. They would walk a few feet and then stop to pose again. Jirra noticed that there were photographers and TV reporters from all over the world, and she wondered how many people would see her photo.

Several more times along the red carpet the actors she met at the dinner party at Jen's stopped to greet her warmly. When Wayne Zachery greeted Jirra it set off an explosion of flash units as the press snapped what seemed like an endless string of pictures as he hugged her. Jirra saw out of the corner of her eye that Lindsey was getting similar attention.

Nick whispered in her ear, "You sure travel in some powerful circles. You sure you don't want to be an actress?"

Jirra whispered back, "I just met all of them at Jen's dinner party a few days ago. It's no big deal!"

They were almost at the end of the carpet when Nick led Jirra towards several TV cameras. Suddenly, a microphone was shoved into their faces. The first person was from Entertainment Tonight, and she asked Nick about his upcoming movie. She was quickly followed by several other reporters. While Jirra wasn't surprised that they ignored her, it did bug her a bit, after all she did look very good.

"Nick, who's your lovely date this evening?" asked one of the local LA TV reporters.

Nick smiled back and gave Jirra a slight nudge.

"I'm Jirra Reid," she replied cheerfully, surprised that she didn't stammer.

"And have you known Nick a long time?" asked the reporter, moving the microphone closer to Jirra's face.

She smiled and nodded, not knowing what else to do. Thankfully, there were other people to interview, and Nick and Jirra were again moving along the carpet.

"Well, you look lovely," replied the reporter, as they walked away.

"You did good," whispered Nick.

"I didn't do anything but say my name and nod," replied Jirra.

"That's all they want to hear," stated Nick.

They walked into the theater together and were soon joined by Lindsey and Kyle.

"Well, what did you think?" asked Kyle.

"That was so cool! Can we do it again?" asked Lindsey. She had a big smile on her face.

"I think someone is star struck!" said Jirra as she kidded her friend.

"Come on, Roo, you have to admit that was fun," replied Lindsey.

"Roo?" asked Nick with a grin.

Jirra flashed Lindsey a dirty look for using her nickname and then turned back to Nick. "My name means kangaroo, so some of my family and so-called friends call me Roo."

"Cool, I like it," replied Nick as he took Jirra's arm. "We need to get to our seats."

Chapter 56

Jirra was pleasantly surprised by their seats. While they weren't up front, they were in the very back either; they also had a great view of the stage.

"I can't believe we're so close, I half-expected to be in the very back," commented Jirra.

"I know," replied Nick. "Someday, I hope to be up closer, in the front rows, but for my first time here, these are perfect."

"The cool thing is that we'll see all the big stars walk by," added Kyle.

A few minutes later, they were joined by Alexis and Jen.

"So did you have a great time?" asked Jen.

Jirra and Lindsey both nodded.

"Thank you so much for bringing us here," said Jirra.

Jen smiled back. "It's a pleasure."

They chatted about the red carpet experience.

"So where is Richard Thorn?" asked Jirra.

"He's sitting up front; he produced two movies that have nominations. I'll introduce you to him at the party," replied Alexis. She then leaned over and whispered, "How's Nick been?"

Jirra smiled and whispered back. "He's been very nice. I like him."

Alexis nodded back.

Overall, Jirra found the show to be very entertaining and enjoyed the people watching. Her personal highlight of the show was when the winners for visual effects were sitting directly in front of them, and Jirra wondered if she showed up on TV.

As always, the show ran late, and there was almost a mass sense of relief in the crowd when the last awards were given out. As they filtered out, Jirra tried to take it all in one last time.

"You okay?" asked Alexis.

"Oh, yes. I guess I'm just overwhelmed by all this; I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I would ever be here… especially with you."

"I know what you mean. This is my second time here, and it's just as exciting now," replied Alexis.

The party they were going to was also a fundraiser for AIDS, and it had an ‘80s theme. The group running it had even brought in several bands to play live. They all rode over in one limo. Jirra noticed that Mika also gave Jen a strange look, similar to the one that she'd given Jirra earlier. Jirra wondered if Mika somehow knew that she had once been a boy, but decided that she was just being silly.

"We'll be at the party in twenty minutes, ten if the traffic clears up," announced Mika as they drove off.

"Now, remember what I said about being careful," reiterated Jen. "There'll be a lot of people at this party who aren't as nice as Nick and Kyle."

"Thank you, Jen," stated Nick with a smile.

"I also promised your mothers to keep you out of trouble," continued Jen.

"Gee, thanks for making us feel like little kids," said Jirra.

"Don't sweat it, she plays mother hen to her cast too," added Kyle.

"You know, your part could end up on the editing room floor with any more comments like that," stated Jen with a wink.

"So are you two taking off from here?" asked Alexis, as she turned to Kyle.

"Yes, we'll stay here for an hour or two, then we're heading up the coast to a more private party," explained Kyle. "Since the party will be rather loud, I guess we'd better say goodbye now. It was really fun and, Lindsey, when you get your restaurant I want to be invited to opening night."

"I will," stated Lindsey with a grin.

"Jirra, if you change your mind, give me a call," stated Nick.

"Thanks, but no thanks," replied Jirra with a grin. "I'm content to just see this from the outside."

"What're you talking about?" asked Alexis.

"I just suggested that Jirra try acting," stated Nick.

"Really?" replied Alexis. "And what did you base this suggestion on?" There was a slight tone of irritation in her voice.

Nick smiled and held up his hands as if he was trying to protect himself. "Easy, Alexis, I wasn't making a move on her. I just commented that she has more going for her than many actresses out there… no offense."

"Or for that matter most actors," replied Alexis with a wink.

"Touché," replied Nick.

Jirra was slightly surprised by Alexis's display of protection for her, and was also pleased.

"Actually, I already offered her a role in my new series, but she turned me down too," continued Alexis.

"I'd rather write anyway," replied Jirra. "Maybe I'll write a script for you someday."

"I'd like that, Roo," replied Nick with a wink.

Jirra giggled in spite of herself.

"You're a sweet girl, and I wish you all the best," stated Nick as he leaned over and gave her a quick kiss.

Jirra was mildly shocked by Nick's action, and even more so by her reaction, she actually liked it.

"Thank you," she replied softly.

Kyle gave Lindsey a kiss.

"You know, Jen, if you decide to give up acting and producing, you can always open up a dating service," quipped Kyle.

"Yes, Jen's dates for the hopelessly closeted!" added Nick with a laugh.

"Well, I know a lot of men and women who'd take advantage of that service," added Alexis. "But I doubt if she could get such high quality dates for everyone."

"How true," added Nick, smiling at Jirra.

"I bet you say that to all the girls," said Jirra. "Oops, that's not what I meant to say."

Nick broke out laughing and was joined by the others. "That was a good one, Jirra."

Jen smiled at the banter going back and forth, but she also took an interest in Jirra's comments about writing.

"You serious about wanting to write scripts?" asked Jen when the laughter died down.

"Sure, why not? Based on a lot of what I've seen on TV and in movies, it doesn't look that hard," replied Jirra.

Jen cocked her head and stared back at Jirra.

"Okay, okay, I know it's not that easy, but it would be fun to give it a try after I get out of college," said Jirra.

Jen nodded and thought to herself that she might give Jirra a shot sooner than that.

Chapter 57

The limo dropped them off at the party, which was being held at a club that was rented out for the evening. It was one of the newer parties and attracted a mixture of new and old Hollywood.

The DJ was playing Billy Idol's "Dancing With Myself" as they walked in.

"I thought you said that there would be live bands," asked Jirra.

"It's early, most of the partygoers haven't even arrived yet," explained Jen.

"Oh, Jirra, there's Richard Thorn; come on, I want to introduce you to him," stated Alexis excitedly.

Lindsey smiled and waved her off. "Go on, I want to mingle around. Don't worry, I'll be fine."

Jen nodded. "Go on, Jirra. Richard's really worth meeting."

Alexis slipped her arm around Jirra's waist and lead her towards a tall man. He had a rugged, weathered face with a well-groomed beard. His hair was now streaked with gray, and it only made him look more distinguished. He saw Alexis approaching and broke out into a huge smile. He was talking to a very exotic looking young pregnant woman. She was wearing a flowing dark purple gown. Her hair was long and flowing with large curls. Jirra immediately picked up on the sense of dignity and strength the young woman gave off.

"Alexis," he exclaimed.

"Richard, Hallie, this is my good friend, Jirra," said Alexis.

Richard leaned over and gave Jirra a big hug. "I've heard so much about you from Alexis, it's wonderful to meet you in person, and this is my daughter, Hallie."

Jirra smiled and received a hug from Hallie.

"I'm sorry if our greetings seem over enthusiastic, but it runs in the family," stated Hallie.

"It's okay," replied Jirra.

"Is Kim here?" asked Alexis.

"No, she's back in Columbus," replied Hallie. She looked at Jirra. "Kim is my partner; we're both grad students back at Ohio State."

"Not for much longer," replied Richard proudly. "They're offering them both full time teaching positions!"

"Thanks, Dad," replied Hallie. "Parents! They can always find a way to embarrass you."

Jirra laughed.

"Hey, I'm just proud of both of you."

"Do you mind if I sit down, Dad? My back is starting to kill me," stated Hallie.

"There's an open couch right over there," noted Jirra.

"Perfect!" replied Hallie, who walked slowly over to the couch.

Jirra followed and sat down next to her. Alexis was still talking to Richard.

"So, when are you due?" asked Jirra.

"Late March, early April," replied Hallie. "Not much longer, I can't wait!"

"Do you know what your baby is?" asked Jirra.

"A girl," replied Hallie with a smile, as she ran her hands across her extended belly. "By the way, you and Alexis make a nice couple; you're so much prettier in person."

Jirra felt her face getting warm again. "Thanks, although we're not really a couple."

Hallie smiled. "You will be, trust me on that one."

Jirra was about to ask Hallie how she knew, but decided to let it slide. "Thanks. Oh, congrats on getting a fulltime position."

"You're welcome. The cool thing is that it'll allow me to continue my work back in Crete. Alexis said that you're going to college in the fall; do you know where yet?"

"I'm hoping for Penn," replied Jirra, holding up her hand with fingers crossed.

"Whoa, I didn't know you were an Ivy Leaguer. Makes my Big Ten degree look downright shabby," replied Hallie with a laugh.

"I wouldn't put it that way, besides you can always kick our butts in football," replied Jirra.

Hallie laughed. "I can understand why Alexis likes you so much." She then stared at Jirra.

"What's wrong?" asked Jirra.

"Nothing, there's just something familiar about you," she replied.

"That's strange, you're the second person to say that to me tonight," said Jirra.

"Maybe it's just because we're in California!"

They both started laughing.

They talked for almost an hour, and Jirra found herself forming an immediate friendship with Hallie.

"I'd love to see the site you're working on in Crete someday," commented Jirra.

"Well, we'll be working there for years; we haven't even begun to uncover all the secrets it's hiding. You'd always be welcome," said Hallie. "I'd love to keep this going, but it's way past my bedtime. I think I'd better find Dad and head out; it's been a real pleasure talking to you, Jirra."

"It's been fun for me too," replied Jirra. She helped Hallie up and they walked over to where Richard, Alexis, and Jen were talking.

"I'm trying to get your father to produce my next movie, Hallie," stated Jen.

"That sounds like an interesting idea," replied Hallie. "Dad, I need to go home now."

Richard and Hallie made their goodbyes and left.

"Where's Lindsey?" asked Jirra as she looked around.

"I saw her over by the band in the other room," stated Jen. "Let's go see if we can find her."

They walked together through the crowd into the main room where a band was playing their hits from the '80s. There was no sign of Lindsey.

Jen lead them through the crowd and towards the back rooms.

"I wonder where she is," stated Jirra. She was slightly worried as it was unlike Lindsey to just wander off.

They walked into one of the side rooms and looked around. There was still no sign of Lindsey. Jen headed towards the next room with Jirra and Alexis right behind her. Jen stopped so suddenly that Jirra and Alexis almost ran into her. At first, Jirra couldn't see what Jen was looking at, but she could see that, whatever it was, it was making Jen furious. From the back, Jirra could see Jen tense up and her ears turn red.

Jirra also noticed a red glow surrounding Jen that hadn't been there moments before. The air around her also seemed to crackle and Jirra could feel little pin pricks on her exposed skin. Since she wasn't sure exactly what she was seeing and feeling she decided not to say anything about it. Nobody else in the room seemed to notice the glow either.

"Benito, you pig, take your hands off her," exclaimed Jen in a loud clear voice that was heard by everyone in the room.

Jirra could then see a short, very fat, balding man sitting on a couch next to Lindsey. Jirra wasn't sure, but Lindsey looked as if she was drunk. He nervously slid away from her and then stood up slowly.

"Trying to warm up the old casting couch again, Benito? Just so you know, that girl next to you isn't even eighteen, and if I found out you touched her…" continued Jen, her anger increasing. The glow surrounding Jen also seemed pulse then increase in brilliance as it changed to a much deeper red. Again, except for possibly the target of Jen's anger, no one else seemed to notice it.

The man looked up and tried to open his mouth to explain, but the scorn of the crowd and Jen's anger left him speechless. His face suddenly went pale as a dark wet stain formed in the crotch of his expensive Italian light gray linen suit and said all that needed to be said.

Jirra walked quickly over to Lindsey who was semi-conscious on the couch.

"Are you okay?" asked Jirra, as she sat down next to her friend.

"My head is swimming. All I had to drink was a glass of mineral water," replied Lindsey. Her head dipped down for a moment, when she looked up she moaned. "I don't feel so good."

Jen took the glass and sniffed it. She turned to Benito and glared at him. "You slipped something in her drink? Get out of here, before I make you the next Roman Polanski!"

Benito stood there trembling and the wet stain increased. He then turned around and waddled out of the room to the laughter of the crowd.

"Oh my GOD! The legend is true!" exclaimed Alexis. "What legend?" asked Jirra, looking up from the couch. "The legend that Jen verbally castrated that little asshole then handed him his family jewels on a platter and made him eat them. He's tried to pull that casting couch shit with me and hundreds of other women too," continued Alexis. "I'm just surprised that he'd try something here."

"By the way, I am eighteen," stammered Lindsey, as she fought to regain her senses.

"Shhhh, I know that, Benito doesn't," stated Jen with a smile. "Now tell me what happened, dear."

"I was watching the band, and he offered to get me a drink. I told him nothing alcoholic, and he smiled and agreed. He said it was citrus flavored mineral water. After a few sips, I began to feel all funny and had to sit down; that's when you guys arrived."

"So he didn't do anything to you?"

Lindsey shook her head. "No, he never touched me. I don't feel very good; can we go now?"

Jen smiled and nodded. "It's getting late anyway." Jirra noticed that the angry red glow that had surrounded Jen was completely gone.

A man walked over. "I'm very sorry about this, Ms. Stevens. I'm with security, and we had no idea the girl was underage. We've escorted Mr. Tossilinni off the premises. Do you wish to press charges?"

Jen shook her head. "Would you have my limo ready? We're leaving now."

The man nodded and began to speak into his headset.

On the way back, Jirra turned to Jen. "So what was in Lindsey's drink?"

"I'm not sure, but I have the glass. I'll have a friend in LAPD check it out."

"Will Lindsey be okay?" asked Jirra.

Lindsey appeared to be asleep next to her.

Jen nodded. "She may have a headache in the morning. Not as big as the one Benito will have."

"Did you really castrate him?" asked Jirra.

Jen shook her head and laughed. "That just got blown all out of proportion. I was temporary CEO of a production company when it happened. I just told him that he was full of shit and threatened to charge him a million dollars if he didn't finish the film he was working on on time. I told him that if it was left up to me, I wouldn't hire him to direct a dog food commercial."

Jirra laughed. "Did he have a little accident then too?"

"No, not the first time. It's not my fault he can't hold it in. Come to think of it, he had that same reaction the last time I saw him a couple of months ago. Didn't even have to talk to him either. I was so angry when I saw him since I'd just learned that he had several sexual harassment suits filed against him."

"Still, if he tried to drug Lindsey, isn't that a crime?" asked Jirra.

"I don't think he meant for her to pass out. He normally gives them just enough to loosen up his victim; that doesn't excuse what he did by any stretch of the imagination. He's been suspected of doing this to others. I may now have the proof to put him out of business."

"What do you mean?' asked Jirra. "Are you going to the police?"

"No, he's too much of a big shot. Still, he has as many as a dozen or so sexual harassment civil suits against him right now; I think this little bit of evidence might make him settle with all of them," stated Jen with a satisfying grin on her face.

Lindsey then spoke up. "Ugh, I feel awful."

"We'll be home soon," stated Jirra as she comforted her friend.

"I'm okay. I'm just glad that he didn't pee himself until after he got off the couch, now that would have been gross!" said Lindsey as she sat up. "I'm feeling a little better now."

"Are you sure he didn't touch you," asked Jen. "We can press charges if you want."

"No, we had just sat down when you arrived, although if we'd been there a few more minutes I have no idea of what would have happened, as I was out of it. Oh, I did hear something about your plan involving the lawsuits, and I like that. God, I'm sorry I didn't listen to you, Jen," said Lindsey, as she held her head.

"It's okay, the important thing is that you're fine," replied Jen. "However, if he had laid one finger on you, then I would have his ass in jail right now." "Did he really do that with you, Alexis?" asked Lindsey.

"He tried," replied Alexis.

"How far did he get with you?"

"A knee in the groin," replied Alexis. "If I hadn't been a lesbian before it happened, it would have definitely turned me into one!"

Chapter 58

Back at Jen's house, they were all too keyed up to sleep. Lindsey was back to normal and was now wide awake. So after they changed into their pjs, Jen made some of her special hot chocolate, and they watched the replay of the red carpet walk and then parts of the awards.

"Look! There you are!" exclaimed Lindsey. "God, Jirra you look hot!" "Thanks!" replied Jirra as she stared at her image on the TV. She barely recognized herself.

"You and Nick do make a nice couple," noted Alexis, who was sitting next to Jirra on the couch.

A minute later there were Lindsey and Kyle, followed a few minutes later by Alexis and then Jen.

"I think we all looked great," commented Jirra. "Is there any way I can get a copy of this? They don't show the whole red carpet coverage back home."

"I can arrange that. Now, let's scan ahead in the show to see if we show up!" stated Jen.

Jen reached the spot where the winners stood up in front of them.

"Look there we are!" shouted Lindsey. "That is so cool! Look, that's us!"

"I'd say that whatever was in her drink has left no lasting effects," quipped Jirra.

"Do we have any more?" asked Alexis while giggling. "Very funny!" replied Lindsey as she joined in with the laughter.

A short time later they headed off to bed. As they carried their mugs into the kitchen, Jen turned to Lindsey.

"I just want you to know that we're not downplaying what happened to you. We have enough witnesses that, if you want to press charges, the police will listen to you," explained Jen.

"It's okay, I'm not hurt, and besides I like your form of justice better," replied Lindsey.

"I doubt I would be so accommodating," stated Jirra.

"Oh, trust me, Jirra, if he had placed a single finger on me, I would insist on charges. I just like Jen's idea better. Maybe it will put a stop to what he's been doing."

Chapter 59

No one was up before lunch, and after eating Jen placed a few phone calls.

First she called a lawyer friend who she knew was suing Benito. The lawyer was very excited about Jen's plan and gave Jen the numbers of several other lawyers also suing him.

Then Jen called up Benito and told him what she had done.

"Now, I'm waiting for the chemical analysis of the contents of the girl's drink, and I should have it by mid-afternoon. I will immediately forward the results to the lawyers and several friends I have in the press." "Jennifer… Ms. Stevens… that will ruin me," stammered Benito.

"I will hold back on several conditions; one, settle all your sexual harassment cases today; you have what, six outstanding lawsuits now?"

"Nine," replied Benito. "You cad. Okay, if I hear of you doing anything like this again, I will send this off to my friends in the press."

"Is that all?" he asked.

"No, there's one more thing. I'd like you to arrange for dinner tonight for my friends and me at Spago Beverly Hills, and of course I'd like you to pick up the tab," continued Jen, as she smiled at Lindsey.

"Tonight? Impossible!" replied Benito. "They're booked solid this week, you know that!"

"Okay, well, then expect to see your name in the news. I think it'll show up first on the net," stated Jen.

There was a long pause on the other end of the phone. "Fine, I can cash in a few favors." "Excellent. I'll expect confirmation from your lawyers this afternoon," said Jen.

"I understand, thank you for being sooo understanding," replied Benito.

"You're welcome, and you're also lucky that you're not sitting in jail right now," said Jen angrily. "Just for that, I plan on having something very expensive for dinner tonight."

There was another long pause.

"I'd also like confirmation for the reservations," continued Jen.

"You don't trust me?" asked Benito.

Jen just laughed. "Always a pleasure doing business with you, Benito. Oh, and I want this to be on your personal account and not the studio's!"

She hung up the phone and was met by a round of applause from Alexis, Jirra, and Lindsey.

Jen just smiled and bowed.

"I'm glad you're my friend," stated Alexis.

"So we're really going to Spago?" asked Lindsey excitedly.

"Why not? Besides, I'm not paying for it," replied Jen with a laugh.

Chapter 60

Jirra called home after lunch and talked to her mom.

"I thought I saw you a couple of times," stated Liz.

"I have a copy of the red carpet ceremony and also lots of photos," replied Jirra.

"I can't wait to see them. You and Lindsey are the stars of the spa right now," said Liz.

Jirra laughed. "We're going to Spago tonight."

"I bet Lindsey is more excited about that you are," said Liz.

"She is," replied Jirra. She wasn't sure if she should tell her mom the reason why they were going to the restaurant.

"Oh, by the way, make sure you order something very expensive," continued Liz. "Jen called us this morning and told us what happened to Lindsey. Her parents felt that sticking it to that pig with a big bill will be a nice punishment."

"You're not angry," said Jirra.

"Not at you and Lindsey. That jerk is just lucky neither Hannah nor I were there."

Jirra laughed. "I'll make sure that I have something very costly."

"Are you still coming back tomorrow?" asked Liz.

"Yes, we're due to fly out tomorrow around noon," replied Jirra.

"Okay, I'll be at the airport to pick you two up. Hannah can't make it due to the evening meal."

"I love you, Mom."

"I love you too. See you tomorrow," replied Liz.

As Jirra hung up the phone, Alexis knocked on her door.

"You free to talk?" she asked.

"Sure," replied Jirra.

Alexis walked in and sat down next to Jirra on her bed.

"We haven't had too much private time," noted Alexis.

"I know."

"I noticed that Nick gave you a kiss last night. Judging by your reaction, you didn't seem to mind."

"It was my first one, from a guy anyway. I didn't mind and that's been on my mind."

"Why?" asked Alexis.

"I don't know. A few months ago I would have freaked out, but last night it felt… well, rather nice," replied Jirra in a soft voice, almost as if she was confessing some sin.

"It's okay, Roo," stated Alexis in a comforting tone. "So you might like guys, no one is perfect." She then smiled at Jirra.

"I'm not as bothered by the fact that I wasn't grossed out or anything by Nick kissing me, rather it's that I'm still changing, that's what bothersome," stated Jirra.

"Oh, of course. I can see how that would bother you." Alexis then took Jirra's hands into her own. "I keep trying to compare what you're going through to when I realized that I was a lesbian, but it's not even close."

"It's just that now that I'm starting to like boys, then I might start dating them, and then who knows where that will lead to," continued Jirra.

"You don't have to have sex with them," said Alexis.

Jirra broke out in a forced smile. "I know, but the possibility exists that it will happen. When I first became female, I didn't worry about becoming pregnant, as I had no interest at all in men, but now that I'm changing, the thought of having a baby is terrifying."

"Well, let's not jump to the worst case scenario; besides, there may be a time when you want to have a baby. I've even thought about it."

Jirra's eyes opened up wide. "You?"

Alexis smiled back. "Sure why not? You talked to Hallie last night, didn't you see how happy she was? And she's in a deep relationship with another woman."

"I hadn't thought about that," replied Jirra. She then looked over at Alexis and began to blush.

"It's okay, Roo. Look, you're handling this better that I ever could. I can't imagine waking as a guy."

"But there's a part of me that still wants to be a guy," exclaimed Jirra. "I know it's silly, but I still keep hoping that there's a way to reverse this."

"It's not silly at all, and if you told me anything otherwise I wouldn't believe you anyway."

"But Jen is so well adapted. She has so much self-confidence and doesn't let anything bother her," continued Jirra.

Alexis rolled her eyes. "This is Jen Stevens you're talking about, right? Her change was different from yours in many ways. She's also had more time to deal with it. It might look easy now, but it wasn't always that way for her. I've talked with her quite a bit about that. Maybe when you two can spend more time together, she'll really open up to you. As for your change, give it time, Roo, give it time. Now, what is really bothering you?"

Jirra gently bit her lower lip. "I guess it's that if I'm still changing, what else will change? What happens if I find out that I don't like girls?"

"I don't think that will happen," stated Alexis.

"Why? How do you know that?"

"I think it's part of your core personality, the real you," continued Alexis.

"But how do you know that?" begged Jirra.

"It's simple, Roo; I fell for you long before I knew you had been a guy. I dated guys before I accepted that I preferred women, so I know the difference, and trust me on this one, Jirra, I fell for a girl. I didn't see anything masculine in you, and the only time I do is when you're trying hard to prove that there's still some in you."

"Oh," replied Jirra.

"When we met you had been a girl for only a month or two, right?" continued Alexis.

Jirra nodded.

"So liking girls is part of the real you. I wouldn't worry about it fading away," stated Alexis with a gentle smile on her face. "I know it's hard, but trust in the future. So far you've turned out pretty nice; anything else on your mind?"

Jirra took a deep breath and let it out. "Um… what about us?"

Alexis smiled and placed her arm around Jirra's shoulders. "I was wondering when that would come up. Our forced separation hasn't diminished my feelings for you one bit."

"Really?" asked Jirra. "I feel the same way!"

Alexis nodded. "Obviously! The question is, what do we do about it? I'll be out here for the next month or so, finishing up the movie, and then I'm off to Boston. You won't be out in Philly until late summer. I won't have time to see you much, if at all."

"I know… but I still want to be with you."

"Jirra, I don't know if I can change when it comes to the way I am. I like being in control, I always have. You had a problem with that before. Now I have noticed something about you, and that's that you have a strong submissive side when it comes to being in a relationship. This might not have been the way it was when you were a guy, but now you definitely act like a sub. Yes, you were conflicted when you had time to think about it, but the way you acted it seemed pretty natural to me."

Jirra nodded.

"I take it you've been thinking about it," continued Alexis.

"I know what you mean. When I fantasize while I pleasure myself, I find myself in the more submissive role, whether I think about girls or guys. I guess it's another part of my change."

"Are you sure that it's part of the change?"

"What do you mean?" asked Jirra.

"You told me about the time you lost your virginity back when you were a guy. It sounded like she was the aggressor, am I right?"

Jirra nodded.

"So maybe you've always had a submissive streak in you," continued Alexis. "There's nothing wrong with that. I know lots of guys who like the woman in charge. It's just hard for men to accept it when they've been told their whole life that men are in charge."

"Really?" replied Jirra.

"Roo, sweetheart, sex isn't black and white, there is a whole rainbow of possibilities, and as long as those involved are doing it willingly, what does it matter?"

"Oh. I hadn't thought of it that way."

"Look at Nick and Kyle; would it shock you to know that Kyle is the submissive in the relationship?"

Jirra stared back. "I hadn't given it a thought, but I guess it makes sense."

"You're slowly opening up your mind to a whole new world of possibilities. This is a good thing," said Alexis. "And just so you know, submissive doesn't mean passive; it just means that you prefer to have someone else take the lead."

"Just be patient with me, okay?" asked Jirra.

Alexis smiled and leaned over and kissed Jirra on the lips. "We've got plenty of time, Roo."

Chapter 61

Jirra picked out her outfit for the evening. Jen told her that pretty much anything goes as long as it's stylish or trendy, or a combination of the two.

"The richer or more famous you are, then the more leeway you get," joked Jen. "You know, I have something for you that would be perfect!"

She walked to her room and returned with a long skirt that had the subtle print of a mottled cheetah skin.

"I got this, but it didn't look right on me; the length should be perfect for you, Jirra," stated Jen.

"It's lovely," replied Jirra.

Jirra tried on the skirt, and it did look good. She picked out a silk cotton mix white boat-neck sweater to go with it. Simple but stylish, she thought, as she examined herself, after doing her makeup. She then tried on her boots and was pleased with the way they looked.

"Hey, Alexis said they were trendy," she said to herself.

She walked downstairs and found that she was again the last one ready.

Lindsey was wearing a white silk blouse with a green skirt. Over the blouse she was wearing a short jacket. The jacket had an earthy pattern of leaves in subtle shades of green.

Alexis was wearing a brown knee-length skirt and a silk blouse that was also in a cheetah pattern. Jirra saw the blouse and then looked over at Jen.

Jen smiled. "I though it would be cute for you two to have a connection."

Jen was dressed in pair of black slacks, a white silk t-shirt, and a copper colored jacket.

"Ooh, I love that you're wearing your cowgirl boots with your outfit; you're really developing a talent for dressing," noted Jen.

"Thank you," replied Jirra.

"What! No disclaimer or argument about the fact that you used to be a guy? I'm shocked!" exclaimed Lindsey.

"I'm not that bad," countered Jirra.

Lindsey began to laugh. Alexis cocked her head and stared at Jirra.

"Okay, okay, I am that bad, but I'm trying," stated Jirra.

"That's what counts," said Alexis as she gave Jirra a kiss on the cheek.

Chapter 62

The valet at Spago could barely contain his delight as Jen handed him the keys to her Hummer.

"You made his night," noted Alexis as she watched the young man hop into the Hummer.

"I know what the mileage is, and I'll whip his butt if there are extra miles on my baby," replied Jen.

They walked in and were greeted by the Maitre D'.

"Ms. Stevens, I've been expecting you and your party. It's very unusual that Mr. Tossilinni would make reservations for anyone besides himself," he stated. "You must be very good friends of his."

Jen laughed. "I wouldn't say that. Let's just say that Benito is paying off a debt her owes me."

The Maitre D's eyebrows rose at hearing Jen's comments, as he wasn't quite sure what to make of them.

They were taken to one of the booths in the main room. The walls were covered with local art and stained glass.

"Good evening, my name is Ashley, and I'll be your server tonight," stated a thin blonde young woman. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. She was very attractive, and Jirra wondered if she was trying to become an actress.

Jirra also noticed that Ashley was now aware of who she was serving as she handed out the menus. She didn't seem overly excited, but then again Jirra assumed that, working in Spago, Ashley would see many celebrities.

"I understand that you're the guests of Mr. Tossilinni this evening," she stated.

Jirra and the others noticed the look on her face as she said Tossilinni, as if she was saying something disgusting.

"Ashley, Benito is paying for dinner, but I wouldn't exactly call us his guests," explained Jen. "I take it you don't care for him either?"

Ashley had a shocked look on her face. She looked around to see if anyone was listening. She leaned down and whispered. "I can't stand him, none of us like him. He's always trying to grab us; none of the staff wants to wait on him; besides, he's a really cheap tipper." She then stopped as if she felt she'd gone too far.

"It's okay, Ashley, Benito is paying for this dinner because he let the little head do the thinking for the big head," whispered Jen. "I can guarantee that he'll be more than generous with his gratuity this evening. Now, what do you suggest that is incredibly expensive and tasty?"

Ashley broke out in a big smile. "Well, you can't experience Spago without having some caviar for an appetizer. It's real Russian Beluga!"

"Hmm, I think we'll do that. Of course, we'll be ordering several other appetizers," stated Jen with a smile.

Ashley smiled back. "Well, I can make several suggestions."

They settled on marinated Japanese Hamachi and Tuna Sashimi, crispy Monterey calamari, and fresh oysters.

"You know the foie gras isn't cheap," noted Lindsey.

"Sorry, while I'm not a member of PETA, I don't do that or veal," stated Jen. "No, we did enough damage on the appetizers, save room for dinner."

"Are you ready to order dinner?" asked Ashley.

"You know, Lindsey, since you're going to become a chef, you should order the chef's tasting menu," stated Alexis.

"Oh, that's so good. I had that for my birthday," piped in Ashley.

Lindsey looked at the menu. "It does look good."

The chef's tasting menu had samples of eight different appetizers and entrées, ranging from grilled grouper to duck breast. It was listed at $120 a person.

"You only live once, and that's also the number of times that Benito will be paying for it," said Jen.

"Okay, I'll have it," stated Lindsey.

"Excellent choice," stated Ashley.

"Jirra, let's have this one," stated Alexis, pointing at the menu. It was prime Cote de Boeuf for two.

"Okay, that does look good," she replied.

"And you, Ms. Stevens?" asked Ashley.

"Please, it's Jen, and I'll have the grilled prime Kansas City steak, as it's the most expensive thing on the menu," replied Jen with a wink.

"And would you like to order wine?" asked Ashley.

"I think some champagne would be nice with the appetizers. What do you have that's nice and expensive?" asked Jen.

"Well, we have a fine selection here. May I suggest this one," stated Ashley as she pointed to a bottle of Krug that was listed at $525.00.

"That's a nice selection, but I think we'll go with the Dom Perignon. I like it better and it's almost $300.00," stated Jen.

"Yes, Jen. We'll have it out here shortly," stated Ashley with a smile.

"I'm glad to see that our server is getting into the swing of things," noted Alexis. "And I thought you didn't drink, Jen."

"I usually don't, but tonight is a special occasion and Jirra can drive us home safely."

The food was excellent, and Jen even let Lindsey and Jirra have a sip of the champagne.

Ashley returned with the dessert menu. "I hope you saved room, our desserts are wonderful."

"Oh, everything looks so good, why not bring us one of each?" stated Jen.

"Excellent choice, Jen," noted Ashley. "Would you like coffee?"

Everyone nodded.

"I'm going to have to spend the next week in the gym, but this is worth it. I only wish I could be there when Benito gets the bill," said Alexis.

"Me too. He loves money even more than he does young women. Too bad I don't drink more, or we could have really jacked the bill up," stated Jen.

"Looks like we have company," noted Jirra, as she pointed to a woman walking over to their booth.

"Oh, that's Maggie Hill, she covers Hollywood for the Times," noted Jen.

Maggie was dressed in a tailored black dress. Her brunette hair was styled in soft shoulder length curls.

"Jen Stevens, it's always a pleasure to see you," she greeted with a big well practiced smile.

"Maggie, how are you this evening?" replied Jen.

"I was just wondering what the big celebration is? I couldn't help but notice you and Ms. Eden over here," said Maggie.

Jirra cast a quick look at Lindsey as if to say, what are we, chopped liver?

"We're having a little goodbye party for these two friends of ours," stated Jen. "This is Jirra Reid and Lindsey Dylan."

Maggie looked at Jirra and Lindsey as if she was making some mental notes.

"Really?" asked Maggie. "And are they actresses too?"

"No, they live at a spa in New Mexico that Alexis and I both visit. Jirra works in customer service and writes the spa's newsletter, Lindsey is one of the spa's chefs," explained Jen.

Jirra glanced over at Lindsey and smiled. They both enjoyed Jen's descriptions of their jobs."

"Really, what spa is this?" asked Maggie.

"Caldera de Gaia," answered Jirra with a smile, as if to say, that's right I can talk too.

Maggie smiled back. "I've never heard of it"

"Oh, you don't know what you're missing; they have the most wonderful hot baths, and you can't beat the mud baths," interjected Alexis.

"Really? And you've both been there?" asked Maggie, turning to Jen and Alexis.

"Yes, it's really relaxing," replied Jen. "I can't wait to go back."

Maggie then looked at Lindsey and Jirra. "Now I know where I remember you two from, you were with Nick and Kyle at the Oscars last night."

"That's right," replied Lindsey.

"You both looked lovely, and you did a good job," replied Maggie with a wink. "Don't worry, I like both of them and would never hurt either of them."

"Would you like to join us, Maggie? We're about to sample the dessert tray," asked Jen.

"Really? And is this part of the goodbye celebration too?" asked Maggie.

"No, we're just ensuring the bill is sufficiently high, as it's being paid for by someone else," explained Jen.

"Who is paying for it?' asked Maggie, as she sat down.

"Benito," replied Jen with a wicked grin on her face.

"That pig. What caused him to be so generous?" asked Maggie.

"He tried the old couch trick on Lindsey last night; we caught him before he got very far," continued Jen.

"I had a run in with that jerk back when I was getting started out here. I was promised an interview, and he tried to undress me in his office," stated Maggie. "I still cringe when I think about it."

"I guess he's had his hands on many of us, or at least he's tried," said Alexis as she winked at Jirra.

"I know he's virtually untouchable out here, so it's nice to see that someone got something out of him," stated Maggie.

Jen looked over at Alexis and smiled. "Maggie, I'm going to give you a tip. Do you know Randy King?"

"Of course, he's one of the top lawyers in town."

"Call him tomorrow, I think he'll give you a good story, but remember you didn't hear it from me."

Maggie smiled. "Wait a minute; I remember he was handling some lawsuits against Benito."

Jen nodded. "Oh, here come our desserts; why don't you join us? There's more than enough."

"I'd like that," replied Maggie.

Over dessert Maggie talked to Jirra and Lindsey about the spa.

"It sounds wonderful. I'd like to come out and see it sometime," stated Maggie.

Jirra reached into her purse and took out a business card. "This has our website on it too."

Maggie took the card. "So tell me about the newsletter; sounds like we're in the same business."

Jirra laughed. "It's just a weekly newsletter, nothing special."

"Jirra's being modest. She's going to Penn this fall and has also had an article in the local paper," interjected Lindsey.

"I haven't been accepted yet," stated Jirra.

"Penn, that's wonderful. I went to Princeton myself; you can't beat an Ivy League education," said Maggie. "Don't downplay the newsletter; every bit of writing experience is useful."

They talked over sampling the wonderful selection of desserts. Jirra was particularly fond of the mignardises, a variety of small pastries.

"You know, I think I will visit your spa. I need a vacation, and I owe an article to LA Magazine," stated Maggie. She looked at the business card. "Is this your number?"

Jirra shook her head. "It's the spa's main number. I don't have my own number."

"But if I request to speak to Jirra Reid, they can get ahold of you, right?"

Jirra nodded.

"Excellent. I'll use you as my point of contact for the article. I'd like to come out there in the spring, I'll call this week to make reservations," stated Maggie.

"We'll be looking forward to your visit," said Jirra.

"And I want to try some of the great meals that you told me about," continued Maggie.

"I can't wait, I love cooking for new guests," said Lindsey grinning ear to ear.

"Well, thank you for the dessert, Jen. As always it was nice talking to you. Alexis, can I get an interview with you sometime? I'd like to beat the rush before the new movie comes out," asked Maggie.

"Sure, call Emily and she'll set it up," replied Alexis.

Maggie stood up. "Well, thank you very much. It was even sweeter knowing who paid for it."

They watched her walk away.

"She's smooth," noted Lindsey.

"And trustworthy, I can't say that about all her colleagues," added Jen.

"You can learn a lot from her, Jirra," remarked Alexis. "She's after a scoop as much as anyone out here, but as Jen said, she's one of the few reporters that you can trust."

Jirra just nodded.

Ashley came up. "Can I get you anything else?"

"Too bad Wolfgang isn't here, I'm sure that Lindsey would love to meet him," piped in Alexis.

"Sorry, he was here last night for the post-awards party. However, we do have some of his cookbooks that he signed. They're selling them for a charity, so they're a bit expensive. They're asking $100 a book," stated Ashley. There was a sly grin on her face.

"We'll take four, one for each of us. I know you don't cook, Jirra, but it would be a nice gift for your mom," stated Alexis.

"I'll return with the books and your, rather make that Benito's bill. I just want to say that what you all did tonight made a lot of the staff happy," stated Ashley.

"It was a pleasure. Well, like they say, revenge is sweet," replied Jen as she picked up one of the small pastries.

There was a chorus of groans from the others.

They added very generous tips for Ashley and others who had served them, leaving Benito with a very sizable bill.

"I wish I could have made it bigger, the only way would have been to buy everyone a drink, but that might have pushed it," stated Jen, as she looked at the total. "I don't want him so angry that he won't come back here. Besides, the staff will remember what we did here tonight."

"I still would like to see Benito's face when he gets this," said Lindsey.

Jen broke out in a laugh. "Oh, I forget to tell you. I heard from a friend this afternoon that Benito has been getting deliveries of adult diapers all day. I guess the word got out about his little accident last night."

Chapter 63

After spending an hour or so talking about their evening's adventure, Jen and Lindsey both said their goodnights and went to bed.

"Looks like we're all alone," noted Alexis as she slipped her arm around Jirra's shoulders.

"Sounds like a bad line from a B-grade movie," replied Jirra.

"I've said worse," said Alexis with a giggle. She reached over and slipped her hand next to Jirra's cheek. "I'm really going to miss you, Roo."

Jirra felt her heartbeat jump up a notch along with her breathing. "I know. I've never been with anyone who made me feel like you do."

"Now who's spouting bad movie lines?" replied Alexis. She then leaned over and kissed Jirra softly on the lips.

Jirra sighed softly and offered no resistance. Don't think, she said to herself, just enjoy it. Don't think; don't try to rationalize it.

Alexis pulled Jirra closer to her as they continued to kiss. Her hand began to rub Jirra's breasts. Hearing Jirra's muffled gasps and moans told her that she was achieving the desired results. "You like that, Roo?"

Jirra, who was now breathing heavily, could only nod back.

Alexis smiled back and returned to kissing her.

They continued to kiss for several more minutes. "You want to go up to my room?" asked Alexis.

"Yes," gasped Jirra.

Alexis smiled and stood up. She took Jirra by the hands and helped her up. They walked upstairs arm in arm.

Once inside Alexis's room, they sat down together on the edge of the bed.

"Now, I know we're in the heat of the moment and all that, but are you sure you want to continue?" asked Alexis.

"Yes, I want to be with you," replied Jirra.

Alexis leaned over and began to undress Jirra. "And you don't mind the fact that I'm taking control?"

Jirra hesitated over her answer; she had never thought of herself as being the submissive one in a relationship, but there was no denying her response. "I don't mind."

Alexis smiled. "Just remember, this is for both of us."

Jirra set aside her reservations and surrendered to her lover. Soon she was being undressed and caressed by Alexis. She found herself trembling, not out of fear, but due to excitement and joy as Alexis began to make love to her.

Chapter 64

Jirra cuddled next to Alexis in their bed. This was a new sensation, and for the first time since her transformation she found herself reveling in her new body.

"That was wonderful, Roo," cooed Alexis.

"I've never felt like this before," replied Jirra. "I didn't know it could be like that."

"And are you still okay about me taking control?"

"Yes, although I had to turn off rationalizing it all."

Alexis laughed. "I felt the same way the first time I slept with another woman. I was so confused, as it felt so right, but I was being overwhelmed by the feeling that I had committed a major sin."

"My first time as a guy was just a blur, I barely remembered what happened," stated Jirra. "But, I'll remember this for the rest of my life."

Alexis was tempted to make a make a smartass reply, but didn't, sensing how emotional Jirra was over their lovemaking.

"So, do you feel better about your gender issues now?" asked Alexis.

"I crossed a bridge tonight, and it felt right. I guess I'll be analyzing this later, but right now, I want to just soak in the energy I feel flowing through me," replied Jirra.

Alexis smiled and placed a kiss on Jirra's cheek. "I love you, Roo."

Jirra rolled over slightly and returned the kiss. "I love you too."

Chapter 65

Jen was up first and was making coffee when Alexis came downstairs.

"I've never been one for not being direct, so how's Jirra?" asked Jen as she watched the coffee pot slowly fill.

"She's fine; actually she's wonderful," replied Alexis with a wink.

A slight smirk formed on Jen's face. "You sure you know what you're doing?"

Alexis shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, but it feels right. There's something very special about her. I partly hoped that our initial fling was just a summer romance, but when I saw her again last week, all those feelings came rushing back. It's not just lust or a fling; this is love. For the first time in my life, I'm really in love. You know me, Jen; I don't just jump into things."

Jen nodded. "That's what I was hoping to hear. While I don't have the same sort of feelings for her, she's very special to me too. I guess part of it is because we share an experience. I can't describe the feelings that went through me when I found out that I wasn't alone. I kinda see her as a little sister, feel rather protective of her, but I want you to know that I'm happy for both of you."

Jen then noticed the pot was full and she filled her mug. "You want some?"

Alexis nodded and watched as Jen filled up another mug.

"This won't be easy for either of you, you know," stated Jen.

"We know; we talked about that last night. Even when she's in college, we'll still be apart. The logical thing for me to do is to call it off, but no one ever said love was logical."

Jen took a sip from her cup. "I think I know what you mean. I'm amazed that Adam and I have been seeing each other this long and yet still spend so little time together. Is that what Jirra thinks?"

"As far as I can tell. This is another big step for her in accepting her feminine status and finding her true self."

"And what about her growing feelings for guys?" asked Jen, as she sipped her coffee.

"All I ask from her is honesty, and I'll give her the same."

"Are you afraid that she might change?" asked Jen.

"No," replied Alexis, who then took a drink of her coffee. "Okay, maybe a little. But for now, I just want to be with her."

"I wish you both the best," said Jen, extending her mug.

Alexis touched her mug to Jen's, and there was a loud ceramic clink. "Thanks, Jen."

Chapter 66

The ride to the airport was sullen. Jirra sat in the back, silently holding hands with Alexis. The sky was gray and heavy with rain.

"I wish we could stay longer," sighed Alexis, as she looked out of the window of Jen's Hummer.

"I know, but unfortunately real life beckons," stated Jen. "I have to get back to work on my movie."

"And I've got a ton of stuff to do before heading out to Boston," said Alexis, glancing over at Jirra.

"Well, it was a wonderful trip; thank you so much, Jen," said Lindsey. "I've already found several items I want to add to the menu at the spa."

"I can't wait to try them," stated Jen.

"Does that mean you're coming back to the spa?" asked Jirra.

"Of course. I've even talked to Judy about having a permanent cottage there," replied Jen.

"That would be cool," said Lindsey.

They pulled up to the airport and were waved in.

"Thank you so much for the trip, Jen. I'll remember it my whole life," stated Jirra.

"You're welcome, Roo. I want to see a copy of the article you're writing," stated Jen.

"You mean for the newsletter?" asked Jirra.

Jen smiled. "Judy has already talked to the local paper; they want an insider's view of the Oscars."

"Really? I guess this was going to be a homecoming surprise!" replied Jirra with a laugh.

The same jet that brought them to LA was waiting on the ramp. Marco walked up and greeted Jen. "It's good to see you again, Ms. Stevens. Oh, Ms. Eden, I didn't expect to see you here today. So girls, did you have a wonderful time?"

Lindsey and Jirra nodded.

"I'll get the bags onboard. We're ready to take off as soon as they're ready, Ms. Stevens."

"How's the weather?" asked Jen.

"This front is pretty much along the coast, so as soon as we head inland we should have a smooth flight to New Mexico."

Jen nodded. "Well, looks like this is goodbye."

Jen hugged Lindsey and Jirra. Alexis then gave Lindsey a hug.

Jirra was fighting back tears as she looked into Alexis's eyes.

"Hey, hey, none of that. We'll be together soon. Until then, we'll always have email… here's looking at you, kid," stated Alexis with a smile.

Jirra began to laugh in spite of herself. "I already miss you."

Alexis smiled and leaned over to give Jirra a hug and a quick kiss. "I'll miss you too."

Chapter 67

"I can't believe how fast that week went," stated Lindsey.

"I know," replied Jirra, who was staring out the window.

"If you want to talk about Alexis, I'm a good listener, and if you don't want to talk about it, I won't bug you about it," stated Lindsey, as she pulled a can of ginger ale out of the fridge.

Jirra turned around and laughed. "How did I get such a good friend as you?"

"Beats me," replied Lindsey. "But I figure it's the least I can do. Look, I know that if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have had this wonderful week. I don't mind being your sidekick."

Jirra shook her head. "You're not my sidekick, you're my best friend."

"Maybe, but you have to admit that you have a way of making friends with celebrities. Just remember me when I open my first restaurant," continued Lindsey.

Jirra raised her hand. "Deal."

"So do you want to talk about her?" asked Lindsey.

"Okay, but can you see if there's another can of ginger ale in there first?" asked Jirra.

Chapter 68

"So what's plan B, if you don't go to Penn?" asked Lindsey.

"I can always apply to some other northeastern schools, but it's getting too late for the fall semester."

"Where else did you apply?" asked Lindsey.

"Nowhere else," replied Jirra.

"Are you crazy?" asked Lindsey.

Jirra laughed. "No, but I sort of went all or nothing on this. My grandfather attended Penn, and my grades are good enough."

"Were you thinking of going there before the change?" asked Lindsey.

"No, it wasn't in my plans. I was applying to Penn State and some other area schools. But for some reason I seem to be drawn to Penn, I can't explain it."

"You're gutsy, I'll give you that," replied Lindsey.

"Have you heard back from New Mexico?"

"No, but I should in the next few weeks. They told me that I was almost a lock to get in the business college. They also have a cooking school there, although I plan on applying to someplace more prestigious after I get my business degree," explained Lindsey.

"That's a smart choice, getting your business degree first," stated Jirra.

"Hey, Mom and Dad have told me that just knowing how to cook isn't enough. Look at Spago, and how Wolfgang Puck has marketed himself. That's what I have in mind."

"And I'm going to become a writer."

"Any idea of what sort of writing?"

"I don't know, although I have to admit that the idea of writing a movie script sounds like fun."

"So we may attend future awards together, you as the famous script writer and me as the famous chef to the stars!" stated Lindsey holding out her can of ginger ale.

Jirra laughed. "To the future."

Chapter 69

"So I take it you all had a wonderful time," stated Liz as they drove back to the spa.

"It was great; it was also warm," replied Jirra, as she cranked the heat up in the Land Rover.

"Well, I want to hear everything," said Liz.

"Everything?" asked Jirra.

Liz smiled back. "You told me that Alexis was there, so I assume you two got together. You can tell me as much or as little as you want."

"Really?" asked Jirra.

"Roo, you're eighteen and will be nineteen in a couple of months; on top of that, you'll be leaving for college this fall, so I trust you" explained Liz.

Jirra glanced back at Lindsey who just shrugged her shoulders.

"Okay, here goes nothing. Alexis is going to have her own series on cable, and the show will be filmed in Boston, and… we love each other," stated Jirra.

"Roo, I knew that," replied Liz.

Jirra was about to say something but was stopped by Liz.

"Just as long as you're happy, then I don't mind. Alexis is a wonderful young woman, and you two do make a nice couple," continued Liz.

"So you don't mind the fact that I'm dating another girl?" asked Jirra.

"No more than I mind you being a girl. Roo, I love you, and like I said, I just want you to be happy," said Liz.

"Hey, what did you say, Jirra?" asked Lindsey.

"What do you mean?" replied Jirra.

"You said that you're dating another girl," stated Lindsey.

Jirra turned around. "Oh… you're right."

"Well, we'll be home in an hour or so; let me get you caught up on what's going on at the spa, that way you can save your stories for this evening. Judy, Cari, Tara, and Lindsey's parents are coming over tonight for dinner. Hannah's bringing a big pot of chili over," stated Liz.

"Cool," replied Jirra and Lindsey.

Chapter 70

"Is that the last of the dishes?" asked Liz, as she rinsed a bowl.

"Yep, looks like we got them all," replied Jirra as she picked up a dishcloth to start drying the dishes.

"Well, I'm happy you all had such a wonderful time," replied Liz. "Hand them to me when you're done, and I'll put them away."

Jirra nodded. "It was pretty cool."

"So, tell me about Alexis," said Liz, as she took a plate from Jirra.

"We're going to try to make a long distance relationship work. If I get selected by Penn, then we'll only be a few hours apart by train." She handed a dried off bowl to Liz.

"Well, long distance love affairs are difficult, but not impossible," replied Liz with a smile. "Your father and I did it."

"I know," replied Jirra. "You're my role models, in more ways than one."

Liz stopped and sighed. "It's only a few days away."

It was the anniversary of Travis Reid's death.

"I know," replied Jirra.

"I'm thinking of taking a few days off. I really don't feel like working on that day. I've talked to Judy and she agrees."

"Where are you going?" asked Jirra in a concerned tone.

"Nowhere in particular. I just want to spend some time with you. I'm thinking we could go for a drive and see where we end up."

"That sounds nice," replied Jirra. "I really miss him."

"Me too, Roo, me too," replied Liz as she stared out the kitchen window.

Jirra looked around. "Looks like that's it." She wasn't sure, but it sounded like her mom was crying; she was also struggling to hold in her tears.

Liz nodded, turned around, and then pulled Jirra close to her. "It's okay to cry, Roo."

They held onto each other and shared their grief over the death of Travis. No words were spoken or needed.

Chapter 71

"That was a good cry," stated Liz, as she sat down at the kitchen table. She began to pour some honey in her tea.

"A good cry?" asked Jirra.

"Yes, it was cleansing and brought back good memories. That's one of the benefits of being female; you don't feel guilt over crying," explained Liz.

Jirra cocked her head. "I hadn't thought about that; I don't feel any guilt."

"Don't get me wrong, it's good and sometimes necessary to hold in your emotions, but it's also good to purge them."

Jirra nodded and sipped her tea.

"I always knew that there was a possibility of your father getting hurt, but still I was stunned when the Army arrived outside our door. I was also angry," continued Liz.

"Angry? You were angry at the Army?"

"The Army, the war, the government, and I was also angry at your father. It was strictly a knee-jerk reaction. I was just so mad that I would never see him or hold him again."

"I was just angry at my teachers," piped in Jirra.

"Really?" asked Liz.

Jirra sipped her tea and nodded. "I mean up to the day that Dad died, I had put up with the sniping by some of teachers. They knew where he was and threw in little barbs to get me angry. I took it upon myself not to give them the pleasure of getting angry. Then when Dad was killed, they all tried to be ‘so' supporting, it made me sick," explained Jirra.

"Why didn't you tell me this?" asked Liz.

"I figured that you were carrying enough on your shoulders. I didn't want you worried about me at the same time."

"I see."

"I felt the same way at the funeral with many of our relatives. I mean, they didn't have to tell me to be proud of Dad. They all said that they would be there if we needed anything, and now most won't even accept our Christmas cards!" continued Jirra.

"Yes, I'm pissed about that myself."

"Thankfully, we have this place. I feel closer to the people here than I do to most of our relatives. I also feel very close to Jen."

"I've noticed. I think that your friendship is beneficial for both of you," stated Liz.

Jirra nodded. "I wonder if there are more people out there like us."

"Well, from a strict medical opinion, I suspect that if it has happened twice, it must have happened many more times. There are several similarities in both the process by which you two were changed and in your post-change cell structures."

"Do you know if this was something preordained, or just something that happened?" asked Jirra.

"I have no proof, but I don't believe that things just happen. Most people who are struck by lightning are seriously injured or killed. Other than the gender change, neither Jen nor you were injured. That's very strange."

"So was this something in my genes?" asked Jirra.

"I have no idea. I don't have a sample of your pre-change DNA to look for anything out of the ordinary. Even if I did, I wouldn't know what to look for."

"So if this is a natural function, what do you think happened to others?" asked Jirra.

"Depends on the society, I imagine some were killed as being witches or being evil. Some Native American societies would have treated them as shamans and holy people."

"I guess I'm lucky this wasn't Salem," replied Jirra with a smile.

Liz laughed. "Well, Roo, I guess it's time for bed. It's good to have you back."

"Good night, Mom," replied Jirra.

They got up, hugged, and went to bed.

Chapter 72

Just as Liz promised, she took Jirra away for a few days on the anniversary of Travis's death. Fortunately, the weather was good, and they decided on a whim to drive up to Denver.

Neither felt like doing anything touristy, so they spent most of the trip just driving and talking. They talked about Travis and retold old stories. They shared both laughs and tears.

On the way back down to New Mexico, Jirra brought up something that was on her mind.

"Assuming I do get accepted to Penn, do you mind that I'll be going to school cross-country?" asked Jirra.

"I'd miss you even if you were going to New Mexico with Lindsey," replied Liz. "However, I think it's a great opportunity, and you'd be foolish to pass on it. Why? Are you getting cold feet?"

Jirra shook her head. "I'll miss you and everyone at the spa. It really feels like home, but something tells me that I need to move out on my own."

"You mean your spirit guide?" asked Liz.

"No, he's got nothing to do with this. It's just that I need to find out if I can function away from the spa. I did okay in Hollywood, but that's not a real test; it's so different there. I'm scared that if I don't go, I never will."

"I don't believe that."

"I'm still spooked over what happened to me. I mean, it's turned out wonderful in so many ways, but sometimes it feels like a nightmare. I'm also scared about the fact that I'm still changing."

"You mean how you feel about boys?"

Jirra nodded. "I know, I know, I should get over it and move on."

"No, Roo, you should do what feels right. Maybe you and Alexis will stay together and maybe you won't. And if you fall in love with someone else, male or female, I'll always support you, as long as you're happy."

"Even if you can't stand them?" asked Jirra with a grin on her face.

"I can't imagine you dating someone I wouldn't like."

"So that means you like Alexis?" asked Jirra.

"Very much so. I just wish that she didn't have to keep her sexuality secret. It will make things more complicated for both of you," stated Liz.

Jirra nodded slowly. "I know, we've e-mailed each other about that."

"I just don't want to see either of you get hurt."

Jirra let out a sigh. "Well, at least life can't get more complicated for me. It has to start getting easier, right?"

"I hope it does, Roo."

They drove for the next thirty minutes without a word between them.

"Mom, do you think that you'll start dating again?" asked Jirra.

"What brought that up?" asked Liz with a surprised look on her face.

"I was just thinking… I mean, I loved Dad, but you still have a long life and all; I just want you to know that I wouldn't mind," said Jirra softly.

Liz, sensing that Jirra was serious, glanced over and smiled. "I appreciate that, Roo. I haven't really given it much thought."

"Still, if you meet someone nice, don't push them away. I don't want you to be alone. I don't think Dad would mind," added Jirra.

"No, he wouldn't," replied Liz. "In fact, we talked about it right after we married."

"You're kidding, right?" asked Jirra.

"Nope. You know his service record and what he did when he was on active duty; he was at the ‘tip of the spear' as he liked to say. I loved him, and trying to get him to put in for something less hazardous would have been futile and disastrous to our relationship. I loved him for what he was. We talked about the fact that he could be killed, and he said that the last thing he wanted was for me to waste away pining for him; those were his exact words too. I promised him that should the worst happen, I would go on to live a full life. I also promised him that he would forever be in my heart."

"Wow."

"Wow is right. I thought it was all behind us when he moved into the reserves. When I heard his unit was being activated to go to Afghanistan, I knew he would find a way to go."

"I know. He told me that he couldn't stay back with his men going there," added Roo.

"I had a bad feeling about him going. I'd never had that feeling before, even though he had been in combat before. This time I just knew he wasn't coming back."

"You need to stop?" asked Jirra.

"No, I'm okay. I appreciate your comments and concern, Roo. I may date again, but don't be disappointed if I don't start immediately."

"Deal."

Jirra stared out the window for the next twenty minutes before turning towards her mom.

"You know, my not being around here will probably be good, should you decide to start dating again," she stated.

"What do you mean? I don't think the fact that I have a daughter in college would make a difference to him," replied Liz.

"How will you explain me?" asked Jirra.

"Oh… you mean about that?" said Liz as she glanced over at Jirra.

"It might scare him away," added Jirra.

"Roo, you're my daughter, and I love you. If I do meet someone and I like him enough to start dating, I won't cast you aside if he's unable to accept you," replied Liz. "We'll start with the gender reassignment story and take it from there."

"I just don't want to cause you problems."

"Too late," replied Liz as she laughed. "Trust me; I'll be able to tell if he is open-minded. And if he isn't, it's his loss."


Chapter 73

A few weeks later Jirra was sitting in the coffeehouse drinking a cup of hot chocolate as she worked on her computer. On the table in front of her was a topographical map of the area that included the spa. On it were two sites that Jirra had circled as potential areas that might fit the descriptions in Dr. Margate's book.

The weather wasn't good enough yet to head into the back area of the spa grounds, so all Jirra could do was wait. In the meantime, she worked on her senior project. It was about the Anasazi and their migration into western New Mexico. The possibility that they'd made it this far east was still a theory, and she didn't dare put it in her project.

"Hey, Jirra, how're you today?" bellowed Barrett as he walked into the coffee shop.

Jirra smiled as she looked up from her computer. "Welcome back. How was it?"

Barrett had spent the last week hiking into a back canyon.

"Another miss. It was a great hike in and out, but there was no trace of the Anasazi. We did find evidence of some later tribes, possibly Apache, but otherwise it's another canyon to check off the list," he explained as he sat down next to her.

"I thought you were going alone?" asked Jirra.

"I never hike alone when I'm spending the night out there. No, I actually got one of the professors from the university to go along with me. He wanted to get out of the office for a few days, and he had never gone into that canyon before."

"Cool."

Barrett nodded. "So how does it feel to be a big time celebrity?"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, does that mean you didn't see it yet?" he asked.

Jirra shook her head.

"Be right back," he stated. He got up and retrieved a copy of the local paper. On the front cover, bottom panel, was Jirra's story on the Academy Awards.

Jirra took it from him without a word. She was totally stunned.

"They said it would be in the entertainment section," she said.

"Slow news week, I guess. Hey, don't knock it; it's a good article. You can write."

Without looking up, Jirra thanked him. She was too busy reading the article to see if the editor had changed anything. The story was continued to page five, and she quickly opened it up to see that in addition to the rest of the article, there was a photo of her and Nick.

"Oh my God," she exclaimed.

"It's a great photo, they pulled it off the newswire. My uncle thought you'd like it."

"Your uncle?" asked Jirra.

"Oh, yeah, my Uncle Walt runs the paper."

"Are you related to everyone in town?" asked Jirra grinning.

"No, just the poor people and other assorted riffraff," he replied with a laugh. "Hey, you're a local celebrity now. Can I get you to sign a copy of that photo? I'd like to put it up next to the ones of Alexis Eden and Jen Stevens."

"You're kidding, right?"

Barrett shook his head.

"I'm not famous. I was just with someone who was."

"You will be," he replied in a serious tone.

"You sound pretty confident," said Jirra.

"I am. I see great things ahead for you," he said as he picked up her map. "Are you still planning on going into the back country to check out these two canyons?"

"Not until late spring," she replied.

"This one is a full day hike in. You'll have to spend the night; I doubt if your mom would allow that," continued Barrett, as he pointed to the map.

"I'll be nineteen then," countered Jirra.

"And? No offense, Jirra, but parents don't let go that easy," he replied. "Have you ever camped before?"

"A few times with my dad."

"Do you have any gear?"

Jirra shook her head.

"You'll need a backpack, a tent, sleeping bag, cooking utensils…"

"Okay, I get it," she interrupted. "I still want to check them out."

Barrett looked at the map. "You know that there's nothing there, don't you?"

"I won't know until I see it for myself."

He nodded. "Do you think that your mom would trust me to take you back there?"

Jirra's eyes opened up wide. "You mean that?"

"Sure, why not? The earliest we could go would be May. Judging from the map, we can make this canyon first and then cross over to the second one."

"Why can't we cut through this way?" asked Jirra, as she pointed to a shorter route.

"That's some rough territory and you being a…."

"Watch it," interrupted Jirra with a grin on her face.

"I was going to say a novice, but you are a girl and you have less upper body strength. We'll have to hike in with full packs, and that's some tough terrain," said Barrett.

"Okay, but can we at least try it?"

"Let's not jump too far ahead. I still need your mom's permission."

Jirra nodded. "I'll talk to her, and we can set up a date for you to come over for dinner."

"That sounds good."

Jirra picked up her purse and pulled out her cell phone.

"You're calling now?" asked Barrett.

"No time like the present," she replied.

Jirra talked for a few minutes.

"She says that she'd love to meet you. How about this Sunday for dinner?"

"That won't work. My professor will be here to review my research project," replied Barrett.

"Where is he staying?"

"The Best Western down the road," replied Barrett.

"Down the road? Barrett, that's twenty-five miles from here!"

He laughed. "Hey, twenty-five miles is down the road for around here."

"We have plenty of rooms available at the spa. I can even arrange for an employee discount. He can stay there and join us for dinner."

Barrett laughed. "I'll call him up and see if that will fit into his plans. The spa is certainly a lot nicer that the Best Western."

"What's his name?" asked Jirra.

"Dr. Daniel Montgomery," replied Barrett.

Using Jirra's phone, Barrett called Dr. Montgomery and told him Jirra's suggestions.

"I'll be damned, he agreed to everything," said Barrett as he handed Jirra back her phone.

"Told you!" replied Jirra, as she dialed the spa.

A short time later she put her phone back in her bag. "That's all taken care of. Here's his reservation number."

"I'll e-mail it to him, thanks," said Barrett.

"Hey, you're the one who's going to help me get into those canyons."

"Tell you what, we'll go to the outdoors shop this week and pick out the things you'll need," said Barrett. "They have rock bottom prices right now, and you'll save a bundle."

"Sounds like a good idea."

Barrett glanced at his watch. "Well, it's time for me to go to work. You want a refill?"

Jirra nodded. "Thanks."

She went back to her online research and didn't pay any attention to the people who walked into the shop.

"I wonder how they faked this photo," stated one of the girls, loud enough so Jirra would hear it.

"It has to be a fake, there's no way a stud like Nick Carlton would be with… one of those!" replied the other girl.

Jirra looked up to see Tina and Ashley looking at the article in the paper. She decided not to reply and went back to work. They were the two girls who had threatened her the previous summer and were two of the bigger instigators in the anti-gay comments against the spa and its staff. Jirra didn't think they had the intelligence to hack the website, but she was sure they were involved.

"Well, I have heard that Hollywood is full of sexual deviants, so maybe the photo is real," stated Ashley.

"I just don't understand how she gets to go to Hollywood and righteous people like us don't!" exclaimed Tina. "It's not fair."

"No one ever said that life was fair," mumbled Jirra to herself.

"What did you say?" ordered Tina angrily. "You said something, what was it?"

Jirra looked up and pointed to her chest. "Me?"

"Yes, you. What did you say?" asked Ashley.

"I just said that life wasn't fair."

"How did you get to go to the awards? I mean you don't even like men!" stated Ashley.

"I never said that I dislike all men – just oversexed, moronic, conceited, macho jerks," replied Jirra.

Ashley and Tina stared back in shock.

"That's… that's not possible, you admitted that you liked girls!" stammered Tina.

"What's the matter, didn't they cover that sort of thing in your sex-ed class?" replied Jirra with a grin.

"Our school doesn't require that sort of filth," snapped back Tina.

"Too bad," replied Jirra.

"What does that mean?"

"Look, I don't have time to explain it to you right now; it would take too long to put it into small words that you'd understand. Go online and look up bisexuality," replied Jirra.

The two girls looked at each other in disgust.

"You're even more of a sinner than I thought! Just wait until we tell Randy!" stated Tina.

Just then Barrett walked over. "I told you two to keep your bigoted statements out of here, and the same applies for the rest of your friends."

The two girls stormed out. Barrett shrugged his shoulders and handed Jirra her hot chocolate.

"It takes time. Unfortunately, there are a lot of unenlightened people in town. All the changes have them confused, and the sexual orientation of the spa's staff and guests is an east target. There's quite a gap forming in the town. Thankfully, only a small group is very vocal and active."

"Do you know any of them that are computer savvy?" asked Jirra. "Our website has been hacked a few times. It had the looks of kids doing it."

"I can think of a few people who could do it."

"We should be safe now. The site has been upgraded and now has a much stronger security system."

Barrett shook his head in disgust. "I don't know whether to be angry at them or pity them. They have such closed minds, and I was hoping the spa would help open them up. Still change is always resisted," he stated. "I'm just glad that I had the opportunity to go to college."

"I can't wait to go," sighed Jirra.

"Have you been accepted yet?" asked Barrett.

"No, but I should find out any day now."

"Let me know as soon as you know," he stated. "Also, don't let those idiots get you down; they're not worth it."

Chapter 74

Over dinner that night, Jirra told Liz about the run-in with the girls at the coffeehouse.

"I did my best not to get involved, but I'm not going to sit there and be insulted either," stated Jirra. "By the way, the beef stew is excellent."

"Thank you. Now, I understand your reaction, and in no way do I want you to let anyone walk over you, but be careful," said Liz as she spread some butter on a biscuit.

"Why? I've always handled myself," replied Jirra.

"Yes, but you're not as strong as you used to be. You're also dealing with a whole new set of emotions; I just don't want to see you get hurt," continued Liz.

"I'll be fine," replied Jirra confidently. "Besides I can handle those two jerks without any problem."

"I'm not worried about the girls," stated Liz.

"Randy's all mouth," stated Jirra as she scooped out some more stew into her bowl.

"Don't be so sure. Guys like him can be trouble. You hurt his pride once, and he'll remember that. He won't let you do that to him again," warned Liz.

"You don't think he'd actually try to hit me, do you?" asked Jirra.

"I treated more than my share of abused women while I was on active duty. When guys feel their manhood has been threatened, they do stupid things. He's a lot bigger than you and is much stronger. So my suggestion is to be careful."

"But I haven't said a word to him since the incident last summer," said Jirra.

"Yes, but those two girls are interested in him and will tell him what happened today."

Jirra stopped eating. "Oh… I hadn't thought of that."

"I'm not telling you not to go to town, but just be careful."

Jirra nodded. "I've never liked being bullied. I got picked on when I was the new kid when we lived in Georgia. Dad told me to avoid trouble too, but he also told me to stand up for myself."

"And you got a bloody nose out of that if I remember it correctly," added Liz with a smile.

"That's true, but I gave him a pretty good black eye, and he never bothered me again," replied Jirra.

"You're not in the fourth grade now."

"Touché."

"Just promise me that you'll be careful; there's no shame in refusing to be drawn into a fight."

"I'll try," replied Jirra. "Oh, thanks again for having Barrett over for dinner."

"I don't mind, besides I've wanted to meet him for a while," stated Liz.

"I also appreciate you agreeing to have his professor over too."

"I'm looking forward to it. Apparently Judy knows him and says he's a really nice guy."

"Who doesn't she know?" replied Jirra with a laugh.

Chapter 75

It was a beautiful Sunday morning. It was unseasonably warm, and everyone was enjoying the pleasant weather.

"Well? Has he checked in yet?" asked Jirra as she walked into Judy's office.

"If you mean Dr. Montgomery, yes," replied Judy as she looked up from reading the NY Times.

"Mom says you know him," stated Jirra.

"Actually, I know his younger sister, Lisa, better. We took some business classes together. She now runs a resort up in Aspen. I first met Dan when I stayed over at her house. He's really nice and even back then was very charming. I might even have been interested in him, if I hadn't been engaged at the time."

"Oh." replied Jirra. "Wait a minute, you've never been married."

Judy laughed. "That's true. James and I had different ideas of what marriage should be like. He didn't like the idea of me having a career, and I wasn't going to be a housewife. Thankfully, we figured it out before the actual marriage. The last I heard of him, he was happily running a lumberyard up in Utah and had a wife and six kids."

"Oh," replied Jirra at a loss for anything else to say.

"Oh is right. I definitely dodged a bullet there. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against marriage, but it has to be equal," said Judy with a laugh.

"Well, I'm just glad that Mom is willing to hear out my plan to hike back to those canyons. I know she'll like Barrett, and hopefully Dr. Montgomery will convince her that he's trustworthy."

"I've been thinking about that. I seem to remember that one of those canyons you showed me on the map may be sealed off. I'm not totally sure, but I think it's one of those that you're interested in."

"Do you think that we can still access it?"

"Maybe, but it'll be difficult. If it's the same canyon, there's a rock slide blocking the entrance."

"Well, I'd still like to see it for myself."

Judy smiled. "I'm not trying to talk you out of going there. It's quite beautiful back there…" her voice tailed off.

"What's wrong?" asked Jirra.

"My lawyers told me that the hotel chain is pressing hard to get the land at the entrance of the spa. If they get it, they can just about cut us off from the main road. If that happens, I'll have no choice but to sell."

"Can't you block the land sale?"

"I wish it was that simple. The hotel chain makes rather large donations to the local congressman, and he's got connections that would put the land up for sale. Granted, I went to high school with him, but there's a difference between friendship and politics. The large resort will also bring a lot of jobs into the area, and the town is eyeing the potential tax revenues. If the land goes on sale, it'll have to be auctioned off. But I'm sure the hotel chain will be willing to overpay for it."

"I can't believe that you'd lose this land," stated Jirra confidently.

"Oh, I'm not giving up, but the deck is starting to look stacked against me."

"I wish there was something I could do to help."

"Just listening to my venting has been very helpful."

Chapter 76

Late that afternoon, Jirra walked into her home and was greeted by the aroma of chicken cooking.

"Hmmm, that smells wonderful," she exclaimed.

"It's a new recipe for Teriyaki chicken that Hannah gave me. I've wanted to try it for a while," replied Liz.

"Can I help you with anything?"

"You can set the table; everything food-wise is either done or just waiting to be cooked."

Jirra nodded. "Will do. Oh, have you talked to Judy lately about the land sale outside the spa?"

"Yes. Judy's going to do everything possible to fight it, but she's scared. I'm worried about her, as I've never seen her scared about anything since I've known her."

"Is there anything we can do?" asked Jirra as she set the table.

"I don't know. The corporation can afford to outspend her, and even if she outbids them, she'd be in deep debt."

"It's not fair; this is her land and her dream," stated Jirra angrily.

"I know, but don't count her out yet; Judy always seems to find a way to twist the bad into good."

Jirra nodded and returned to her task.

Chapter 77

At six Barrett and Dr. Montgomery arrived.

Jirra was slightly shocked to see that Barrett was wearing a tie. It looked out of place on his stocky frame.

Dr. Montgomery followed him in. He was dressed in khaki Dockers, a dark blue shirt, and a tan suede jacket. He was tall, maybe 6-1, and looked a little like Harrison Ford. His face was tanned and bore the signs of being outdoors. Jirra had checked out his biography on the university website and knew he was forty-eight, but she decided that he looked younger.

After introductions were made, they sat down in the living room. Dr. Montgomery presented Liz with a bottle of wine.

"And please call me Dan," he said as he looked into Liz's eyes.

While the others drank the wine, Jirra settled on a glass of sparkling cider. She really didn't care about drinking; it was the fact that it reinforced the idea that she was the youngest one there.

They made small talk and became acquainted for a while. Dan eventually turned to Jirra. "So, you're the young lady who wants to drag one of my top grad students off into the back canyons of this ranch. I'd like to know what makes you think that it's worth the expedition?"

Jirra realized that he wasn't making fun of her and was trying to see how serious she was. He had even used the term expedition.

"Well, I read Dr. Margate's book, and on a hunch I looked at possible sites in this area. I know from Judy that Dr. Margate did some searches in this area," she replied. "These two canyons meet the descriptions he wrote about."

"Is that it?" he asked with a sly grin on his face. "Half the canyons in New Mexico could fit the descriptions in Margate's book." Obviously he was testing her.

Jirra hesitated for a moment. "I know this will sound silly… but I just have a feeling that something is up there."

Dan nodded knowingly. "That's what I was hoping to hear. Why do you think that something's up there?"

"I've been thinking about this for a while. This place is special. Judy said that the native people used to come here to take mud baths. They never settled in this area. That seems strange, and I think it's because it was a special place. But the area around here is too open and unprotected."

"So you think that the canyons to the north of here might have been used by the native people and maybe the Anasazi?" he asked as he sipped his wine.

Jirra smiled as she nodded. She liked the way he treated her as an adult. "It makes sense. The Anasazi used canyons all the time for protection. If they knew about the water and mud here, they would have used the canyons as a place for protection. I've been doing my senior history project on them."

"That's right, Barrett told me that you were finishing up the last part of your high school education on your own," said Dan.

Jirra glanced over at Barrett who just smiled back.

"He also said that in addition to being a very good researcher that you're an excellent writer. Would you mind if I looked at your project when you're finished?" asked Dan.

Jirra shook her head. "No, I wouldn't mind at all."

Dan smiled back. "I wish you luck in your expedition. I think it's wonderful to play a hunch, but you've also thought this out and applied what you know about the Anasazi. I wish all my grad students did that."

Jirra looked over at Liz.

Dan caught the look. "Liz, I think this would be a wonderful opportunity for Jirra. My young associate here can be trusted to be a perfect gentleman. I also know that he's more than capable of making this trip safely."

"Tell me more about what the trip will include?" asked Liz as she looked over at Barrett.

"We'll just hike up to the canyons and do an inspection. Due to the distance and the terrain, we'd have to spend the night there," answered Barrett.

"What'll happen if you find anything?" asked Liz.

"We'd do nothing except taking photos. As soon as we got back, I'd call Dr. Montgomery," answered Barrett. He noticed confusion on Jirra's face. "We can't touch anything as it could contaminate the site. Because so many sites have been used by different cultures, it's vital to take our time and excavate the site slowly and meticulously."

Jirra nodded. "Of course."

"And do you think that there's something up there?" asked Liz.

"Beats me, I've been in twenty canyons in the past year and have come up empty each time," replied Barrett with a laugh. "Still, some of the greatest discoveries have happened due to someone playing a hunch."

Liz laughed. "But your hunches haven't worked, right?"

"That's why I don't go to Vegas," replied Barrett, joining in her laughter.

"Actually, Barrett isn't quite telling you the truth; he's made some significant discoveries in the field," interrupted Dan.

Barrett turned to Jirra with a surprised look on his face and whispered to Jirra. "That's the first time he's given me a public compliment."

"Well, I suppose there's no harm in this," stated Liz.

"Really? That's so cool, Mom! Thank you," exclaimed Jirra as she got up and hugged her.

Chapter 78

During dinner Dan turned to Jirra. "Tell, me Jirra, how did you happen upon Dr. Margate's book?"

"I bought a copy in a used bookstore in Santa Fe," she replied.

Dan nodded. "Santa Fe, huh? So, what did you think of Abe?"

"He's quite a character, hey… how did you know that?" she asked.

"I've been going there for years. Abe knows more about the history of this area than most of the professors at the university."

"Does he know as much as Judy?" asked Jirra.

Dan laughed. "Almost." He then turned to Liz. "I understand you have a long history with Judy."

Liz nodded, and they began to trade good natured stories about her.

As the night progressed, Jirra couldn't help but notice that Dan and her mom were hitting it off quite nicely, and to her surprise, it didn't bother her at all.

Chapter 79

It was later in the evening and Jirra was helping Liz clean up.

"Thanks again for allowing me to go on the trip back into the hills," stated Jirra as she washed the dishes.

"I feel better about it, now that I've met Barrett," replied Liz, as she wrapped up the leftovers.

"I like him a lot, but not in a romantic sort of way," stated Jirra.

Liz cocked her head and stared at Jirra. "So, you're becoming more comfortable thinking about boys?"

"Barrett's different; he's like a big brother in some ways. He's also one of the few locals that I've talked to who's cool about my sexuality."

"I'm pleased to hear that."

"So what do you think about Dan?" asked Jirra as she rinsed off the last of the dishes.

"He's nice," replied Liz.

"That's it?"

Liz laughed. "I enjoyed his company."

"I like him too; you know, if he asks you out I don't have a problem with it," remarked Jirra.

"Thank you for your permission."

Jirra turned around and smiled. "No problem."

Liz nodded. "I do appreciate that you don't mind if we were to go out."

"Hey, after everything I've put you through this year, it's the least I can do."

Chapter 80

A few days later Jirra was driving into town with Lindsey. The weather was still nice, and it was sunny and pleasantly warm outside. Jirra wondered if they had finally seen the end of winter. They were heading to the outdoor sports shop to pick up her backpack. Barrett had helped her pick the correct model, and the store had to special order it.

"I can't believe Dave will be home this week," said Lindsey excitedly. "I've missed him so much."

"How're you two doing?" asked Jirra.

"Pretty good, but as you know, long distance romances stink," replied Lindsey.

"That's the truth. I did get another e-mail from Alexis. She's started filming her new series this week."

"That's so cool," replied Lindsey. "So you and Barrett are really going to camping together?"

"It's not really camping; we're hiking back to see if there are any Anasazi sites near the spa."

"And what makes you think that there are?"

"I think I saw it when I was on my last vision quest," replied Jirra. "I couldn't tell Dan that."

"Ohhh, I saw him the other morning; he's handsome… for an older guy. How're things going with him and your mom?"

"They're going out to dinner tonight," replied Jirra. "And before you ask, I love it."

Jirra was pleased to see that the backpack was a perfect fit. It was smaller than the one she had used when she had gone camping with her dad, but then again, she was now smaller.

As they looked around the store, Jirra's cell phone went off.

"Hi, Mom, what's up?" she asked.

"The mail just arrived, and you have a letter from Penn," stated Liz. "Do you want me to open it for you?"

Jirra paused and took a deep breath. "Is the envelope thick or thin?"

"Thick… very thick."

Jirra felt like screaming for joy, but held it in. "Go ahead and open it."

Jirra could hear the sound of the envelope being opened.

"You're in!" stated Liz after a pause that seemed to last for hours.

Jirra's eyes opened up wide and a huge smile broke out on her face. "You mean it?"

"Roo, I wouldn't kid you about something like this. I'm so proud of you."

"What's up, Jirra?" asked Lindsey as she walked towards her.

"I just got the letter from Penn. I've been accepted!"

Lindsey dropped her basket and gave Jirra a huge hug. "Oh, Jirra, that's wonderful!"

"Mom, we'll be home soon," stated Jirra.

"Okay, but be careful driving home."

"We will!"

Chapter 81

When Jirra and Lindsey arrived at the spa, they found a note on the front door of Jirra's house telling them that Liz was up in the main building.

They walked together into the hall and were stunned to see that the dining room was decorated in red and blue streamers and balloons. A large banner was hanging congratulating Jirra on her acceptance into Penn.

Most of the staff were in the hall, and they began to applaud as Jirra walked in.

Jirra was nearly speechless, and she walked the gauntlet of hugs and congratulatory handshakes. Cari and Tara each gave her a big hug, as did Gregory and Cody.

Liz was waiting up front next to Judy and Hannah, watching it all with a huge smile on her face.

Eventually, Jirra made it up to the front. "How did you put this together so fast?" asked Jirra as she hugged Liz.

"We've planned this for a while," replied Liz. She handed her a box. "Here, open this up and put on what's inside; you're not properly dressed."

Jirra opened the box and pulled out a blue sweatshirt with the Penn logo on the front. She immediately slipped it over her head. "This is so cool."

Hannah then waved to a member of her kitchen staff, who wheeled out a large cake on a cart. It said "Congratulations, Jirra, on becoming a Quaker."

"Whoa, nice cake," commented Lindsey.

"Baking and decorating the cake was the easy part; keeping it a secret from you was the hard part," stated Hannah, as she slipped her arm around her daughter.

"Hey, I can keep a secret," stated Lindsey. "Okay, maybe not something like this, but Jirra is my best friend."

Liz handed Jirra the letter, who immediately opened it up and read it. "This is so cool."

"Go to the next page," stated Liz.

Jirra shifted to the next page of the letter and her eyes opened up even wider. "Is this real?"

Liz nodded.

"What is it, Jirra?" asked Lindsey.

"I've been awarded an academic scholarship. It'll pay twenty-five percent of my tuition for the next four years!"

"That's wonderful, Jirra," said Lindsey. "Who's the scholarship from?"

"Oh my… it's from a veteran's group," stated Jirra. "Hey, I didn't even apply for this."

"I did it. I got a call from them back in the fall when your application was received," interjected Liz.

Jirra began to get all choked up and had to wipe some tears from her eyes.

Later in the afternoon, Jirra, Liz, and Judy were sitting together enjoying the cake.

"I wanted to save this until things calmed down," stated Judy, as she handed Jirra an envelope.

"What's this?" asked Jirra as she looked at the envelope with a look of confusion.

"Open it up, Jirra. This is something that I've talked to your mom about," stated Judy.

Jirra opened the envelope and read the letter and then stared at Judy.

"That's right, dear, I'm picking up the rest of your tuition, and I expect you to do well," stated Judy.

Jirra looked over at her mom.

"It's okay, Roo. Judy made this offer last year, and knowing her as well as I do, I knew it was pointless to argue."

Jirra swallowed and turned to Judy. "I promise I won't let you down. Thank you so much." She then wrapped her arms around Judy.

"I know you will, dear," replied Judy.

It took a while until Jirra regained her composure. She picked up the acceptance letter and re-read it.

"I took the liberty of going through the letter; we have to fill out some forms. Oh, we also need to decide where you'll be living," stated Liz. "Apparently, due to construction, they'll allow you to live off campus. I have a list of prospective places for us to look over."

"You wouldn't mind me living off campus?" asked Jirra.

"If it's the right place," answered Liz.

Jirra nodded. She was going to Penn.

Chapter 82

The next day Jirra and Lindsey were in town. It was another nice spring day, and they went into town to meet up with Dave.

"He said that he'll meet us at the coffeehouse around two," stated Lindsey as she closed her cell phone.

"That's fine. If you two want to be alone, just let me know. My laptop is in the car, and I can always find a corner in the coffeehouse to go sit in," replied Jirra.

"It's okay, Dave likes you, and besides we can't make out in town," said Lindsey with a wink.

They walked around town and noticed two new businesses that were due to open in the next few weeks, one was a boutique and the other a restaurant.

"This looks interesting," said Lindsey as she looked at the menu posted in the window. "It looks like they grill everything. I can't wait for them to open."

"Maybe you can do a restaurant review for the newsletter," suggested Jirra.

"There's an idea," she replied.

"Well, well, look what crawled into town," exclaimed Randy.

Jirra and Lindsey turned around and saw him standing with Ashley and Tina.

"Randy, you've been told to leave us alone," stated Lindsey.

"Yeah, right. I just heard from Tina that your degenerate friend insulted me," stated Randy.

"That's right!" added Tina.

Randy nodded. "She said that you called me an oversexed, moronic, conceited, macho jackass. Do you deny this?"

Jirra shook her head. "I never called you a jackass."

Randy hesitated for a second as he tried to mentally absorb what Jirra had just said. At the same time, Jirra and Lindsey were looking for a way to escape.

"Wait… then you did call me all those other things, right?"

"I never mentioned your name, I just told Tina that I don't like oversexed, moronic, conceited, macho jerks," replied Jirra. She paused for a second. "But if the shoe fits…."

Randy stood there and glared at Jirra. He then struck her across the face with the back of his hand.

The blow knocked her to the ground. Randy stood over her, not knowing what to do next.

Jirra touched her cheek and winced in pain. She immediately stood up and tried to hit him back. Randy seemed shocked that a girl would try to hit him and even more shocked when Jirra's fist hit him under his right eye. As she tried to hit him again, he grabbed her by the wrists and threw her to the ground.

"Stay on the ground, bitch, before I really hurt you!" he said taunting her. "Stay down on the ground, you perverted dyke slut."

By now Jirra was furious and refused to stay down. As she got up, Randy hit her again across her face.

"Hit her again!" screamed Tina.

"Yes, hit the lesbo!" yelled Ashley.

Jirra struggled to get up, and for the first time since she was little, she felt totally helpless. Still she wasn't about to give up, and she began to stand up.

Randy sneered, moved in and was about to hit her again, when Dave came out of nowhere and tackled him.

"What the fuck are you doing?" yelled Randy as he tried to get away.

Dave was able to pull Randy's arm behind his back, and at the same time he slammed Randy up against the wall.

"Dammit, let me go!" ordered Randy.

"Not so easy as beating up a girl, huh Randy?" stated Dave, as he twisted Randy's arm.

"Shit, man, that hurts," cried Randy.

Ashley and Tina began to scream obscenities at Dave.

"It's supposed to, you bastard," said Dave. "Lindsey, see if Jirra's okay."

Lindsey knelt down next to Jirra. "You okay"

Jirra couldn't answer and tried to nod, but instead she began to cry. The whole right side of her face hurt. She reached up and touched her face and winced. She pulled her hand back and saw the blood.

"It's just a bloody nose, Jirra," comforted Lindsey. "You feel like standing up?"

Jirra nodded.

Randy was still struggling, but Dave had no intention of letting him go. By now a crowd had gathered.

Jirra was helped to her feet by several of the observers and helped to a park bench outside of one of the shops.

"I'll get you an ice pack," stated one of the women who ran into her shop.

Another woman handed her a tissue.

Jirra just nodded. She felt so stupid and helpless.

A minute later, the sheriff's car pulled up. He stepped out of the car and ordered Dave to let Randy go.

Harold Cross had been town sheriff for six years. He had been an Army MP before returning to New Mexico. For eight years he had been a deputy before being promoted. At six-three, two hundred and twenty pounds, not too many people challenged him. The funny thing was that he was actually a very gentle man. His wife, three kids, and three dogs and two cats could testify to this.

"Until I figure out what happened here, you just stand there. You understand, boy? Remember, I know where you live," he said sternly to Randy.

Randy nodded submissively.

He then turned to Tina and Ashley. "You two stand over with him."

The two girls nodded and walked over to stand next to Randy.

Harold then turned towards Jirra. "Now, are you okay, Miss?" the sheriff asked, as his voice lightened and softened.

Jirra wiped her eyes. "I think so. I just want to go home"

The sheriff nodded. "Okay, however, I think you should get checked out. Do you feel well enough to answer a few questions before the EMT arrives?"

Jirra nodded and held the icepack against her right cheek.

The sheriff smiled. "Okay, now tell me what happened?"

Jirra began to tell him her side of the story.

"Hey, why are you letting her go first?" screamed Randy.

"Because it's obvious that she was the one assaulted. If you speak again without my asking, I'll lock you up right now," interrupted Harold angrily. He turned back to Jirra and smiled. "Now, Miss, please continue."

After Jirra finished, Harold took Lindsey and some of the other observers' statements. Lindsey had seen Dave driving down the road and waved him down. They had seen Randy hit Jirra and had run over to help. He then turned to Randy and the two girls.

By now the EMT had arrived and was conducting an exam of Jirra.

"Okay, let's hear your side," Harold stated as he stood over Randy and the two girls.

"She attacked me. I was just defending myself," said Randy. He then looked over at Dave. "Then this jerk assaulted me."

The two girls nodded in agreement.

Harold stopped writing in his notebook. "You've got to be kidding? That's the best you can come up with?"

"She really attacked us," interjected Tina.

Harold rolled his eyes. "I want to know one thing, did you call her the names she said you did?"

Randy shook his head.

Harold just nodded and then turned to the EMT. "How's she doing?"

"I don't think there's any serious damage. Still, I think she should go to the ER, just to make sure," replied the EMT.

"Go on, Miss. I'll take care of this," stated Harold.

"Don't you want to know if I want to press charges?" Jirra asked as she slowly stood up.

Harold smiled softly. "It's okay, Miss. I really don't need you to file a complaint. It's obvious that he assaulted you, and under local law that's all I need to arrest him. You live out at the spa right?"

Jirra nodded.

"I'll come out and talk to you and your mother later. Now, why don't you go to the ER with your friends?" said Harold.

"I'll call your mom and let her know that we'll be at the ER," stated Lindsey.

Jirra's eyes opened wide as she thought about her mom's reaction.

Chapter 83

Jirra was sitting in the examination room as her mom and the ER doctor talked. Thankfully, there was no real damage, although they did take x-rays to ensure that there were no fractures.

"She's going to have a real nice black eye, but once the swelling goes down, I think she'll be okay. I can't believe that jerk beat her up," stated the doctor.

"I'll keep an eye on her. Thank you for all you've done," said Liz. "Okay, Jirra, you feel up to going home?"

"I was ready an hour ago," replied Jirra.

They walked out into the waiting room and met up with Lindsey and Dave.

"I never thanked you for rescuing me, thanks," stated Jirra to Dave.

"I only wish I had been there sooner," he replied.

"I'd hug you, but I'm little too sore right now. Can I give you a rain check?" asked Jirra.

Dave smiled. "Sure thing."

"We'll follow you guys home," stated Lindsey.

On the way back to the spa, Jirra turned to Liz. "Mom, I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for, Roo. You're the victim in this."

Jirra nodded and didn't say another word the rest of the way home.

Chapter 84

Back in the house, Jirra sat down on the couch and let out a sigh. Liz sat down next to her.

"Okay, Roo, let it out," she said in a comforting voice as her arm slipped around her daughter's shoulder.

"I… I couldn't defend myself. He knocked me down like I was a rag doll. I tried to fight back, and he just beat me down…. I can't believe how helpless I was…."

Liz didn't say a word and just let Jirra continue to vent.

"Mom, I'm scared. I was never a muscle man, but I could defend myself. Back when I was a guy, I might not have been able to whip Randy's ass, but I could have defended myself; now I'm totally helpless. I… I don't know if I can go on like this," continued Jirra, her voice starting to crack. The tears began to slowly roll down her face, soon turning into rivers as she broke down and began to sob.

Liz pulled her close and let her cry.

After a long cleansing cry, Jirra wiped her eyes.

"You feel better?" asked Liz.

"A little," replied Jirra.

"I was hoping that you'd avoid this lesson in being female, but maybe it was for the best. Roo, I'm not happy that Randy assaulted you, and trust me, I'm going to press for him to be punished, but you've got to realize that you're not a boy anymore. He's both bigger and stronger than you, and you're lucky that you weren't seriously injured."

"What am I supposed to do? Run away every time someone confronts me?"

"I'm not saying that. First off, you could have walked away without saying a word; isn't that right?"

"Maybe," replied Jirra.

"Okay, but there's no guarantee that he wouldn't have followed you and hit you anyway," stated Liz.

"So what do I do?"

"Right now, you need to calm down and heal. We can talk about the rest tomorrow," stated Liz.

Jirra nodded and gently touched her cheek and winced. "I can't believe how much that hurts."

"Do you want something for the pain?" asked Liz.

Jirra nodded.

"These will help, but they may make you sleepy," stated Liz as she took out some pills from her purse.

"I could use some sleep," replied Jirra.

Chapter 85

Jirra was sleeping soundly in her bed as Liz quietly closed the door.

There was a knock on the door and Liz walked over to see who it was.

"I thought you could use a drink," stated Judy as she walked in with a bottle of wine.

Liz smiled and hugged her friend.

They walked into the kitchen, and Judy opened the wine.

"How's she doing?" asked Judy as she poured the wine.

"Physically, she'll recover; I'm not sure about her mental state," replied Liz.

Judy nodded. "It must be tough for her."

"This was a rude reminder of her transformation," commented Liz. "She feels very vulnerable now."

"I have a suggestion, have her talk to Tara," stated Judy as she sipped her wine. "She used to teach a women's self-defense course."

"Really?" asked Liz.

Judy nodded. "I think she can show Jirra that being female doesn't mean being defenseless."

"Sounds like a good idea," said Liz. "Is this going to cause any problems with the townies?"

"It may actually help the situation. I talked to several people in town, and Randy's attack has shocked them. While there's a definite conservative movement in town that doesn't exactly embrace diversity, the physical assault of a young woman is even worse. The fact that he's a big football player doesn't help."

"That's good to hear. I'm glad they draw the line somewhere," replied Liz. "I still want to talk to the sheriff about what charges he's going to file."

"Harold Cross is a good man," said Judy as she refilled their glasses.

"Look, I don't want Randy's head on a stake or anything like that, but he needs to be punished. He's the type of bully who puts women in the hospital or even worse."

"I agree," replied Judy.

Liz drank some more of her wine.

"Changing the subject slightly; how did the date go?" asked Judy with a smile.

"It wasn't a date. We just went into town for dinner," replied Liz.

"Who paid?" asked Judy.

"He did," replied Liz.

"Then it was a date."

Liz laughed. "Okay, okay, it was fun. Dan's a nice guy, and we had a lovely evening."

"That's wonderful to hear. Are you going out again?" asked Judy.

Liz smiled. "My, we're nosey."

Judy smiled and touched her glass to Liz's.

"He had to go back to the University. We plan on getting together the next time he's up this way," replied Liz. "It felt nice to be out with someone again."

"Good for you. How does Jirra feel about it?"

"She's fine with it."

Judy nodded. "I'm happy to hear that."

"Thanks for coming over this evening," stated Liz. "I really appreciate it."

Judy smiled back. "That's what friends are for."

Chapter 86

Jirra woke up the next morning to find she now had a bruised cheek and a pair of black eyes. She stared at her reflection and sighed. For a moment she debated trying to use some makeup to cover the bruises, but decided that even with the skills she had picked up in Hollywood, it would be pointless.

She joined Liz out in the kitchen for breakfast.

"How did you sleep last night?" asked Liz.

"I slept fine," replied Jirra as she poured herself a glass of orange juice.

"How does your face feel?" asked Liz.

"Are you asking as my mother or my doctor?" replied Jirra.

"Both, Roo."

"Okay, I guess. It looks worse than it feels," said Jirra.

"Let me know if you have any discomfort," stated Liz.

"Have you talked to the sheriff yet?"

"No, I expect him to call a little later in the morning; after all it's only six-thirty, Roo."

Jirra smirked and then winced slightly in pain.

"I talked to Judy last night, and she suggested that you go and talk to Tara this morning," said Liz.

"I thought I heard her laugh last night," replied Jirra. "Why should I see Tara?"

"She might be able to help you."

Jirra nodded.

"Do you want to eat here or go up to the hall?" asked Liz.

"Might as well go up to the hall, I'm sure people are concerned," she replied.

"Not everyone knows what happened."

Jirra laughed slightly and winced again. "Mom, the entire spa knew what happened by the time Randy hit me the second time."

Liz smiled. "True." Inside she was pleased that Jirra seemed pretty upbeat.

It was slightly overcast that morning and felt like rain. Liz and Jirra walked over to the dining hall together. They smiled as a jackrabbit ran across the sidewalk in front of them.

In spite of having to answer the same questions over and over again, Jirra was pleased to see the staff was concerned about her health.

Jirra talked to Lindsey while she placed her order.

"Those shiners are quite impressive, Jirra," stated Lindsey. "Do they hurt?"

"No, but my jaw does. I'll just take some oatmeal this morning," stated Jirra. "Oh, and please thank Dave again for coming to my rescue."

"You can thank him yourself; he's coming over this afternoon," replied Liz.

"Cool. I'll see you later," she said.

Jirra took her food and looked around the hall. She saw Cari and Tara sitting next to each other and walked over towards them.

"Good morning, may I join you?" asked Jirra.

"Please, Jirra, do join us. How're you feeling?" asked Cari.

"Better," she replied.

"I should have kicked that jerk's ass when I had a chance," stated Tara. "I'm glad you're okay."

Jirra sat down. "I'm upset that he was able to handle me so easily."

"Jirra, he's bigger and stronger than you. He must outweigh you by sixty pounds," said Cari.

"It might just have been one hundred pounds," sighed Jirra. "Judy suggested that I talk to you, Tara."

"I can teach you some self defense techniques," stated Tara. "It's not martial arts, but I can show you some moves that could prevent a repeat of what happened to you."

"That sounds good, when do we start?" asked Jirra.

"Give yourself a few days to recover, Jirra," replied Tara.

Jirra nodded. "Okay."

Their breakfast was momentarily interrupted by Judy.

"I just want to reassure everyone that I'm doing everything possible to prevent a repeat of yesterday's horrible incident. I'm going to town today to meet with several of the civic leaders. I want to make it clear that the people I've talked to in town are just as angry about what happened as we are. I've heard rumors of a possible boycott of the town, and I'd like those considering such a move to back off. It would only hurt my efforts," stated Judy. "Thanks for your attention, and I'll send out an e-mail later today to let you know what happens."

"Well, if anyone can make peace, it's Judy," stated Cari.

"I agree. The sheriff is supposed to meet with my mom later this morning," remarked Jirra.

"I heard he did a good job breaking it up yesterday," added Tara.

"He was nice to me. He also seemed really angry at Randy," said Jirra.

"Lindsey told us that Randy yelled some pretty awful slurs at you," said Tara. "This could be classified as a hate crime."

"I don't know if the local laws cover that around here," answered Jirra.

"Just keep it in mind when you talk to the law," said Tara.

"He was so angry at me. I'm just glad he doesn't know the whole truth," stated Jirra.

"If he knew your secret, then maybe he wouldn't have hit on you in the first place," stated Tara with a wink.

"Stop, it hurts when I laugh," replied Jirra.

"Keep laughing, Jirra. What happened, happened; there's nothing you can do about it," stated Cari.

"I'll try," replied Jirra.

Chapter 87

Mid-morning, Jirra was sitting with Liz in her office. Harold Cross was sitting across from them.

"We've filed charges against Randy for assault and battery. This isn't his first offense," stated Harold.

"What else has he done, Sheriff Cross?" asked Liz.

"Please call me Harold. Well, he's been involved in a few other fights and things like that. He did a few things when he was a minor and those records are closed. In his recent cases, the charges were always dropped when his parents, the football coach, and football boosters talked to the victim. Now that his football career is over, only his parents are pleading for the charges to be dropped. It's too bad, if he had been punished earlier, he might have turned out differently," stated Harold. "I'm surprised that they haven't called you."

"They did, and I referred them to my lawyer," replied Liz. "I don't want to talk to them."

Harold smiled. "Good for you."

"What about the anti-gay slurs he called Jirra?" asked Liz.

"It'll come into play during his trial. I think it'll show that the attack was premeditated," replied Harold.

"And what about his minions?" asked Jirra.

Harold stifled a chuckle. "I wish I could charge them with something. I have given each a written warning for harassment and I've talked to their parents and let them know that they were involved," said Harold. "I just want you to know that I will not tolerate anyone harassing people in my town. I hope this is the end of this, but if it isn't, let me know immediately."

"They were the same kids who vandalized my car last fall," noted Liz.

"I know. I'm sorry about that. I try to work things out without taking it to the courts. I guess I hoped that Randy would have learned a lesson."

"It's not your fault, Harold. I didn't press charges either," stated Liz.

Harold nodded. "Still, I was hoping the kid would come around; now he's looking like a repeat offender."

"You can't blame yourself," commented Liz.

"I know, but it's the one part of this job I can't stand, especially in a small town. I arrest kids and then watch their little brothers and sisters play little league with my kids."

"Well, I appreciate you coming out here today," stated Liz.

"I just wish that it hadn't gotten this far. I'll keep you appraised on the case,' stated Harold as he stood up.

"By the way, where is Randy?" asked Jirra.

"His parents bailed him out of the county lockup this morning," replied Harold. "He and his ‘minions' have been told to stay away from you and to stay out of trouble."

"My lawyer is filing paperwork this morning for an official restraining order against all three," stated Liz.

Harold nodded. "That's probably a good decision. I know the judge, and I don't think he'll have a problem with it. Well, I need to get back to town. I'm glad you're doing better, Jirra. Thanks again for meeting with me, Dr. Reid.

After Harold left, Jirra turned to Liz. "I didn't know you filed papers against Randy."

"Judy suggested it yesterday. Her lawyers are acting for us and filed the paperwork this morning."

Jirra nodded and then hugged Liz.

Chapter 88

Jirra spent most of the day doing nothing. She was filled with conflicting feelings. Part of her was furious over what had happened, part of her was frustrated over her inability to protect herself, and part of her was frightened. Randy would have really hurt her if Dave hadn't arrived. She sat outside and watched the clouds pass over the mesas and thought about how she would have to handle this.

She slowly walked home, lost in her thoughts. She went inside and could hear her mom in the kitchen. She took off her jacket and walked into the kitchen.

Jirra noticed a large bouquet of flowers on the kitchen table. It had all sorts of brightly colored flowers in a crystal vase.

"Nice flowers, although I don't recognize the vase, did you just buy it?" asked Jirra.

Liz shook her head and continued preparing dinner.

Jirra smiled. "Did someone send you flowers?"

Liz turned around and shook her head. "They're not for me, Roo, they're for you."

Jirra's eyes opened wide and she pointed at her own chest. "Me?"

"There's a card on the table next to the vase."

Jirra picked up the envelope and eagerly opened it. She pulled out the card and read it.

Dear Roo,
I thought you could use some cheeriness. I'm sorry about what happened, but I know you'll get over it. Give me call when you get a chance.
Love,
Alexis.

"Alexis sent me flowers," stated Jirra aloud.

"That was sweet of her," commented Liz.

"How did she find out?" asked Jirra.

"I told her," stated Liz while she returned to preparing dinner.

Jirra smiled. "Thanks Mom." She then looked at the flowers and felt a strange feeling sweep through her. She was happy that Alexis remembered her, but she was feeling tears form in her eyes.

Liz looked over. "You okay, Roo?"

Jirra stared back and wiped back a tear. "I don't know. This is the first time someone has sent me flowers."

Liz nodded knowingly. "Tears are appropriate."

"Really?" asked Jirra, her voice cracking slightly.

"Yes, Roo."

Jirra smiled and wiped another tear away. "I need to call her."

Chapter 89

"Thank you so much for the flowers," said Jirra.

"You're welcome," replied Alexis.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you what happened," continued Jirra.

"It's okay, Roo. But in the future please let me know, you mean a lot to me."

"I will," replied Jirra.

"So how're you doing?" asked Alexis.

"So-so," replied Jirra.

"Why don't you tell me about it?" asked Alexis.

For the next hour Jirra vented her feelings to Alexis. For the most part, Alexis just listened and let Jirra purge her feelings.

"Thank you, that felt good," stated Jirra, as she blew her nose.

"Hey, there will be a time when I'll need to vent to you," replied Alexis.

"So, how's the show going?" asked Jirra.

"Really good. The scripts are excellent and very intelligent. I'm so happy that I got the part," replied Alexis.

"So when will the first show be on TV?" asked Jirra.

"Not until November," replied Alexis. "By then we'll have fifteen episodes completed."

"Sounds like they're keeping you busy."

"Yes, but I'm busy in a good way. I really enjoy doing this show. Oh, and Boston is a great city. I can't wait until you come up sometime. Do you know when you're moving to Philly?"

"Sometime in August. Mom and I are going there next month to look for housing. I've decided that I don't want to live in a dorm," stated Jirra.

"I've heard that there aren't a lot of dorms there in the first place. Still, don't cut yourself off from campus life. The best education you can get at college is from socializing," stated Alexis. "And I'm not talking about partying either, although there's nothing wrong with having a little fun too."

"Is that a hint?" asked Jirra.

"Yes. Penn will be a great place for you to refine your social skills. Keep an open mind and get involved," answered Alexis.

"I'll try," replied Jirra.

"That's not good enough, Roo. I don't want you to try, I want you to succeed!"

Jirra laughed.

"Well, this phone call must be costing you a small fortune, we'll talk later. I love you, Jirra."

"I love you too, Alexis. Thank you again for everything."

Chapter 90

That night Jirra poured herself a nice steaming bath and slowly lowered herself into it. The bath felt great and eased the aches and pains from the assault. Jirra laid back and closed her eyes. She stretched out and felt her body relaxing. Surprisingly her injuries seemed to be healing rather quickly, but she didn't give this too much thought. Her mind was on Alexis.

The gift of the flowers was so thoughtful and so surprising. It had never even occurred to Jirra that someone would give her flowers. She reached down and began to rub her nipples as she pictured Alexis. Her mind drifted back to their lovemaking back in California.

While she still wasn't totally accepting of her transformation, she had to begrudgingly admit to herself that female orgasms were much better than male ones. There was something exuberating about the way they swept through her whole body.

Her right hand drifted down to between her legs as she continued to focus on Alexis. As she pleasured herself she licked her lips thinking about how sweet it was to be kissed by her lover.

Maybe it wasn't so bad to have Alexis take charge, she thought. It wasn't like there were official rules or anything like that. What was important was that they were in love. Jirra then closed her mind to serious thoughts and concentrated on Alexis until she was rewarded by waves of carnal pleasure.

Jirra let out a long sigh as she recovered from her orgasm. She opened her eyes slowly and peeked over the edge of the tub and giggled. Oh, well, she thought, she would have to clean up the water that spilled out of the tub, but it was worth a few soaked towels.

Chapter 91

Two days later Jirra was standing across from Tara. They were both dressed in sweats, and they were in the room used for yoga classes.

"Okay, Jirra, after Randy hit you, what did you try to do?" asked Tara.

"I tried to punch him back," replied Jirra.

"What were you aiming at?"

"His big fat mouth," replied Jirra with a smile.

"Okay, you stood up and immediately swung at him, is that right?" asked Tara.

Jirra nodded.

"I assume he blocked your punch, and that's when he hit you again."

Jirra nodded again.

"Okay, obviously that was a mistake. He's bigger and stronger than you, and you reacted the way he expected you to. Now tell me what you were wearing," continued Tara.

"I was dressed in jeans and the boots you and Cari gave me," said Jirra.

"Why didn't you just kick him?" asked Tara.

"In the… ba… groin?" asked Jirra.

Tara shook her head as she laughed. "Good idea, but if you'd tried that, you probably would have ended up on your back and made him even madder. No, I mean in his shins. With those boots and several hard kicks, Randy would have been on the ground in agony. There are a lot of nerves with very little protection running up the shins."

"Okay, so I blast him in the shins a few times, then what do I do?"

"Running for help comes to mind," replied Tara.

"That's it?" asked Jirra.

"No, that's just one way you can get away. Jirra, I'm trying to teach you ways to get away. I'm not showing you ways to beat someone up. I mean, look at Randy; he's bigger and stronger than you, there's little chance you could beat him up, unless you take martial arts. When you're attacked by someone bigger and stronger than you, the goal is survival."

Jirra stared back without answering.

"I assume your dad taught you how to fight, right?"

"Yes," replied Jirra.

"And he told you to fight fair and to be a man, right?"

Jirra nodded again.

"No eye gouging, no hitting below the belt, no kicking, no biting, right?"

"Yes, so what's your point?"

"Forget everything he told you. If a guy is trying to hit you, then he's not a real man. He's still physically a male, and that means he's probably bigger and stronger than you. So, you must use everything you can to get away. This isn't a schoolyard fight, Jirra; this is survival."

"Randy was just being a jerk. I doubt he really meant to hurt me," replied Jirra.

"How do you know that? He assaulted you, and you're damn lucky that all you got was a few bruises. You insulted him in terms of his manhood, and that can lead to rage and even worse things."

"You mean like rape?"

Tara nodded. "Sexual assault is really a crime of violence."

"I hadn't thought of that."

"It's something you need to be aware of."

"So you mean that I should use every means possible to get away, even if it's dirty?"

"Dirty? Jirra, this isn't a prize fight. Here, let me show you a very effective move," stated Tara. "You just stand there with your arms down at your side. Don't worry; I have no intention of actually hitting you."

Tara then lifted both her arms above her head and brought them down on both of Jirra's shoulders, stopping just before making contact. "Do that if someone attacks you, and if you do it hard enough you have a good chance of breaking one or both of their collarbones. They're very fragile if you hit them from the top. Even if you don't break the bones, the person will be in great pain. But remember, you have to hit them hard."

"I've never really tried to hurt someone before," replied Jirra.

"Look, I hope you never have to defend yourself again, but if you do it's not a game; you do whatever it takes to get away. Now if a guy grabs you from behind, Use your heels on his shins or stomp on his feet. That works great when you're wearing heels."

"When would someone grab me from behind?"

"Say as you're walking to your car at night or stopping to open your front door. This brings up something else; you need to think about your personal safety when you're alone, especially at night. You're going to college in a big city, so you need to be aware and try not to put yourself in dangerous situations."

Jirra sat down on one of the benches that lined the wall. "I had no idea how vulnerable I've become."

Tara sat next to her. "I know it must be difficult for you. At least I've had the advantage of growing up female and being taught about this when I was younger. You don't have to go through life afraid, just aware."

"But it's hard to change what's inside," replied Jirra. "When I was hit by Randy, all I could think of was getting up and hitting him back, getting away was the last thing on my mind. This is different than putting on makeup or a skirt; this is inside."

"This will take time, Jirra. Don't get frustrated about being in transition."

"I just wonder where I'm going to end up," added Jirra. "I can learn to adjust my feelings concerning fighting, but there's other things that I have no control over."

"Then there's no reason to be angry at yourself," interjected Tara.

"Angry? I'm not angry at myself about Randy."

"That's not what I'm talking about; you feel like you're weak because you can't rid yourself of feelings you're developing for boys."

Jirra stared back at Tara in silence for several seconds. "Is it that obvious?"

Tara nodded. "Every time you bring it up, you have a look on your face that is very easy to read, or maybe it's just easy for me to read."

"Maybe going off to college isn't such a good idea after all," stated Jirra.

"Bullshit," replied Tara. "The last thing you need to do is go into hiding."

"Who said anything about going into hiding?"

"Your mom," replied Tara. "I was talking to her, and she says that since the incident you've refused to go into town."

"It just didn't feel right," replied Jirra.

Tara cocked her head. "Don't BS a champion bullshitter. You usually go to that coffeehouse several times a week, even when it was the dead of winter."

"Things have changed."

"Not that much; in fact, things have gotten a little better. While I doubt that your assault will completely change the minds of those who hate us, it has caused them to look at what they're saying and doing. I doubt they wanted to see someone get assaulted on Main Street. What I'm saying is that you can't give in. Randy has to stay away from you; he can't afford to try anything else. Besides, don't give the bastard the satisfaction of driving you out of town. What do you say we head into town for a couple of cappuccinos?"

"Who's buying?"

"You are, consider it payment for the lessons I'm teaching you," replied Tara with a smile.

"Okay," replied Jirra. "But it will take time for me to get my confidence back completely."

"It always does," replied Tara.

"What does that mean?" asked Jirra.

"I'll tell you on the way into town. Go change, and I'll meet you at your place in thirty minutes."

Chapter 92

On the way into town, Tara told Jirra how she and Cari had worked with several friends who had been assaulted, physically and sexually, over the years.

"Cari is usually better at the touchy-feely stuff than me. I'm better at the physical side of things," stated Tara.

"You did pretty well with me," stated Jirra.

"You're a special case," replied Tara.

"So how did you get involved with helping abused women?" asked Jirra.

"Cari and I met at a group meeting for abused women when we were at college," replied Tara.

"Oh my god, I'm sorry," replied Jirra.

Tara cast a quick glance at Jirra and smiled. "It's okay, Jirra, I don't mind talking about it. I was jumped as I was walking back to my car late at night. The guy tried to rape me."

"Tried?" asked Jirra.

"Uh huh, tried. I was so angry that I hurt him pretty good."

"What did you do to him?" asked Jirra.

"I punched him repeatedly in the groin. He had to have one of his testicles removed… I feel bad about that," replied Tara.

"Really?" asked Jirra.

"Yes, I was hoping both would be cut off. Seriously, I don't feel sorry for him, as it turned out he had committed several rapes in the campus area,' continued Tara.

"Did he know you were a lesbian?" asked Jirra.

"No, he just jumped the first women he saw. But that's a good point to remember; as you learned with Randy, some guys take it very personally when a lesbian turns them down."

"So what happened to Cari?" asked Jirra.

"She was sexually assaulted by one of her professors. She went to see him for help, and he asked her for sex. When she refused, he forced himself on her."

"That's awful," replied Jirra.

"You know what the worst part is? Initially, no one on campus believed her! She continued to fight and eventually she found several other students who had been attacked by the same guy. The police were forced to react."

"What happened to him?"

"He served six years in prison, and the last I heard he was living in Florida," replied Tara.

"Six years for rape?" asked Jirra. "That's it?"

"I know. Unfortunately, the local DA wouldn't prosecute for the other rapes," answered Tara.

"That's sucks!"

Tara laughed. "That's what I said when I heard the verdict."

"I can't believe you can laugh about it."

Tara shrugged her shoulders. "What can you do? I'd rather laugh about it than cry. I just want you to be careful; you still have a guy's mentality about many things, and as you've seen it can get you in trouble. We'll continue our little classes, and by the time you go off to college, you'll be much more aware and careful."

"I hope so," replied Jirra.

"Well, well, looks like we got lucky; there's an open spot right in front of the coffeehouse," noted Tara.

Chapter 93

Tara and Jirra ordered their coffees and took seats in a pair of overstuffed chairs near the window.

Tara looked around as she drank her coffee. "This is a nice place; I can understand why you like coming here."

"It is nice. Thanks for bringing me back," replied Jirra as she sipped her cappuccino.

"You're welcome. Now if you really want to show your gratitude, you can buy me one of those biscottis," answered Tara with a smile.

Jirra laughed back and stood up. "One biscotti coming up."

As Jirra returned she was pleased to see Lindsey and Dave walk through the front doorway.

"Hey, there she is, I thought I saw Tara's car out there," Lindsey greeted them.

"We're right over there, come and join us," replied Jirra.

"I'll get our coffee, Dave, it's my treat," stated Lindsey.

Dave nodded and followed Jirra.

"I should be the one treating you. It's the least I could do for you saving my butt," stated Jirra.

"Well, it is a cute butt," replied Dave with a wink. "Seriously, Jirra, how're you doing?"

"I'm doing better," replied Jirra. "The bruises are fading."

"What about the other injuries?"

Jirra smiled. "They're coming along."

Dave nodded. "That's good to hear."

A few minutes later Lindsey joined them.

"So, Dave, what's the feeling in town right now?" asked Tara.

"Surprisingly, it's pretty calm. Randy has a pretty big reputation for being a bully and a jerk. Unfortunately, he's also a pretty good football player and that cut him a lot of slack over the years. However, attacking a woman is inexcusable even among the more narrow-minded citizens."

"So are they just passing this off as a random act of violence by the town jock?" asked Tara.

"Some are, at least on the outside, but it's forcing some people to look at their beliefs. This doesn't mean that there will be a Pride parade here soon," stated Dave.

Tara nodded as she sipped her coffee.

"The town's changing, and that's scaring some people. My family is all in favor of the growth; if it wasn't for the spa, the town would probably be dead in a few years. My younger brother actually wants to stay here now!" continued Dave.

"Then again you're not originally from here," noted Lindsey.

"True, but we have family here, and they reluctantly admit that the spa is a good thing," noted Dave. "They're also starting to learn that money is money."

Tara laughed. "Yes, green is the great equalizer."

Dave nodded.

"So have you heard anything new on Randy's case?" asked Lindsey.

"His family is trying to work out a deal with the county DA," stated Dave. "My aunt is friends with Randy's mom – hey, it's a small town."

"That's what Barrett keeps telling me," said Jirra.

"Hey, speaking of Barrett, I was hoping he'd be here today," stated Dave as he looked around.

"The girl behind the counter said that he's down in Santa Fe doing some research," stated Jirra. "He's supposed to be back tomorrow."

Dave nodded. "He was interested in buying a bike from my dad, and I wanted to talk to him about it."

"Well, I need to get back to the spa, you want to ride back with me, Jirra?" asked Tara.

"We can give you a lift back," stated Dave.

Jirra thought about it. "Thanks, but I'll go back with Tara. Thanks again, Dave."

He stood up and hugged her.

Chapter 94

"You didn't have to leave on my account," stated Tara as they walked out to her car.

"I didn't, I just wanted to give them some time alone. I figure they like me too much to ask me to leave," replied Jirra.

"That's cool, and very un-guy like," said Tara with a wink.

Jirra grinned back, fighting the urge to give Tara the bird. Just then two women walked by and Jirra couldn't help but overhear their conversation.

"I just love your new necklace, it's wonderful. Is it real or a reproduction?" asked the first woman. She was a brunette in her early thirties whom Jirra recognized as one of the spa's guests.

The other woman was a blonde who was wearing a necklace that appeared to be made of potshards. Jirra realized that the blonde was also staying at the spa. She then remembered they were both from Chicago. She then noticed the necklace and something stood out.

"The woman at the store says it's genuine Anasazi," replied the blonde.

Jirra turned to Tara. "You got a few minutes before we go back?"

Tara nodded and watched the two women walk by. "Sure, what's up?"

"I want your opinion on something. That necklace the blonde woman was wearing; she said it was Anasazi, but the color of the potshards looked almost like the mud at the spa."

"You know, you're right," replied Tara.

"The Anasazi were never supposed to be this far east, and from what Cari told me the mud at the spa is very unique," continued Jirra. "So if it's from the spa, that either means that someone is making fake artifacts and ripping off the guests or that they're poaching real artifacts. Barrett and I went in there a while back, and they seemed a little evasive."

"So let's go check them out," replied Tara. "I'm up for some detective work."

To Jirra's relief there was a new saleswoman in the shop.

"Excuse me; I just was talking to a woman who bought a lovely necklace that she said she bought here. It was a silver chain with pieces of Indian pottery on it; I was hoping you had another one like it," asked Tara.

"I'm sorry, but that was the last necklace we had in stock, and we're not due to get another shipment for another couple of months," replied the woman, whose nametag stated that her name was Tiffany.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Do you have any other pieces left?" asked Tara.

"Let me see," stated Tiffany. She began to look in the showcases. "There's just this small piece."

Jirra and Tara looked at a small potshard hanging from a silver chain. The piece of pottery was reddish brown and maybe an inch in length. It was roughly oval and several fine lines were visible in a diagonal pattern.

"How much is it?" asked Tara as she examined it.

"It's $195.00, but today we're offering ten percent off," replied Tiffany.

Tara nodded. "Great, I'll take it," she stated as she pulled her Visa card out of her purse.

"Would you like a gift box?" asked Tiffany with a big smile. She had just made two big sales in one afternoon, selling what looked like pieces of dried dog poop to some tourists and could barely contain her joy.

"That would be nice. Oh, do you have any information on the artist who made this?"

"I think we have something in the back. I'll go check," stated Tiffany as she swiped the credit card.

A few moments later she returned with a piece of paper.

"We were out of the information, but I was able to download this off our computer," stated Tiffany as she folded a piece of paper and placed it in the bag along with the necklace. "I put your receipt in the bag. Thank you very much."

Tara and Jirra walked quickly out of the shop and headed back to the car.

"So what does the paper say?" asked Jirra.

Tara reached in and unfolded it. "The artist's name is JT Pearson, and it says he works out of a studio in Santa Fe."

"Is there a point of contact on the sheet?" asked Jirra.

"Yes, there's a PO box and a phone number," replied Tara, as she handed Jirra the piece of paper.

"I'll call Barrett and see if this is the same number as the shop gave us before," stated Jirra.

Tara pulled the necklace out of the box. "It definitely looks like the mud at the spa. Cari has made several pots out of the mud, and the color and texture look identical."

"I didn't think that it would cost so much," stated Jirra.

"I don't mind, actually I like the piece," replied Tara.

Chapter 95

"Are you sure?" asked Barrett.

"Yes, the color looks almost identical," stated Jirra.

"Just like the number you gave me. Something isn't right. Look, don't do anything for now. I'll talk to Dr. Montgomery and see what he thinks," stated Barrett.

"Okay," replied Jirra.

"By the way, great job," he said.

"Tara's the one who bought the necklace," interjected Jirra.

"Thank her for me. I'll get back to you soon. Take care," he said.

"You're welcome," replied Jirra as she hung up the phone and turned to Tara. "Barrett says thank you."

"That's nice," said Tara. "So what do you think, Cari?"

Cari was holding the potshard up against her pots. "The color looks closest to this one."

"I agree," said Tara.

"That's the one I baked in the outdoor oven that Gregory made for me last summer," stated Cari. "He said that it was like the ones he made as a kid with his Navajo friends."

"I'm sure that Barrett's friends at the university could do some sort of analysis of the shard, hopefully without destroying it," said Jirra.

"I certainly hope so. If they do have to destroy it, I want full payment," interjected Tara.

"How could something like this exist?" asked Cari.

Jirra explained about the possibility of the Anasazi having been in the canyons north of the spa.

"So if it's real, then someone has been trespassing on Judy's land," interjected Tara.

"This is getting more and more interesting," added Jirra.

Chapter 96

The next day Barrett called Jirra.

"Dr. Montgomery and I are driving up right now. He wants to see the piece," said Barrett.

"Cool, so does he think we're onto something?" asked Jirra.

"He won't know until he sees the piece," replied Barrett.

"Is he staying the night?" asked Jirra.

"He's nodding yes," replied Barrett.

"We have some open rooms here," added Jirra.

She heard Barrett laugh. "He says that he already called Judy… and your mom."

A big smile broke out on Jirra's face. "Cool."

---

To Be Continued...