Bethany In My Life

(A moment in time and place)

North Beach, San Francisco May 1969

Desperation

I looked back at my home, or I guessed, what used to be my home, and considered my next action carefully. 'I can't go back there anymore" I thought to myself, with the out-and-out fight I had just had with my father fresh in my memory, I knew that given my dad's stubborness and pride, I would not be welcome there for years, if ever.

Well, there wasn't much else to do but try to figure out where to spend the rest of the night, and figure something out...

It wasn't too late, and dressed as I was in cut-off's, and t-shirt, 'Oh shit! This is all I have! I should have planned this better!' I thought to myself, which was a joke, as nothing about the situation I now found myself in had been planned, I decided to go over to the City Lights Books near by what used to be my home, at least this morning, on Taylor Street just south of Francisco Street.

Ferlinghetti's City Lights Books had become a favorite place for me, with off-beat, over-the-top essays and pamphlets, as well as just about any book under the sun, I knew I could go there, get comfortable, and think about what to do next.

Sitting in one of the chairs that were located at the end of some of the stacks, I held a book I had grabbed without looking at, and just stared at a random page without seeing it as the reality of my situation hit me. Here I was sixteen years old, (well, almost anyway) with nothing but the clothes on my back, which as I had already noted, wasn’t much. I didn’t have any I.D. or even a wallet and had, ‘hmm, let’s see’ I thought to myself, as I pulled out the contents of my watch pocket, (the only pocket left without holes in it) from my cut-off’s.

“Six dollars and thirty nine cents!” I exclaimed drawing stares from some of the other browsers in the back of the store. ‘Oh Damn, what’ll I do?’ I mentally screamed at myself as I finally realized the depths of my troubles.

“Are you Ok?” a voice brought me out of the depths of my depression, and I looked up to see an attractive girl in a miniskirt and thigh-high boots staring at me with an expression of concern on her face.

“Oh, ah, yeah!” I said as I considered her question and everything came crashing down on me again.

I guess my face betrayed me, because she said, “Well, you don’t LOOK alright! You look like you need a shoulder to cry on.”

What she said was true enough, and her concern real enough that suddenly I felt very shy and felt my face heating up with embarrassment.

“Now THAT is cute!” she exclaimed as she looked at me blushing.

This was just too much and tears started leaking out from the corners of my eyes, so I hid my face in my hands and tried to get some control over myself.

“Oh! I’m sorry hon, I didn’t mean to make you feel worse, look, we need to go somewhere we can talk and you can feel more comfortable.” She stated as she took my hand and pulled me up.

As I let her lead me out of the bookstore and west towards Colubus Avenue I struggled to get ahold of myself and figure out what was going on. “Um, where are we going?” I finally managed to inquire without my voice breaking too badly.

“C’mon hon, we’re just heading down to Washington Square where we can sit down in the grass and talk a little more comfortably,” she answered, “and where you can let it all out a little.”

I wasn’t at all sure about all of this, and would have stopped her, but she was older than me, and holding my hand, which was a connection I couldn’t bring myself to break at the moment, so I let her lead on.

It was feeling very companionable, and kinda nice to walk with her as we finally got to Filbert Street and crossed over to the entrance of the north side of the park. She led me down the footpath on the left untill we got to the stand of white birches that led down to the rock garden on the east side of the park, and found a grassy area in amongst the white-barked trees. “Here, sit down and tell me about it.” She said pulling me down onto the grass.

I looked at her for a moment, and then without meaning to, I started to cry and it just got worse and worse until I finally noticed that I was sobbing into her chest as she rest on her knees and just held me. I was so embarrassed, that I pulled away and started blushing again forgetting to cry, or even why I had been crying. “I am sorry, but that is just SO cute!” she stated again smiling at me.

Of course, that just made me redder, but I was thankfull for her concern, so I just smiled at her. “Uh, sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

“Shhh,” She said, placing a finger on my lips, “What’s wrong honey?” she inquired softly, “Go ahead and tell me.”

So I did, about how my father and I had never got along, and how we (I) had said too much and how he had kicked me out. “My dad said that he didn’t want to ever see me again, and that I could just make it on my own! He said he wouldn’t even sign a work permit to help me, so I can’t even get a job!” I finished starting to tear up again.

Oh honey, it’s alright’” she said, “You’re not completely alone are you? Don’t you have friends or relatives around?”

Looking at her for a moment, I realized that she just hit the emotional content of my situation right between the eyes, as I started to get paniced and depressed all at the same time.

I guess she could see that in my face too, because she clutched me to her again and said “It’s ok hon, I’m here, and I’ll help you.”

Well, that was just too much, and I went on emotional overload again and started crying uncontrollably.

Finally I wound down again, and stopped crying, I pulled back and looked at her and said, “Thank you, but I didn’t mean to be a problem..”

“Nonsense!” she stated emphatically, “First thing is we need to figure what to do next, my name is Ashley, what is yours?”

“Bruce.”

“Well Bruce?” she looked at me and went on, “how old are you?”

“Sixteen, uh, well, allmost anyway…”

Looking up at her face again I could see a small smile on her face that changed suddenly to a concerned look as she said “What about school? What grade are you in?”

“Oh!” I said as my problems with that hit me, “I am supposed to be in my sophmore year but I’ve been skipping so much that they want me to do the year over, so I just dropped out.” I looked over at her and gave her a little shrug.

“Ok! So that’s not a problem…” she said and went into thought as I just stared at her a little surprised and thought to myself, ‘I don’t think I ever expected anyone to say THAT about it.’ Then she looked at me again and said, “So all we have to do is get you a place and feed you right?

“Umm, yeah? Right?” I half stated, half asked as I tried to figure what was wrong with her logic.

“Well…” she looked at me, “I could put you up with me, but my landlady wouldn’t like a boy living with me much…” she trailed off.

“It’s okay, I started, you’ve aready been so nice to me, I don’t-“

“Shush!” she ordered, “Just let me think for a moment.”

I watched her pull at the grass for a while when suddenly her eyes widened and she looked up at me again and started looking at me, all of me, looking up and down at my face and my body. I started to blush again, which made her smile a little making me think ‘What IS it about my embarrassment that amuses her so much?’

“I’ve got it!” She exclaimed “Eureka!” and she took my hand hauled me up and started leading me out of the park.

“Uh, I’m sorry, I don’t get it, what are we gonna’ do?” I asked meekly.

“Don’t you worry about it.” She smiled at me with a secret little smile, “You just come with me and do what I tell you and we’ll get you all fixed up.”

Given the situation, I rather doubted that, but I was hustling along trying to keep up with her as she headed north to the Bay Street turntable to catch the cable car.

We rode the cable car south over Nob Hill until we reached the Powel Street Station, then we got off, walked over to the Market Street bus stop and caught a bus going southwest. “C’mon,” She urged, “We gotta’ hurry” as she grabbed my hand and led me off the bus at the Hermann Street stop and headed west.

“What’s the hurry?” I gasped as we rushed along the sidewalk.

“I was supposed to meet some people in a couple of hours at the Coffee Gallery, and I don’t wanna’ be late!” she said as she pulled me along.

As we neared the intersection with Sanchez and I could see the Duboce Park clearly across it, she turned up onto the stoop of one of the houses near the end of the block. “Home!” She stated, looking at me she said, “Now be quiet in here! My landlady will be watching the late afternoon soaps, so we should be able to sneak you past without her noticing.”

Properly admonished, she took my hand and led me stealthily into the house and up to the second story where she opened a door with a key, and pulled me in. Looking at me she held a finger up to her lips and went over to a turntable and put on a Butterfield Blues album. Once the music started, she raised the volume a little and said, “Okay, now we can get started!”

Bethany Appears

“Started with what?” I asked trying not to appear too stupid.

“Look she said,” leading me over to the couch and sitting us down, “Let’s look at your situation ok?”

I just looked at her and nodded miserably, “Okay.”

“Good, now, you don’t have a place to stay right?” I just nodded, “And you don’t have any clothes but those right?” nod again, “And no real job or money right?” now a nod from me and a little snif.

“I know I’m in trouble,” I started.

“Listen! I have a solution!” she declared looking earnestly at me, “But you have to keep an open mind and trust me, I will stick by you understand!”

Startled, I looked at Ashley and said, “Allright, I trust you.”

“Good!” she said and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek, “You aren’t old enough to hang with me most of the places I go, and I can’t have a boy live here with me or my landlady will kick me out.” She remarked as I looked at her sorrowfully, “But! I have a solution, which will solve both things nicely!” she finished with enthusiasm.

Blankly I blinked at her and said, “How?” in a trembling little voice.

“It’s easy!” she exclaimed smiling broadly, “we’ll turn you into a girl!”

My mouth fell open and I think I said something intelligible like, “HUH!” as she excitedly pulled me to my feet and led me over to her closet.

“You bet! With the right clothes and some makeup you will look older and you will pass easily as my girl friend from out of town!”

“I don’t think…” I started.

Suddenly she grabbed me and spun me to face her, “You said you would keep an open mind didn’t you? She inquired.

I nodded and said “But…”

“And you said you would trust me right?” and glared at me.

I nodded again and said, “But…”

“AND, I said I would stand by you right?” I nodded at that, “So you try this with me, and if it doesn’t work out, we’ll try something else, but I think it can work, so you’ll do it, because you trust me, right?”

Well, a lot was trying to go through my head right then, but the thing I felt the most was that this girl had become my anchor somehow in the short time I had known her, and I wasn’t letting go for anything, So I looked into her eyes and said,”Yes, Ashley.” And then suddenly looked at my feet and started blushing again.

“That’s my girl!” she enthused and faced the closet pulling the bi-fold doors open.

Startled I looked up at her, and found her totally engrossed in going through her closet, and not even looking at me as I started to blush even hotter.

“Le’mme see…” she mumbled as she turned and looked at me with a critical eye, “You are a little taller than me, but a little bit more skiny…Oh! Breasts!” she exclaimed and hurried over to the kitchen.”

“Yeah,” I said, “I knew it wouldn’t work…”

“Trust me will ya?” she demanded while she crouched down and pulled the curtains aside under the sink, “I think I have… Yep!” she exclaimed as she straightened up holding a pair of rubber dish gloves. “Perfect!”

I wasn’t sure what was so perfect about rubber dish gloves as I watched her take them over to her desk and shovel around in its top drawer. Finally she located and pulled out a bottle of rubber cement and a pair of scissors and started to cut off the fingers of the gloves. Next, she used the rubber cement to glue the finger holes togeather and said, “Ok! We’ll let that dry for a few minutes and make some jello!”

By now I thought she had maybe lost her mind but tried to help her in the kitchen as she cooked up a pot of cherry jello. She didn’t ask or say anything except to tell me where to find pots and ingredients she needed so I just let her work. Finally she put the pot in the ‘fridge and looked at her watch, “Makeup next!”

She sat me down on a kitchen chair and went and got a bag which she set on the kitchen table, looked at me critically and said, “Well, at least you wear your hair long, it’s past your shoulders, and we should be able to do something nice with it later.” She pulled up another chair opposite me and sat down, “Foundation first!” She went through her bag and found a bottle of something, pulled it out and turned to me, noting my blushing again she said, “Well at least you probably won’t need much rouge!”

After working on me for some time with many arcane things from her bag she finally said, “There! Done!” With a satisfied look. You will have to learn to do this yourself of course, but we don’t have time right now, next time I’ll start teaching you allright?”

‘NEXT TIME?’ I thought, but only nodded.

“Let’s see how the jello is setting up!” she remarked as she got up and went over to the refridgerator, I just looked at her perplexedly.

“Here,” she said, “take this spoon and whip it all up good, I think it is set enough, I’ll check to see if the gloves are dry yet.”

As I was wondering why I was mushing up a perfectly good bowl of jello she went and got the gloves off the desk and came back saying’ ”Yeah, they’re dry enough, go ahead and shovel some jello in each one until they are almost full.” Looking at her strangely I just shrugged and did what she asked.

After a while, finally getting them full and evenly filled to her satisfaction, she took them from me and said, “That ought’a work.” And took them back to the desk and started gluing with the rubber cement again.

I had a couple of minutes of confusion which didn’t really allow me the time to consider what we were doing when she came back over to me and said, “Okay, now hair!” She then took a brush and started brushing, as she did she remarked, “You have beautiful straight hair, I’m glad you keep it clean, we didn’t have time to wash it.” And started to do something with it in back that involved some tugging at parts of it.

“That’s done.” She stated, “now come here.” Taking my hand she led me into the bathroom and had me sit on the side of the tub, take off my shoes and socks, and then swing my legs into the tub. Running the water getting the temperature right, she said,” You’re gonna have to learn to do this for yourself too, but today I’ll shave your legs for you.” And proceeded to do just that.

When she finished and rinsed off my legs she stood up, and helped me up. “SEE! “She said, “I knew we didn’t need much blush!” Which comment just made me blush harder, and her start to giggle.

“Okay” She said, “take your shirt off, they should be dry by now.” More confused then ever, there was too much stimulus, to many new smells and sensations to think clearly, I just automatically did what she said and peeled off my t-shirt.

After going to the desk and then to her dresser, she came back and looked at me and said, “Ooo, well, we’ll have to fix your hair again.” And gave me an angry look.

“I.. I’m sorry Ashley” I stammered and looked at the floor.

“GOD YOU”RE CUTE when you do that!” She said, smiling and shaking her head, which made me blush even more, “How could I stay mad at that face?” she questioned herself, then said, “Turn around hon.” So I did.

She reached around me and then pulled back again and said, “Just put your arms through the straps dear.” As I realized that I was putting my arms through bra straps, my first thought was strangely enough, ‘I’m glad she can’t see my face” I had just enough time for the thought when she finished hooking the bra and spun me around to see how it fit or something.

After looking for a moment at my chest, she glanced up and saw me blushing again, and just shook her head and said, “ Now I’ll just put these in…” and proceeded to take the two jello filled gloves that now resembled rounded sacks, and stuffed them in the cups of the bra. After a little re-arranging, she stepped back and looked critically at them for a minute and said, “ That looks good, what do you think?” and glanced at my face.

“Erk!” Was about all I could say.

“Stop that or you are gonna blow a vessel!” she pointed out watching me blush even more furiously.

“I, I can’t help it Ashley” I said.

“Well, you better be carefull,” she said, “how would you like to go to the hospital like this?” and grinned at me evily.

“Erp!” Was all I could say this time as all the blood drained out of my face.

Somehow, Ashley thought this was a funny response, because she giggled at me so long I started to blush again.

“Okay,” she said holding up her hand, “Now we do clothes, straighten up your hair, and we can go.”

“GO? Go where? Like THIS?” I stammered out.

“Of course go, I told you I had to meet some friends at the Coffee Gallery, They will want to meet my new roomie!” Now she was looking perplexedly at me.

“But, like this?” I asked pointing at myself.

“Well sure honey, you look great!” she enthused, “Trust me!”

‘Don’t remind me’ I thought as I just sighed and looked down, which didn’t help, because I noticed again that I had suddenly sprouted a pair of breasts, ‘C cup?’ I wondered.

“There!” Ashley stated in a satisfied tone as she backed away from me and looked me up and down, “Turn around.” She said distractedly making a litle spinning motion with her fingers.

So, blushing, again, I did a slow spin and stopped and looked at her.

“No! Wait!” she exclaimed and dove for her closet again. ‘Now what?’ I sighed to myself as I looked down and couldn’t quite believe it. Panties, garter, stockings, bra of course, and a knit mini-skirt in black with bright colored horizontal bars printed across the midriff made up my ensemble. The underwear was all frilly and lacy, and the skirt too short, anyone would see my panties and garter if I bent over at all it seemed to me.

“Here!” Put these on” Ashley said handing me a pair of black strap sandals with about a three inch heel. Once I got them on she said’ “It’s good you have small feet for your size, they seem to fit ok.” I just nodded trying not to think. “Now a touch of jewelry and we can go!” she said.

“Don’t you think this dress is a little short to go out in?” I gasped.

“Why? It’s no shorter than mine.” She pointed out, “I told you we needed to dress nice tonight to go out.”

“Um, well, yeah.” I said looking down and sighing.

“Aw, honey, you look beautiful, c’mere and look for yourself.” She said taking me by the hand and leading me into the bathroom. She closed the door and in the full-length mirror on the inside I stood breathless for a minute just taking me in. I knew it was still me in there, but it didn’t look like it in the mirror. It looked like a young woman, and attractive young woman no less, looking back at me out of the mirror. “See how beautiful you are? I told you it would work!” She smiled at me in the mirror smugly.

Back in the bedroom she went back to her dresser and after a little fiddling around in a small box on top she said’ “I knew I had some!” and came back over and did something to my ears, "We really gotta get these peirced.” she muttered as she took a pendant necklace in the shape of a heart that had been dangling from her fingers and put it around my neck.

Next she took a small clutch purse out of the top drawer of her dresser and put in some makeup, a brush and a few odds and ends, and handed it to me. Stepping back and looking at me once more, she said, “You look great!” and looked at me expectantly.

Figuring I was supposed to say something appreciative back I said, “You do too. Uh, thank you Ashley.”

“Oh honey!” she said and gave me a big hug, “You’ll do fine Br- uh, I mean, umm, you know, we have to figure out what we’ll call you.”

“What?” I said.

“Well silly, we can’t call you Bruce like this!” she said as she waved her hand up and down in front of me. “Let me see…” she said slowly while tapping her finger against her front teeth, “Something that starts with a ‘B’ so you can get used to it faster, hmm, I’ve got it! Bethany! Yeah! We’ll call you Bethany!”

After beaming at me for a few seconds she suddenly started and looked at her watch, “Oh! We gotta get going!” With that, she grabbed her purse, grabbed my hand, and towed me out the door in such a flurry that I didn’t even have time to think of anything but trying to negotiate the stairs in my heels without breaking my neck. Suddenly I found myself out the door, down the stoop and headed east on Hermann Street with me trying to keep up with Ashley while taking small steps one in front of the other. ‘If I can keep my legs together so no one will see my underwear, and not kill myself on these heels’ I thought to myself, ‘I will die happy’.

A Night On The Town

The three fast blocks down Hermann Streeet to the bus stop had at least gotten me more used to the heels, but now my feet felt hot while we waited for the bus. Ashley looked over at me and smiled, “You really do look good Beth.” She leaned over and wispered at me, “Don’t worry, it’ll be fine.”

I just swallowed my stomach and smiled back nervously.

Finally the bus arrived, and Ashley grabbed my hand and climbed on board with me in tow. As she led me down the aisle and the bus started going, I wondered if she expected me to sit down in this getup, hers was just as short, and I couldn’t remember seeing her underwear, so I figured I would just watch her closely, and copy what she did.

As she neared the rear door, she stopped at an open seat, put her hand behind her, well, behind her behind, and smoothed her skirt down her legs as she sat with her knees together, then she slid over to give me room to sit down. I copied her movements, and after sitting checked myself, and couldn’t see anything I shouldn’t, ‘sigh’. “See, I told you you looked good!” Ashley leaned over and whispered in my ear.

“Huh?” I looked at her confusedly and she just pointed with her chin forwards and across the aisle. Looking over, I noticed a young (older than me) guy twisted in his seat and looking back at me, and then he smiled. “Oh gosh!” I exclaimed under my breath and quickly looked down at my lap.

“You keep blushing like that and he’ll come over her to talk to you.” Ashley whispered, which made me just blush harder. “Oh! C’mon he’s cute!” she said, and then went back to looking out her window watching for our stop, thankfully.

I didn’t even remember getting off the bus and walking over to grab a cable car for our return trip to the Bay Street turnaround, but as we neared the heights of Nob Hill, Ashley leaned over and said, “He was cute, but don’t let it bother you so much, you are bound to get some admiring looks all dressed up to go out like this.” I just swallowed and didn’t reply, “Anyway, she continued, Bobby is bringing some of his friends tonight, and some of them are real cute too.” Trying to sort out and deal with what that meant kept me out of rational thought for the rest of the trip and until I found myself standing on Bay Street listening to the gulls cry out a couple of blocks up at the Fishermans Wharf. The club was over on Grant, so we walked a few blocks west towards the Embarcadero and finally crossed to it. “Um,” I said, “I thought you said we were going to the Coffee Gallery?” Above me was a sign that said ‘Lost and Found Saloon’

“We are, they just changed the name a while back, but most people call it the Coffee Gallery still… Do you see Bobby anywhere?” she asked.

“I don’t know what he looks like.” I was pointing out, as she suddenly got a big smile on her face and started away from me.

“Bobby! Bobby, over here!” Ashley yelled waving, and out of a knot of people down on the corner a guy separated out and started in our direction waving. Ashley took off, leaving me in a cloud of dust (metaphorically) and ran to throw herself in his arms kissing him hungrily.

They separated from their clinch just about as I got to them, and she turned suddenly and said, “Bobby, this is my cousin Bethany, she’s gonna be staying with me for a while. Beth, this is Bobby, he’s mine, so hands off!”

I was just reaching to shake his hand when she got to the last part, which froze me and made me start to blush again.

“Isn’t she cute when she does that!” Ashley exclaimed to Bobby.

“Yes she is.” Bobby said to her taking my hand and gently but firmly shaking it, “you have to excuse your cousin,” he went on to me, “I haven’t been able to teach her any manners yet.” And smiled.

“God! I wish I could do that!” Ashley exclaimed as I blushed even more furiously. “Have Steve keep an eye on her, he’s enough of a gentleman not to make her pop a vessel before the night’s even begun.”

“Oh yeah,” Bobby said and turned to the three other guys who had just arrived, “Bethany, this is David,” indicating a too-tall skinny guy with a wild thatch of blond hair, “and this is Raymond,” waving at a shorter red haired guy with freckles, “and this is Steve, your escort for the night!”

A dark haired strong-looking guy that I thought must be several inches over six feet tall, and wearing a large grin held out his hand to me, and as I hesitantly took it he lifted mine to his lips and kissed my hand without seeming rediculous ot all. “I think her toes are even blushing!” said Ashley, I desperately wanted to look down at my feet, but somehow couldn’t stop looking up into Steve’s big brown eyes.

Steve kept my hand, put it under his elbow, and led me along behind the others as we headed to the club. “Have you been in town long?” He asked politely.

“Um, no, I just got here today.” I replied still caught by his eyes somehow.
“Where are you from?” he asked.

“Uh.” Now I could look down, I didn’t know what I should say, ‘What if he and Ashley talk later and our stories don’t match?’ I thought furiously to myself.

“Beth, you are gonna love this place! It has scads of friendly atmosphere, and the dancing is great!” Ashley enthused.

“Yeah!” added Bobby, “And tonight Dr. John is gonna play some sets too!”

“Oh, great!” I returned and thought, ‘DANCING! Oooh Nooo!’

“Do you like to dance?” Steve asked me. I looked up to say no, and looking into his eyes I just found myself nodding and smiling for no good reason.

The Root Of All Evil

As we entered the club Ashley said to Bobby, “We just gotta fix our faces, be right back!” Taking my hand she started walking away from the guys, looking back I saw a knowing smirk on their lips as they glanced at each other. “C’mon” Ashley said to me and pulled us faster along.

“Eep!” I declared and tried to stop, but Ashley was stronger than I thought and so succeeded in pulling me into the girl’s restroom with her anyway.

“What?” She looked at me strangely.

I leaned over and whispered intensly into Ashley’s ear, “But this is the GIRLS bathroom!”

She looked at me blankly for a moment, then her eyes widened for a moment and then said, “Oh yeah! I forgot! Look Beth, I forgot for a moment, but where else are you gonna go like that!” as she waved at me.

“But I don’t need to go!” I whispered back. ‘She FORGOT?’.

“Silly, we’re here to check out our hair and makeup and talk about our dates!” she explained like to someone slow.

‘Dates!’ My mind screamed at me.

“But I just happened to think, if you do have to go, remember to sit down.” She hissed, and headed over to the mirrors and sinks.

This left me with enough time to try to figure out what she had just said to almost forget about the ‘dates’ remark.

“Fix your lipstick” Ashley mumbled to me as I came up beside her at the sink. I couldn’t see anything wrong with it, but went through the motions without messing up anything as she said, “Look, if anybody asks me anything personal about you tonight, just tell them what you want to, I’ll just say that if they want to know about you they should ask you themselves.” That seemed to settle that, “You can just fill me in tonight when we get home, Ok?” I nodded, “Just try to keep it simple, that way you can remember what you said.” Again I nodded. “Don’t you think Bobby is cute?” nod, “Isn’t Steve cute too?” another nod, then I thought ‘No! Wait’ but Ashley had grabbed my hand and giving me a wink led me out of the restroom as I tried to figure out why my world was suddenly spinning, and why my stomach was in my throat.

As we came up to the guys Bobby said to Ashley, “Well that wasn’t very long,” he smirked a little and said, “So what does Bethany think of Steve?”

“She thinks he’s cute!” Ashley said.

“Hey great!” Bobby declared, he turned to me and said, “Oh oh, she’s doing it again Ashley.” Seeing me get redder he said “It’s alright Bethany, I think Steve thinks your cute too!”

That was when I fainted.

“Wow she really does this ‘vapors’ thing doesn’t she?” I dimly heard someone far away say.

“I’m just glad Steve was behind her to catch her!” I heard Ashley reply. Ashley! It all came rushing back to me, I opened my eyes and I looked down at Ashley.

‘Down?’ I thought ‘wha’ and looked up and saw Steve looking down at me. About then I realized that Steve had picked me up and was holding me like a baby against his chest. I started blushing again just as vertigo hit me and I grabbed around Steve’s neck to keep from falling.

“I think she likes it up there Steve.” Bobby said, making me feel faint again so I buried my face in Steve’s chest and tried to stay with the world.

“Are you alright Bethany?” I heard and felt Steve rumble to me as I clung to him.

I couldn’t even think to talk at the moment so I just made nodding movements into his chest. As he continued to hold me, I began to notice things, ‘God he smells good!’ I thought, ‘I feel so safe right now’ and pressed my face into his chest a little more.

After a few minutes Steve rumbled at me again, “Do you want to go sit with the others now?”

“Hmmm,” I started, then suddenly, “Oh sorry, you can let me down now, I know I’m probably getting heavy.” I said into his chest.

“I could hold you like this forever Bethany.” He rumbled back, and proceeded to do just that.

I was feeling safe, and comfortable, but realized after a couple of minutes that we couldn’t do this forever, so I said, “Uhm, could you put me down now?”

Steve didn’t reply, but just set me on my feet and smiled at me. My legs felt weak, so I leaned against him looked up and said, “Thank You.”

He looked down at me a moment, then leaned down, and kissed me.

“Wow! You’re welcome Bethany.” Steve remarked when we stopped. I kept looking into those big brown eyes of his, ‘when did I put my arms around his neck?’ I wondered, then I mentally shrugged and pulled his head down for another kiss.

When we finally got to the table Ashley said to Steve, “Just remember she’s my cousin stud, and I’m not supposed to let anything bad happen to her.”

“Yes’m” Steve replied.

“I’m ok Ashley I said, I’m not hurt!” Then as Ashley glared at me, and Bobby laughed at Ashley, and I suppose me, I realized what she meant, and that made me realize what had just happened, and that made me look in my lap, hard.

I’m glad she’s sitting down,” Bobby remarked, “I think she’s going to do it again!”

I glanced up fearfully thinking he was talking about kissing Steve again when I realized he meant fainting.

“How can you blush so!” Ashley said, then she looked at me and sighed, “I love you Beth but you are gonna be a trial for me, I can tell you that.” Then Ashley smiled at me, and I gave her a smile that got bigger when I realized that she said she loved me. I knew she wouldn’t let me get hurt.

To Be Continued-

Copyright Bethany DaWade