This is a work of fiction, with a few real life experiences added in. All of the characters in this story are fictional, and any resemblance to anyone else living or dead is probably a coincidence. Please notify me if you are archiving this and the other chapters of the story on a web site. Permission specifically granted to Sapphire’s Place, Crystal’s Story Site and any other free access TG fiction web site to archive this. If you intend to publish this story in magazine or book (paper or electronic) format, please contact me for arrangements. Additional information on this story may be found at: http://www.stardustr.us/zapped/ .

This chapter did not have Lynn Jennings usual proofing and editing applied so please forgive any errors I haven’t discovered.

Zapped! Chapter 18 — A Working Beach Vacation by Bob Arnold

Sunday, June 8, 2003 —

Gillie must have taken my threats seriously yesterday morning. When I woke up he was snuggled as close as he could get to me with his head nuzzled on my neck as I lay on my back in the bed. I reached up and absentmindedly scratched the top of his head and was rewarded with a loud purring sound. As much as I wanted to simply stay there and go back to sleep my body had other ideas.

As I started to slide out of the bed Gillie let out a mournful yowl. I looked over at the cat and smiled. “Gillie, for once I gotta agree with you. Getting out of a nice soft, warm bed stinks.” I made my way to the bathroom and completed an abbreviated morning ritual then returned to the edge of the bed.

Plopping down on the edge of the bed jostled the snoozing cat awake. I watched as he slowly unwound from the little ball he had curled into and began to stretch. “Good idea, Gillie! I better do my stretching exercises. I’m gonna need to be in top shape today.”

While the change from male to female left me disgustingly healthy I found that a few extra stretching exercises in the morning really helped me to remain limber. Several of the dancers that I rehearsed with taught me a few routines and I now did them every morning even if it was for just a few minutes. The difference it made to my overall feeling of well-being was simply amazing.

Since the Queen was staying for breakfast I dressed in a pair of jeans and a satin blouse and donned a pair of sandals before I headed to the kitchen. As I got closer I heard the babble of several people. The Queen, Gertie, Tammy and Barb were all gathered around the kitchen table having a fine time exchanging gossip and making the now familiar comments about men and their boorish behavior. Gertie was in constant hover mode between the range and the table serving up large plates laden with potato pancakes and sausages. Coffee, tea and a large pitcher of fresh orange juice filled the table along with English muffins, home made strawberry jam and a selection of other goodies.

Breakfast went extremely well and everyone ate much more than normal, even the Queen. She claimed that her current cook should take lessons from Gertie. I said that was fine with me as long as I got Gertie back when the lessons were completed. Gertie was turning several shades of pink at all the praise being heaped upon her. Unfortunately I had an early arrival time at the attraction today and couldn’t hang around the house for much longer to enjoy the festivities in the kitchen.

When I returned to the bedroom I did a quick check of the weather and was saddened to learn that rain was forecast for the time that we would be doing the grand opening ceremony outside. We did have a contingency plan in place and I suspected that the crews were busy setting up the theater to handle the ceremony inside.

A quick trip thru the shower preceded a change into clothes more appropriate for arriving in front of a crowd of press people at the attraction. I selected a short strapless pink dress that ended a good six inches above my knees, a matching colored strapless bra and panties and a pair of sheer to the waist panty hose. A pair of silver single strap shoes with three-inch heels completed the outfit of the day. A quick brush out of my hair and I had it in the normal ponytail style. Makeup and some jewelry were the finishing touches.

Tammy and I set off for the theater with Dawn driving the Hummer. Barb stayed behind to make sure the Queen was all set and then she’d follow us to the theater. I suspected that Tammy was just as nervous as I was since we barely spoke in the limo.

The rain splattered heavily against the windows as we neared the park. Fortunately, the MouseWorld staff had set up a huge tent outside the entrance to the attraction to shield arriving VIP guests from the blazing Florida sun. At least now it would shield everyone from the torrential Florida rain. As the Hummer slowed to a stop at the entrance the few press people there at this early hour crowded around to see who had arrived.

I waited for the costumed attendant to open the door and a few more seconds for the step to glide out then I accepted his hand to exit the car. A blaze of TV lights and the whirr of motorized cameras greeted me. The press started yelling questions at me as I walked inside. Most of the questions were about the lawsuit pending against the tabloid that published the story about me having an abortion. Despite the threat of a legal suit they claimed to have proof that I actually had an abortion. Knowing that I had never seriously considered it even after being raped I pressed ahead with legal action. Since the trial was barely weeks away the judge placed a gag order on everyone about the case so I couldn’t have answered questions about it even if I had wanted to. I quite simply ignored their questions and sauntered into the building as if I heard nothing adding a little extra sway to my walk for good effect.

Tammy giggled as the doors whooshed closed leaving the awful racket outside. “Are they always that bad, Jen?”

“No, it’s gotten worse since the news leaked out about the legal action against the tabloid. You talked with our legal folks, right?”

“Yup. I know that NOBODY is to talk about the trial at all.”

“Just remember that. I noticed that two of the so-called reporters out there were from the tabloid. They were yelling loudest of any of them. One word from us about the trial and they can claim unfair treatment in the press. Be careful around any of them, Tammy.”

“I know, Jen. I had it drilled into my head for an hour by the legal team. I won’t forget!”

“Good! I’m going to head for the dressing room and start getting ready. Can you find Greg and ask him to come back and see me? I want to find out if the alternate plans are still the same because of the rain.”

“Sure, Jen. I’m on it. I’ll also check with the MouseWorld folks on that just in case I can’t find Greg.”

“Thanks, Tammy! Now scoot girl. We’ve got a LOT to do!” Tammy left on her mission as I continued on to the dressing room.

I stepped no more than three feet into the dressing room before I was pounced on by the team of hair, makeup and wardrobe people assigned to get me ready. In less than two minutes I was standing in my bra and panties in front of four people all giving me the critical eye. It seems hard to believe that barely six months ago standing dressed as I was in front of these people would have caused me to shake violently with nerves. Now it was all a part of doing the job I had been hired for and it was the job of these people to get me ready. Kinda funny how things change like that.

There was about three hours to go until the opening ceremony and the costume people wanted to do one final fitting of my opening outfit. I was handed a hanger with what looked like a single piece swimsuit in a brilliant white color and a wispy translucent white skirt. It reminded me so much of the costume I was wearing on the day in Los Angles when the earthquake hit that a chill raced up my spine just looking at it. The suit was cut very low leaving a lot of my cleavage visible. The legs were cut high revealing a bit more of my thighs and cheeks that I normally felt comfortable with. The skirt did very little to hide the extra visible skin on my backside from view.

The costume folks were quite pleased with the fit of the outfit so I changed out of it and went back to the pink dress until I had to change for the festivities. As I finished wiggling back into my dress I heard a knock on the dressing room door.

“Come in!”

I heard the door open. “Are you decent in there, Jen?” I instantly recognized the voice.

“Come on in, Greg. I’m just changing out of the costume after the last fitting check.”

“And?”

I peered over the screen in front of me. “And what?”

“And how did it fit?”

“Well, it’s a bit more revealing than I’d like but then I can use the distraction from my singing and dancing too good advantage. The one thing I’ve got going for me is this body.”

“Jennifer Stevens! Don’t you EVER doubt your talents, do you hear me?” He waggled his finger in my general direction.

“Greg, I’m NOT dumb enough to believe that people want me for my supposed talent. The reason why people want me is that I’m the guy than turned into a girl in front of the whole country. My so-called talent has very little to do with that.”

“Jen, it’s been around a year since your transformation, right?”

“Yup. So?” I zipped up the back of the dress then sat down next to Greg on the couch.

“Do you really think that such a ‘one-note wonder’ would last this long?”

“Maybe, maybe not. Things keep happening to me that keep me in front of the public.”

Greg just shook his head and sighed. “Look, we’ve known each other for what, thirty years or so, right?”

“Sounds about right to me, Greg.”

“Have I ever fed you a line of bullshit for ANY reason?”

“No.”

“Than WHY would I start now?”

All I could do was shrug my shoulders. “I don’t have an answer for that, Greg.”

“Damn. Will you stop doubting yourself? What will it take for you to realize that you’ve always had the talents you have now? The ONLY thing that changed is that now you have a body that will let you use those talents to best effect. Do you know what you look like when you go onstage?”

“Like I’m totally scared to death.”

“Good God, woman! Don’t you ever watch anything you’ve been in?”

“I can’t stand to watch myself, Greg. I have to force myself to do it.”

“Well get out those tapes and force yourself to have a good look, Jen! I know several hundred well known actors that would give almost everything they have to look that comfortable with what they’re doing in front of the cameras or an audience. You don’t fool me one bit! You actually enjoy performing and the audience can see that! Even the stagehands can see that. Why can’t you?”

“Greg, whenever I get up in front of a crowd or the cameras I’m scared to death inside. I’m glad to know that it doesn’t show on the outside but that still doesn’t change the way I feel on the inside.”

“Do you STAY scared?”

“No, the fear goes away completely after a few minutes.”

“Look, Jen, that’s normal. Everyone goes through that and don’t let anyone tell you they don’t. How do you feel when the fear is gone?”

“I just can’t describe it, Greg. It’s unlike anything else I’ve ever felt. All I can say is that a good performance feels like the best natural high I’ve ever had. I really get a kick out of the response of the audience and the feedback I get from them as the performance unfolds.”

“That’s normal too, Jen. Just enjoy it. I can promise you that it isn’t addictive and the feeling never goes away for those of use that truly feel it.”

“Those of us, Greg? You feel it too?”

“Of course. The entire band feels it too. There isn’t a single one of them that’s in this strictly for the money. All of them gave up personal plans to come down here and perform with you again.”

“Really?”

“Yup. Now do you believe me?”

“Yes, Greg. I think I do.”

“Good. Now let’s give ‘em a real performance and show these folks just what kind of magic we can make.”

I really surprised Greg when I gave him the hardest hug I could muster. After a few seconds of hesitation he returned the hug. I stopped him, as he was about to leave.

“Uh, Greg? Wait a minute.”

“Okay.”

I walked over to the gift basket that I had seen earlier. One of the gifts was a bottle of very fine Brandy that looked to be quite old.

“Greg, can you get rid of this for me? I don’t want to be tempted by it.” I held out the bottle to Greg.

“Sure, Jen. I understand. I’ll find a good home for this and thanks!” He accepted the bottle and closed the door behind him.

The un-televised opening ceremonies went off just as planned. They were videotaped of course since a few portions of the festivities would be shown on the evening’s live telecast. I guess what surprised me the most was that they named the exhibit after my song! “The Future Is Now” seemed to be the perfect theme for the attraction and I was proud that I’d had an important role in the project.

In between the two shows MouseWorld provided a huge buffet with various dishes from almost every restaurant on the grounds. I wished that I could have eaten more but I didn’t want to get sick for the show tonight. I stopped at a single burger and some fries along with a soda. Any more than that with the nerves I was beginning to feel and I thought that I’d be in serious trouble.

As the evening live show started my tummy was tied in knots as it usually was. A few minutes into the show and I felt pretty good about my performance. Thanks to the meticulous planning by the staff the show went off with no problems at all.

There was one thing that upset me. Sally Barton, the woman that was supposed to play the lead in Victor/Victoria before she was injured in a car accident, wasn’t able to participate in the show. Her injuries hadn’t healed well enough to let her do the strenuous dance numbers that the show required.

As the last of the audience filed out of the hall I made my way back to the dressing room. Mark from the MouseWorld staff was waiting for me.

“Great show, Jennifer! The preliminary numbers look pretty good. We may have even taken the night in the ratings!”

“That’s fantastic, Mark! I’m glad that it’s all over though. I’ve never done so much in such a short time. I’m really ready for a vacation. By the way, thanks for making that house available for me for another month. I really appreciate it. I’m really looking forward to just enjoying myself for a couple of weeks with nothing to do.”

He winced visibly at my comment. “Okay, Mark. Spit it out! What is it now?”

“Well…”

“Come on, out with it!”

“We had an actress take ill just as filming was supposed to start. The picture is sort of based on the old Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello beach movies. We’re hoping to do a series of them if this one does well.”

“Oh, now you want me running around half-naked?” I crossed my arms over my considerable chest and glared at him.

“Not at all, Jennifer. We want you for the role of a sort of free-spirited woman that runs a local hangout for the kids, sort of like the “Cappy” character played by Morey Amsterdam in a couple of the old movies. You don’t have to wear anything revealing unless you want to.”

The thought of a few weeks at the beach somehow appealed to me. “Do you have a copy of the script? I’d like to read it before I make a decision.”

The smile that spread across his face could have lit up the lagoon in the park all by itself. “I was hoping that you’d ask. Everything you need is in here.” He handed me a large thick brown envelope.

“Give me a day to look this over and I’ll let you know, Mark. Right now all I want to do is get back to the house and crash for the night.”

“That’s fair. I do need to know by Tuesday morning at the latest. We’re holding the start of filming of the scenes with that character in them until we get the part re-cast. You’re our first choice. Goodnight, Jennifer. Sweet dreams!”

He kissed me gently on the cheek then left the dressing room. I put the envelope on the makeup table under my purse and changed into my ‘street clothes’ for the trip home. An hour later I was back in the house and relaxing the last of the tension away in the hot tub from the day’s activities.

Monday, June 9, 2003 —

I woke to the feeling of whiskers tickling my chin. I reached up to scratch Gillie’s head idly wondering just how the four footed furry Houdini got into my room during the night. The cat’s purr motor shifted into overdrive as I rubbed his head. There being no pressing business I needed to take care of I drifted off to sleep.

When I woke up again I had an urgent desire to use the bathroom. Gillie was still draped over my neck and protested with a yowl as I gently moved him aside. When I went back to the bedroom after completing my morning ritual Gillie had simply disappeared. I looked under every piece of furniture in the room and he was just plain gone! I just shook my head and muttered to myself, as I got dressed, “How in hell does he DO that?”

I made my way to the kitchen following the aroma of bacon and eggs cooking. Dawn, Gertie and Barb were chatting as Gertie prepared breakfast. Tammy came in a few minutes later dressed in a skirt, blouse and heels. Her hair and makeup were immaculately done. I looked over at Barb and Dawn and winked.

“STOP RIGH THERE WHOEVER YOU ARE”, I barked.

“YEAH! Who are you and what have you done with Tammy?” That came from a grinning Barb.

Tammy twirled around giving us a good look. “It’s me, guys. Like my new look?”

We all agreed it was a huge improvement. I took a sip from my coffee cup and looked at her for a few moments. “So what prompted the change, Tammy? Your boyfriend?”

“Him? Absolutely NOT! I dumped that slimeball when I found out he was married. The reason I changed was respect. As your personal assistant I wasn’t getting any respect. The way I dressed and behaved everyone viewed me as a teenager. Now everyone takes me seriously so I can get the job done for you.”

“I was hoping that you’d make the change yourself. This isn’t just a temporary thing is it?”

“I certainly hope not, Jen. I actually like how people treat me know and I absolutely love looking like this. The new me is here to stay.”

“You aren’t giving up your jeans are you?”

She laughed and shook her head no. “And this comes from the woman that practically lived in jeans all last winter? Of course not, Jen, but you have to admit that they do have their uses now and then.”

“Well, I have a little surprise for you, Tammy. We all noticed your transition to your new look a couple of weeks ago. We didn’t want to say anything and scare you off though. Now that I know this is the way you want to look from now on I’m going to have Barb take you on a shopping spree on me. I’m going to give you five thousand dollars for an entirely new wardrobe since you’ve been such a help to me on this trip.”

The old Tammy resurfaced temporarily as her youthful enthusiasm took over. She ran over and hugged me tightly then did the same for the rest. “Thank you, Jen! This is great! I was wondering how I would get some new things to replace my old clothes.”

“I’m glad that I can help you, Tammy. You’ve been a great help to me and I do appreciate that.” I took another sip from my coffee cup. “Are you looking forward to heading back with Barb this afternoon?”

“Yup. It’s been fun doing this but I need to get back and take care of things at home. The people in my class at college will never believe what I’ve been able to do these past few weeks. My instructor is a bit jealous of me. Even with all his experience, he’s never been responsible for coordinating the daily activities of a major star in the entertainment field.”

“You still haven’t worked for a major star, Tammy, just a minor one maybe.”

“I don’t know about that, Jen. You didn’t overhear the CEO of MouseWorld lamenting the fact that they didn’t have you under exclusive contract beyond the exhibit opening. You didn’t hear the entertainment press raving about your performance last night either.”

“Tammy, I know deep in my heart that all of this can come to an end just as fast as it got started. I’m just trying to adapt to it all.”

“Please don’t ever forget that, Jen. I’d hate to work for a stuck-up bitch that only thinks of herself.”

“And if I EVER start acting like that give me a good whack upside the head will you?”

“It’ll be my pleasure, Jen.”

“Thanks… I think.” I took another draw from my coffee cup. “Now can we have breakfast? I’m starving!”

Breakfast went rather quickly. Gillie re-appeared from wherever he went and rubbed around my feet until I slipped him a few strips of bacon from my plate. As Gertie was taking care of the dishes I headed to the living room to read over the thick packet that Mark gave me last night.

Moments after I settled myself on the couch, Gillie appeared again and draped himself across my shoulders on the back of the couch. I heard and felt his gentle purring as I emptied out the envelope on the couch.

The envelope contained not one but two scripts, a signed contract awaiting my own signature and several pages of the production schedule. According to the schedule, shooting was supposed to start today with the scenes that didn’t involve my character. Shooting the scenes that involved the character I was being asked to play could start as soon as two days from now. I set the production schedule aside and grabbed the two scripts.

One script was the first movie while the other was a potential sequel. A piece of paper tacked to the first script indicated that I was to play the part of Prudence Walker, the owner of a popular hangout in the Florida beach town that the films were set in.

Prue’s description was something of a free spirit that served as a substitute mother figure for the kids that frequented her place during the college break periods. Her place didn’t serve alcoholic beverages and drugs were expressly forbidden. In fact, using drugs in her place was the fastest way to get escorted to the door after a call was placed to the local police. She was a pretty decent singer too and often got coaxed into performing with whatever band was playing that week.

Mark was right about the skimpy clothing. I really wasn’t required to wear anything revealing. There was one optional scene where I was supposed to take a walk along the beach in a very tiny bikini as surfers and boogie boarders wiped out watching my hips and other body parts. I thought it was sort of funny and decided that if I did the movie that I’d do the scene.

While the part wasn’t the center of either script it was the glue that held the stories together. Doing it would mean a few of weeks of shooting at a seaside location east of Orlando. The price wasn’t too bad either. A figure in the middle 6 figures was pretty good for a couple of weeks work and the contract promised at least the same and maybe more for the second movie if the first movie was a success.

I called Mark and told him that I’d do the picture. I was going to make arrangements for somewhere to stay but I was informed that a helicopter would be available to take me from the house to the site every day. I would still have the run of the park as a guest of MouseWorld as well during my extended stay in Orlando.

I learned that I had the rest of the day to myself. Costume fitting for the movie would take place tomorrow and the first shooting on Wednesday. Thanks to the studio already having my measurements the fitting session shouldn’t take too long leaving me a good part of the day to learn my lines for Wednesday’s filming schedule. The cast and crew on the picture were well aware that I was a last second replacement and would allow for me being somewhat uncertain of my lines and the staging of the scenes. I still wanted to do my best and decided to give the effort top priority.

By the time I got off the phone with Mark, Tammy and Barb were packed and ready to go to the airport for their return flight to Syracuse. I decided to go along with them in the Hummer then head over to the park to see how things were going at the new attraction.

I watched as the plane lifted off right on time then Dawn and I left for the park. When we got to the attraction the lines were rather long waiting to get in. Someone recognized me and within a few seconds the whole line was applauding! Despite the look of concern for my safety on Dawn’s face I waded into the sea of people shaking hands and signing autographs as I went.

Almost an hour later I finally made it inside and went straight to the master control area. Things were running smoothly and I spent a couple of very pleasant hours helping the staff to tweak the operation of the exhibits and rides in the building.

After having lunch at the French restaurant at the International area I headed back home to try to stuff as much of the script into my head as possible.

Tuesday, June 10, 2003 —

I was up before the sun this morning for once. This was to be the start of some very long days for me shooting the beach film. Once again Gillie had somehow slipped into my room during the night and curled up next to my pillow on the bed. I still haven’t figured out how he’s getting in here unless Gertie is letting him in during the night.

Breakfast was little more than a cinnamon and raisin bagel and some cream cheese with a cup of tea since I was running late. Just as I finished the last of my preparation tasks the clatter of helicopter blades grew louder. As I looked out the window a Bell Ranger helicopter gently touched down a hundred feet away from the back door on the lawn. The whine of the jet engine decreased as the blades slowed down. I said goodbye to Gertie after agreeing on the menu for supper then Dawn and I headed for the chopper.

We ducked out of reflex as the blades continued to whirl high over our heads. The pilot helped us get buckled in and had us place some headsets over our ears so we could talk to each other over the noise of the chopper. As soon as he got back in and secured his own seat belts the roar of the jet increased, as did the noise of the blades over our heads.

I’d gotten quite used to being pressed back into the seat as the jets I traveled on accelerated down the runway before leaping into the sky. Instead, the helicopter suddenly shot upwards as I was pushed downward into my seat. As the chopper cleared the tree line the pilot did a half circle to the right and accelerated forward as it climbed even higher. I watched in fascination as the estate below us grew smaller and smaller until it faded from sight.

Some time later the Atlantic Ocean came into view on the horizon. As the chopper descended I saw that we were headed for a small airport. As we landed I was informed that there was no landing site close to where the film was being shot so I would land at the small airport every morning then take a twenty minute car ride to the shooting site.

A Dodge Caravan pulled up alongside the chopper moments after the blades came to a complete stop. Dawn didn’t look too pleased at the security arrangements but there was very little either of us could do about it now. A woman dressed in cut-off jeans and a tank top opened the helicopter door.

“Hi, Jennifer! I’m Trisha Farnsworth. I’ve been assigned as your assistant while you’re shooting with us.”

“Um… hi, Trisha. This is Dawn, my bodyguard.” Dawn smiled a bit and waved from the other side of the chopper.

“Pleased to meet you! We do need to get going. I’m supposed to make sure you get through fitting this morning then you’re scheduled for a lunchtime meeting with Marty Quentin, the director on the film. Shall we get going?”

Trisha was a veritable fountain of information as we weaved thru the streets of the little seaside town that the film was set in. An old department store that had long ago gone out of business was serving as the main headquarters of the operation. Several local businesses had been rented as set locations including a place called “The Starfish” that served as the location for the place I ran in the film. The town was behind the film one hundred and twenty percent since the local economy tanked a few months ago. They were hoping that the exposure would revive the summer tourist trade to revitalize the town. Everyone was supporting the filming and most of the town’s people were being used as extras.

The van slowed to a stop outside of an old Ames department store, the outline of the long gone letters still visible on the wall. The front glass windows had the plywood still over most of them but a few sheets had been removed to reveal what looked like a small waiting room and an office or two. We followed Trisha inside.

The huge interior space had been divided into smaller spaces using some well-worn office partitions and the leftover store shelving. We walked past several smaller spaces until we reached what looked to be the rearmost corner of the old store. Row upon row of costumes hung from hangers on clothing racks. Many were bikinis and men’s Speedo outfits each carefully tagged.

Several other racks had what looked like normal street clothes appropriate for summertime at the beach use. One rack carried a card with my name on it. A woman wheeled it over as Trish introduced me.

“Tanya, this is Jennifer Stevens. She’s here for her fitting. Jennifer, this is Tanya Colvin, our wardrobe mistress. She’ll take good care of you. Just have the front desk page me when you’re done here, okay?”

I nodded in agreement as I looked over the rack of outfits. One tiny bit of cloth on a hanger instantly caught my eye. It looked like three tiny triangles of cloth tied together with the slimmest of shoelaces. I assumed it was to be the bikini I wore in the walk along the beach scene.

“I see you’ve found the bikini. How do you like it?”

“I’m not certain that I like it at all, Tanya. Isn’t that rather skimpy?”

“Not really. There are a few topless beaches around here where you see even less or should I say even more?” She giggled a bit.

“Well, let’s leave that until last, okay?”

“I guess.” I looked over the rest of the stuff on the rack. “Most of this looks like it came straight out of a department store.”

“It did. We just need to make sure it all fits you. We’ve got a deal with the local merchants and try to get as much stuff locally as we can. The town has been hit pretty hard by layoffs in the factories around here. This store closing didn’t help them any either.”

“Trisha was telling us about that in the van. Well, where do we start?”

Tanya picked up the first outfit off the rack. “Try this. There’s a changing screen over there.” She pointed to a corner of the room.

Around two hours later the fitting session was over. I even tried on the tiny bikini and found that it covered just enough to keep the film at the PG-13 rating they were trying for. The tiny suit left a great deal of my breasts and backside exposed for view but then the purpose of the outfit was to distract the surfers on the beach in the scene, something I thought that it would do very well for real. I suggested that for maximum effect I should wear a robe that completely covered me then peel it off on the beach before my stroll in the sand.

“I’ll get you a terrycloth robe in white. That should go nicely with the hot pink suit when you take off the robe. I can guarantee that the guys really will get distracted when you film that scene. I’m going to be there to watch that one!”

“It should be rather spectacular shouldn’t it, Tanya? I’ve never done anything like that before.”

“With that body?”

“Well, let’s just say my old body didn’t have the curves in all the right places.”

“What, you had surgery? They really did a great job. There isn’t a scar anywhere!”

It must have looked like my jaw dropped all the way down to my navel. “Umm… have you been living in a cave somewhere or something Tanya?”

“No, I just don’t watch the news that much. Why?”

I proceeded to tell Tanya the whole story. She just kept shaking her head in disbelief. “So you’re telling me that…”

“Yup! I’ve been this way for around a year now. I’ve gotten used to it and at times I even like it.”

“Just looking at you I’d never have known, Jennifer.”

“Thanks, Tanya. I’m glad that it doesn’t really show any more. Some things just came with the body, others I’ve had to really work at. Now if you’re done with me I’d love to get some lunch.”

“Lunch? Are you willing to risk the cafeteria?”

“Sure. How bad can it be?”

“You get a coupon for a free stomach pumping with each serving of mystery meatloaf.” She giggled a bit. “Really they’re pretty good.”

“Okay, lead the way!”

The so-called cafeteria turned out to be another partitioned off area in the old store. A local catering outfit provided a buffet style lunch and location service for the production every day. Today’s meal looked like roast beef with gravy and macaroni and cheese. A big two layer chocolate cake with vanilla icing sat at one end of the big table along with a huge bowl filled with ice and cans of soda and pint bottles of milk. Dawn and I followed Tanya thru the line then we took seats at one of the tables. The food was pretty good and I had a great time finding out all about the cast and crew.

The meeting with the director went smoothly and lasted around an hour. I was given a new script that seemed a bit thicker and learned that my part had been expanded. The rest of the cast was relatively unknown to the general public and they were hoping that having me in the picture would boost sales at the box office.

I learned that they rented a house near the beach that was being used for filming and that I was welcome to use it during the week to lessen my commute times running back and forth. I took the company up on their offer and spent another hour or two checking out the house and making plans with Dawn.

We arrived back home via the helicopter late in the afternoon and spent the rest of the evening packing for the trip in the Hummer in the morning. I finally convinced Dawn to let one of the other security staff drive the Hummer and our bags to the coast while we took the chopper back to the filming site. It seemed like the best use of my time and would let us really pack the Hummer with everything I would need to spend a week at a time at the other house.

What really amazed me was just how much I wanted to pack for the stay. The old me would have been content with a few shirts, a few pairs of pants and enough underwear to go the duration. Now I felt that I needed an assortment of clothes to take care of daytime activities, going out at night and having a good selection to choose from. Just the shoes alone took up an entire suitcase and then it was packed very tightly. Altogether I had eight suitcases full of things. I doubted that it would have all fit into the close confines of the chopper so taking everything in the Hummer made good sense.

The plan was to stay at the rented beach house for the rest of the week then drive back after filming wrapped for the week on Friday night. It looked like it would take an hour and a half to get back to Orlando if the traffic was light. I’d have most of the weekend at home then drive back to the beach on Sunday night for the filming to start all over again on Monday morning. It seemed the best way to maximize my time for filming but still let me get back to Orlando to do the radio show on Saturday morning.

I was getting more annoyed about the radio show as time went on. When I first started doing it the show was a lot of fun. Now I was starting to look at it as a liability that prevented me from doing other things. If I wasn’t doing the show I could have stayed at the beach all weekend and enjoyed some time to myself. Instead I had to go all the way back to Orlando, do the show then go back to the beach to start filming all over again on Monday. The contract for the radio show was due to expire in a bit more than a month and I decided that I really didn’t want to renew it. I knew that I would lose some product endorsement contracts but it really didn’t seem to matter if it led to new things I could do.

I managed to do a complete read thru of the new script and found out that my part had been increased by almost fifty percent. The plot of the entire movie now revolved around the Starfish and me as its owner. The plot was essentially that a developer had purchased the surrounding property to rip everything down and build yet another strip mall in its place. The movie centered on the efforts to save the hangout until someone discovers that the developer is paying illegal kick backs to some of the town’s officials to make the project happen.

Some of the things going on at the hangout included wet T-shirt contests, a huge party and a karaoke night. There was also a sub plot of a romance between the owner of a surfboard shop next to the Starfish and me. I thought that the plot was a little thin in spots and that they used skin to sell the movie instead of a solid plot line that might have been a bit better. As a whole, it was typical of one of the common teen or college crowd movies that are constantly cranked out of the smaller studios.

Since I had already signed on the dotted line I was contractually bound to do the film. All I could do was suggest a few changes that might improve the picture enough to get a lukewarm review instead of a major trouncing by the film critics.

Wednesday, June 11, 2003 —

I decided that what I might miss most of all was waking up without the gentle purring of Gillie while I was away at the film location for the next few days. He complained again as I gently slid him aside to take care of my morning business a couple of hours earlier than normal. That was to allow for an early chopper flight to the beach.

We eventually arrived on time at the converted storefront that served as the film company’s headquarters. When Dawn found out that I would be riding the old school bus to the day’s shooting location along with everyone else she nearly went ballistic on me. I knew that there were still threats appearing periodically in the various emails and letters I got thru MouseWorld. Fortunately there hadn’t been any other actual physical threats against me since the bomb that was found on the rental car. I managed to get her calmed down and convinced her to settle for arranging for the Hummer as my transportation as soon as it arrived. In the meantime I would ride the bus along with everyone else. The driver ferrying the Hummer from Orlando would bring it to Dawn as soon as it was unloaded at the rental house. After changing into my outfit we took the bus to the shooting location.

The shooting today would be at the Starfish. This was to be the scene where I first learned about the impending closing of the Starfish as I was served eviction papers by the developer and his lawyer while the place was full of kids.

My outfit was a pair of tight Capri pants and a crop top that left a lot of my tummy showing. My shoes were a simple pair of rubber flip-flops. I had just a touch of makeup while my hair was left in my usual ponytail style. The scenes this morning were rather simple as I stayed mostly in the background while the kids came into the hangout and danced to the music of a four-piece band on the stage. My first big scene would be filmed in the afternoon when the kids urged me into singing with the band.

We broke for lunch a few minutes before noon and I spent some time with the rest of the cast answering a ton of questions about my activities as we ate. Moments after lunch ended I went over to practice my number with the band before the cameras rolled again. The producers wanted to use some of the older music. I should be able to do the tunes since I grew up with them as a kid. This first number was supposed to be “Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows” by Leslie Gore and I knew every word by heart. It took just a single run-thru with the band before we were ready.

We had to try three times before we got a good take since external noise kept ruining things. The producers wanted to get the feel of a live performance so there wouldn’t be any kind of lip-syncing or “air playing” during the musical numbers. I was happy with the third take as well and thanked the band for their excellent playing as the crew set up for my next scene.

This was where I first learned about the Starfish being closed under court order and it had to be right to set the tone for the rest of the picture. The cameras rolled after a small air horn sounded to alert the cast and crew that filming was under way again.

The band started up on the tune “Pipeline” by a group I remembered as the Ventures as the kids in the place danced their hearts out to the driving beat. All of a sudden there was a shrill blast of a whistle that barely overrode the loud music.

We all looked over to see a man with nearly white hair in a dark blue suit standing next to a police officer holding a whistle. The man in the suit scowled and bellowed, “Which one of you is Prudence Walker?”

I stepped toward him. “I am, WHY?”

“Miss Walker, I’m here to formally serve you with papers to the effect that you have two weeks to remove your property from this umm… establishment… before it’s razed for the construction of a strip mall. The town has declared this property as being taken for the project under eminent domain.” He handed me a thick envelope and turned on his heels then strode confidently out the door.

I turned to the cop as the officer watched the man leave then shook his head. “What just happened, Terry?”

“I’m sorry about this, Prue. I had to. Legally the town has decided to take over your place and sell it to Barton Winslow since he hasn’t been able to figure out any other way to get it away from you. You’ve kept all of your bills paid and you even own the property the building sits on. You don’t even serve alcoholic beverages here and your record with the police department is spotless. There was just no way to get to you any other way.”

The kids in the place had gathered around us. “So you’re telling me that nearly ten years of hard work are gone because that…. that… JERK wants to build a strip mall?”

“Looks like it, yeah. Sorry but there’s nothing I can do. The town board voted on it a few hours ago.” Terry turned to leave. “The strange thing is that a couple of days ago all five of the town council members were on your side. When they called for a vote at the town meeting it was three to two against you, Prue. I wonder what happened to change their minds?”

A bellow came from outside. “Officer, are you coming? I have other business to conduct you know.”

Terry winced. “We’re serving the papers on Will Grainger next.”

“Will, the guy that runs the surfboard shop next door?”

Terry nodded. “You two were the last roadblocks in the way for the project. He wouldn’t sell either.”

Another bellow. “Officer!”

“Coming Mister Winslow.” Terry turned back to me. “Sorry, Prue. I don’t like this any better than you do but it looks legal to me so I can’t fight it.”

“I know, Terry. Have a word with Will when you’re done and tell him to come over please. We need to work together on this.”

Another bellow from outside, “Officer, NOW!”

Terry rolled his eyes toward the ceiling with a disgusted look on his face. “Gotta go, Prue. I’ll be back when I’m off-duty in a few hours.”

I watched Terry leave as the kids gathered around. The mumbling turned into a roar as I was bombarded with questions. Over the roar I heard the director yell “CUT” then a bell sounded to tell people that the cameras were now turned off.

We did the scene again two times trying it a little differently each time until the director was happy. Then there was a twenty-minute break while the cameras were reset in another area of the hangout for a different scene.

I did a double take the first time I saw him. He looked a great deal like Adam with the same hairstyle and the same delightful build. My body betrayed me and I felt myself almost instantly go wet in a certain area as a warm tingly feeling invaded my tummy. It took all of my concentration to keep myself from becoming a blabbering fool as he walked over.

“Jennifer! I’m so pleased that we’re working on this film together. I’m Ted Saunders. I play Will Grainger.” He wrapped his arms around me and gave me a very tight hug then kissed my cheek gently.

Once again a surge of desire swept thru me. It took every bit of my will to prevent myself from finding a secluded spot and having my way with him. I guarantee that I would have thoroughly enjoyed it and I suspect that he would have been completely worn out too.

I must have been blushing profusely because he gave me a funny look. “Jennifer? Are you okay? You look a little strange to me.”

That jolted me out of the marvelous daydream that was playing itself out in my head. “I’m fine, Ted. Don’t worry about me.” I stood there shaking slightly.

He put his arm around me again and felt the shaking. “I think we’d better get you something to drink and a place to sit for a few minutes. Okay?”

He guided me toward a table and a couple of chairs off in a corner of the hangout as the crew continued to change the lighting and cameras for the next shot. After making sure I was safely seated (he even pulled out and held onto my chair!) he went to get us something to drink. As I watched him walk over to the refreshment table that had been set up by the caterer, I wracked my mind trying to decide what to tell him if he asked why I was feeling like this.

Moments later he walked back over to the table holding a couple cans of soda and a bottle of spring water. He placed a can of soda and the water in front of me then sat down before opening the other can of soda. “I didn’t know what you preferred so I got you a soda and the water. Doctor Ted prescribes taking several deep breaths then occasional sips of either one of those as you try to relax, okay?”

I closed my eyes and took several deep breaths slowly letting each one out. When I opened my eyes again Ted was watching me intensely and smiling.

“Feeling a little better now?”

I nodded meekly. “Umm… yes.” I reached for the water and after opening it took a deep drink from the ice-cold bottle.

“Good! I was beginning to wonder if I ought to call the safety crew for a few moments there.” He took another long sip from his soda can. “I’ve been following your career you know.”

I nodded before taking another long sip from the water bottle. “Yeah, kind crazy isn’t it? I’m amazed that I’ve come this far. I’m afraid that people are going to remember who and what I used to be and it’ll all go away in a heartbeat.”

Ted scowled at me and shook his head. “It might but I somehow doubt that it will ever happen, Jennifer.” He reached over and held my hand. “You wouldn’t have made it this far without a fair amount of talent. I’ll admit that the change gave you a much better package for that talent but the talent probably was ALWAYS there. There’s just no way to do what you’ve done without it.”

The warmth of his hand holding mine somehow comforted me. “Thanks, Ted. I…”

A bell on the set rang again calling everyone back for the next scene.

This was supposed to be a meeting between Will and Prue to talk about the papers served on both of our businesses. At the end of the scene I was supposed to break down and cry in Will’s arms as the scene faded to black.

We tried three takes but each time the tears never came. The director called for a break and took me aside. I told him that I thought I could do it but I may only be coherent enough for maybe one take and that if I did manage tears another take would be at least an hour or more away as I recomposed myself.

The director seemed to accept it and gave me about ten minutes to get myself ready to try it again. As the cameras started to roll I started to conjure up everything bad that had happened to me since the change. It took every ounce of will and concentration I had to hold those images in my mind while at the same time delivering the lines. Almost right on cue the floodgates opened as huge sobs made me shiver in Ted’s arms. After a few seconds of me bawling my eyes out in Ted’s arms I heard a bell go off somewhere and the director yelling “Cut and PRINT THAT!” as the cast erupted in applause.

Ted maneuvered me back to the table as I slowly regained my composure. He made me take some sips of the cold water as I slowly calmed down again. Pretty soon the snuffles subsided and I was able to give Ted a rather weak smile.

“Feeling better?”

I smiled a little more and nodded yes then used a tissue to mop my tear and mascara stained eyes.

“God, that was incredible, Jennifer. Let me guess. You just let everything that happened to you before come back all at once?”

‘Umm… yup.” I used yet another tissue to blow my nose.

“Must have been some pretty terrible stuff then, huh?”

“It was, Ted. Much more than ever made it into the press I’m afraid. God I hope that I don’t have to do that again. I think I’ll turn into a basket case for the rest of the day if I do.”

“No, you’re in the clear. The director liked that take. Besides, you and I are done for the day. The rest of the filming is with the kids.”

“Good, then I’m going home. I’ll have to find Dawn, she’s my bodyguard.”

“Is she the one that drives for you too?”

“Yes, have you seen her?”

“Well, if she’s your driver then she’s probably out with that huge Hummer limo that arrived a little while ago.”

“The Hummer is here? That’s great! Where is it?”

“Outside, of course! It wouldn’t fit in here.” Ted had a big goofy grin on his face.

After I punched him in the arm he took me out to where the Hummer was parked. “This thing is yours?”

“Well, not mine really. I have the use of it while I’m here. There were some umm… security problems that make it necessary I’m afraid.”

“ I really don’t think I want to know what they are yet.”

“So are you staying around here anywhere? I’m staying at the rented beach house they using for the filming.”

A big smile spread across his face. “Interesting! I’m staying right next door in the other house they rented.”

“Need a lift home by any chance?”

“I was sort of hoping that you’d ask, Jennifer. Let me go tell everyone we’re outta here for the day and I’ll accept your offer.” He trotted off to tell the crew that we were leaving.

Dawn poked her head out of the limo. “Got yourself a new boyfriend I see!”

“DAWN! I do NOT!”

“DO TOO! You go all googly eyed when you look at him.”

“Is it THAT obvious?”

“He’d have to be blind not to see it.”

I just stood beside the Hummer stunned that I was so obvious about my attraction to Ted. I felt a warm hand on my lower back gently push me toward the door of the Hummer.

“Earth to Jennifer, come in, Jennifer. Are you there?”

I snapped out of my mental haze to see Ted standing there looking at me. “What? Oh, Ted. Sorry. I was sort of zoning out there again.”

“You seem to do that a lot. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m okay, Ted. I just have a lot on my mind right now.”

“Okay.”

We rode the short distance to the two rental houses in silence. As the Hummer pulled into the shared driveway space between the two houses Ted turned to face me.

“I know you have a lot on your mind. Maybe this will help you to sort everything out.” He put both arms around me and pulled me close then gave me a kiss that short-circuited my brain and sent tingles into every square inch of my body. I think if he had asked me to come to bed right then and there I would have very happy to comply. Instead, Ted slowly broke the kiss then released the tight hug.

“Until tomorrow, dear lady…” He opened the door to the Hummer and was gone before I could recover enough to say anything.

It took a few minutes but eventually I got out of the Hummer and made my way into the rental house following Dawn inside. I desperately wanted to find an indoor hot tub but there was only a shower available in the tiny bathroom. I noticed a hot tub out on the deck shared between the two houses and decided that I had better not use it in my present state. If Ted appeared while I was out there more may take place than I was willing to accept. My body was screaming for relief while my mind fought to override the urge to go next door and toss myself at Ted. Somehow I knew that I wasn’t going to get a very good night’s sleep.

Friday, June 13, 2003 —

Thursday’s and today’s shooting schedule hasn’t done much to reduce my sexual frustration level very much. Both days had some very tender scenes between Ted and I. Today’s scene was especially hard on me since it was the scene where our characters both realized that we deeply cared for each other.

The shooting was moving along a little ahead of schedule so Dawn and I decided to get an early start for the house in Orlando. The drive would take almost two hours on a busy Friday afternoon.

We locked up the rental house and packed about half of the baggage in the Hummer. While I hadn’t used quite as much of my wardrobe as I figured, I did need to take what I used back home for cleaning over the weekend. As a result of the amount of luggage we loaded the back of the Hummer was nearly full and I would have been extremely uncomfortable riding back there. Instead I rode “shotgun” in the front with Dawn.

We were almost halfway home and in the middle of a swampy area along the highway when it happened.

All of a sudden we felt the Hummer surge ahead as a loud crash came from behind us. The blast of an air horn was so loud that it wasn’t possible for us to talk to each other. Moments later another crash occurred followed by one more. Dawn swerved to give the truck behind us room to pass. The only thing I could think of was that the truck’s accelerator was stuck. Dawn fought to retain control of the Hummer then she worked it over to the side of the road to give the truck lots of room.

As the truck pulled alongside it swerved to the right sending us off the road into the marsh. We splashed into a large open area of water and sank like a rock as the terrific weight of the armored Hummer succumbed to the pull of gravity.

The muddy water was over the windows in seconds cutting off most of the light in the cab. I looked over to see Dawn slumped against the steering wheel. A nasty gash on her forehead was oozing blood.

“DAWN!” I reached over to shake her shoulder. “DAWN!” There was no reply.

I felt the water rising in the cab around my feet as the Hummer settled to the bottom. None of the doors would open and the battery power was quickly fading as the water from the marsh overwhelmed the acid in the battery under the hood. Seconds later the last of the interior lights faded out leaving the cab in near total darkness as the water continued to rise inside.

To Be Continued in Zapped! Chapter 19