We need to change suites to accommodate Olivia coming to AU and sharing a suite with us this year. I didn’t think it would be such an ordeal to move my stuff, but then I was not much of a coed when I last moved. I have more clothes and shoes, jewelry, makeup, and accessories. Nor were skin and hair care, and feminine hygiene products a big part not part of my previous move. Anne and Olivia will have individual rooms and share a bathroom and Cassie and I will do the same in our part of the suite.

Anne and I have rented a small apartment to be home base for our AJEI business. It sometimes acts as a getaway place as well. With our landing the Princeton project, and the Ottomann’s as the library and other projects, we need more space for all we're doing.

Being one of the girls has not lost its special appeal for me. I’m happy when Olivia tells me she knows about me and is happy to be my friend. But her parents aren't to know. It is great having such a variety of women in my life as I see how they look differently at things including fashion, makeup and hair.

James asks if Anne and I want AJEI to come under Hamilton Mid-Atlantic to meet licensing, bonding concerns. While it is a nice offer we’re not willing to go that route. Anne understands the serious nature of James’ interest more than I do. He wants to take me up to Boston, but I’m not willing to go and have his family think we are serious about each other. The projects at AU are underway and it is nice to see something I’ve helped to design take shape. The Ottomanns had broken ground for their corporate headquarters and are proceeding on updates for their production facilities. I visit with Henri, Naomi, and Ruth more than Anne.

Ruth receives me like a welcomed younger sister and an advocate for her place in the family. I share about Olivia Ghanem coming to AU. Ruth asks me to allow the relationships to take their own course for both them as well as Olivia. Olivia has decided to major in textiles and fashion and to minor in government service. She is quite ambitious like other athletes at Amber University. I’ve been used to a lot of athletes choosing easy majors and not being serious with their education.

Over Labor Day weekend the basketball team has a media gathering of its own and later a barbecue at Coach O’Mara’s. Various sports services have rated our team and its recruiting class quite high, but we’re discounted for the coming year because we have so many young players. Anne, myself, and Dominique are all rated to be too slow to be assets in Division 1. We fail to make the pre-season Women’s top 25, which is fine with Coach. But we players, think we’re being shunned and were adamant that we’ll make our presence known.

I am amused when one news reporter says the school’s nickname as Ambassadors shows our view of things is starry-eyed and not realistic. It reminded me of my own thinking when I first learned about Amber University.

Reporter Marsha Miller, a sportswriter for the Inquirer, has made us her #1 team selection to cover this coming year. She visits with Anne and Cassie asking them to make sure her selection looks good. She does take some grief from Villanova and Temple, but she has the class not to share that news with us. It will be months before she knows if she chose right. She’s at Coach’s gathering as an invited guest. There are few other media people invited.

Coach has seventeen players and is being asked if she’s redshirting a 2-3, dropping a couple or keeping a larger team. I figure myself to be on the third string hoping to work in some playing time. It is my senior year so I won’t be surprised if I am to get less and less playing time as new players mature. An assistant coach draws me aside, tells me to work harder and be ready to play from the moment when practice starts.

Anne and I are running up to 4 miles. One day a week I’m running with James. He has learned our routes and adapts them to get me to jump more as well as to change my pace. It does make the run more grueling. I am glad he’s taking such interest in me, but I expect it to stop almost any time.

This year I’m also working with the trainer in lifting weights and gaining strength. She assures me I will not be getting back my male body once again. My breasts were a small C cup during the summer and before practice goes full force.

I feel more at home in my female body, apparently, I’ve also become photogenic. Come practice and pick-up games with Anne or Marcy my hair is usually put in a French braid. Moms and coaches are comfortable using me and other players as their daughters’ role model. Many of the high school and younger girls are surprised and inquisitive as they learn about my past identity. I’m encouraged by Marsha Miller to wear my French braid for team pictures and early season games. She says it gives me an easy identifying mark for viewers to see me.

Often, it is people who do not know or like me that bring up my past. It does cause me to lose some fans or friends. But Cassie reminded me, "You never had them to lose, but I know it still hurts."

Anne and I are asked by Hamiltons to review a project they’re bidding on with Bethlehem Steel. The suggestions we make would be sweeping; the whole project would be grand in scope. If adopted it could help Bethlehem regain a place in the steel industry. U.S. steel companies have lost their place, even within the U.S. market. Our ideas could actually make Bethlehem a more “green” friendly corporation as well as breathe new life into the Bethlehem/Allentown area.

Our ideas would enhance their profitability in the future as well as lower energy costs. The Hamilton’s are received by Bethlehem Steel into the next level of interviews for contractors. Their consideration weighs partially on the feasibility of ideas they and we put forth.

The ideas included using escaping heat (steam) from the production of steel to power turbines to produce additional electricity to power the plant as well as to sell back energy to the utility company. While using the ground to cool water used in the cooling process of steel to warm a tropic exhibit on 420 acres of adjoining land in the Pocono valley.

It is our second visit in early October that draws the interest of a group of black guys. Company officials also take notice and ask if we have ideas on addressing security problems. We find one group of guys at a park. It is not hard to get them to talk to the ‘white gals’, even if things are a bit crude. They laugh at the idea of being interested in working for ‘The Company’. One, it is losing jobs and not hiring; second, they indicate they make more on the streets. One of them shows a wad of cash.

I ask how much they’d make in jail and prison, but of course, none of them intend to be there. They are upset that I would dare bring that up. Joel says, “We’re not going to be like our folks, working for the man, waiting to lose their jobs and benefits.” Well, the small talk goes on until; Anne and I suggest they’re not up to the challenge of a real job. Finally, there’s a challenge going back and forth, Anne asks about basketball and then suggest a game of three on three. They asked about calling a friend to which we agree would be okay. We ask that five of them, at least two women need to agree to work for Bethlehem Steel when new jobs opened up. They agree thinking very sure new jobs are not coming and we're not winning.

When their 6’4” friend shows up. We ask Cassie to come and play as she had ridden with us. That doesn’t intimidate them until we begin to play. We surprise them and win the first game easily, but they regroup to make the next two games good contests. We lose the third game when we make Cassie sit out as the game became very physical. Cassie was willing to play, but neither Anne nor I wanted to explain to Coach if she were to be injured.

We find that three high school graduates are not in college because of financial need despite their academic qualifications. We contact AU’s admission office and they each have appointments to apply for the second semester. We encourage Bethlehem Steel to seek out others who have the tools to be in college and put out a search to match students, colleges and finances, and facilitate they're coming together.

Our second visit helped to solidify consideration of Hamiltons’ bid for the project.

Studies this semester are going to be the toughest and most demanding yet. President Campbell sends a word of thanks for our help to other University officials. She underscores however, our present performance in the classroom is what counts. Luckily I have gotten a head start in my reading for fall classes. Though I’ve been Jessica the year before, being a woman at the beginning of this school year is most enjoyable.

I take Olivia to my hometown and Carol’s Towne Shoppe to do some fall shopping. It’s a joy to travel with Olivia, learning life from her perspective is a great education in itself. Olivia meets my mother as well. The three of us visit my grandmother as well. Nana shakes her head overseeing my change, she brings out an old picture of me in a baptism dress. She lightly laughs, “I thought then you should've been my granddaughter.” She has the same deep love for all her grandchildren, holding none as favorites but each one special.

Uncle Tom and Barb are happy to see me again. I give them a big thanks and a lot of praise for being at last year’s final four games. Their acceptance has meant much and opened doors within the family as did Kayla and Barb’s love.

James is becoming more important to me, the truth is I found myself romantically liking him from the start. James is 28 had graduated six and four years ago; he seems to enjoy being there for me. He’s all man and one night I let him take me back to his place. He isn’t sure of the heated attention I’m giving him since I’ve reiterated intercourse isn’t happening until I’m married. He assures me he doesn’t like this kind of teasing.

We’ve been there quite a while before I push him back and loosen some of his clothes. I massage him to become hard and use my lips to please him. He’s very excited, actually too excited. It takes a second time for us to truly enjoy what I’m doing to him. Mostly we enjoy just being with each other. We wait for him to be aroused once again. This time, we work to carry things longer and give him more enjoyment. I too have times of enjoying James, though I do not allow him on or in me. I stayed overnight with him for the first time.

We go out for an early breakfast and then we’re back on our own. I did miss running with Anne. She enjoys giving me a hard time and throws back any and all excuses.

Dr. Heath has a call for me to stop by; it is the anniversary of my surgery. She wants to give me a thorough check-up and document how my body has developed in the past year. I become uncomfortable during the exam. It is because of a yeast infection that she says I probably got from James’ having oral sex with me.

Dr. Heath wants to put me on birth control. I tell her, “No, I won’t be having intercourse.” She is glad to hear that but sits me down and asks how realistic that is. She prescribes a gel that can be put inside of me just in case. She does warn me however not to depend on it.

It is early October when Mrs. Stein calls me to meet with a friend. Irene is a horse lover and has been wondering where she might make a difference in a good equestrian program. We visit with President Clark at Upper Valley College the following weekend. They have a very good equestrian program but its facilities never have reflected the quality of their program. We’re able to visit with the department head and two instructors as well as a group of students. The plans they had been good, though they have been watered down to gain approval. They are now a bit too modest to be significant. Mrs. Stein is not interested in them but has a plan on a larger scale.

The investor approves some tentative plans and makes a major gift. The college is more cordial in working with this giver. Working with women of various ages and backgrounds becomes a blessing and molds my character more than most would imagine. The structure will look like a mammoth barn; built on a gentle slope that allows ground level entrances on the first and second level from two sides of the structure for each level.

Bethlehem announces the accepting of Hamilton’s bid which is good news for Hamilton’s as it is their first major contract in the mid-Atlantic states. It will help to establish the Hamilton Mid-Atlantic Corporation. But it adds work and pressure on AJEI, Anne and me. We hire two staff workers to focus mainly on the Bethlehem project. James and Paul have two engineering teams come from New England, helping to cover their work and a good portion of ours. We’ve hired a licensed engineer away from Ottomann’s for our company to meet legal and licensing requirements in house. It was with the Ottomann's blessing. The added work is still distracting enough to take a toll. Most of my grades by mid-semester are down to Bs. Cassie is now giving me massages most nights.

There is a night that I didn’t think I needed a massage when Cassie insisted I did. I change into a satin camisole, and still, have the scent of a light perfume as I receive her attention. She takes me by the hand over to her room. Between my legs is already warm and moist as we begin. Cassie’s fingers are gentle and long, and I am like butter in her hands. I didn’t think I could make love with my long-time friend after the massage. Then she pushes me from her neck to her breasts and moments later between her legs. She guides me where she wants me. When her first orgasm is beginning. I try to relax but she presses my face back down and asks me to use my tongue to excite her more. She moves into a second orgasm and deeper to a third. She pulls me up and begins to arouse herself, moving sensually against me. We both come into an orgasm and the next thing I remember is ecstasy exploding throughout my body. And then later waking up in the morning. The fortunate thing is, it is a Saturday.

I’m supposed to be at work, but Cassie had already told Anne if I did not show up, do not to come looking. Cassie and I reminisce from when we first knew each other. I was best friends with her brothers and she was their little sister. Now we’re best friends. She has the good nature of both her parents, but the height of her father that her brothers did not inherit.

She learned to play basketball because she envied her brothers. Now she’s so good her brothers envy her. She appreciated that in junior high school I would practice with her at times. I was three years ahead of her and in high school. I was still good enough to challenge her as she started to become very good. I had not stopped playing her in basketball just because she was a girl. My last year in high school she could beat me most all of the time as she was already inches taller and had some awesome moves.

I became an important friend to her but had not realized it. I saw myself as a friend because of her brothers. I did not know enough to stop and enjoy our friendship on its own merits. She reminds me of times she asked me to stay with her or to do something other than play basketball. I remember the feeling of wanting to say yes, but I usually walked away. Sometimes I would stop over to visit a brother but neither of them was there. She would invite me in to wait. In her mind, it was to be like a date. Now she tells me several times she wanted me to ask her out. She even had her mother’s approval if I did. I wish I had known. I wish I had asked when I thought of it, but neither of us wanted to hurt my friendship with her brothers.

I was also afraid to be identified with girls. I had not yet accepted who I was inside. But I often became anxious the closer I got with girls, even those I wasn’t interested in. She talked of things she liked and some things she did not. She was like the girlfriend I so wanted to be able to talk to. Back then she was super good at everything even though she didn’t like everything. That was something I had not known until now.

While Cassie does not wear a lot of make-up and jewelry she likes both very much. She has a shade of make-up and eye makeup she wants to see on me. I let her make me up as she wants. We both like the look, so I need to learn how she achieves it. I enjoy hearing about her love of medicine and the studies she is taking. She compliments me on being a great listener. We had sex but it is a deep love like a special friend and not romance.

She gets on me about having a poor image of myself. She says, she felt sad about it when I was a guy; but she’s actually a bit angry now. She had wished Brian would have accepted he was neater than he knew. She feels as Jessie, I have already accomplished so much but I am not as happy like I should be. I find myself giving hugs and saying thanks, even embarrassed by her praise.

She says my speech problems and difficulty in expressing things before made it difficult for others to see the intelligent person I was. We go and shoot some baskets at the gym and Coach comes over to visit. “Is it possible this means two close friends have become even closer together?” She thanks Cassie for bringing out my smile.

I call James and we both take Cassie out to dinner. When we get back to the room Cassie asks me, “Would you say yes if and when he proposes?”

I laugh and tell her, “While it is much too early; neither he nor any man would ever ask me.” She smirks, gives me a hug and asks “Would you like him to? I do not see a guy loving you to be surprising.”

James calls and we talk. He is now the best guy friend I have. I do have strong feelings for him, but don’t believe he has the same. Come Thanksgiving my grades are back up and my work for the Bethlehem project is ahead of schedule.

We are once again in the Liberty Bell Tip-Off. We’re now the third seed. We surprise some and knocked off a good Penn State in the opening round. We play Villanova next and once again they think too highly of themselves, which we are delighted about. There is a joy in beating someone who thinks so highly of themselves. Doing it and getting respect again in Philadelphia makes it that much sweeter, 79-63. The championship game against Temple is a good match. Even with a well-played game, we are a bit lucky to win 73-70.0

I take James home for Thanksgiving; he enjoys meeting Carol as well as my family.

Two old girlfriends showed up wanting to meet the new me, Jenny. We take a walk down the street. Tess recalls trouble I had getting aroused with her. It was upsetting to hear. Both women want to try to be girlfriends with me.

Tess even goes with me to take James to the airport so he can catch a flight to see his folks. Dad is respectful but still a bit cool. I am thankful that he did not voice some of his thoughts when James was around. Later, he wonders aloud about a guy who would date a girl like me.

I stay long enough to have a good visit with Mom. The news is not what I want to hear. Mom continues to have growing health problems. While the doctors are not suggesting things are presently life-threatening, they do not like her health becoming more complicated with each bout of illness. So I begin to call Mom 2-3 times a week. It helps me not to worry as much and to be able to focus on my studies. My visits and calls with mom give us precious times as mother and daughter.

Our team remains undefeated and I’m solidly onto the second team. I continue to move from forward to guard. Once in a while, I even go in for Marcy or Stacy. Come the game at the end of exams, Coach wants to rest Dominique so I get my first start. Seton Hall is a good team and capable of knocking us off so it is nice to have a good game. Both Cassie and I get up whenever we’re playing a Jersey team. We’re 11-0 going into a pre-holiday tournament in Philadelphia. We had opened a very large lead when Anne calls a time out, with 12 minutes to play. She calls James down onto the court and when he gets down on one knee to propose I just freeze.

I am sure he asked me to marry him, though I really can’t hear him, it takes the referee twice to get me to respond. But instead of saying yes, I tell the Ref, “I can’t give an answer and you should call a foul on us.” When she asks if that meant my answer is “No.” I say, “He should wait and ask me after the game if he wants a yes, and he better be taking me out to someplace nice to eat!” The referee smiles, laughs, and then blows her whistle and calls a technical foul on our team.

I’m crying and need to be out of the game as I run to the locker room. I almost make it in time not to wet my shorts. By the time I get to the bathroom and try to get things down and myself seated, it is too late. I’ll need to change my shorts. There are only three minutes left to play in the game when I’m back. Our Coach without hesitation puts me back into the game. We’re only ahead by five points at this points and Anne has been benched by the Coach. Neither Coach nor I am mad at Anne, though we think what she did was inappropriate. She’s my best friend, a grad-assistant for the team and she only has my interest at heart.

I’ve given Cyndi’s number to Marsha Miller’s photographer and ask for some stuff to be quickly brought to the arena. We’re able to widen our lead and get a nice win. On my way to the locker room, I blew a kiss to James hoping he’s still ready to ask me. Marsha Miller grabs me asking, “Why did you do what you did?”

I say, “I don’t do well with surprises, and a proposal is something I did not expect. I think his timing discounted women’s basketball and it was discourteous to the other team. Yes, I love James, and while I think it is a bit soon if asks I will have a good answer.”

She asks, “Does that mean a yes?”

I say, “That is for James to ask and to hear from me.” Anne starts to apologize and I give her a big hug, saying, “Thanks but the next time ‘no thanks.’ Cassie chimes, “I told them you’re not good with surprises even nice ones.” I finish my shower and have just gotten my hair dry and then my nails polished when Cyndi arrives with my evening dress and the other clothes I asked for.

Ma Ottomann comes in as others clear out. It is good to see her smiling face and receive her words of wisdom. “I see you are ready to give a loving reply. I too think it is early, but I also think he loves you and you two can make it work. I understand why he is being nice to ask you now?”

I asked her to enlighten me, but she shares, “Just know it is probably a good time.” Coach tells me my Cinderella story has until 1 a.m. but I need to wait until half-time of the next game before I can leave. I go and sit with the team in the stands. I get a razzing from my teammates for being dressed so nicely but received a lot of compliments from the fans. As the first half ends and I stand up, and James is there to greet me. Again he went to one knee and proposed as a spotlight hit us. A referee is on a microphone down on the basketball court to ask for my answer.

Marsha and her photographer are up with us. James slips a beautiful engagement ring on my left hand as I say, “I love you James, and Yes I will marry you.” James picks me up and whirls me around once, to everyone else’s pleasure. Marsha’s photographer is snapping pictures. My teammates need to see the ring before we can go. We make our way around in the arena towards the front exit.

Naomi and Henry Ottomann, President Campbell, casual friends, and unknown fans extend their greetings and well wishes. James is showing me off like I have more shine than the diamond ring. Ma Ottomann pins a flower on me as James turns all thumbs. We are to go to the Ottomann’s Country Club for our dinner…

Story to be continued…