Dear Readers,
I took some time off and rewrote the first chapters that were published here. So this is the newer story.
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She stood up and looked down the hill. She saw big, tall trees with green leaves waving in the breeze. Under those trees, she could see colorful bushes. She could hear birds chirping and decided to investigate.

Gina was running along the Hudson River Greenway, enjoying the breeze coming off of the water. As she ran along the wide path, she loved looking across the river at the New Jersey skyline. It was beautifully mindless.

Gina grinned. Staying with Grace certainly had its benefits. She loved wrapping herself in the amazing woman’s arms every night. And as the tension in her body and mind evaporated after the pressure of the tour wrapping, Gina felt good about relaxing in the Upper East Side with her psychologist girlfriend.

When her phone buzzed with a text, Gina stopped and looked. She cheered aloud. Jenn’s message that Teri was out of surgery and headed to recovery was the best news. Smiling broadly, she walked into the lobby of Grace’s building, replying to Jenn with fireworks, hearts, and smiling emojis.

She waved to the concierge as she hopped on the elevator and pressed sixteen. It still amused her that Grace’s commute was all in her high rise on the east side of seventy seventh street. She owned her offices on the second floor and her apartment on the sixteenth. As she rode upward, Gina tried to calculate how much Grace paid each month in condo fees and mortgage payments. It was no surprise that her hourly charges were high.

Gina was glad to hear about Teri. She’d been concerned knowing she’d been in surgery all day. She’d known her for so many years as Lisa’s little brother. She’d been her best friend since elementary school.

She agreed to taking a break. After a hectic summer touring the country behind their newly released music, everyone needed down time. Zoe and Bruno got time alone before their baby arrived as they disappeared in Hawaii. Lisa and Smith headed south to his place outside Nashville, and Tiffany seemed content to hang out with Mike at his video company in Allentown.

Gina knew that her life had never been better. With a great gym within walking distance and a choice of daily runs outside their door, she had a lot of time for herself. This morning, after kissing Grace goodbye, she’d done an hour of meditation and yoga before starting her seven-mile run. She appreciated the relaxing change of pace after being on the road for three months.

It wasn’t playing music or being around the band that exhausted all of them. They’d been a touring band for five years. Before Teri joined, their playing schedule had been much more taxing. They’d played in small clubs five nights each week, traveling in their old fifteen passenger van pulling a trailer full of musical equipment. The four of them set up and packed away everything themselves.

But those days were behind them. Now, they were expected to play to crowds of five to ten thousand fans who paid concert admission prices to hear them perform. Each night had to be perfect and the band had to work a lot harder to achieve that level of success. It was great but much more draining.

As she was riding the elevator, Grace called her. Checking her watch, she realized that she must have been between patients. “Hey, sweets! You get the news?”

Grace smiled, hearing her lover’s enthusiastic voice. “I did and wondered when we could go visit.”

“Yeah. Well, I need to call Jenn and set something up. I’ll head down to Philly real soon, but we can go together when you have the time away.”

Grace was thinking. “I knew you’d want to go down ASAP. But I have to clear my calendar. I’m still working with Teri on Thursdays, so I can switch patients around.” She opened her computer. “Let’s see. It’s going to take me a few days to clear it. I’m thinking I can get down there Friday and then we can stay in Philly over the weekend.”

Gina was nodding as she took off her shoes at the apartment door. “Yeah, that would be great. I’m going to text Jenn and maybe slip down in the morning.”

“Wonderful. Did you get a run yet?”

“Yep. It was great. I had time for an hour of meditation and yoga, and then a seven mile run.”

“Mmm. I love my woman with a hard body.”

“Uh-huh. And I adore being in the arms of my beautiful doctor. Whatcha feel like eating tonight?”

“I was thinking seafood.”

Gina was just hopping into the shower. “Okay, I’ll do a reservation. How about Ocean Prime? Good crab cakes.”

“Great on all counts. Thank you, baby.”

Gina picked up her phone and texted Jenn saying that she’d been there on Tuesday morning.
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As she walked down the hill, she paused to listen to the birds calling out to each other. Marveling at the many different varieties hidden in the deep woods, she watched them fly and feed.

Walking through the trees, she smelled the pine scent and felt the needles underfoot. She touched the lower branches and ran her hands through the green leaves of the colorful maples. The soft texture made her smile.

Zoe leaned over to share the text from Jenn with Bruno. He’d been busy rubbing too much cocoa butter on her body, but it did feel good. Zoe didn’t want to encourage him, but she’d become addicted to the stuff.

After the big concert weekend at the Hollywood Bowl, Zoe and Bruno had said their goodbyes and flew off to Oahu. They found a suite at the Four Seasons Resort and didn’t venture out for the first three days. Dining on love and room service, Zoe thought that the natural rock waterfall shower in their suite was her favorite thing. Bruno promised to install one in their bathroom when they got home.

Bruno had been walking on air since Zoe told him she was ready to wear her engagement ring. From that moment on, everything they did together became precious for him. And when they agreed to bring a new life into this world, they both knew that it would help ease the pain of loss in everyone’s hearts.

Zoe had lost her mother to cancer when she was a teen. It had devastated both her dad, Conor, and her. Since then, Bruno had been her biggest supporter. And when Bruno’s brother had a complete breakdown involving mental illness, kidnapping, and murder, watching him tragically die when his own weapon misfired was a horror. Both Bruno’s parents took it hard when they lost their youngest son.

Zoe was the first Wildcat to get pregnant, and soon she would be the first band member to bring a baby on tour. In her mind, she felt mature enough and mentally prepared at twenty-four. She was already looking forward to the Wildcat’s spring tour in Europe and bringing their boomer along. She’d talked to other musicians who’d taken their babies on the road with them. Now she was planning on how she could successfully play four or five nights a week for three hours each night and still be the perfect mother.

Bruno offered to go on tour with her. He could financially afford to play their baby sitter for three months without hurting his own business. His commissions could be put on hold to take care of their new baby while they traveled. Zoe knew it would be a challenge, but she wanted it all. On their summer tour, she’d insisted on bringing a chef and trainer to help her through her pregnancy. The peace of mind knowing her trainer was an EMT had made it easier.

Her doctor had told her that she could keep doing everything she’d done before getting pregnant, which included her daily run and playing with the band. But the best part was making time for Bruno. Their relationship had never been better, and their love had never been stronger.

After getting Jenn’s text, Zoe dialed her phone and waited for Jenn to answer. She gave a little cheer when she picked up. “Hey, sweetie. So glad to read your text.”

Jenn wiped a tear from her eye. “Yeah, such good news.”

“Have you seen her yet?”

Jenn was shaking her head. “Nah. The nurse said she’d be pretty out of it but promised to get me back in to see her before the end of the day. The nurse assured me that she’s going to be lucid tomorrow.”

Zoe smiled. “Well, we’re wheels up tomorrow. We’ve got a direct flight into Philly and should be in the hospital on Wednesday for visiting hours. We’re excited to see you and Teri.”

Jenn smiled, remembering how Zoe had taken Teri under her wing. “She will be over the moon. I’ll let you surprise her. How’re you and Boomer doing?”

“We’re great. Another six weeks and she’s going to join us live and in person!”

“So it’s a girl!”

“Nuh-uh. Still going to be a surprise. We are betting on whether she has red or black hair.”

Jenn laughed. “So many surprises! See ya soon!”

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As she walked further down the hill, she paused to listen to the birds calling to each other. The temperature had cooled and the air felt more humid.

Smith picked up Lisa’s phone and glanced at the text. He raised it for her to see as she approached the picnic bench. She had been trying to lasso a wooden post that had steer horns attached to the top. Each time she succeeded, she’d let out a loud whoop!

Smith smiled and called out. “Hey, beautiful. Jenn just sent you a message.

Lisa came over and read the text. She hugged Smith with glee. “That is good news. But I’ll bet my little sister’s exhausted.”

She stood there, gazing out over Smith's mountaintop. It was a stunning view, but now she was merely staring, not seeing anything at all. Her mind was racing. She turned to Smith with a tear in her eye. “Hey, cowboy. I’m thinking about all the hurdles Teri has jumped over in the past year. It’s so unfair she’s had to grow up so quickly.”

Smith understood. He’d heard the entire story and knew about Teri’s revelations and her surprise transition. He tried to imagine living his life for eighteen years as a guy, only to discover that he was intersex and had ovaries that were making estrogen deep inside his body. And in the midst of this discovery, she was starting puberty, which sealed the deal. “Tell me if I’m out of bounds. Your sister was your brother growing up, right?”

Lisa nodded.

“And I’m guessing that she dressed as a boy and acted like one, too? And no one ever wondered?”

“Right.”

“Doesn’t that bother you that no one ever thought it odd?”

“Well, looking back, we always wondered why Teri never gained a lot of muscle and all the stuff that went along with other guys. But the doctor always explained that he was a late bloomer and eventually catch up. Teri used to talk about having testosterone treatments and getting all muscle-bound. Of course, now we realize that his body was getting ready for estrogen and a woman’s puberty. But no one ever suspected what was really happening.”

“Do they have any idea when her puberty really started?”

Lisa shrugged. “In hindsight, her gender was starting to make itself visible earlier, but no one was looking for it. Because she was always so lean and tall, her body development was more subtle. And since she’s intersex, her bone structure is more neutral than either a man’s or woman’s body. It really wasn’t until she was wearing foam pads pretending to be Tasha, that Gina’s sister, Isabella, noticed her development under the pads that covered her butt, hips, and breasts.”

Lisa stared up at the sky before she tried to answer. “The whole thing’s been unreal. Teri’s still the same, quirky, gifted, extremely caring pain in the ass. However, this whole change made her aware of the real world and forced her to grow up more quickly than a typical eighteen-year-old girl. The first change I noticed was her leaving all that geeky, slacker behavior behind. And she has grown up so much. Teri’s a changed person. I love her and want to protect her. I’m totally willing to do whatever I can to help support her.”

Smith shook his head. “Yeah, she’s lucky.”

Lisa looked at him strangely. “How so?”

“She’s got all these folks around her who love and care for her. It seems like everyone she’s come in contact with adores her. She hasn’t met the hateful people who’ll tear her down just for existing. When Eaten By Raptors were on the road, there were lots of jealous, frightened, ignorant folks ready to throw shade at anything that was different. It seemed like all punk bands got a lot of shit thrown at them. EBR wasn’t any different.”

“And what did that do to you guys?”

“Well, we bonded together, and it really made us brothers, protecting each other and standing up for our music.”

Lisa wiped a tear from her eye. “Uh-huh. Your story is the same as ours. Our band has been a bubble for her. Everyone loves her so much and has done their best to protect her. I think the Wildcats are something special. We’re more than a rock band; we are family.”

Smith hugged her. “Yeah, it’s pretty obvious that everyone loves her.”

“But you know Teri has been upfront about herself and all the changes she’s had to endure. Having to tell her friends and the world about discovering her intersex diagnosis was a pretty traumatic step. But that’s another story.”

“How so?”

“Well, we decided that it would be best to get ahead of the press and control her story. Just as we were getting noticed, this great reporter from the Philly paper wrote the most amazing article about Teri and what she was going through. We all waited to see what effect if would have telling people about her intersex diagnosis, but no shit ever hit the fan. Everyone ignored her big reveal. Teri had written this comical song about people who dressed up as furry animals. And when we dressed up in costumes to play it live, someone used their phone, recording it, then posting it online. People went crazy over “Fur Face” and it spread like wildfire on the internet.”

Smith shook his head. “Yeah. I always wonder why everyone freaks out over Fur Face when you perform it. It’s kinda stupid-cool. But, seriously, EBR could never have done anything like that. Not trying to be sexist or anything, but we never could have done cuteness or even laughing at ourselves. And to think Teri’s brain saw making Furries into a heavy metal song is genius. Teri is honestly some sort of musical heavy hitter. The way she just walked into the studio and immediately helped produce EBR’s music was incredible.”

“Yeah, Fur Face did turn out to be way over the top with the silly costumes and everything. I don’t think we saw it as anything more than a throwaway and here it’s become expected when we perform. We carried three identical furry costumes for each of us this summer. It’s really a good thing that no one has tired of it.”

“I know the answer to that.”

“What?”

“It’s cause the band doesn’t take themselves seriously. You guys are just having fun and loving what you do. Like when you suddenly adopted the Flower Sisters and brought brass into the band. Out of nowhere Tiffany’s performing the B-52’s and Aretha Franklin songs. Seriously, the Wildcats performing hard rock and Bach in the same set is pretty edgy, but your fans eat it up.”

Smith was grinning. “You know, Eaten had never met Teri and the first time she walked into our rehearsal she’s offering production suggestions and updating all our ten year old hits and breathing new life into them. The guys were completely blown away by an eighteen-year-old!”

“Yep. She does that with us. She heard the idea of bringing in brass and suddenly started rearranging stuff and getting new covers together.”

“Yeah, and the way Tiffany doesn’t mind performing Love Shack, it’s like there’s no ego involved.”

“Well, she totally blows the audience's minds when she plays her cello. Which, of course, is another Teri idea.”

“Uh-huh. She is a key player for the Wildcats.”

“Bad story - back when Teri was kidnapped, we played as a four-piece band that night at the Rendezvous because we were committed to helping the owner, Robert. And let me tell you how those hard-boiled rockers were all crying over thinking about Teri being missing and the hole she left in the band.”

Lisa paused. “And all of this has really raised my perception of the whole LGBTQ community. I never thought of Teri as being anything special and then finding out she’s intersex and totally left hanging at eighteen. And I never thought of Gina as being odd or different. We grew up together, and her gayness never seemed to be an issue. I know this is going to sound strange, but I never saw her take much heat for her sexuality. Of course, a lot of women athletes support each other, gay or straight. But now with Teri and her intersex discovery, I’m especially sensitive to the trans community because of how much hate they receive for no reason at all. It’s hard to understand why anyone is treated like a criminal when they’re just trying to exist. Every time we perform a show, we ensure that a portion of the profits is donated to a local agency. We’ve donated a significant amount of money to organizations that support teens, particularly those facing issues related to gender and sexuality. And we have people come up to talk to us, and it’s really become a much larger community for everyone.”

Smith leaned over and kissed her, then pulled her into his lap. “You make me so proud to be with you. Even though I’m eight years older, I look up to you and everything you do. I’m so lucky to love you.”

He squeezed her and nuzzled her ear. “But you’re always educating me. How come we communicate so well? I feel like we’ve been best friends forever. What’s with that?”

Lisa grinned. “I’m not doing anything special besides adoring and loving you too much. I worry that I’m smothering you.”

“Nah. Everything is perfect.” He lifted her hand to check her watch. “Opps! Will you look at the time? All this talk has made me hungry.”

Lisa nodded. “Okay. What do you want to eat?”

Smith grabbed her hand and started pulling them down to the ground. “Uh, you.”

As Smith started to undress her, she held him out at arm’s length. “Uh-huh, sounds good, cowboy. But the big question is, how soon can we be in Philly?”

As she walked, she smiled. She’d never felt more at ease. She was happy.  

Dear Reader,

I took some time off and rewrote the story from the beginning. I'm pleased and wanted to share them with my readers. I've inserted the newer version here.
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Three
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She saw a sparkling ocean beyond the tree line. Walking carefully down to the beach, she marveled at how soft the sand was as she dipped a toe into the water. Rows of shells and coral washed up from the incoming tide surrounded her, and she could see tiny crabs climbing in and out of what remained after the tide went back out.

Jenn checked her watch. She saw A woman in scrubs enter the Recovery Lounge and come over. “Hi, Jenn. I’m Teri’s other nurse, Robyn, and it’s time to wake her up. Come on back with me.”

Jenn shoved everything into her backpack and followed the nurse into a room. Then she saw Teri just lying there. She was pale, her lips were white, and she was breathing very softly. Her eyes were closed, and she looked so tiny in the big bed surrounded by all those machines. She had tubes connected to her. All the sounds were mechanical. The monitor’s beeping, the blood pressure cuff inflating, and the noise of the ice machine all looked like the set of a Hollywood horror movie.

Jenn felt the tears streaming down her face. It was too much for her to comprehend.

Robyn came over and held her hand. “It’s okay. Remember, she’s unconscious and just coming out of surgery.”

Jenn’s voice was no louder than a whisper. “Is she all right? She looks so pale.”

Robyn smiled. “Well, she just went through six hours of major surgery. It’s going to take her body time to recover. Just stand here and watch the action.”

Jenn looked on as Robyn started adjusting the controls, sending fluids into Teri’s body through a port on her hand. “I’m giving her a wake-up call, and we’re flushing any sedatives still lingering from the operating room. Give her a minute or two to figure it all out.

Without hesitating, she walked into the warm ocean, smiling at how wonderful the water felt. Holding her breath, she lowered her head under the waves and began swimming deeper.

She saw schools of fish swimming together and the deeper she swam the more schools swam by. As she swam along, she noticed the light from above was getting brighter. She headed towards the surface and the sun. As her head broke through, she could hear sounds and opened her eyes.

The phone was beeping, and someone was running a vacuum. Lying in her old bed at her mom's house, Teri knew she should answer her phone. She lifted her head to look for it

But when she moved, everything spun around violently. She attempted to scream, but the pain in her throat was terrible.

Suddenly, a face loomed so close that she couldn’t focus. “Welcome back, Teri Nelson. I’m Robyn, your nurse on the recovery floor. You’ve just come out of surgery.”

Robyn patted her hand reassuringly, “Honey, the operation’s over, and everything went well.” She continued speaking as she busied herself with the bed. “Your throat and tongue ache where they inserted a breathing tube during surgery. It’s been replaced with a cannula feeding oxygen for you to help you breathe easier. In a minute, I’m going to get you some crushed ice and bring you a soda.”

Teri couldn’t feel anything below her waist. She heard a machine between her legs. She lifted her blanket to look.

Robyn watched her closely. “That’s the sound of an icing machine for your surgical area. It’s essential to keep the swelling under control. Right now, you’re still numbed from your operation and packed with gauze to maintain the shape of your new vagina. There’s a drain inside to remove all the fluid, and a catheter in your urethra. Those bags are under your bed. Everything comes out before we get you up and walking around.”

Teri listened, but her mind drifted. As everything aligned, she realized she’d been given a gift.

She took a deep breath. The surgery was over. Instead of the fear of falling into a bottomless chasm, she prepared herself to leap hurdles.

Back when her intersex diagnosis was coming to light and the estrogen was causing her body to head into puberty, she remembered many dialogues with her counselor, Grace Goldman.

“I don’t know, Grace. I’m totally unprepared for what’s happening to me. I’ve had no practice being female other than dressing up to play in our rock band. And that really wasn’t practicing being a real woman. As Jenn reminded me, I really wasn’t playing the role of a girl, but of a hard rock goddess. She pointed out that there wasn’t much femininity about Joan Jett or even Pat Benatar. Sure, those women could rock in heels, tight outfits, and makeup, but I was play acting and pretending to be them.”

Teri remembered Grace listening and nodding. “You’re struggling to fit it. But you’re trying too hard to meet expectations that don’t exist. It’s your mind that is setting you up for failure.”

“Yeah, Grace. Sometimes I wish for the old days when I could wear the same jeans for weeks, and a shower just meant standing in the hot water for ten minutes.”

When Grace laughed out loud, Teri remembered continuing.

Teri grinned. “Playing in the band as a female avatar taught me how to look like a twenty-two-year-old girl. I started taking shorter strides to navigate in high heels, but I had no girl thoughts. Even when I played the guitar, I wasn’t thinking about Taylor Swift or Olivia Rodrigo. I wasn’t pretending to be Adelle or Mariah Carey. I was thinking about Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. I don’t yearn for curling up in fluffy blankets, clutching stuffed animals, or dreaming about boys. That might have been Tasha if she was real, but once Amos beat the snot out of her and was going to rape then kill her, that whole fantasy turned into a nightmare. Suddenly, being naive was dangerous, and I saw that there were predators out there waiting to snuff me out.”

“You know, once I abandoned Tasha, I struggled to step forward and become who I thought I should be. Sure, I changed the spelling of my name, but deep inside, no girl thoughts were going on. I wasn’t really Teri. I was still the eighteen-year-old guy dressing up and pretending to be Jimmy Paige.”

Grace sat and listened. “I hear you, but you’ve made changes, didn’t you?”

“Well, yeah. All I started wearing were girls’ clothes, I washed with body wash, and used goopy products in my heavily styled punk hairdo. I looked like a girl and smelled like a girl. I’d become compulsive about not going out without a little makeup. And I made the time to look nice. I think that’s when I stopped acting like a guy. Now, I’m different. I’ve imitated the Wildcats for so long, it’s become me. It’s crazy.”

Grace smiled. “You haven't told me anything new. Tell me about how the summer tour helped.”

“Well, a while back, I had time to think about who I was and how I wanted to appear. I looked at the other Wildcats and used them as my role models. It was strange to stop worrying about thinking like a girl. And that’s when I knew that I could be female without becoming a Barbie. I could dress up on stage at night, but still wear sweats during the day as long as they were Capris and tiny tee shirts.”

“That’s progress. You needed to build on that.”

“Yeah. And suddenly I had to wear a bra because I needed it. Those tight tees and thin sweatshirts only accented my changing shape. It was strange to look in the mirror and see my butt cheeks rounding out. Even my hips and upper thighs were thickening. I read about it, and even though my bone structure was not female, it wasn’t male either. I never had big shoulders or a broad chest.”

“It was so strange to realize I was going through puberty. I’d been judging myself through the wrong eyes. I was seeing myself as an underdeveloped male who would eventually change. Instead, as my fat headed towards different parts of my body, it was scary.”

Teri smiled and remembered when Grace reached out and held her hand. She could still remember yearning to be in her arms. That’s when she realized that having a female body wasn’t what was determining who she was attracted to. Teri smiled when she realized it was simple. She liked women and never had any doubt about her preferences. And after having sex in Chicago with Jenn’s sister and her boyfriend, an attractive guy, it solidified her choices. She stopped worrying. She might have been physically going through puberty as the estrogen flowed through her, but she was still the same. Loving Jenn and playing music was her life.

Teri remembered talking to Grace after she visited Chicago about her group sex night. “I realized that I still fit into my world. There are female gamers, geeks, and nerds. And all the Wildcats were jocks who played sports at Allentown High School. They weren’t Barbies, even though they glammed up to play to their fans. It was great to realize that there was still room for me in this world.”

Grace was smiling. “You’ve come a long way in your journey. I like the way you’ve stayed positive and rational. You’re a very mature young woman.”

“I guess I’ve had to grow up quickly. I wasn’t given many choices. I mean, when I survived Amos’s madness and not dying in a shitty fifties kitchen down the shore in Sea Isle, I realized that I needed to give myself a break.”

Grace nodded her head for her to continue.

“The women in the Wildcats are as gorgeous as fashion models, but none of them had much interest in the trappings of the ultra-feminine girly girl. That’s when I knew I could be myself and still be a woman.”

Grace smiled. “Are you comfortable that it’s a decision? It’s not a rationalization?”

“Well, that’s when I started thinking seriously about having a vagina. Back when the doctors told me that my testicles weren’t real but simply fibrous masses that could lead to tumors, we agreed to have them removed. And I knew that my tiny penis was merely a clitoris, it became pretty obvious that my body was more female than male. And when we knew my ovaries were creating estrogen inside me, I figured I was just missing a vagina. Since I didn’t have any male genitalia, there was literally nothing to lose.”

Grace smiled. “I hear you, and it makes sense. But sexual reassignment surgery is a long process that you’ll need to research. I recommend that we contact a surgeon and talk to some post-operative people before you go much further.”

Teri remembered that moment and how she stood and hugged Grace. “Saying all of this out loud makes me feel more confident. My mom’s boss is a doctor who works with transitioning people. He’s been involved with helping me from the beginning. And then there’s Jessica Jade.”

Grace spoke as she nodded. “That sounds like a good place to start. Remember that knowledge is power.”

Teri tried to clear her head and focus. She smiled at Robyn but was having trouble concentrating. Her eyes kept closing. She felt a squeeze on her arm.

Robyn spoke. “Teri, we’re here to take care of you, sweetheart. Besides fluids, you’re also getting a strong dose of painkillers. Just remember that everything went fine. Now, rest your eyes, and I’ll get you those ice chips.”

Teri watched the blurry form leave the room. She took deep breaths. Her brain was moving slowly, and she was high. She amused herself listening to the rhythm of the beeps, trying to use the sound as a metronome. She’d hum but kept forgetting what song she had in her head.

She looked over and saw Jenn. It was hard to focus, and it was a little cloudy. But Teri just knew it was her.

Robyn returned holding two large Styrofoam cups. “Here you go. Jenn’s going to feed you ice very slowly. Now take your time because choking is a real no-no.”

As she felt the bed lifting slowly, she heard a motor vibrating under her. When her head and trunk were raised, Teri saw she had a picture window, and the walls were painted a faded green. Her nurse, Robyn, was wearing dark blue scrubs.

She was so high, she was in a dreamland. But then she thought about a dream she’d had.

It had been so familiar. Teri remembered when Grace had helped her deal with her fears and anxiety after she was kidnapped. Together, she’d guided Teri and encouraged her to use her imagination to create a special safe place. In her sessions, Teri imagined she was standing on the top of a hill, bright green grass under her feet, with flowers growing everywhere. She’d feel the breeze and hear the buzzing of the insects. Everywhere she’d look, she’d see beauty and feel safe.

Now she was in a hospital world, wrapped in a warm, protected cocktail of painkillers that made everything warm and fuzzy. Her mind moved slowly. No pain, no fears. But she remembered traveling to her safe world and wondered if she’d been dreaming during her operation.

She watched as Jenn dipped a long-handled plastic spoon into the cup and brought out ice shards. Jenn smiled and waited until Teri opened her mouth and fed them to her.

“I’m a baby bird,” Teri croaked as the first shards melted on her tongue and trickled down her throat. She savored the ice and used her tongue to run it around her mouth before letting it slide down her bruised throat. “Geez, I have a terrible taste in my mouth.”

Jenn shrugged, then filled the spoon until it was empty.

Robyn lifted the sheet and checked Teri’s legs. “You’re wearing elastic support stockings to prevent blood clots. Let me know if they start to rub.” She smiled. “Now, are you ready to try a soda?”

Teri croaked out, “Please.”

Robyn handed Jenn a can of Coke and another cup of ice. There was a bendable straw attached to the cup. Robyn looked at Teri. “Okay. You’re only going to get a little bit at a time, and I’m going to let you hold the cup.”

When the soda was gone, she spoke to her patient. “Remember that you have a catheter in your urethra. You can’t feel it, but try to relax your bladder and just let it go. Don’t try to squeeze your muscles and hold back. We want you to make sure everything works.”

Teri turned to Robyn. “Hey, could I have dreamed during my operation?”
 
Robyn shrugged. “It’s possible. Some anesthetics can give you vivid dreams. Ask your doctor when you see her.”
 
Teri was wide-eyed. “Well, I had the coolest dream. I was on a hilltop, and then swimming in the ocean. Everything was in color, and amazing.”

Teri nodded as she felt the bed being lowered. She saw Robin adjust the IV drips on a touchpad near the bags. “It’s time to rest. Kiss Jenn and close your eyes, honey. When you wake up, I’ll introduce you to Julia, the other nurse in this wing.”

As she closed her eyes, Teri took a deep breath and smiled. Everything was okay.

Gina called Richard immediately after talking to Jenn. He picked up and cheerily said, “Hey, Gina! How’s your vacation coming along?”

“Richard, it’s been great relaxing with all the rich people in the luxury of the East Side of Manhattan, but I need to head into Philly.”

“Right, a visit to the hospital? Phil and I were just discussing the good news about our wonder girl. Would you like me to arrange transportation?”

Gina smiled. “Sure. I was hoping you could do that.”

“Of course, I can. That’s my job. I’m guessing you want to head out in the morning.”

“I do.”

“How about ten o’clock? You’ll miss all the congestion of rush hour traffic. I’ll have the driver call up to you when he’s out front.”

“Thank you.”

“Well, tell everyone, especially Teri, we’re sending our best wishes. We found the perfect gift for her.”

“A gift, huh? What’d you get her?”

“I searched out and found three mint condition live vinyl albums - Jimi Hendrix’s Band of Gypsys; The Allman Brothers Live At Filmore East; and Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble Live at the Austin City Limits.”

“Oh, my gosh. You must have paid a fortune for those. You know she’s going to totally flip out. It will be guaranteed to brighten her day.”

“Good. Your driver will have the package in the car when they pick you up. You can be our delivery person.”

“Okay, Richard, and thanks for arranging the ride.”

“Just make sure you tell everyone that we send our love.”

“I will. What have you and Phil been doing?”

“We’ve been spending Wildcat money on fancy dinners, Broadway shows, wonderful new designer clothing, and a bit of travel, too. All the pampering we can give ourselves after a long, hot summer.”

“Seriously?”

“No. We’re just enjoying a bit of quiet time. Phil’s headed back to the house and the studio in a couple of weeks to warm things up. We’re guessing that the band will be itching by then. Currently, I’m coordinating plans for the European leg of the tour and reviewing Wildcats merchandise. If the tour starts to sell out, we’re also considering Asia and Australia. Bill Wiggins, Ghibli, and Conor are still looking at capitalizing on the momentum you’ve created.”

“Seriously?”

“Sure. Strange as it sounds, we’ve been approached by toy companies for Wildcats figures and a scale-sized tour bus. There’s even a stage made by unfolding the boxes. And they are even talking about a Wildcats Anime cartoon.”

“That’s so crazy! I’m thinking about you guys. The two of you deserve something special after steering all the craziness of this summer tour.”

“Speaking of our tour, don’t forget that the Wildcats are booked for Thanksgiving as the backup band for Beyoncé and Taylor Swift on SNL, right?”

“Oh, I heard. Who could forget that? How cool is that going to be? I mean, we did a whole set with them at the Rose Bowl. Whoever thought that Teri’s bright idea to have the two biggest pop stars in the universe do a show together would become the most talked-about thing on the internet. And to think that the Wildcats played behind the most successful pop stars of today.”

“Well, it was an amazing moment, and the fundraiser is still going on. Warner’s has arranged to continue downloading all the songs and making a video available as well. And they’re using Teri’s idea of pay what you think it’s worth as part of the charity. It’s going to set records with all the money it will raise.”

“Yeah. Pretty cool.”

“Well, it’s going to be even cooler when the Wildcats head up to Rockefeller Center to rehearse with the stars. Are you guys interested in doing any of the skits for SNL? It would mean you’d need to be in New York for the whole week?”

Gina laughed. “Well, I can’t speak for the rest of the guys but I’m totally in. Rehearsing with the cast and doing skits, wow. How much fun will that be? But I don’t know about Zoe and Teri.”

“Well, we’ll have to see just how exciting it’ll be. Zoe will either be bursting with a baby or recently postpartum. And of course, Teri will still be dealing with post-operative recovery efforts of her surgery, too.”

Gina laughed. “Yeah. The Wildcats have conquered bigger challenges in the past. Imagine Zoe giving birth at Thirty Rock!”

“Oh, no, Gina. I’m trying not to even think about the logistics of having a Thanksgiving baby. Dealing with all the unknowns is always stressful, but just the thought of delivering a baby live on TV is inconceivable. But we will have a team standing by, just in case. Now, speaking of crazy, both Taylor and Beyoncé want you guys to help write and produce a special Christmas charity album for the two of them. Lorne Michaels wants to create a one-hour TV special for the Wildcats, Taylor Swift, and Beyoncé. He thinks that the band can write songs, play, and sing on the show, too.”

“Oh, wow. That’s a crazy idea. But that’s looking for new songs in less than three months!”

Richard laughed. “I know, crazy, right? But both women have unpublished songs that can be reworked into a seasonal album.. And they want Teri to arrange their songs so that they can perform them together. The Wildcats just need a couple of songs, too. And don’t forget that the band is the musical guest on the SNL Christmas show, too.”

“Richard, that would be so crazy! Everyone will be excited. I can’t wait to hear what they each have to say.”

“Well, speaking of that, when was the last time you talked to your dad? He’s got something to share, and I won’t spoil the surprise.”

Gina nodded. “A surprise, huh? Okay, I’ll call him at work tomorrow when I’m in the limo. If I call him at home tonight, Mom will get on, and he’ll sneak off and have a Scotch and a cigar somewhere else. Mom is the one who always wants to talk.”

“Well, when I hang up, I’ll arrange your transportation. Have fun!”

After talking with Richard and hearing about Teri’s present, Gina began to think about something for Grace. She wanted to buy her a gift that she would know came from her heart. She flopped down on the couch in Grace’s small study while staring out the picture window, which offered the best view of Central Park.

As she was sitting there staring out at the beautiful view, Gina got an idea. She called Grace’s favorite gallery owner and in a few minutes, she outlined what she had in mind. The gallery owner was just as excited as Gina was with her idea. It was really simple. Knowing that Grace filled her office with her favorite photos and paintings, Gina figured she would have a painting of the view from the sixteenth floor to hang in her second-floor office, especially if it was painted by a favorite artist. It would be a great surprise. Gina took a deep breath and relaxed.

Grace had refused every offer that Gina had made for jewelry, trips, or a shopping spree. Knowing that Grace had amazing tastes, she was disappointed when her lover just wanted her and nothing more. But now, she had a personal gift that would be a surprise that she wouldn't want to say no.

Finally, Robyn and Julia came into the room to start putting Teri to bed, and Jenn was able to spend a few minutes holding her hand and whispering to her. Robyn came over and suggested not to worry. They would be there to monitor her, and Teri would sleep through the night.

Jenn leaned over and whispered, “Baby, it’s time for you to sleep. I’m going back to our place for the night, but I’ll be here tomorrow morning.” She kissed her sleeping girlfriend and took an Uber back to their apartment.

After showering, she curled up in bed and fell asleep, knowing that she’d be over at the hospital when they opened for visitors at ten.

Tuesday morning, Gina saw a large two-toned SUV sitting outside on Fifth Avenue. She was pleased to see a cute young woman holding the door for her.

The woman smiled and looked her in the eyes. “Gina DeNardo?”

Gina looked over the pretty thing in her long-sleeved tee and yoga pants. She almost laughed out loud because she was wearing the same comfy clothes. “That’s me.”

“I’m Tanisha, and I'm ready to drive you down to Philly. Before we start, would you like anything? I’ve got snacks and waters in the back. We even have a chiller, too. And we can stop and get you whatever you want.”

Gina had grabbed a bagel after her morning run and now wanted something sweet. “Uh, any ice cream?”

Tanisha grinned. “We’ve got frozen Snickers, Milky Ways, and Heath Bars. Just watch biting down too hard. I’m not a dentist.”

Gina laughed out loud. “That sounds great. And Tanisha, where are you when you’re not driving this machine?”

“I’m in school, studying law in Philly at Kline.”

Gina knew that Kline was big time. If she attended Drexel, Tanisha must have been at the top of her college class. “Does that mean you drove up from Philly this morning?”

“That’s right. Our service finds it easier to come and get you rather than outsourcing our business to a New York firm. Quality goes a long way in our trade.”

Gina smiled. “You sound like you own the company.”

“Well, yes, it’s a family thing. My mom and grandfather run the business. This has been my side job forever. And the Wildcats are important clients. We enjoy shuttling all of you around Allentown and Philly. And you’re my favorite drummer.”

Gina blushed at her statement. Her gaydar was pinging pretty hard as she climbed into the big vehicle. Looking around inside, Gina was impressed. The back of this SUV was a beautifully upholstered office with two recliners. She turned and looked at her driver. “This is pretty nice back here. What is it?”

Tanisha turned and smiled. “It’s a Maybach. Mercedes makes them. This one is the top of their line, and it’s all electric. I topped off the charge a few minutes before I picked you up. We have plenty of battery to get you back to Philly regardless of the traffic.”

“Very cool. I’ve never paid much attention to our transportation, but it is pretty cool to ride in an electric limo with a beautiful driver. Okay. Well, I’ll let you concentrate on driving us out of this traffic. I have to call my dad.”

Tanisha looked back at her before she started to maneuver through Manhattan traffic. “Please put in a good word for me. I’m looking for an internship, and your dad’s law firm is the best in Allentown.”

“Sure, I’d be happy to talk to my pop.” She grinned and wagged her finger. “But then you’ll owe me.”

Gina watched the young woman stare into the rear-view mirror. Tanisha grinned. “Owe you, huh? Uh, you know you’ve got a reputation.”

Gina laughed. “Me, a reputation? Wait, do you keep a file on everyone you drive?”

“Nope. Just the beautiful ones.”

Gina inhaled and shook her head. She thought, ‘I love my life, I love my life.’ Picking up her phone, she called her dad.

“Dinardo, Hopkins, and Ryan. How can I help you?”

“Hi, Judy. It’s Gina. Could you have my dad call me when he’s not busy?”

“Gina, he just got off the phone. Let me connect you.”

A minute later, she heard his warm voice. “Hey, baby. How’s my favorite rock star?”

“Life is good, Daddy. I’m heading down to the hospital to see Teri. What’s up? Richard told me to give you a call.”

“Yep. I asked him to let you know that the lawyer in me needed to touch base. Richard wanted me to share the news about the check William Wiggins just wired us. It’s from the royalties from all the streaming services. Evidently, they send them out quarterly.”

“Oh. I didn’t even know that streaming services paid us royalties. Wow!”

“Sure. They pay the record company every time your songs get played. And all the services have been playing your hits all summer. Every time someone chooses to hear a Wildcat song, you get paid. And all those pennies add up. After Warner’s takes their cut, and Richard gets his share, you guys are splitting a hundred thousand dollars. That’s twenty grand per Cat.”

Gina thought about the painting she’d ordered from the gallery and wondered if that money would cover it. “That’s unexpected. I was going to call you to draw money from my account. I’m having Grace’s favorite artist make a painting of the view from her apartment to hang in her office. However, I’m not sure if I’ll need it. This money should cover it.”

She heard her dad chuckle. “That’s a sweet present for Grace. I’m sure she’s going to love it. My little girl is such a softy.”

“Love does that to you.” Gina looked up and realized that her driver could hear every word.

“Well, baby. I’m going to get back to work. Not all of us get a month’s vacation from their summer tour.”

“That’s true, but in our defense, we hit it hard. Twenty-four-seven for three months is a grind. It sounds like a piece of cake ‘cause we only perform for three hours a night. But you know what it really takes to keep the party going.”

“Well, Richard told me that you’re going international in the Spring. If you’re playing Italy, your mom and I will fly over to hear you.”

“Of course, we’ll book Rome just for you guys. But between now and then, we’ll be rehearsing, and maybe Zoe and Teri will have new material for us to play and record. Who knows? Right now, the two of them are preoccupied. Oh, yeah. One more thing. Do you ever have law school interns?”

“Sure. We always have three or four. You have someone?”

“I might.”

“Just have them send me a resume and text me her name so I can look her up.”

“Okay. Sounds great. But how did you know that it was a she?”

She heard her dad laugh. “I love you, sweetheart.”

“Love you too, dad.”

After she hung up, she closed her eyes and thought about how lucky she was to have a family who embraced her. When she opened her eyes, they were just going over the Ben Franklin Bridge into Philly. Gina looked up at Tanisha and smiled. “Hey.”

“Hey, back. I’ve been having fantasies about the favor I’m going to owe you.”

Gina grinned. “You do know I have a true love.”

Tanisha hummed. “Oh, I know. And that’s what’s going to make it so special.”

Gina just sat there and smiled.

“Uh, Ms Dinardo?”

“Tanisha, Gina is just fine.”

“Thank you for talking to your father, and well, can I ask a question?”

Gina nodded. “Of course.”

“Uh, what was it like when you came out?”

Gina grew quiet.“I was lucky to have the best older sister in the world. She was the one to give me the confidence to be myself.”

She paused and then began her story. “Growing up, I’d struggled with my sexual identity. Initially, I concealed my desires and thoughts, but one day, my older sister found me lying on the bed, sobbing into the pillow. I admitted how lonely I'd become, afraid to move forward and express my feelings of love for another girl that I really liked.”

Gina still remembered what Izzy had told her. “My sister gave me the words of wisdom that I still live by. She said, Baby, you’re not a freak. Stop worrying about your thoughts and embrace them. Loving another woman is the most natural thing you can do. Seriously, who is more beautiful, smells better, and is more delightful in bed than another girl? A woman knows how to push your buttons both sexually and in your mind. Loving women is a natural thing. Take it from me. My whole life revolves around women and beauty. Some day, I’m going to open up a salon and cater to women who love to be pampered.”

“I remember smiling and looking at her. Even though she’d always dated guys, she was the best, loving sister. I dried my tears because she believed her. Then I asked, a salon? Have you already thought of a name for this perfect haven?”

“I still remember hearing Izzy laugh. Of course I have, she said. It’s going to be called Isabella’s. And it will be famous throughout the whole Allentown area.”

strong>

Dear Readers,
When I took some time off, it was easier to rewrite the story from the beginning. Here's the newer version.
.

After showing their tickets, Lisa and Smith walked down the ramp into the waiting plane. Lisa chuckled at the flight attendant leading them to their seats. The woman couldn’t take her eyes off Smith. She imagined that the woman was old enough to remember EBR and had probably seen her boyfriend in a movie or two. Lisa knew he radiated that star charisma. After being in a world-famous band and several big movies, she liked that he didn’t notice the fuss surrounding him as they quietly sat in the corner of first class.

After getting settled in their seats, the same flight attendant stood in the aisle, blocking the view of their seats so the rest of the passengers who were headed in wouldn’t notice them. As much as she enjoyed the Wildcats' success, sometimes she just wanted to be herself. She knew she’d never complain, but having the most beautiful man on the planet for a boyfriend made her conspicuous, too. People who saw them together probably wondered who she was. After all, she was part of a band, whereas Smith had been a rock star for years and now was featured in big movies, too. She made a note to ask Grace Goldman’s advice on how to avoid passive-aggressive jealousy.

After they took off, Smith leaned over and buried his nose in his iPad on his tray table. He was working on lyrics for new EBR music.

Lisa looked over and read some of the words. “Hmm. Storm clouds, lightning, heavy rain. Sure sounds like a recycled Eaten song to me.”

He turned his head slowly, smiling into her face. “Uh-huh. Except this one might have the sun coming out. You never know, maybe I’ll throw some love into the mix.”

Lisa squeezed his thigh and inched up his leg using her fingers. She whispered in her sexiest voice, “The sun is coming out, huh? Like in the itsy-bitsy spider? When the sun came out and dried up all the rain, and the itsy-bitsy spider went up the spout again.”

Smith inhaled as her fingers moved up her leg like a spider, then caressed him. He pretended to shake his head. “Why did I have to fall in love with such a sexy, wise-ass? But how come your mom’s not crazy like you?”

Lisa made a fist and smacked him hard on the bicep before she went back to stimulating him. “Crazy, huh? I think that’s the part of me you like the most. I’m just not one of the hundreds of women who have thrown themselves at your feet begging for your love. Speaking of crazy, that reminds me. When things settle down, I want to hire a private detective to track down my sperm donor, my biological parent. Wouldn’t it be ironic if he’s a musician?”

“Or a wise ass.”

Lisa’s hand grabbed down hard on his crotch and grinned devilishly. “Maybe you don’t need this boy for a while.”

“Hey! I’m finally eating real food!”

Jenn smiled as she looked at her girlfriend. Teri was sitting up and wide awake. She had a little bedside table pushed in front of her, and she was eating. “What is it?”

Teri smiled broadly. “I never thought that applesauce could taste so good! But they’re still being careful about my throat and the danger of my choking. So far, I’ve had oatmeal and hot chocolate. Baby food!”

Jenn grinned and leaned over to kiss her. “You look a lot better this morning than you did yesterday.”

“Do I? I don’t remember a thing.”

“That’s okay. You were pretty doped up. How about this morning?”

“I’m good. I don’t think they are giving me much in the way of pain killers, but I’m still numb down there.” Teri finally took a deep breath, sitting in bed, feeling the ice machine between her legs. As she looked across at Jenn, there was a knock on the door. Another smiling nurse was standing there, washing his hands with an antibacterial scrub before he entered. “Hi, Teri Nelson. I’m Dr. Hank. I’m a pulmonologist and here to check your lungs and breathing. This is a standard practice after surgery. Your nurse told me that you sing and play guitar for a living.”

Teri nodded and hoarsely croaked, “I’m in the Wildcats, a band from Allentown.”

The doctor smiled. “I know just who you are. I watched you on Labor Day.”
 
Jenn looked at him. “Do I need to leave?”
 
“Nope.” He beamed. “I’ll only be a few minutes.” Hank admired the two women as he smiled at them both.
 
Jenn was fascinated to watch as the doctor had Teri blow into a tube and recorded the information. He used a stethoscope to listen to her lungs and nodded. “You’re in great shape. You’ll be released and going home in no time at all! My assistant will return this evening and show you exercises. I want you to build up your lung power. Knowing that you sing and play for a living, I want to make sure we send you home in perfect shape.”
 
As he was working, no one noticed Tiffany walk through the door. She immediately came over and gave Teri a warm kiss. “Surprise, Little. This is wonderful. Seeing you stuck in bed, I can keep on kissing and you can’t run away!”
 
She laughed and turned to Robyn and the doctor. “Excuse me, doctor. Can I climb up into bed with my girlfriend? I want to get under the covers with her. Is it too soon to have hot monkey sex?”
 
Robyn looked frantic, not realizing Tiffany was putting on. “Oh, please don’t. She’s still hooked up to too many tubes, and we don’t want anything to go wrong.”
 
Jenn covered her mouth and giggled. She knew Tiff so well and was enjoying her outlandish, impulsive behavior. The woman could make anyone laugh.
 
The man’s jaw dropped. The beautiful, tall, leggy blonde who was carrying on and the exotic-looking brunette were an eyeful. He didn’t know where to look. Even his patient was gorgeous, with her silver punk haircut and perfect skin. He slowly exited the room, realizing that Jenn and Tiffany were laughing and talking like this happened every day. He made a note to return to this room soon and check on the patient more frequently.
 
As everything was settling down, Jenn’s phone buzzed. She glanced at it and asked Robyn if Teri’s mom could come in, too.
 
“No problem, Jenn. I’ll go get them. The whole floor is quiet, so we can even steal chairs from the other rooms.
 
Before too long, Teri and Amy hugged while Tiffany talked to Conor. As a surgical nurse, Amy was interested in what the nurses and doctors said.
 
Robyn was bringing everyone up to speed. “Well, Teri’s surgeon came in last night at around eleven. She said that she was very pleased with the whole operation and felt that, because Teri was so young and intersex, it made it much easier to complete the surgery. She also said they had to do less cutting and suturing so healing would go faster. She promised to come back again this morning and help pull out the catheter and check on the dressings.”
 
Amy was smiling at Conor. “I’m happy to hear that. Complications are a bitch.” She paused and shook her head. “Excuse my language. I’ve been really agitated with worry through this whole business, and knowing all that could happen in this surgery has had me on edge. I’m relieved.”
 
An hour later, Robyn was trying to get everyone’s attention. “I need to kick all of you out. The doctor notified us that she’s on her way. When she gets here, we’ll need to disconnect all of Teri’s tubes and her catheter. And after the doctor finishes checking her dressings, I’ll bring you back in so you can talk to her. Then we get Teri up and walking. The whole procedure should take us about thirty minutes, and when we’re done, I’ll come get you.”
 
Conor smiled. “That’s fine. We’ll all take a lunch break. We packed food and left it in coolers in the Recovery Lounge. C’mon, gang, let’s go eat.”
 
Teri sat up and waved her hands. “Hey! What about me? Who’s going to feed me?”
 
Robyn laughed. “Your cafeteria tray is on its way. Sorry, it’s not catered, just hospital food. You’ll get used to it. You’re on a pretty strict diet for the next three days while you’re under our care.”
 
Teri could be heard moaning and pretending to complain as everyone filed out.

Amy and Conor pulled out sandwiches, sodas, and pretzels. Jenn and Tiffany got out the napkins and paper plates as Tiffany spoke. “This looks good, Mrs. Nelson. Thank you for feeding us. You, too, Conor.”
 
Jenn always smiled that Tiffany was on a first-name basis with Conor. She remembered hearing about how, in the old days, when Conor was smuggling arms worldwide, he was very selective about who Zoe could bring home to their very secure home. Teri had told her all about the fortress the first time she visited. Conor built a mansion with high-security walls and lights everywhere. Teri visited when she’d just joined the Wildcats. That night, Conor gifted her a classic Fender Telecaster to welcome her into his daughter's band.
 
Since then, Conor had fallen in love with Teri and Lisa’s mom, Amy. The Wildcats played Cupid and were all pleased with themselves that the two parents had found each other. Amy had never married and was a single parent. Zoe’s mom had died of cancer when she was nineteen, and both Conor and she had been heartbroken. When her mom had been diagnosed, Conor Finely had given up being an outlaw and dedicated himself to his family’s well-being.
 
Now, Conor was content to dabble in importing Japanese Saki and fine French wines. He was still sore that the US Government wouldn’t give him an export license to sell Kentucky Bourbon throughout the world. He simply said, “They’re still mad. The government was never able to make a case against me, and this is their revenge. But now it’s too late because I haven’t done anything illegal in years.”
 
A new voice could be heard as everyone was munching down on Italian hoagies and Herr’s potato chips. “Hey, gang! Did you leave anything for me?” 
 
Everyone stood up and exchanged hugs and kisses with Gina. As they found her a soda and a sub, she told them all about what she’d been doing for the past couple of weeks. “I’m keeping myself busy during the day, and then Grace and I go out to eat and visit clubs in Soho and the Village to listen and watch bands. It does make me itchy to drum.”

At that point, the nurses invited them back into Teri’s room. They were all surprised to see Teri looking a bit more like herself after she’d been disconnected from her IV lines.

Then, everyone listened while Gina told them all about her conversation with her dad: “We’re each twenty thousand dollars richer. I never knew it, but online services pay us royalties for every play online. Our checks are already deposited. Mine is earmarked for a Grace present.”
 
Even though her voice still hurt, Teri whispered, “What are you getting the most beautiful woman in the world?” She loved her counselor dearly and still had a huge fantasy surrounding her.

Gina happily described her idea for a new painting for Grace’s office.

“That’s a great idea. I’ve spent a lot of sessions sitting in there, and she has quite a gallery of original paintings and photographs hanging on her walls.”
 
Tiffany turned. “Twenty grand is sweet. I also want to see the statistics from William Wiggins on which songs were requested, as well as the breakdown from the streaming services. I’m curious to see what songs were most popular and where. Maybe we could get age demographics, too.”
 
Gina looked at her. “What’s that going to tell you?”
 
Tiff nodded. “It’ll give us insight into which songs were the favorites and help us to plan for the next record.”
 
Gina laughed and held up a wrapped package. “Yeah, speaking of records. Richard and Phil gave me a present to give to Teri.” They all watched as Teri unwrapped her gift.

“Oh, my gosh! Look!” She held up the three album covers. “They found mint-condition vinyl recordings of my rock gods playing live! Cool, huh?”
 
Jenn was smiling and shaking her head. “I can see it now. You’re not going to be able to relax until they’re played at full volume on your stereo back at the house.” She turned to the nurse. “Keep an eye on her. She’s going to be climbing out of bed just to hear them. All she’s been doing since she was on the Tonight Show and met Questlove is going crazy shopping everywhere for vinyl. I don’t even ask her how much she spends anymore.”
 
Gina smiled. “Buying vinyl? I thought she was getting all of her stuff through Questlove.”
 
“No. The pair of them are music nerds. And since Questlove is in New York, he’ll search out albums for Teri, too. Even DJ Blank has been helping her track down vinyl.”
 
Tiffany smiled. “Blank! How’s he doing? Is he still at the Rendezvous?”
 
Jenn was nodding. “Yep. But he’s branching out since he helped remix Show Me Some Love. He’s become pretty popular in the recording studio and told us that he’s doing shows all along the East Coast.”
 
Tiffany gave a thumbs-up. “It’s so good to hear that he’s become successful. It’s hard to believe that Teri conceived a club song and sent it to him the second night we played at the Rendezvous together.”
 
Gina laughed and pointed at Tiffany. “Remember how she just taught the song to us on the fly. And you threw a fit and didn’t want to do dance music.”
 
Tiffany was shaking her head. “Yeah, when I heard what she wanted to do, I worried about our cred as punk. Yeah, I wanted nothing to do with all of that. And then she sends it to Blank, who was DJing in Philly. He played it all weekend, and suddenly everybody was wondering who the Wildcats were.”
 
“Yeah, the Playroom.”
 
Tiffany kissed Teri. “Back then, you really were our Little Shit. And to think, I was worried that making a disco song would affect us. Little did I know that that club song would make us famous.”
 
Gina laughed. “Yeah, I remember. You held a band meeting and wanted to kick that girl to the curb, saying that we didn’t need a fifth member and it would only slow us down.”
 
Tiffany was rolling with laughter. “And I was so right! I’m truly gifted when it comes to reading our future. Yeah, that Teri kid sure has been nothing but trouble.”

Robyn kicked everyone out, saying she needed to help Teri for a few minutes.

The whole crowd retreated to the lounge to wait.

Ten minutes later, Teri appeared through the lounge doors using a walker. She was excitedly smiling until her mom came over and started hugging her.
 
Teri felt the tears through her hospital gown and realized that her mom was coming undone. “Mom, mom. I’m here and everything is fine.”
 
“Oh, I know,” she whispered. “It’s just how much I love you. My baby is the most amazing woman I know.”
 
Robyn cleared her voice to get everyone’s attention. “We need to go back inside recovery. Teri and I need to walk a few more steps. When we return, I'll get you from the lounge. We won’t be long.”
 
Gina’s phone buzzed in her back pocket. She looked at the phone. “Hey, Jenn.”
 
Jenn looked up from putting the waters back in the cooler. “Uh-huh?”
 
“How many people did you text about Teri’s surgery?”
 
Jenn nodded. “Teri and I made a list. You know Teri. Not a lot of subtleties.”

“Well, everybody we know seems to be texting. Word is out.”
 
 
Robyn looked at Teri as she slowly walked. She knew how uncomfortable she was, but was impressed at how hard she was trying. “Hey. You’re doing great, and I know you’re all about recovery, but we’re not here to overstrain.”
 
Teri shook her head. “How many painkillers do they have me on?”
 
Robyn still held her arm. “Tylenol and something to help you sleep. Not as much as you’d think. You’re still pretty numb down there. By the time you head home, you’ll be better.”
 
 
Smith closed his laptop. About two hours had passed. He looked over and saw that Lisa had her eyes closed. He was very content to just gaze at her while she slept. Then he heard her whisper.
 
“Why are you staring at me, cowboy?”
 
“‘Cause I like to.”
 
Lisa popped a mint. Then she leaned over and kissed him softly. “Thank you, even if it’s a little creepy to wake up to feel all that electricity coming off you.” She snaked her arm out and around his neck, pulled him towards her, and gave him another kiss. “Mmm. How horny are you?”
 
Smith perked up. As he stood up, he grinned. “First class has its own bathroom. You coming?”

Lisa took his hand as she stood up. She swore she could feel the heat coming off his body.
 
 
A flight attendant came their way after they had settled back in their seats. She was holding two flutes of champagne on a tray. When they looked up, they could see that she was grinning.
 
After they had taken the glasses and thanked her, Lisa leaned over. “She knows, doesn’t she?”
 
Smith turned bright red. “Hey, I’m going to plead innocence here. In all my travels, you’re my first mile-high club partner.”
 
Lisa shook her head. “I can’t believe Eaten by Raptors never had a private plane and groupies begging the lead singer to show them fireworks.”
 
Smith shook his head. “You’ve watched too many rock and roll movies. In the three years we toured, there were no private jets or crazy buses full of groupies. Sure, I partied like crazy, but we were country boys still full of those Texas manners.”
 
Lisa nipped his neck. “I don’t buy it, but if that’s what you’re selling.”
 
“C’mon. Seriously. The guys will back me up. No mile highs.”
 
“Oh, baby. I love you. I really do. But you’re an old guy who probably has a ton of scalps on his belt.”
 
Smith sighed. “Okay, I’ll admit to some of what you’re saying. We’d been on the road since I was around eighteen. I secretly had had three families: one in New York, one in Florida, and one on the West Coast. I’ve got three children, and love them all. Do you want to see some photos?”
 
When Lisa smacked him, she remembered to tuck her thumb so the impact left a large impression on his arm.
 
“Ouch. Lisa, that really hurt. Stop picking on an old man.”

She laughed and readied another punch. “Before I hit you, I want to see photos of your kids.”

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Dear Readers,

I've written 50,000 words of this story. In doing so, I went back and rewrote it from the beginning.

.

Teri looked around. Jenn was perched on the edge of her hospital bed. After reaching over and taking her hand, Teri pulled her in and kissed her. Jenn kissed back. After a few minutes, she pointed so that Teri’s attention was towards the picture window. That way, she could listen in on Tiffany and Conor. The two of them were discussing the Wildcats' website and the number of hits their YouTube channel was receiving.

Conor was excited. “The YouTube channel is blowing up since Mike started uploading weekly posts from the tour. Even though the tour ended, fans continue to hunger for clips. The viewership is soaring. It’s like the fans can’t get enough Wildcats. And he hasn’t even started posting the Labor Day concerts. There’s so much more left to upload.”

Tiffany smiled. “Whoever thought that could happen? A year ago, another cover band offered me a job playing bass and singing. They offered me more money than I was making with the Cats, and I was almost ready to jump on it. My love life was in the dumps, and well, I thought I needed a change.”

Conor nodded and listened. He didn’t say he’d already heard the story from his daughter. “Yeah, well, how about now. Would you ever have thought things would be so different?”

“Nope. Teri was the spark. She seriously changed us around and made us the band we are today. I never thought things would be like this. Flying private, limos, big money in the bank, and a man who loves me. My life has made a complete turnaround.”

Conor was nodding. “And now there’s more. I was talking with Wiggins about posting some live cuts from the tour to the website.”

“You mean the stuff Mike and Final Cut shot for the website? I thought we were just going to include tiny snippets, not full tunes. Wouldn’t that take away from sales when people can hear and watch us for free?”

“Yeah. I would have thought so, too. But it’s funny. Wiggins and Warner believe they could increase interest in the album’s songs. They think more people will want to download them to their playlists and that would boost sales.”

Tiff shook her head, still not understanding the logic. “Hey, if Wiggins is behind it, let’s discuss it. But we need to remember that the band has to approve anything that Warner does with our music.”

“Right. I know Richard wants to talk to everyone when Teri is comfortable and settled in at home. He knows he needs to gather the whole band in one place so everything can be discussed about Warner and the music. He wants feedback from everyone.”

Teri still didn’t have much voice but waved to get their attention. She motioned for them to come closer.“Did Wiggins indicate which live songs they wanted to add?”

Conor shrugged. “I don’t know. This was all just mentioned in a Zoom.”

Teri appeared puzzled. “Who was in that conversation?”

Conor smiled. “You know. The backers, the money, and the bookers - Me, Wiggins, Gina’s dad, Phil & Richard, and Gimli.”

“Do you have these meetings frequently?"

“Only when there’s something to say.”

Teri smiled. “Well, I see myself coming out to the band house and noodling with the sounds in a few weeks. I haven’t talked to the doctor yet, but I envision a swift recovery. Seriously, I’ve heard I won’t be able to sit comfortably, but I play standing up, and we’ve got lawn chairs out on the deck where I can recline to rest.”

Jenn laughed and hugged her. “Oh, don’t I hope so, baby. You have way too much energy to sit still for long.”

Gina smiled. “Well, let me throw everybody a curve. I just heard that Beyonce and Taylor Swift had so much fun on Labor Day that they want to keep things rolling. That’s why Saturday Night Live was so excited to hear they want to do the Thanksgiving weekend. And of course, thye wanted the Wildcats to be the backup band.”

“Okay, but that’s old news.”

“Well, now the queens want to release a Christmas Album together. And they want Teri to have a hand in arranging and producing for them. When Lorne Michaels heard it, he started jockeying for a Christmas week, hour-long show. And guess who’s going to be involved.”

Teri groaned. “Sure, but that’s a huge amount of work. We can do it but I’m going to want some help.”

Gina smiled. “How about if we rehearse and record everything at our house? We could bring in DJ Blank and Phil to do the work, and we could all lend a hand with the arrangements. It could work.”

Teri grinned. “I think it’s crazy to whip everything up while we need to work on our SNL appearance, too.”

Gina smiled. “I’ve got a suggestion. Let’s simply postpone the Wildcat’s SNL appearance and do it in the Spring before we go out on tour. That would give us a chance to get some new cuts recorded and published before we head to Europe.”

“And how do we handle getting an album produced for the goddesses by a Christmas release?”

“Well, I’ve heard that both of them have songs ready, and you will have to rearrange material for them to sing. If they want to do it, we should just help out. And let’s face it, Teri. Right now, both of them see you as a genius.”

Tiffany learned it. “So here’s how it could work. Give them the SNL Christmas show and forget the hour-long special. Both of these women are famous for dropping albums whenever they want. They can drop this one a week before their Christmas appearance. I am sure that Lorne Michaels will let them do as many songs as they want, but it will be a lot simpler and keep us out of the limelight.”

Gina was nodding. “That’s pure genius. And it will give Zoe and Teri a chance to have a quieter holiday. We should talk with everyone this week and then tell Richard what we think.”

Tiffany went back to talking to Conor, and Gina drifted over and sat with Amy. She couldn’t wait to tell Teri’s mom all about the painting she had ordered for Grace. “It will be the view of Central Park from her condo. That way, she can hang it in her office where she meets with patients. I’m meeting with her favorite artist and arranging for her to take photos. Hopefully, it’s going to remain a surprise.”

Amy smiled. “What a great idea! You know that Grace will love anything from you! Okay, but now some serious stuff. I’m always wondering about you and Grace. Have you two ever thought about getting married?”

Gina hugged Amy and gave her a peck on the cheek. “I have thought about it. I guess I think about it more than Grace. Back when we were in New Orleans and after seeing Brono’s brother, Amos, heading toward us with a loaded gun, I had an epiphany. Life is too short, and Grace is way too important to me. I told her then, but she turned me down. She loves me and we’ll be together forever. I guess that’s all I can do.” Gina leaned over and whispered, “Between you and me, I think she’s afraid.”

Amy was surprised. She thought that Grace would have loved to marry Gina. “Afraid of what?”

“I think Grace has this notion that by giving me free will and not being married, it’s reverse psychology. I think she’s saying no in hopes that I’ll keep asking. You know, we have a perfect relationship.

Amy whispered, “I heard that you have an open relationship. I don’t know much about that, having never been married.”

Gina hugged her again. “Yeah, I keep forgetting about you and the sperm bank. I think that’s the gutsiest thing I’ve ever heard. But I see love as much more important than random sex. The couple of times that we’ve fought and Grace has kicked me to the curb, well, it kills me. And it’s never over someone else either. It’s just that Grace sometimes gets freaked out that I’m only twenty-two.”

Amy shook her head. “Grace looks a lot younger than thirty-five. I feel pretty inadequate when I look in the mirror and think that I’m eight years older than her.”

Gina smiled. “It’s all genetics. But she is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever been around.”

Amy hugged her back. “Well, if you don’t mind me battering you with personal stuff, I’m curious about the band on the road. Smith is the first guy I have ever seen my daughter get all excited about. I thought that she’s a lot like you with the casual sex thing. But I’ve never asked.”

Gina laughed, thinking about the offer she received that morning from her driver. She was still considering it and knew where the cute woman could be found. But right now, she had more important things to think about. “Yeah, funny you should mention that. When I’m on the road and Grace is in New York, casual sex seems all right. But I don’t go hunting down anyone ever. I guess that’s just my thing. You know, if I get an offer, it’s always on the table.”

“Well, how about my daughter? And please don’t ever tell her that we had this conversation.”

Gina winked. “This conversation never happened. But Lisa’s different. She’s kinda like a camel that can go a long time in the desert without water. On the road, once in a while, you know there’s going to be some lucky guy popping up, and then that’s it for a while. She never seemed to be into sex. But that has certainly changed.”

Gina shook her head. “She had a thing going with Teri’s anesthesiologist. They were friends with benefits. But Smith. Oh wow. That’s a whole different story. I’d never seen her behave like she does with Smith. Seriously, when they met in the Carolinas at the movie set, well, we all looked in amazement at how hard they fell for each other. It’s scary just how compatible they are.”

“Uh-huh. I’ve noticed that too. But she’s not like a lovesick girl mooning all about him. It’s like they’re kindred spirits and have known each other for a lot of lifetimes. And he’s such a good guy. I think he loves her.

“Oh, he does for sure. Did you see the ring?”

“Ring? Is that what you call that stone? It’s more like a boulder! I think that’s the first time I’ve seen three carats of flawless diamond.”

“Uh-huh. She keeps it on a chain around her neck. I see her stare at it for a while and gaze off. I’ve never seen her like this before. The whole band loves him, and the two of them are a match.”

“You know, when Conor saw that ring, he asked me if I wanted one, too. The man’s way too wealthy, and I know he’d buy me something in a heartbeat. But I told him I’m happy that way we have it. I never want to replace Zoe’s mom. The two of them loved her way too much.”

Gina smiled. “You know, Mrs. Nelson, you are so smart. I guess that’s where Lisa gets her Zen from. She is special.”

Amy whispered, “I’m betting that after Zoe’s baby is born, Lisa and Tiff are going to commit, too. I see a whole different tour with the Wildcats. I think you’re going to need a nursery when you head out the next time.”

Gina laughed. “Well, you’re looking at one girl that won’t be delivering….”

Teri was watching and attempting to read lips. She felt content simply being there, absorbing it all.

Thirty minutes later, Robyn kicked everyone out. Then she had Teri up and on her feet again. As they were walking through the Recovery section, feeling started returning to her legs. But her surgical area remained numb. “Is that normal to still feel numb down there, Robyn?”

“Once the doctor removes all the packing, you’ll regain more feeling. However, those nerve endings need to recover. Numbness is not related to the recovery process. You are healing every day, inside and out.”

After returning from her walk, all her visitors returned to the room. As Teri was back in bed and getting comfortable, she looked around. She felt her eyes starting to close. All the voices began to blend and fade. As she shut her eyes, it felt like things got quieter. Teri smiled. It did feel right to take a nap. She felt a kiss and heard Jenn’s voice whispering in her ear. “Close your eyes and rest. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

At the luggage carousel in the Philadelphia airport, Bruno smiled as he grabbed each piece of their luggage and loaded it onto a cart. After Zoe waved at him and gave him a thumbs up to confirm that he had everything, they headed to a different part of the airport and walked through the doors to the outside. A white SUV started up when the driver spotted the couple. As they climbed in, Zoe gave the man directions to the hospital.

She turned to Bruno. “After I get there and figure out what’s going on, I’ll give you a call.”

Bruno kissed her forehead. “Tell everyone I said hi, especially Teri. I’ll take our luggage home and wait to hear from you. I need to check in and see what’s going on with business. After all, somebody has to pay for our vacation. Plus, we need to have the contractor come out and measure for our new waterfall shower.”

Zoe leaned over and kissed him. She knew that she could have easily used Wildcat money to pay for their vacation, but Bruno was old school and liked to pay, too. “That’s going to be exciting.” She squeezed his arm and slipped out at the hospital entrance.

As Bruno unpacked the luggage from their shuttle, he looked up at their townhouse, considering whether they needed to expand the place. He’d always used the four-story building as his home and office. It worked perfectly when he was a bachelor, dating Zoe, but everything was changing. After tipping the driver, he dragged all the bags through the front door and to the elevator. Bruno knew that most of their clothes were headed to the washer. The laundry room was off their bedroom and walk-in closets.

After he sorted and started a load, he called his agent. Meanwhile, his contractor returned his call and scheduled a time to discuss the project. Bruno had taken dozens of photographs of the unique shower in Hawaii, where water flowed over the rocks and splashed into the shower.

He grinned as he thought about Zoe. When he met her five years ago, he immediately knew he was hooked. Bruno respected Zoe’s bond with the band and recognized the essential role they played in her life. He felt secure and was never threatened while watching the women interact with each other. In his mind, he had married into a family of Wildcats, content to share Zoe with the other young women. The Wildcats were a significant part of her identity; it was all about the music.

While he’d never played an instrument, he understood the magic that had her transfixed. He compared it to painting. He recalled that one time, Zoe watched as he worked and asked, “What are you thinking about when you’re painting?”

He stopped and thought. “I don’t know. I guess I’m not thinking about anything except focusing on the task at hand. I’m not daydreaming or letting my mind wander. It’s all about the brushstrokes, the color, and blending to create what I’m hoping for. Funny, how I never gave it much thought.”

Zoe moved closer to his face. “When you stop, how do you feel inside?”

He blinked and laughed. “I feel content, very happy.”

She kissed him. “You understand what music does for me.”

Now, when he painted, he became increasingly aware of his actions. The task became all-consuming, drawing him into a deep immersion in his work. He could paint for hours, entirely losing himself in the process. He had to admit that he longed to attain that state of mind and lose himself entirely. He recognized it was his drug.

He understood how Zoe’s mental health depended on playing her music. She needed her fix, and he enjoyed watching her reach for a guitar. He loved listening to her start strumming. He could hear her hum and sing to herself as she played. Sometimes, he would watch her play the same riff repeatedly until she felt satisfied that it sounded smoother as her fingers glided across the fretboard.

When Zoe walked into the Recovery Lounge, she was greeted by the crowd of Teri supporters who embraced her with hugs and kisses. “Hey, gang!”

She grinned as everyone needed to touch her belly and comment on how she looked. Zoe grinned. Even though it had only been a couple of weeks since they’d left for Hawaii, she knew that she’d started to drop and gain more bulk. Knowing that her baby needed whatever it wanted, Zoe grinned. She peeked in on Teri, who was just opening her eyes from a nap. She smiled at Teri and blew her a kiss. “How’s my girl doing?”

Teri blew the kiss back and gave her a thumbs up. “Doing great,” she croaked out.

Jenn had been keeping Teri company while she napped and gave Zoe a big okay sign. “She’s doing great. We all gave her a break and let her rest. She hasn’t been out of surgery for twenty-four hours, but we’re rooting for a speedy recovery.”

Zoe winked. “Are you going to sneak her off to your apartment and keep her all to yourself?”

Jenn laughed and shook her head. “Yeah. Right. I’m scared to death that I won’t be able to handle everything. I’m hoping everyone will drop by and keep Teri company. I’m afraid that she’s going to get bored just being restricted to lying down. And I’m starting classes next week on Monday, and it might all be shaky at the beginning.”

As everyone returned to the room, Tiffany stared at her. “What’s this about lying down?”

Amy explained, “Her whole surgical area will be healing for a couple of weeks. She’ll be able to lie down or recline. But no hard surfaces on her butt for a while. I’ve already bought her an inflatable donut to sit on. But she’s going to grow uncomfortable quickly.”

Jenn nodded. “That’s my fear. Teri’s not a sit-still kind of girl. She likes to be moving, and I don’t want her popping any stitches.”

Tiffany was hugging Jenn. "Well, I’m coming by to entertain her. Perhaps we can create a list and take turns. I’m signing up for the first couple of days."

Gina was laughing. “Good idea. However, we can tag-team this operation, and I’ll help Tiff for a couple of days. We can entertain the Little Shit, and Jenn can concentrate on getting straight A’s.”

Amy listened. “Good plan, ladies. But Momma Bear is going to be hovering all over the whole thing. She’s my baby even though she’s eighteen.”

Zoe laughed. “I hope your apartment is large enough, Jenn. It’s going to get pretty crowded.”

Amy laughed. “It’ll all work out. Honestly, she’ll be doing a lot of napping for the next couple of weeks. She’s not going to be a lot of laughs for a while.”

“Hey,” a voice croaked. “Don’t underestimate your Little Shit. I’m not down for the count.”

While Zoe hugged her and they laughed, Robyn interrupted. “I’ve got to take our patient out to walk for about ten minutes. You can all wait here in Teri’s room. We’ll be back soon, and the doctor is coming up at two o’clock to talk to you. Hopefully, she’ll tell you about Teri’s surgery and discharge.

In the afternoon, everyone met Teri’s surgeon, Sydney Rallings. She shook hands and smiled. “I guess I’m meeting all of the famous Wildcats of Allentown, PA. It’s nice to see the faces of the women we’ve been listening to in the operating room. We like your rock. It keeps us energized. But I need you to give us a few minutes. I have to do some work with Robyn, and then I’ll want to talk to Teri, Jenn, and Amy.”

She watched everyone line up and leave. Then, the doctor looked around and focused on Teri. “Your surgery went well, much better than I’d hoped. We utilized an alternative technique and used a surgical robot to go through your belly button. You’ll see our little indentations under the bandages. This allows us a lot more time inside without as much cutting. In your case, where you have some internal female organs, we had a chance to examine them carefully. After studying your MRIs, X-rays, and CT scans, it was great to finally see what I was working with. You have a very healthy set of ovaries that we were able to connect to your newly constructed vagina. We used a small portion of your stomach lining, making the operation straightforward. Using this technique means that you’ll heal faster and possibly self-lubricate.“

“Now, we’re going to remove your dressing and take a look at everything. Normally, I’d kick everyone out, but since you’re going to be her home care provider and Amy is a surgical nurse, please stay.”

Teri watched as miles of gauze and tape were taken out from between her legs. She was still numb and couldn’t feel anything except for the occasional tug or pinch. It was strange to watch and imagining herself giving birth to a boa constrictor.

“This is kinda gross, isn't it?” Teri looked up at the doctor.

“You get used to it. But it’s not so bad because we didn’t have to do the usual inversion and deconstruction. The fact that you’re intersex made it a simpler procedure. We did have to move your urethra and snug all the new material into place, but your recovery should be a bit faster baring any unusual complications. Of course, every patient is unique.”

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Dear Readers, I have inserted a rewrite in place of the earlier publication. It's still rough.

The last day in the hospital was a blur. Jenn and Amy helped her pack up her cosmetics and toiletries. Jenn had brought her an outfit that would be comfortable for the ride home. Amy had told Conor to wait in the parking lot until she called to tell him they were on their way.

Finally, both Robin and Julia helped her down to the lobby. After many hugs and a thank you, Jenn handed Teri two small gift boxes to give to them. Teri glanced at Jenn, then she said to the nurses, “We want you to open them.”

They watched both nurses unwrap the robin egg blue paper to see a square box with the name Tiffany imprinted on it. Inside was a gold bead bracelet with a mini-heart charm. Both women thanked Jenn and Teri effusively and promised to look for the Wildcats the next time they were on TV.

As Amy was slipping an inflated donut cushion under her butt, Teri turned around to Jenn. “Thank you for getting those gifts together. You’re still ten steps ahead of me.”

“You’re welcome. But your brain will be back to normal in a few days. You’re still working on massive doses of Tylenol to ease the discomfort.”

Teri shook her head. “The pain isn’t really bad. But I’m looking forward to sleeping through the night without being woken every two hours for a nurse to check on me. Just being able to sleep with you is going to be wonderful.”

As Amy buckled her youngest daughter into Conor’s big four-door pickup, she kissed her on the cheek. “Well, here’s to hoping that you’re comfortable in your new apartment. You’ll need to be up and about during the day. Circulation is important to recovery.”

Teri kissed her back. “Thanks, Mom. I appreciate everything that you and Conor are doing for us. Since Jenn had to park her car back at our house, we’re going to be relying on public transportation and the Wildcat’s limo service to come home to visit. We do have a parking space that we bought with the condo. I guess I could practice my driving so I can commute to Allentown to work at the house each day.”

Jenn was smiling. “Right. As soon as Teri can take care of herself, we’re getting her back to the band house so she can work. And after I work the kinks out of my schedule, I’ll be coming back to the band house, too. I can study just as well out in the country, and we can use our apartment whenever we need it.”

Conor looked up at Jenn. “That’s smart. Of course, you’ll be giving up a lot of the social atmosphere of college life, hiding out in Allentown while Teri works.”

Jenn nodded. “I’ll have the best of both worlds with no one really telling me what to do. Having a rich girlfriend is pretty cool.”

Teri laughed. “So I am officially the rich girlfriend, huh?”

Jenn smiled. “My rock star’s videos are posted on the Wildcat’s YouTube channel. Everyone in the world watches her now. And sometimes she’s on Instagram and TikTok. Before long, she’ll be signing autographs wherever she goes.”

Teri frowned. “I hope not. I’d gladly leave the fame behind, thank you. The other Wildcats can have the paparazzi all to themselves. I’ve had one stalker and that was one too many.”

As they unloaded everything and carried it into the elevator, Teri leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. Jenn looked over and whispered in her ear. “How about if you just lie down for a while and rest. Your body is not used to all this activity. You’ve been lying down for the past five days.”

Teri kissed her mom and hugged Conor thanking them for their help, promising to see them soon. Then, Teri let Jenn help her back to the bathroom. After going to the bathroom, the two of them took a shower together. After that, they climbed into bed and Jenn held Teri while she slept.

Around five o’clock, Jenn got a phone message from Gina. She hung up and turned to Teri. “Hey, Rock Star. Grace and Gina are coming over and bringing dinner with them. I was thinking that it would be fun to go up on the rooftop deck and eat up there. What do you think?”

Teri smiled at the thought of seeing Grace. “Yeah, great idea. But I need to wash and brush if we’re going to be entertaining. Hopefully, we’ll find a little privacy up there. That deck is pretty cool and I’m sure more than one condo wants to use it.”

“Well, Gina said that she and Grace are going straight up to the roof with the food and will be waiting up there for us at six o’clock. They’ll be able to get a spot for us.”

Teri sat on her inflated donut and worked on her hair and makeup. She felt some discomfort, but nothing really painful. She was enjoying the fact that everything felt pretty natural both inside and out. Jenn had found her a long colorful peasant dress to wear that would not be tight or confining. At six o’clock, they rode the elevator up to the roof.

As everyone watched Teri come through the doorway, they gathered around and yelled out in surprise with a lot of cheering. After that, one by one, they approached her with hugs and kisses.

Teri was amazed that everyone had shown up. She saw Jessica and Mac, Richard and Phil, Robert from the club, DJ Blank and a beautiful new girlfriend, the whole band, including Lisa and Smith, Tiffany and Mike, Zoe and Bruno, and Amy and Conor. It was quite a gathering, and her emotions were fluctuating with every hug and kiss.

After a while, Teri started to get lightheaded and realized she’d been standing for a long time. She still felt comfortable greeting all her friends and wasn’t ready to end her day.

Teri knew that her week in the hospital had been beneficial. She understood that everything she did there aided her recovery. She felt strong and in control of her body. Spending so much time on her back wasn’t her preference, but she had enjoyed the naps. She never had more than three hours of uninterrupted sleep. As a result, she grew tired easily. The real solution was that she needed to be up and active, then sleep through the night.

Thank goodness, Teri thought, Julia and Robyn had gotten her up and walking countless times each day. Before she left, a physical therapist visited her several times and discussed exercises and how to gradually increase her activity. The therapist cautioned Teri that her muscles wouldn’t atrophy, and she could take her time returning to pre-surgery standards.

The first couple of days after her surgery had been rocky until the anesthesia finally left her body, and the dizziness had stopped. The Tylenol she was taking for pain didn’t seem to affect her brain, particularly her balance, and she finally felt clearheaded.

Her doctor warned her that the surgical area would itch more than it would hurt, reminding her that the nerve endings would regrow and reconnect over time, leading to increased sensitivity. The doctor was more concerned with Teri keeping herself clean. She discussed UTIs, or Urinary Tract Infections, and how to prevent them. The best part was that Jenn was present at all these conferences, and Teri felt reassured that a second set of ears would help.

As she was leaving, Robyn handed her a box containing the same dilators she’d been taught how to use this week. One time, Teri looked up the word "dilate" and discovered that it was a verb: to make or become wider, larger, or more open.

Jenn had leaned in and whispered, “Your first sex toy.”

Teri walked around and spotted Phil and Richard. She always thought of the two of them as her uncles. Of course, she gave Phil and Richard big hugs, telling them that she couldn’t wait to play her new vinyl on the stereo she’d installed back at the house. “When I get home to the band house, the first thing that I’m going to do is relax and listen to my Rock Gods! These are the Masters!” She paused for emphasis, then turned to Phil. “And I really want to record some new material. Having to stay laid up in the hospital for a week was tough; my brain kept coming up with new songs and lyrics for the band. I wrote up everything and I can’t wait to get back to work.”

Phil glanced at Richard and smiled. Richard turned to Teri. “Uh, just so you know, we had a gentleman’s wager that you’d be writing new material for another album when you were still in recovery. We figured that you could never just sit.”

Teri smiled. “That was the bet? And what did you bet?”

Phil blushed while laughing. “I’m not going to tell you, but I won.”

Richard grinned. “It’s the kind of bet that we both come out winners.”

Teri blushed, too. “This sounds like an X-rated bet that I’m not old enough to visualize.”

Richard smiled and then touched Teri’s arm to get her attention. “Have you heard about the changes we’re making with the SNL schedule and some cuts on a Christmas album with Taylor and Beyonce?”

“Yep. I’m excited about hearing the women’s songs and how we can get both voices integrated. And now they want it all done by Christmas!”

“Well, I am sure that they’d love to get it done by December first so they can release it early enough in the season to get on the play lists. You know it’s going straight to number one.”

Teri shook her head. “Well, sure. If they can get everything to me ASAP, I will begin to work on it. Maybe we can record in our studio, too. Do you think we can get the Flower Sisters in to help out with the brass?”

Richard smiled. “I will contact them tomorrow and maybe schedule them to come up on their days off.”

Teri was nodding. “That’s great. How about strings? I mean, Tiffany can help out with cello, but I’m picturing a full orchestra.“

Phil nodded. “Sure. The studio where we recorded your demo singles would be able to handle it. We just have to keep things under wraps so no one knows about the duo recording together. If no one knows it’s coming and it gets done by December first, it will shake the whole music world.”

Teri smiled. “I’m going to need lots of help. How about getting Blank to be around when we’re recording? That would be an extra set of hands and ears.”

Phil nodded. “Maybe we can talk to Bill Wiggins and see if we can draft some help.”

Teri thought for a minute. “There’s this recording studio in New Orleans, in the Treme, that Bill helped back. We did some work there. Maybe that might work.”

Richard was smiling. “It would be amazing if the Flower Sisters and Blank could help. It would make the studio end multi-cultural.”

“And don’t forget that I’m in the LGBTQ category, too. But I do have a question and would appreciate your advice on other matters. Is it wrong for us to start developing and playing new material even though the album’s only been out for a couple of months? If we start playing new stuff that someone tapes and uploads, will that bother Warner?”

Richard smiled. “No, I think it’s what happens to every band. There’s a whole world of music swappers who go around and tape band shows and then run ads swapping their recorded versions with other people. Some of that stuff is played on the radio. For example, if someone recorded an early version of “Show Me Your Love” and compared it to what you play now, there’s a world of difference. And while some people love the newest version, there are collectors who will seek out older versions to discuss and critique.”

Teri nodded. “Okay. I do variations of my guitar solos on Sam Cooke’s song, “Long Time Coming.” I never thought it was a big deal, but you’re saying people are listening to that stuff. And how about back when we used to play “Paint It Black? The Wildcats have changed things up to make them better.”

Phil smiled. “And let’s get back to discussing playing new material before you record it. I believe that the more the band plays the songs, the better they sound. You guys showed it off in the Philly recording studio. The band came rehearsed and ready to record those songs. Your first album was a great example of well-practiced material. All that playing and rehearsing made that album a work of art!”

Richard laughed aloud. “Some of those hits are a year or two old. I agree that you rearranged some of them, and yes, some of them were new. But everything had been test-driven. Every song had lots of miles on it. That’s going to be true for your new stuff.”

Phil laughed. “Introducing new music helps keep the band on its toes. Every musician releases their music at their own pace. Taylor Swift released music throughout COVID-19. She puts out a record when the spirit moves her. Adele has let years go by between her releases, and she doesn’t seem to be on the clock. We can examine each band’s chronology; they’re all distinct. Personally, I think it’s essential to continue producing fresh music. As far as sales go, we don’t want the band’s luster to fade from everyone’s mind, and we shouldn’t wait too many years for another album.”

Teri gave each of them a hug. “I can see that we can discuss this for hours, but I hope that you’ll hang out and stick around for the party. It could turn into a fun night. You don’t have to leave early? I’m assuming you’ll be staying the night?”

Phil smiled. “Of course. Throughout the time you've had the house in the country, we’ve been renting a condo outside of Allentown, not too far from Bruno. We’ve kept the lease there and, during the tour, used it as a place to change our clothes.”

Richard smiled and wrapped his arm around Phil. “And thanks to the Wildcats’ success, we’ve been able to sell our condo in Manhattan and find another one that we liked better. Neither of us has suffered hanging on to the Wildcat coattails.”

Teri smiled. “I think that it’s crazy and can’t believe how everything is happening so fast. It’s still weird for me to think that last spring I was worried about paying for a semester of music school, and now I could afford to start my own scholarship program.”

Richard smiled. “Your financial advisor should be able to offer you ways to create your own foundation to ensure that the charities you favor will receive some of the profits you make. And if everything is written correctly, you’ll be paying less taxes, too. But the important part is still to invest and put some of that money away.”

As they walked away, Teri shook her head. So much had changed in such a short time. It was crazy.

“Hey!”

Teri recognized a familiar voice. She turned and hugged Grace. “I love you and I’m so happy to finally see you. I missed you terribly and just wanted to call and talk on Thursday when we skipped our session.”

Grace frowned. “Are you okay?”

Teri laughed and squeezed her tightly. “I’m great. But I just wanted to hear your voice, and well, see your smile. I have to tell you about this crazy dream I had when I was in surgery. The doctor wasn’t sure, but she said that if the anesthesiologist had been using certain medications during my surgery, I could have been dreaming. Well, I found myself right on top of my imaginary hill. You know, the one that we created to help me with my anxiety. And I had a chance to live in my world and explore. I walked through the woods and swam under the ocean. It was amazing, and so realistic. I loved the adventure!”

Grace smiled. “I’m just glad that you made it through the surgery and came out on the other side with a positive attitude. Seeing you smile is reward enough for me.”

Gina appeared and stood there grinning from ear to ear. She looked at Grace and started telling a story. “You know, a long time ago, when you first joined the Cats, I asked Grace what she thought was going to happen to you. You know, back then, you were disguising yourself as Tasha and trying to work through everything. Back then, we didn’t even know anything about your intersex diagnosis. I was wondering where your masquerade was going to take you. I thought you were female from the start. You were just too beautiful and always got my motor running. And boys don’t do it for me.”

Teri laughed. “Oh, I remember. I was going through a lot of confusion. I was dressing up as a woman and trying to play the part. It was crazy. Jenn seemed to like Tasha, and she played a big part in the Wildcats. I loved what was happening, but felt a lot of guilt, too. And then finding out that I was intersex!”

Gina nodded.

“Yeah. My life’s been like one of those video games where things come at you and change you, and you still have to keep exploring and completing the quest. It’s like one huge reality test that never ends.”

Gina hugged her. “You got it there. You’re on a never-ending journey.”

“I don’t know.” Teri turned to Grace. “But isn't that kind of what life’s all about? I mean, we try to have control, but sometimes it's like riding a tornado, hanging on for your life.”

Grace agreed. “Well, sure. You’ve been through a lot and worked hard to handle it. And besides discovering the mental and physical issues of being intersex, you’ve been dealing with the success of the band. I think you’ve been doing a masterful job of keeping your head above water.”

“Uh-huh. Having the Wildcats blow up so quickly has been something I could have never imagined. And everything I touch seems to turn to gold.”

Gina shook her head. “You’re a wizard, Teri. You are magic. But tell Grace about your Vampire love opera.”

Grace laughed. “Oh, but do tell. I always love to hear where your imagination unfolds.

Teri smiled. “It’s my take on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. They are both Vampires from different clans. And when they fall in love, it starts a lot of friction.”

Gina laughed. “Uh-huh. Teri is just light years ahead in planning for the band’s future. And from what I hear, this month she has to create and produce an album from Beyoncé and Taylor Swift’s songbooks for a Christmas record. And it has to be done before December 1st.”

Grace shook her head. “Is that all? So you have the other half of September, October, and November to wrestle this project together for the world’s biggest superstars.”

Teri laughed and covered her mouth. “And the whole thing has to be done in complete secrecy. We’re thinking about recording it out at our house in the basement.”

Grace shook her head and turned to Gina. “What do you think about all of this?”

Gina laughed. “Hey, we're just riding our Little Shit’s rocket. The rest of us spent four years touring every dive bar and small club playing music every night. We could only dream about what’s happening to us now.”

Dear Readers, This is a continuation of the updated version

.Seven
.

Smith stood there, listening to Gina, Grace, and Teri discuss how the Cats had become so popular. He knew they had a lot more ups and downs ahead. He decided to jump in to share his own experiences. “Yeah, I know that I’m ancient history, but twelve years ago, when EBR left high school, we were content to just play in Texas. Back then, that seemed big enough for a four-piece punk band. We never knew that everything would explode and take off. A year later, we were in demand and needed a manager just to keep track of the bookings and handle all our money.”

Smith frowned. “But after three years, we stopped talking to each other. When we broke up, none of us wanted to see each other for a long while. Eaten By Raptors rocketed up into the stratosphere but burned up on reentry.”

Teri was nodding. “Yeah, but the reunited EBR is going to come back so hot and so strong. You’ve got a new record with new tracks. You’ve got set lists mixing new arrangements of your old hits. It’s there whenever you want to play.”

Gina was smiling. “When we were eighteen, we did our own bookings, and for four years, we took every gig we were offered. No one was seeking us out, so we learned the hard way about the importance of self-promotion. We played any joint that would pay us. But through all that hardship, it was us against the world. It made us strong because we loved what we did.”

“Yeah, you guys never knew just how good that was for you. We lost control of our own destiny, and we’re swayed by the big record company into becoming wind-up robots. We never knew where we were. We just went on stage and played the same stuff over and over again until we were sick of it. Whenever we had a new song, the producers had to decide if it fit our image before we were even allowed to play it onstage.”

Gina shook her head. “While you guys were being manipulated, the Cats became tighter. We believed we had reached our peak and couldn’t get any better. And maybe that was true. But after four years of dragging around playing our music, we’d reached a dead end. We were butting our heads against the wall, and couldn’t get any recognition. Seriously, we were getting burnt out. But that’s when Teri rehearsed her original songs and played with us for a weekend at the Rendezvous. Richard and Phil came down from New York, and they convinced us that Teri was the missing piece of the better puzzle.”

Smith shook his head. “Yeah, you guys got to take it slow and get it right. When we began to blow up, we were seriously blindsided. We were completely inexperienced, and our manager left, stating that he didn’t want to go full-time. So when our music climbed the Billboard charts, we had no idea how to handle it. A record company signed us and took over the management duties. The band got popular, and it got crazy. We discovered we’d signed this terrible contract, and they owned us. And that’s when they started to take advantage of us. They made the real money, and we did all the work. You've had it so differently.

Gina was nodding. “Right. But how lucky we were that Teri had no desire to become the boss or in charge of the Wildcats. There were no ego clashes. It was never Teri and the Wildcats. Teri has been the most diplomatic writer, producer, and musician I’ve ever known.”

Teri shook her head. “We’ve been fortunate to have so many experienced and generous people watch over and guide us. Seriously, since I joined the band, I’ve witnessed amazing people reach out to help us. Robert Davis from the Rendezvous always booked the band. He even let us record our first live cuts right in the club using his equipment. He introduced us to Phil and Richard. They gave us our first check and covered the cost of the studio demo. Conor paid for our website, so we could upload our material. DJ Blank started playing our club song and introduced us to Ellen. After that, Bill Wiggins signed us and personally directed our production and distribution, moving us into the stratosphere.”

Smith was grinning. “Yeah, we were totally the opposite. One day, we’re playing a rock club in Austin, and the next, we’re reading all this made-up stuff about us in Tiger Beat. We couldn’t stop laughing after seeing our faces on school lunch boxes.”

Lisa patted her boyfriend on the back. “Well, I know two Wildcats that each had one of those lunchboxes and still get all wet thinking of EBR, a band of eighteen-year-old hunky guys. I know that Eaten influenced them to become punk rockers.”

Teri was laughing. “It’s hard to think of Zoe and Tiffany as impressionable teenyboppers.”

Lisa shook her head. “I met them when we were in high school and on the same varsity volleyball team. But those young women still loved to play their EBR tunes.”

Smith shook his head. “After three years, we were ready to stop talking to each other. Once we finished our three-record deal, we didn’t want to be Eaten By Raptors anymore. We each felt isolated and alone. No one reached out to help us.”

Lisa pointed her finger. “We’ve been so lucky. We’ve had great people offering us help. These past months have been crazy for us. After the Ellen Show, she referred us to The Tonight Show. Then GLOW was sponsoring the band, and Barb and Jersey Girl have been treating us to great clothes. Everybody’s been trying to help us.”

Teri smiled. “Did you ever wonder why they love us so much? Is this like a reverse sexism thing, where it’s good for everyone to support beautiful women playing rock?”

Lisa hugged her sister. “Well, that would be a big turnabout. We’d had record companies tell us that we didn’t fit their profile. We’ve been turned down. They were saying girl bands don’t sell albums. Until William Wiggins came along and forced Warner Records to support us, we were out on our own. Of course, that only made us stronger because you came up with the idea to sell our tunes online from our own site. We’ve endured so many ups and downs together. But it’s cool, little sister, to see that you’re lumping yourself in as a beautiful woman. I like your show of confidence.”

Teri blushed. “Well, kinda. I mean, I’m not fishing for compliments, and maybe I don’t hold a candle to the rest of you, but I do kinda blend in. I still think it’s weird to have morphed into who I’ve become. But it’s okay.”

Smith laughed. “Stop, Teri. You’re just as beautiful as the rest of the Cats except for maybe…”

Lisa had already made a fist and was winding up.

Smith stepped back out of reach as he snapped his fingers. “Yeah, you know that blonde lead singer, whatshername? Now she’s a fox!”

Teri watched, then turned to her sister. “You know, I noticed that you like to smack Smith a lot. I mean, you don’t hold back.”

Lisa smiled as she pulled her boyfriend into her arms and kissed him. “'Cause he’s just so darn cute. And honestly, he’s fun to punch! Kinda like sex.”

Teri hugged her sister. “Hey! Speaking of that, I haven’t asked yet. How was Nashville? You guys start any babies?”

Teri had to laugh when she saw her sister and Smith suddenly look at each other and blush. She realized that her comment had pushed a button. Knowing she was suddenly in on their secret, she smiled and said in a hushed voice, “Hey, did I guess right? Are you pregnant?”

Lisa shook her head vigorously as she grabbed Teri by the arms. “No, no babies. But we’ve both talked about it, and it’s out on the table. But remember that we’re still talking, not starting.”

Teri was smirking. “Yeah, it’s the Zoe effect. I overheard Mom and Gina back in the hospital, and Mom thinks that Zoe’s baby is going to create an avalanche with you and Tiff. She said something about having to need a nursery for the tour.”

Lisa laughed. “I can picture tiny little tots with tiny little passports.”

Smith frowned. “And cases and cases of diapers. We’ll need a box truck just to carry all the paraphernalia: the strollers, the playpen, the rockers, cribs, and so many toys. Just thinking about all those babies is too much!”

Teri smiled. “Smith, you seem pretty familiar with all that baby business. Do you have a secret family you’re not talking about?”

Smith looked pained as he shook his head. “No, I’m not the family man. But I’ve got eyes, and my band guys all have big families. That’s a great idea. If we’re going to take care of one, why not three? These junior Wildcats can grow up together.”

Tiffany poked her head in and laughed. “Mike will have a heart attack when I tell him we’re getting pregnant. I’m already driving him crazy being around him twenty-four-seven.”

Teri shook her head. “Nah. The guy is in seventh heaven, having you sexing him up all the time. He’s loving it.”

Lisa laughed. “Oh, Teri! You’re too much!”

Tiffany grabbed Teri and kissed her hard on the lips. “Nah, the little shit is right. I’m turning Mike into an old man with my demands. I never realized that once I opened that spigot, I couldn’t shut it off. Maybe all those years on tour left me with my needs unfulfilled. So now I’m filling up that tank.”

Mike came up and squeezed her. “Uh-huh. She’s got the libido of a nineteen-year-old boy. But I’m having fun trying to keep up.”

Lisa turned to Mike. “You missed the conversation. Tiff and I decided to both get preggers and have three little Wildcats go out with us for our European tour.”

Mike’s eyes widened. “Oh.” He turned to Tiffany and watched her nod.

Teri was impressed by his recovery when Mike said, “Uh, sure. I’m up for that.” He turned to Tiffany and said, “So we can throw the protection out and just knock a few out of the ballpark tonight, huh?”

Smith stared at Lisa. He grinned. “I guess this old man is in, too.”

Teri howled. “And just like that, peer pressure wins. Just don’t tell Jenn. She had this crazy notion a while back to be a teen mom. I think she’s forgotten all about that.”

Suddenly, Jenn called from near the food tables. “No, I haven’t forgotten, Teri Nelson. I figured if I could go to school and nurse you back to health, then I could take care of an infant.”

Smith shook his head. “How's that possible? I mean, you’re both women.”

Gina laughed. “Hey, cowboy. Wait until you hear Jenn’s plan.”

Jenn grinned and shared her idea. “Amy used the same sperm bank donor for both Lisa and Teri. So, my reasoning is to use the same sperm for the third time. That way, the baby would have the same sperm that fertilized Amy, and our baby would genetically be linked to both of us. You know, there’d be some of Teri’s genetic background fertilizing my egg and I’d be hatching it inside my body.”

Smith paused to digest what Jenn had said. Then he stared at Jenn. “That’s genius. So this baby will genetically be from the two of you.” He then turned to Lisa. “I never heard this story before. Now I have even more respect for your mom and know where you get all your independence from.”

Lisa kissed him and then turned to her sister. “We’ve gotta work on finding out who this sperm donor guy is. You know, track him down and see what makes him tick. Even though he doesn’t know we exist, he’s still our baby daddy.”

Teri shook her head. “Nah. That’s wrong. Baby daddies are there, you know, present. This guy has no idea where his sperm went. But I agree. We need to find a private detective who can be discreet and reliable. I don’t want to find our guy and suddenly introduce him to the family. I grew up with a mom and did just fine.”

Smith shook his head. “Yeah. You don’t need the scandal sheets suddenly connecting this guy with the two of you and the Wildcats. I can’t see any good coming out of it unless it’s for medical reasons. You know, hereditary deficiencies and that kind of stuff.”

Teri looked at them. “Do you think that his sperm caused me to be intersex? Is this all genetic? Will our baby be all right?”

Grace was nodding. “I think that bears some research. Lisa had no problems, but it would be a shame if his DNA produces problems.”

Lisa was smiling. “All the more reason to find a good detective, you know, one who is great and can keep it all hush-hush. Of course, we’d always worry about whether some guy could be trusted not to spill the beans.”

Teri laughed. “A guy, huh? How about a Super Woman to do the job?”

Lisa blushed. “Oh, my gosh. I never thought of Jessica Jade helping us out.”

Jessica hugged Lisa. “I heard the conversation and would be happy to track him down. If he’s a bad guy, we can arrange to make him disappear, right, Teri?”

Teri's eyes grew wide. “Uh, no. We aren’t going to go all Ninja on him. But maybe some long-distance watching. I guess it all depends. But can we keep ourselves out of all of this? I don’t want another stalker.”

They all glanced at one another and fell silent until Lisa finally spoke up. “So what do you think? Maybe if Jessica can investigate this guy, she might be able to locate him. At least she could do a whole bio on him, totally on the down low, and let us know.”

Teri nodded. “Are we ever going to contact him?”

Lisa shook her head. “Maybe someone isolated from us could contact him for medical information, but I don’t think we need to be friends. This guy might have a corporate job, and we can just tap into his health care files and slip away quietly.”

“Sounds like spy kind of work. But I was wondering what would happen if we just sent him a message?”

Lisa shook her head. “And what would you say? Like our mom used your sperm to have us, and we want a friend?”

Teri paused for a moment and laughed. “Yeah, that does sound creepy. How about if I just run up and hug him and start calling him daddy?” She smiled at her own words.

Gina laughed. “And after your heartwarming reunion, you’d want to introduce him to Jenn and show him pictures of you and Lisa performing on stage.”

“Yeah, that’s a fantastic idea. He can join us for Thanksgiving with the family.”

Gina shook her head. “And he’d give you hugs and kisses and buy you ice cream and a balloon.”

Teri blinked and nodded. “Do you think he’d buy me a pony to show how much he loves me?” She sighed deeply. “So I guess this isn’t going to become a lost family reunion, and I’m not ever going to have a father.”

Lisa hugged her little sister. “Yeah, I know that this crushes all your fantasies, but we’ve got to get his sperm sample to a research place that can examine his DNA and make sure it’s still good. Maybe you got the bad batch, you know, like your DNA went bad or something like that.”

Teri shook her head. “Thanks for lumping me in with the box of broken toys. I’ve wondered about the research on intersex DNA origins and where my DNA went awry. If I’m the DNA that went bad, like chicken salad with mayonnaise left out in the sun on a school trip, Jenn and I don’t want our babies to have genetic problems.”

Gina laughed. “I love chicken salad, and I love mayo. Curried chicken salad is one of my favorites.

“Mmm. I just had Pesto Chicken Salad that was awesome. Fresh basil, Parmesan, and olive oil.”

“Oh, that sounds delicious. But that creates another nickname for me. I can be Chicken Salad or maybe even bad mayo?”

Gina was laughing. “I like Mayo. That could be your name when you check into a hotel, Margaret Mayo.”

Teri winked. “I already have my check-in name. It’s J. Bach. You know, kind of like the composer.”

“Except different. Nah, I think you’d be too easy to search out.” Gina was thinking critically. “But I’ve got a great name, Joan Weston. She’s the most famous Roller Derby queen of all time.”

Tiffany was looking her up on her phone, “The Blonde Bomber.”

Gina gazed up at the sky and smiled. “She started it all.”

Jenn smiled and kissed Teri. “Honey, I don’t care if our baby is intersex or you want to call yourself Joe Mayo. I’d still love to take care of her. But I bet we can do intervention stuff, especially if we know what to look for before she’s born.”

Grace nodded. “They can do DNA testing on babies while they’re still in the womb. Give you time to prepare.”

Smith was listening and turned to Lisa. “Is there a chance you are carrying a recessive gene that could pass on intersex DNA, too?”

Lisa looked at Smith. “I would love any baby we had. If it were ours, I would lay down my life for her.”

Smith nodded. “Are we having girls? All I know is all about boy bands.”

Teri was trying to be serious. “I think we’re getting really ahead of ourselves. But maybe we should put a hold on babies until some questions are answered. God knows, Jenn doesn’t need any excuses. I think that she’d love to be pregnant right now.”

Jenn hugged Teri and kissed her. “But only with your baby, Rock Star. And she will be ours and perfect regardless of her DNA.”

Teri looked puzzled. “Why are we talking like all these babies are going to be girls?”

Gina laughed. “Well, it’s a baby moratorium until we get some answers. But once we get the okay, we all vote for girls ‘cause girls are perfect and boys are ‘tupid’.”

Tiff looked serious as she hugged Mike. “We could still get preggers, baby. My DNA is all warm and cuddly.”

Mike kissed her gently. “I love your DNA and want to be the one who makes a baby with you. We can start tonight.”

Tiffany kissed him on the neck and whispered in his ear before gently biting his earlobe.

Gina laughed. “Why do I think that you and Mike will have no trouble conceiving a baby? The two of you look like you’re ready to celebrate already.”

Tiffany kissed Gina on the lips. Then she looked her straight in the eyes. “I asked Mike if he’d impregnate you so we can have two perfect babies together.”

Gina kissed her back, then looked at Mike. “That’s kind of you to be so generous with your wonderful, caring boy toy. But what happens when he falls in love with me and doesn’t want to come back to you?”

Tiffany paused to think. “Hmmm. Well, we can’t lose our drummer, so I’ll just have to shoot him.”

Gina nodded and fist-bumped. “That’s fair. Wildcats first, right?”

Tiffany nodded. “Seems only right. Kinda like how the Black Widow spider kills their mate after it gets pregnant.”

Mike listened and then turned to Smith. “I think I’ve joined a cult.”

Smith looked around and laughed. “A hell of a cult.”

Gina smirked. “But wouldn’t everyone be comparing our two babies? Mine would be so adorable and cuddly with her curly brown hair and sparkly eyes. Gorgeous.”

“Mine would be blonde and beautiful.”

“Mine would be brilliant.”

“Mine would be beautiful and blonde, just like her mother.”

“And mine would have great rhythm and play in the dirt.”

“And mine would be blonde and beautiful.

“I can see our ditzy blonde bassist losing her baby at the baggage claim.”

“Oh, fuck you, wiseass. If Mike were my baby daddy, she would be the most beautiful baby of all time. My genes are super genes!”

Teri laughed. “Great name for a band - Super Genes!”

Gina was nodding. “Well, Smith played with EBR, Eaten By Raptors. We could have a band called DNA, deoxyribonucleic acid!”

Tiff blew Gina a raspberry. “You always have to show off your brain. Who the fuck cares about you being able to say deo-nucleic acid shit.”

Jenn and Amy came over and sat down next to Teri, who turned and smiled at them. “This surprise party is so much fun. It’s great.”

Amy whispered, “I know you’re having fun, but you need to be thinking about calling it a night. You need to watch your stamina and save your energy so that you can heal quickly and get back on your feet.”

Jenn encouraged Teri to get up. “C’mon, Rock Star. Let’s tell everyone good night.”

Teri sighed as she stood. “Yeah, you’re both right. I’m getting tired, and it’s going to take me a few extra minutes to get ready for bed. First night home, and I still have to dilate one more time. Oh, what fun, eh?”

With that, Teri walked around, thanking everyone and reminding them to visit. Then, she followed her mom and Jenn as they led her back downstairs.

After Teri took a shower and settled into bed, she could barely keep her eyes open as Jenn held her tightly. Teri smiled and kissed her face. “Well, we did it, huh?”

Jenn nodded. “Yep, we did. And I know how important it is for my wife to be happy.”

Teri paused to reflect. “Yeah, crazy. I’m gonna be your wife. I never thought about being a wife. I've never had any practice being a mom or a wife. No Barbies, no tea parties, no dress up. Instead, I was well-versed in sports, gaming, and music. I guess some of that overlaps, but I’ve got to learn a lot of things to be a proper wife for you.”

“A proper wife, huh? Like when I get pregnant, do you want to share the nursing duties?

“You mean, like, give our baby warm bottles of your milk late at night while you rest?”

“Well, more than that. You have ovaries that produce estrogen. And I read that the doctor can start you on a prescription that will enhance your breasts and milk glands. You’ll be able to feed our baby with the milk your body produces.”

Teri began to cry. “That’s crazy to even talk about my breasts like they count. Seriously, they are so small, how would I have enough space there to have milk? I get that our baby is going to have some of my genes and be fed with your milk. But that would be so crazy if my boobies could create milk. A year ago, sitting in study hall, I never thought that any of this would be happening.” She wiped the tears running down her face.

Jenn smiled. “Is that good?”

She smiled. “It’s seriously good. All this stuff was hidden from me until I started with the Wildcats. And then I discovered who I’m supposed to be. Everything was so deep inside, and it never started to happen until this crazy puberty started changing me. I was always an alien, but a sleeper alien that only came alive when my body pushed estrogen through me. That started me on a life-changing adventure. I mean, it’s like a video game, but it’s real. It’s like some crazy movie where I discover that I’m the son of Poseidon. Or my real parents were wizards. Instead, I discover that I’m intersex, and not who I thought I was.”

Teri hugged Jenn tightly. “It was so simple to slide into being Tasha and then evolve to be Teri. I don’t feel like an impostor. And really, getting my genitals lined up with the rest of my changing body is a gift. However, it’s still bizarre hanging out with old friends. Tony’s such a horn dog, and Don wants to be more than friends. I should wear a sign that says I’ve always liked girls. You know that hasn’t changed.”

Jenn was nodding. “So if I wasn’t here, would you make a play for Gina or some other woman who likes girls?”

Teri paused to think and shrugged. “I don’t know because there are too many what-ifs in the way. It’s really simple to say no because I love you. And all of this is so crazy ‘cause we’re talking about bringing a new life into this world and I’ll be part of it.”

“So, do you want to start now?”

Teri gulped and shook her head. “We need more information before we start. We have to track down my sperm daddy.”

“Sperm daddy!”

“Yeah, that’s not really a good song title, huh?”

“Yep. No Grammy award for Sperm Daddy!”

In the morning, Jessica Jade was excited about her mission for Teri and Lisa. Before she left the farm near New Hope, she and Mac tied up all the loose ends. She kissed him goodbye and headed down to Philly and the company where Teri’s mom said she bought the sperm. She met Lisa in front of the building in downtown Philly that afternoon.

The receptionist was extremely helpful after completing the identification process, which involved checking Lisa’s birth certificate and reviewing copies of her mother’s ID. Thirty minutes later, they were reviewing the records of John (Jack) NMN Dempsey while having coffee at Starbucks.

Lisa glanced at Jessica. “What does NMN mean?”

“No middle name.”

Lisa seemed annoyed. “Oh, that’s right. You do know your acronyms. So this guy could be a John Doe, with that fake name.”

Jessica wanted to explain. “Well, not necessarily. Although the records are twenty-five years old, this is what was recorded. We know that before donating sperm, Jack Dempsey had to undergo a multi-stage screening process that included a physical, blood work, and urine samples. But the good news is that they have ten more sperm samples in storage, so we can purchase one to have new tests run. The next step is to find a reputable lab to analyze the sample. Tracking down the guy himself is one part of the quest. The other part is finding out if his DNA is A-OK.”

“DNA is A-OK. You’re quite the comedian with your rhymes.”

“Yep. You truly master your acronyms when serving in the military. It’s really become a military, government kind of thing. Looking at it from your point of view, I guess it’s pretty silly.”

“I always forget your past. It never occurs to me that you were all kinds of special forces.”

“Yeah, being a Ranger was somewhere far back in my life. And even if it were just a decade ago, it’s ancient history. I only wish I could forget my past sometimes. It’s probably as deeply ingrained inside my brain as growing up with a crazy father. However, I made the best friends in the service, and, of course, fell in love with my husband as well. However, all that killing and the horrors of war continue to be crippling. These days, we recognize all that trauma and PTSD. Now, we’re helping our old military team deal with their past and move forward. We’ll work with anyone who needs support to get through the day.”

Lisa shook her head. “I was never a news junkie or a history buff. So I’m guilty of ignoring everything you and your buddies went through. Sometimes I feel like I’m pretty selfish. Should I feel bad about shutting out the world and its awful politics?”

Jessica shrugged. “Well, that's a yes and no answer. I don’t think that we should put war on a pedestal. Killing people, regardless of who they are, is such a wrong thing to do.”

Jessica hugged Lisa. “And no. I think you need to keep yourself sane and do whatever it takes to stay that way. I believe that if we see something, we should say something. And I do stand up and vote. I try to elect the local people that I admire and know will do the right thing for us. But I’m not a news junkie who can’t put down the remote. I think twenty-four-hour news explodes your brain. I don’t think that watching that much TV is sane.”

Lisa shook her head. “Yeah, sometimes that's really hard for me to want to vote when both candidates just don’t appeal. I know I should, but it’s easy not to vote.”

Jessica frowned. “Yeah, but that’s just giving up and handing the control over to someone else. I have a simple philosophy. I view candidates as bus drivers. I know that neither of them is headed exactly where I want to go, so I just choose the bus that is going closer to where I want to be.”

Lisa sighed. “That’s a great philosophy. But back to the basics. We still need to find a lab that can analyze DNA.”

Jessica nodded. “I was thinking. Your mom works with a doctor. He should be able to get us a good recommendation. And after that, we can talk to a genetic counselor, a medical geneticist, or even a forensic scientist to help us figure out the answers to what we want to know.”

Lisa appeared quite surprised. “How’d you know all of that?”

Jessica laughed. “Yeah, don’t I sound smart? We secret Wonder Woman types have this mysterious place where we go to get all the answers. But if I told you, I’d have to kill you!”

Lisa smiled. “Yeah, uh-huh. You Googled it.”

Lisa took out her phone and paused to read. “Oh, wow! The answer is yes; a person’s DNA can be tested to predict whether they are a carrier for genetic defects. So Jenn, Smith, and I could also have our DNA tested. That’s great!”

Jessica smiled. “And remember what Grace said. Even after a woman gets pregnant, she can have blood work done to give her more info.”

Lisa continued reading. “I wonder if we could get our John Doe, what’s his name, to get some blood work done.”

“Yep, excellent point. We’re going to talk more and more about Jack, no middle name, Dempsey.”

Dear Readers, This update has been inserted in place of my first try. When I reached a point in my story, I felt frustration and knew I needed to take a break. What I discovered was that it was much easier to start again

Eight

Lisa spoke with her mom, and then, they consulted Dr. Frankel. He was happy to provide them with the name of a lab that specialized in DNA testing. He smiled and reminded them that they had done a complete workup on Teri when they were diagnosing her intersex diagnosis.

“We looked carefully at Teri’s DNA. A test reveals a person's genetic sex and their sex chromosomes, specifically the X and Y chromosomes. However, a DNA test cannot definitely determine if someone is intersex. There’s a multitude of variations in chromosomes, genitals, hormones, and internal reproductive organs that don’t fit typical male or female patterns. So even when we knew a lot of the information about Teri, we really didn’t have everything we needed just from her DNA. Fortunately, we met with specialists who used CAT scans, MRIs, and X-rays. After all of that, we knew all about your sister. But our search went a lot further than just blood work.”

As they were thanking him, Dr. Frankel reminded them that intersex is not a disorder, just a natural variation.

After Lisa called and spoke to someone, they arranged for the lab to pick up the sample. As she told Jessica, “They specialize in transporting frozen samples back to their laboratory and making sure that everything stays clean and uncontaminated. It was just a question of giving them my credit card and asking to expedite the procedure.”

Jessica smiled. “It’s simple. Money talks.”

Lisa pondered this. “You know, it’s so strange how I’m not worrying about money anymore. The Wildcats went from being broke to being extremely wealthy. When GLOW offered us a million dollars to endorse their products, it was hard to fathom. But the point is, I’ve got it and need to become a lot more generous. I’m going to write you a check and donate it to your organization. I’m still thinking like I’m poor, and I need to change my perspective.”

Jessica laughed out loud. “Check? Do you have a checkbook?”

Lisa shook her head. “You caught me on a figure of speech. What I need to do is give you my credit card number and make a donation.”

Jessica nodded. “You know that’s great. We can use your money for battered wives and families, and helping our soldiers get back into society. I’m happy to donate my services to your detective work as well. You and Teri have helped me out many times in the past. But truthfully, our agency can always use more cash to help grease the wheels.”

When Lisa called to fill Teri in on what she knew, her question was, “How ya gonna track down my daddy? I do miss him so. And my birthday is coming up, and I want a pony. I want a black and white pony and I need a cowgirl outfit with white boots.”

Jessica heard her on speaker phone and laughed. “I’m working my way through Google, Facebook, the White Pages, and Ancestry.com. I’m hoping to get a hit.”

Teri laughed. “No Bat Cave? No digital computer magic where you can travel back in time and see my sweet papa donating his sperm. I wanted to see him walking out with a check in his pocket.”

As soon as she mentioned the word check, both Jessica and Lisa started laughing.

“What? What did I say?”

Lisa laughed at her younger sister. “Have you ever written a check?”

Teri thought for a minute. “Didn’t Mom used to give us checks for our birthday, or did she just put cash in an envelope?”

They were still laughing over the check thing.

“Hey. So if you get any hits, can I come along? I want to see my daddy up close and see if I look like him. I promise not to talk to him, just stare a bunch.”

Lisa shook her head. “And what if your dear poppa is spending life in a state prison for murder, or he’s on the run from the FBI for embezzlement?”

“Oh.”

“And what if Jack Dempsey has a real family and is a great dad to other kids our age? What would you do?”

Teri had to think for a minute. “Uh-huh. I’d knock on the door and when he answers, I’d throw my arms around him and hug him, calling him daddy.”

Lisa laughed. “You’re so ten years old.”

Teri smiled. “Yeah. Maybe I never matured past twelve or thirteen, probably ‘cause my puberty didn’t happen until later. But I like being Peter Pan. I like being a kid.”

Lisa shook her head. “You got away with the juvenile behavior because you wore a boy’s clothes for so long. Girls grow out of that silly stuff. And it’s obvious that you never thought about changing it up. Jenn must really love the boy who still wants to run away with the circus.”

Teri shook her head. “Hey, I deserve a break here. My musical ability is all mature and grown up; it’s just my point of view that’s juvenile. And I wonder about the boy-girl thing growing up. I never had any girl urges. And now, we’re talking about being parents, and I’m supposed to be a mommy, too. How weird does that sound? Jenn even says there’s a way that I can take shots and nurse the baby, too.”

“Teri, okay. I see the medical stuff, but seeing you as a nursing mother is kinda blowing my mind.”

“Yeah, me too. It wasn’t that long ago that I thought I was going to get testosterone shots and get all bulked up and be all macho. It’s strange to say it all out loud.”

Jessica was listening and decided to add to their conversation. “Okay. So by the time I was five years old, I knew I was in the wrong body. I talked to my older brother and my mom, but couldn’t go any further with it. My dad was a huge wall that made me keep it all bottled up inside. And all of that dysphoria haunted me for decades until I could change my outsides.”

Teri was trying to think about her past and if she ever felt differently. “Yeah, I really don’t know about me. The only thing I do know for sure is that I’ve never been more comfortable and happy. I wake up in a great mood and walk around humming all day long. But seriously, don’t you have any curiosity about this guy? After all, half your DNA comes from a stranger.”

Lisa laughed. “Okay, okay. I promise that you’ll be the first to know what we know. And, by the way. We’re giving a big donation to Jessica’s fund to help moms and kids who need help separating from their abusive husbands and starting a new life.”

“Yeah, that’s a great idea. I was thinking…”

Lisa smiled, “Okay, my sweet sister. What’s your idea?”

“Well, maybe Robert will let us play at the Rendezvous and do a long weekend of fundraisers. It would be our first weekend back as a band since Labor Day. We just have to wait until I’m well enough to stand on my feet for an evening. Maybe in two weeks?”

Lisa smiled. “Sure, that is a great idea that needs to be shared with the band. However, you will need your doctor’s approval for that. Without her permission, it’s a no-go. And I’ve gotta add, you always have great ideas, Tinker-bell.”

“Tinker-bell?”

“Sure, little sis. I can’t very well call you Peter Pan. I mean, that’s not fair to call you a boy’s name. Hmmm. I know. Okay, from now on, you can be called Pan.”

Teri struggled to find something good to say. “Pan sounds like a character in a Shakespeare play. You know, Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

“You’re thinking of Puck.”

Teri turned to her sister in awe. “You know Shakespeare?”

Lisa smiled excitedly. “Big secret here. News flash. I’ve read all of the work, whether William wrote it or not. And I believe that a woman wrote some of his plays.”

“How do you know?”

“I like reading about Shakespeare, too. And there’s a huge amount of documentation that questions whether Will had written any or all of his plays. Of course, we’d need a time machine to verify all of that.”

“ I never knew that. And all the plays? You’ve read them all?”

“All. Will gets credit for 38 plays, 154 sonnets, and poems. It became my obsession back in sixth grade when I could take his plays out of the library. And now I’ve reread them while we’re on the road. I’ve downloaded it all to my computer.”

Teri shook her head. “I never knew you read anything. I thought it was all about working up a sweat. Like with Smith.”

Lisa glared. “Huh? What does that mean?”

Teri started laughing. “Well, I guess you’re the only one who hasn’t noticed. But you and Smith definitely have a unique way of showing love. We’re all imagining your lovemaking is as physical as everything else you do. You’re a rock and roller babe, tough girl, athletic jock type. We pictured the two of you going at it like a mixed martial arts cage match.”

At first, Lisa stared at her sister, her brain suddenly pushed into overdrive. She was trying to work through what Teri had just said. After a minute of thinking, she grinned, smacking Teri on the arm.

“Ow! Hey, why’d you do that?”

Lisa wound up and smacked Teri again. But instead of taking the blow, Teri grabbed Lisa’s fist and surrounded it with two hands. Using her extra height, she pulled that fist downwards and held it there. Then, she let it go. Gritting her teeth, Teri said, “I’m not falling for that, you bully. First, I’m still recovering and shouldn’t be stretching my muscles too much. Second, this is not over, big sis. Just cause you're older doesn't make you better. When the doctor releases me, I promise that I will take you down until you beg for mercy. Let’s see, that’ll be March when I whoop your ass.” Then, Teri reached out and hugged her.

Lisa sighed. “I’m sorry. I forgot I was picking on a recovering patient. But it’s like you just tossed my whole relationship into one bucket. That sucks. It makes it sound like we’re just two rutting dogs.”

Teri squeezed hard. “Well, we all saw how you guys started out talking and flirting, and watched it ignite big time. After that, we enjoyed watching the fireworks that seemed to go on twenty-four seven. It was like you’d been saving it up all your whole lifetime. But you’re not the only one. Tiffany just admitted that she was making up for lost time with Mike. It’s fun to be a spectator to everyone’s lovemaking in the band.”

Lisa was trying to smile.

“But now I have to tell you kinda of a private secret that I haven’t shared with anyone except Jenn.”

Lisa stared at her, waiting to hear about a secret.

“Okay. So I can see and hear how all the women in the Wildcats have urges and needs. And I’m in pretty deep and kinda vicariously ride your ups and downs, including some frank discussions. Right?”

Lisa nodded.

“Well, the truth has to come out. I rarely get those incredible moments that you’re experiencing. It happens, but I kinda seem to be dead there most of the time. Grace thinks it’s cause my body doesn’t produce any testosterone at all. I’m doing okay in the estrogen production, but all genetic women have small amounts of testosterone flowing in their bodies, and it kinda helps get your motors all revved up.”

Lisa was shaking her head. “I heard that somewhere, but never gave it much thought. I just figured it was all the same for us.”

Teri wiped her eyes. “Not for me. I don’t have any, and it’s not being produced. Which kinda makes fooling around awkward sometimes. It’s okay. I’m not in any pain. But back to what I was talking about. It’s right out there, big bold capital letters, how you are head over heels over Smith. I see it in all the Wildcats.”

“Oh, my God, Teri. But with Smith, it’s so bad how he drives me crazy. Every time that I’m with him, well, I get so revved up, and well, I’ve never felt this before.”

Teri squeezed her again. “I love you and I’m happy for you. I’ve never seen you so head over heels in love. I believe that you two are perfect for each other, and well, it’s awesome. And I’m glad that the two of you found each other and make each other so happy.”

Lisa was grinning. “Thank you for sharing about your testosterone. Maybe you can take some pills or shots and try to balance all that out.”

Teri nodded. “I’ve talked with Grace about it and have contacted the endocrinologist who helped to diagnose that I’m intersex. I hope we can discuss this, and it might make things better. But the truth is that I am so happy with Jenn and wouldn’t want anything different.”

“I can see that. I love the way you both are together. And I am sure that you make Jenn just as happy as she makes you.”

“Yeah. In the meantime, let’s get back to discussing a weekend at the Rendezvous. I want to make it special so that we fill the place every night, and people not only pay the cover but also donate money. We can give up our salaries. And it would be a good excuse to get the band rehearsing sooner than later.”

Lisa was nodding and listening carefully enough to encourage Teri to go on. “I’m sure Robert will give us a cut of the ticket price or the liquor. He’s met Jessica and understands that it’s really such an important cause. But, do you think Zoe would be okay with that? I mean, can she play four nights straight?”

Lisa was nodding. “I know that Zoe will be excited about playing to help out moms and kids. And how cool would it be to see her showing and rocking on stage with her boomer inside?”

Teri thought for a minute. “I’m going to start working on arranging my Vampire opera so we can play those songs live. Yeah, that would be so cool to do a few at the Rendezvous.”

Lisa laughed, “Hey, Rock Star. Keep it simple and just teach us one new song at a time. If you could make it a dance music tune, I am sure that DJ Blank will see that it’s played everywhere.”

Teri paused. “Do you think that’s going to bother Wiggins and Warner Records?”

“Nope. He’s all about good causes and maybe we can release it as a single and donate the sales, too.”

After talking to her sister, Teri got excited and opened up her songbook. She found the lyrics she’d written to describe the scene when the two young lovers first meet. She remembered that the song was written from the teen’s point of view and tried to imagine it in her head. After looking at her book, she pictured it as a Haiku and began to write.

Walk in the daylight
Trout swimming in a cold brook
Chasing after mayflies.

Sensing another one
No heartbeat, empty like me
Saw inside his mind

Staring at my face
He was ready to run far
Fearing he was prey

I whispered, No, don’t run.
I control my thirst.
Stay, I begged.

He stared, frozen in his tracks.
Fear on his face.
Worried I might drain his life.
And imagined I was a monster

No, stop. This girl does care
And she isn’t bad
I want to know you
I want to talk to you

His voice was soft and gentle.
I intended no harm
was just caught up in your beauty
And wanted to know your name

We are so different from your people
We only bleed animals, not human flesh.
But you are beautiful
I can’t stop seeing you in my mind

After rereading and rewriting the words, Teri texted it to Zoe and wrote, “It’s my opening scene in my Vampire Opera. For some reason, the first three verses are Haiku. Interested in hearing feedback. Right now, it’s too Phantom of the Opera and seems flat.”

Within minutes, Zoe had written back. “Crazy, awesome! I’m picturing playing soft, love music in the background while Gina recites the Haiku poems, like the Moody Blues did in their album Knights in White Satin. Then you and Lisa sing the song together.”

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“How’s that sound to you, Jack?” The young musician looked straight into the glass window of the control room. He’d been frustrated trying to get a smooth, mellow sound out of his guitar and looked towards the producer to give him some help.

The producer had high hopes for the band. In his mind, they were a classic throwback to the times of the four-piece hard rock sound. Their lead singer, Richie Murgowski, had an amazing voice and was also a talented lyricist.

Capital Records had reached out and contacted him directly. He’d answered the call at work. It was Charlie Clossen, one of their representatives. “Hey, Jack. I got a job for you. They’re a new act, fresh off the festival circuit and making a name for themselves. The girls are going wild over these kids. However, we need someone to help refine their sound and make a great recording. You have the gift of taking young bands and helping them learn about themselves.”

Jack smiled. He’d had so much smoke blown up his ass by record company flacks in his musical lifetime that the shit rolled off his shoulders. Instead of getting caught up in the hype he was hearing, the first thing he did was concentrate on negotiating a lucrative contract for his time and a piece of the gross sales.

He remembered good ole’ boy, Charles Clossen (call me Charlie), trying to negotiate with him. “Hey, dude. No one gets two points of the gross, nobody.”

Jack paused and let his words hang there. It was obvious that Charlie accepted his price, which meant he could have gotten more. He waited and then spoke. “Okay. One point and you double my fee.”

“Jack! Jeez, man. What’cha doin’ to me?”

“Charlie, we both know that my salary will come out of the band’s signing advance. And we know that with their talent and my production efforts, we’ll make hits for Capitol. Just saying it aloud ‘cause you know it, too.”

Silence on the phone. Jack smiled and pictured Charlie punching numbers into his calculator. Then he heard him clear his throat and speak. “Dude, can you have it done for a Spring release?”

Jack smiled, knowing they were done talking about the contract. “Sure. And for another fee, I’ll tour with them and do the sound board.”

“Would you be their musical director and arranger, too?

“Sure. But it’ll cost ya.”

Two days later, the contracts were signed and his check was deposited. He liked knowing he could take Emma out of town to celebrate. He knew this great Inn in Massachusetts and good places to dance and eat lobster rolls. The check from Capitol covered his mortgage for the next three months and gave him some crazy cash, too.

After meeting the band members in the lobby of their hotel, he directed them up to the four-bedroom suite. As they walked through the bedrooms, Jack did his usual tour guide rap, knowing that this was the first time these guys had recorded and visited New York. He talked slowly, making sure he had eye contact. “You’re only three blocks from the studio and will walk by coffee shops, restaurants, and food carts. Beware, those carts can be a great place to catch food poisoning.”

They all laughed, but Jack remembered too many recordings canceled by someone eating a bad crab cake.

After that, he’d arranged a practice studio in the building where they could play for themselves for a few days. He’d come in and listen, occasionally asking them questions about their music. With young bands, Jack knew it was essential to establish a line of good communication, which meant he listened attentively to what they said. Rather than tell them what to do, he often asked them to explain what they were doing. He was used to the blank stares and the shoulder shrugs. He’d worked with so many guys that he was used to the ‘I don’t know’ response.

But his goal was to get them thinking about their music. He wanted them to be more decisive about what they played and why.

Today, they ran through most of their catalog, showing everything they had. As they played, Jack made notes on a yellow legal pad. Out of their catalog, they’d played him twenty-two great songs. He wrote each title and a few cryptic notes for each song they would record. When they were done, he did his best to be positive. “Okay, this is great, guys. You’ve got some amazing tunes here that will make you stars. We’re just going to polish them up before we record. Seriously, I really am hearing great stuff.”

The next day, they went through one song at a time while Jack tried to get them to enjoy fiddling with each one. He knew he walked a thin line. He wanted them to try new approaches rather than becoming defensive. Jack knew plenty of producers who liked telling everyone what to do and what to play. But he wasn’t that kind of guy. He liked it better when the group came up with music. And sometimes the outcome was better than he hoped.

In his head, Jack was repeating their names, Richie, Spider, Marvin, and Tank. He knew he was getting old when he had to repeat the names to himself so he wouldn’t forget. But at a certain point after a week in the studio, he smiled and said, “That’s great, guys. What do you say we go and record a hit?”

As they were watching their equipment being rolled down the hall towards the recording studio A, he walked in with them and said, “Tank, get our union guys to help set up your drums.” He turned to the rest of the band. “After that, the same guys will get your amps where we need them. Then we’ll balance your mics. Let’s just remember that they will do all the moving. We’re a proud union shop.”

That was two days ago. Since then, they’d completed five songs. But their guitarist, Spider, was still having trouble finding the sound he was looking for on their last number. It was a slow blues tune that needed a mournful guitar. Jack knew frustration could be a problem if it wasn’t solved. So, he turned on the soundproof booth mic. “It’s good, Spider. Do you want to hear a playback?”

The guitarist nodded and listened. Afterwards, he frowned and shook his head. “Nah, man. That sucks. Still got too much edge. I’m not used to going for that easy tone. Man, soft sounds are hard to make. I dunno. Can you lend a hand and help me out?”

Jack smiled and spoke into the mic, “Sure, Spider. You’ve got great talent, buddy. Let me just show you some tricks.”

He stood up from his swivel chair and came around into the studio. He smiled, taking the young musician’s guitar into his hands. After sliding the strap over his shoulder, Jack fiddled with the controls on the amp. Then, reaching into his pocket, he fished out a glass tube and slid it on his left ring finger. Using the glass as a slide, he slowly played exactly what Spider had been trying to do.

The young musician looked awestruck. He only knew what to play from what he’d heard from his favorite bands. And this producer, Jack, was something else. Back when they were signed, their record guy, Charlie Clossen, said he was sending them to New York to work with a famous producer. Suddenly, the Georgia-based rock band got shy. “Uh, seriously,” the drummer said. “Man, I don’t know if we’re ready to really record in a studio and all of that stuff. We can only play what we know.”

But Charlie insisted. “Reggie, it’s going to be fine. Jack Dempsey is a genius when it comes to helping bands find their sound. And he’s a studio recording expert. Believe me, Jack will be your guardian angel. If he takes you under his wing, well, you’ll get a string of hits out of your efforts together.” Charlie already knew that would happen. They wouldn’t have signed Deep Bayou if the company thought they were a lost cause.

Now, Spider looked at Jack. “Aw, hell, man. You make it sound so good. Seriously, you should record it and I’ll listen to you!”

Jack shook his head and patted the seventeen-year-old on the shoulder. “You know your guitar work is what gives Deep their sound. You’re better than anyone. I’m just facilitating.”

“No, dude. You make everything look so easy and sound so smooth. I wish I could play like that.”

The producer smiled and shook his head. He patted the kid on his shoulder. “Hey, buddy. Those wishes will all come true. I’ll check back with you after you’ve played for twenty more years and have it all under your belt. Then you’ll be able to teach this old man some new tricks. Believe me when I say that I can play because I’ve been around longer and seen way too much.”

“Jack, I’ve heard you sing and play with your band. You’re the bomb, guy. I guess that’s why the record company sent us to work with you.”

Jack Dempsey handed Spider his guitar back and flipped the slide to him. “Keep that and play around with it until you get set to record.”

Jack stood there patiently, watching Spider. The producer helped and encouraged him until the talented young guitarist had mastered the sound he was searching for.

Spider looked up, grinning with confidence. “Yeah. Go ahead and give me a playback of the whole song, and I’ll see what I can fit into the song.”

“You got it. Let me ready the song, and I’ll give you a countdown.” Jack knew that this was the final step to completing the song and helping to build up his confidence

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Dear Readers,
I am sorry for the title mix-up for the last chapter. I'm just not adept at getting my story properly posted.
I want to let you in on something that I've been thinking about. I don't believe that A Wildcat Fall is finding a very large audience here, and I think it's my fault. I watch the number of readers drift away after each chapter posting. I still love the core of Wildcat fans who are sticking with it, but it seems like I'm torturing them, too. I have one more chapter to post, and then I will walk away from the project, hoping to gain a sharper perspective on creating this story. Love, Leslie.
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A Wildcat Fall 9

Lisa spoke with her mom, and then, they consulted Dr. Frankel. He was happy to provide them with the name of a lab that specialized in DNA testing. He smiled and reminded them that they had done a complete workup on Teri when they were diagnosing her intersex diagnosis.

“We looked at Teri’s DNA. A DNA test reveals information about a person's genetic sex and their sex chromosomes, specifically the X and Y chromosomes. However, a DNA test cannot definitely determine if someone is intersex. There’s a multitude of variations in chromosomes, genitals, hormones, and internal reproductive organs that don’t fit typical male or female patterns.”

As they were thanking him, Dr. Frankel reminded them that intersex is not a disorder, just a natural variation.

After Lisa called and spoke to someone, they arranged for the lab to pick up the sample. As she told Jessica, “They specialize in transporting frozen samples back to their laboratory and making sure that everything stays clean and not contaminated. It was just a question of giving them my credit card and asking to expedite the procedure.”

Jessica smiled. “It’s simple. Money talks.”

Lisa pondered this. “You know, you’re right. Suddenly, we’re all about not worrying about money. It’s so strange that the Wildcats went from begging to being over the top rich. When GLOW offered us a million dollars to endorse their products, it was hard to fathom. But the point is, we’ve got it. I’m going to write you a check for the same amount and donate it to your group. That way, I’m not feeling selfish.”

Jessica grinned, “Check? Do you actually have a checkbook?”

Lisa laughed aloud. “You caught me on a figure of speech. What I really need to do is give you my credit card number and make a donation.”

Jessica nodded. “That’s great. I’m donating my services for your detective work, too. You and Teri have helped me out many times in the past. But truthfully, our agency can always use more cash to help grease the wheels.”

When Lisa called to fill Teri in on what she knew, Teri’s next question was, “How ya gonna track down my daddy? I do miss him so. And my birthday is coming up, and I want a pony.”

Jessica heard her on speaker phone and laughed. “I’m working my way through Google, Facebook, the White Pages, and Ancestry.com. I’m hoping to get a hit.”

Teri laughed. “No Bat Cave? No digital computer magic where you can travel back in time and see my sweet papa donating his sperm. I wanted to see him walking out with a check in his pocket.”

As soon as she mentioned the word check, both Jessica and Lisa started laughing.

“What? What did I say?”

Lisa laughed at her younger sister. “Have you ever written a check?”

Teri thought for a minute. “Didn’t Mom used to give us checks for our birthday, or did she just put cash in an envelope?”

They were still laughing over the check thing.

“Hey. So if you get any hits, can I come along? I want to see my daddy up close and see if I look like him. I promise not to talk to him, just stare a bunch.”

Lisa shook her head. “And what if your dear poppa is spending life in a state prison for murder, or he’s on the run from the FBI for embezzlement?”

“Oh.”

“And what if Jack Dempsey has a real family and is a great dad to other kids our age? What would you do?”

Teri had to think for a minute. “Uh-huh. I’d knock on the door and when he answers, I’d throw my arms around him and hug him, calling him daddy.”

Lisa laughed. “You’re so ten years old.”

Teri smiled. “Yeah. Maybe I never matured past twelve or thirteen, probably ‘cause my puberty didn’t happen until later. But I like being Peter Pan. I like being a kid.”

Lisa shook her head. “You got away with the juvenile behavior because you wore a boy’s clothes for so long. Girls grow out of that silly stuff. And it’s obvious that you never thought about changing it up. Jenn must really love the boy who still wants to run away with the circus.”

Teri shook her head. “Hey, I deserve a break here. My musical ability is all mature and grown up; it’s just my point of view that’s juvenile. And I wonder about the boy-girl thing growing up. I never had any girl urges.”

“Uh-huh. That’s really something you need to talk to Grace about.”

Jessica was listening. “Okay. I knew I was in the wrong body forever. I talked to my older brother and my mom, but couldn’t go any further with it. It haunted me for decades until I could change my outsides.”

Teri was trying to think about her past and if she ever felt differently. “Yeah, I really don’t know about me. The only thing I do know for sure is that I’ve never been more comfortable and happy. I wake up in a great mood and walk around humming all day long. But seriously, don’t you have any curiosity about this guy? After all, half your DNA comes from a stranger.”

Lisa laughed. “Okay, okay. I promise that you’ll be the first to know what we know. And, by the way. We’re giving a big donation to Jessica’s fund to help moms and kids who are separating from their abusive husbands and having to start a new life.”

“Yeah, that’s a great idea. I was thinking…”

Lisa smiled, “Okay, my sweet sister. What’s your idea?”

“Well, maybe Robert will let us play at the Rendezvous and do a long weekend of fundraisers. It would be our first weekend back as a band since Labor Day. We just have to wait until I’m well enough to stand on my feet for an evening. Maybe in two weeks?”

Lisa smiled. “Sure, that is a great idea that needs to be shared with the band. But you’re going to need your doctor’s okay on that. Without her permission, it’s a no go. And I’ve gotta add, you always have great ideas, Tinker-bell.”

“Tinker-bell?”

“Sure, little sis. I can’t very well call you Peter Pan. I mean, that’s not fair to call you a boy’s name. Hmmm. I know. Okay, from now on, you can be called Pan.”

Teri struggled to find something good to say. “Pan sounds like a character in a Shakespeare play. You know, Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

“You’re thinking of Puck.”

Teri turned to her sister. “You know Shakespeare?”

Lisa smiled excitedly. “I’ve read all of the work, whether he wrote it or not. And I believe that a woman wrote some of his plays.”

“How do you know?”

“I like reading about Shakespeare, too. And there’s a huge amount of documentation that Will might not be the author of. Of course, we’d need a time machine to verify all of that.”

“ I never knew that. And all the plays? You’ve read it all?”

“All. Will gets credit for 38 plays, 154 sonnets, and poems. He became my obsession back in sixth grade when I could take his plays out of the library. I’ve reread them on the road.”

Teri shook her head. “I never knew you read anything. I thought it was all about working up a sweat. Like with Smith.”

Lisa glared. “What does that mean?”

Teri started laughing. “Well, I guess you’re the only one who hasn’t noticed. But you and Smith definitely have a unique way of showing love. We’re all imagining your lovemaking is as physical as everything else you do. You’re a roll and roller babe, tough girl, athletic jock type. We pictured the two of you going at it like a mixed martial arts cage match.”

At first, Lisa stared at her sister, her brain suddenly pushed into overdrive. She was trying to work through what Teri had just said. After a minute of thinking, she grinned, smacking Teri on the arm.

“Ow! Hey, why’d you do that?”

Lisa wound up and smacked Teri again. But instead of taking the blow, Teri grabbed Lisa’s fist and surrounded it with two hands. Using her extra height, she pulled that fist downwards and held it there. Then, let it go. Gritting her teeth, Teri said, “I’m not falling for that, you bully. First, I’m still recovering and shouldn’t be stretching my muscles too much. Second, this is not over, big sis. Just cause you're older doesn't make you better. When the doctor releases me, I promise that I will take you down until you beg for mercy. Let’s see, that’ll be March when I whoop your ass.” Then, Teri reached out and hugged her.

Lisa sighed. “I’m sorry. I forgot I was picking on a recovering patient. But it’s like you just tossed my whole relationship into one bucket. That sucks. It makes it sound like we’re just two rutting dogs.”

Teri squeezed hard. “Well, we all saw how you guys started out talking and flirting, and watched it ignite big time. After that, we enjoyed watching the fireworks that seemed to go on twenty-four seven. It was like you’d be saving it up your whole lifetime.”

“Oh, my God, Teri. It’s so bad how he still drives me crazy. Every time that I’m with him, well, I’ve never felt this before.”

Teri squeezed her again. “I love you and I’m happy for you. And I’m glad that the two of you match up so well. In the meantime, let’s get back to a weekend at the Rendezvous. Let’s make it special. We can donate our salaries. And it would be a good excuse to get the band rehearsing sooner than later.”

Lisa was nodding and listening carefully enough to encourage Teri to go on. “I’m sure Robert will give us a cut of the ticket price or the liquor. He’s met Jessica and it’s really such an important cause. But, do you think Zoe would be okay with that? I mean, can she play four nights straight?”

Lisa was nodding. “I know that Zoe will be excited about playing to help out moms and kids. And how cool would it be to see her showing and rocking on stage with her boomer inside?”

Teri thought for a minute. “I’m going to start working on arranging my Vampire opera so we can play those songs live. Yeah, that would be so cool to do a few at the Rendezvous.”

Lisa laughed, “Hey, Rock Star. Keep it simple and just teach us one new song.”

After that, Teri got excited and opened up her songbook. She found the lyrics she’d written to describe the scene when the two young lovers first meet. She remembered that the song was written from the teen’s point of view and tried to imagine it in her head. After looking at her book, she pictured it as a Haiku and began to write.

Walk in the daylight
Trout swimming in a cold brook
Chasing after mayflies.

Sensing another one
No heartbeat like mine
Saw inside his thoughts

Staring at my face
Preparing to flee away
Fearing he was prey

I watched as he stared,
The boy was frozen in his tracks.
I saw the fear on his face
And imagined that it passed through his mind
He was worried I might drain his life.

No, I whispered.
I can control my thirst.
Stay, I begged.

His voice was soft and gentle.
I intended no harm
I was caught up in your beauty
And wanted to know your name
We are from a tribe that only eats animals,
Not human flesh.

We are so different

After rereading and rewriting the words, Teri texted it to Zoe and wrote, “It’s my opening scene in my Vampire Opera. For some reason, the first three verses are Haiku. Interested in hearing feedback. Right now, it’s too Phantom of the Opera and seems flat.”

Within minutes, Zoe had written back. “Crazy, awesome! I’m picturing playing soft, love music in the background while Gina recites the Haiku poems, like the Moody Blues did in their album Knights in White Satin. Then Lisa and you sing the song.”

Dear Readers, this is an updated version of Wildcat Fall
.
.Ten
.
Jessica Jade called Lisa excitedly. “Found him! And it wasn’t that hard. Your guy has a Facebook page promoting a band he plays with, and he’s a producer at Electric Lady Studios in New York. It appears that he’s pretty successful. His biography is impressive. I’d say you both got his genes!”

Lisa was already online looking at his photo and reading a blurb from the recording studio. “He’s gotta be talented to work there. You know, Jimi Hendrix started that studio so he and his friends could record there back in the early seventies. And this guy has his own group, too. I’ll bet we can buy tickets to hear his band play sometime soon. I’m going to call Richard when I hang up.”

“Don’t leave Teri behind. If you went to see your guy play without her, she’d never forgive you.”

“Right. She’d freak if we forgot her. Thanks, Jessica.”

But when Lisa called Richard, she was shocked to hear him say, “Whoa! No, Lisa. You’re rushing into this too fast. How about if we let your lawyer investigate first? And let’s get Jessica to do a deep dive into his background. A serious background check, family history, and a full chronology of his whole life. The man’s in his forties, and we need to know everything before we dive in. I’m worried about past addictions. You know, if he has problems like drugs, alcohol, gambling, or women, we need to know. And the guy could have a serious police record, too. We don’t know, and we should. All of this needs to be brought to light before we move forward. We don’t want to rush this. It might backfire on the Wildcats if the connection comes to light and the guy has problems. Let’s think about the band, too.”

Lisa wanted to argue, but hesitated. “Sure, okay. But can you take charge and direct this? I’m just too close to what’s happening here. I’m probably not using my thinking brain.”

“Sure, Lisa. I can’t blame you for wanting to know more. But I think you’re being smart moving slowly.”

“Well, I hope Teri feels the same way. But I still think she has the same needs as I do. All those years of wondering about this guy. When my mom told me that there’d never been a husband and we didn’t have a dad, it blew my mind. Teri and I both thought that someday this guy would appear and want to make up for lost time, and we’d have a family. It was a pretty crushing blow to know about the sperm bank. However, I now believe that the whole DNA concept and the prospect of future babies make this quest even more important. And bingo, suddenly he’s right within reach.”

Richard listened and slowly shook his head. “Yep. I hear everything you’ve been saying. And I’m trying to walk in your shoes. But I’m a big believer in being cautious.”

“Well, my sister will listen. I know that she’ll do whatever we want. She plays the ten-year-old, but there’s a sharp brain inside her mischievous smile.”

Teri picked up her phone. She was expecting to hear from Zoe and was surprised when her sister called. She watched Jenn slip from under the covers and head to the bathroom. ”Hey, Lisa! What’s up?”

“Jessica scored and found this guy. His name is Jack Dempsey and it appears that he’s the source of all our music genes.”

“Huh? Seriously?”

“Yep. He’s a musician and a producer.”

“Whoa! How awesome is that! So we inherited his talents, huh?”

Lisa shook her head. “Well, kinda. But Richard is taking over this whole screening process before we go face-to-face. He even plays a regular gig in Manhattan in a club. I think he’s into blues.”

Teri was already on her computer and Googling him. “Oh, wow! How cool is all that? But neither of us look like him. But the big question is when can we go hear him play?”

Lisa frowned. “Richard says we need to hold back until they do some serious digging.”

Teri grinned mischievously, nodding at what Lisa had said. “Yeah, I hear you. Okay, but how about if just you and I disguise ourselves and go Ninja style up there?”

Lisa laughed. “Great! But let's keep it a secret. Richard would freak if he found out.”

Teri was nodding as he looked at his laptop. “Okay. According to Jack Dempsey’s Facebook page, he’s playing on Friday and Saturday nights. We can sneak out of town and take the train up, stay the night, and sneak back. You bring Smith, and the four of us can go.”

Lisa wanted to see this guy. “Yeah, but no telling anyone where we’re going. We have to tell them another story like we’re going to the Poconos for one of those romantic getaway weekends.”

Teri laughed. “I’m not lying on those sticky sheets!”

When Jack got home from the studio, Emma greeted him at the door. She wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled his neck. She loved feeling his strong, solid muscles as her hands roamed his arms and chest. Just touching him got her excited. She knew that working in front of the camera turned her on, and he was happy to please her. “Hey, Baby. I picked up Chinese, and I’m keeping it warm while we get a shower.”

Jack happily kissed her and smiled into her face. “Sounds good.” But then he frowned. “I could really use that hot water on my shoulders. It’s all tight in there.” He flexed his neck and shoulders.

Emma led him into the bedroom as she unbuttoned his shirt. “Poor baby, you’re all knotted up with tension in those nerve bundles. Let me make it feel good for you.”

Jack often forgot that his girlfriend had a master's degree and was well-versed in human physiology. Besides being sexy and beautiful, she also had a brain inside that gorgeous head of hers. But he knew what to do. He picked her up and spun her around. He laughed as he heard her squeal.

He was dragging Emma with him into the shower and undressing both of them. “You work today?”

Emma nodded and smiled. “I did ninety minutes with some fans. I didn’t want to work tonight; I wanted to be with you.”

Jack kissed her again. It always made him smile to think that this woman was in love with him. He’d never had much luck in the love stuff. Most women didn’t understand that music was his first love and his lifeblood. He fondly recalled the first time Emma approached him between sets. He looked around to see who hired this woman to come on to him. She was way too young and way too beautiful. Her look was flawless, like you’d see in magazine models and, well, hookers. She was just too polished to have walked into the club where they were playing. He just assumed she was a pro. No way anyone this gorgeous could be talking to him. Everything about her said high-class call girl.

As they talked between sets, Jack realized that she was for real. And when he asked her if she wanted to go get coffee after the band finished their show, he was shocked that she smiled and said yes. He was surprised that she agreed so readily. After sitting down in a Starbucks, she shared her past.

“Yeah, I know what you were thinking. I have that high-class whore look about me with too much hair and makeup, and thin clothes with a push-up bra. But truthfully, I had just finished working and was itchy just to get out and breathe cool air. Working under lights and in front of a camera gets me all heated up. I wanted to let off steam before I soaked myself in a hot bath with my vibrator. I’d seen the poster where you were playing tonight, and it was only a short walk from where I live. So I used the walk to cool down. I sat at the bar and listened to your first set. I’ve got to tell you that you and those guys were great. Consummate musicians, and your guitar work and voice are amazing. I felt like I was sitting in a recording studio listening while you cut your tenth album. I immediately forgot my troubles and wanted to lose myself in the music.”

Jack was grinning. First of all, the woman he was talking with couldn’t have been thirty, probably closer to twenty-five. And she was a natural redhead, beautiful from head to toe. She was dressed way too classy to be out with him. He recognized her outfit and bag as being designer products. His last girlfriend, Melody, craved those kinds of materialistic stuff. Jack figured that Melody would leave him when she found a guy who’d cover her spending habit. He was surprised when it turned out to be an older woman. But she seemed happy with her new love and got all the material goods she wanted. After that, he knew that on his salary, he needed to warn whoever he dated that he was not a catch.

Jack had stared for a while and realized that she had blue eyes, not green. He wondered just how rare that was. In the meantime, he was trying to concentrate on what she was saying.

She laughed in his face. “You know, Jack. I wish I could read your mind. Your eyes have undressed me at least twice, and I wonder what you’re thinking.” She sighed. “Maybe we should just fuck and get it out of the way. Then I could get you to listen.”

He couldn’t help but laugh. She’d nailed him and had him right in her crosshairs. “Okay, Emma. I confess that I’m guilty on all counts. You are mesmerizing me with your beauty. I admit I have a weakness for gorgeous redheads. But give me a chance to try again.”

“Okay, Jack. I’m going to give you a break because these are not my everyday clothes. I get dressed up to work and just didn’t feel like changing tonight. I knew if I undressed, washed my face, and pulled my hair back in a pony, I’d just climb in bed. So what you see is what you get.”

“Oh, please don’t get me wrong, Emma. I love what I see. It’s just that there’s at least a ten-year difference in our ages, and my low self-esteem asks me why you’re sitting here with me.”

“Jack, I know that you’re thirty-eight from your online bio. So there’s a twelve-year difference in our ages. And as far as your self-esteem goes, I think that you’re handsome. Hearing you sing and play sealed the deal for me. If you were to lead me to your place, I would fuck your brains out until the sun came up. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, I need to tell you my story. Not every guy sticks around after they hear me out.”

Jack nodded, got up, and asked the barista for refills. When he returned, he settled himself in, promising himself to keep his eyes on her face while she talked. But, oh my God, she was an eyeful. Everyone who walked into Starbucks was tripping over their feet to stare at her.

“I was a psychology major at Southern Cal, but after graduating, I became disillusioned when I realized I’d need eight more years of school before I could become a psychologist. I decided to change my career and capitalize on my appearance. I spoke with various people and began working at Hooters. I was making good money in tips, but I got tired of guys thinking my body was theirs to use as they pleased. I wanted to punch the next guy who pinched me.”

“Another girl suggested that I create a MyFans page. She offered to show me the ropes. I was twenty-one when I started. I had a bachelor’s degree and no desire to pursue more schooling. So each day, I’d turn on the camera and the lights. I’d broadcast to anyone who wanted to subscribe to my channel. I never did anything exciting or titillating. My big thing was changing my lingerie. That was my big expense. While I put on and took off my underwear, I chatted with the guys who paid money to watch me.

It turned out that they really wanted someone to talk to and I was a good listener. I never talked dirty or suggestively. I wasn’t a tease but just honestly listened and expressed my opinion. I was doing my counseling thing. I loved it. And I had lots of views. It was strange.

After three months, I quit my waitressing job and lived off the income I earned online. I was making a couple thousand dollars a week and had a lot of free time. I did whatever I enjoyed and found myself reading about the stock market. My favorite thing turned out to be grain futures. I played around with investing and discovered I could keep up. I even made a little money.”

Jack tried to listen, but his brain was spinning out. He wanted to come right out and ask her if she did adult films and the whole porno bit, but wanted to hear her entire story first. He nodded for her to continue.

“So my thing was that I dressed and undressed in lingerie and talked with people while I did it. My audience was young and middle-aged men who suffered from social and sexual dysfunction. Sure, they got to see my body while I was changing from a lacy black outfit with seamed stockings and a bustier, to a white lacy push-up bra and a tiny thong. I figured that was part of my attraction. The other part was that I was willing to listen and talk to these guys. They sensed that I was treating them with love and honesty.”

“I know it sounds crazy, but I never used dildos or pussy play. Honestly, it was more show and tell than titillation. I pictured myself as the girl next door that you’d be peeking in on through her curtains to watch her get undressed. I never figured that there was a market for what I was offering, but I started making money. Someone in the business told me what I was doing was soft sex counseling. One of my biggest donors said I was a lot cheaper than therapy.” She grinned. “And that’s when I decided to go back to school, taking classes to become a sex therapist.”

Jack was listening. “I’m sure you got lots of offers. How come you were never tempted to do hardcore stuff?”

“Sure, I got plenty of offers to do hardcore. I was even offered a deal from a sugar daddy where I’d retire and move in with him. But I have an independent streak and love being my own boss. Even on my site, I’d get offers for private shows and turn them down. And yes, some adult film studios bugged me just to try it out. But after my investments started to take off, it was easy to keep my virtue and smile. By that time, I graduated with a master’s degree in counseling.”

Jack looked at her. “Using my calculations, you’ve been doing this for four years. Don’t you get tired or frustrated?”

Emma smiled. “It’s very strange. All of these control and sex discussions get my motor going. I’ve had to take lots of warm bubble baths over the years. I’ve had a couple of boyfriends, but when they start thinking they own me, it’s over. I appreciate my life and the freedom it offers. I like to be in charge.”

Jack looked at her and smiled. “C’mon with me back to my apartment. We can talk some more.”

Emma smiled and stood up. “Honey, I hope we can do more than talk.”

Dear Readers, this is a rewrite.

Eleven

The four of them got an Uber to 30th Street Station in Philly, then rode the Acela to Grand Central Station in New York. Teri and Jenn couldn’t stop looking and talking as the towns wizzed by. They just had to keep reminding themselves that they were looking at the industrial side of each of these towns. Pulling their luggage behind, it took them almost an hour to travel down to Greenwich Village to the same boutique hotel they’d stayed in when they spent a week in New York in the summer.

After they checked in, Teri needed to attend to her dilation responsibilities while the rest of them relaxed and enjoyed the quiet. As they gathered together forty minutes later, Smith quietly said, “Inhale all the quiet now, because as soon as we head to the street, the noise is overwhelming.”

The four of them walked over to an Indian restaurant and took their time dining. Teri and Jenn opted for seltzer with a squeeze of lime instead of wine. They enjoyed each other’s company, listening to Smith tell stories of coming to New York ten years ago and what it was like seeing the Big Apple as an eighteen-year-old.

Then, both couples walked over to the club. After going in, they were escorted to a good table after Smith handed the manager a folded bill. As they sat down, a waitress greeted them and placed menus on the table.

They all ordered something to drink and French fries for the table while they waited for the band to start playing. They’d watched the four musicians set up and test their volumes. Finally, Jack Dempsey leaned into his mic. “Evening, folks. Tonight, we’re calling ourselves the Groundhogs of Punxsutawney. We’re a season early for Groundhog Day, but it was the first thing we’ve agreed on tonight besides the set list.”

They watched the drummer count off, then the bass and Jack Dempsey started playing. The keyboardist began a blues riff that served as the intro to an old Muddy Waters song. Lisa smiled as Teri whispered, “That’s Your Hoochie Coochie Man. Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Jimmy Rogers, and Willie Dixon released that in 1954.”

Smith surprised them all when he chimed in, “And written by Willie.”

They listened as Jack played an excellent guitar and had a great voice. When they finished, he gave credit to the other musicians. “Thank you,” he said. “As you have figured out, this is what old rockers do on the weekends. We still have our day jobs, but love the music too much to give it up. Bill and Pete are both session men, and Rodger has invented too many toys for Cheerios and Cracker Jack. He doesn’t need to work. That first one was a Willie Dixon song, but let’s switch it up with something by the Stones.”

The four of them listened as the band did Time Is On My Side. Each one of them took a short solo, and each was perfect.

The four of them listened in awe through the whole evening. Occasionally, Teri had to discreetly get out of her chair, stand, and watch from the back. She deflated her inflatable donut when they snuck out before the lights came up.

As they were walking back to their hotel, Jenn was laughing. “Well, after listening to Jack, it’s obvious where the two of you get your talent. That band was good.”

Lisa turned to Smith. “Did you see the redhead?”

Smith smiled and shook his head. “This is one of those trick questions where no matter what I say, you’re going to punch me.” He rubbed his shoulder, anticipating a shot from her fist.

Lisa laughed. “She was beautiful, wasn't she?”

Smith shrugged. “Yeah, but I only looked for a minute. I think she was with your guy, Jack. She just kept staring at him.”

“I noticed. I also noticed that she wasn’t much older than me.”

As they climbed the stairs to their suite, Teri smiled. “He’s talented. Don’t you wonder why he was never a star? I’d never heard of him before tonight.”

Jenn nodded. “He’s a great musician, but maybe he didn’t get the breaks. You don’t know the whole story. I guess we’re going to get all of that info from Jessica when she gets done with her investigation.”

After a good night’s sleep, they snuck back into Philly, hoping that Richard would never find out they’d disobeyed his instructions.

The next day was business as usual. Teri sat down with Phil. “I wanted your opinion. I was thinking of these twenty Christmas-based songs. The women have each written many more, but I’m gleaning what I think are the best. How about five standards, with maybe two being duets? And I have five more potential duets from their originals. That leaves five solo cuts for each of them.”

Phil was reviewing the binder of sheet music that Teri had prepared. “Excellent work. Now, whose record label are you using?”

Teri smiled. “We have lots of choices. They each have their own companies, but I was thinking of proposing a third party to make the whole thing charity-based. Maybe pick something like donating everything to World Central Kitchen and let Bill Wiggins handle it through Warners.”

Phil smiled. “Total transparency would make it easier for everyone to agree and say yes. And World Central Kitchen is international and they are an impressive group that feeds anyone in crisis. ”

“That’s why I chose them. I was hoping everyone could get behind them.”

“Say, Phil. Have you ever heard of this guy? You know, our sperm donor guy?”

“Sure. Jack is well known among producers. Has a lot of album credits. Speaking of hearing him play, am I not supposed to know that the four of you went up to hear him play on Friday night?”

Teri’s head whipped around and stared at Phil. “Huh? How’d you know?”

“Right. You forget that dragging Smith along is a beacon to everone in the room. C’mon, Teri. He’s a celebrity and in New York City? A friend of mine called me. They were at the bar when the four of you walked in. Right, nobody notices Smith and three beautiful women spending the evening watching the show. You know that band is made up of studio musicians. I got three calls today about it all from friends in the industry. One guy even asked me if the Wildcats were thinking about replacing me.”

“Does Richard know that we went?”

“Nope. He would be upset over you going up there. I’ll just keep it a secret and hold it over your head.” Phil smiled.

Teri felt sick in her stomach. “I guess we were being foolish, but it was worthwhile seeing him perform. He’s good.”

Phil grinned. “Yep, I’ve heard that he’s talented. He’s famous for tutoring young bands starting out.”

“Well, how come he’s never cut an album and made a name for himself?”

Phil shrugged. “Fame’s not for everybody. A lot of producers find their satisfaction behind the scenes. Not everyone likes the bright lights. It’s a young person’s lifestyle.”

“So that’s it?”

“Well, you’re much more than a performing talent. This entire project with Beyoncé and Taylor is a great example of what you’re capable of achieving. You’re not intimidated by arranging and producing a whole album right off the top of your head. And you have no trouble composing material, either. Add that to a great voice and the ability to play whatever you touch; not too many people have that gift. You are one of a kind.”

“Wow, thanks. So you think that it’s more than DNA, huh?”

Phil laughed. “Sure. Your Mom raised you in a loving environment, letting both of you find yourselves. Lisa’s spent her whole life doing what she loves. And Amy provided you with whatever support you needed to pursue your musical career. She’d never said no to either of you. She’s pretty encouraging.”

“Yeah, she’s terrific. And I suppose we should thank her a million times for everything she has ever done for us. I’m glad that she and Conor do so well together.”

Phil smiled. “Remember, you are the spark that excites the Cats. Richard and I heard the old four-piece band several times and walked away from them. But when you got on the stage, it was a completely different band. I heard all the new arrangements and that third voice. Honestly, from my perspective, you were the fifth finger in the glove.”

“Am I the pinkie?”

They both laughed, and Teri surprised herself when she hugged Phil. “Thank you.”

Phil blushed and squeezed her. “Working with you and the Wildcats has been a dream for me. I loved slogging around this Summer when we toured, and I vicariously enjoyed the crowds around me cheering while I was sitting in the middle of the audience controlling the soundboard. And I’m looking forward to going to Europe with the entourage in tow. This will probably be the closest I’ll ever come to being a grandparent.”

“You’ve spoiled me. I never knew I’d find a producer who could be so patient teaching me the ropes. I was clueless the first time we were recording. Now, I enjoy the dynamic sound we’re able to wrangle out of the band. But whatever happened to EBR and their record release?”

“EBR is a completely different situation. Their album is finished, and I’ve heard from Bill that it’s pretty incredible. He mentioned that the band used all of your suggestions for arrangements. Warner’s is releasing one or two songs to critics and a few key radio stations to gauge the reaction. Naturally, Spotify and some others will get great copies of just a few of their songs, too. The idea is to build momentum and spark listeners' interest for more. However, the band doesn’t want to tour behind the album, so things are moving slowly. None of the band members seems eager to speed things up. And I don’t sense any interest from them in going back into the studio.”

“I wonder if they’d be interested in coming over to Europe for a few selective shows. The whole band and families might enjoy a vacation. Maybe we can extend the same offer to the Flower Sisters and their families. Imagine a few live cuts recorded in Rome or Paris for the second album.”

“It’s a great idea.”

“Maybe we should build a mobile studio to ship over to Europe. We could convince EBR to do a live show and make a record. Heck, the Cats would rock an album in Paris!”

Phil stared at Teri. “Did you just think off the top of your head? It’s a great idea and I’m sure that Bill Wiggins would fund a recording studio. In his mind, when we’re done using it, he’d either use it for other Warner bands or sell it for a profit.”

Teri shook her head. “Yeah, that’s fine. I’m just throwing out ideas.”

“Second album? You think the band’s going to have a second album by the time we go to Europe?”

Teri hesitated. “Maybe. But we’ll definitely have lots of new cuts by June. I don’t know what the Saturday Night Live crowd wants to hear. Would they want recycled hits or new stuff?”

Teri answered her own question. “How about if we do twenty-four bars of Run, Run, Gone and then flip into something new? And I want to have a bunch of my Vampire Opera tunes ready to go by then. The original idea was to slide a few songs into the new album. I was thinking about incorporating some of the first album songs into the opera, too. By the time we release the third album, we’ll be ready for Broadway.”

“Have you thought about who’s going to play the romantic leads?”

Teri stopped for a minute. “No. How cool that will be.”

Teri buried herself in songs and discussions with the artists’ producers for the Christmas project. Three days later, they were ahead of schedule when they’d agreed to a set list to give to the stars for approval. Once they heard back, they’d start creating arrangements and working on the songs the two would sing together.

At this point, Teri could give herself a break and just take a few days off. She woke up and didn’t rush out to Allentown to work. Instead she hung around Jenn and watched her work on her classes.

Finally, Jenn looked up. “What’s up? Is everything okay?”

Teri kissed her lovingly. “Oh, it's all good. We’ve taken the Christmas project as far as we can until we hear back from Taylor and Beyonce.”

“Do you talk directly to them?”

“Nope. I’m just in discussion with their people. I doubt that I’ll do much more than watch when it’s time to record. They’ll probably want to call all those shots.”

Jenn smiled. “How crazy would it be if they wanted to record at Electric Lady Studios and use Jack as their producer. You could just hang out in the background, you and Phil.”

Teri shook her head. “That would be too much, spooky kind of stuff. I would love to just talk to him. I mean telling him about Lisa and me might make him happy or send him over the edge.”

“Oh, Teri. You should ask Jessica to take a look at the young friend he had with him at the show. She’s young. Maybe that’s his daughter.”

“Nah, his girlfriend.”

Dear Readers, this is the continuing saga. I would apprecite any feedback. Constructive criticism is important to me as I am constructing this story. Thanks.

Chapter Twelve
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The next day, Teri pulled Jenn away from her computer. “Hey, you mind if I borrow your car? I’ve decided that I need to practice driving so I can drive myself to the band house each day. We can buy another parking space for your old car and I’ll buy you a new car.”

Jenn looked curiously at her girlfriend who’d been vacillating between hot flashes and brain farts. The way it was explained to her, sometimes patients have brain fog after surgery. And the hot flashes came as a result of getting hormone shots from the surgeon to aid in healing.

“Hey, so I was thinking. You know I can drive out to the band house in forty-five minutes, right?”

Jenn started smiling and covered her mouth with her hand. “Uh-huh.”

“Well then, what’s so funny?”

“You said, I can drive. But you don’t drive. I’ve never seen you drive.”

“Well, I should be able to drive. Isn’t it ingrained in our brains? I figured I’d start out slow and just master it. I’ve sat in the front seat with you. I’ve watched you drive. I even drove the old Wildcat van in the driveway.”

“Drive my old clunker? Sure, go ahead. But do you want me to go along and answer questions?”

Teri brightened up. “Sure, as long as it doesn’t take away from your school stuff. That’s pretty important.”

Jenn laughed. “Well, you’re pretty important to me, and I’m not just sending you out in a big, old car to just get a feel for driving. I don’t want to see you getting hurt just cause you have this vision of tooling along the highway in Philly traffic to Allentown. Cars traveling that road are going seventy-five miles an hour. And we’re talking Pennsy drivers! ”

Teri shook her head. “Well, I figure just how hard can it be? I mean, everyone drives, and I’m almost nineteen.”

Jenn shook her head. “Sometimes, you don’t impress me with your thinking things through. Now, let’s think outside your problem. You don’t have to drive. Just remember that you’re rich. The Cats have a contract with a limo service. They can shuttle you door to door, and you can sit in the back and work on your music. You make more money writing songs and creating musical arrangements than you would driving in traffic for two hours a day.”

Teri listened to what Jenn said and thought about it. “Sure, that’s a good idea. The whole point is to spend more time with you. I mean, you’re living and going to school in West Philly, and well, I’m out in Allentown working on our music all day. We’re both doing different things. I’m trying to figure out how we can be together and still do our own thing.”

Jenn reached out and encircled Teri in her arms. She held her tightly and kissed her. “Let’s break our schedules down. I don’t have any night classes. My classes are all on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings. You can stay some nights in Philly and some nights in Allentown. We can spend a lot of time together without you missing me. Why don’t we scrap the need to drive thing, and for now, work something out with Richard and your service so that you can be out there playing and rehearsing every day? Some nights we sleep in Philly, and some nights we sleep together in Allentown. It’s just a short hop, and we can handle it.”

Teri loved it when Jenn squeezed and kissed her. After that, the problem didn’t exist. She shook her head in frustration. “Well, my brain must be small ‘cause it fills up so fast. Just as long as our commuting doesn’t take away from your school, that’s fine with me.”

Jenn laughed. “Small brain? You can be so naive. Honestly, you have a million more things going on inside your head than the rest of us.” She held up her hand and started ticking things off on her fingers. “You’re writing a rock opera with Vampires. You’re working on a Christmas record with Beyoncé and Taylor Swift and doing most of their musical arrangements. And you’re always working on Wildcat music. Plus, you’re two weeks post-surgery and are still doing all your exercises and dilating. Isn’t that enough?”

Teri shook her head and wondered. “Yeah, and that reminds me. We still have to deal with this Jack guy and get all our DNA tested. And speaking of DNA, I want to talk to the doctor and the endocrinologist about how much testosterone there should be in a female body.”

“Why do you need to find that out?”

Teri blushed. “Well, now that they’re giving me estrogen to aid my recovery, I wondered if my lack of sexual drive is because I’m intersex and I lack enough testosterone. I just don’t want to cheat you. I want to be the best lover, and well, it’s bugging me. And between you and me, the estrogen is making my boobs sore.”

Jenn still had her arms wrapped around her. “Uh, yeah. Well, do you ever get the desire to make love? Tell the truth.”

Teri frowned. “Truthfully, well, I’m not sure. When we’re together and touching each other, I want more. But honestly, it doesn’t interrupt my thinking when I’m working. Well, kinda when I see you or one of the Wildcats, I do get these feelings. Is that okay to admit to that?”

Jenn pulled on her hand and led her back towards their bedroom. “Uh, sounds perfectly normal to me. And it’s time to dilate, so let’s make it fun. How about if I get under the covers with you while you’re doing it, and well, make more out of it than just something clinical?”

Teri grinned. “Uh, that sounds interesting. In the name of science, huh? Well, let’s give it a try.”

Jenn kissed her softly on the lips and touched her neck and ear. “Well, I was thinking. How about if I take charge of dilating you, and well, we can see what happens when I’m in charge.”

Teri blushed. “So I’m the bottom?”

Jenn giggled. “Where’d you hear that?”

“Well, the Cats were talking, and I asked. Someone said that eventually I’m going to be your bride.”

“Well, of course, baby. That’s how it works. Now what do you think about being my bride?”

Teri blushed. “I’ve never really thought about the titles and everything. But you do like to drive, and you like to express your opinions. I listen to what you say.”

Jenn glanced over at her. “Does that bother you that I’m like that?”

“No. I love you. I like it when you are assertive and express your opinion. I mean, we are equals, right?”

Jenn kissed her on the lips and continued leading her into the bedroom. “Let’s make it a party.” She whispered a few sentences into Teri’s ear and nuzzled her neck.

Terry heard what Jenn suggested. “Really? That’s what you want to do? Sure. But I have to look through my drawers for that outfit. You’re serious?”

Jenn smiled and softly rubbed her back while she kissed her. “Uh-huh.”

Smith was riding with Lisa in the back of Conor’s pickup. He was looking at Amy and Conor in the front seats and whispered to Lisa, “Remember when you were fourteen. This is like riding with the parents, when they’re taking us out to dinner.”

Lisa smiled and squeezed his knee. “Uh-huh. But I’m twenty-two and would rather go parking than eat dinner.”

Smith almost laughed out loud. He whispered in her ear, “Do you ever think about anything else?”

Lisa frowned. “Sure. I mean, I lead a normal life except when I’m around you. Whenever I’m too close to you, this heat runs through my body and gets my brain a little crazy.”

Amy used the vanity mirror to look in the backseat. “I hear a lot of whispering. Do you still want to do dinner?”

Lisa laughed. “I do want to get out. But I had an idea. Can we go to Los Hombres, sit outside with a pitcher of margaritas, and eat chips and salsa. I’m in a party mood.”

Amy grinned and clutched Conor on his arm. “Sure, I love to get drunk with my boyfriend, and margaritas hit the spot. We can always Uber home.”

Smith smiled. “Coming from Texas, I have the best recipe for a margarita. We can have a party at home sometime and I’ll make a pitcher!”

Conor looked up. “What’s your recipe?”

Smith smiled, “It’s so simple. Two limes, two shots of a good blanco, one shot of triple sec, half shot of agave syrup, and half of water. Lots of ice and lots of shaking.

Amy was listening. “Definitely sounds like we need a party. Conor, your house is perfect with your pool and room to toss around a ball. And Smith’s going to be the bartender.”

Lisa was thinking about how much fun it would be while it’s still warm out. “We need to have this party next week, and we can have a fire pit and s'mores. Maybe get it catered. The swimming pool and the hot tub. What do you think, Conor?”

Conor was laughing. “Sounds great. How about if we open at noon? You can be in charge of the party, and I'll be the groundskeeper. How about next Saturday night?”

Everyone cheered.

Mike was following Tiffany up to the third floor. He was smiling, watching her go first up the steps. “Okay, so here’s what I was thinking. We blow everything out and open everything up. Start with just one big space and make it fresh. I want to move all this old equipment out of here and use the whole footprint. We can build a primary suite. You know, big bathroom, dressing rooms, closets, and plenty of space for a king-sized bed.”

He pointed to a wall. “And if this were blown out with windows, it’s got the best view. And we’d get cross ventilation. We can create a spacious bathroom with a luxurious shower and possibly even a soaking tub for two. Kinda like a place where I can wash your back.”

Tiffany wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled into his body. “I’d like that.”

“Good. Cause tomorrow, we’re moving out for four weeks. I’ve already talked to the builder, and the windows have been bought. We just have to pick out the tile and the fixtures. Oh, yeah. How about hardwood floors and area rugs?”

Tiffany was shaking her head. “Just like that? Where are we going to go?”

Mike got out his phone. “I talked to a realtor and he found us a furnished townhouse with a month-to-month lease. It’s really nice with a view of the river and the forest. I’ve already made arrangements for our clothes to be moved tomorrow. Oh, yeah. The contractor has the permit for a living room fireplace, and well, we’re going to tear out the ceilings up to the roof. Everything brand new.”

Tiffany looked dazed. “Seriously? You planned all this for us?”

“Sure. Since it’s a steel structure, all the partitions can be removed in a week. Another week, and we’ll have new walls and all the electric and plumbing done. Two more weeks, and things will fall into place. The finish work takes a little longer. But we’re going to design it together.”

Mike kissed her. “I’ve been thinking about it and worried whether you’d like to live over the store. I didn’t want you to feel creepy about being here. I’ve been thinking about it for a while.”

Tiffany leaned in and kissed him. “I can’t think of a better place to be than with you. Now show me more.”

Grace was unwrapping the large paper-covered frame. She kept glancing at Gina, who was sitting on the arm of a chair, watching. When all the paper was gone, Grace could clearly see the watercolor. She slowly stood up and turned to Gina. Tears rolled down her face. “You planned this for me?”

Gina smiled and wrapped her arms around her girlfriend. “Well, I kinda lined things up, but Jane from the gallery contacted Margaret. When she heard it was for you, she started right away. I sent her the photos, but that’s all I did.”

Grace was wiping her eyes and kept looking back at the commission. “Are you going to help me hang it?”

Gina smiled. “I talked to the super, and he’s bringing up a ladder to your office tonight at seven. The painting’s all ready to hang. All we’ll have to do is move things around.”

Grace was excited. “I know where I want it. I want to be able to view it from my desk or chair. This is a painting of my happy place, and well, having you make it happen is awesome.” She wrapped her arms around Gina and showered her with kisses. “Let’s carry it into our bedroom so we can look at it from under the covers.”

“Now?”

Grace laughed and started unbuttoning Gina’s shirt and pulling on her leggings. “Now.”

Zoe stood back and stared at the shower. All the sealers had dried and everything had been tested. She smiled at Bruno and laughed. “How do you christen a shower?”

Bruno started pulling off her clothes. “Easy.”