By Portia Bennett
Introduction: This is another story that fits into Part 2 of the Cynthia Chronicles. Chronologically, it takes place a little more than a year after the ending of Adam and the Three Wishes. There are some interesting parallels to that story; however, there are significant differences.
If you are not familiar with the series, you should read An Incremental Journey, Cynthia and the Reluctant Girlfriend, Cynthia and the Dumpster Diver, Cynthia and the Moment of Truth, Cynthia and the High School Years, Parts 1 & 2, Charli and the Man Cave and Adam and the Three Wishes. Bobbie and the Glass Ceiling and Randi and the College Professor take place about seven years after this story.
This work is copyrighted by the author and any publication or distribution without the written consent of the author is strictly prohibited. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of the characters to persons living or dead is coincidental.
Part 1
Chapter 1
"Dagnabbit, The Wizard proclaimed to no one in particular as he rummaged through several shelves containing boxes of many ages and manufacture. "I know I had them somewhere. I just used them 200 years ago."
"Randi, did you do anything with my bat wings?" he shouted towards the front of the store."
"Yes Your Wisdom," Randi said as she parted the beaded curtain that separated the rear of the shop from the front. "Remember, I alphabetized everything. I see your problem. You're looking under wings, not bat wings. Remember, you have to go by the first letter of the first word. If you do forget, everything is cross referenced in the master list on the I-Pad."
Randi pressed the lower right corner of the multi-shelved cabinet, and it retreated into the wall. Now, all there was was a nice walnut panel that reminded one of a typical Victorian library. On the left side of the panel there was a smaller panel that looked like the panel in an elevator, except there were letters instead of floor numbers.
"Now, if you want Aardvark toenails, you press "A" not "T". If you can't remember what type of toenails you're looking for, press "T" on the I-Pad. Scroll down until you find "toenails". Besides each type of toenails is an explanation of what they are for. When you find the right type, go back to the main panel and press the letter for the right set of shelves. In some cases there are several layers of cabinets. Just keep pressing the lower left corner to cycle through all the shelves for that particular letter until you come to the right spot.
"Now, batwings are "B - A" so they will be in the first set of shelves under "B"." Randi pressed "B", and the proper set of shelves appeared. She reached up and pulled out a shoebox shaped box. "There you are; 200 batwings. I've separated them by species. There's a labeled sandwich bag for each. The fruit bat wings are in a separate box labeled "Bat wings, Fruit." They're in one gallon bags.
"Any questions?"
The Wizard looked at the young woman who seemed to have taken over his shop. His shop: he'd been running it in one form or other for more than 800 years. Randi had naturally platinum blonde hair, emerald blue eyes, a figure that most women would die for, and The Wizard shuddered to think that she was only thirteen years old. She was a genius of untold potential; much like her sisters, but even more so. Very early on, she'd demonstrated the ability to manipulate space, and even time for a limited area and period. She was already taking advanced high school classes in math, chemistry, and physics. And, she was doing things that The Wizard had difficulty explaining to his superiors.
Randi had been a war damaged veteran in another universe. The then Randal Mantooth suffered from severe PTSD, and unknown until late in his life also had untreatable brain cancer. Then through a phenomenon still not totally understood by the magic world, he fell into this universe from his previous universe. He had chosen to be homeless, and that continued. He accidently hastened his demise by drinking some bad homemade booze. Fortunately, Cynthia, his now older sister and her best friend Bobbie Schmedlap took him under their wings. Unfortunately, magic couldn't save him; however his spirit was transferred to the embryo Cynthia's mother was carrying. Although The Wizard and Marissa knew what was going on, no one else realized until Randi was about five years old that she was the deceased Randal Mantooth.
Randal was a mathematical genius, although that talent had never been exploited. During the later staged of his PTSD madness, he had derived over 1000 prime numbers in his head, and had memorized all of them. His talents came with her, she had always been 'she' inside, and now Randi was a talent of amazing ability. She was also a bit of a loose cannon who had to be reined in every once in a while, and her extremely powerful magical talents only complicated things.
Not too far in the past, she and her sister-in-law, Charli Brewer, Charli was a year younger and a witch, too, had performed superficial sex changes on two transgendered boys. They hadn't realized at the time that they were being closely watched; however, they had not violated any of the rules that The Wizard had established. The Wizard completed the changes for the two very happy new girls, and then tasked Randi and Charlie with showing them the ropes. He could have implanted many artificial memories; however, he knew it would be an excellent experience for the two witches in training.
"So, how are Effie and Terri doing?" The Wizard really knew, but he wanted to hear it from the girls.
"They are doing great. They both have boyfriends. They're behaving rather well. I mean they're not doing sex or anything like that. Charli continues to work with them on makeup and hair styling. Effie just won a violin competition, and Terri says she wants to be a beautician. She says that blondes really do have more fun."
"Where's Charli? I thought she was here with you."
"She was, but she heard a distress call from a feral cat with kittens. She was trapped in a dumpster corral by some stray dogs. Charli had to tell the dogs to go to their homes. She told two of them to report to the animal shelter, and that they'd all better behave themselves from now on or they'd be in deep 'doo doo'. I think that was the term she used. Right now she's calming the mother and the kittens down. They don't trust people. She's going to bring them over here in a while. I think she'll take them home and have Willie and the girls talk to them."
About five minutes later Charli returned with five terrified cats in a cardboard box.
"I promised them that everything was going to be okay. I know it helped quite a bit that I can talk to them. I'm sorry that we didn't bring Willie and Silky with us. I think they, especially Silky, can do a lot to quiet their fears.
"Is the box clean?" Charli asked while looking at the kitty litter box in its spot by the restroom and the skeleton that seemed to fall apart with the least provocation. "The kittens need a place to go, now"
"It is now," The Wizard said making a pass in the direction of the box.
"Okay, little ones, the toilet is ready. You have nothing to be afraid of," Charli said as she took the lid off the box. The mother cat got out of the box, and quickly took in her surroundings.
'These people will not hurt us? You promised,' the mother cat asked.
'These are good people. Like I told you, many cats and kittens live with us. There are also dogs and a wolf. The wolf likes cats very much.'
'You mean he will eat us?'
'Of course not, he is our friend. He is a father, and he has children of his own. We all work together. Remember, I told you we are magic people."
The mother cat, half slinking and looking over her shoulder made a bee line to the box, and took care of her needs. She then encouraged her four kittens to do the same. The four kittens took refuge under the skeleton, and their mother crouched in front of them while wondering what was in store for them.
"Your Wisdom, how about some cream for them; you know, the special cream that won't upset their tummies. I'll fix some Cat Chow ©," Charli added.
Because of the number of cats and kittens that frequented The Wizard's shop, there were always kitty beds available. After all, cats slept 80 percent of the time. Who could say when a nap might be necessary?
Having had all they could eat for the first time in their lives, mother cat and kittens proceeded to their after meal bath.
"Boss, is it okay if I come in," Wolf asked. He'd been quietly occupying the front of the store.
"I think it will be fine. Just don't move very quickly."
Mother cat stopped her bathing, and started to arch her back.
'Hi, I'm Wolf, and I just wanted to say hello and welcome to the family. You and your babies will never be hungry again. My wife and I will be your protectors until you learn our ways'
'What do you mean learn your ways, and how can you be talking to us. You're a wolf. Wolves, coyotes and dogs don't talk to us. They eat us.'
'You are part of us now. You will have a home and shelter. You will also have a human who will rely on you for your help. You will become a partner, and do great things.'
Wolf lay down a comfortable distance from the kittens. He let the tip of his tail twitch slightly. It wasn't long before the boldest of the kittens mounted an attack. That was all it took to break the ice.
'I want my babies to have a good life. They lost a sister early on. I just couldn't feed them all. None of my babies made it the first time. It was winter. I tried, but I just couldn't find enough food. It was so cold. If my babies could live this time, I would be so happy.'
'They are going to live a long time, and you will have many grandchildren,' The Wizard projected.
By this time, Charli and Randi were quietly crying. Charli picked up the little cat and gently held her close. "Everything will be fine," she said out loud. And the little cat understood her words. This would be just the beginning.
The little kittens tired quickly. Their mother led them to the kitty bed. They nursed briefly before falling asleep. The girls returned to straightening things up in the front of the shop. The front of the shop had always been a bit better organized than the rear; however, it was far from being perfect.
As they worked at cleaning up the dust and spider webs, they removed and stored only those webs that weren't currently being occupied, they heard The Wizard's computer give a 'ding', indicating that he was getting an instant message. Ten years before, The Wizard fought a constant battle with computers. Modern magic had not been something he dealt with easily; however, with Cindy's arrival and subsequently her friends and families, The Wizard realized he'd better get with the program.
He discovered a two year college that offered a "Computers for Dummies" course. It was an excellent course for users and didn't really deal much with the programming aspect, but it did give him some excellent training in basic operating skills. By the present time he was really quite proficient, and Jim Matthews had developed some apps for use by the witches and their families. Jim Matthews was the loving husband of Theresa, one of the newer witches brought into the group. Coincidentally, the instant message just received on The Wizard's computer was from Theresa, Terri to most everyone.
"Girls, do you have to be home very soon? Terri Matthews says she has something she wants to talk about. I'll need to shift the store over to Hartford."
It didn't matter whether they had to be home early or not. They would gladly go with The Wizard no matter where he went. "No, it's not a school night. I'll text Mom and let her know where we're going.
"Is Terri bringing Melanie? Charli and I haven't seen her since right after she was born."
"She didn't say, but I imagine she is."
With barely a blink of an eye, they were in a small shopping center in West Hartford. They were occupying the space previously occupied by a tax preparer's office. It was not that time of year, so no one was displaced while the shop was there. Terri was waiting in her car, and as soon as the shop appeared, she made her way to the door. She was carrying Melanie in a baby sling. Melanie was just three months old.
Terri was an athletic young woman who had an exotic beauty about her. Her dark brown hair framed a round face. Her eyes were dark brown, and they gave her a bit of an oriental, eastern European look. Her figure was well proportioned, and before her pregnancy and later on nursing, her breasts had been a firm, perky 34C. They would return to their original shape in another year.
Several people had mentioned she looked very much like her great, great aunt, Simoné. Not all of them knew she was a great, great aunt. After all, she was nearly 160 years old. Simoné was a bit of a free spirit, and as she would say when she finally got to meet her niece, "If you've got it, flaunt it." And flaunt it she did. She posed for a number of 'Art Photographers', and her pictures showed up at a popular web site that featured beautiful young woman. Terri, then Adam Grunewald, had seen her pictures, and had secretly coveted the way she looked. Little did she realize at the time that appearing that way was in her genetics.
Simoné was quite the free spirit and deigned aging her appearance as many witches did. She just moved around eastern Europe while having a great time. She'd had many lovers, but no children. There would still be time for that if she found the right man. She just hadn't found him yet. She sent a Russian tea set as a wedding gift for Jim and Terri. Neither of them understood its true value. Fabergé had little meaning to them at this time. They would understand more later on.
"So," The Wizard said, "tell us about this little situation you discovered."
Chapter 2
Some would consider it a strange relationship; if they only knew about it. Barrett Hamilton was an IT specialist working with Jim Matthews. He'd been hired shortly after Jim had taken over the IT Department at his company's Hartford office. He'd come over from another company in the same city. He was brilliant, and enjoyed his work tremendously. His work was all that mattered. He didn't care about moving up in an organization. He just wanted to be the best at what he did.
Barrett's best friend was Howard Hansen. Howard worked for a company that sold commercial cooking equipment. They also designed commercial kitchens for restaurants, schools, nursing homes, and other large establishments. Howard was six foot five, and out of college could have been a starting tight end for any professional football team he'd have chosen. He played one year for the New England Patriots, was NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, played in the Super Bowl, and blew his knee out during practice the next year. After the surgery and a long recovery period, he could walk with a barely perceptible limp. He would never play football again. Because of an astute agent, he could live comfortably for the rest of his life and never work another day; however, his first professional love had been to be a cook, a chef for a five star restaurant.
Barrett and Howard had been college roommates, and they had gotten along famously. Barrett was a handsome young man who could have had just about any woman he wanted, and he did have a few flings; however, nothing ever came of them. He'd just never found anyone who could follow his computer interests, and he just wasn't hedonistic enough for any of the girls he'd gone with.
As good an athlete Howard was he knew that he could not be a well paid athlete forever. All athletes had to come to the realization that their careers would end sooner or later. Some careers would end much sooner than the athletes thought they would. Howard had been a bit surprised when he'd been a first round draft selection by the Patriots, and his agent helped negotiate a five year, no trade contract that would pay several million dollars a year with substantial raises if his performance warranted it. The forecasts were for a great career, and that was substantiated by his performance that first year. Then came the injury, and a potential hall of fame career was over in one agonizing second.
Howard would collect several million dollars a year for the next four years, and he had no intentions of wasting it. Most of it went into a number of well managed accounts. He could live on what they provided. His undergraduate degree was in restaurant management, and there were some intentions in the back of his mind about maybe someday opening up a fine dining establishment. He liked to cook, and instead of moping about as he recovered from the reconstructive knee surgery, he applied for admission at the Culinary Institute of America in New York City.
Howard had no doubts about his being accepted into their curriculum. He'd been an 'A' student with a Bachelor of Arts in Restaurant Management. With his previous credits he found himself being thrown immediately into the upper division, and after a year of classroom work he entered a six month internship with a well known New York restaurant. It was there that his career took a slight turn from what he'd originally intended. He would receive his Bachelor's Degree in Culinary Arts Management; however, he realized that as much as he loved to cook, there was something else that he'd like to do, and that was design kitchens.
He had been horrified at how poorly the kitchen where he did his internship was designed. The production just didn't flow. People were stepping into and onto each other. There wasn't a night that went by that a major entrée wasn't dumped on the floor. Invariably service personnel leaving the dining room would collide with personnel leaving the kitchen. That was in spite of the strict entry and exit rules.
This was a five star restaurant, a place where the food, service and ambience were always perfect, or at least were supposed to be. That was destroyed one night when a busboy returning to the kitchen collided with a waiter carrying four perfectly prepared entrées. Howard knew they were perfect because he'd prepared them. Needless to say the collision caught the attention of everyone in the restaurant, including several UN representatives and probably several people outside the restaurant who were passing by. The frosting on the disastrous cake was the very loud "Oh, fuck!" shouted by the waiter. The two were terminated on the spot.
It was at that point that Howard realized that as much as he liked cooking and the thought of some day owning his own fine restaurant, he realized that the constant stress might be more than he would enjoy. In spite of being an All American tight end, a past professional football player, and being a still very fit six foot five 245 pounds, Howard was not your typical alpha male football player. Howard was a perfectionist to a certain degree, and any task he set out to do; he set out to do it correctly. His coaches had realized that when they saw him play. If he missed a completion, it wasn't because he took the wrong route; it was usually due to the quarter back not getting the ball to him.
Howard and Barrett had gotten together fairly often over the three years after graduation. Barrett liked his work but wasn't especially happy about the work environment. He often thought about the popular cartoon, Dilbert, and he could just about equate every one of his fellow employees with one or more of the comic's characters, including the pointy headed boss.
He'd made it to most of the Patriot's home games during Howard's rookie year, and when they went all the way to the Super Bowl, Howard sent tickets to him for each of the playoff games. It had been a great year without a doubt.
After Howard's devastating injury, Barrett made frequent weekend visits to the Boston suburbs where Howard had a classy apartment. Barrett was surprised about how upbeat Howard was about his career ending injury.
"Bear," Howards said, although he was more bearlike than Barrett was, Barrett had been Bear since the first day they'd met, "there's a lot more to life than football. I was lucky to have the size and skills that allowed me to do something that many football players have never been able to do. I'll never play another game of professional sports; however, I'm set for life, and I've decided to follow a career that I've really planned on since high school. I've been accepted at the CIA."
"What?" I thought you wanted to be a cook. You mean the CIA'd take you with that bum knee? I know you're in shape, but aren't they taking a chance?"
Howard realized his friend didn't get it. "There won't be a problem even with the bad knee. The school is going to be tough, but they're going to have me in the field next year. They tell me it's going to be very hot at times, but I think I can do it. I'm going to be up against guys like Emeril Lagasse, Mario Vitale, Alton Brown, the whole bunch."
"Who are they, spies?"
"No you idiot, they're chefs. The CIA is the Culinary Institute of America. I'm going to get a second degree in the culinary arts. Except this one is from one of the best culinary institutions in the country. I'm going to have my own restaurant one of these days, and it's going to be the best."
Well, things didn't quite work out that way as Howard finally realized that he wasn't cut out for the rigors of running a very high end eating establishment, while at the same time he realized he could apply his knowledge to something that could be interesting, fun and not nearly as stressful.
So there it was. Barrett had a job he liked with a company he hated. Howard had two bachelor's degrees, millions in the bank, no job, and probably didn't need to work for the rest of his life. But that wasn't Howard's way.
As soon as graduation approached Howard started flooding the market with his résumés. He immediately received responses. He got responses from people he hadn't sent résumés to. That was the good news. He realized that many organizations had access to the list of graduates. Several of the offers for the chance to interview were from two star hotels and restaurants. Those were insults as far as Howard was concerned.
Howard figured that he would stay in New York until his lease ran out. If he got the right offer in the Metropolitan New York area he'd just stay there. If the job was right, he'd move to wherever it was.
Essentially, Howard was pretty much free to do what he wanted to. He had his smart phone, and if someone wanted to reach him they could reach him no matter where he was. Barrett had been travelling to meet him all over the country. Now it was time to visit Barrett at Hartford.
So, now the adventure starts. I mulled over posting this all at once; however, against my better judgment, I will post it in five parts. The story's not too long, less than 22,000 words - only four parts left.
By Portia Bennett
Introduction: This is another story that fits into Part 2 of the Cynthia Chronicles. Chronologically, it takes place a little more than a year after the ending of Adam and the Three Wishes. There are some interesting parallels to that story; however, there are significant differences.
If you are not familiar with the series, you should read An Incremental Journey, Cynthia and the Reluctant Girlfriend, Cynthia and the Dumpster Diver, Cynthia and the Moment of Truth, Cynthia and the High School Years, Parts 1 & 2, Charli and the Man Cave and Adam and the Three Wishes. Bobbie and the Glass Ceiling and Randi and the College Professor take place about seven years after this story.
This work is copyrighted by the author and any publication or distribution without the written consent of the author is strictly prohibited. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of the characters to persons living or dead is coincidental.
Part 2
Chapter 3
"I have the fixin's. They're in the cabinet to the right of the sink. How about you fix one of your great margaritas? We're not going anywhere tonight. The steaks are warming up like you told me to let them."
"Glad to. I'll need one after that drive from NYC. I can't believe some people commute from here to there every day."
"There's not that many from here, and if they do, they're taking the train. There're many more that live down towards Bridgeport who drive it every day. That has to be insane.
"Say, have you heard anything from that cheer leader you used to date in Boston? Didn't you say she called you?"
"Yeah, that was Kellie Lewallen: cute little thing, fun to be with, great in bed. She'd heard I was in New York, and thought I was playing with the Jets. I think she saw dollar signs. When she found out that I was going to school to be a chef, she couldn't get away fast enough. I've really been too busy to be chasing after women. I had a couple of dates with a gal at the school, but nothing really clicked. She said I was gay. I am definitely not gay. I don't know where she got that from."
Barrett pondered what Howard said. During college, Howard had never had any trouble getting any woman he wanted; however, it was usually one, two, three dates and you're out. There never had been a steady girlfriend. He thought back to his romances. None of them had taken. There were a couple of girls that he'd been very fond of. Most went to bed with him enthusiastically. The love making, it really wasn't that, went very well. He'd never had a problem pleasing a woman, but that last girl he'd dated in college had said the same thing. After a very pleasant night in the sack, she'd terminated their relationship, and she'd called him gay, but like Howard, he'd never in the least been attracted to a man. That just wasn't in his makeup.
Howard handed a margarita to Barrett, bringing him out of his mental trip to the past. "I don't know how you do it," he said after taking a sip. "I use the same ingredients, and mine don't taste nearly as good as yours. It's the same thing with the steaks. Mine are okay, yours are better."
"That's because I've spent six years in college learning how to be a cook."
"Nonsense, I remember those barbecues on the beach when we were freshmen. You out-cooked everyone, and everyone said so.
"So when's your interview? What does this company do?"
"They are a commercial kitchen supply company. They sell restaurant supplies like stoves, ovens, pots, pans, fryers. It's not really that simple. There's quite a bit that goes into making a commercial kitchen, and they also have a design service, and that's what I want to do. They are also venturing into the high end domestic kitchens for people who have more money than sense. It's a big deal.
"Look, I don't really care that much about the salary and commission. It's just something I want to do. Maybe sometime in the future I'll go into the restaurant business. I discovered things aren't like you see on many of the TV shows. It's not an easy business. Even when everything is perfect it is one tough business."
Barrett decided to let the subject drop, and got to work on making a salad. That was something he felt pretty confident about.
"How come we can't keep any girl friends," Barrett asked while he pondered the last of the gelato in his bowl. "I mean neither you nor I have any trouble attracting women, but after two or three dates they just go away. You mentioned that cheer leader saying you were gay."
"That wasn't the cheer leader; it was another gal."
"Same difference, I had a gal tell me I was gay, too. I don't get it. I've never had the slightest urge to have a sexual relationship with any man. I like women. Women are beautiful. Men are ... men are, well, men are just men. They don't fit into the equation.
"What about you," Barrett asked. "I mean you hang out with all those great athletes. You have a locker room. You take showers together."
"Yeah, and three of my teammates were probably gay.
"I don't think anyone actually cared, and they certainly didn't hit on me. In the real world, gay men don't hit on straight men. That's a no win situation."
The discussion changed to other things.
"It's nice that you're looking at a possible job here. I've just about given up on sticking it out with my current employer. The only reason I'm there right now is to keep a paycheck coming in. I found an opening with a major insurance company here in the city. I sent them a résumé earlier this week. The job description was written like the job was made for me.
"So what time's your appointment?"
"It's at 10:00. That'll give plenty of time to get ready. I'm pretty sure a tie won't be necessary; however, I'm not going to take any chances."
"I've seen your wardrobe. You can probably out dress half the people in Hartford. Don't overdo it."
"Don't worry about that, I won't wear my Savile Row suits.
"Look, they know who I am. I think they're going to work as hard selling themselves to me as I'm going to try to sell myself to them."
"I have to be at Dilbert, Inc. at 8:30. So I might be up before you are."
"Nah, I'm going to do about five miles before breakfast. The knee holds up pretty well as long as I don't push it too hard.
"Are you still running? We should run together."
"The only good thing about Dilbert is that it's next door to an athletic club. I get about 45 minutes on the treadmill at lunch. Then I pick up a sandwich at Subway or one of the other sandwich shops, and eat at my work station."
"I guess you could do worse. Do you want to get something out tonight?"
"I'm way ahead of you," Barrett said, "I've made reservations at a pretty good Italian place in East Hartford. I'll get home at around 5:00. It's not too far."
Barrett lost himself in his work the next day. Or, at least he tried to. What if Howard got the job? What would that mean about their relationship? There were no significant others. Maybe they could find a place that they could share. Howard wasn't going want to live in a dump like the one he had. Barrett mentally kicked himself. He was assuming far too much. If Howard got a job here, why would he want to lower himself to Barrett's standard of living? For some reason Barrett almost assumed that they would be living together.
Around 10:30 he felt his phone vibrating. It was a call from the company he'd sent his résumé to. Jim Matthews wanted to talk to him as soon as possible."
"Ed, I'm going to have to take the afternoon off. I'll take it out of my vacation time."
"What about that project you're working on. You can't just drop it. We needed it yesterday."
"I posted it on the mainframe yesterday. Let me know if you have any questions." Barrett didn't wait for a reply. He signed out of his computer, walked out the employee door, and took the elevator down to the employee garage. His parking slot was five levels below ground. He expected to see bats roosting in the corners, and stalactites hanging from the ceiling. As soon as he was out of the office he called Jim Matthews. For something like this a verbal message was the only way to reply.
Jim was very happy to hear from him, and they picked a nearby restaurant for a meeting over lunch. "Don't bother with a coat and tie. We don't wear them in our section except on certain occasions, and those are few and far between."
They met in a little Greek bistro that had great gyros. "Believe it or not, Barrett, we've heard quite a bit about you. A couple of your ex-office mates had some very nice things to say about you, and they were surprised that you'd lasted as long as you did."
Their discussion went into many things about the job and company benefits. He was asked what his salary expectations were, and he deferred to Jim, and Jim came back with a salary $5,000 over what Barrett was looking for. This was beginning to look better and better.
I'll tell you what," Jim said as they finished their baklava. "Why don't you come by the office on Monday, and we'll talk to HR. I think you want the job, if I'm any good at reading people."
"You have that right. I'm sorry I didn't know about your company sooner."
"My wife and I are having a little cocktail hour tomorrow night for the guys and gals in the department. We've already talked about it, and we'd love to have you stay for dinner. I think we're having rack of lamb. It's one of our favorites." Jim thought back to the first time he and his wife had rack of lamb. That had been a while ago; long before they'd been married, long before they'd started going together, and long before.... well never mind.
"I'd love to, would you mind if I brought someone? My best friend is in town. He's been interviewing for a job."
"That won't be a problem at all. Terri loves to cook, and so do I."
"Howard's just graduated from the CIA. He loves to cook, too."
"Maybe, we should have him cook."
"He's interviewing for a new job, too. He wants to design kitchens. You might have heard of him. He's Howard Hansen. You might remember he played football for the Patriots."
"You're kidding, of course you're not. After that injury he just disappeared. What's he been doing since then?"
"He doesn't have to work another day in his life if he didn't want to, but that's not his way. He went back to school, and now he wants to do what he always wanted to, and that's working in the culinary arts. He found out that working in a four or five star restaurant may be more than he's ready to put up with right now. So he's working on kitchen design."
"Terri would love to meet him. She's really a very good cook, and she's a sports fan. She'd brought her handicap down to a six before Melanie came along. I can't beat her on the golf course.
"You play golf? We have monthly office tournaments."
"I do, but I'm lucky to break 90."
"We'll have to get our friend to give you some lessons when she's in town. You know who Bobbie Anderson is don't you? She gave me a few pointers and I dropped four strokes off my handicap."
"You mean that gorgeous redhead who's tearing up the LPGA?"
"That would be the one."
"Wow! I think I'm going to enjoy working for you."
"Actually, that's working with me. Yeah, there's that chain of command thing; however, we work together on doing what needs to be done."
"So, Howie, how'd the interview go?"
"Not bad, not bad at all. They made a nice offer for about what I made for one quarter of a game of football; however, that's not important. They were very interested in what I had in mind for kitchen designs. They are upgrading their product line, and think I'm the person to help them move to the front in southern New England. My two degrees are a great bonus as far as they are concerned. I took the job; however, I had to let everyone try on my Championship ring. I think they got a big thrill out of that.
"How was your day?"
"Outstanding! A fellow from the company I sent my résumé to last week called me this morning. We had lunch together, and I accepted their offer. We've been invited to his home for a cocktail party and dinner tomorrow night. I explained that you were visiting, and they want to meet you. I'll give Dilbert my two weeks notice next Monday.
"So, what are we going to do? This is rather sudden; however, you're going to have to find a place to live. I imagine with your money you could find just about anything you'd want."
"I did set a little aside to buy a house when the time was right, and this could be the right time. I figured that someday I'd find the right woman and we'd settle down and have a family. I want children. I never had brothers or sisters, and I think I missed out on a lot. Losing Mom and Dad when I did really hurt." Howards parents had been killed his freshman year in an airplane crash in Alaska. Their remains had never been found. The insurance money would have taken care of his college education had he not been on a full athletic scholarship.
Howard really was a bit of an enigma in the sporting world; while he was in it. All the popular magazines and scandal sheets had him dating this starlet and that starlet. Then he would be going with some rich society woman. According to some sources he'd left several girls including a cheer leader pregnant. All of the speculation ended with the destroyed knee. He was no longer news.
"Look, I'll go back to my place and send things to storage up here until I find a place. Would you mind if I camped out here in the meantime?"
"Not at all; as long as you keep cooking the way you have."
Howard had his laptop out on the dining area table. He preferred the larger keyboard to his IPad for his work.
"What'cha looking at?" Barrett asked. I can see you're just clicking through things.
"I'll show you if you don't mind seeing beautiful unclothed women."
"That's never bothered me before. What site are you on?"
"It's one of those European sites. It costs a few bucks a month. It's a pleasant diversion. Besides, I don't have to worry about getting dumped.
"This pretty young thing is featured frequently. I think her name is Simoné. At least that's the name she goes by. The site says all the models are over eighteen. I often wondered what they're paid, and what happens to them when their beauty leaves them. I've had a feeling that some of them may have had children. They just look a bit more physically mature.
"You know, most of them will probably never be able to live their dreams. I wonder how many are just getting by, selling their bodies for a few Euros, Crowns, Rubles, or whatever their currency is. Every once in a while I think I recognize a European landmark, but I've only been to London for that exhibition game against Dallas. I guess I'll have to go over there one of these days."
"I've wondered the same thing," Barrett responded. "They can't be having an easy life; however, they are obviously doing something.
"Stop there. Now, she's obviously a dancer. I know most women are more flexible than men are, but she has to be a dancer to be able to go through those poses. Oh, my aching back!"
"They are pretty," Howard said, "but she looks like she's had a boob job. She just doesn't look natural." He seemed to get pensive for a moment. "Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a woman? They are stronger than men in so many ways. They bear the children, endure pregnancy, and suffer from gender bias in the work place, not to mention what they put up with in some non-secular societies."
"I know what you mean. I saw a news program where they had a man and a woman with identical credentials apply for various jobs. The man almost always got the job. Women are expected to look nice, but if they look too nice, they are suspected of having ulterior motives or they're using sex to get ahead.
"Look, I'm getting very hungry. Let's get ready for dinner. I'm ready for some good Italian food."
Dinner was excellent, and they spent much of the time philosophizing about their ideas of ideal women. They were unanimous in their opinions about intellect, equality in everything possible, sharing, and having a family. Strangely, beauty was not extremely high on the list. Rather than beauty, normality was more important. It was what was between the ears that mattered. Good physical condition and health were very important.
"Supposing you were a woman," Barrett asked, "and you had a choice about how you looked, who'd be your ideal woman?"
"Strange you should ask that. I've wondered about that. The problem is the only way you could look exactly like some woman would to be that woman. I guess I would like to look like a blend of what makes a woman attractive. I've been very lucky, and you have, too. We're both reasonably attractive, we're intelligent and athletic. We've never had trouble attracting women. We just don't seem to be able to form a lasting relationship with them.
"I certainly wouldn't want to be unattractive. Suppose I could take the mean of all the physical attributes of those women we were looking at on my computer. I think statistically the results would be very acceptable.
"Bear, what would you do if given the same opportunity, not that I think you'd ever think about anything like that?"
"Howie, I think there are many men out there who have thought about what it would be like to hit from the other side of the plate. I have a feeling that those who don't are so insecure about their masculinity, that any thought about changing gender is abhorrent to them. They just don't get it. Instead, they hide their insecurity with over the top alpha male masculinity. You know, like some of the guys you played football with.
Their conversation picked up in the car on the way back to the apartment. "Bear, I know you're not gay, but have you ever done anything like cross dressing?"
"No, have you?"
"I fooled around a little bit when I was in grade school. I tried on some of my mother's stuff, but I quickly outgrew anything she had. It was just an experiment."
"I don't know if I'd really call that cross dressing. It's not like you were trying to fool anyone. My sister used to dress me up in her stuff. She didn't have any friends who lived close by. Mom and Dad didn't seem to mind. We'd have tea parties. She'd dress up in her boy clothes if we were playing sports with neighborhood guys. No one ever accused her of cross dressing. She quit that when she realized she'd have an easier time attracting boys if she were a bit more feminine."
Chapter 4
The possibilities of their having feminine side did not come up the next day, at least not for a while. Most of the morning was spent talking about Howard's impending move. They looked at the previous Sunday's Home Section in the Courant. Prices were not good. At least from Barrett's perspective; however, Howard didn't bat an eye. He'd been dealing with the prices in New York City for the last two years. They selected a few areas to look into, and then would check out the next day's ads for open houses. Howard had pretty much determined that he wanted to find a place in the hilly area of West Hartford. It was an older area with homes that had character, and the commute to East Hartford wasn't that bad.
They drove around looking for 'For Sale' signs in neighborhoods that appealed to Howard. Barrett drove while Howard took notes and pictures. It was more of a fishing expedition than anything else. They both realized that Howard would probably have to secure the services of a professional realtor before they went much further.
"Well, did you see anything you liked?" Barrett asked. They were getting ready for their meeting with Jim Matthews and Barrett's future fellow employees.
"Just those three that we talked about; the one I really liked was on that busy street. I think I'll have to cross that off the list. Unless something really jumps out at me I'm going to have to find a realtor like we said earlier.
"Where's this place we're going to?"
"Pretty close to where we were this afternoon; I'll enter it into the GPS."
They'd actually driven by the entrance to the little residential area that afternoon; however, the trees obscured what turned out to be a very nice private neighborhood. The entry road passed between the pillars that supported a large iron gate that lay open. It probably had been open for decades if the neatly trimmed hedges were any indication. They circled a park like area before coming almost the entire way around to the very pleasant two story Victorian style house. There was a rear garage and a space directly in front for five cars. Two cars sat in front of the closed garage. They took one of the empty spots in front.
"What a beautiful little neighborhood," Barrett said as he looked around.
"I was thinking the same thing," Howard replied. "I noticed some of the houses are duplexes and others are single units. I think the garages have been added later on. I could see that the driveways are recent additions. This must have been some part of an institution, maybe a school at one time. It looks like someone really did a good job updating the place."
They waited at the door after Barrett used the gothic looking door knocker. It must have been a trick in the lighting because he could swear that the goblin-like face below the plate winked at him - definitely the lighting. He looked up as the figure of a woman approaching could be seen through the lace curtain.
"Welcome to our house. You must be Bear. I'm Terri, and this little one is Melanie." She'd obviously been briefed by Jim. "And I know you're Howard Hanson. What a game that was. I was so sorry to hear about your injury. Jim tells me you're a gourmet cook now."
"Well, not exactly, I'm in the restaurant design and supply business." Howard could see the look of astonishment on Barrett's face, and he knew exactly why. Terri Matthews could have been a twin sister of one of the nude models they'd been looking at the previous day. She was drop dead gorgeous and all the exotic beauty was real. There was one difference. Howard was pretty sure she might have been an inch or two taller than that model. What was her name? Oh yes, it was Simoné.
"Come on back to the kitchen. Jim will fix Margaritas for you. I know you will like them. A couple of his office mates are back there, and there are three more on the way with their wives.
"I have to have a close look at that ring you're wearing: my goodness what a chunk."
They went through the introduction process as Jim made margaritas. They were outstanding Barrett thought: very close to the ones Howard made. Of course the discussion came around to the Super Bowl. The Championship Ring was passed around, and many of the guests hefted it, trying to guess its weight. The center diamond came in at about three carats. There was over seven carats in total diamond weight. The gold weighed close to two ounces. As big as the ring was, it did not look out of place on Howard's huge hand.
Both Barrett and Howard thought they were convivial group, and Barrett was put at ease immediately. The other guests said their goodbyes as most had other things to do that evening. It was just a nice way to meet their new associate. Finally, Barrett and Howard were left alone with Barrett's new boss and his beautiful wife.
Jim was tending to several racks of lamb and Terri excused herself for a moment to nurse Melanie before putting her to bed. She picked up the phone while Melanie latched on. "Esmeralda, can you come over here for a minute. I need you to confirm something for me."
"Certainly, I take it there's something about your guests."
"Several things: one is that they both thought I looked like my great, great aunt. That's not really that important, but I imagine we'll have to address that someday. The other is that they're both straddling the line as far as their gender. One is definitely more female than the other; however, I think they'd be comfortable if they crossed over. There's something else, but I'm going to have to talk to His Wisdom about that. That's not really one of my strong areas. Maybe you can help. From what I've learned, there're not many of us who can work in that area at all. His Wisdom says that I'm one of the best he's known. I guess I should believe him; however, I'm so new to all of this."
"I think you're doing so well my dear. We're all so very proud of you. I know you're having a great time."
"That I am. I thought I was going to have trouble adjusting to the change, even though I wanted it so much. Jim was so wonderful. He had a hell of an adjustment to make, too; however, we were so mentally suited for each other. I am so thankful to all of you for helping me through that time. By the way, Gramma Bev came by the other day. She says she's going to retire, and she and Debbie are going to move back here. They've both decided to present as being around forty to forty-five.
"Bev told Simoné to clean up her act and come for a visit. She said she would. I guess we're all going to have to get used to the fact that several hundred thousand people have seen just about every follicle on her body. Bev said she was going to have to take her baby sister over her lap and give her a good spanking."
"Send those rolls you have in the warming oven over. I'll pretend I made them and bring them over in a few minutes. I'd love to meet your guests."
Terri returned to her guests and husband who were sitting in the living room. "I think Melanie's down for a while. How's everything out here?"
"Fine, I took the lamb out and it's ready to carve. The vegetables are ready, and the wine's chilled."
They were interrupted by knocking at the front door. "That should be Esmeralda. She's bringing the dinner rolls," Terri said while getting up to open the door.
Jim gave her a funny look because the dinner rolls were waiting in the warming oven. Only, he would find out shortly that they weren't there. He realized something was probably up and he'd better keep his mouth shut. Being part of a magical group had taught him not to question things. If there was something going on, he'd find out soon enough.
"Esmeralda, I'd like you to meet Barrett Hamilton and Howard Hansen. Barrett will be starting to work with Jim in a couple of weeks. Howard is Barrett's friend, and he'll be coming to work in Hartford shortly.
"Guys, this is Esmeralda Mather, our neighbor. She was kind enough to fix her special dinner rolls for us. I'll put them in the warming oven."
They were interrupted by a rather large, long haired black and white cat coming out of the rear of the house. He had a large patch of white fur that covered most of the right side of his face. He came over to Esmeralda and wrapped himself around her ankles. He then approached Barrett and Howard, giving them the same ankle treatment plus a brief sniff of their hands.
"Phantom's been napping," Terri explained. 'How was your nap?'
'Fine. I think you have two new recruits unless I miss my guess. They don't have a clue, do they?'
'Not yet, it may be a while before we let them know. They may be a harder case than I was.'
"I found Phantom a few years ago when he was just a tiny kitten. He's quite a remarkable cat," Terri said while picking him up and scratching his head.
'You're darn right I'm remarkable. There isn't a lock I can't unlock or safe that I can't get into.
'I'm going out with Fred to hunt rats. I should be back around one or so.'
'Isn't Fred that feral cat I see around here all the time?'
'Yes, he's the one. He told me that if he found the right human, he'd be glad to move in with him or her. In case you hadn't noticed, I've been sharing my meals with him. He's a good cat, and Charli says he'll be an excellent associate. He likes what we do.'
Phantom made his way to his pet watering dish before exiting through the pet door at the rear of the house.
"I think he's going out with another cat to hunt for rats. They kill only the non-native species."
Barrett thought that was rather a strange statement. After all, how would a cat know the difference? Rats were rats. Maybe Terri was a bit eccentric to say something like that, but somehow he didn't think so. They exchanged pleasantries with Esmeralda before she returned to her next door home.
The rack of lamb was delicious and the conversation touched on many things.
"I understand you're looking for a home," Terri said to Howard.
"Yes, we drove around earlier today just trying to get the lay of the land. In fact, we passed right by here. We had no idea this little community was back here."
"It is rather hidden isn't it? This was the residential area for a school that is no longer in existence. All the houses were updated, and some of the semi-attached homes were converted to single family homes. I lived in this very house when I first came to Hartford. I lost my job here and moved to Boston. It turned out that Jim and I lived in the same group of Condos. We had been friends in college, but he got married and moved to Boston after graduation. I guess you could say his marriage didn't work out."
"That's putting it mildly," Jim responded.
"Anyway, we realized we were in love and got married a few months after his divorce. The nice thing is that we are on good terms with his ex, and she is now remarried and expecting a little one soon.
"After Jim and I got married, jobs opened up for both of us back here, and surprisingly this house was on the market. They had converted it and built a garage, and it was available. It's going to be perfect for the family we want to have."
"So, what type of work do you do?" Howard asked.
"I am a Senior Loss Control Consultant for Moose Insurance.
"I think you said you are going to be working in commercial kitchen design; well I'm the person who makes sure everything is being properly inspected and set up. It's scary what I run across sometimes, especially in some Oriental restaurants. You know, things like cockroaches fossilized in two inches of grease."
"Terri!" Jim exclaimed.
"Oops, I started getting too hung up on my profession. I apologize.
"Why don't the three of you relax while I clean up?"
"Why don't we all pitch in? That'll speed things up," Howard said.
"I like your kitchen," Howard remarked as he placed some of the cleaned items on the higher shelves. "It really works well. Updating these old houses must have been expensive."
"These were redone by a company that specializes in restoring older homes, and converting warehouses into loft apartments and condos," Jim said. "The owners of the company are good friends. I know you'll enjoy meeting them. One of the owner's daughter's Bobbie Anderson. You might have heard of her. Barrett and I talked about her over lunch the other day."
"The golfer! Who hasn't heard of her? I heard someone refer to her as the Alexander the Great of Women's Golf. There's nothing left for her to conquer. I've heard she's going to try to play in the PGA. More power to her."
"Jim and I have had lessons from her and her husband, Terri said. "They are really wonderful, down to earth people. I'll let you in on a little secret. She will probably be invited to play in the Hartford Open next year or the year after. There's been a lot of talk about what she's done for golf in Connecticut, and she needs to be recognized for it. I think she has what it takes to win on the men's tour.
"I understand you and Barrett play golf," Jim said.
"We've played at it. We both have trouble breaking 90, and since I hurt my knee I haven't played at all. I do enjoy the game. It's just that one wrong tweak, and I might have to go under the knife again."
"Well, that might be fixed someday. You never can tell," Terri said. Howard was wondering why she was smiling.
"I've seen Bobbie Anderson's picture in many sports magazines, and I've seen her on television. Is she really that attractive; and that friend of hers, too?" Barrett asked.
"You must mean Cindy Brewer. Yeah they are. You'll get to meet all of them one of these days. We're quite close."
They spent another hour talking over some glasses of port and some slices of very nice Stilton cheese. As they left for the relatively short drive back to Barrett's apartment they received a rather warm hug from Terri and a firm handshake from Jim.
"So what do you think?" Barrett asked as they got ready to end the day.
"I think they're nice people; however, I couldn't get over the feeling that something was going on that I don't quite understand."
"What do you mean?"
"When we first went back to the kitchen I remember checking out their appliances. They really do have a very nice kitchen by the way, and I can't see much that could be done to improve it. Anyway, I remember looking at their oven setup, and seeing that there were dinner rolls in the warming oven. Then, Ms. Mather comes over on the pretense of bringing dinner rolls. They put them into the warming oven, but there are no rolls in the warming oven. The oven was on, but I can't remember anyone taking rolls out of the oven. That's real strange.
"Then there's the thing about the cat. Did you ever have a cat when you were growing up?"
"Yes."
"Well, when your cat went outside, did you ever know that your cat was going to meet up with another cat and hunt rats, only non-native rats by the way. Since when do cats, other than lions, ever work together? Since when do cats ever tell their owners what they are going to do?
"That was just a bit much.
"Then there was Terri, what a beautiful young woman, who just happens to look like a sister of that model we were looking at on my computer. I know it wasn't her, but I think she caught on that we were startled by her appearance. Jim is one lucky guy. I am jealous."
"Of him, or of her: I know what you mean," Barrett said. "I saw something else. When Terri was helping Esmeralda out the door, I'd swear I saw them both glance at us and nod as if agreeing about something, something about us."
I think things are starting to get a bit complicated, and it's obvious that Howard has picked up on quite a bit. They are pretty much an open book to Terri. This might get interesting.
By Portia Bennett
Introduction: This is another story that fits into Part 2 of the Cynthia Chronicles. Chronologically, it takes place a little more than a year after the ending of Adam and the Three Wishes. There are some interesting parallels to that story; however, there are significant differences.
If you are not familiar with the series, you should read An Incremental Journey, Cynthia and the Reluctant Girlfriend, Cynthia and the Dumpster Diver, Cynthia and the Moment of Truth, Cynthia and the High School Years, Parts 1 & 2, Charli and the Man Cave and Adam and the Three Wishes. Bobbie and the Glass Ceiling and Randi and the College Professor take place about seven years after this story.
This work is copyrighted by the author and any publication or distribution without the written consent of the author is strictly prohibited. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of the characters to persons living or dead is coincidental.
Part 3
Chapter 5
"Okay, Terri, what's going on? I saw that switch you did with the dinner rolls. You're getting very good at that sort of stuff by the way; at least from my perspective of being the non magic person in this household. Thank the goddess that our daughter hasn't figured out how to do that little trick, or we'll be cleaning up poop from the floor every time she wants to clean out her diaper."
"I don't think we'll have to worry about that. From what everyone has told me, she shouldn't be able to teleport things until she's in her teens.
"Obviously, it's about Barrett and Howard. They're both great guys, and you're lucky to get Barrett. The thing is, they're both like the way I was, but neither knows it. It's pretty deeply seated, but I've been working with Cindy, she's one of the best along with Bobbie in detecting that little problem."
"Why don't you have His Wisdom do his thing, and they'll be happy young women, none the wiser."
"It's not that simple. First of all, he won't do transformations unless there're very good reasons, and he's totally against personality annihilations. He may make people forget for a while, especially if he does a major age regression. You know, like the one he did for Randi and Ginny. I guess the closest he's come to personality annihilations has been when he regressed some criminals back to infancy. He's always let that person's personality develop without the factors that turned it in the wrong direction in the past. That's been mostly successful, by the way. There was one particularly heinous murderer that Cindy told me about. He turned him into a calf and sent him to a stockyard. You can imagine what happened there.
"Then, there's this other thing. They're half magic. I can sense it. The Wizard says there aren't many of us that can. Esmeralda and her sister have that ability, and Esmeralda picked up on it. This doesn't mean that they'd be witches. They duplicated my magic gene, but they've decided that that will be done in only unusual cases from now on. I'm not sure His Wisdom knows about them, but he will soon enough.
"If and when Barrett and Howard discover what we know, they'll have a choice, and that will depend on how strongly they feel. They might want to stay the way they are. Maybe they won't. That will have to be resolved."
"I know you've talked about this before," Jim said, "but why is this so important?"
"The magic trait came close to being wiped out in this universe. The Wizard trait just about was. According to Myrna Mankowitz, inbreeding could become a serious problem. That's why she's doing all of this genetic research. Every time a new line of magic appears, she adds it to her magic data base. We want nature to take its course, but the more we can do to find those who possess the magic trait, the better it will be for us and man in general. The trait makes us stronger and healthier. You've never had a sick day in your life, and you are only half magic. You will live, barring an unforeseen accident, a very long time. You won't live it all as a male, but we're going to be around for a long time.
"Anyway, I think we've found two more previously undiscovered magic lines. Hopefully, they'll cooperate. It's interesting that neither of them has been able to maintain a long term relationship with anyone but themselves. I think there's a lot going on in their subconscious. I'm going to contact His Wisdom tomorrow. This is something that he and his superiors, whoever they are, will have to work out."
Randi and Charli were very happy to see Terri. They had been there to help her after her transformation. And they and Terri's great, great grandmother had brought Terri up to a high level of magic proficiency very quickly. Terri was a natural.
Melanie was just waking up from her nap and needed changing. The group retreated to the back of the shop where Terri changed her daughter's soiled diaper. The Wizard transported it to a nearby dumpster.
"So, tell us about these two new potential transformees."
"You know about them?"
"Well, I'm a Wizard, and I know these things," he said as he shrugged giving an open armed, palms up gesture. They all laughed as that was his standard reply to those that questioned him. "Actually, Ezzie sent me an email saying that you would see me about these discoveries of yours."
Terri looked over to the corner where the cat and four kittens were still sound asleep. "I found them earlier this afternoon," Charli said. "Some dogs had trapped them in a dumpster corral. They need a home." Charli explained what had transpired.
"I think we can take care of them," Terri said. Ask them when they wake up if they're okay with another cat. I know Phantom wouldn't mind.
"Okay, about the discovery," Terri said before leading into the revelations of the previous evening. "I know we need to talk to them; however, we have to explain that any transformations on their part must be strictly voluntary. They wouldn't be witches, but the trait could be saved. There is another problem, and I didn't tell Jim about this one. If they go through with the transformation, they'll be lesbians. Neither of them appears to have any attraction to men. Howard was a star football player before he got hurt. He's definitely attracted to women as is Barrett. There is no sexual attraction between them as men. Howard would love to have children. I'm not that sure about Barrett."
"I'll do a little research on them," The Wizard said, "and see what we can come up with. I guess the big thing will be to convince them to do it. Maybe they won't be as tough as you were."
"I wasn't tough, and you know it. I just wanted to make sure I did it the right way. Once I knew for sure that it could be done, there was no holding me back."
'Who are you? You're not going to yell at us are you?'
Terri looked down to see a little calico cat with four kittens sitting behind her. 'No, I won't yell at you. Would you like to come home with me? We have a very nice cat. His name is Phantom, and he's just a little older than you are.'
'Boy cats are dangerous to babies. I don't think I want to go there.'
'Our cats don't do that. They have families just like people do.'
'Are you sure? I think we need a more secure place to live.'
'I promise you that there won't be any problems. My husband can't talk to you the way we are now, but in a few months you'll be able to talk with us just the way we people talk to each other.
'We'll also get rid of all of your fleas and other parasites, and you'll always have all you want to eat, and so will your babies. And there's something else to think about. You will only have babies when you want to.'
'I think I might like that.'
"So what do we do?" Teri asked The Wizard.
"I think it would be good if we met them. Having them meet Bobbie and Cindy would be an easy way to ease their fears. Of course Don and Andy would have to be there. If Randi and Charli could control themselves, we might allow them to meet them soon."
"Your Wisdom, we're not that bad," Randi said unsuccessfully trying to fake a sulk.
"Well you might just be more than they can handle at first."
"I'd like to meet Howard Hansen," Randi said, "even if he's a woman inside. He is so handsome. Besides, I've been there, too."
"Say, how did you know we were talking about Howard Hansen?" Terri asked. "I don't recall mentioning his last name."
"Well, you said he was a star football player before he got hurt, and I checked all the NFL rosters over the last few years, and he was the only Howard who had a career ending injury."
"When did you do that?" The Wizard asked.
"Just now, I've memorized all the rosters and lifetime statistics. I need to know all that stuff for my fantasy football team. I have to stay on top of things."
The Wizard just shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. He turned back to Terri. "Do you think it's too soon to invite them over for dinner or something similar?"
"It might be, but I think I have a better idea," Terri responded. "They're looking for a house. The duplex three houses down from ours is going on the market. The one side has been vacant for a while because the thoughts were Lewis Properties might convert it to a single family dwelling. I know they are living together right now, but that's only temporary.
"They talked about finding a realtor. Esmeralda has her license. She could call them about the place, and it could be either for rent or for sale, or both for that matter. If they bought it, they could have their individual homes. They might decide to live together. Who knows? If they to decide to convert it to a single family dwelling, that certainly can be done. Of course I'm assuming that they would want to live there; however, they commented on how nice the area is, and I can certainly understand that.
"Maybe Cindy and Bobbie could just happen to come by."
"That won't work," Charli said. "Bobbie's playing out west, and Andy's carrying for her. Cindy and Don were talking about that the other day; however, I'll bet Cindy and Don could be here. I'll bet my parents could come. Cindy's mom and dad could probably come, too.
"I guess that begs the question. When do we let them know about the magic?" Terri asked.
Chapter 6
"Well, how'd your day go? The bastards told me to clean out my desk and never darken their door again. I'd finished that last project and they had no need for me. At least I got two weeks' severance pay." Barrett set his briefcase down against the wall by the front door. "They had the nerve to search my brief case before I left. They probably thought I was going to steal a stapler or a server.
"Let's go out for dinner. I'm going to have to get my own smart phone. Of course they took that, too."
"Done now?"
"I guess so. They just pissed me off. Yeah, I'm over it," Barrett said while getting a Hooker Blonde Ale out of the refrigerator.
"Okay, here's what's happening on my end," Howard said. "I'm going to meet the packer on Wednesday at my apartment. I have a couple months left on the lease. I'll just pay it, or they can let me go and get somebody new in at a higher rate."
"Cool," was Barrett's short reply.
"By the way, Esmeralda Mather called. You remember her; she with the oven rolls? It seems that she's a part time realtor. She used to handle the property management for that little development before it went mostly private. It seems that one of those duplexes we passed the other night is coming on the market. She'd like to show it to us this weekend. Amazing, huh?
"Not only that, that gorgeous blonde, Cindy Brewer, Bobbie Alexander's friend, and her family are coming over from Bridgeport for a barbecue, and we've been invited."
"That's nice," Barrett said, taking a swig from his beer bottle. "I really liked that area. I thought you did, too."
"I do like it, and I like the houses, if the Matthews' is any indication.
"I don't know, but I keep getting the feeling something weird is going on. I don't think it's bad. It's just that everything has been so damned convenient. I get a great job offer. You get a new job with some really nice people from everything I can tell. I need a house, and you need a place to live, too. It's time you got out of this piece of shit apartment by the way."
"It's not that bad."
"You need to get a life. If you ever do find someone, they wouldn't want to live here. Esmeralda gave me a price on that duplex. I certainly won't have any problem handling it, and I don't think you would either. It's a much more attractive neighborhood, and if I ever find the right person, she'd have to like it, or we weren't meant for each other. I've already been going over the interior in my mind based on what I saw at the Matthews' home.
"Okay, I'm out of here in the morning, and I should be back on Thursday. I'll stay in a hotel Wednesday night."
Howard sat in his soon to be ex-apartment and mulled over what had happened over the previous week. It had been a good week; however, questions had risen to the surface that he hadn't he hadn't thought about in years. His and Bear's discussion about their sexuality had bothered him. Maybe bothered was not quite the right word. But it certainly brought up a question that had been in the back of his mind for most of his life. There had been more than once when he'd looked at an attractive young woman and had thought about making love to her. The thing was, he'd often thought about what it must be like to be made love to as a woman; however, that was problematic because all he could visualize as a partner was another woman. Sexually, men left him absolutely cold.
He remembered back to his middle school days when the girls around him were starting to change. There were times when he wanted to know what it felt like to have breasts developing, to have your uterus start to expand and give you a tummy, and have your hips start to spread to child bearing size. What would it be like to have period and know that you were capable of bearing a child?
He hadn't been exactly truthful with Bear about his cross dressing. It had been an obsession for as long as he could get into his mother's clothing. But then he had that growth spurt that most boys had, and his source of clothing was no longer usable. It was then that his natural athletic abilities came to the attention of his coaches, and fortunately he loved athletics, in particular football. Baseball and basketball weren't far behind. The scholarship offers had come in from everywhere.
He was eighteen when his parents died, and their insurance had paid off the mortgage on the house, and left him comfortably well off at least for a few years. He was on his own. He was able to afford a housekeeper during the summer when he returned from college, and he and Bear had lost their virginity when Bear had visited during the beginning of the summer break to a couple of local girls that he'd known from high school. It hadn't been a bad experience at all, and the closeness to the female body did nothing to quiet the feeling he was missing something.
That had been interesting now that he thought about it. They'd coupled with the girls several times over a week and a half, and he was pretty certain that they had been well satisfied; however, they just went away. After Bear had returned to his home, he tried to date each of them, and they always had something else to do. He never saw either one of them again.
After his senior year and being drafted by the Patriots, he sold the house, never to return to his home town again. He kept and stored much of the furniture and household goods. It was good furniture, and his parents had good taste. It wasn't the type of furniture one saw advertized on television by those discount furniture warehouses. Much of the valuable dinnerware and glassware was already in storage. When he found the right house, he'd arrange to have it shipped along with the stored furniture to his new home. He'd kept most of his parents' sterling. Things like that had a habit of disappearing from storage facilities. He didn't use it that often. It was in a four drawer standing silver chest. He'd take the legs off that and take the chest with silver in his Yukon Denali when he returned to Hartford. The movers could ship most of his clothing, especially the finer dress suits. He didn't think he'd need those any time soon.
The movers were very efficient, and four hours after their arrival, everything, with the exception of what Howard was taking, was in the truck and ready to go to storage in Hartford. Maybe it wouldn't be there for long.
Well, off to the Plaza to treat himself on his last night in New York.
"Hey, Bear, I'm out of my place, and the manager and I came to an agreement about the rent without any problem. I should be up there around noon. Anything going on?"
"Not much, I had a nice orientation with the folks at my new job. They'd like me to start next week. I have a nice cubicle with a window. They gave me a new smart phone, and I managed to keep my old number. I'm not sure how that was worked out, but it was.
"Esmeralda gave me a tour of the duplex. It's really nice. It might need some updates, but you can do my side when you do yours."
"You seem awful sure that I'm going to like it."
"I think you will.
"Jim and Terri invited us over for a barbecue this Saturday. Some of their friends from Bridgeport are coming over. They're the owners of that construction company that used to own all of the property out there. We can look at the house before the barbecue.
"Oh, Terri found a stray cat with four kittens. She wanted to know if we'd want one of them. I wouldn't mind having a cat, so I'll probably take one no matter where I lived."
"You know, I don't think I would mind having a pet," Howard replied. "It wasn't really possible when I played football and when I was going to school, but now that I'm going to settle down a bit, having a furry companion might be nice.
"Look, I'll see you tomorrow. Take care."
"See yah."
"When can I close?" Howard asked as Esmeralda brought them back to the kitchen area.
"We need to sign a contract and submit it to the owners. They'll want to counter your offer. Once the offer is accepted, you'll have to apply for a loan. These things can't be done over night."
"I understand all of that. I am making a full price cash offer. This is exactly what I wanted."
"That is a bit unusual, but it shouldn't be any problem."
"Mr. Hamilton, what are you thinking about the other unit?"
"I guess I'll have to go through all that application process that you were talking about. I definitely want the place. This is really working out well. I think I'll qualify, but of course we'll have to go through all that rigmarole."
"I don't think you understand," Howard said. "I am making a cash offer for both units. Bear can pay rent for his side. That will just keep things very uncomplicated.
"I would like to move in next week. The place is move-in ready. I'll just pay rent until we close. I don't see that as being any problem. As a representative of the seller, what do you say?"
"Of course I'll have to run it by the owners which shouldn't be too difficult since they will be at Terri and Jim's place when we get there. I think I can say that there won't be any problems. I'll get the paper work ready for you in just a little while.
"Do you have any questions?"
"Not at this time," Howard answered. "Bear, what do you think?"
"I think you caught me a bit off guard. Are you sure you want to do this?"
"Absolutely, it's going to be tight for you, if you are approved for a loan. This way, your rent will be a lot less because I won't be paying any interest."
"Yeah, but you're putting out a hell of a lot of cash."
"It's not that much. I'm not even touching my investments. This is money left over from the settlement of my parents' estate. I think this is what they would want me to do.
"Now, let's go down and see that cat and kittens that Terri brought home."
Well, it looks like they've found a home for each of them. They have jobs that they're going to like. Can anything go wrong? Things are going to come to a head, and the one thing we have to remember is The Wizard is out there. Can we trust him?
By Portia Bennett
Introduction: This is another story that fits into Part 2 of the Cynthia Chronicles. Chronologically, it takes place a little more than a year after the ending of Adam and the Three Wishes. There are some interesting parallels to that story; however, there are significant differences.
If you are not familiar with the series, you should read An Incremental Journey, Cynthia and the Reluctant Girlfriend, Cynthia and the Dumpster Diver, Cynthia and the Moment of Truth, Cynthia and the High School Years, Parts 1 & 2, Charli and the Man Cave and Adam and the Three Wishes. Bobbie and the Glass Ceiling and Randi and the College Professor take place about seven years after this story.
This work is copyrighted by the author and any publication or distribution without the written consent of the author is strictly prohibited. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of the characters to persons living or dead is coincidental.
Part 4
Chapter 7
"Dr. Bettencourt, I would like you to meet Howard Hansen and Barrett Hamilton. Mr. Hansen is buying the duplex down the street."
"It's so nice to meet you Doctor," Howard said as he shook the gentleman of undetermined age's hand. He reminded Howard of a cleaner cut Willie Nelson. "What are you a doctor of?"
"Just about anything you can think of. I could fix that knee of yours, if you wanted. I can fix just about anything else, too."
"Well, I might just have to call on you some day. Say, how did you know I had a bad knee?"
"I recognized you from the sports pages. You played for the Boston Patriots."
"That's the New England Patriots these days. They changed their name quite a while ago."
"New England, Boston, it doesn't really matter. I can fix your knee though. It will be like new."
Both Howard and Barrett recognized Cindy Brewer from the pictures of her in the Sports Illustrated Magazine from a few years before. They both realized that the pictures didn't do her justice. Her mother's beauty was something they hadn't expected.
"So you're the guy that the Patriots wanted to draft," Howard said after he was introduced to Cindy's husband, Don.
"Yeah, I'm the one. I kicked for my high school and college teams because they needed me. Cindy and I have goals that don't include professional sports. Cindy's starting medical school, and I'm starting law school. As far as sports are concerned, I'd rather play soccer, but that would have to be secondary, too.
"Cindy, take a look at this ring."
Cindy, her father and another gentleman had been talking to Esmeralda about something, probably the proposed offer that Howard had made for the house. Cindy took Howard's hand as she was introduced. She held it for a long time. Her eyes sparkled. For some reason Howard felt a warmth flow over him. He couldn't figure out why, but he felt a peace and calm he hadn't felt in years. She was so beautiful, but it went beyond that. If she'd asked, he would have told her anything she wanted to know.
Howard and Barrett eventually met everyone in attendance. They found out that all of the Brewers' children were adopted. That wasn't too hard to figure out as Don and his brother Jorge were obviously Hispanic, Lucy was Oriental, and the precocious Charli had Mediterranean heritage. Then there were Cindy's little sisters Randi and Martha. Howard and Barrett were surprised that Randi was only 13. She could have easily passed for 20. Martha, a very cute redhead, was only six, but she had the same bubbly outgoing personality her sisters had. Cindy's two brothers weren't there due to being at summer camp.
Mrs. Lewis was a stunning platinum blonde, and there was no doubt that that was her natural color. The same could be said about her figure. She had a spectacular figure, and both the figure and hair coloring had been passed on to her daughters. Howard felt the same warmth when she took his hand that he'd felt when Cindy had taken his earlier on.
The Schmedlaps' older son's were married and lived out of state, and Bobbie, who both Howard and Barrett would have loved to meet, was playing in a tournament in the western US. She'd established a six stroke lead at the halfway point, and according to Amos Schmedlap had padded her lead by three more strokes half way through the third round.
Dr. Bettencourt's large dog had been romping with the cats and kittens. A third adult cat had been sitting at the edge of the activity. He seemed to be following things very closely.
"Whose cat is that sitting over there taking everything in?" Barrett asked.
"That's Phantom's friend, Fred. He's the cat Phantom goes hunting with."
"So, you name stray cats?"
"No," Terri said, "that's his name. All cats have names. They just don't always tell us what they are. I named Phantom when he was a little kitten. He was fine with it."
"You are kidding aren't you?"
"Not really.
"Wolf, there's a large hambone in the refrigerator for you. Get Phantom to open the backdoor for you."
Barrett watched, both confused and astounded, as the large dog followed by Phantom headed for the rear door of the house. Phantom paused for a moment, and the door swung open before the two pets bounded into the house only to return a moment later with Wolf carrying a large bone.
"I have to admit that was quite a trick," Barrett said shaking his head. "Who has the remote control?"
"That wasn't any trick," Dr. Bettencourt said as he approached. "Phantom is very good at getting into any locked room. He's been doing it since he was a kitten.
"Wolf, drop that bone for a minute and come up here and introduce yourself to these two nice people."
"Sure boss."
By this time Howard had joined Barrett and watched something unfold that he'd only read about. His heart was racing like it used to just before the opening kickoff of a football game.
"Howard, Barrett, I'm Wolf. I guess His Wisdom and I have been together for five or six hundred years, but who's counting.
"You have to be kidding," Barrett said deferring from the stronger language due to there being children in the area. When he looked up he realized the entire group was silently watching their reaction.
"I don't believe it, but it's true. You really do exist," Howard said.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Barrett said turning to his friend.
"Your Wisdom, I think it's time for you to shed your disguise so that my friend can see what I'm talking about."
"Certainly." With a slight shimmer, Dr. Bettencourt morphed into the robe wearing wizard.
"It didn't take you very long to figure things out," The Wizard said with a smile.
"The wolf was the clincher. I know now it was all very deliberate. I felt something strange was going on the other night. Then all this other stuff has been going on. It's all been very convenient: the jobs, the house, all of it."
"Actually, we had nothing to do with the jobs," Terri said. "I've just known since the night of the dinner at our house."
"Known what?" Barrett asked rather strongly. 'I have the strangest feeling I'm hallucinating, but this all seems too real.
"Speaking of the wolf, who's the ventriloquist? And since when is it legal to keep a wolf, and how did you change your clothes so fast?"
"Bear, I know this may be hard for you to believe, but this gentleman is a wizard, a very powerful wizard, and I'd be willing to bet that several, if not all of these beautiful ladies are witches. I'm sure Terri is, as is Esmeralda. I think Cindy is, too, and that means her mother and sisters are probably witches. I'm not sure about the Brewers; however, since all their children are adopted, I'm guessing that either Charli or Lucy is a witch, and I think it's Charli.
"Am I right so far?"
"Absolutely," The Wizard said.
"This is absolutely crazy. That's what's absolute about this. I mean, how do you know about these people?"
"I think the best thing to do right now is to have another beer and enjoy the barbecue that appears to be ready. I'm not exactly sure what this is all about, but I'm sure these nice people will explain it to us. The Wizard, especially, doesn't reveal himself unless he has a good reason.
"It looks like you have a friend," Howard said looking down at Barrett's feet.
Barrett looked down to see a large cat sitting at his feet. It was the cat that had been sitting at the perimeter of things when they first arrived at the Matthews' back yard. The cat looked up at him and gave a rather loud meow that seemed to have a question mark. He then twisted around Barrett's legs before sitting down again and starring up at him.
"He wants you to pick him up," Phantom said very clearly. "His name's Fred. He can't talk - yet. He'd like you to pick him up and scratch his head. You're the first person he's tried to get close to, but he thinks you might do."
Barrett obliged Fred, picking him up and supporting him with his forearm. He absentmindedly scratched his head, and an immediate purr could be heard. "Okay, I know I'm going insane, but I'm real hungry. So if I'm going to have this crazy dream, I might as well be well fed while having it."
Howard was driving them back to Barrett's apartment. Barrett may have had a bit too much to drink. "So, what do you think of our new friends?" Howard asked.
"That's the craziest thing I've ever seen. They are witches, and he really is a wizard, and that wolf and that cat can really talk. I guess I have to believe it. I just never thought that magic was real, but I guess I have to.
"So why us: why are we being welcomed into this group? What do we have to offer them? There must be some reason that they came out of the closet, so to speak. I don't think the general public is aware of this group of magic people."
"You're right, there. They are known only to those whom they want to be known to."
"How come you're so familiar with this wizard? You seem to know a lot about him," Barrett said as he closed the apartment door.
"Why don't you sit down? We have a lot to talk about, Howard said as he got a glass of ice water. "You want some water?"
"Sure, I'll probably need to hydrate. So what's on your mind?"
"You mentioned something about them coming out of the closet. Well, I think it's time that I did the same."
"What do you mean? I know you're not gay. At least, I don't think you are."
"No, I'm not gay. I'm transgendered. I thought that might have been obvious from our conversation the other day."
"You have to be kidding."
"Nope, I'm serious, dead serious. I just happen to be an athletic, reasonably good looking guy who deep inside happens to be a woman."
"You mean you want to take hormones, and have sex change surgery and all that stuff?"
"Yes and no; I would if it were reasonably possible; however, I would never want to look like John Lithgow playing Roberta Muldoon in 'The World According to Garp'. That just wouldn't do. I don't think I'll ever find a woman would be willing to live with a transgendered ex-football player as a husband. There's another thing. I'm pretty sure that I'm a lesbian. Changing my sex to match my gender won't change my sexual orientation. So, I've decided that I'll continue to do what I've always wanted to do, and that is do the type of work I'll be doing here in Hartford.
"Esmeralda brought a contract for me to sign, and it has been accepted. In a few weeks, I will own that house. If you don't want to live there, I'll understand; however, I wish you'd stay."
"Of course I'll stay. You're the only friend I have. Well, I imagine I'll develop friends from work, but they're a different type of friend."
"Thank you, you've made me very happy. Now I want to show you something on my computer."
Howard turned on his laptop and waited a short while before it booted up. "This is one of the web sites I frequently go to. I've listed some of my favorite stories over here in the 'Favorites' column. Many of these are about The Wizard and a special shop he has." Howard proceeded to give a short description of the SRU universe which apparently was their universe. They just hadn't known it.
"You mean he turns men and boys into women and girls?" Barrett asked.
"Yes, and many variations of that: he also turns women into men, not that often, though. Legend has him doing all sorts of things. Many have him turning people into vacuous bimbos. I have a feeling that may not be a frequent occurrence; at least I hope not."
"Suppose he was to turn you into a woman, what would you want to look like? We might as well carry this fantasy out to its extreme."
"I think we discussed that the other day. Remember when we were looking at those young women on the computer? So many of them are so pretty and obviously female, and I said something to the effect that if you averaged all their features, I would be more than happy with that. I don't think I could go wrong. The thing is I don't want to lose what I have. I have a great job coming up, a wonderful house where we can be neighbors, and I am reasonably wealthy. If The Wizard changed me, assuming he could, history would have to change. Howard Hansen would have never played in the super bowl. I would never have this ring. I wouldn't have a multimillion dollar portfolio that will continue to have millions pumped into it over the next two and one-half years. And, I probably would have never met you. Being a lesbian, I sure we would never have had as good a relationship that we do now if we had met. I don't think I want to give that up.
"Holy Shit, where'd that come from?"
They looked at his computer screen. Across it in bold letters was "HOWARD, SEE ME TOMORROW AT THE TAX OFFICE IN WEST HARTFORD. TERRI WILL TELL YOU HOW TO GET THERE - THE WIZARD".
Chapter 8
Tragedy Strikes in Aircraft Accident in Long Island Sound.
New Haven, CT. Searchers today found the body of ex professional football player Howard Hansen in about 100 ft of water off the harbor at New Haven, CT.
Hansen and his fiancée, Lisa Fischer, were taking a sightseeing flight to celebrate their engagement when their plane struck a flock sea gulls. The pilot was apparently severely injured by one of the birds penetrating the cockpit and he was never able to recover to fly the airplane. Searchers are still hunting for the pilot's remains.
Miss Fischer, ex model and beauty contestant, is said to be resting comfortably in a hospital in Hartford. Doctors say that although her injuries were severe, she is expected to make a full recovery.
"Are you sure you're okay? I mean, this is really weird," Barrett said. He was standing at the foot of a hospital bed which at the moment contained what appeared to be a bruised and battered, but very attractive young woman. The hospital gown and blankets couldn't hide what was a rather nice bust line and figure. Her right knee was at the moment immobilized.
"Dr. Bettencourt said my knee will be as good as new. In fact, it is new, just as the rest of me is new. I haven't had much chance to enjoy this, but I'm sure I will in just a little while.
"So is everything moved in?" Lisa asked.
"Yep, Terri has been supervising. There is a lot of personal stuff you'll still have to unpack. Man, er, girl, you sure have a wardrobe full of beautiful clothes."
"The Wizard with Cindy and Terri's help changed everything. I'm going to have a lot to learn about many things. It seems I'm pregnant."
"What!"
"I'm pregnant with Howard's child, or I should say children."
"How in the hell did that happen?"
"I learned quite a bit when I visited The Wizard that Sunday morning; quite a bit.
The shop was there just like Terri said it would be. The old sign was hanging by a bracket attached to one side of the doorway. He pushed the door open and heard the bell jingle just like he expected it to. 'At least the writers got that right', he thought to himself as he looked around. 'It's not nearly as messy as I thought it would be.'
"That's because Randi keeps straightening things up. It's a wonder I can find anything," The Wizard shouted from the back room. "I'll be right out. I have a teleconference going with headquarters."
Howard heard some mumbling going on and noticed Wolf was sound asleep. His legs were twitching as if he might have been having a good dream.
"Well, here you are; so I guess the question is do you want to go through with it?"
"I think you know what that answer is, and I suspect you've known what it was for a long time. You do understand my concerns. I really do want what you can do for me, but I don't want to lose everything that I've acquired."
"That can be arraigned; however, there may be a small price."
"I suspected that. I'm hoping that the trickery I've read about is not usually the way you do things."
"When someone has selfish motives, I've been known to do some interesting things. In the long run it's been to their benefit.
"Now, as far as you're concerned, this is what we have in mind. You have good genetics, and we certainly wouldn't want to lose that, and there's this thing that is very important to us. Terri caught it right away. It seems that there was magic in your mother's line, and you have inherited that. We are willing to take the genetic traits of those women you admired and average them out. You will be very attractive. There are two other things. Several of those models have the magic trait, and one of them is a witch. I think you and Barrett have admired her. She happens to be Terri's great, great aunt."
"Oh my gosh, Simoné. No wonder Terri looks so much like her."
"Simoné has agreed to let us duplicate her magic genes for your use. Damn, I wish that girl would find a good husband. She'll probably reach menopause in another 400 years."
"My God, how old is she?"
"Actually, I believe she's around 170 plus or minus a few. Don't tell her I told you. You can ask Bev when she gets here. She'll be one of your trainers. She's Terri's great, great, grandmother and Simoné's sister. Everyone will help you. I don't do much pre-programming for witches. It's not necessary.
"Now there's this other thing, and I want you to think about it carefully. We reviewed all of those young ladies you have pictures of. You have pictures of close to a thousand of them. In our research, we found that ten of those girls were pregnant. Six of them intended to keep their babies. Four of them were married; however, four of those women chose to abort their babies. Instead of allowing that to happen, we did a little time travel thing and rescued the embryos. We hope you'd agree to let us implant two of them in you. We will replace one half the chromosomes with yours including the X chromosome, so in effect the children are yours. One would be a boy and one a girl. What do you say?"
"Go for it," he said without a moment's hesitation. "I had always wanted brothers and sisters, but that never happened. I will be happy to raise those children and others in a happy family environment. I had always known that I wanted to have children, and now you will make it possible. This is the least I can do to thank you for what I hope you will do for me.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Barrett asked as Lisa Looked through the Condo. He'd brought her home from the hospital just a few minutes before.
"I'm fine. I told you all those bruises and cuts and scabs were just cosmetic. His Wisdom did that, and Terri helped maintain the illusion. My knee is totally uninjured. I'll just maintain the illusion for a while.
"The reading of the will is tomorrow afternoon. It's going to go through without a question. 'Howard' knew I was pregnant with his child, and he willed everything to me. I guess I'll have to tear up at the right moments. I seem to be better able to do that now."
Barrett watched the six foot tall, gorgeous titian haired woman walk confidently through her house. She expressed a grace he had never seen from Howard, but of course Howard was dead.
Barrett felt lost. He was jealous of her beauty. She had almost everything. Well, she didn't have a husband, and most likely never would. They were still friends; that was for sure; however, it wasn't the same. Lisa was a lesbian. It would be many years before that would come out as she'd had had a pretty torrid romance with Howard Hansen. "Howard was able to reach me like no other man was ever able to do. I think it was because he wasn't afraid to show his feminine side to me."
According to all the lore, Lisa was an orphan like Howard had been. Like Howard she'd used her physical attributes to get her a jump start; however, she'd always wanted to work in the culinary arts, and she like Howard had determined that at least at the beginning she wanted to be the diva of kitchen design. She and Howard had met at the CIA, and they were inseparable right up until his death. They were going to work for the same company. Now, it would be just Lisa Fischer. Howard's life insurance policy made up for the lost salary he'd been collecting. Lisa was the sole beneficiary.
They often ate together. Sometimes Barrett would fix dinner, and sometimes Lisa would. Frequently on weekends they would have dinner with the Matthews. Lisa was starting to show, and absolutely reveled in her pregnancy. She positively glowed.
Barrett's job was great. He wished that he'd been able to start out with such a great organization. He was miserable. He found comfort with Fred, the cat. Fred had moved in as soon as Barrett and Lisa had. He was very matter of fact about it. The maintenance man had put in pet doors the same day they had moved in. The little calico cat and her kittens had moved in with Lisa. It turned out her name was Linda.
It seemed that Lisa was involved more and more with her magic lessons. Bev or Terri always had Lisa working with some sort of spell or other. Randi Lewis, that beautiful and precocious thirteen year old, and her sister-in-law Charli were next door almost as often.
Then there were the other cats. A little black cat named Silky was usually with Randi. Charli's cat was probably the biggest domestic cat he'd ever seen. He was very friendly, and for that Barrett was thankful. He'd have hated to be on his wrong side. A very pretty little Siamese-like cat was with Cindy when she showed up. He'd finally been able to meet Bobbie Anderson and her husband. Bobbie's cat was Chloe, a platinum gray cat.
Barrett thought back to The Wizard's wolf talking. He was sure the cats were talking, too. After all, he'd heard Phantom talk. They must all be talking, but he just didn't understand it. Whether or not Fred talked, he was a very nice cat. For a supposedly feral cat he certainly seemed to have adjusted to the domestic life very easily. Fred would bump his head up against Barrett, and then curl up in his lap and go to sleep. He was a good friend.
There were certain things about pregnancy that Lisa had read about. They were common knowledge, but until one had experienced them, you just didn't understand. Her already ample bosom had increased at least a cup size. She complained to Terri about how tight her bras had become, and Terri took her to one of the better department stores to get her properly fitted. She had to get up two or three times a night to pee. Her back ached, and she'd never been happier in her life. Lisa looked at least two months further along than she actually was. Her twins were doing very well.
She didn't want to ignore Barrett, but she had so much going on. Her work at the restaurant supply company was going great. She had a half dozen jobs designing kitchens for the wives of the insurance moguls. She also had all the commercial jobs she could handle. It was a lot of work, but it was fun. The magic kept her very busy. She had so much to learn.
Then there was that fateful Saturday. A lot of things seemed to happen on Saturdays. She'd thought about asking Barrett to go out to lunch with her. They needed some personal time as she realized she'd probably been neglecting him. About the time she was getting ready to call him she heard the garage door open. She looked out to see Barrett driving off. Well she'd call him when he returned. She didn't like to call people on their cell phones when they were driving.
It was about an hour later when she looked up from sorting the laundry to see her little cat approaching. "Hi, Linda, what have you been up to this morning?" she said looking down at the pretty, well fed cat.
"Phantom took us out for a lesson on learning what birds we should catch and what birds to leave alone. It's difficult to resist catching the wrong ones, but I can see why it's important. The babies are napping on your bed. I imagine they'll be out for a couple of hours. Where'd Barrett go? I thought you were going to have lunch with him."
"I don't know. I try very hard not to pry into his private life.
"I think I just heard him pull into the garage. I'll check on him after a while."
After about an hour Lisa called Barrett's number. He didn't answer. She called again; still no answer. She knew she'd heard the door close and somebody walking around earlier. But it had been quiet for quite a while. She did something that she'd promised not to do since her change. She sent out a mental search for Barrett. She couldn't find him anywhere. This was not good. She knew Barrett had seemed a bit depressed lately. Suddenly, she thought the worst.
She rushed out the front door and crossed the porch to Barrett's door. She rang the chime, but there was no response. She waited until she could wait no more and walked in. Fred didn't appear like he usually did when she came over.
"Bear?" she called out. ”Fred?" All was quiet. She checked the kitchen, and the only noise was the hum of the refrigerator. She climbed the stairs as quickly as her pregnant body would let her. This side of the duplex was a mirror image of the other side. She walked back to the partially open door to the master bedroom. As she approached the door, Fred walked out and then looked back over his shoulder towards the bed.
"I'm afraid Barrett's gone."
Lisa looked in to see a body sprawled across the bedspread.
Well, Howard did it. I don't think there was any doubt. Poor Barrett has been having a serious problem with all that's been going. He definitely felt left out and lost. And now, we have a body.
By Portia Bennett
Introduction: This is another story that fits into Part 2 of the Cynthia Chronicles. Chronologically, it takes place a little more than a year after the ending of Adam and the Three Wishes. There are some interesting parallels to that story; however, there are significant differences.
If you are not familiar with the series, you should read An Incremental Journey, Cynthia and the Reluctant Girlfriend, Cynthia and the Dumpster Diver, Cynthia and the Moment of Truth, Cynthia and the High School Years, Parts 1 & 2, Charli and the Man Cave and Adam and the Three Wishes. Bobbie and the Glass Ceiling and Randi and the College Professor take place about seven years after this story.
This work is copyrighted by the author and any publication or distribution without the written consent of the author is strictly prohibited. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of the characters to persons living or dead is coincidental.
Part 5
Chapter 9
It was the body of a young woman. She was wearing slacks and a blouse. Her shoes were on the floor next to the bed. Her hair was long and dark blonde, almost light brown. She was quite petite, maybe 5' 4".
At first, Lisa thought she might be dead. She couldn't read her. Then she saw that she was breathing very regularly. She was just asleep. Who was she? She had to be magic. Her screens were definitely up.
Lisa circled the bed to get a better look at who the intruder was. She wasn't wearing any makeup, but she was very pretty, very cute. Lisa wondered what color her eyes were. With that coloring they might be just about any color. Who was she?
Lisa couldn't think of anything but to call Terri. Maybe she knew what was going on. She spotted the extension wireless on its charger back on the other night table. Just as she reached the phone she looked into the closet. "Oh my God!" she shrieked.
The closet was filled with clothes, women's clothes. She looked around the room. She hadn't realized it at first, but everything had changed. Had there been any masculinity in the room before, it was gone now.
She looked down at the young woman who was now looking back up at her.
"Hi, Lisa," her voice was a beautiful soprano, not the mezzo soprano that Lisa had. Her eyes were a bright green. She had the most beautiful lashes; however, her eyebrows needed a lot of work. "I guess I'm Rosemary from now on. I fell asleep. Does being pregnant make you sleepy like this all the time?"
"Oh my!"
Lisa turned to see Terri standing at the door.
"Jim was doing some paperwork for next week. He and Barrett were working on a project. Anyway, a little while ago he noticed that Barrett's name had changed to Rosemary. There was only one reason for that to have happened.
"You did it, you finally did it," Terri said turning to the new woman. "It's about time."
By this time, Rosemary was sitting on the edge of the bed. Her face still had a few wrinkles left by sleeping against the spread covered pillows. Her friends sat at her side, gently hugging her. "I wanted to do it for a long time, but for some reason I was scared. When I got up this morning there was a message from His Wisdom on my lap top. There were just two words, "IT'S TIME".
"You know," she said with a pause, "it was."
"I want the same package, all of it," he shouted while the door bell was still tinkling.
"Just a minute, just a dang minute, there's no rush. There never was. I'll be out in a minute. Give Wolf a dog biscuit."
By then, Wolf was sitting up half begging.
"Give him only half," Padrona, Wolf's wife, said as she parted the curtains. "He needs to watch his weight.
"Wolf, the kids want to chase musk oxen up in Aulavik National Park, and you promised you would go with them. They're out back, and they're ready to go."
"I'd better go. Have a nice day," Wolf said as he headed for the back room.
"Now, now, now, calm down," The Wizard said as he parted the beaded curtains. "There's no need to rush into things just because you've finally come to the decision you could have made a long time ago, but just now decided to get off of top dead center. Maybe that's not the best analogy, but I learned it from Mabel McIntyre the other day.
"Mabel was a Master Gunnery Sergeant, and after she retired having served 30 years in the marines, she determined all that bluster and bravado was camouflage covering who she really was. She had never married in her previous life. She had been doing quite a bit of research about us, not really believing SRU existed, but holding the hope that it did. Finding our shop in Oceanside was beyond her wildest dream.
"Anyway, she's now a USO volunteer, she's only 48, and she's found her life partner. She couldn't be happier.
"Now, back to you; I know what I can do for you, but I want to hear it from you. I don't want this to be a decision you'll regret later, although I know it's not. I just feel like drawing this out a bit."
"Howard, well Lisa now, and I talked about this several times over the last year. I know she realized it, and I knew, too, that there was something different about us. We loved women; however, it was the female form we coveted. It wasn't just that, and this was something that our female acquaintances sensed. We were women inside. Our souls were female. Our bed partners were not bisexual and they wanted 'all men'. In spite of our physical image, we weren't men enough for them. But, we're not gay; at least not as men. I know that now.
"I miss the person who is Lisa. I love her. But that can never be if I stay this way, and believe me, I don't want to stay this way. I want it all. I want the same deal Lisa got. I want children. I want to be with Lisa for the rest of our lives."
"You do realize that will be a very long time, don't you?"
"Sixty, seventy years, that won't be long enough."
"It would be more like six or seven hundred years, maybe more."
"What in the world are you talking about?"
"Do you remember your conversation with Lisa that day you visited her in the hospital?"
"Certainly, that was the first time I saw her after you changed her and faked that accident."
"As far as the world's concerned," The Wizard said, "it was all very real. After all, there were two bodies and a crashed airplane. That had to have been one of my better creations. It worked like a charm, and we didn't have to do too much historical adjusting. It was certainly more involved than what we did for Terri, though."
"Terri? I don't think I understand."
"Everyone is fine with this. You'd find out sooner or later. Terri was like you are and Lisa was. The parallels are really interesting. Terri and Jim were best friends in college. They were always right for each other. Jim is straight, so the thought of a relationship with Adam beyond the platonic one they had was out of the question. Adam, now Terri, loved Jim. The thing was Adam loved Jim as a woman would. Well, all that's been fixed now.
"Now, that brings us to this other thing: magic. You are half magic like Terri and Lisa were. Of course they're all magic now. We will replicate the magic gene that one of those models you and Lisa were coveting has. You will retain your X chromosome and the rest of your mother's genetic material as I explained to Lisa, and we will construct the rest of your genetic material that reflects the average of the traits those thousand women have. Actually, everything is ready for you to just give us the word, and we'll go ahead.
"You will be magic just like Lisa, Terri and all the others you've met. The complication is that your mother is half magic, as is your brother. Your sister missed out on that, unfortunately. Your mother will remember you as you were before. I had Bev visit her to explain what will happen. No one else will remember anything other than that Rosemary Hamilton was a lovely little girl who finally found her life partner. The fact that you are gay won't matter. You have a very understanding family."
"How did you know about the name?"
"I'm a Wizard, if you remember. It's my job to know these things.
"There is the other part of the bargain. Just like Lisa, you will be pregnant with twins; in this case, two girls. As you never had a boyfriend, these babies are the result of your having artificial insemination. Your little girls are magic, just like you.
"Are you okay with this?"
"Yes, this is a wonderful price to pay for this blessing."
"Would you want someone with you while we take care of things? The process can be a bit disorienting."
"I guess so, if you think it's a good idea. I'm starting to get a bit nervous."
"I can understand that. Here, have a cup of coffee," The Wizard said as he handed Barrett a cup of steaming coffee. "It's our special blend."
The Wizard went to his desktop computer, and struck a few keys. "Bobbie, can you come to the store for a few minutes. Barrett finally made a decision, and he would like you to be here."
"Sure, I'll use the Janitor's closet like we did before. I have an hour before I have to get to the practice tee."
"Can you be here, too, Cindy. He'd like your support."
"I'll be right there."
The back door to the shop opened to reveal what appeared to be the inside of a janitorial closet. The tall, beautiful redhead stepped out into the room. She was wearing a short skirt that revealed long, tanned athletic legs, and she was wearing a billed golf cap. "Hi Barrett, we're so happy for you." She walked over and gave Barrett a hug and a kiss. "This is so right. I can't wait to give you some lessons. We'll make a fine golfer out of you. I'm going to work with Lisa, too. She'll need the right sort of exercise after having her babies. No golf carts for either of you."
"Hi, Barrett."
He looked up to see Cindy Brewer approaching. She gave him the same treatment.
"Feeling better?" The Wizard asked.
"Yes, I think so. Actually, I feel very good about this. Let's do it."
Bobby and Cindy sat beside him and grasped his hands.
Suddenly he was overwhelmed with a feeling that was almost pre-orgasmic. He, no she could feel her spatial orientation changing. She was shrinking, and there were wonderful feelings and stirrings inside her body. Her shirt changed to a very nice casual blouse; her Levis to a pair of form fitting slacks. There was a slight tightening around her chest. She looked down. She had breasts, very nice breasts. They were enclosed in a bra that felt quite comfortable. Out of the corner of her eye she could see her dark blonde hair cascading down to her shoulders. She reached up to touch it. Her hands were small and delicate.
Suddenly, the tension she had been building up over the last few months was released in a spine tingling shiver.
"Breathe, Rosemary, breathe. If you don't, you'll pass out," Bobbie said. "There, that wasn't bad at all was it? Wait until you see how pretty you are. I remember the first time I saw myself after my transition. It was such a wonderful feeling."
A full length mirror appeared in front of them. They helped her stand and pulled her to the mirror.
"Oh, my, goodness, that is really me. How can I ever thank you?"
"You already have by rescuing those two babies," The Wizard said.
"How far along am I? I guess I should know."
"Just two weeks, you went to the clinic two weeks ago. You should show positive for the EPT in the next few days.
"Now have another drink of that coffee. We're not going to let you drive home until you're ready."
"Did you drug me?"
"No," Cindy said, "His Wisdom has a special blend of coffees and teas that have a very calming effect. It's good to have them around the house for emergencies. The first time I had the tea was after I was kidnapped. We, Bobbie's mother and my folks, had some. It really helped us through the trauma of that day. I gave some to Terri after her transition. It just reduces panic without any narcotic effects. Terri'll have some for you at her house."
"There you have it, after about thirty minutes, I felt pretty normal. Actually, I felt wonderful, but any giddiness was gone. That must be pretty good stuff."
"I'll certainly agree with that," Terri said
"I came back here and Fred said hello to me as I came in. I guess he's my familiar now. Anyway, this apparently took a lot out of me, and I crashed for a while."
Fred jumped onto the bed and started kneading Rosemary's thigh. "We'll make a great team," Fred said as he circled a couple of times before dropping down for a nap.
"I do have a question, something I've been meaning to ask for a long time, but somehow, it just didn't seem right."
"Sure, what is it," Lisa asked.
"Lisa, will you please marry me?"
Chapter 10
They spent a few weeks in another smaller house as their duplex was converted to a single family dwelling. The Wizard could have made the changes with a few magic spells; however, it wouldn't have been Lisa and Rosemary's project. It was just better that way. What they had done was similar to Jim and Terri's home. After all, they had the same floor plan to work with.
Lisa went crazy with the kitchen. She gave it everything she had always wanted in a kitchen. It was a show place, and when she told her company what she wanted to do, they supplied much of what went into it. All she had to do was promise to show it to their rich customers. She gladly did that. She was very proud of her work. She had designed a small walk in wine closet that fitted under the double stair leading up to the second floor. Neither she nor Rosemary were drinking much wine these days, although they held many small dinners - mostly for their magic friends and families. They were both surprised at the size of the growing magic community in New England.
Rosemary had her electronics room that was a computer geek's paradise. She could work from there as well as her office. She'd also put in an audio system that was state of the art. There were several televisions throughout the house. None of them were huge, although the one in the family room was pretty good sized. Lisa still liked to watch the NFL games and other sports. She had Howard's Super Bowl Championship Ring. Sometimes, especially on football days, she'd wear it on a gold chain around her neck.
Upstairs, they took the two rear bedrooms, and made a master suite out of them. It was luxurious to say the least. In spite of their pregnancies, especially with Lisa's advanced state, they found it very easy to make love.
There had been little hesitation on their part that first night after Rosemary's transformation. It was just so natural for them. After all, they'd been in love with each other for a long time. After some tentative kissing that quickly escalated, Lisa led Rosemary to her shower tub. That would be fixed soon enough. She worshipped her smaller lover's surprisingly buxom body (That had been a little extra The Wizard had thrown in. He didn't tell them, though). Rosemary was aroused like a tightened wire ready to break by the time Lisa had dried her with the plush towel. She led her to the bed and showed her exactly what two women who loved each other very much could do for each other. To say the earth moved for Rosemary might have been an understatement.
"Welcome to womanhood my sweet, sweet Rosemary," Lisa said as she cuddled the still vibrating young woman to her.
"Oh my God, oh my God," Rosemary said between gasps. "Just to be with you was all I wanted."
"Well, this is part of the package, little one."
"If that's the case, I think turnabout is fair play," she said as she turned to her beautiful lover. "I especially liked it when you did this," she said as she drew Lisa's swollen nipple between her lips and teased it with her tongue. Lisa gently held her head to her breast. She moaned her approval.
"Oh, your little innie has become an outie.
She gently kissed her navel. "Little ones, we will see you in a few months. Your mother and I love you very much. You're going to have two little sisters in a little more than eight months. We're going to have so much fun."
She moved further down to part her beautiful lover's dark red hair with her tongue. "I've been told that I am very good at this." The results she elicited confirmed the previous reports.
"I waited a long time for you, Rosemary. I'm so glad you finally showed up.
On December 21st Lisa gave birth to a very healthy boy and girl. There were no complications. The Wizard certainly wouldn't have allowed that. By the next day, they were eagerly nursing at their mother's breasts. Had Lisa been happy before, she was ecstatic now.
She named the babies after her (Howard's) long deceased parents. They were Emily and Michael. They had dark hair and blue eyes that tracked their two mothers eagerly.
Rosemary went into labor on May 15th and her fraternal twin girls were born eight hours later. Although they were fraternal, everyone thought they were identical. She named them Faith and Charity.
Rosemary's mother had been present at both deliveries. She had taken Barrett's transformation to Rosemary very easily. She was surprised when Terri's great, great grandmother had contacted her prior to her youngest son's transformation to her youngest daughter. Bev enlightened her very quickly about the magical world, and Doris Hamilton was happy to know that she was partially responsible for ensuring the continuation of the magic world.
"I always knew there was something there that wasn't quite right. I think I knew it about that handsome football playing friend of his, too. I knew they weren't gay; however, I didn't understand this transgendered thing. Thank heavens you can fix that and they will be real mothers. My other two children haven't presented me with grandchildren yet."
Doris knew when the transformation had taken place because all the pictures and mementos suddenly changed on that Saturday morning. She had to admit that her new daughter was quite beautiful, and she was thankful that she'd never been 'butch': although, if Rosemary had decided to be that way, she wouldn't have minded.
Several hours later, she received an email from her other daughter, Anna. "I just received an email from Rosemary. She said she proposed to Lisa and she accepted. I am so happy for them. She told me something else. She thinks she's pregnant. She went to that clinic two weeks ago. You're going to have at least four grandchildren by next year."
Doris called her daughter immediately. After all, there were some things that needed to be talked about in person. "How do you know I'm going to have at least four grandchildren? Rosemary may be pregnant, but it's far too early to tell how many children she's having."
"Mom, I know that. There's Lisa's two, Rosemary's baby - that sounds a little scary, and there's mine. We just confirmed that I'm about a month along. John is very happy. It's taken us a while. You are going to be one busy grandmother.
The wedding was held in the garden area of the park by the rose arbors. They walked arm in arm down the aisle to repeat their vows. The ceremony was short but very nice. There were tears at the end as the two brides kissed. Their four babies were being carefully watched by Wolf and Padrona, and after the ceremony and before the reception, the two brides returned to their home to nurse and change their babies' diapers. They'd been wearing very nice afternoon tea dresses, so there was no need to change before they returned to the reception with their babies.
Lisa stayed with the restaurant supply company for several years; however, the urge to cook professionally kept rearing its head. She finally submitted her resignation and opened what she called a boutique restaurant in West Hartford. It could seat 25 people in a pinch; however, she preferred to keep the seating at 20. There was seldom an empty seat. There was only one seating, and it was very, very expensive. After the first six months, one had to reserve a seat at least six months in advance. The Michelin folks got wind of the restaurant, and they showed up incognito; however, both Lisa and Rosemary knew who they were immediately. Lisa needn't have worried. Rave reviews came from everywhere and Michelin gave them three stars.
Rosemary helped out, but she stayed with Jim's company. Two young women waited on the tables. Lisa had a sous-chef and a preparation assistant. All employees were magic. A competition had been set up among the covens to select the help. So, at this point, all employees were female and witches.
Randi installed a door that gave them a direct entry from their house. No one noticed that they never drove to work.
Two years after the births of their first children, Lisa had a little girl, and Rosemary had a little boy. There would be more children over the years. All were rescued.
By the way, the restaurant occupied the space previously occupied by a tax office, and every once in a while, the SRU shop. The Wizard found a good location at the other end of the strip mall.
Speaking of The Wizard, he was very proud of how things worked out. It had taken years to set up, but it couldn't have worked out any better.
The End For Now
That's it for a while. I am working on a more serious novel in the California Saga series. It's not going very well.