It turned out that the person lending the private jet to Dr. Adams was not from Texas. He was a billionaire from Utah. The pilot, co-pilot and flight attendants were family and friends of the owner of the jet. It was obvious from their actions that the man put a high value on poise and character. Any airline would be glad to have these crew members as employees. They all worked for the billionaire but volunteered for this flight. When one of us asked for something, it seemed as though they knew the request was coming and were merely waiting for it to be verbalized.
Back to comedy.
I dedicate this story to Licorice who inspired it
It was Monday morning the second week of Fall term. We had almost finished changing for gym when a naked boy stumbled into the girls’ changing room. Well, actually he was pushed into it. In his hand he had a pink leotard and a towel. He immediately tried to exit but someone outside made sure he couldn’t open the door. Failing to open the door the poor naked boy turned around and gave us a frightened look.
Apparently a warm front had breezed through the region, because the next few days were going to be unseasonably warm. Nat took the opportunity to do something that he’d been eager try—he was going to leave his jacket at home and go out wearing that fashionable tank top that he’d been saving for a sunny day. Giving up this chance while he had it would just be criminal.
Ever closer to their crossing point at the Snake River the small wagon train came. Meanwhile, Rachel was becoming better at reacting with those around her; it was evident that she was slowly mending her broken heart.
Hannah wanted Rachel to keep her family's Bible, because it was about the only link that she still had with the family she had tragically lost. Often she would sit alone and slowly look at the pages, tracing her tiny fingers along the words her mother had written.
I was alone…staring at the clean, white ceiling. I thought about getting on the web, but felt relaxed and content to just lie there and let my eyes close and think about was would be happening in the next few days…the next few weeks. Suddenly, I thought of my dad. He didn’t know that he no longer had a son. I wanted him to know. I wanted him to realize that I would not be stumbling in his footsteps. The bad memories dissipated and I remembered the few times my dad smiled at me or held me. He was not soft like my mom, but hard and strong.
Pulling off his boots, he set them aside and then removed his pants so he was only clad in his drawers and long shirt. Hannah had removed her dress and sat in the chemise running a brush through her long hair. Gideon stretched out and watched her profile, illuminated by the soft glow from their campfire. She returned his gaze and smiled, feeling great thankfulness for his love.
He rose himself up on an elbow, enjoying the view she offered. There was a slight shadow that her form cast against her chemise; it allowed him a glimpse of her breasts as they swayed with the motion of the brush. He could already feel the telltale swelling produced from viewing such loveliness which had captivated him.
Someone turned on the hall light and opened the door. Today was the day and everyone seemed ready to get started. After a couple of injections, I was numb enough below the waist for anyone with a task to perform there to perform that task with no discomfort for me. After the initial prepping, it was time for the general anesthetic. A nurse held a clear plastic mask on my face and told me to breathe deeply. I took a deep breath. Then I heard Amie whisper, “Jamie”, as she gently kissed my face.
In deep slumber, Hannah lay near Gideon, soaking his warmth as the air had cooled overnight. Her dreams that night were enveloped in warm sunshine as she walked across a sea of beautiful blue flowers, with her long red hair drifting in a gentle breeze.
She stood upon a small knoll overlooking the wagon train. Her feet were comfortably bare. Below she could see Gideon and Cade hitching their mules for the day's ride. She didn’t know where Emma was, but assumed she was safely tucked away inside the wagon.
Like an ancient goddess of Greek lore, she stood like a sentinel on that knoll. As still as a statue, the long yellow skirt drifting in the breeze, her fiery tendrils seemed to have a life all their own. The stark white bodice she wore seemed to carve out the sky, its bow with the long ribbons floating just off her shoulder. Next to her beauty, the landscape around her appeared barren and desolate.
I watched the graphic depiction of our flight path on the screen. The plane crept slowly toward the northeast. I assumed the pilot knew the way, but it looked like we were headed for New York. We had been in the air less than a couple of hours, but it seemed longer. The total trip was almost 20 hours. The hormones I was taking provided some extra padding and made prolonged sitting less uncomfortable. I wished I could sleep, but I was never one who could fall asleep just anywhere. I certainly couldn’t sleep in a pressurized cabin miles in the air with dozens of strangers.
Hannah and Cade watched Gideon and Charles stand off to the side and discuss the fee for the wagons to ride across the Green; from the looks on their faces they were not happy. She removed her bonnet and held it in her hand, quickly looking back toward a sleeping Em. "Papa doesn't look too happy, does he?" Cade whispered.
"No honey, he does not." She sighed, as the man continued to gesture toward their wagon. Gideon shook his head and waved him off, then turned and stormed back toward the wagon, Charles and the man exchanged words before he too headed back.
Gideon's expression was of a man who didn't like what he had heard. He climbed up into the wagon and sat staring at the man, his jaws flexing in anger. "Well?" Hannah, asked, breaking the sullen silence.
Nat stood at the end of the lunch line with his tray, looking out at the cafeteria and feeling unusually confused.
He had no idea where to sit.
Fighting the knot in his gut, Nat looked for a familiar face. He spotted Gavin sitting with his friends at a table, but it looked like it was full. Besides, how awkward would that be? Sure, Gavin and he were friends, but they didn’t really share friends. Nat would just be intruding.
There came a tap on Nat’s shoulder. He looked around to see Emily, from his next period, standing there with a tray in her hand as well.
“Nat,” his mother called through the door, “I’m going out to Burger King. Do you want your usual?”
“Sure, mom,” Nat replied.
His mother had distracted him, but not from his homework. He was standing in the middle of the room with his shirt off, looking down at his waist. His hips seemed… wide, and his pants clung tightly to his legs. It had been hard to get them on for some reason. And sitting down was almost uncomfortable. But this was the third pair of pants that he’d tried on, and they were all like that. The only ones that were even a little bit loose didn’t come all the way down to his ankles.
Crawling out from under the wagon, Hannah struggled to rise up; looking about in the early light of morning, she could not see any sign of Gideon. She was feeling out of sorts, as she made her way to the fire to replenish the wood to begin cooking their breakfast.
Arden climbed down from her wagon and came to assist Hannah. “You look a mess this morning, did you have trouble sleeping?”
December brought the Christmas holiday. We decided to drive home in the Corvette. We could fly back to school in January. We had to fly out of Houston the next day heading to Thailand. It felt so good to get home! Our parents had first class tickets for everyone. Amie told me later that the tickets were about $80,000 each. I was stunned. Our bags were packed also, so we really didn’t have a lot to do. That was good because we needed rest.
When Nathan finally stirred on Saturday, the alarm clock read 11:32. Nathan sprang to his feet. He’d slept in! He never slept in. It was a bad habit. At least, according to his father it was.
At least the movie wasn’t until 3 o’clock. Nathan still had plenty of time to prepare and still get his homework done like his father had insisted. He wasn’t opposed to Nathan spending time with his friends (at least, not after a talk with his wife), but he still wanted Nathan to focus on schoolwork first.
But first Nathan needed a shower. He slipped out of his room and darted toward the bathroom. But as he turned the corner, he ran right into his father coming the other way.
Play along that is easy for them to say. They were not in a van with 4 bruisers heading for who knows where. This was bad! Where was the back up I was to wait for? They bound our hands and feet with duct tape. that would make my response limited. I could get out of this by myself pretty easy if bloody. This was going to be a hard fight to keep both of us alive.
As the wagon train was beginning to come to life in the early morning hours, Hannah was cooking fish that Gideon and Cade caught while the sun was still below the horizon. As she was crouching over the skillet; she noticed that her dress was smoking at the bottom.
In frustration she smacked at the scorched hem, "If I don't set myself on fire wearing these dresses, I'm going to kill myself over sexual frustration." She groused under her breath. Hearing a noise back of her, she turned to see Arden standing slightly behind their wagon. She smiled sheepishly, "Sorry... just about set one of my best dresses on fire."
Nathan stared down at his open sock drawer in confusion. This absolutely was not the way that it had looked the day before. He’d had maybe a dozen white socks and a few black dress socks. He certainly had not had three dozen pairs of socks of varying lengths and colors, some with pictures of animals and cartoon characters. And there was no way that he’d had a small collection of rolled-up tights and leggings of various colors and patterns.
Gerry’s eighteenth birthday celebration starts out on a decidedly sour note. A chance encounter changes that—and the course of his life. This is the story of that encounter and its repercussions.
(Julie Pearson has found success as a schoolteacher in a tough district, but her love life, since transitioning, has had its ups and downs and she is still wondering about her future. This chapter concludes the story of a remarkable and lovely young woman. Thanks to Eric for his guidance and help in this story. Copyright 2014.)
A fairly steady breeze was blowing as the sun steadily sank in the sky. The wagon train stopped for the evening in a little glade near the Platte River that they had been following for the past several days. For the most part they had settled in a circle, the traditional routine for both safety and protection.
Gerry’s eighteenth birthday celebration starts out on a decidedly sour note. A chance encounter changes that—and the course of his life. This is the story of that encounter and its repercussions.
In the morning, Nathan didn’t feel the least bit rested. He was struggling to keep his eyes open even in the shower. If he didn’t perk up soon, he was going to have a hard time staying awake through his morning classes.
Shampoo, conditioner… where’s…?
There was no body wash on the shelf in the shower.
I don’t use body wash, Nathan realized, groaning. It was going to be one of those days, wasn’t it? He grabbed a bar of soap and scrubbed himself down quickly.
A knock at the door, his mother, let him know that he was running out of time before the bus came. Nathan turned off the water and got out, grabbing a towel from the rack. He rubbed himself dry, but paused when he saw his stomach. It looked different… flatter? Sure, being Chinese, Nathan had always been smaller and thinner than other boys (much to their amusement and playful mockery), but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was… wrong about him.
Gerry’s eighteenth birthday celebration starts out on a decidedly sour note. A chance encounter changes that—and the course of his life. This is the story of that encounter and its repercussions.
Gerry’s eighteenth birthday celebration starts out on a decidedly sour note. A chance encounter changes that—and the course of his life. This is the story of that encounter and its repercussions.
In the pre-dawn light, the train was slowly coming to life. Families had eaten and were now hitching their mules, horses and oxen to them. Hannah was holding Em and standing beside Gideon, while Cade sat on the back of the near mule watching.
“What do we do with the little cart?” she asked, capturing a loose lock of hair and tucking it behind her ear.
“I’d love to take it with us, but we’re going in some real rough country soon and I’m afraid it will just drag us down.” He looked past Hannah to the cart where it sat off the side of the trail.
Hannah sighed, then turned to also look at the cart. “We can leave it; perhaps someone else could use it for repairs or may have use for it in some way.”
Gideon had been watching her, remembering to what she had done only last night, his mind dwelling on what his heart wanted him to do to, and for her. But alas, it wasn’t to be… for as soon as she could, she would be gone. He couldn’t help studying the curve of her form, mesmerized in the beauty she possessed. Her wavy red locks drifting in the morning air, she was so much like ‘his’ Hannah…and yet, nothing like her.
Nathan poked at his food with a fork. Part of him found it ironic that a Chinese American family was eating Chinese takeout for dinner, but his mind wasn’t really on the food.
“Honey, what’s wrong?” his mother asked from across the table. She was frowning, but it was concern in her eyes.
Nathan’s younger brother snickered, and Nathan cast him a dark look.
“I’m just not very hungry, I guess,” he lied. He hated lying to his mother, but he really didn’t want to talk about it.
“He’s upset because he still doesn’t have a date for Valentine’s Day,” Tyler chimed in.
Nathan stabbed his beef with his fork, looking down to hide his grimace.
“Tyler, stop antagonizing your brother and eat your dinner,” their father said.
Tyler grumbled something under his breath, but didn’t respond.
Nathan silently thanked his father, but he knew that Tyler was right. He was fifteen now and still didn’t have a girlfriend. All his friends were always talking about girls, but Nathan had such a hard time getting a girl to go out with him.
Not that he hadn’t tried, of course. He’d asked out four different girls this school year already, and each one had said no. And every time they did he wished he could just disappear and never have to try again. But with Valentine’s Day coming up, he felt even worse than usual.
Gerry’s eighteenth birthday celebration starts out on a decidedly sour note. A chance encounter changes that—and the course of his life. This is the story of that encounter and its repercussions.
The Loves of Julie Pearson - 18 By Katherine Day (A transgendered woman deserves to be loved, doesn't she? Julie begins to wonder about her future with men. Edited by Eric. A sequel to two short stories published in 2013, “Julie’s Odyssey” and “Gifts for Julie.”) (Copyright 2014)
As they rode closer to the wagon train, Hannah looked over toward Gideon, admiring his rugged handsomeness. She knew that she could pull off the ruse; she had been doing it for weeks already, but one little question was in the back of her mind and she wanted to ask it before they got too close to prying ears.
“Gideon?” she asked.
“Hannah?” he said with a laugh and then smiled boyishly to her, and decided now wasn’t the time to kid with her after all that she had been through. He decided that he should respectfully reply, “Yes Hannah, what is it?”
“I’m basically giving up my… let’s just say ‘life’ here… to help you with the children.” She looked at him, studying the expression he would give for asking. “What is in it for me?”
Gerry’s eighteenth birthday celebration starts out on a decidedly sour note. A chance encounter changes that—and the course of his life. This is the story of that encounter and its repercussions.
Gerry’s eighteenth birthday celebration starts out on a decidedly sour note. A chance encounter changes that—and the course of his life. This is the story of that encounter and its repercussions.
The Loves of Julie Pearson - 17 By Katherine Day (Julie looks like a woman and feels like a woman but finds that her transgendered status may stand in her way of finding love with a man. Edited by Eric. A sequel to two short stories published in 2013, “Julie’s Odyssey” and “Gifts for Julie.”) (Copyright 2014)
Each student had been issued a name tag with her first name in large black lettering. We were told that the tags were to be worn as part of our school uniforms. On Friday, a dark-haired girl whose tag boldly proclaimed her name to be “Lauren” sat across the table from Amie and me. Lauren had an air of smugness about her. She seemed much more interested in the two of us than she was in eating lunch, and she kept staring at us … mostly at Amie. Finally, she asked, “Where ya’ll from?”
In her dreams she looked down at herself from above sleeping with little Em, and there was a man standing at the rim of the embankment. She sat up and turned to face him, the Walker Colt raised and threatening.
The man in the dream was a kind man, he approached her, gently removing the gun and placing it in the grass beside them. He kissed her passionately, as his rough, working man's hands tenderly held each side of her face. Again and again they kissed, until he had lowered her into the soft grasses. She was beside herself with concern. Why didn't she resist his advance? Why did she so willingly allow him to control her as he did?
She threw her head back into the grass as he began to kiss and fondle her breasts, arching her body to allow the man better access to her femininity. Even though asleep, she couldn't fathom why she would allow this to happen and yet, why she wouldn't put up more of a struggle. It was as though her body wanted to experience this from the feminine perspective.
Gerry’s eighteenth birthday celebration starts out on a decidedly sour note. A chance encounter changes that—and the course of his life. This is the story of that encounter and its repercussions.
The Loves of Julie Pearson - 16 By Katherine Day (Julie wonders whether there’ll ever be a wedding in her future: What man would want a woman like her? She again meets with Randy, now eighteen and still infatuated with her. Desires and realism are in conflict. Thanks to Eric for his editing help. A sequel to two short stories published in 2013, “Julie’s Odyssey” and “Gifts for Julie.”) (Copyright 2014)
Charlottes education continues apace as the war in Europe starts to swing against Napoleon. Charlotte, Annabelle and Clarissa have their coming out year and are presented to the King. This make a girl eligible to marry and William asks for Charlottes hand in marriage - this caused consternation with her mother.
When the sun climbed high into the sky, Hannah had found a small stand of trees to rest the horse and nurse Em while enjoying the comfort of the shade. She contentedly watched the child... her child, as she had finally accepted, nurse.
She had taken to pinning her long fiery hair up into a bun recently and removed a bonnet that Luttie had given her. This effort allowed a cool breeze to wash over her.
As her daughter suckled, she rummaged in the sack and removed a biscuit to eat. Both she and Em sat on the seat of the cart quietly eating, when an unusual sound brought the young mother to alertness.
She approached the back of the wagon and began setting things down. After a while, Luttie climbed down and escorted a reluctant Hannah to the back of her wagon. “I’ll hold the little one for you. Get into the clothes I set out for you, everything should be there to give you at least one good outfit suitable for a young woman.”
Standing inside the wagon, Hannah began to reluctantly disrobe. She peeled herself out of the pants and ‘johns’ that Ezrah had worn and hesitated to drag up the drawers that Luttie had picked out. Once it was on, she sighed and picked up the chemise and pulled it over her head.
“Here are some stockings that were hers too…” She said as she tossed them toward Hannah. Hannah sat on the floor of her wagon and pushed her feet into the long stockings. She watched as Hannah stood and drew up the corset.
“I know it isn’t as fancy as you probably wore back in Indiana, but out here you’ll be thankful for the support that it’ll give you. Your back has to be pretty tired with the size of your bosom.”
Set in the Napoleonic Period of the early 1800's a young boy with the help from his Mother takes the place of his twin sister and is brought up as a Lady of Quality Lady Charlotte Grenford this story follows her life as she learns everything she needs to know in the complex social world of this time.
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Joyce Melton
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A Love So Bold
