Flights of Consciousness Book III Charitable Good DeedsChapter 29
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David and June met with Chuck Denver; David paid the divorce attorney's retainer, and they agreed that Denver would extract his fee and return David's retainer out of the divorce settlement. When asked, June told them that she hadn't signed a prenuptial agreement. David also informed Denver about the danger June faced and the plot to lure June and her daughter out of the compound, including her husband's desired results if the plot succeeded.
"Can you prove these allegations?" Denver asked.
"Of course not," David said. "As I told you, the information came to us from an anonymous informant. Can you force Wilson's attorneys to do the depositions in the compound?"
He shrugged but said, "Probably."
"Should June accept service of the divorce papers?"
"Sure. That will get me involved."
"Okay," David said. "I'll leave you two to talk. June can tell you everything you need to know to win, some of which probably isn't any of my business."
David left them, retired to his office and phased out. He connected with Wilson at a resort hotel lounge having a drink with a beautiful woman. David reached out and toppled Wilson's drink into his lap. When Wilson jumped, he bumped the table, and David toppled the woman's drink into her lap. Chortling silently, he returned to his body.
The cocktail party after the meeting was still in progress when David strolled into Darla's great room. Nora had joined the crowd, David noticed, but it was Grace who spotted him first. She hurried across the room to meet him.
"It's yea, David. Unanimous," she said looking overjoyed.
"That's good to hear," David said with a grin.
"Darla charmed all of them, and the stories she told about you made them believe you can do no wrong."
"Humph," David said. "Not good. I'll throw money at this, and then walk away from it."
"Yeah, sure," Grace said. "And turtles fly."
"I'm serious, Grace. The tender offer will establish the policy necessary to turn the merged non-profits into an outstanding charitable organization. Darla and my mother will sit in on the board meetings to monitor progress and protect our interests. I will not involve myself in the day-to-day operations of the merged organization or the establishment of board policy beyond the policy contained in the tender offer." He grinned. "I trust you, Grace. You'll make our game plan work. And I trust my sister to meet the goals of our fundraising campaign. Two weeks from now I'll move on to other challenges."
Grace studied him and said, "Damn, you are serious."
"Yep," he said. In two weeks, he thought, I might understand Arabic enough to start fulfilling my promise to my wife. Maybe.
That's when Nora spotted him. She smiled and moved toward him like a stalking jungle cat. Her fluid grace never failed to excite him.
Catherine Holt was ecstatic about being with her father again, but she was also bewildered. She'd believed the flight across the country would be exciting. Mostly, it was boring.
She'd read to pass the hours. Katy enjoyed reading, especially historical romance novels. Her mother wouldn't let her read them, called them trash, said that Katy was too young to read that kind of trash, and Katy supposed they were trashy, but she still enjoyed them. Besides, she'd discovered historical romances as reading material while visiting her grandmother. That's what grandma read, and grandma was surprised that a girl Katy's age could read a book written for adults. Katy was seven years old at the time. Without her mother's knowledge, Katy had sequestered one of the trashy novels in her carryon luggage.
Her father had met her flight, and she'd squealed with joy when she saw him. As fast as her thin legs could carry her, she ran into his arms. He'd picked her up and hugged her, spinning around at the same time, and Katy had given him at least a hundred kisses.
She didn't notice his fake hand until they gathered her luggage. Instead of holding a bag in the hand, he put it under his arm. She knew it was rude, but she couldn't stop more quick glances at the hand as they walked to a funny-looking vehicle, a Hummer, her father said.
"It belongs to one of my bosses," he said.
"It's sorta boxy," Katy said.
"I don't live in my own house, Katy," he said as they drove away from the airport. "I live in what's called a compound, which in this case is three houses with a wall surrounding all three houses. Your room will be right next to mine, though, and you'll have access to all the facilities in the compound, like the swimming pool, hot tub, entertainment room, library, and gym. You've been looking at my prosthetic hand, I've noticed. I normally don't wear the hand. I prefer a hook. I didn't wear the hook because I thought it might frighten you."
She shook her head. "Uh-uh. I woulda handled the hook okay, daddy. You said that there were other kids my age nearby. Do you mean in the... ah, compound?"
The concept of a compound was part of her bewilderment. Maybe when she saw it, she'd understand better.
"Yeah. There's Vince; he's eleven, and Patty, she's ten. Vince is an orphan, a foster son David, Nora, and Darla Stanley took in. Patty is the cook's daughter. And there's a runaway, a fourteen-year-old girl named Eileen the Stanleys just brought into the compound. They're good kids, sweetheart."
"I'll be the youngest, then."
"Yes, except for little George. He's Darla's boy, a little over a four years old."
"Should I pass or tell 'em I'm black?" Katy said.
Dwayne laughed. "Tell 'em whatever you want, but they know I'm black, so they'll know you're black, too."
"They won't tease me about it?" she said.
"About being black, no," he said. Grinning, he turned and looked at her. "They might tease you about other things, though. If they do, take it, and tease 'em right back."
"I will. What's your job?" Katy said.
"I'm a driver/bodyguard," he said. "I work out of the compound, so most of the time we'll eat our meals together."
Katy nodded.
"The family I work for also owns a horse ranch. Purebred Arabian horses. They're beautiful animals, Katy."
"Really?"
"Yeah. You can learn to ride horses, if you want, too."
"Yes! Oh my goodness! I'd like that, daddy. Boy, oh boy, would I ever!"
"The school is also in the compound, what's called a homeschool. The classes will cover everything you need to learn just like in a regular school. The homeschool starts next week."
Compound. Homeschool. Horse ranch.
Katy was bewildered. Living with her daddy didn't sound like it was gonna be what she'd expected it to be.
But my room will be next to his, she told herself, and we're gonna eat most meals together, and I get to learn how to ride horses.
It'll be like a historical romance: a lot of trouble balanced by a lot of joy and happiness. No romantic love though. She tittered. She wasn't ready for that, but she sure did enjoy reading about it. Reading about it made her tingle.
Love at first sight, David thought the moment his eyes fell on Katy Holt. What a beauty! Long black hair curled softly around her face, a face whose features were perfectly symmetrical. A Mediterranean complexion gave her an all-over light tan. Big, black, expressive eyes. Taller than David expected, with long, gangly legs. Like our colt at the ranch. Considering the man mountain was her father, he should have expected her height.
When Dwayne introduced the girl, David squatted and held out his arms. She moved into them without hesitating, and they hugged hello.
With her small hand in his, David said, "May I show her around the compound, Dwayne? We've got just enough time before dinner for the nickel tour."
Dwayne nodded. "I'll get her things put away in her room."
David and Katy strolled off together hand in hand.
"Can you swim, Katy?" David asked.
"Yes, sir," she said. Her voice wasn't small, like he expected. Still, the sounds resonated pleasantly in David's ears.
"I'm David, Katy. Call me David, not sir."
"Okay."
"Are you a good swimmer?"
"Yes, s... ah, David. I was on the swim team at my school."
"Do you like sports?"
"Yes. Some sports, not all of 'em. I'm tall, but I don't like basketball. It's too rough. I like running the best. I'm a good runner. Fast, and I can run a long ways."
"I run most mornings," David said. "Very early in the morning, though." Although Patty had said she'd run with him, she had yet to get out of bed early enough to join him. He decided not to press the point with Katy.
"How early?" she said, pressing it herself.
"Between five-thirty and six-thirty," David said.
She nodded. "That's early all right. I do tai chi early in the morning with my daddy; maybe I can get up a little earlier and run with you, too."
They strolled into David's library. "Do you like to read?"
"Yes!"
"What kind of books do you like?" David said.
She hesitated, and then said, "Novels."
"Really? What kind of novels?"
"Ah, historical."
David frowned. "I don't think I have any... yes, I do. There's Jean Auel's series starting with the Clan of the Cave Bear. My favorite of that series is Valley of the Horses. They go back to prehistoric time. Mistral's Daughter by Judith Krantz takes place in France during the post-impressionist period of art. It's about art and modeling. And I have some James Michener books. He writes about an area like Hawaii and deals with its history from very early to the present. There's Naked Came I by Weis, and Aztec by Gary Jennings, and others. They might be too difficult for you to read at your age, though."
"May I borrow Mistral's Daughter? I like art and wanna be a model someday. I might like that book," she said.
"Sure," David said and pulled the book from the shelf.
He chuckled when she cuddled the book in her thin arms. It was a big book. If memory served, it also presented some very adult concepts. Perhaps asking Dwayne if she could read the book would be prudent.
"We have a collection of children's books in my mother's house. We'll be using her great room as a classroom for our homeschool until we can build a classroom when we build the new living units. When we walk through that house, I'll show you where we keep those books."
Children's books didn't excite her, David noticed.
With only a few seconds before dinner, David hurried to his office and connected with Wilson. He was driving slowly along a residential street. As the car slowed even more to turn a corner, David turned the wheel harder and pressed on Wilson's foot, depressing the accelerator. The car jumped the curb and struck a fire hydrant. An airbag expanded, slapping Wilson in the face. Water spurted fifty feet in the air. David laughed silently and returned to his body. With booze spilled in Wilson's lap from David's last flight, the police would assume he was drunk. The breathalyzer would prove otherwise, but then again, maybe not. David didn't know how many drinks Wilson had consumed in the hotel lounge.
Dinner was relaxed, an old-fashioned, home-cooked meal: pot roast, mashed potatoes and gravy. At David's urging, June even sat down and ate with everyone. Katy sat next to Patty, and Patty engaged Katy in a conversation about the various activities the kids enjoyed every day. Some whispering and giggling ensued, as well. Thank heaven for little girls, David thought.
Near the end of the meal, David received a call. Darrell Pointer at CASS had a candidate for the baker job, but the baker came with a husband and a son.
"What caused their homelessness?" David asked Pointer.
"No one reason, which is the norm, David. Phil Martin, the husband, lost his job. They were living hand to mouth on Penny's income as a baker. Penny is his wife. He took odd jobs as a handyman while looking for a fulltime job, but they were seriously in debt — credit card debt ran up mostly by the wife. She's a poor money manager, David, one of the things we've helped her understand better. Then Phil had an accident while working on his car, smashed his leg, almost lost it. No insurance. While he was in the hospital, their landlord evicted them and the finance company repossessed their car. With no place to live and unable to get around, Penny lost her job. No family to turn to. Penny ended up on the street with her son, Robert. Bobby is nine years old. Penny and Bobby showed up here a little over two months ago. A week after they showed up, Phil was released from the hospital and joined them. He's still on crutches."
"Why did Phil lose his job?" David said.
"Not sure," Darrell replied. "He was a maintenance man for an apartment complex. He says the apartments changed ownership, and the new owners let him go."
"What about drugs and alcohol?" David asked.
"The husband drank. Booze caused the accident, but he isn't an alcoholic. He's been dry since he came here. No drugs. We do drug testing. Like many homeless, Phil and Penny are not the brightest bulbs in the chandelier, but unlike many homeless, they aren't mentally ill. Bobby, I think, is smarter than his parents by a large margin. They're good people, David, mostly victims of circumstance."
To assuage his guilt over Wilson's possible assassination, David decided to warn the wife beater of his pending death. Wilson had changed hotels, which was immaterial. David connected with the individual, not a location. The disembodied consciousness determined Wilson's new room number, found a nearby empty room and called Wilson on the telephone. "Leave me alone!" Wilson screamed when he answered the call. "I cancelled the contracts. Just leave me the hell alone!" "I figured you for...
Cursing, Danielle Yost kicked the door shut behind her, dropped her purse on the entry console table, and shoved her umbrella in the umbrella stand. "I hate my job. I hate this town," she muttered as she strode to her small kitchen and made herself a stiff drink. The old-fashioned answering machine connected to her kitchen phone flashed the number three. Probably hang ups from telemarketers, she thought, and in fact the first two messages were hung ups. The third interested her,...
"I can't believe what just happened," Danny said to her image in the mirror. She was applying makeup before dressing for cocktails and dinner. Twenty minutes earlier, Nora had left her to do the same. Bisexual. I'm bisexual. I've got to be, she thought, or I wouldn't have enjoyed Nora as much as I did. Who'da thunk it? No, you're rationalizing, Danny told herself. You suspected all along. You enjoyed masturbating with Ella when you were ten, and you'd read enough about sex, even at...
They sat comfortably in the armored limo. Flint drove them. David sat in the front passenger seat — phased out to perform his safety checks. Three women sat in the plush back compartment. They were en route to J&T's corporate offices where David would introduce Danny to Grace and the other board members. "Danny, I'm curious," Carol said as she pressed the button to raise the privacy screen. When it shut with a soft thunk, she continued. "You were frantic, completely distraught, when...
"Do you know who this is?" Pete Hershey said on the telephone. "Yes," Gordon Wilson said. "Call me back on a payphone." Pete gave Wilson the number to call and hung up. Pete Hershey wasn't happy. Wilson calling him in the middle of the night, probably not on a payphone, infuriated him. Wilson knew the rules. Not for the first time, Hershey wished he'd never accepted Wilson's contracts. He sat and stewed, becoming angrier at each passing second. When the phone rang, Pete was ready...
David stood next to the glass wall in the great room of his home that gave him a view of mountain next to the compound. He nursed a cocktail while he watched the falling sun alter the hues and shadows on the mountain's craggy surfaces. Deep in thought, he wondered how his wife reacted when his mother told her that she was pregnant. A part of him dreaded the possibility of some hurt feelings, and another part of him believed his wife could handle anything. He'd learned to admire the...
"He's a beautiful animal, Joe," Danny said. They sat on the top rail of the corral. Joe made a sound in his throat, and Thee Brigand raised his magnificent head, tossed it once, and pranced over to them, his tail twitching, his neck arched — showing off. Joe nuzzled his neck, made some more soft noises, and the animal pushed his head into Danny's hands. She squealed with delight, and did some nuzzling of her own. "May I ride him?" Danny said. "Sure," Joe said, and watched...
When David walked into Darla's kitchen for his first cup of coffee, June wasn't in sight, which surprised him. The coffee was perked, though, so he poured a cup and fixed it the way he liked it: one sugar, a smidgen of heavy cream, and some half-and-half. He smacked his lips with appreciation after swallowing, and June bustled into the room. "I'm sorry, David. I was... got a minute?" "Sure," he said. "Come see. It's... well, it's beautiful." David followed her to the glass...
As the limo cruised through the gates to the compound, Vince said, "Is this home?" "Yes," David said. "Swell!" Vince said. David told the lad about the three homes within the walls and the amenities built into each home. "You'll be living in our home," Nora said, "David's and mine. A while back I met with the probate attorney for your parents' estate, and he allowed me into the house where you used to live. I packed up all your things. Your clothes are hanging in the closet in...
"David is on the way with a candidate for a stable hand," Joe said as he hung up the phone. His wife looked pale — morning sickness, he assumed. "Are you up to meeting her?" "Her?" Carol said, looking surprised. "Yes, a woman named Tammy Wilkes, around thirty-five years old, David says, currently homeless, a drunk, but on the wagon. I'd like your opinion before I hire her, but if you're not up to it, I'll speak with her and have her come back when you're feeling better." "I'm...
Flint flopped on a sofa in Darla's great room. He was wiped out. He'd checked Eileen and her mother into a resort hotel, took David and Nora to the compound, where Darla helped him pack a few things for Eileen for the next day, and then drove to Dorothy's friend's house to pick up Dorothy's things, which he'd just dropped off at the hotel along with what Darla had packed for Eileen. Looking back, he had worked over sixteen stressful hours that day, and the day wasn't finished. He...
Two thugs, one named Howie, the other Ken, no last names — not yet, anyway, David thought — had been hired to torch the shelter by a man named Glen Brown, but Brown wasn't the initiating party. Someone else had hired Brown, but because a man that Brown referred to as Kevin had hired Brown over the telephone, the trail to the culprit who had initiated the attack against the shelter went cold. Knowing that he'd taken too much time to learn just those few facts, David stopped his...
In his office, David phased out and connected with Gordon Wilson in the present. Wilson was taking a shower, his head soapy with shampoo. David created an invisible hand and turned the faucet to cold. Wilson bellowed and jumped, quickly adjusting the temperature of the water. When it was the correct temperature and after Wilson stepped under the water again, David turned the faucet to scalding hot. Wilson screamed and cursed, and then adjusted the water so he could get the soap out of his...
"How did this happen?" David said to Nora as he rushed to his office. "I don't know. I said my colleague screwed up, but I could be wrong about that. Peck is armed, and he fired on the assault team." "I'm in my office now," David said as he locked the door. "I'll phase out and fix this right now." He ended the call, sat in his executive chair, and his consciousness left his body, connecting with Peck. The violent pimp had a gun pressed against a girl's head. Another girl lay...
With the proposed merger behind him, David announced that he wanted to spend a few days in Sedona for some rest and relaxation, and this time Joe and his mother agreed to join the group. Darla left her boy at the compound in Mrs. Gonzales's care. The group did some leisurely hiking in the red-rock country, prepared their own breakfasts, dined in the better restaurants, or grabbed fast food on the run. They also enjoyed a lot of sex, both as a group, as alternating couples, and other...
As black-eyed beauties go, Rima Qassem had to be in the top ten worldwide, David decided. He glanced at Nora, who gave him a coy smile. Was his wife testing his commitment to remain faithful by putting him next to Rima Qassem on a daily basis? He chuckled under his breath when he thought of asking Rima to wear the chadri, the full-length gown and veil required by the Taliban in Afghanistan whenever women left their households. Rima crossed her shapely legs. She certainly wasn't wearing the...
David watched as his sister nuzzled her face between his wife's shapely thighs. No matter how many times he witnessed the beauty of the event, it never failed to excite him. He fisted his very hard erection. "Fuck her," Nora said to David. "Fuck your sister. Poke her cunt with your long one." David rubbed his hand between Darla's legs. She was wet. Ready. But he wanted a taste of her nectar before poking her. She squealed happily as his tongue rasped up through her slit, lapping up...
Gloria Temple had been David's accountant for five years. She was a CPA and owned and operated her own firm. She had other clients, but she'd always treated David as if he were her only client. David adored her, and she returned his admiration with equal affection and respect. She was about fifty years old, chubby, short, and a ball of energy. Because setting up Ridley had taken the entire morning, David had called her, and she'd agreed to meet Flint and him for a late lunch. While they...
Dwayne couldn't sleep. A glance at the luminous dial on his wristwatch told him it was 4:43 AM, so he rolled his feet to the floor. He'd make his own coffee; June wouldn't mind. June. What a woman! So beautiful it made his eyes hurt just to look at her face. Smart, too. And sweet. She had a sweet disposition. He liked that in a woman. At the end of his marriage, his ex-wife had no sweetness in her. She'd morphed into a shrew. He turned on the shower, let it run until hot water arrived,...
The dinner conversation flowed around the excellence of the meal, the foster-home system, and the War on Terror. They occupied the dining room in David's home. June had announced that she would prepare the meal that night in a kitchen with which she was familiar, and would cook subsequent meals in Darla's kitchen and serve them in the large dining room after more personnel occupied the compound. Darla sat to David's left, Nora to his right. Flint sat next to Darla, and Patty sat between...
Dwayne Holt, Darla's driver/bodyguard, was big, part black, and shaved his head bald. He wore a prosthetic hand on the stub of his left forearm. He rarely wore the fake hand. He preferred a hook, he told David. For reasons Holt didn't specify, he'd worn the prosthetic hand for his first day on the job, and David had not asked him ask why. Holt was Darla's driver, but he wasn't driving for Darla at the moment. He sat behind the wheel of the Escalade, and David occupied the passenger...
While en route to the hospital to visit Vince, David's cell phone rang. With Patty on his lap, and both of them strapped in by the same seatbelt, he didn't have enough time to move Patty, get his cell phone out of his pocket, and answer the call before it was transferred to voice mail. The phone's memory, however, gave him the number. He didn't recognize it, but hit the callback button anyway. Ridley said hello. "Sorry," David said. "Couldn't get to the phone soon enough." "No...
"I'm worried about security at the ranch, Flint," David said. The two men were returning to the compound after meeting Ridley and the runaway. "That effort starts Wednesday, David," Flint said. "A while back, I recruited Carol's driver, a woman named Molly Mahaffey. But Molly had to take care of some personal items, or she would have started sooner. Although we talked about it, I didn't give Darla and Carol a choice regarding gender for a driver. Circumstances put Dwayne at the...
David watched as his mother hurried after her husband. Nora needs to know about this, he thought. George fussed and tried to run away. Darla grabbed him and plopped him on her lap, telling him to sit. "What a mess," David muttered. "You're feeling guilty again, aren't you?" Darla said, frowning at him. "Every time there's a glitch in our family, you blame yourself; you say if you weren't the way you are that we'd be normal. Well, I tried normal, and normal isn't all it's...
Carol arrived early at the compound on purpose. It had been a while since she'd had some loving from her son. Would he, could he, take the time? She found him leaving Darla's house holding the hand of a little girl, a very pretty little girl, the new cook's daughter, Carol discovered when David introduced her to Patricia Wilson. "She prefers Patty to Patricia, Mom," David added. "I've been showing her around the compound." "Are you about finished with your tour?" Carol...
Eileen stared at the phone. Should she risk the call? Yes, calling her mother was a rule, and she was determined to follow all the rules. She took a deep breath, turned on the phone, and dialed her mother's cell phone number. "Mom, it's Sandra," she said, using her real name. She heard a whimpering gasp. "Thank God!" her mother said. "How are you, Sandra? Are you all right?" "I'm fine... now. I couldn't take it anymore, Mom. He raped me, and he lent me to his friends, and they...
Grace Black calmed Vera down by telling her that she could call her anytime. The shelter manager wasn't the brightest bulb in the lighting store, but she was tenacious, gnawed on a problem like a dog with a bone until she solved it, and after moving through a problem, if the same problem happened again, or one similar to it, Vera fixed it using what she'd learned. What Vera couldn't do is fix a problem the first time it surfaced, not without help, and Grace had been her security blanket...
Flint drove away from the Stanley compound wondering what he'd gotten himself into. If it includes Darla Stanley, I don't care, he reflected. Incest! She fucks her brother, her mother, her mother's husband, and her brother's wife. He grinned. And from all indications, she isn't completely opposed to fucking me. That, or she's a tease. He didn't believe she was a tease. Time would tell. She was his employer. She'd have to seduce him, not the other way around. Like my sister when we...
David and Nora sat on a sofa in the Hyatt lobby talking quietly. Nora said, "In a few minutes a Lebanese named Yuusif Hashem will come into the hotel, walk directly to the elevator and take one of the cars to an upper floor. The room where he meets another Arab named Widdaud Ahmad changes for each meeting. I'll point Yuusif out, and you can connect with him tonight and wander around in his past, present, and future. Yuusif is a member of Hezbollah, a terrorist organization backed by Syria...
"No, David. Your approach omits the awesome investigative prowess of the FBI, or do you have a compulsive need to play superhero and do everything yourself?" Although his consciousness didn't breathe, David exhaled a groan. "If you could see me, I'd be blushing. The last thing I want, Nora, is to be some kind of superhero. Clark Kent I'm not. I came to you because I wanted you involved for selfish reasons. I also wanted the FBI involved to eventually prosecute August Boynton's...
"Denise, we both know the view of consciousness based on a neuronal connection doesn't fly. When my consciousness leaves my body, it doesn't take any neurons along for the ride." "Nonetheless, your consciousness maintains some sort of connection to your body during your flights. Your description of reentering your body without your volition during your recent time trips lends credence to the connection. Who's to say that connection isn't neuronal?" David's brow scowled as he...
Staring out through the glass wall overlooking his swimming pool, David watched dark clouds move swiftly across the sky, which seemed odd because the air was heavy with humidity and dead calm at ground level. Lightning flashed, and a few seconds later the rumble of thunder rolled by. It will rain soon, he thought. Did Nora tell the truth? Did she run three days a week, rain or shine? He glanced at his wristwatch. She was late. Perhaps she took a look at the weather and decided she'd run...
Book III, Decisions, is the third and final part of Dani's coming of age trilogy. Chapter VIII is the final chapter of Book III, and hence, the end of "Dani's Story." It is rated X - but a nice 'X.' How else would the saga end? Please be of appropriate age or be gone! Dani's Story Book III - Decisions Chapter VIII - The Ninth and Tenth Days by sissystevie I awoke to a gentle...
Joe glanced toward his daughter cowering against the passenger door of the Escalade. They'd just passed through the gates to Carol and David's estate en route to Nora's apartment. Careful to avoid eye contact with him, Nora hadn't said a word about her blatant exhibition. She felt his eyes on her, and without looking at him, and in a meek tone of voice, said, "I'm sorry, Pops. I went too far again." "Yeah, you did." "For what it's worth, I didn't plan what happened....
"I love him, Pops, and he says he loves me," Nora said to answer her father's query. They were en route to Carol's house to have dinner with Carol and David. Pops was driving David's Escalade. "Why do I sense you're not convinced?" Joe asked. "Probably because I'm not." "Why?" "Lots of reasons. I don't really know David that well. I know him well enough to be in lust with him, but love is another issue. I'm not like you, Pops. I don't fall in love at first sight. Also,...
The one. Hanna. Knowing her name thrilled him. He felt closer to her already, and he hadn't touched her yet. He didn't know her last name and didn't care, didn't really want to know it. Hanna was enough. Hanna. The hunt was done; the stalk begun, and the urge was upon him. He fingered the switchblade deep in his pocket and watched the girl smile coquettishly as her flirting, dark eyes settled on some boys leaning on a railing doing what boys do at a shopping mall: look nonchalant in...
Joe stopped his old pickup on Carol's driveway and turned off the engine. It kept chugging for a few seconds anyway. I know how you feel, old girl, he said silently to the cantankerous machine. You're tired, all worn out, but please, please, don't give up your ghost for a couple more months. He hoped the compensation package Steve mentioned included the use of one of the vehicles at Arabian Downs. Of course, Steve and Darla might not want to hire him after they found out about David and...
Joseph Alton Patterson stepped out of his beat-up pickup truck, grimaced when the engine turned over a few more times before rattling to a stop. He glanced at the stucco buildings in front of him. Like a fuckin' rabbit warren, he thought. One of the apartments in one of the buildings belonged to his daughter, but which one? To him, they all looked alike. He glanced at a scrap of paper in his hand, cursed and pulled a pair of drugstore reading glasses from his shirt pocket. Apt. 226, Building...
One day shortly before David turned seventeen, he concentrated and pictured his math teacher in his mind, and then wished he could connect with him. Suddenly his consciousness looked down on the slovenly man. Eager to test the possibilities of his new approach, he pictured Denise, someone he'd never met while in his body, and in a flash, his consciousness hovered over her in Albuquerque as she moved her fingers over the keyboard of a computer. Excited, he tested his newfound ability with a...
"It's just not right," Nora said. David's trip into her father's future upset her, probably more than anyone gathered to deal with what David had witnessed, including her father. "David, you shouldn't be messing around in anyone's past or future. You said yourself that you could alter the past or future with your time trips. It's just not right. You're not God. You're a man, and you shouldn't be messing around in God's bailiwick." "Whoa, Nora. What I do isn't close to...
Colors were brighter, but they didn't glow with neon-like clarity - not yet. Sounds were crisp and clear, but their volume wasn't much above normal. The urge had not yet flipped the volume knob to the right, intensifying the sounds so they reverberated off his eardrums as if he were standing front-row-center at a rock concert. Soon his skin would become super-sensitive, so sensitive even his loosest clothing brushing against it would make him want to scream. He knew the signs. The urge was...
"Knowing you, Mom, I predict you have a plan to get Joe and Nora together?" Darla said. "Tell us about it." "No plan," Carol said. "Being the manipulative bitch I am, I did have a plan, or rather the bare bones of a plan, but..." Carol shrugged. "What can I say? I love him. I won't be a party to any plot to get Joe and Nora together." Darla looked surprised. "Are you saying because you love him you don't want him to have sex with anyone but you?" "Not at all. Joe and Darla...
Book III, Decisions, is the third and final part of Dani's coming of age trilogy. Book I, Awakening, dealt with the initial 48 hour period where our heroine comes to terms with her sissy-self. Book II, First Days, covered the next 72 hours of Dani's vacation as she became more deeply involved in her new persona, if not her true self. Book III completes her excellent holiday experience as she contemplates and then decides her future. Although each Book is intended to stand on its own as...
Book III, Decisions, is the third and final part of Dani's coming of age trilogy. Book I, Awakening, dealt with the initial 48 hour period where our heroine comes to terms with her sissy-self. Book II, First Days, covered the next 72 hours of Dani's vacation as she became more deeply involved in her new persona, if not her true self. Book III completes her excellent holiday experience as she contemplates and then decides her future. Although each Book is intended to stand on its own as...
When David checked on his mother, she was sound asleep. He hovered over her face and gave her a soft, goodnight kiss, and then watched her sleep for a while. Like Darla, when she slept she looked so childlike and innocent. She rolled over and the sheet fell away. She was naked. Her voluptuous, naked body, unlike her face, looked neither childlike nor innocent. He caressed the side of her face with feather-like touches and kissed her neck just below her ear and suddenly realized what he'd...
After his communion with the dark-haired beauty in New Orleans, exhilarating and satisfying as it was, he'd still sensed the experience was less than perfect. It troubled him when he couldn't immediately define the imperfection. He relived the event and previous events daily, but in a fractured manner, certainly not in sequence from beginning to end. In fact, he purposefully avoided a sequential review, preferring a random, in-depth reassessment of each moment within each element of the...
"Now what?" Joe asked. Nora forced her avid gaze from her father's throbbing erection to his face, a face with a questioning, concerned expression, but his eyes were full of lust. "You have a beautiful cock, Pops," she said as her hand continued to stroke its length. Now what? he'd asked. She didn't have an answer. She hadn't thought beyond seeing and touching his erection. Her mind had focused on those goals only, and now they'd been achieved, she realized she didn't have another...
Wow, Colleen thought as she watched David and his lady approach Carol's patio and hot tub. Although stark naked, the striking couple strode boldly, both obviously comfortable with their bodies, and well they should be. David looked like Michelangelo's statue of the biblical character with his name. What a hunk! Nora moved like a sleek, golden cougar, lean and smooth, graceful and regal. Nora took Colleen's breath away. What a beauty! Colleen couldn't decide who excited her more, the man...
Book III, Decisions, is the third and final part of Dani's coming of age saga. Book I, Awakening, dealt with the initial 48 hour period where our heroine comes to terms with her sissy-self. Book II, First Days, covered the next 72 hours of Dani's vacation as she became more deeply involved in her new persona, if not her true self. Book III completes her excellent holiday experience as she contemplates her future. Although each Book is intended to stand on its own as complete, the reader...
Book III, Decisions, is the third and final part of Dani's coming of age trilogy. Book I, Awakening, dealt with the initial 48 hour period where our heroine comes to terms with her long latent sissy-self. Book II, First Days, covered the next 72 hours of Dani's vacation as she became more deeply involved in her new persona, if not her true self. Book III completes her excellent holiday experience as she contemplates her future. Although each Book is intended to stand on its own as...
Book III, Decisions, is the third and final part of Dani's coming of age trilogy. Book I, Awakening, dealt with the initial 48 hour period where our heroine comes to terms with her sissy-self. Book II, First Days, covered the next 72 hours of Dani's vacation as she became more deeply involved in her new persona, if not her true self. Book III completes her excellent holiday experience as she contemplates and then decides her future. Although each Book is intended to stand on its own as...
Book III, Decisions, is the third and final part of Dani's coming of age trilogy. Book I, Awakening, dealt with the initial 48 hour period where our heroine comes to terms with her sissy-self. Book II, First Days, covered the next 72 hours of Dani's vacation as she became more deeply involved in her new persona, if not her true self. Book III completes her excellent holiday experience as she contemplates and then decides her future. Although each Book is intended to stand on its own...
Book III, Decisions, is the third and final part of Dani's coming of age trilogy. Book I, Awakening, dealt with the initial 48 hour period where our heroine came to terms with her sissy-self. Book II, First Days, covered the next 72 hours of Dani's vacation as she became more deeply involved in her new persona, if not her true self. Book III completes her excellent holiday experience as she contemplates and then decides her future. Although each Book is intended to stand on its own...
When David and his mother arrived home, David handed a heavy bag to Darla. "The tapes that make you and Barbara victims are in this bag, Darla, along with the camera coach had hidden in the locker room. Destroy the tapes and the camera, and destroy the unlabeled tape in the other bag. Barbara, you're the star on that tape." He handed his mother the other bag. "Inside this bag, besides the tape I just mentioned, you'll find evidence that will put coach behind bars. The evidence consists...
The horse buyers from Arizona occupied a large, horseshoe-shaped booth in Denny's. They were chatting and eating breakfast when Joe interrupted several simultaneous conversations. "Darla, I've been thinkin'. If David is successful and buys Brigand, we should consider going Straight Egyptian at the ranch and sell off our Egyptian-Related horses." "Please, explain, Joe," Darla said. "Brigand is a Straight Egyptian. He'd become our senior stallion. Our two best mares are Straight...
Carol soaked in water as hot as she could stand. The fragrances from the bath oils she'd used filled the air, and candles provided the only light in the room. She leaned her head back and tried to relax. Before going to her room, she'd stopped and knocked on her son's door and asked him to honor her privacy tonight. She needed to think, and she didn't want to deal with wondering if he were hovering where he could see her or touch her. He'd promised to respect her privacy. Memories...
"Stupid question," Joe said with aplomb as he sat on the sofa and started to pull off a boot. Nora jumped up to help him. He'd managed to pull off one boot before she straddled his other leg. Placing his stocking-covered foot on her bare bottom, he pushed when she pulled on the boot. It came off with a sucking sound. "Now that's a sight to remember," Darla said laughing. "Help me get rid of the rest of his clothes," Nora said as she unbuckled his belt and popped the top button on...
The Ship, the Oasis, the Book, the Slave, Part III. By Geneva. The former corsair Rami, now the woman Nesrine, makes a life for herself and her family in Marseille. Unexpectedly, she come into possession of magic book and uses it to save a family member and destroy an enemy. This story is a continuation of my earlier stories, 'The Ship, the Oasis, the Book, the Slave', and its sequal, 'The Ship, the Oasis, the Book, the Slave, part II'. This story can stand on its own, but it might...