Rebecca Anne Stewart's
~Hot Crossings~
by Becky Stewart & Rickki B.
With a big pat on the back to BobA and a big hug for Jenna.
~#35 It's Christmas Time In The City."~
~[]~
Sara was upset, and with good cause. She had carefully nursed Becky back from her last session of chemo, with a relatively good recovery rate. She now saw all her hard work disappear with one visit to the woman with the black piercing eyes. She was not about to let Bob off without an explanation, especially now that she saw the guilty look on his face.
"Bob, I want to know right now. What the hell happened back in that restaurant?"
"It's kinda hard to explain." He stammered. Thinking that he could appease the angered woman he offered up his pitiful gift. "Ahh, would you like some tea?"
The concerned caregiver sat down at the table but still demanded an answer.
"Rosa, and a few others, Becky included, have a special, ahh, gift, if you will. Some of them had different types of gifts and they can use these gifts to help others." Bob was definitely floundering here.
"Go on, I'm listening."
"Well Becky and Rosa's gifts are that they can remove pain and suffering. The only problem is it comes at a cost. Whatever pain you take from the person you are helping, you have to take on yourself. You sorta share it. When you have two people with the same gift helping one or the other, you also share their grief." Bob looked at Sara's questioning face. "You still with me."
"Ya, I am following what you say, but it doesn't make a lot of sense. Why would the old woman…"
"Rosa." Bob corrected.
"Okay, why would Rosa put all that grief onto Becky when the whole purpose of the experiment was to try and relieve Becky's pain?"
"I know it sounds weird right now, but you will find that when Becky wakes up she will be a lot stronger and healthier. Trust me." Bob assured.
"Hmmm."
"It's because that Becky is so frail to begin with that she can't take all the extra pain that comes with the healing process. That's why she passes out."
"I don't know what to think about this. I just know it can't be healthy for her to do this. Her vital signs were dangerously low when we were in the car home. I was almost tempted to tell Martin to take us to emergency. That's how worried I was."
Suddenly a small voice behind them made both Bob and Sara spin in their seats. "I was perfectly fine the entire time."
An astonished Sara shouted. "Just what are you doing out of bed? You get back in there and stay there until you have recovered."
"I'm fine Sara. In fact I feel a lot better." Becky said, shrugging off that groggy feeling that accompanies you when you just wake up.
"I'll be the judge of that!" Her concerned nurse spat back.
"Go get your little black bag and check for yourself then, if you don't believe me. If my vitals are not at normal levels I will go back to bed and stay there until you tell me its safe to get up." Becky reasoned, as she slid onto Bob's knees and threw her arms around the large mans neck.
A very confused Sara still didn't know what to think. Still she wasn't going to take any chances. She rushed into the bedroom to return shortly after to see Becky and Bob in a deep embrace. Becky held out one arm for her to wrap the BP cuff around, but didn't let up from kissing her mate. Sara never finished administering the test. It was obvious that Becky was a lot better just by seeing the colour in her cheeks return as she played tag with Bob's tongue. She flopped down in the bistro chair next to the lovers and shook her head in disbelief.
"You believe in Rosa's power, don't you Sara?" Becky asked.
"What do you mean?"
"You know that she has special powers. I know you do. I felt it when she looked at you."
"I still don't know what you mean." Sara assured.
"Yes you do. You can't tell me you didn't feel it when Rosa probed your heart. You shivered from top to bottom." Becky smiled.
"Is that who that was?" Bob interrupted with. "I wondered if it was either you or Michel. Now we know."
Now feeling a bit more than just a bit scared, Sara returned with, "What is all this about? I feel like I'm in the middle of a twilight zone episode all of a sudden."
"Sara. Some people have these certain powers like Bob said. Rosa thinks that you might have them as well."
"So I can do that healing thing and make myself sick while doing it? Is that it?"
Becky giggled. "No, not exactly."
Bob tried explaining it to her again. "You see Sara. Try and think of it as a radio. Some people are receivers, and only receive. That would be people like me. I can sense someone using the power, but I don't really have any of special gifts like some do. Other people are transmitter receivers. They can transmit the power and they can receive it as well. Becky and Rosa, and her sisters are all in that group. Becky can help people with their pain and suffering. That's why her work is so important to her at the children's ward. Now do you understand?"
"You use this power on the children to help them?" Sara enquired.
"Yes. I try to. I am not always successful. Some of them are beyond my help. But, that doesn't stop me from trying."
"Tracy Richards." Sara sighed.
"Yes neither Rosa or myself could help her. All I could do was ease the pain for her until God came to take her away. Becky sniffed. The pain of Tracy's passing was still too fresh in Rebecca's mind for her not to resist crying.
This provoked a three-way hug, and that is how Martin found the trio when he returned from his errand. "Oh! Ahh, sorry. I didn't mean to…"
"That's okay Martin." Becky sniffed. Your welcome to join us if you like?"
"Ahh, maybe next time." The giant man replied, just a bit uncomfortable that Becky just might be serious.
~[]~
The next morning proved Bob right. Becky was up long before anyone else and was quite chipper as she was making plans for Christmas Day which was only a few days away now.
"Bob?" She meowed at the still half asleep man as he huddled over his first cup of coffee.
"Mmmm." He growled.
"Do you think we could have a small dinner party here for a few friends for Christmas. I would really like to invite Prue and Jeff, and I still owe my sister Jayne a dinner. You remember her, she was the one that came over from the island when I was in the hospital?"
"Uh Humm."
"Maybe we can have them over for dinner together. I wonder if Jayne and the girls have anything planned for Christmas? I should phone and ask them if they want to come over here?"
"Humm, good idea, just let me know what you decide. If you like I can book them a suite in the Hotel Vancouver." A slightly more wide-awake Bob replied.
Becky giggled. "Jayne's girls would love that. To be pampered for a few days at one of the most exclusive hotels in North America, her girls would be over the moon." The giggling lass reached over and hugged her lover tightly, spilling his coffee all down the front of his pyjama pants.
It looked as though the man had had an accident on his way to the washroom. When he stood up to stop the warm beverage from causing any damage to his tender bits, Martin choose this time to enter into the kitchen, with Sara in tow. He had just returned from letting her into the building when she parked her little red Mini Cooper in the secured garage.
"My goodness Robert! At your age." Sara teased, as Bob shuffled off to have his shower and get dressed, or so he grumbled as he left.
~[]~
Bob and Martin were returning from Anwar Communication Concepts for a bite of lunch and were met by a very exuberant Becky. She had contacted some people on her list that, she wanted to invite for their dinner party on Saturday, and was very pleased by the results. The schoolgirl was busy telling Bob all about it in her animated fashion while he calmly tried to listen and smile along. "An' I called Jayne and she, Janet and Nancy are gonna come, not so sure about her husband Mike though, he said something about tell her I have to work, but that's okay, we don't need him anyway, he's just a stick in the mud, an' Prue said her and Jeffery would love to be there, an' both Kelly and Joan said they would love to come as well if they could. I told them to bring dates of course if they wanted, they just had to let me know in advance, an I got aholda'…"
"Becky!" Bob interrupted. The poor girl was running off so fast Bob actually thought she was gonna run of energy and collapse in front of him. "Slow down girl. Sheesh! Just how many people have you invited for this feast of yours?"
"Just twelve. Well if Jan and her husband come that will make fifteen total including you, me, Martin, and Sara."
"And just where are you going to put everyone?"
"In the dining room silly. Don't worry I already checked. The table opens out, we can comfortably seat twelve there no problem, and thirteen in a pinch will be easy to squeeze in."
"And who is gonna do all this work you are talking about? All the cooking and serving? That's gonna be a lot of work?"
"We can do it. I've done it before. I had eighteen for dinner Thanksgiving a year ago, at my place on the island. You just need to be organized and prepare things in advance, that's all."
Bob shook his head. Who could he possibly get into this woman's head that she was not as healthy as she was a year ago. She looked so lively and happy he just didn't want to burst her balloon with reality. Quickly coming up with an idea, he suggested. "Why don't you have it catered?"
"Huh?"
"You know have someone else make all the food. I'll bet there are events places in the phone book that could do the entire thing, from food, to decorations, to invites, the enti-"
"Decorations!" She shouted in horror, as the palm of her hand slapped her forehead. "Oh my god I never thought about decorations. Here it is almost Christmas Eve and I don't even have a Christmas tree up yet. Bob we need to get a tree!" She declared as she made her way back into the kitchen to find the phone book.
"I give up!" Bob said to the empty room as he flopped down in the love seat he was standing next to. He stared off into space trying to keep a sharp business type mind to find a solution to Becky's problem.
A smile crossed his face when he noticed a blur whiz by him on the way to the bedroom. The billionaire reached inside is suit jacket pocket and extracted his cell phone. "You need a party consultant? Why not call the best in the business, who, just happens to be a close personal friend. Sure hope we have given her enough time." He chuckled, as he punched in the code on his phone. "Mona! Just the person I need to talk to. I need a favour and I need this one fast… Ya I know I always need a favour. Listen. I have a dilemma and I thought of you immediately… I'm not trying to butter you up. Besides I haven't even started…"
As Bob was explaining his problem to Mona, who knew everyone and everything about special events, Becky was busy in the bedroom getting changed into her, going to hunt for a Christmas tree outfit. She had decided on her tight jeans, tall black boots, her new angora sweater, and her leather jacket some mittens and her tam for the top of her head. She had wanted to wear the Santa hat with the fur trim that her and Pip had wore to the Clinic last week, but it didn't really go with this outfit. "Besides." She decided, "I want to surprise Bob with that outfit later on, when we are alone. Maybe tonight in front of the fire after we decorate the tree." She giggled. "There is just so much to be done, and I only have a few days left. I am going to be one busy little girl."
A quick make over in the ensuite mirror, apply a fresh coat of Lipsexy, and she smiled at the almost instant result. She ran into the parlour just as Bob was finishing up with Mona. "Bob." She yelled across the room at him. "You need to go get changed we have a lot…" She never finished her sentence. Her lover had held one finger up in the air to indicate for her to be patient for just a second while he concluded his call.
"OK Mona. That sounds great. You have them call me on my cell or Becky's and they can take it from there. Thanks Luv. I have to go now. I think Becky has something planned for me to do, judging by the way she is dressed… No! Not that. Does your mind always run in the gutter? I love you too. Right! Talk to you later."
Bob flipped the phone closed and looked up at his love with a big smile on his face. "Well I have taken care of your food and decoration problem. Mona knows an events co-ordinator who would take care of the entire thing. She is going to contact them, and they will phone you and you can tell them what you want to do."
"Oh Bob. That's fantastic." Becky gushed as she hugged him tight. "But you need to go get changed right now. We have to go get a Christmas tree and some Christmas decorations."
"Huh? What?" Shopping for Christmas decorations less than a week before the blessed event was not what Bob had in mind for today. Knowing better than to argue, he let the much smaller woman pull him off the love seat and lead him into the bedroom.
"Pick out something casual, and outdoorsy. We are going to find the right tree for here."
"Casual? Outdoorsy? The closest thing I have to casual is my boating clothes, and I don't think that is what she had in mind for me to wear. Well," he resigned. "The girl wants casual and outdoorsy, let's see what I can come up with. Guess the suit and tie are out, so…" The large man started to remove his navy pinstripe wool suit and hung it away in the closet as he searched his mind for clothes that fit his lover's parameters.
Meanwhile, Becky had sent Martin to get changed into something less formal. Once she had described what they were doing this afternoon, the large man understood exactly what was needed and went to grab a pair of jeans and a sturdy jacket. Sara always carried a change of clothes in her car just in case of a flat, and she was sure that this weeks choice was a pair of jeans a comfy top and a pair of runners. As Becky dispatched her forces to their tasks, she sat down with the yellow pages and tried to find Christmas trees in the large heavy phone book.
Bob appeared dressed in a pair of medium brown mix micro fibre slacks, a black polo styled ribbed knit top, and a brown 'distressed' leather bomber jacket. He still had a pair of loafers on his feet, not exactly the correct footwear for tromping around in the wilds, but, to Bob the wilds were, the main concourse of the TD Tower during the morning rush hour. Becky just smiled and pulled up the collar of his knit shirt and then lifted the collar of his leather jacket to make him appear more James Dean like. He sensed the rebel look that Becky was going for and was playing right along with her as he started to give her a series of tough guy poses. As per usual, both Sara, and Martin, returning from their quick-change excursion, busted him.
"Looking cool there dude!" Martin heckled his boss and friend.
Breaking into his best Elvis, Bob, growled and sang, "We're gonna win this race."
Both Sara and Becky giggled. "Come on my hunk' a, hunk' a burning love, lets get you out of here." Becky quipped as she hugged the large man.
Becky trooped them thru three different tree lots until she found the perfect tree. It was a twelve-foot scotch pine, and it was very full. She had Martin and the tree lot owner hold it upright while she and Sara carefully considered it from every angle, before she made a decision.
Bob paid the man cash. He had negotiated it to be delivered when the man went home for dinner and his partner took over. Becky knew Bob had paid the man a considerable amount more than he was asking for the tree and the delivery charges.
"Good! Next stop. The Christmas Village." Becky announced as they stumbled back to the car.
The little bell tinkled as they walked thru the candy cane coloured front door. Their noses were instantly assaulted with the unmistakable odour of cloves and cinnamon, as the passed the life size replica of a toy soldier from Babes in Toyland.
"This place smells incredible." Sara remarked as she tried to take in all the surroundings. She had never seen a store that was dedicated to Christmas that was open the whole year round.
"Humm makes me want to eat something." Martin remarked.
Becky new exactly what she was looking for, and headed right towards the tree displays. "We have a store just like this over in Victoria, where I live." She remarked to Sara, whose eyes were had grown to be enormous. "Cept, it's not as big as this one." The determined woman saddled up to the counter, while the rest of the crew was left to 'ooh and ahh' over all the displays.
Bob and Martin were drawn straight away to the train displays and were like a couple of kids with their noses pressed hard against the glass as they watched in rapture.
Becky flipped thru a catalogue of complete Christmas tree decorations sets while Sara watched over her shoulder.
"Perfect. This is exactly what I want." She announced to anyone who could hear. "Sara, look at this. What do you think? Do you think this will look good on the tree we just bought?"
The much smaller woman looked alongside of her friend at the glossy display of decorated Christmas trees in the catalogue. "Wow! That has to be the most beautiful tree I have ever seen. I never knew you could buy a completely decorated tree before."
"Yup. You can get it with an artificial tree, or just the decorations and you supply the tree. It goes by the size of the tree. See." She informed Sara as she moved the catalogue around so the Brit could get a better look.
"Good afternoon. Welcome to The Christmas Shoppe. My name is Gloria. How may I help you this afternoon?" A grandmotherly type clerk asked after she had finished serving a customer.
"Hi. Thank you. Yes, I think I would like to buy this arrangement right here." Becky volunteered as she pushed the catalogue at the clerk.
"Okay, with or without the tree?"
"Without please."
"What size is the tree?" The busy clerk asked as she began clicking away at her computer keys.
"Twelve foot Scotch pine." A very proud Becky announced.
"Hmm. Very nice. The Dickens's collection will look very nice on that tree. Good choice."
"Thank you very much."
The attendant paused in her clicking while she asked the next question. "How many lights would you like with that?"
"Um." Becky thought. "I really don't know. Lots!"
"Well a tree that size I would suggest minimum five hundred mini lights, it could easily take a lot more mini lights, or you could go with the medium based bulb, and use a lot less, but the effect would be different."
"Oh I want the mini lights. I like to see them twinkle." Becky stated in a rather mature schoolgirl fashion.
"And what colour would you like Honey? Do you want them all clear, red, blue, or green, or a mixture?"
"Clear please. How many do you think I need?" Becky asked.
"That all depends on the fullness of the tree and where you are going to put it. If the tree is to be viewed from all directions, you will obviously need more lights. You can safely put maybe eight hundred or even as much as a thousand on a tree that size, if you want."
"Okay." Becky giggled. "Oh and I'll need a skirt as well."
"Okay ma'am, I'll just check and see if we have everything in stock, and I'll be right back. Why don't you have a look around? I won't be more than a minute or two."
In her look around Becky managed to find three fifteen foot garlands, two large wreathes made form fresh pine boughs, all in her colour scheme of course. She also managed to locate a replica of a french horn on a brocade red upholstery cord, and several fresh sprigs of mistletoe.
Meanwhile, Bob had been busy with his own purchases. He passed the clerk that was serving him his platinum American express, and told him to wrap it up. With a large smile the commission clerk bundled up the large boxes of the fourteen-car HO scale steam locomotive train set. Martin was busy telling Bob that he should have gone for the bigger station and the extra switch tracks. He was surely tempted to listen to his friend, but knew that the train set would wind up being more of a toy than a display piece to put under the tree, which is where he intended this to go.
Bob also instructed the clerk to add a large bottle of lamp oil so that the engine would be able to send up smoke for the entire season, to which the clerk gladly threw in the lamp oil free with a hearty Merry Christmas. He didn't expect to sell this set at full price. The die cast body and the detailing of the late 1800's replica was collector grade, and the $1400.00 price tag kept all but the more serious aficionados at bay.
Martin and Bob were still discussing the remote control on the computer-activated bell and whistle on the model, when Becky found them. "Alright. What have you boys been up to?" She asked as if she were a concerned parent, who knew what two mischievous kids could easily get up to in this shoppe.
"Nothing, really. We were just looking at trains." Bob replied with a big cheesy grin.
The clerk handed back Bob his card and wished them a Merry Christmas before offering to help Martin out to the car with the purchase. "Thanks son, but I have a feeling we are not done just yet, but I'll take you up on your offer in a little while if it still stands?"
"Why of course Mr. Arnold. Anytime. Is there something else that I may be able to help you with?" He smiled.
"If I know my sweetheart, the probably is quite a bit more." Bob laughed.
"Well, this other lady was helping me with my other purchases. I bought a few decorations for the tree Bob." Becky explained.
"A few!" Sara shouted. "That's a bloody understatement. Tha' tree is gonna have more lights on it then the Blackpool Uliminations"
The clerk smiled and excused himself for a brief moment. He quickly made his way over to the co-worker who had helped Becky. With a few quick words and a look over at the foursome spending money like it was going to be declared illegal tomorrow, they had decided to pool their sales and split the commission between them, that way they could both serve the heavy rollers. By the time that Dan and Gloria, the two clerks as they introduced themselves as, had finished with the 'Two B's', they had managed to add to the purchase several linens for the dining room table, some cutlery. A floor standing wine server, three large boxes of Christmas poppers, one of those toy soldiers guarding the front door, a replica rocking horse, a very intricately carved Santa in his sleigh with all eight reindeer, and several naughty looking elves in provocative poses.
Becky had managed to locate some antlers for everyone to wear. She and Sara quickly donned theirs while Bob and Martin were a little bit more reluctant. When Bob gave Martin the eye that more or less said, "If I gotta wear these, you are to buddy, so put them on." The large man meekly submitted as Becky arranged the headpiece on him and kissed him on the cheek. He immediately blushed a deep crimson akin to the big set of lips that now adorned his cheek. As the merrymakers were falling over themselves at the absurdity of the event, a flash of a camera preserved it for eternity. Bob immediately paid the clerk twenty dollars to download the picture to his laptop. Which he would later print out.
"Well have we had enough fun for this afternoon?" Bob asked. "Maybe we should let these nice people get back to work, before some one throws a net over us?"
Gloria was the first to answer him. "I haven't laughed so hard in ages. You four have certainly made my day today."
"Mine too." Dan added.
"Okay Slim go get the horses and we'll meet you out front with the goods." Bob announced in his best John Wayne. "I'll take care of the ladies in the mean time." He said to Martin over his shoulder as he grabbed Sara and Becky's elbow and escorted them over to the cash register.
Becky dug in her purse for her gold MasterCard and was just handing it to Gloria when Bob's meaty paw flipped the clerk his well used AMEX. "Don't use her card. She's over her limit already. Use mine instead. I think there should be enough in the bank to cover it."
"Bob!" Becky shouted in indignation. He knew full well that her card was not overextended. "You are without a doubt the most…" Becky paused while she rethought how she was going to end the sentence. When Bob stood there wiggling his eyebrows, all she could do was scream. "Arrrgghh!!!" And punch him in the shoulder.
"I would be very careful of that card ma'am." She told Gloria as she swiped the bit of plastic thru her machine. "I think it might be stolen." She joked.
"That's okay." The sales clerk returned. "We're all being videotaped anyway."
"Cool!" Bob exclaimed. "Where's the camera? Can I get a copy for my collection? I do hope they got my best side." He mugged, while the bells on his reindeer antlers jingled furiously as he posed.
Becky turned to Sara and staged whispered to her. Sara, please help you are a health care professional. Can't you sedate him?"
"Not without using a hammer." The once timid and shy nurse replied.
Taxes included they had managed to run up a sizable sale and the store manager had decided to help load the trunk of the Mercedes. He shook Bob and Becky's hands and told them they were welcome in his store anytime. Gloria and Dan were beaming from ear to ear. After all, they were splitting the commission on a sale in excess of five thousand dollars. It had been a very good day for them as well. Both salespeople made sure that their business cards were firmly attached to a lot of items that were purchased that day. Dan had smiled when he taped one of his cards to the bottom of engine and caboose of the train set he had let Bob convince him, Bob needed.
Becky melted into the large powerful arms of her lover on the return trip to Xanadu, and only opened her eyes when Bob told Martin to carry her upstairs and put her to bed. "NO, I can make it. We have a house to prepare for Christmas." She replied, her antlers slightly askew on her head. Mere minutes later she had fallen asleep on the love seat in front of the fireplace, and Bob had his trusty pack mule cart her off to her much comfier bed.
While Becky slept, the tree had arrived and Martin's brawn was once more utilized to help set the monstrous pine up in the middle of the living area of the parlour. Bob and the rest of the company knew they daren't start deciding anything else about decorating it without Becky's direction. The words were never spoken, somehow they just knew.
Sara was tasked to make the evening meal, which she did quite efficiently. She promptly picked up the phone and following Martin's suggestion ordered some takeaway from Erik and Julie's restaurant. "It's called The Goteborgplatzen. It's in the book, and the make the most excellent meatballs you have ever tasted"
Becky resurfaced with Sara's help a few minutes before dinner had arrived. Her now friend and caregiver had woken her with six mgs of dalaudid, and a big glass of cold water from the Brita in the fridge. If not for the discomfort of her aches and pains, Becky would have been giggling with glee like a little kid, in anticipation of decorating the Christmas tree this evening. She rushed through her dinner barely tasting the creamy beef stroganoff and meatballs.
Martin had gone down stairs to the building supervisors suite to obtain a stepladder, so they could work on the tree. Unfortunately the best the super could come up with was a four-foot tall painters ladder he had purchased himself to redecorate his own suite last year. "But Miss Stewart is welcome to borrow it if she likes." He told the giant man.
Bob had poured everyone, including Becky a snifter of Glayva, a strong smoky flavoured liqueur from Scotland. With the unmistakable ping of crystal on crystal the fore-some toasted the Christmas season and set about their undaunted task. Three hours later, Becky with a lot of help from Martins strong shoulders carefully placed the intricately detailed porcelain and paper machete harp-playing angel atop the tree.
"Well shall we see what it looks like?" Bob asked. "Martin. Kill the lights while I plug it in."
"Right!"
The four residents smiled with glee at the site before them. "It's gorrrrgeous." Bob exclaimed in a put on Scottish brogue, rolling his 'R's' much longer than necessary.
"Aye. It's a real stunner." Was Becky's comment
Martin and Sara were more confined to the simple one word response of, "wow!"
Becky drained the last dribbles of her forbidden alcoholic drink and set about, with Sara's help placing the garland draped upon the mantle of the fireplace. Bob and Martin gently ran another one above the bookcase, and Becky directed the third one to be placed along the top of the large sideboard in the dining room. One of the wreathes was placed outside the door to their suite, and Becky directed Bob to hang another above the mantle on the fireplace.
Finally they work party had concluded that they were finished for the day and all but flopped into the chintz loveseats sitting across from each other in the parlour. Soon the day's activities were catching up to everyone and Martin had seen Sara to her car, and had battened down the hatches for the evening.
When the large man disappeared around the corner to go to his room, Bob detected a wicked grin from his love as she whispered in his ear. "Don't move. I'll be right back." Of course he complied with the sexy order, and waited for the bit of fun he almost knew was about to happen. He reached over and dimmed the lights of the lamps around him, so the strongest light came from the fireplace, the tree, and the multitude of candles Becky had placed throughout the area. He was not to be disappointed. Less than five minutes later Becky had returned in her Santa outfit, complete with the tall black boots. This time she had donned the bright red and white rumba panties she had bought for this outfit.
"Merry Christmas sweetheart." She cooed as she forcefully pushed Bob back down on the loveseat and planted herself on top of his chest. She made sure that he saw the ruffled undies she had chosen as she playfully slid her bottom up and down the area just south of Bob's waist. Their mouths found each other as her lover's strong arms encircled Becky's satin covered ribs and strongly pulled her into him. He playfully kissed the aroused nymphs bare shoulders and playfully spit out the faux fur that adorned the line above Becky's well defined and highlighted breasts. She reciprocated by bringing her hands behind her and fumbled with the opening of Bob's slacks until she had freed the nylon-covered prisoner she found inside.
~[]~
The next morning Sara was found picking up Becky's Santa outfit. She located parts of it in various places throughout the room. The bodice of the outfit on the floor beside the loveseat, the panties were located on the end table where they had been discarded late in the game. The Santa hat christened the knurl on the top of the lampshade, and Bob's clothes were crumpled in a heap on the floor. Sara noticed with a little smile that the buttons on Bob's top were missing. "Looks like I missed all the fun." She remarked as she folded the cast off garments, and placed them on the club chair closest to the master bedroom. She gathered up the crystal brandy snifter glasses on the silver tea service tray and went into the kitchen to wash them up.
Martin was chatting with Sara over their respective morning beverages, when the two lovers wandered into the kitchen. Bob flopped down into the first chair he came to, while Sara proceeded to help Becky retrieve her meds from the kitchen cupboard.
The alert nurse was correct in assessing which medication her patient would want first as she handed Becky six mg's of dalaudid. The caregiver then directed Becky to the last remaining open chair and handed her a large glass of cold water from the Brita disperser in the fridge. "Drink it all. You need the liquids."
Becky eyed the gigantic glass of cold water with a bit of intrepitation. "All of it?" She asked.
"Yes. When you're done, then you may have your tea." Sara replied over her shoulder as she filled the kettle and put it on the gas stove to boil.
Bob had things he needed to take care of at Anwar, or so he said. He found Becky who was fiddling with the decorations on the massive Christmas tree that dominated the large room, to give her a kiss and tell her he'll be back, hopefully early this afternoon.
Becky really didn't mind that Bob had some 'business to take care of' this morning, after all she smiled, when Bob and Martin had left, she had some of her own she needed to take care of. Last night she had given Jenjen one of her special presents that Pip and her had picked up several weeks ago on a shopping expedition to Oakridge Centre. Now she needed to replace the gift with something else.
A scant two hours later, all properly primed, and coifed that is exactly what Sara and Becky were on their way to do. The pair descended upon the shopping mall and quickly joined the ranks of the rest of the Christmas bargain hunters, searching for that special gift. Sara proved her usefulness once again as she knew almost every square inch of real estate in this place. She knew exactly where ever store was and who had the best sale on just about everything here.
After stopping in at Addition Elle for some scanties for Jenjen, they were off to LaSenza for Becky, then The Body Shop, for Jen and Becky. After a quick tea break at Darling's Tea Room, they were once again in search of last minute gift ideas. Sara introduced Becky to the proprietor of a little shop called The Three Sisters. A little book and candle shop was openly gay, and had been started by two feminists in downtown Vancouver. They had expanded and had opened this shop just last month, after a two year battle with the mall owners about disallowing something as unsavoury as a lesbian owned and operated business in the staid upscale Shaunessy neighbourhood. Becky was impressed with the quality and workmanship of the handmade candles she had to buy several of them before they left. She had also learned something about her traveling companion that she had suspected since that first day they met. Yes Sara was gay, and proud of it. Becky gave her a big hug in the middle of the mall, and told her that she would always be her friend, and that this changes nothing. By mid afternoon they pair were secured back at Xanadu, beating Bob and Martin by mere nanoseconds.
"The caterer called and is on his way over to discuss the arrangements with you." Bob announced after he had had his mandatory five kisses and hugs when he came thru the door. "I thought that you should discuss the menu with him and, he should probably see the place to get a good idea of how he's going to do everything. Oh, by the way, how was your day? What did you and Sara do while we were gone?"
"Oh, nothing much, we popped round to the shoppes to pick up some odds and ends. I bought some really nice candles." Becky giggled as she thought about what she had purchased earlier that day. "How about you? How did your day go?" She enquired, as she wrapped herself around the large man while they sat on the loveseat.
"Oh, it went okay I guess. Didn't do all that much, pretty well hung around the new office waiting for the electrical inspector to give his final approval on the wiring."
Martin chooses that moment to enter the suite loaded down with an armful of gaily-wrapped Christmas presents. Without a word being spoken Becky knew that her lover had just lied to her. "I see the inspector finally came thru with the inspection." She giggled, as Martin tried in vain not to drop anything. Becky uncurled herself from her warm resting spot and helped Martin arrange the numerous boxes under the tree. She was actually snooping, wondering how many of them were for her, as she tried to read the tags on everyone that passed in front of her eyes. She was interrupted by the phone chirping, announcing the caterer at the entrance downstairs.
"Honey. This is Felicia of Prestige Events. She is going to be the one catering and decorating for your dinner party." Bob announced by way of introduction. He turned to the young Latino, and continued. "You are also going to be supplying the staff as well? Am I correct?"
"Yes, we can do that as well Mr. Arnold. We can handle everything from the invitations the final cleanup if you so desire. We pride ourselves on supplying a complete service, so all you have to do is enjoy." The cute brunette replied with a well-rehearsed, yet sincere smile.
Becky showed her around the suite and explained exactly what she had in mind. They discussed menu choices, beverages, staffing, and clean up as well. By dinnertime she and Felicia had everything well planned out and she signed a contract for the job to be done.
Bob's services were required to provide a down payment, which he gladly did, by peeling off one of his famous thousand dollar bills from his money clip. He got a charge out of doing this, because he knew it impressed whom ever he pulled it on. Felicia gladly accepted the money and quickly scribbled out a receipt and informed Becky she would be in touch with her later tomorrow afternoon with the progress on obtaining certain food items that she had requested.
"Well that was easy." Bob announced, after the apartment door had clicked shut when Felicia left. "I hope she can get everything that you wanted. Some of those items were pretty specific you wanted their Luv."
"Yes I know, but she did say that they could do it, and besides it's Christmas, and its not like we do this every week. This is special Bob, and I want to make sure that everything is just right."
"Have I told you that I love you yet today?"
"No. No you haven't." Becky giggled.
"Don't worry. I will." Bob quipped, quickly moving out of striking distance from his lovers lightning reflexes.
~[]~
"So how did your week go?" Jennifer Pope asked her patient, as she slowly slid into the expensive leather club chairs that dominated the conversation area of her Broadway Heights Plaza office.
"Oh, okay. Actually it was a lot of fun. We bought a tree and decorated it and, oh before I forget, I wanted to remind you about the dinner party on Saturday. You're still coming aren't you?"
"As far as I know we are Becky. Bill has even agreed to not race his dogs this weekend, just so we could come to your little shindig, so baring some catastrophe where all of the provinces Psychologists are called out in an emergency, I could safely say we'll be there.
The confused woman was not sure whether she wanted to know what the good doctor meant about racing his dogs, but her curiosity got the better of her and she just had to know.
With a laugh Jennifer explained to her that her husband raised greyhounds and that he spent most of his weekends at special events and races showing off his pride and joy. Actually he had eight pride and joys this year. It was a consuming passion with him she explained, and Bill was willing to forgo going to the track this weekend in order to go to her dinner party.
"Oh my, I hope that he won't be disappointed coming to my place instead."
"Why?" The doctor giggled, she knew the answer already, but she was being polite by asking.
"Well if he loves racing his dogs so much, I don't want him to be bored coming to my place. I wouldn't want to see him unhappy." Becky explained.
"Ha. Frankly I'm glad you invited us." Jennifer joked. "He spends more time grooming those bloody dogs than he does grooming me these days."
"I will try and do my best to make sure that he knows he's supposed to groom you on Saturday then."
"Good." Her friend smiled. "Now I suppose we should get down to the reason why you are here."
Becky felt the atmosphere in the room suddenly change. She gulped and nodded that it's for the best, as she nervously waited for the doctor to start.
Donning her half glasses Dr. Pope flipped thru her steno pad to her last entry for Becky. "I think we have covered enough of your home life for now, let's say we move on to something a bit more recent shall we?" She hesitated a bit and then looked up from her notes as if she had either abandoned them or made an executive decision. "Why don't you tell me about where you worked? I seem to recall that you actually worked at Dinosaur Provincial Park in Alberta as a palaeontologist, is that correct?"
"Yes, right after graduating from U of A. Of course the park was still trying to be designated a world heritage site back then so it was kinda remote at the time, but I really enjoyed my time there. I was doing something that I really loved and I could do it in my own space and time."
"It was Charles that was employed there though, was it not?"
"Yes, it was his name on the paycheque that went into the bank every month, but it was me that worked there. I was often alone by myself for months at a time. The only time that I had any consistent company was during the summer months when all the students would descend upon us for work experience."
"That must have been interesting, how did you handle it. Surely they must have known something was up as soon as they got there. After all even your name is different."
"I was pretty lucky there. My boss was so paranoid about image that he would tell them that they would be assigned to help a geologist named Stewart. He never gave them any more details other than that, so often a lot of them never even knew about my situation. Sometimes they never found out, other times they would, but I never let that bother me, we were here to do a job, and if they had a problem with it, they were free to leave at any time."
"I'll bet that was quite the sight." Jennifer chuckled. "I could just picture you, a female version of Indiana Jones ordering a bunch of wet behind the ears students about. I'll bet you even wore a fedora."
"No, a cowboy hat."
"Did you have a bull whip?"
"Please Jennifer, a girl must have some secrets, and besides it never left the playroom." Becky giggled.
"So, tell me why did you quit? If this was the perfect job, why aren't you still there?"
"Well there were some big changes at the top. The Park was starting to get very popular now, and there were more and more hi profile people coming to see how things were progressing. The new people at the helm were just a little aprehencious about a transsexual being their go to person, I guess they just didn't see me as the one to head up this project anymore. I found that I was spending less and less time at the site and more and more time driving back and forth between Edmonton and Calgary for some ridiculous meeting. There was a new co-ordinator, who I'm sure had a personal mandate to see me gone. We had some terrible roes. I felt he was putting unrealistic administrative demands on me, preventing me from doing my job and I guess he felt that I was too much of a rebel, and didn't fit in with his vision of how this was going to be, so, after about a year and a half of this I finally had enough. A friend I knew mentioned one day that, they wanted an experienced geologist to work at the Seismology Lab on Vancouver Island. I applied for it and with Dr. Gharries glowing letter of recommendation I got the position."
"So when did Rebecca Anne start working for Research Canada, and Charles cease to work there?" Jennifer enquired as she finished up scribbling on her pad.
"Right from the very start. I had already legally changed my name some time ago, which in itself had created a heck of a major problem at Revenue Canada with my taxes. Remember I was working in redneck Alberta at the time. I thought the fewer waves I created there the better. When I came to BC, I decided that I was going to start as I meant to go. So I applied as Rebecca. Dr. Gharries letter was what helped me get the job. When he found out that I was quitting he drove down from Drumheller to see me, and try and talk me out of it. He took me out to lunch, and we had a long talk and I convinced him it was time for me to move on anyway. He was very upset that I had been squeezed out but there was little he could do about it, so he wrote a letter to the Council president at the Institute, and another to the Heritage Minister about the way that I had been forced out of my position because of sexual discrimination."
Dr. Pope was listening intently to the explanation. She had stopped her insistent scribbling, and smiled when Becky had finished. "That was a very nice thing for him to do."
"Yes, it was. He didn't have to do that. I didn't think he cared that much about me. Guess I was wrong."
"Becky it was probably your winning personality that swayed him. All you have to do is bat those big eyes of yours, and I'll bet just about any male will do what ever you wish." Jennifer teased.
"Ya right!" Becky snorted.
"So how were you received at your new job?"
"Oh not bad. It was like night and day actually. There is a big difference in the attitude of people from British Columbia, than that of those from Alberta. Although there was still the odd comment made behind my back, I was accepted for what I am. A professional working woman."
"That's good to hear. So many people have to go thru a living hell at their jobs just to survive. I'm glad you got a lucky break." Dr. Pope sneaked a quick glance at her watch before continuing. "Did you enjoy what you were doing at your new job?"
"Yes I guess so. It's not exactly my field, but I knew enough about seismology to do a credible job, besides what I didn't know I learned. I went back to school part time and took a few advanced courses at UBC to upgrade my knowledge."
Time to change the subject the experienced doctor decided. Her patient was fully relaxed and answering her questions automatically. She needed to delve deeper into what was the essence of Rebecca Anne Stewart and now was the perfect opportunity. "How was your love life back then Becky? Were you dating?"
"Huh? Pardon me?" The startled woman asked. "My love life. What love life? It was non-existent. There was nobody in my life and I didn't pursue anyone either."
"Why not? You are attractive, you were young, a professional woman, financially secure. Why didn't you do something about it?"
"Ya right! And just what am I going to offer a guy? It's not like I could take him to bed. I didn't fit in with the gay scene. It was just easier not to go down that road."
"So you think that a relationship is based on sex."
"No!"
"Then why couldn't you have a relationship with someone and you could be friends?"
"Well that's not exactly fair to the man now is it? He's going to be expecting me to, I mean he's going to expect the relationship to grow, and then one day he's going to want me to, to make it sexual, and then what? Oh I'm sorry there mister, but you see I really don't have the proper equipment you thought I had, so you see I can't really do anything with you. Just where is that going to leave me? Probably get the crap kicked out of me again. No way sister I have been down that road too many times before and I know how that story ends."
Jennifer had gotten some more insight into her patient. She knew there was more to her pain and suffering then what she had mentioned already, and the day-to-day abuse that most transgendered people have to endure. "Why don't you tell me about one of those times?" She suggested.
"You want me to tell you about getting beat up by some guy who found out I didn't have a vagina he could screw."
"Isn't that why we are here, to sort thru all this crap and put it behind you?" Dr Pope suggested.
A now visibly shaken Becky timidly answered. "I guess so." There was a very long and uncomfortable pause in the conversation. Finally Becky asked. "Which one do you want to hear about?"
"There is more than one?"
"Several, I have been trying to forget for many years." Becky sighed.
Jennifer leaned over and lightly touched Becky's hand, "Why don't you choose." She softly said.
"Well since we are talking about rednecks and Alberta, there was this cowboy, this one time. He knew all about me. He had been introduced to me at The Patricia Rodeo a few weeks before, and asked me out for a date. He was a real gentleman to begin with. He took me out for dinner, and treated me like a lady, opening doors for me, and we were having a lot of fun. He was drinking pretty hard, and after a point with every drink he took he made me just a little bit more uncomfortable. We were dancing at Red's Saloon, which was a country and western place on the Barlow Trail in Calgary, when he started to get a bit abusive."
Jennifer was quickly noting the changes in Becky's voice and manner. She leaned forward in her own chair and lightly held her patients hands while she continued with her story.
"He wanted me to have some sort of sex with him right there in the club. He was kissing me, and then he started to feel me up. He tried to get his hand under my top to play with my breasts. When I told him to stop he started to call me all kinds of different names. Then he roughly ran his hand up my thigh under my skirt, that's when I moved away from him and slapped his face. I informed him the date was over and got up, grabbed my purse, and left."
Becky was now quite obviously shaking as her eyes began to mist over. She cleared her throat, and began again.
"I asked the doorman to call me a taxi. While I was waiting outside, he grabbed me, and dragged me over between two cars and started to punch and kick me."
Tears were streaming down her cheeks now as she held onto the arms of the leather chair in a death grip.
"I thought he was going to kill me. He keep hitting me, and hitting me, and then he started to kick me with his cowboy boots. The entire time he was calling me a tramp, and a slutty little gearbox, and he just kept yelling and hitting me. I was curled up in a ball on the pavement and he just kept beating me."
Jennifer pried Becky's hands off of the chair and quickly wrapped her up in a hug. Her patient was crying uncontrollably now and she needed to let go of everything. She tightly held on to her for what seemed like forever, but it was only until Becky had relaxed into her arms exhausted from having to relive the terrible event.
Blowing her nose, she discarded that tissue and, another from Jennifer's Pope's never ending supply quickly replaced it. She felt composed enough to continue relaying the event. "Finally he suddenly stopped beating me, got in his car, and drove away. That was the last I ever saw of him. The doorman found me laying in the parking lot when someone reported to him, what had happened. It was him that bundled me up in a cab and told the driver to take me to the hospital, but I made the cabbie take me too my motel room instead. The next morning I checked out of my motel and drove back to Medician Hat."
"Why didn't you press charges? That was definitely assault and battery, and could even be attempted rape."
"No! I didn't want to get the cops involved."
"And why not? Becky that man violated you, and you just let him get away with it. I don't understand, you are such a strong woman, and I am positive you don't suffer fools gladly, why did you not lower the hammer on this creep."
"Because there is no justice in Calgary for people like me. About a year before that, a friend and I were returning from a night out at Boots and Saddles, a gay club downtown. We were accosted by three drunks and they started to rough us up pretty bad. We yelled for the cops and when they arrived the drunks all took off. The cops loaded us in the back of the squad car and took us in instead of going after the pigs that attacked us. The cops took us to the station and put us in a cell over night. They tried to scare us by saying that we were soliciting and we asked for it, dressed the way we were what did you expect. One cop told me if it was he, and he found out he had picked up a couple of faggots, he would have done more than just rough me up a bit. He made a motion with his fingers imitating a pair of scissors. I tried to tell him that's not what happened, but he refused to believe me. Finally they let us go. They drove us out to the municipal airport, which is on the extreme north end of the city, and told us to get out. They wanted us to walk all the way back downtown. They just left us there out in the middle of nowhere, and the jerks drove away laughing. So just how far did you think I was going to get with the Calgary police, when Ken Armstrong beat me up. (Yes folks a real name. Go ahead Ken, you know who you are I would love for you to try and sue me!)
Jennifer shook her head. She had opened a can of worms she really didn't want opened. "Becky, I'm sorry. I keep forgetting just how bad it was, is, for transgendered people. I look at you as a woman, and forget that some people just don't look at it that way.
"Thank you doctor."
"Well I'm sorry that we had to go thru so many tears today, it was my intention to keep today's session fairly light, but I guess I got a bit carried away."
"No, I'm not sorry at all. I'm glad I told someone about that. I never told a soul about what happened, you are the very first person." Becky sniffed.
"Still, I think we have covered enough for today. Why don't you go wash up and make yourself look again. Now, with Christmas coming up, I'm going to be closed for a week or two. I'm taking a small vacation, so it looks like it will be the New Year before I see you." Jennifer paused while she consulted the small calendar attached to the back of he clipboard. "It looks like our next visit is going to be the eighth of January. I have a friend who sometimes fills in for me when I'm gone, I'll leave you his name, if you need to see someone in an emergency, Okay?"
"I'm sure I will be just fine until you get back. I hope you have fun on your vacation. Where are you off to?"
"Oh, Bill and I are off to Cancun for a week or so. We always try to get away for a bit just to unwind, and get a bit of sun, and Christmas seems to be the slowest time for both of us professionally to do that."
Becky again wished Dr. Pope good luck on her vacation, as she hugged her tightly, and made her promise to show up early for the dinner party on Saturday.
It was all of approximately fifteen minutes later when Sara had started to drive Becky back to the security of Xanadu. "So how did it go today?" she asked her puffy eyed companion.
"Okay I guess. Better than some of the other times I've been to see her."
"You feel like making a quick stop somewhere and having a cup of tea, or maybe do a wee bit of window shopping?" Sara enquired, trying to brighten the sullen mood Becky was currently in.
"Sure, I guess so." She unenthusiastically responded.
Sara knew she was going to get very little in the way of encouragement right at this point in time. She made an executive decision and pointed the high-powered Volvo towards Pacific Centre. " I want to stop into one of the specialty shops downtown, you don't mind do you? We can get a fresh brew and maybe something to nibble on for a shivery bite."
Becky smiled at Sara's last statement. "I can't remember the last time I heard those words. It was probably when I was still a child back in Scotland." She giggled. "My mom used to make me little snacks after I had been out playing in the cold." She laughed again. "Raspberry soldiers and tasty tea."
"What was that?" Sara enquired.
"That's what she used to make me for my shivery bite, Raspberry toast soldiers and tea that was just about half milk and lots of sugar."
Sara smiled now as well; she had remembered what her mother used to make for her. "Sugar sandwich and tea." She announced back.
"Oh god. I remember those." Becky snorted. "Madera sugar and butter on fresh bread." Suddenly her mind invoked another childhood fond memory. "Did you ever have Lyons Syrup when you were small?"
"Oh, lord, I had almost forgotten about that. We used to have that all the time. My teeth hurt just thinking of that." Sara shuttered as she took the ticket from the dispenser and wheeled the car down the ramp into the underground parking of the shopping centre.
Today's visit with Dr. Pope was an almost forgotten memory by the time that Sara and Becky had enjoyed a cuppa and some very decadent chocolate cheesecake. They window-shopped for the most part, but Sara did manage to pick up some nice shoes for Saturday, while Becky had purchased some very fragrant soap from The Body Shoppe.
It wasn't until they pair were fighting the exodus from the downtown core that Becky realized what Sara had done. "Thank you." She told Sara as they waited for the backlog of traffic ahead of them to clear, so they could make the light.
"You're welcome. For what?" Her driver asked.
"You know silly, for helping me get into a better mood and forget about my session with Dr. Pope earlier."
"Oh that. That's my job Becky. It's just as important to treat the emotional side of a patient, as it is the treat the obvious physical wounds. You needed a bit of cheering up, and a little sideline trip seemed like the best medicine."
"Well thanks anyway, regardless of it being your job. I appreciate it."
"You're welcome."
~[]~
~Next: #36 The Feast of St. Stevens~
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