If anyone reading the story discovers a typo or other error, please let me know so I can correct it. You can send an email to: barnold@ralabs.com   Please let me know where you saw the story and what the error was. I'll attempt to get it corrected.
Special thanks to Misty Dawn for her editing and proofing efforts on this chapter.

This is a work of fiction, with a few real life experiences added in. All of the characters in this story are fictional, and any resemblance to anyone else living or dead is probably a coincidence. Please notify me if you are archiving this and the other chapters of the story on a web site. Permission specifically granted to Sapphire's Place and Crystal's Story Site to archive this. If you intend to publish this story in magazine or book (paper or electronic) format, please contact me for arrangements. Additional information on this story may be found at: http://www.ralabs.com/zapped/

 

Zapped

by Bob Arnold

Chapter 10b – "Holidays" (continued)

© 2002 - All Rights Reserved

 

About an hour and a half later I was settled into the hotel room and reading a packet of information waiting for me at the front desk. I had a four AM wake-up call already placed for me and the limo would arrive to pick me up at five AM. I decided to take a long hot bath now rather than wait for the limited time available in the morning. The time was already nearing ten PM, so I hurried to the elegantly appointed bathroom.

The tub was positively huge and for a few seconds I considered sleeping in it overnight until I realized what I'd look like in the morning. The bath lasted almost an hour as I completely relaxed in the hot steamy water. The water finally started to cool down, signaling that I should end my stay in the tub. Reluctantly, I popped the stopper and stood up, to let the water drain away from my body. After a minute or so, I grabbed a towel and dried off the rest of the way before getting into my nightie. I liked to sleep naked at home but on the road I decided to sleep in pajamas or a nightie of some type. Tonight's nightie was a silky almost sheer thing that stopped just above my thighs. I wore a pair of scanty thong panties under it and nothing else. Try as I might, I could not prevent myself envisioning Adam's reaction if he saw me in this naughty nightie. Shaking off the images, I headed for the bed and within minutes I was sound asleep.

My eyes popped open at the sound of the phone ringing. I answered to find out that it was the wake-up call. Sitting up, dangling my feet over the edge of the bed, I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and stretched. I had just an hour to get ready before the limo would arrive to take me to the studio in the city. I decided that warmth was preferable over fashion, so I got dressed in a pair of jeans and a faded but comfortable denim shirt. Since my bags would go with me, I knew I could change into one of the other outfits in the studio dressing room, instead of fighting a cold wind blowing up my skirt again.

I knew from the information packet that they would have someone there to do makeup and my hair so I did just the minimum on both to look presentable. I gathered my things together and made sure nothing I brought with me was left in the room. I called the front desk and asked that someone come up to help with the bags. A few minutes later I heard a knock on the door and looked through the peephole to see a woman in a hotel uniform with a small cart. After I let her in, we got the bags loaded then headed down to the lobby.

The front desk informed me the network had picked up the cost of the overnight stay already. Since I had almost twenty minutes until the limo arrived, I headed for the restaurant in the hotel. It was still closed, but they did have a selection of bagels and drinks available. Selecting a cinnamon and raison bagel, loading it up with thick cream cheese, I grabbed a bottle of orange juice, then moved over to a table to eat. I was just finishing up when someone came into the restaurant to tell me that the limo was waiting. I stopped briefly at the front desk to thank everyone for the hospitality then went outside into the dark and chilly morning to make the trip to the studio.

Even at this early hour of the morning the streets were bustling with activity as the city stirred to life. I gazed out of the window as the limo sped into the heart of the city toward the downtown studio location. Like most of the morning shows, the studio was a converted storefront near Rockefeller Center.

We passed a large area blocked off outside the studio on the street. Even at just after five-thirty in the bitter cold morning, the interminable crowd was already starting to gather. I saw several street vendors selling coffee and hot chocolate from large pushcarts. The limo slowed then stopped outside a large overhead door. I heard the limo driver beep the horn then the door lifted to reveal space inside for several cars or a large truck or two. The limo gently pulled inside before the door closed. The door of the limo was opened and a hand extended into the car. "Hi Jennifer, I'm Mary Stone. And I am very pleased to meet you!"

Mary looked to me to be about fifty years old. Her face was just starting to show traces of lines around her big blue eyes. Those eyes were under a mop of unruly black hair that had started to gray in spots. Her smile extended nearly from ear to ear as she waited for me to exit the limo. I noticed that she barely reached about five feet in height as she stood next to the car.

I shook her hand then stepped out of the limo into the warmth of the garage. "Thanks, Mary. Wow! I am impressed! When you folks do something you do it first class don't you?"

"We sure do. This little setup lets us sneak surprise guests into the studio without the folks outside or our competition finding out. Someone will bring your bags into your dressing room in a few minutes. Have you had something to eat yet?"

(((Mary's sparkling gray eyes danced lightly over my presentation as she spoke.)))

"I had a bagel at the hotel. Does that count?"

"Nope. Follow me." We walked into the depths of the building and were soon standing outside a small kitchen area. I heard some loud chatter coming from inside and glanced over at Mary's bright grin. "Don't worry, it's always like this before a show, just think of it as feeding time at the zoo and you'll fit right in." She lifted a hand in casual response to someone's ribald greeting as we stood in the opening momentarily. "Don't take anything said in there seriously and enjoy yourself." She motioned for me to follow her in the room.

It turned out to be a large room with a kitchen setup installed in one corner. The rest of the room was tables and chairs with a wall of vending machines at the back of the room. About half a dozen people, in a wide variety of styles of dress, were gathered around a small table next to the kitchen equipment. As the crowd turned to look at us, I recognized Ed Wilson, the show's rotund and jovial weatherman. He was busy chopping what looked like Thanksgiving leftovers into small pieces. The apron he was wearing said, "You may kiss the cook!"

Mary got everyone's attention. "All right, folks. I'd like to introduce the first lady…" The crowd in the room gasped audibly. "…but since she's not here you'll have to settle for Jennifer Stevens. If things work out, Jennifer here will be our new Gadget Guru. Jennifer. Let me introduce the craziest crew in morning television." We went one by one as I met each person in the room. The final person was Ed.

After we shook hands, I made a point of looking at the apron, then shrugged and planted a big wet kiss on his cheek. The crowd hooted as I pulled away. The look on Ed's face was priceless then he smiled impishly, swept me into his arms, bent my body backwards into a classic movie kiss position, and planted a large wet kiss on MY cheek. Then he returned me to a vertical position and spun me around. "Now that we've been properly introduced, my dear, will you marry me?"

Instantly entering into the spirit of his impromptu skit, putting on my best of 'southern belle' airs, I lilteded my voice and batted my eyes at him while fluttering my hands. 'Why yes, kind sir, I'd love to be your blushing bride but whatever would your current wife have to say about conjoining visits?"

Ed shrugged, then started laughing. "Can't blame a guy for trying can you?" He winked at me. "I like this one. She's funny." He hugged me again and patted me on top of my head. "My dear, you'll fit in here just fine." He then waved casually in the direction of his culinary effort, directing my attention to his next gambit, silently daring me to play along. "Would you care for something to eat?"

"Turkey, Ed? Lemme guess, you bought a BIG bird and you're desperate to get rid of the leftovers, right?" Yes, it was all unrehearsed adlib, but it was great adlib.

"Am I THAT transparent?" he smiled again. "Actually I'm making my famous day after Thanksgiving leftovers omelet this morning. Want some?"

"Sounds disgusting. Just the sort of thing to start off my morning. Yeah, I'll try some and don't spare the dressing and cranberry sauce!"

We all watched as Ed set about making the omelet. Twenty minutes later he started serving big portions on paper plates to an awaiting crew. My first taste sent me into orbit and I quickly stuffed the rest of the omelet into my mouth bite by bite. I licked the plate clean then put on my best English accent and walked over to a smiling Ed.

I looked at him with big puppy dog eyes and pouting lips then said, "Sir, can I have more, sir?"

He must have caught my intended reference to the movie "Oliver" since he assumed the "Mr. Bumble" stance complete with imaginary staff in hand and bellowed at me. "MORE? You want MORE?" The rest of the room dissolved into laughter at the sight.

He winked at me and I returned the wink. We launched into the "Oliver" tune and sung a couple of versus to the amazement of the room. We stopped singing and play-acting and took a small bow as the laughter died down in the room.

"Ah, Jennifer. That was incredible. I think I've finally met my match as far as the comedy stuff goes. You just keep pitching 'em…"

"…and you'll keep catching them. Well, I'm just a guest on the show for a short segment today. Maybe when I start in officially with the Gadget Guru spots we'll have a chance to do more."

Glancing suddenly at the big clock on the wall, he sighed heavily. "Well, I have to get cleaned up and ready. There's just about an hour left before airtime. From one old trooper to another, break a leg kid!"

"Thanks, Ed, you too!" Then I headed back to my dressing room to change into the outfit I would wear during the segment. I had to have one of the staff direct me toward the right room since I didn't know where they had put my things after the limo ride.

It was a fairly good-sized room with a well-equipped makeup table in one corner and a small screen blocking off a portion of another corner. An old but serviceable, and comfortable-looking, couch took up part of a remaining wall and a small table and chair took up some space on the other wall. A full-length mirror was mounted to the wall next to the makeup table.

I spread out the bags on the couch and rummaged through them until I found the light gray angora sweater and the black worsted wool slacks I had packed purposely for their warmth. The sweater had a rather low cut neckline and hugged my curves very well. The slacks hugged the curves of my bottom and hips then tapered gently until the ended just below my ankles. I put on a pair of black low-heeled shoes from another bag and looked at my reflection in the mirror. I heard a knock on the door. "Come in?"

Mary entered followed by a woman carrying a box full of electronic gear. "That's a great look, Jennifer, just the right touch. I couldn't have selected any better myself. This is Sally. She'll be hooking you up for sound." Mary introduced the six-foot tall blonde Amazon beside her. I was reminded of a pair of cartoon characters from my youth; Mutt and Jeff and nearly choked on my giggle trying to contain it.

Sally took a small black plastic box out of the box of stuff and motioned for me to turn around with my back to her. She lifted the back of my sweater and clipped the box to the top of my slacks. "That's the transmitter for a wireless microphone. Here, drop this wire down your cleavage." She handed me the microphone with a four-foot cable attached. I dropped the wire down my front under the sweater then clipped the mic to the top of a cup of my bra. It nestled nicely in my cleavage, and without the sweater rubbing against it. "Hey, you've done this before I see!"

"Well, Sally, I used to do your job when I worked on a mobile shooting crew at a station in my home town a few years ago. Let's see what kind of sound quality we get. I may have to relocate the mic to the neckline of the sweater." She took the end of the cable and popped it into the jack on the transmitter. I felt her flip a switch on the box then she took another box out and turned it on. She put on a pair of headphones then asked me to talk.

"Sounds good to me. What do you think?" She handed me the headphones.

"Well, if it sounds good to you then it's all right with me." I gave her the thumbs up sign then handed the headphones back. "What about a talk-back channel?"

"We use a small gadget that fits in your ear. I'll give it to you on the set. Let me turn the transmitter off to save the battery." She lifted my sweater and flipped the switch on the transmitter again. "There, all done. See you on the set." She grabbed the box of stuff and headed out the door.

"So how are you feeling about this, Jennifer?"

"A little nervous I guess but I'll be all right."

"From what I've seen of the story your reporter friend sent, you needn't be nervous at all. This ought to be easy compared to what you've been through already."

I shrugged. "I guess. Do you really have to use the story?"

"Yes. We want to show the incredible story of what you've faced so far."

"Well, if you have to, just no cameras on me during the piece, ok? Those photos of my transformation are just too painful for me to see again."

"All right. We were going to bring you out on the set after the story ran anyway. We're actually going to do two stories with you if you don't mind. The first segment will be a short chat with the hosts about how you're doing now and so on. Then, after about thirty minutes, we'll do the gadgets for Christmas segment we initially planned. By the way, do you mind if we call you our new 'Gadget Goddess'? The old 'Gadget Guru' tag line doesn't seem to fit and the 'Goddess' title will tie into your radio show better."

"That's fine with me. Mary."

"If all goes well, next time you do this for us we'll have an animated intro segment ready. Ed does those for us sometimes. I hear he has something special in mind for you."

"Can I see it before you use it?"

"Certainly. Knowing Ed, it will be fun and very tastefully done. Let me take you to the set so you can check that the demo items are all set up then I'll get you settled in the green room."

With that, I followed Mary through a maze of halls and doors until we stepped into the studio area. I recognized the set that I had seen hundreds of times on the morning show as I had my breakfast. Off in one corner of the cramped space was a table on wheels that held the things I would be demonstrating today. I looked each of them over making sure they worked and had everything I needed ready to go in just a few minutes. I wandered around the set briefly before Mary came back to take me to the green room.

In television terms, a green room is the room used to hold guests before they go on the air. It got the generic name years ago because the rooms used to be painted a particular shade of light green that scientists said was very restful and relaxing to most people. The color remained in common use for years until someone actually got sick and tossed their lunch in one of the green rooms. It was noted that the various shades of green (the tossed lunch, the skin color of the person that tossed their lunch and the walls) matched pretty closely. That spurred a whole slew of renovations; especially color changes, as the word got passed around inside the industry.

Most green rooms today are not green at all. The décor is usually left up to the production crew that handles the show. In general, the room had a television so guests can watch the show in the studio and several comfy chairs and a couch. Quite often, there was a table with refreshments of various kinds and a small kitchenette type setup. On some of the late night shows, the legends say that the refreshments included alcoholic beverages. It was common to see a guest on a late night show more than a little tipsy as they artificially shored up their resolve.

This so-called green room had a rather pleasant earth tone motif. Several shades of brown graced the walls and furniture. Lighter accents on the pillows and pictures brightened up the room considerably. The usual table of goodies stood along one wall with not one but two large screen televisions next to it. A pot of coffee bubbled gently in the corner along with a hot water dispenser for tea. This was, after all, a morning show and the refreshments reflected that. A large tray of bagels and donuts filled the table. Off to the side were covered dishes with cream cheese, several kinds of jellies and jams and a large tub of butter. They had the class to use real silverware emblazoned with the show logo instead of the much cheaper plastic utensils. Even the napkins had the show logo on them.

In spite of feasting on some of Ed's excellent leftover turkey dish, I still felt a little bit hungry so I prepared a cinnamon and raisin bagel with a thick spread of cream cheese. I fixed a cup of the piping hot coffee and got comfortable on the couch.

One of the two televisions displayed the network feed; the other had a picture generated by the control room in the building. Presently it displayed a picture of the studio with Ed and the hosts getting ready to go live. A clock on the wall next to the two monitors was counting down the seconds to air. As the clock hit thirty seconds to go the floor manager motioned and everyone that wasn't needed left the set. At ten seconds, the floor manager started counting silently on his fingers. When the music started at eight seconds the monitor showing the network feed switch to the feed from the studio meaning that the show was now live. The floor manager pointed to the cast as the clock moved through zero and started counting the minutes and seconds "up".

The show went pretty smoothly for the first half-hour segment. Just as the second half-hour started someone came to fetch me to be ready to go on. I was escorted to a spot just off the set and told to wait. Someone handed me a little thing that looked like a hearing aid and motioned for me to put it in my ear. I heard the folks in the control room talking and nodded to the floor person that I heard them. I was able to see one of the monitors on the set from my position and the cast could also see me standing there. As the segment started to introduce me I closed my eyes tightly as the pictures of me changing were shown. I shivered a little as I remembered my initial shock at seeing my transformation. I stood there trembling slightly until I felt a hand on my shoulder. I opened my eyes to find Ed standing next to me smiling. He hugged me for a few moments as my tremors subsided.

I watched as the segment ended then the cast motioned for me to join them on the set. I took a deep breath then walked into the glare of the lights and took my place in a comfy chair across from Shelly White, the female co-host of the show.

"Good morning, Jennifer and thanks for visiting us today. Are you all right? You looked kind of terrified there for a few moments before you came on."

I smiled as best I could. "Well, the pictures of my transformation are still quite painful for me to see. I know people are always interested in what happened but for me it brings back memories that I would probably be better forgetting."

"Anything you want to talk about?"

"No. I'll just say that even though I've been like this for several months now there are still times that the face I see in the mirror now is totally alien to me. Those times are getting further apart but they still happen."

"You're in a unique position to compare the male and female viewpoints. What have you learned so far?"

"I'm not sure, Shelly. It's been just a few months since the accident. I'm still working things out on my own. I do know that there is more involved than just the obvious physical differences."

"Like what?"

"Well, I used to have better control of my emotions. Before the change I used to feel things just as strongly as I do now but I had better control then. Now I can't completely control my reactions to anything. Other than biological reasons I have no idea why."

"Anything else?"

"Umm… nothing we can talk about here. Let's say that there is an incredible difference in the way a male and female body responds to a certain sexual stimulus and let it go at that."

Shelly blushed slightly. "I think you're right on that one. Has the change shaken your religious beliefs?"

"Not really, Shelly. I don't believe there is a God."

Shelly's face drained of color. "What?"

"Well, let me explain. I don't believe in God in quite the same way as most people do. I do believe that there is some type of higher power than us humans. I'm not certain if it is a Supreme Being called God or a couple of extra-terrestrials named Gidney and Cloyd. The name God is as good as any until we actually know. Either way, we humans would probably have wiped ourselves off the face of the Earth by now if we were all there was. There has to be something or someone watching over us."

The color of her face returned to almost normal. "How's the radio show going?"

I was glad she wanted to change topics. "The show is going fine. The response from listeners has been incredible and I'm having such fun doing it every week."

The rest of the interview took another ten minutes. The floor manager counted silently down to zero as the segment ended.

Shelly slouched in her chair. "Thanks, Jennifer. You did great. We'll need you again in about an hour for the gadget segment." She dabbed at her nose with a tissue as a huge sneeze escaped her lips.

"You ok, Shelly?"

"I'll make it, Jennifer. I have the start of the flu I think. The medication is helping to mask the effects visibly but I still feel like crap. The show MUST go on though."

"Think you'll make it?"

"I hope. I'm not looking forward to the Santa segment at the end of the show though. I'm gonna freeze my tits off going outside in that skimpy little Santa's Elf costume." Shelly sneezed again then followed the sneeze with a thirty second coughing fit.

"Are you really sure you're going to be able to handle it, Shelly?"

She sneezed again the dabbed at her nose with another tissue. "Yup. I can make it to the end of the show. It's only another two hours."

I was about to say something when the floor director said that there were thirty seconds left until the show was live again. With nothing left for me to do at the moment, I wandered back to my dressing room.

Rounding a corner in the hallway, I ran right into Ed. I wound up on my butt on the floor. Good thing it had some extra padding now. He smiled and chuckled a bit as he helped me get up off the floor. "Sorry, Jennifer. Didn't see you coming. You all right?"

"I'll be fine. Ed." I brushed some carpet fuzz off my black slacks and straightened my sweater out where it had slipped up my tummy. "Sorry I didn't see you. I was thinking about something."

"Well, you can follow me to the kitchen. I was just about to get myself a big cup of hot chocolate. Want some?"

"Of course. Lead the way." I followed him through the maze of hallways and doors. We entered the kitchen again and I sat down at a table next to the little kitchen area so I could watch Ed work his magic.

In a few minutes, Ed had fixed two large cups of hot chocolate. He walked over to the table setting a cup down in front of me before he took a seat himself. "So what was so heavy on your mind you missed seeing a big fella like me?"

I wrapped my cold hands around the hot cup then blew a little on the steaming liquid. I took a small sip then looked up at Ed. "Shelly, I was thinking about Shelly. She's sick."

"I know She told me. I'm concerned about her too."

"Ed, what's the Santa segment she mentioned?"

"Oh, that's a tradition. I get dressed up as Santa and Shelly dresses as my elfin helper, then we go outside to see the kids in the crowd. Oh, I see. She's gonna freeze out there isn't she?"

I nodded. "I'm not certain she'll be able to make it, Ed. Is there someone else that can do the elf thing in her place?"

"'Fraid not, Jen. We have just the one costume and it just fits her. We'll have to go without an elf helper this year."

"Ed, I think Shelly and I are about the same size. I'd like to give it a try if that's ok with you."

"You sure, Jen?"

"Well, let's see if the costume fits first, ok?"

"Let me go talk to Mary then. I'll be right back. Stay here." I watched as Ed left to go find Mary. They came back a few minutes later. Mary was carrying the elf costume in a large plastic dry-cleaner bag.

Mary smiled as she walked toward me. "You sure about doing this, Jennifer?"

"Yup. I can't see making Shelly go out there when she feels so bad. Besides, I used to play Santa. It'll be a treat to play a helper for a change. The only question is if the costume fits me or not."

"It should fit. It's basically a leotard and it stretches quite a bit. There's also a vest and wrap around skirt that goes with it. If the boots don't fit, you can use the ones you wore on your way here this morning. We've moved your gadget segment to the next half-hour so you'll have around half an hour to change before the Santa segment. I'll leave this in your dressing room. Ed, can you take her back to the studio? She's on in just a few minutes."

"Come on, Jen. I'll do that segment with you. That way we will both have a little more time to change into our costumes."

"Right behind you, Ed." We walked back to the studio just as the floor director counted down to a commercial break.

I watched as they moved the table with the various demonstration things on it into place and hooked up the power outlets. I did a very quick check of the things I was supposed to demonstrate then waited until the news segment was over.

The time flew by as I did the segment. Some of the gadgets gave me a little problem, as I knew they would. Some of the things were very good presents and I had purposely included a few things to stay away from in the demonstration. I sighed just after the floor director counted us down into a commercial break.

"That went great, Ed. Thanks for being here."

"No problem, Jen. Now scoot. We both need to make a costume change."

While the news segment ran for the last time that morning, we stuffed ourselves into our costumes. Ed's was the traditional Santa suit complete with beard and white fur around the neck and sleeves. My outfit was a sort of sexy elf with a green and red leotard type outfit that had a low cut neckline, an open front vest and a very short skirt. The outfit had a thermal lining since we would be doing the segment outside and I would not be able to wear a coat over the outfit.

I met Ed in the hallway just as we were heading back outside. He checked out the costume I was wearing with a critical eye. "You know, Jen, if there were real elves like you at the North Pole, Santa wouldn't ever want to leave for his Christmas run!"

I blushed seven shades of red and smiled back at Ed. "You know for a black guy you make a pretty good looking Santa."

"It's the attitude and the round stomach. These days skin color really doesn't matter to the kids."

"I agree, Ed, Santa comes in all colors." I lifted the beard gently and kissed him on the cheek then gave him a big hug. "There, Santa. Now you're all ready to go."

He offered his arm and I eagerly took it since the boots they gave me to wear had a three-inch platform on them. It felt almost like I was walking on stilts. At least the boots were lined so my feet weren't freezing. I wished that the thermal lining in the costume was working as well as the lining in the boots. The cold air was slowly but surely working its way into the more sensitive areas of my new anatomy. Moments after stepping outside, I had two smaller bumps trying to poke up under the bra and lining of the costume. A quick glance at the outside TV monitors showed that the cameras didn't see anything more than normal but I could sure feel it!

Ed walked over and sat down on a huge throne type chair as parents lined up to have their kids visit with "Santa". Of course, the cameras were close by to record the looks of wonder as Santa called each child by name. The show's staff had collected some names from the parents previously and fed them to Ed and I through the earpieces we wore. I had a great time with the kids as the last twenty minutes of the show flashed by.

I was glad when it ended and I could put on the heavy coat that a staff member was holding for me just off-camera. We had one final shot outside with the crowd as we all waved good-bye to America with the crowd cheering in the background. The outside floor manager signaled that we were clear. I started to head back inside when I heard several people in the crowd yelling my name. I wound up spending another half hour in the freezing cold signing autographs and talking with the crowd. All the while Ed was right beside me doing the same thing. We finally had to say goodbye and walk back into the warmth of the studio.

"So, Jen, did you have fun?"

"I think so, Ed. I'm sure cold though. My poor feet feel like ice cubes even with these boots."

"Mary should have a big cup of hot chocolate and some nice warm slippers waiting for you in your dressing room. I'm going to get out of this suit and into something a bit more comfortable."

"Sounds good to me, Ed. Thanks again, I enjoyed the experience."

I ducked into the dressing room to see a large cup of hot chocolate with a big bow tied around it. The note attached said, "Thanks for jumping in and helping Santa! Let us know when you're ready for the next cup!" Sitting in the chair was a brand new pair of fuzzy slippers. I tossed the coat aside and pulled off the boots. The feeling slowly started to return to my feet as I gently massaged them. Eventually the rest of me began warming up. I slipped my feet into the slippers then took a few minutes to finish the hot chocolate.

Changed out of the elf costume back into my street clothes, I was finishing the last of my packing, when I heard a knock at the door. "Come in."

Mary popped into the room with a wide smile on her face. "Well, the folks at the Rock were delighted with your performance. Pending working out the contract details, you've got the Gadget Goddess segment, if you want it. They also wanted me to ask you if you would consider occasional co-host duties, when the normal hosts are on vacation. Is that something you'd be interested in?"

"Ask me in about three days, Mary. I'm still getting warm from that last segment outdoors. Let me have some time to decide. Right now, I'm not saying no to the offer, but I'm not saying yes either. Oh, how about one more cup of this great hot chocolate before I go?"

"Follow me…" I followed Mary back to the kitchen area where I had met Ed when I arrived. Ed was once again in the kitchen cleaning up after his little breakfast presentation.

"Hi, Ed. Cleaning up I see?"

"Yup, I made the mess so I clean it up."

"Thanks for suggesting that I help out. I did have fun. Did you know the folks at the network want me to do occasional co-hosting duties? Mary just told me."

"You mean we might be doing this again?" The smile on his face looked like it could have gone all the way around his head.

"Maybe, Ed. I haven't agreed yet."

"Well, I really look forward to working with you as a co-host. Did you get the Gadget Guru spots too?"

"Yes. Mary said something about you doing an intro animation piece. Is that true?"

Ed nodded yes. "I like to do that kind of stuff. I have some samples on my web site along with some of my other artwork."

"I'd like to see it when its finished. Whatever happens with the co-hosting thing, I think I will be doing the Gadget Goddess spots."

"They went with my suggestion, huh? That's good, somehow 'The Gadget Guru' doesn't seem to fit you."

I finished the last of the cup of hot chocolate and rinsed out the cup in the sink. "Thanks for making the suggestion. I like the new name too. Well, I have to get going. I need to get back home and prepare for my radio show tomorrow morning then go to the play rehearsal on Saturday afternoon."

"You're doing a play? Which one?"

"Victor/Victoria. It's a stage adaptation of the movie. I'm doing the lighting and sound for it."

"Huh, I thought that with your recent experience you'd be starring in it."

"Et tu, Edward? That's all I hear from the director. I have very little interest in performing on stage. My talents are in the lighting and sound work. I've done that for almost 30 years."

"I keep forgetting what you used to be, Jen. Do you like doing that?"

"I do very much, Ed. I used to work on a television show as the music director too. Remember the old PM Magazine show? Ever see a segment about a lady blacksmith from upstate New York?"

"I remember the show and I did see that segment. That was your music?"

"Well, not my music exactly. I have a rather large record collection. The music used was from the collection. I wish I had the talent to create music. I've only created one song of my own and that took over a year to do note by note and word by word."

"Am I ever going to hear it?"

"Probably not, Ed. It was just an experimental tune to see if I could do it. I doubt that anyone will ever hear it."

Ed sighed. "All right. Will you at least let me know when the play opens? I'd like to come and see it."

"It's nothing special, Ed. Just a community theater production."

"I'd still like to see it. Maybe if the word gets out some celebrities will be in attendance, the crowds will be a bit bigger."

"The company is having some financial problems. They blew the last of the budget for this show, if they don't make enough from it to pay the bills and then some they're out of business."

"Then getting some extra publicity would help wouldn't it?'

"You'd do that?"

"I might even be able to talk Shelly and Dan into coming too."

"Wow, the director would flip if he knew that you were coming. We're just a small town company. To have some visitors like you coming would sure draw attention to the show."

"Send me his name and contact info when you get back home and I'll see what we can do, Jen." Ed handed me a small business card with his email address and some phone numbers on it.

"Thanks ever so much, Ed." I can't explain why I did it but I kissed him on the cheek and hugged him tightly again. "I need to go find Mary now and get back home. I'll be back, I promise."

I left the kitchen and finally located Mary on the set. "All set, Mary. Time for me to go home. What do I need to do? Click my ruby slippers three times and say 'There's no place like home?'"

She giggled a bit. "Nothing so dramatic, Jen. Your bags are already in the limo at the dock area. The driver has been waiting for you." I followed her bobbing and weaving form to the loading dock area and got into the waiting limo after putting on my coat. The dock space may have been warm but, once that door was opened, the outside came inside real fast.

The limo was already warm inside and I watched as the door slid open and the limo backed out onto the street. We headed back to the airport. I was rather surprised when the limo headed for the same hanger that we had arrived at last night. We pulled in through the street side door and stopped alongside the same jet that I came in on last night.

The pilots from the flight last night, Jason and Billy, appeared and soon my bags were on board and the jet was speeding down the runway. It took a little over an hour to cover the distance back to Syracuse from New York City. I felt a hand shaking my shoulder as the plane began to angle downwards.

"Fell asleep did you?"

"Guess I did, Jason. I've been on the go since early this morning. We're landing?"

"Yup. I see you're all buckled in."

"I don't think I ever un-buckled."

"Well, just sit tight, Jen. We'll be on the ground in less than twenty minutes."

"How come you didn't wake me up sooner?"

"When I came back an hour ago to see how you were doing you were sound asleep. Knowing what they put people through on that show I just decided to let you sleep."

"Thanks again, Jason, for all your help. I really do appreciate it."

"And I have to thank you for those tips on fixing my computer. They worked great and my system is running fine again! I…" A chime sounded in the cabin. "OOPS! Gotta go. That's Billy. We're beginning to descend. I need to get back to the flight deck." With a tip of his hat, he scurried back to the cockpit, closing the door behind him.

A little over twenty minutes later we were rolling to a stop inside the private hanger that I departed from last night. The pilots unloaded my bags onto a small cart and said goodbye. I watched as the plane was pushed out of the hanger onto the tarmac outside. The engines came to life again and I watched as the plane taxied back out onto the field and roared down the runway leaping into the air to return to New York City.

I was left alone in the middle of a huge cold hanger with my bags on a small handcart. I grabbed the handle of the cart and towed it along behind me as I headed for the main office off to the side of the hanger. I opened the door then stepped inside the toasty warm office.

I looked around the office and spotted a clerk off to one side. "Umm… excuse me, sir. Can I use your phone? I'd like to get a taxi here."

The clerk looked at me then smiled as if he recognized me. "No need, Miss Stevens. Your limo driver called a little while ago, a flat tire has delayed him. Please make yourself comfortable. There's some coffee available over by the soda machine and the rest rooms are just down the hall. Your bags are safe in here if you need to use them."

"Thanks. I do need to go." I took off my heavy coat and draped it across the top of the luggage on the cart. It took only a few minutes to finish but, when I returned to the office, I found my bags gone and the clerk standing there with my coat.

"The limo is here. I hope you don't mind but I had the driver get all loaded up so that you wouldn't have to wait. Let me help you with the coat." In moments I was securely wrapped in the warm coat and found myself being escorted to the waiting car. I waved back to the clerk as the limo slid away from the curb out into the afternoon traffic.

The driver looked back at me in the mirror. "Home Miss?"

"Yes, please. Do you need the address?"

"No, I have it, ma'am. Do you need to stop anywhere else first?"

"No and thanks for asking." I realized I could have had a bit of fun and have the limo driver take me to the college but I was getting way too much attention there already from the star treatment I seemed to get whenever I was traveling. I decided that I didn't need to show up at work in a limo and only make the situation worse.

I watched as the limo rolled trough traffic headed for my home. The traffic was at a fever pitch on the first serious shopping day of the holiday season. The wind outside the limo window stirred the gently falling snow into a near whiteout in spots I shivered slightly in the warm car just thinking about it. The car eventually glided to a stop in the driveway of my house.

I bundled up and made the mad dash to the porch and opened the front as quickly as my cold fingers would let me. I heard the furnace rumble to life as I turned up the thermostat to the normal setting. The front door opened and the driver stepped in with my bags.

"Thanks umm…"

"Max, the name is Max, ma'am."

"Well, Max, thanks for bringing in the bags. You headed back now, or do you have another run?"

"I have another pick-up to go before I can get home."

"Well, drive carefully. I don't like the look of the weather out there."

"Didn't you hear the forecast?"

"No, I was in New York City last night and this morning. What's happening?"

"Lake effect snow. They're saying we could get upwards of a foot or more overnight."

"Just what we need, Max. Take care now." I watched the limo pull out of the driveway and disappear into the growing storm outside. I stashed the bags in my bedroom then made a quick check of the refrigerator contents deciding that I had better take care of stocking up on a few groceries just in case.

Just before I left the house again, I called Tammy's mom to let her know I was home and that Tammy didn't need to try to pick me up at the airport. I didn't want her going out in this weather unless it was an absolute necessity.

The pickup rumbled to life and I backed it out of the driveway to head for the store. The roads were in generally good condition and I made it to the local 'superstore' to stock up.

It took almost half an hour to fill the shopping cart then lug the results of my trip out to the truck. The trip back home went smoothly and within an hour I had brought all of the bags inside and stored their contents in the various cupboards and cabinets in the kitchen.

The rest of the day I spent either on the phone responding to telephone messages or working on the stack of mail that arrived while I was gone. A few resumes had started to arrive from the ad I had placed in the paper for the office manager position I wanted for the business. Several quotes also arrived for the work needed to turn the old guest bedroom into my office suite. The work involved adding an outside door and steps and adding an internal door between the new office and my computer room next door. With a little re-arrangement the computer room would become my own office and the old guest bedroom would become the new area for the office manager. Since I didn't fully know where things were going with the radio show, and now the TV segments, I had decided to keep the changes as simple as possible. If everything fell apart I could always change the area back to a guestroom and leave it that way.

I worked until suppertime then decided to quit for the day and went to the kitchen to get some supper. I planned on making some sandwiches with the leftover turkey. I got out an ancient grinder that had belonged to my grandmother and set it up on the edge of the counter. I placed a bowl under it to catch the ground turkey then started feeding the turkey breast and thigh meat into it turning the handle to grind the meat into fine fibers. As soon as I had enough ground turkey I put the leftovers away and got out a bottle of Miracle Whip. I stirred some of the Miracle Whip into the ground turkey to make a sort of sandwich spread. I added a bit of pepper to the mix and stirred it all up thoroughly.

I soon had a plate with two sandwiches made with the spread, some leftover dressing and some leftover jellied cranberry sauce. A big glass of cold milk sat beside the plate. I noticed that the time was nearing five thirty PM so I hit the buttons on the remote to turn on the TV on the counter and set it to the evening news.

As I devoured my supper the news continued on. At six PM the station started the main local news program. The lead item was that I had gotten the job on the morning show as the new Gadget Goddess. If they started off with that story, I mused, then it must have been a really slow news day. They repeated some video from the morning show and mentioned that I had also substituted for an ailing show host on the Santa segment. They showed a rather long clip of that segment too.

I watched the rest of the news in the kitchen then put the dishes in the dishwasher to wait until I had a full load. The rest of the turkey spread went into the fridge for a future meal.

The rest of the evening was spent working on computers and occasionally answering the private phone line. A few friends called about the new 'job' and had a million questions about it. Finally around eleven, I decided to call it a night and hit the bed.

The rest of the month of November and nearly all of the month of December went by as a blur. Between the radio show, winding down the job at the college and the play rehearsals there wasn't much time to handle anything else. I got word that my next appearance on the morning show would be the Thursday following Christmas and that they wanted to try to focus on new products for the coming year.

I made a few phone calls and managed to wrangle some new products out of a few manufacturers for demonstration on the show. Many were quite pleased to have the chance to have their product demonstrated in front of a major audience. They were falling all over each other to ensure some airtime would be devoted to their product. My home was soon inundated with boxes full of new products. A few had even sent along multiples of the product that I could arrange to give away on the radio show as weekly prizes.

It was a good thing that somewhere in the last month the changes to the old guestroom were completed. At the moment it was almost bursting at the seams with boxes full of goodies. There was barely enough room when the delivery crew from the office furniture store brought the new desk and chairs I had ordered. The new file cabinets and hutch for the fax machine took up some space, too.

All that remained was to find the right person to take care of the office while I was working on other projects. Several more applications had arrived but none were really what I wanted. I decided to wait just a couple of days past Christmas then I would have to make a decision from the resumes that I received.

Leaving work on the last day was a bit of a strain. Everyone had wanted to throw a huge going away party but I really didn't want one. I wanted to leave as quietly as I had arrived at the college. In the grand scheme of things, it really didn't make much difference one way or another if I had ever worked there or not. If I hadn't done some of the work on the network then someone else would have.

My boss was in my office as I put the last of a few personal things in a small box and handed him the office keys. I put my coat on, picked up the box and my purse then walked silently to the truck. I know I'll miss the place and the people working there.

Christmas came just days later and, unlike Thanksgiving, I spent the day alone. Since the morning show appearance was the next day I spent the time wading through the pile of goodies shipped to me by people eager to see their products on television. I picked the best of the lot and prepared a box to put everything in. I knew that the network would send the corporate jet to pick me up again but this time a limo had been arranged to pick me up at the house.

The trip to New York City went smoothly and the morning show appearance was a hit. I wound up back at home around three in the afternoon and had a quiet evening to myself. Tammy had come along on this trip even though I was returning the same day.

Well, Dear Diary, that's about it. I think I'm all caught up for the moment. Next week is New Year's Day and a few days later my birthday. The play opens on my birthday (January 4^th) and I've heard some rumors from the cast that they have something planned. None of the cast is talking about it though, so I have no idea what they are going to try to spring on me.

Jennifer

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<****************>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The old Chevy lurched to a stop in front of a run-down old house on the north side of the city. Jimmy Glover would have preferred a shiny new Corvette to this rust bucket but it wouldn't look very good for the "Reverend Harvey Peabody" if he were seen driving a brand new car around. It might give people the idea that he was dipping into the Church funds instead of saving everything for construction on the new facility. While that was exactly what he planned, he wasn't ready to suck the construction fund dry yet and depart leaving someone else responsible to take the blame. He slammed the door on the car and walked up to the door of the house. As he stepped on the front porch the door opened, a hand motioned for him to come inside.

"Hi, Tod. Ya got something for me?" Jimmy looked up at the smiling face of Tod Brocker. Tod was considered one of the best of the "black hat" hackers in the area. Just the kind of person Jimmy was searching for to set someone else up to take the fall when he grabbed the money and ran.

"I hit gold… big time… and you owe me for this one, Jimmy." Tod motioned for Jimmy to follow him into the basement of the house.

The basement was well–lit, but crammed from one end to the other with old computers and computer parts. Along one wall was a setup that closely resembled the bridge of the Enterprise, the one from the old TV show. Tod folded his body into one of the chairs and Jimmy slid into the empty one beside him.

"So spill, what have you got on her?"

"Well, you know most of it already, Jimmy. Jennifer Stevens used to be Robert Stevens, until an accident changed him into her a few months ago. Looks like they did a pretty good job of changing all of her accounts over to the new name and sex. They didn't do a great job though. I found this." Tod pointed to a video screen containing information on an old, but still active checking account under the name "Robert Stevens". The account had gone unused for well over a year but was still listed as active by the bank.

"So, why haven't they cancelled this one or changed the name, Tod?"

"The bank's software has a bug, Jimmy. Unused accounts that have no balance aren't deleted after a period of time like they should be. Nobody at the bank has caught it yet. What do you want to do with it?"

"Change the old name on the account to her new name and change the old address to this new address." Jimmy handed Tod a small card with the address on it. "Can you fake adding enough money to the account to get us some checks sent to that address?"

"No problem, Jimmy. Now when do I get paid?"

"Today, Tod, today. Finish this up for me, and I'll pay you before I leave."

A big smile spread across Tod's face. "Ok, just sit back and watch, Jimmy." Tod's fingers flew over the keyboard making changes to the account and then adding a hundred dollars so he could have the bank send a new batch of blank checks to the bogus address. "There, all set Jimmy."

Jimmy reached into his pocket taking out an envelope stuffed with hundred dollar bills and handed it to Tod. "There you go, Tod, two thousand, as agreed upon, in cash. I may be a con man at heart but I'm fair to the other people in the profession. What kind of a reputation or support would I get if I welched on paying my bills for professional services?"

Tod opened the envelope and counted the money then smiled at Jimmy. "All set, Jimmy. Now, get out of here so I can forget where this came from."

"A pleasure doing business with you, Tod. I'll be in touch if I have anything else for you." Jimmy shook Tod's hand, then quickly departed the house to return to the storefront that served as the temporary home for Reverend Peabody's "Rejuvenation Chapel". The name sort of rolled off Jimmy's tongue when he diced on a name for the church. It certainly fit the premise that it would rejuvenate Jimmy's cash situation considerably.

He arrived back at the storefront and threaded his way through the busy kitchen area to the tiny office in the back. Sue Gilmore, his live-in girlfriend and the ersatz Minister's wife was waiting for him. He suspected she was naked except for the dowdy "respectable" dress only a minister's wife would dare wear in public.

"So how'd't go, Jimmy?"

"Great, Sue. We got a checking account in her name. Turned out to be a real account that they didn't change when she did. We'll have checks in a few days, love. Have you figured out a way to look like her enough to use the checks?"

"I've got it covered. I found a wig that will do and some makeup I can use. I'll try it at home and you can see what I look like." Then she snorted. "Hell, with a low-cut blouse and a short enough skirt, they won't be looking at my face anyway."

"Good. Now we sit back and collect some more money. Then we'll use the checks to implicate her in the project so she'll take the fall for this instead of us. This is going to be the best con I've ever done, Sue." Jimmy had a disconcerting gleam in his eyes that Sue noticed.

"Jimmy, remember I told you to keep it simple, hon. No big schemes, ok?"

"I know, Sue. Believe me, I don't want to screw this one up either. There's millions of dollars at stake here."

"I'll see you at home, then, Jimmy." Sue gave Jimmy a mind-numbing kiss then walked to the door of the office swaying her hips. "Guess you know what I want when you get home huh?"

"I got the picture, Sue. I got the picture!" Yes, she's naked under…

 

 

>>> To be continued in Zapped! Chapter 11 <<<

  

  

  

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