Copyright 2004 by Robert Arnold - All Rights Reserved

If anyone reading this story discovers a typo or other error, please let me know. 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.

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/ .

Thanks to Lynn Jennings for editing and proofing assistance with this chapter. Any errors remaining are mine after a few last moment changes to the story.

 

Zapped

by Bob Arnold

Chapter 15b – The Hornet's Nest

 

Thursday, February 27, 2003

It all started to go to hell as we finished lunch. The whole project was running a few days ahead of schedule and as far as I knew it was coming in a bit under the budget. Any time that a job can run ahead of schedule and under budget was a cause for celebration and high spirits among the crews working the job. Everyone was feeling great and we were all ready to make the final push during the three weeks remaining on the main construction phase of the building.

I was deeply involved in diagnosing a problem with an interface between the lighting system and the motion control systems of one of the rides built into the attraction. Everything the crews had tried to get the lighting cues to sync up with the motion of the cars in the ride had failed. I had just located what I thought was the source of the problem was when Freddie Troyer, the electrical crew foreman, came over to me.

"Umm… Jen, You have to come with me. The union stewards are here and they want to talk with you."

"Okay, Freddie. Something wrong? You don't look very happy."

"I'll let them tell you, Jen. Come on. We're meeting in the theater." As I walked behind him he stopped momentarily to talk with a couple of other crewmembers. I couldn't hear what was being said because Freddie was whispering. The crewmembers dropped what they were doing and sped off down the hallway.

Three men were seated at a folding table on the theater stage. One motioned for me to take a seat on the other side of the table.

"I'm Jason Trask, steward of the electrical union on the job. These other fellows are Tim Jackson and Mortimer White from two of the other unions. Miss Stevens, I must insist you to cease and desist from working with the crews on this job. You are clearly in violation of our respective union's rules for non-union labor in this workplace. If you refuse to stop then we will be forced to start legal action against you and possibly MouseWorld as well for permitting this."

My heart was breaking at this unexpected development. I took a few moments to try to compose myself before I spoke. "I understand, Mister Trask. Have I done something that a crew member lodged a complaint about?"

"No, Miss Stevens, not at all. It's just that we have noticed you here whenever we have visited the job site and investigated your status on the job. According to MouseWorld you're going to host the audio and video presentations concerning the attraction but other than that you have no business being here. We must ask you to leave and not return to the site unless you are escorted by one of us."

That statement hurt me very deeply after all that the crew and I had done on the job. "I understand your concern, Mister Trask and I'll comply with your request. If you'll excuse me I'll leave now."

I ran off the stage heading for the lockers and the golf cart. After stripping out of the cover-alls and hardhat I tossed them in disgust into the locker and slammed the door. The sound echoed through the room and out into the rest of the building. I made it as far as the seat of the golf cart before I collapsed in tears.

There was no way for me to know how long I sat there crying. My emotions were not easy to contain now and I found that if I tried to hide my true feelings that I paid a higher price later. Before my transformation I would just have walked away from the situation with very little feeling one way or the other. Now my emotions were always just below the surface waiting to erupt. I had little control over a laugh or a tear. At the moment I really didn't care either.

I dabbed at my face with a tissue making a half-hearted attempt to clear up some of the makeup streaming down my cheeks. I tapped in the unlock code on the keypad on the cart and just started to back out when I heard someone yell.

"JENNIFER! WAIT! Don't go!"

The voice belonged to Bill Davidson, the clerk of the works on the project. "I heard what happened and I want to get this straightened out right now. You're too valuable to us to let you get away that easy."

Bill made me to pull the cart back into the slot and lock it. He grabbed my hand and pulled me along behind him back to the theater.

By this time the rest of the crew gathered around the table. The noise was deafening and from what little I could make out an extremely heated argument was under way between the union stewards and the crew. From what I could understand through the roar, the union stewards were being informed of my value to the project in no uncertain terms and that they (the stewards) had royally um… screwed up… when they insisted that I stop. Of course the language used was entirely appropriate for the job site but as a woman they weren't terms that I tended to use. I did, of course, agree with the sentiment.

It made little headway with the stewards though. "I KNOW ALL THAT! What qualifies her to be here? Can anyone tell me that? What right does she have to work here?"

Bill pulled a dog-eared copy of a thick paperback book from his back pocket and slammed it on the table. "This is the book you wanted us to use as the bible for this job, right Trask?"

"Yes, but what does that have to do with her qualifications?"

"Didn't you say to pay special attention to a chapter called 'Theory and Methods for Interconnection of Diverse Control Systems'?"

"Yes, I did. It's an excellent reference for this job because of the complexity we're dealing with here."

"Who wrote that chapter, Trask?"

He picked up the book and flipped through the pages. "Robert Stevens. Why?"

"Remember a story in the news a few months ago about a guy that got hit by lightning and changed into a woman?"

"Yes but…" He glanced from the open book to me then back at the open book again. " … But that can't be…"

I looked at him then shrugged my shoulders. "I didn't like 'Roberta' so I chose Jennifer as my new name, Mister Trask. I can give you the number of my doctor if you want to confirm who they say I am."

We watched as the color drained from his face. It looked like he was going to throw up or maybe pass out from the shock.

"Well, Trask, does THAT qualify her or not? Or do you want to refuse the help of one of the leading experts in the field? Someone who has been working on this project for free? Be careful now, Trask, do you really want to toss aside the main reason this project is likely to come in on time and under budget?"

Trask looked out over the crowd of angry people massed around him. There was a bubbling tar pot outside that the crew was using to seal the roof and for a few moments I thought that he just might be dumped in it. Every eye in the room was on him and I suspected that his future as union steward rested on his next words.

"Well… I certainly have no objections now that I recognize Miss Stevens's qualifications. However, the rules don't leave me any room to maneuver. They say that everyone on site must have proper union credentials to work."

Bill smiled then winked at me. "Then GIVE HER the credentials, Trask. Make her an honorary member if you have to. All of us support her and won't object to whatever you have to do to let her keep working with us."

"That's what you want?"

The crowd roared in agreement.

"Then the case is closed." Trask turned toward me. "Miss Stevens, welcome to the union! Consider yourself an honorary member. I'll make sure Bill gets your paperwork in time for your return next week."

The crew let out an even bigger roar of approval as Trask gathered up his things and turned with the other stewards to leave. I really wasn't certain if the cheering was for me or for the fact that Trask was leaving. It really didn't matter though because I got big hugs from almost all of the construction crew before I had to leave to catch my flight back to Syracuse.

Friday, February 28, 2003

 

A gentle knock on the bedroom door roused me out of the half-awake/half asleep mode I was in.

"Jen? Are you awake yet?"

"I am now, Barb, come on in."

The door opened and Barb entered carrying a tray loaded with food. "I brought you a combination breakfast and lunch since it's just after noontime."

"Thanks for letting me sleep in."

"According to the note you left for me it was a hell of a night you had. Not one but two delays due to bad weather along the way. First the thunderstorms over Orlando before the flight left then the lake effect snow that diverted your flight to Rochester. At least you got a break with a rental car to drive yourself back here."

"Yup, I finally got in around one in the morning. I'll have to get the car back to the local rental agency today on the way to the theater."

"I'll follow you over there then drop you off at the theater. When I talked to Tammy earlier this morning, she said she'd bring you home after the play tonight. She was going to come over and pick you up but we decided that it's better if she meets you at the theater."

"Thanks for arranging it all, Barb. There are times I don't know what I'd do if you and Tammy weren't around to try to keep me out of trouble. Um… I'm sorry I wasn't able to be with you after your surgery. I really wanted to be there for you like you've been around for me. I'm so sorry, Barb."

"Don't worry about it, Jen. How were you supposed to know that they'd change the script totally for the animation pilot? You didn't know it would take another five days to re-record it all either. On top of that you've been running yourself ragged with public appearances when you weren't in Orlando. That doesn't leave much time for personal things does it?"

"No, I guess it doesn't. I haven't even been able to spend any time alone with Adam lately either."

"I know, Jen. You've been moody and more than a little upset these past few days. I know it isn't that time of the month yet either."

"Sorry. Umm… am I that bad, Barb?"

"Not really. It takes someone that knows you like Tammy and I, to notice it."

"I think when this whole mess is over I'm going to invite Adam to spend a week with me on vacation somewhere where its nice and warm. Not that I'd plan on seeing much outside of the hotel room unless we find a nice secluded spot."

"JEN!"

"Well… I can't help it. It's this damned body of mine. It has urges I just can't ignore."

"Then go take a nice long bath when you're finished with your meal. And be sure to use the jets in the tub. I think you know what I mean!"

"Yes, I do know what you mean. Good idea, Barb. If I can't have Adam I'll have to settle for the next best thing."

"The only thing on your schedule today is the play tonight. I suggest you rest and relax until then."

"Thanks, again, Barb. Like I said, I don't know what I'd do without you and Tammy."

Barb giggled a bit then closed the door behind her as she headed for the office. The food tray was loaded with goodies and I stuffed myself until I couldn't hold another bite.

The bathroom was toasty warm and so was the water as it filled the tub. I eased myself into the lilac scented bubbles then hit the button that started the jets. Unlike other tubs, this one was all set with the jets adjusted in the proper positions. I even made a special program for the little computer that controlled the jets to bring me to the verge of an orgasm and keep me there until just before the safety timer expired. A minute before the timer turned off the jets the program gave me the final burst of stimulation that drove me over the edge into sexual overload.

Eventually I recovered from the blast of ecstasy that overloaded my hormone soaked brain. The water in the tub was getting cold and my fingers and toes looked like prunes again. While my little session in the tub wasn't a complete substitute for a wild evening with Adam it went a long way to making the feelings my body sent to my brain a lot more tolerable.

The towel was soft and warm as I dried off by patting my smooth skin. Rubbing it sometimes irritated my skin and made rough, red spots. I had to be careful especially around my more sensitive parts. The towel wound up in on the handrail in the shower as I padded back to the bedroom.

The weather outside was typical for central New York at the end of February. Much of the worst of winter was past but the occasional blast of Canadian cold air still visited us. Today was one of those times when the temperatures dipped into the single digits and stayed there for a few days. I decided that being warm was far more important than being stylish and settled on a pair of jeans in black and a red satin blouse with a nice warm liner. When I discovered the pleasures of feminine clothing I had several of these special blouses made for me. The lining added quite a bit of warmth to the blouse.

A pair of cotton panties hugged my lower regions while a slightly padded bra caressed my breasts and nipples. The padding was there more for added warmth than to expand the size of my breasts. A glance in the mirror convinced me that my breasts were already more than ample and that further padding would only exaggerate an otherwise fine figure.

The panty hose slipped over my hairless legs quite easily, their silky embrace making them feel like a second skin. I really didn't need to wear them with the jeans, but I completely enjoyed the feel of them. They also tended to keep the cold air that seeped up the legs of the jeans off my skin making my legs a little warmer, at least that was my excuse. A pair of western style boots completed my outfit. They came halfway up my calves and had a two-inch high wide heel with a thick treaded sole. I didn't want to take a chance on slipping on the ice and snow outside and maybe twist an ankle. It took almost half an hour to finish drying my hair and then brushing it until it gleamed. I kept the makeup very simple since it would all come off at the theater anyway.

We left my house about an hour before I needed to be at the theater. The rental car was retuned then Barb dropped me off at the theater. I was the first to arrive so I unlocked the place and turned up the heat. Almost another hour passed before Greg arrived with the rest of the cast and crew trickling in behind him.

The excitement among the cast and crew was something that anyone backstage could feel. We had all worked doing the performances for almost two months to nearly sold-out houses each time. While the demand for tickets was still there the energy level and willingness of the crew and cast simply wasn't. We were all looking forward to the final curtain closing on Sunday afternoon.

Things got rather busy and I suppose that I went into mental meltdown because I honestly don't remember much about the performance. Saying the lines and singing the songs wasn't a new experience any more. In fact it took a bit of effort on everyone's part, including me, to keep the performances fresh for each new audience.

I do remember convincing Adam to spend the evening with me. He took me home but neither of us had the energy or the desire to have some bedroom fun. We both settled for cuddling in each other's arms as we drifted off to sleep.

Saturday, March 1, 2003 –

The feeling was great! I was warm and snuggled in the arms of someone I cared deeply about. When the alarm clock went off I was severely tempted to hurl the damned thing across the room. Reluctantly I pried one eye open.

"Morning, beautiful!" Adam's face was a few inches away from mine and he was smiling from ear to ear.

"Morning yourself! We don't have to get up do we?" I snuggled deeper into his arms after he turned the cursed alarm clock off.

"No, we can stay in bed all day, love. You can blow off your radio show and the two performances today. The rest of the world won't be mad at you for more than a couple of years or so." Adam brushed my hair out of my eyes and gently kissed me.

"A couple of years. Is THAT all? I guess I can live with it." I started to burrow even deeper under the covers and tried to pull Adam with me.

"But you don't get off quite that easy, Jen. You promised to have lunch with me today and I'm going to hold you to it. Besides, I'll bet you're going to have to get up in a few more minutes anyway. By the way you're squirming I'd say you were nearly full to overflowing."

"DAMN! Betrayed by my body again. Well, I guess if I have to get up, you do too. How about we go out for breakfast before I do the radio show this morning? I really don't feel like cooking and last night I told Tammy not to come over this morning since you'd be here."

"That works for me, love." Adam kissed me passionately on the neck and started working down toward my breasts.

"STOP THAT! Keep that up and we'll never have breakfast this morning!" He reached a nipple and teased it with his lips.

"I'll take YOU for breakfast any day." His tongue traced lazy circles around my swollen nipple.

Reluctantly I gently pushed him away. "Can I take a rain check on this until Sunday morning? If you can wait I can guarantee you an evening like few others we've had together."

He pulled the covers aside then sat up on the edge of the bed rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "Jen, we haven't that that many evenings together. So far I can count 'em on one hand. Your schedule doesn't leave much room for us these days."

Now that the blankets were off me the cool air in the room brought me fully awake. I slid across the bed and sat beside Adam. "I know, love, and we do need to talk more about that. I'd just like to get this darn play out of the way before we talk about where we're going with this relationship."

"I can agree with that. Now go get your business done in the bathroom before you have an accident. We need to get moving if we're going out for breakfast."

The hug and kiss Adam planted on me left my head spinning slightly as I stumbled to the bathroom. Twenty minutes later I had completed the morning ritual including a very quick run through the shower. Adam must have used the bathroom in the office since he was completely dressed as I walked naked back into the bedroom.

"Putting on a show for me?"

"If that's what you want, yes!" I opened the drawer and brought out a garter belt and a pair of silk stockings along with a satin thong and a lacy low cut bra. "This is for you, love!"

I put on the garter belt first then made a big show of sliding the stocking up each leg and smoothing them in place before I attached the straps from the garter belt. I watched out of the corner of my eye as Adam shifted about uncomfortably on the edge of the bed. I tossed the thong to Adam.

"Help me?" With a lot of added sway in my walk I sashayed over to Adam and placed my hands on his shoulders. My breasts were within inches of his face at eye level. I lifted one foot off the floor as Adam pulled the thong over it. I switched feet and giggled as Adam pulled the thong into place against my crotch. The back of the thong settled between my cheeks and disappeared.

After taking a couple of steps back from Adam I turned around and bent to straighten the stockings making sure Adam had full view of my ample bottom. My breasts swayed gently away from my chest as Adam gave a slight groan and shifted again on the bed.

"Something wrong, love?"

He responded in a rather strained voice. "No, nothing a long COLD shower wouldn't solve right now."

"Sorry, Adam, this is just an example of what you can expect later."

"If this is just an example I don't know if I can handle the real thing."

"Okay, I'll stop teasing you. Go out into the living room while I get dressed the rest of the way."

"Thanks, Jen. I don't want to start something now that we don't have lots of time to finish." He stood up then walked very stiffly out of the bedroom closing the door behind him.

Ten minutes later I finished dressing in another pair of jeans and a heavy work shirt. I decided to leave the sexy lingerie in place as in inducement for Adam to accompany me home again tonight. I didn't bother with any makeup after I put my hair in my normal ponytail style.

Adam had my van started when I locked the house up for the day. I got in on the passenger side quite happy to let Adam play the chauffer role. Everything after that marvelous relaxed breakfast with Adam at the International House of Pancakes turned into a blur. The day went by so fast that I barely had time to think about the pleasures of the evening to come. When I did catch a moment or two to myself, the feeling of the thong on my behind and the constant rubbing of the rough jeans on my sensitive cheeks served as a reminder of the evening I so desperately wanted.

The radio show went smoothly. Many of the listeners kept pumping me for details of my latest activities and I related the story of the union problems. Most of the callers were supportive of my efforts at the attraction. A few others took me to task for even turning up on the job site and began with telling me that it wasn't a place for a woman to be. I tossed the whole incident aside and steered the discussion back onto the computer related topics that had become the cornerstone of the show.

The cast and crew started to loosen up and enjoy the final performances of the play. We still acted as professionals and gave the audience the best performance we possibly could but there was a growing sense of something coming to an end, something that we all felt slightly sad about. Each of the performances got at least eight curtain calls before the audience started to file out.

Sal outdid himself with the buffet too. It was the finest shrimp and lobster he could find with beef so tender that it simply melted away in your mouth. I doubt that the food would have been any better in any five-star restaurant anywhere. I shuddered when I thought of the bill I was going to receive for this final buffet. When Sal pulled me aside to talk with me I learned that this was his way of saying thanks for all of the business that the catering had brought to him and that there wouldn't be any bill. I got so excited I gave Sal a huge hug and kiss right in front of all the cast and crewmembers. That created a bit of a problem until Greg finally admitted in front of everyone that I was the one that had arranged and paid for the buffet each weekend. My face turned a brilliant shade of pink as everyone gathered around me to hug and thank me.

Adam and I hurried to get back into our street clothes to leave for home moments after the curtain closed on the last performance of the day. I told Tammy that Adam was taking me home again.

"Again, eh? I take it you two are spending the night together?"

"Am I that transparent, Tammy?"

"Yes, from the way you've been looking at him all night. You look like someone that's been stranded on an island with nothing to eat but cocoanuts. Then you get rescued and you see a table full of normal food for the first time in ten years."

"You have to admit, there's LOT of beef there to look at."

"Yup but that wasn't where you were looking!"

My face felt hot, as it turned pink again. I shrugged and smiled. "My body made me do it! See you tomorrow, Tammy."

"G'nite, Jen. Have fun!"

"Thanks, Tammy. That's exactly what I have in mind!" Adam had my van all warmed up and ready to go as I got in. I looked over and smiled at him. "Home, James. We have an interesting evening ahead of us."

Sunday, March 2, 2003 –

Sunday was a day that I think I'll remember for quite a while. Adam and I totally exhausted ourselves in the wee hours of the morning to the point that neither of us could move after our last orgasm. I collapsed on top of Adam in the bed with him still inside me.

I woke to the pleasant sensation of Adam's manhood growing rigid again inside me. Our waking hours turned into a much shorter version of last night. Neither of us wanted to get out of bed only because we were both recovering from the lovemaking activities of the past few hours. We stayed in bed as long as we dared then got up and prepared to leave for the theater. We made a quick stop for lunch then hurried to the theater go do our final performance of Victor/Victoria.

With it being the last performance, the cast and crew was on a natural high. Everyone had a great time and the audience called us back onto the stage at least a dozen times after the final curtain closed. I couldn't believe the huge bouquet of flowers that Greg presented to me, or the thunderous applause of my fellow cast and crew as he did it.

We attended the wrap party at a local restaurant about two hours after the play closed for about an hour then Adam took me home. He couldn't stay and after the incredible time we had overnight I wasn't certain that I could handle any more bedtime activities anyway.

Monday, March 3-5, 2003

Monday through Wednesday turned into a whirlwind session of press interviews in several cities. I bounced around from city to city never staying in one place more than an overnight stay in a hotel. I started in New York City then wound up in Chicago on Monday, Dallas on Tuesday, and finally Seattle on Wednesday. I made appearances at MegaComp stores in all three cities along with interviews on local radio and television stations. Tammy stayed behind in Syracuse to prepare for a few tests she had to take. She would join me in Los Angeles on Friday for my appearance on Around Midnight then to do the radio show with me on Saturday morning before we flew back to Syracuse.

I found I was beginning to enjoy being out and about. Before my change I was often alone and quite withdrawn. I usually went out only when I was forced to do so by the few friends I had or by circumstances beyond my control. Now I actually enjoyed meeting my fans and the travel to new places that was now so much a part of the new life I made for myself.

Thursday, March 6, 2003

 

I flew into Los Angles on Thursday and finally had a few hours to myself in the hotel before I had to meet with the production staff at the Around Midnight studios. I took advantage of the down time to get a nice hot bath and try to relax the tensions of the last three days away. I mostly succeeded in that effort in the few hours I had before a limo picked me up and whisked me away from the hotel.

I got an extended tour of the studio facility then met with Wayne Zachary, Around Midnight's immensely popular host of the last fifteen years. I guessed that he was in his late forties from the slight graying of his wavy black hair. His deep blue eyes and warm, friendly manor put me at ease almost instantly. Our meeting lasted a little over half an hour as we talked about my appearance on Friday's show. The show was done live five days a week starting at eight thirty in the evening local time. That put the show on the air just after the local stations finished their newscasts on the east coast at eleven thirty at night. The show lasted for an hour.

Each show started with Wayne doing a topical monologue touching on the day's events and whatever else the writers could think up. The rest of the show was filled with interviews with whomever the staff could book for the night. The Thursday night show would be a visit from some animals from the Los Angeles Zoo, a star promoting a new movie and a new rock group called Blue Lightning. The group was familiar to me, as I've been trying to get more interested in the music someone of my apparent age would normally be listening to. One of their tunes, a song called "The Me Inside", dealt with the feelings of a person going through a life-changing experience. Just having the most life-changing experience anyone could have made the song special and it was very close to my heart.

My next meeting was with Jay Wilks, the band's leader. We settled on some music from the sheet music he had available plus the copy of the sheet music for "The Future is Now" that I brought with me. I would be doing about six songs scattered through out Friday's show. I also agreed to stay until after tonight's show to do a run-through with the band. My day on Friday was booked solid with media visits and an appearance at the local MegaComp until just before the show.

With a little more than an hour and a half left before airtime I made myself comfortable in the show's green room waiting area. I had a most pleasant time chatting with the zoo's representative and members of Blue Lightning. The band was rather surprised I was visiting the show and I, in turn, was quite shocked to learn that "The Me Inside" was inspired by the news of my transformation. The band was impressed when they learned how much that song meant to me. It meant so much that I completely wore out a tape I made of it from the CD as I listened to it in the old truck.

My conversation with the band was cut short when one of the show's production assistants came into the green room and asked me to follow her out into the hallway. Out in the hallway I met up with a very worried looking Wayne Zachary.

"What's wrong, Wayne? You don't look too good."

"Jennifer, I just got word that my wife and child were involved in a car accident. They're both on the way to the hospital. I don't know what condition they're in. I wanted to ask if you'd host the show tonight since I have to leave."

"What will you do if I don't host? Everyone's here now?"

"If you can't, we can run a repeat show instead. My staff will just have to re-schedule."

"You're not going to get Blue Lightning again for nearly six months. They start a tour tomorrow."

"Those are the breaks I guess. Well, what's it going to be? We have to know now."

"Are you really sure about this, Wayne? There's never been another host of After Midnight in the fifteen years you've been doing it."

"I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't sure, Jennifer."

A quick glance at my watch showed just a bit less than forty-five minutes until airtime. "All right, Wayne. I'll do it. Where do I start?"

Wayne motioned to the woman that I followed out of the green room. "Sarah here will get you started. I'll see you tomorrow if everything is okay, Jennifer. Just tell the viewers that I had a family emergency that came up, okay?"

"I will, Wayne. Call and let us know what's going on please?"

"If I can, Jennifer. Break a leg kiddo!" Wayne gave me a big hug before leaving the studio. I turned to Sarah.

"What now?"

"Let's get you together with the writers of the monologue. It may need a bit of tweaking." I followed Sarah down a long hallway to the office area of the building. We entered a large room with a few big tables and some chairs. The show's writing staff was seated around the largest table furiously scribbling on some note pads. "Guys, this is Jennifer Stevens. Wayne just asked her to substitute for him tonight. You heard about the accident?"

A tall man with dark brown hair stood up and offered his hand. "Hi Jennifer. I'm Bart Fields, head writer of the show. We're just going over the script for the monologue to make sure there's nothing out of place due to the gender change of the host. Making sure the references to things are correct since you're a woman."

"Can I take a look at the script as it stands now, Bart?"

"Sure!" He handed me about ten sheets of paper stapled together in one corner. "We'll have a corrected version in a few minutes."

I sat down in a chair and started reading the monologue. I laughed myself silly in spots and groaned in others. Bart must have been watching me.

"Like it? That's about the reaction we expect from the crowd tonight."

"You've got some great stuff here, Bart but why the groaners?"

"Wayne always wants a couple of jokes that fall flat. Gives him a change to do an ad-lib or two and the audience gets a big kick out of it. Want us to take 'em out?"

"Nope! Just play along with me when we get to them. I know you guys are always watching from the side. I've watched the show for years. I think I can handle the bad jokes just fine."

"Okay. I'll get the corrected version on the prompter for you. Have fun out there, okay?"

"I'll try, Bart. This is my first time doing anything like this you know."

"And I'm certain that you'll do a great job, Jennifer. Go knock 'em dead for us!"

I wandered back out into the hallway and headed back toward the studio. I found Sarah in the green room.

"Sarah, do I need to do anything about my clothes?" I had come to the studio in a sleeveless medium blue dress with a plunging neckline. It revealed a fair amount of my cleavage along with a heart-shaped necklace on a gold chain. The hem of the dress was about halfway between my bottom and my knees leaving several inches of my legs exposed above the knee. The red three inch heels I wore shaped my calves to perfection and made me sway a bit more to walk comfortably. A single narrow strap at the toes and another around my ankles held them on my feet.

"No, you're dressed just fine for the show. We do need to freshen your makeup and do a bit with your hair though." I followed Sarah to the makeup area backstage.

It took about ten minutes for my street makeup to be stripped off then heavier makeup was applied to stand up to the bright television lights. They also combed out my ponytail and added something to make it flare out even more than it did normally in back. When I looked in the mirror I was amazed at the difference it made.

With less than three minutes to go until airtime I was escorted to a spot behind a large curtain across the center of the stage. From watching the show I knew that this was the spot Wayne used to walk out on the stage and begin his monologue for the evening.

I heard the floor manager standing next to me count down to the start of the show. The band played the theme music as the announcer did his part to whip the crowd into a frenzy. Just before the curtain opened I heard, "… and substituting tonight for Wayne, here's Jeniferrrrrrrr Steeeeevens!"

The curtain parted and I looked out to the studio audience clapping and whistling. As I took my first step the band abruptly switched to a tune by David Rose called "The Stripper". Playing along with it I wiggled my way out onto the stage and over to the band. I was quite familiar with the music and timed my arrival at the mark on the center of the stage to allow the band to end in just the right spot. The crowd went wild as I went into a Marilyn Monroe imitation with my chest and bottom pushed out in a sexy pose.

The applause died down as I held up my hands. "There are cold showers in a tent outside for those of you in the audience that feel the need for them." I loved it when the audience roared with laughter. It made me feel so good!

"I have to let everyone know that Wayne had a family emergency arise about an hour ago and he's left to take care of it. At the moment we expect that Wayne will be back tomorrow night and we hope to be able to update that for you by the end of the show."

I launched into the monologue and as predicted the audience laughed in the same spots I did. The material was so good that it was no problem at all to get laughs with it. My timing got better as I went along until I came to the first bad joke.

As Bart predicted it bombed miserably. I looked over at the writing team s the stood off to the side of the stage. "Umm… Bart? I told ya that that joke was gonna bomb. Now pay up!"

The audience howled as Bart walked over to me looking like a little kid that had just been yelled at for stealing cookies out of the cookie jar. I held out my hand until he took out his wallet and fished out a dollar bill. I made a big show of stashing the bill in my bra then gave Bart a little hug and a kiss on the cheek to make him feel better. The audience was applauding as he marched off to rejoin the writing team.

I launched back into the rest of the monologue again until the second bad joke came up. When it bombed I simply turned with a frown on my face and motioned for Bart to come over again by holding out my hand. The whole process was repeated again to the howls of laughter from the audience.

At the end of the monologue the audience really howled with laughter at the closing joke. As the laughter faded, Bart marched over to me with his arms crossed over his chest. He stood beside me with his hand out. The look on my face was one of minor annoyance. I simply shrugged then pulled a dollar bill out of my bra and handed it to him. He stashed the bill in his shirt pocket and then gave me a big hug then swept me into a classic movie kiss pose. I could hear the audience howling with laughter as Bart whispered in my ear "Go with it!"

As he lifted me back to a vertical position I feigned being a bit dizzy and disoriented from the kiss. Just as Bart turned to leave I grabbed his arm, spun him around and fished the other bill out of my bra to offer to him. He took it with a huge smile on his face then proceeded to give me another stage kiss lasting over thirty seconds. After he returned me to the standing position Bart marched offstage to the applause of the audience again. I waited just long enough for the applause to die down so I could be heard again.

I looked over at Bart in awe. "When he's not using those lips any more I swear I'm gonna have them bronzed and put in the International Kissing Hall of Fame!" The audience was howling again and clapping. The roar was nearly deafening.

The stage manager motioned for the band to start playing again as the monitors in the studio faded to black. Someone announced, "CLEAR. Two Minutes!" over the PA system.

Wayne's desk seemed positively huge when I dropped into the chair behind it. I had to hit the pneumatic lever to raise the chair quite a bit before I felt comfortable sitting in it. The stage manager indicated that about fifteen seconds remained until we came back live. I took a big gulp of cold water from a mug on the desk then got ready again.

I was fanning myself with the stack of note cards when the cameras came back on. I looked over at the stage manager and asked, "Is that tent still set up out there? I think I might need to make a trip out there myself during the next break!" When the laughter died down I introduced the representative from the zoo.

The animal spot went pretty well. I got to hold a baby lion cub and had a small spider monkey in a diaper sitting on my shoulder as I fed her grapes. The change from male to female hadn't altered my dislike for spiders and snakes at all. I gulped back my fear and let them put a twelve-foot python around my neck and shoulders. I was extremely relieved when they lifted it off of me moments after a commercial break started.

When the break finished I introduced Jay Wilks and the show band. They did a couple of awesome tunes to the delight of the audience in the studio.

Next on the schedule was Ashton McRory, a young and upcoming star of a new movie. He looked to me to be about twenty-two years old with medium brown hair and dazzling green eyes. We talked about the usual things; his current activities, dating, his adventures in Hollywood and then we got into the movie promotion. He set up the clip that he brought then we watched it on the screens in the studio. It was a comedy based on the adventures of three friends during a wild spring break vacation in Florida. It turned out that Ashton was an accomplished surfer and had done the majority of the surfing stunts himself after the bulk of the shooting was completed. The audience roared with laughter as Ashton came up sputtering after a particularly funny wipeout. We chatted for a few more minutes before the stage manager called for another commercial break.

Ashton wanted to stay on the guest couch since he also had an interest in Blue Lightning. Seems he was a rather big fan of the band too. As the break ended I held up the group's latest CD and introduced them. The audience clapped wildly as the first notes of a tune from the band's new CD rolled across the studio. No lip-syncing for these guys either, they played live in the studio preferring the energy and spontaneity in a live performance to something on tape.

They were scheduled to do four numbers so it was something of a shock when the band stopped after the third tune. Tad Jackson, the band's lead vocalist, looked over at me at the desk as he spoke.

"We were going to do one more tune from our new CD but instead we'd like to do a favorite tune of the woman hosting the show tonight. "The Me Inside" was written shortly after the news of her accident as a tribute to her spirit. Tonight we'd like to ask her to come over and perform it with us. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Jennifer Stevens!"

I must have gone into instant panic mode since my mind was screaming "RUN!" to my body as loudly as it could. My body just wasn't paying attention because I couldn't move a muscle. The audience was applauding loudly and roaring for me to sing. It sounded like thunder in my ears.

After several seconds of my mouth hanging wide open on national TV, Ashton gently pushed up on my jaw to close my mouth. Then he gently grabbed my hand and coaxed me over to another microphone placed in front of the band. The audience roared even louder as the first notes of the song started. The thin guitar solo blended into a bouncy bass line and driving drum beat three measures into the introduction. I took a deep breath to try to steady my jangled nerves and started to sing the lyrics from memory.

I truly wish I could remember my performance. I must have been on autopilot or something because the next thing I remember is the audience applauding wildly as the last notes of the song faded out. The stage manager was frantically waving for me to go to a commercial break as the audience continued the applause.

When the break was over the cameras came on again as I stood in front of the band with Ashton and the zoo representative holding the spider monkey. It was time to wrap up the show for the night.

"Fortunately I was handed a note during the break from Wayne. He wanted me to let everyone know that his wife and son received minor injuries in a traffic accident just before the show tonight." A huge gasp went up from the audience. "Don't worry folks, according to Wayne they'll be fine and will be released from the hospital shortly. Wayne will be back tomorrow night with a whole new show. Goodnight everyone!"

The huge round of applause from the audience scared the spider monkey, who promptly jumped onto my shoulder and hugged me around the neck tightly. A camera zoomed in for a close-up of me with the monkey around my neck as the credits rolled.

About a minute and a half later a voice boomed, "CLEAR!" over the PA system and the band abruptly stopped playing the show's theme music. The zoo representative tried to pry the spider monkey from around my neck but the poor thing seemed to be terrified to leave me. She howled and snapped at the handlers every time they tried to reach for her.

I waited patiently for nearly twenty minutes until the monkey calmed down enough to relinquish its hold around my neck. During that time I had a pleasant conversation with the band and found we had several common interests. Ashton seemed to be hanging around waiting to talk to me after the band left.

He plopped down beside me on the guest couch moments after the band departed. "Umm… Jennifer? Would you like to go out and have something to eat?"

"Gee, thanks for asking but I have to stay and rehearse my musical numbers for tomorrow's show."

"You? Rehearse? Whatever for? You were fantastic out there tonight!"

"I was so scared I couldn't really remember what I did just then, Ashton. I'm NOT a singer or at least I didn't start out that way."

"Really? I'd never have known if you didn't tell me. How did you get involved in all of this anyway?"

The whole story took around a half an hour to tell. Most of the studio band had gathered around the couch along with a few of the show's staff. Ashton and everyone else were blown away by the story.

"All that happened to you in just the last six months or so?"

"It's all true, Ashton. A lot of it made the news much to my surprise."

"You carry off the illusion of being a woman quite well then."

"It's no illusion. I am exactly what you see before you. I have to be, Ashton. If I tried to be anything else I'd probably be insane by now. Every time I take a deep breath my chest expands pushing my breasts together in my bra. Every step I take makes them jiggle. Every time I move my head I feel my long hair on my back and shoulders. Every time I speak I hear a voice that wasn't my own six months ago. Every time I look in mirror I see a face that wasn't mine six months ago. Every time I walk into a restaurant or anywhere else heads turn and eyes follow me everywhere. That NEVER happened before. Back then I was almost invisible."

I paused while I took a drink of water and let the words sink in a bit. "If this were all part of an illusion those things would be quite easy to dismiss. This, however", I swept a hand over my body, "isn't an illusion. If it were I could easily ignore my nasty little monthly visitor or the wide mood swings or the thousand and one other things that go with being a woman. No, Ashton, this is FAR from being an illusion."

"Sorry, Jennifer. My poor choice of words I guess. If you had never told me your story I would never have suspected who you used to be."

"And there are days that scares the hell out of me. Have I lost so much of who I was? I just don't know any more."

The silence was almost deafening. The show's bandleader broke the quiet. "Umm… Jennifer, we need to go over your numbers. It's getting a bit late."

"Sorry, Jay. Thanks for bringing me back to reality there. Let's get this done so we cal all go home. Ashton, thanks for the offer of supper but I think I'm going to pass tonight. Please do ask me again though. I'd be delighted to spend a pleasant evening chatting with you."

Ashton smiled then handed me a small business card. "I'd love to. Just call my cell phone next time you know you're going to be in LA and we'll get together for some linguini at a great little place I know of."

With no pockets available I tucked the card inside my bra. "I'll do that."

Ashton gently kissed my hand then waved to the band as he left. The stage was partially dark as I walked over to the band area and got comfortable on a stool next to the keyboards.

"Let's do this, Jay."

He simply nodded then counted the band into the first of the six tunes I needed to practice. What surprised me the most was how easy I found it to sing with this highly talented group of musicians. Every note was perfect and flowed easily like fine wine into a crystal glass. Their excellent performance only served to spur me on to be that much better in my own performance.

By the third song the show's staff had found seats in the audience section and was hanging on every note. The applause between songs lifted my spirits considerably. As the notes of "The Future is Now" faded even the band was applauding.

"Jennifer, that was incredible. Are you sure you're not a singer by profession?"

"Positive. Jay. I'm completely positive I am NOT a professional singer by any definition. I'm just very lucky."

Jay chuckled then shook his head. "I know a few super stars in the music industry that would sign a deal with the devil in a single heartbeat if they could get just a tenth of the talent you have."

"Thanks, but I'm not going to give up my 'day job'. I know how this business works, Jay. One minute you're the hottest thing around and the next minute you're so cold that ice starts to form around you. I enjoy the experience of making music but I'm not foolish enough to make it my career."

"It's a shame too. You have a great voice."

"I didn't say I was going to ignore it completely, just that I wasn't going to make it my career. It's not general knowledge yet but I have a deal with MouseWorld for a CD and some music videos. I go into the studio in a few weeks."

"Well, count me first in line at the record store for a copy when it hits the streets, Jennifer."

At that moment a huge yawn interrupted what I was going to say. "Sorry, guys. I guess I'm still on New York time." I glanced at my watch. "It's almost three in the morning there now and I'm beat. I'll see everyone tomorrow night for the show. Can someone point me in the right direction to get back to the hotel?"

Jay offered to drop me off since he was headed in that general direction anyway. The ride back to the hotel was spent in pleasant chitchat with Jay about California life and the show band.

When I finally got to the room I noticed a small pile of bags off to one side of the common living room area between the two bedrooms. That meant that Tammy had flown in earlier for the appearances on Friday and to do the show with me on Saturday morning. It took just a few minutes for me to change out of my clothes into my birthday suit and crawl into the inviting bed.

Friday, March 7, 2003 –

"Just one more hour, Tammy, that's all I want."

"No, Jen. Ya GOTTA get up NOW! You know we have appearances all day long!"

I pulled the covers over my head and burrowed deeper in the bed to shut out the bright light entering through the windows.

"It's seven in the morning and you have to get up NOW!"

"But I only got to bed just before four in the morning, Tammy. I've only had three hours of sleep."

"Nice try, professor but your bizarre math isn't going to work on me. You got in bed just before one in the morning California time, its now just after seven California time. That means you had at least six hours of sleep, not three. Now UP damn it!"

The blankets flew off the bed leaving me lying there naked. I popped an eye open to see Tammy standing there in her nightie with one hand on her hip and the other holding a corner of the blankets. As I grabbed for the blankets, two very cold hands started tickling a very private and highly sensitive spot on my body.

"TAMMY! STOP or I'm going to pee myself!"

"Are you going to get up now?"

"All right! I give! Now let me up!" I barely made the bathroom in time. As I finished my business I saw Tammy leaning on the sink.

"Am I always like this on a west coast trip?"

"Just the first day, Jen. After you get used to the time difference you're fine. Now get yourself into the shower. The first of the media interviews is supposed to start at around nine this morning."

"Okay. I'll be about half an hour then we'll go down to the restaurant and get breakfast."

The rest of the morning went pretty much as it was planned with a series of media interviews that I had promised to do after the morning show appearance a few weeks ago. The afternoon went as planned with a public appearance at a local MegaComp store. The crowds were even larger this time because of my unscheduled hosting of Around Midnight the night before this appearance. The mall where the store was located had to call in extra security personal to handle the huge crowd. They estimated that nearly ten thousand people had tried to visit us in the store.

Tammy and I needed an escort when we left the store to return to the hotel. I needed to get something to eat and gather my clothes for the appearance on Around Midnight. As we were eating I finally had a chance to fill Tammy in on everything that happened yesterday.

"That's incredible, Jen. You mean Wayne Zachary just up and asked you to host the show?"

"Yes. Don't ask me why though. Maybe he saw the morning show a few weeks ago and liked it."

"And then Blue Lightning asked you to sing with them on live national television?"

"Yup. Why do I get the feeling that my life is the dream of some third rate writer somewhere desperately trying to experience his or her fantasies through me?"

"I don't know, Jen. Does it really matter?"

"No, I guess not. I just keep going from one adventure to another so fast I'm not certain just who is pulling my strings. Do I even have control over my own life any more?"

"Let's not get THAT started again, Jen. You told me you knew all about the price that fame was going to extract from your life. Now you're telling me that you've had enough?"

"Well, if I do still have any control over things I'm going to take a week off just for myself and if I can talk Adam into going on vacation with me that will be even better!"

"So when is this vacation going to start anyway?"

"Next week I think. Now let's get to the studio. I want to get this over with and go home tomorrow after the radio show."

"I'm with you, Jen."

The limo arrived about two hours ahead of airtime for Around Midnight. Tammy went with me to see what the facilities looked like. Her professor was waiting for a full report and some pictures that Tammy was supposed to present to the class on her return.

For this appearance I changed into a silver sleeveless dress much like the one I wore yesterday. I wore black four-inch heels with one wide strap just behind my toes that kept them on my feet. This time my makeup was a bit more dramatic while my ponytail was fluffed up even more than yesterday. I got several wolf whistles from the stagehands as I walked back to the green room. A familiar wave of feelings washed over me, pride that I looked as good as I did mixed with more than a little confusion that I did look this way. Despite the effort I put into adapting to my new life there was still enough of the old me left inside to register that feeling. I didn't know if I should be happy that I had changed as much as I had or upset that I hadn't changed quite enough.

My time in the green room didn't last very long. I wound up being moved to the first slot after Wayne's monologue after the first commercial break. My heart leapt into my throat as I heard the roar of the audience after Wayne's glowing introduction. The studio band started the first of the songs I was supposed to sing.

This time, unlike my appearance with Blue Lightning last night, I remember the feelings as I stood in front of that audience and several million people on live TV. My heart was racing wildly as the first notes echoed across the stage. I think I missed a few notes as I started singing but as soon as I hit the chorus of the song I calmed down enough to regain control. I just poured my emotions into the song and gave the best performance I possibly could. I must have been doing something right since the audience was screaming for more as I walked over to the guest couch.

It must have taken nearly a minute for Wayne to get the crowd under control.

"First, Jennifer, I have to thank you for stepping in for me last night." He pulled out at least a dozen roses from under the desk and handed them to me. "Without you we would have had to do a re-run show and all of our guests would have to have been rescheduled."

"I had fun last night, Wayne. I'm glad I could help out when your family had the accident. How are they by the way?"

"My wife and son are doing fine. Both are back home now. They just got shaken up pretty badly with a few cuts and scrapes."

"That's great, Wayne."

"I think so too! You know what else is great was your impromptu appearance with Blue Lightning last night." Wayne turned toward the audience. "Did you folks see it?" The audience clapped loudly. "Well for those of you that didn't see it we're going to show it again. Watch the monitors…"

I looked mainly at the floor or my red-painted toenails while the video of my performance last night was running. As the clip ended the applause from the audience was nearly deafening.

"Wasn't that great! Ladies and gentleman, we have an unexpected visitor tonight. I want to introduce Tad Jackson of Blue Lightning!"

Tad bounded out onto the stage with the largest bouquet of flowers I've ever seen. I stood up to let him sit in the spot on the couch closest to Wayne. I got a huge hug from Tad and then he motioned for me to sit back down in the same spot.

"Well, Tad, you're the one that requested an appearance here tonight. What brings you here?" The look on Wayne's face was enough for me to know that he already knew what Tad wanted. Wayne was just setting me up for the audience.

"I wanted to come back tonight and ask Jennifer a question, Wayne. We're opening our concert tour tomorrow night at the Staples Center and I wanted to ask Jennifer if she would open for us on Saturday and Sunday night."

The look of shock on my face was enough for Wayne to cover for me by going to a commercial break.

The break was about three minutes long and I needed every second of it to compose myself. I managed to put a smile back on my face just seconds before the cameras were live again.

"We're back. So, Jennifer, can you appear with Blue lightning this weekend?"

I had several concerns that ought to stop this idea cold. "Well, Wayne, I'm not certain that contractually I can. One song last night is one thing; opening for someone else is quite a different thing. I'd have to talk with my recording label first.'

"Well, we took the liberty of checking for you when Tad came to us this morning with the band's idea. Jack, please roll that tape we made."

I heard a voice coming from the studio's PA system. "Hi Jennifer, This is Jason Stockwell at MouseWorld Records. After talking with Blue Lightning and the folks at Around Midnight we'd be delighted to have you open for the band this weekend. In fact, we're arranging to have it recorded. See you there!"

The audience applauded as Wayne looked over at me. "Well, Jennifer, that takes care of that problem. Anything else?"

I got a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. "I don't have a band to sing with and what do I do about costumes, hair and makeup anyway? I can't pull all of that together in less than a week." THERE! Let 'em figure that one out.

"How 'bout if you use our fine studio band. The guys were so impressed with your practice session last night that they told me you wouldn't have a problem. As for the rest, we have a great wardrobe and makeup department right here all set top help out."

Now I was painted into a corner with no way out. "All right, Tad. I'll open for you on one condition. You and the rest of Blue Lightning have to come on my radio show tomorrow morning and talk about how you guys produce your music."

His face lit up in a huge smile as he held put his hand. "We got a deal!" The audience roared their approval and it took nearly a minute for things to quiet down again.

"So there you have it folks. Tickets are still available at the Staples Center box office. If you miss the concert we'll have a camera following Jennifer around and you'll see the highlights on the show Monday night. We'll be back with more music and entertainment in just a few minutes."

From here on I figured that the rest of the show was all downhill. As the show neared the end I realized that I was right. Even my performance of "The Future Is Now" didn't cause me the mental anguish that the surprise visit from Tad did.

Inwardly I sighed in relief as the last notes of the Around Midnight theme echoed through the packed studio. The roar from the audience was deafening for just a couple of hundred people. Hmmm… there was a time when I thought a couple of hundred people were a huge audience. How fast things have changed!

Tammy was with me in my dressing room while I was finishing the change back into my street clothes when someone knocked on the door. "Come in!"

Wayne Zachary poked his head around the door. "I hope you didn't mind our little surprise, Jennifer."

"Well, I did have some plans for this weekend but nothing I can't re-arrange, Wayne. I just wish I'd known about it this morning, that's all."

"Sorry. Is there someone I can talk to for you to get you out of any trouble on this?"

"No. Its something I have to take care of myself. So, what do I need to do tomorrow anyway?"

"Just go over to the Staples Center right after your radio show is over in the morning. Since the band is going to do your show tomorrow they'll have transportation ready."

"I'm going to have to arrange something with my hotel. I wasn't planning on staying past tomorrow morning."

"Don't worry about it, Jennifer. My staff has already taken care of that and they even booked you on a flight out of LAX on Tuesday morning. We made it a late morning flight so you could go out after the show if you wanted without having to worry about flying on the red-eye."

"Umm, why Tuesday morning, Wayne?"

"We want you back on Around Midnight on Monday night to talk about your experience. Is that okay?"

"That's fine!" I figured that a proper thanks was in order so I gave him a big hug and tossed in a kiss on the cheek for good measure. "That saves me a lot of problems."

"I hope you don't mind a camera crew following you around. Your record producer suggested it. He figured that it was good publicity for you."

"If he wanted it I'll just have to accept it. I'll need a bit of private time before I perform though."

"Not a problem. Just tell the crew to leave for a little while and they will. I've got to get going. My wife and son came home from the hospital earlier today and I want to get back home to be with them. That accident made me realize how special they were to me."

"All right, Wayne. Are you coming to the concert too?"

"You couldn't keep me away."

"Then all I ask is that YOU'RE the one that introduces me tomorrow night. Sound fair to you?"

"You want it, you got it! By the way, that was a great bit collecting the bets with Bart last night. Wish I'd thought of that one!"

"It did work out pretty good didn't it? I got away with pulling it off with Bart's help, that's all."

"Well, thanks anyway, Jennifer. See you tomorrow night!" I watched Wayne close the door behind him.

"Umm… Jen, weren't you and Adam supposed to spend the weekend together when you got back?"

"Yup and it really pissed me off. I promised to spend the weekend with Adam and then I go and get stuck opening for Blue Lightning at two concerts. What am I going to tell Adam? I have to call him when we get back to the hotel."

"Just tell him the truth. I'm certain that he watched the show tonight so he already knows, Jen."

"Is this going to be the end for us? I know he's been upset with me because of all the traveling to Orlando these past few weeks. I know that his job is just as important to him as my career is to me. Do I give all of this up and become the 'happy homemaker'? DAMN! I wish I knew what to do." I buried my head in my hands as the tears flowed freely.

Tammy held me tightly as the tears slowly subsided. The crying session managed to relieve some of the tension but it did absolutely nothing to help me resolve the problem of trying to keep a relationship between two people with vastly different careers going.

The message light was blinking on the phone when Tammy and I got back to the hotel. I was right that Adam was more than a little upset at the unplanned change of events surrounding our weekend together. Calling him wasn't something I was looking forward to but I had to do it.

"Hi, Adam."

"Hi, love. I saw you on the show tonight. You were fantastic!"

"Thanks, Adam. Sorry about the change of plans for our weekend. I got blindsided on that."

"I understand but I'm not very happy about it."

"Adam, I've got an idea. We can still be together this weekend."

"How? You're in Los Angeles, I'm in Syracuse."

"Want to come out here instead? You can even go to the concerts with me!"

"Now that's a thought. I don't know if I can get a flight out of Syracuse in the morning though."

"I can call the charter service and arrange something for you if you want."

"No, I'd rather do it myself, Jen. You know how I feel about that."

"All right but at least call Barb and ask her for help, okay? She's a wiz at dealing with travel arrangements. Don't worry about a place to stay. I have the hotel room for the rest of the weekend. Can you get Monday off from the mall?"

"I don't know, Jen. I'll have to make a phone call to my boss to find out. If I can get a flight out I'll at least be there for your opening on Saturday night's show. I'll have to come back on Sunday if I can't get Monday off."

"I'll take any time we can spend together, love. Just call and let me know what the plans work out to be, okay?"

"I will, Jen. G'nite, love."

"Bye!" I waited until I heard him put his phone down before I put my phone down.

"Well, that went better than you thought didn't it?"

"It did, Tammy. You heard?"

She nodded her head. "Enough to know that he might be out here tomorrow if he can arrange a flight. What do you think his chances are?"

"Good if he calls Barb for help. I know she'll be able to book something for him. I just hope that stupid male pride of his doesn't get in the way of him asking for expert help."

Tammy giggled softly. "Did you just hear yourself? Stupid male pride! YOU were a male yourself barely eight months ago!"

"My changing viewpoint came with the body, Tammy. Now let's get to bed. I'm beat and I know that tomorrow is going to be a very long day."

"I know. Were you going to use the hot tub before you turned in?"

"I was thinking about that, yes. Might get the kinks out of my muscles. I'm all tense."

"Those jets do work miracles don't they?"

It felt like I blushed three different shades of red. "Well, I…"

"Don't worry about it, Jen. I do it too. Now go and enjoy a good soak. I have to agree with you about tomorrow, it IS going to be quite a day."

Saturday, March 8, 2003

 

My session in the hot tub last night had the desired effect leaving me at least partially satisfied and mostly relaxed. I wished I could stay in bed longer. My radio show didn't leave me the luxury of laying around in California like it did in New York. The three-hour time difference forced me out of bed much earlier than I was accustomed to on a Saturday morning. Tammy and I managed a very quick breakfast in the hotel restaurant before the limo spirited us away to the studio.

When we arrived the members of Blue Lightning had been waiting for about twenty minutes. The station staff was falling over themselves over the band since their FM rock music station was airing the band's music rather heavily. The staff had the band in a studio recording some promotional spots as Tammy and I settled into the studio for our show. A few minutes later the band settled in as well.

The show started right on time and within twenty seconds of my announcing who was with me, all twelve of the incoming lines were jammed. Try as I might I just couldn't keep the conversation on computers and technology. Every caller wanted to know about either my experiences on Around Midnight or what the band was doing. The hour passed before I realized it.

"That's a wrap, Jen!"

"Thanks Tammy! So how was it for you guys?"

Tad was the one to speak for the band. "Are all your shows like this one, Jennifer?"

"No, Tad, not all of them. Just the ones with hot rock bands who appear as guests."

"Well, we all sure had fun didn't we guys?" The rest of the band agreed. "We're supposed to do a concert in Syracuse in a few weeks. If you're in town then we'd be glad to come on the show again."

"Thanks, guys. Judging by the response today I'd be a fool if I turned you down. Depending on how well tonight goes I might be talked into opening for you there too. Tammy, are we all set here? I think we need to get to the Staples Center."

"All set, Jen. Ready any time you are!"

"Well, gentlemen, do you have room for two more in your limo?"

"No. But we do have lots of room in the band's road tour bus. After you, ladies."

When we walked out to the parking lot a huge silver bus with a stylized blue lightning bolt had appeared. Everyone piled on for the trip across town to the concert site at the Staples Center.

The size of the building and its modernistic look left me absolutely speechless. The guys in the band must have noticed, as we pulled up to the entrance reserved for the show's staff.

"Kinda intimidating isn't it?"

"I'll say, Tad. I've never played in anything this size before."

"Neither have we. It's a first for all of us. Let's go take a look at the stage shall we?" Tad extended an arm and I willingly accepted it as the building continued to overwhelm me.

We walked down a long tunnel that could easily handle a loaded tractor-trailer rig onto the huge playing field area of the building. It looked like the building was normally used for football and basketball games from the way the seats were arranged. The artificial grass had been removed from the concrete floor to be replaced by a layer of sound-dampening carpet. The stage was placed in the center of the field. A huge grid of steel girders towered over the stage to support row upon row of lights and special effects hardware. Towers of speakers were placed at all four corners of the stage facing the seats. Hundreds of folding chairs had been set up in the space left over on the field. The fixed seats in the stand area started at a level near the floor. They went up so high I thought I'd get a nosebleed if I sat in one of the last seats near the top of the building.

"How many people fit in here anyway?"

"According to our manager this place seats about twenty thousand for a football game. With these extra seats on the field its closer to twenty five thousand. Scary isn't it?"

"I'll say, Tad." The stairs leading up to the stage must have been fifteen feet tall with rails on both sides. The stage itself was huge. It filled the field from the seats on one side to the seats on the other. On the long dimension of the field it extended at least fifty feet on either side of what would have been the fifty-yard line. The lighting grid must have been at least fifty feet above the stage supported by a large tower-like structure at each corner of the stage.

A large truck with the Around Midnight logo was parked on the far side of the stage. Several people were unloading musical instruments and supplies. While I watched they unloaded two racks of costumes then returned to unloading the instruments. Two racks of costumes seemed like overkill since I thought I was only going to need a single costume for the show.

Shelly Ryan, Around Midnight's coordinator, caught up with me while I was headed for my dressing room.

"Hi, Jennifer. What do you think of the place so far?"

"It's kind of daunting to me. I've never performed in front of more than a thousand people at a time."

"Don't worry about it. The lights on the stage are going to be kind of bright and the house lights will be on very low. You probably won't even see much of the audience."

"No but I'll hear them."

"True. I saw the guys in the band coming in a little while ago. I think everything will be ready for you to practice in an hour or so. Want me to come and get you when they're ready?"

"Sure, Shelly. I'll be in my room."

The dressing room matched the rest of the place for size. It wasn't simply a single room; it was more like a suite. A large living room type area with a couch, a few chairs and a kitchenette setup had several smaller rooms leading off of it. One was a bathroom complete with tub and shower. Another was the usual dressing and makeup area while a third room was a small bedroom. The bedroom, dressing area and bathroom all connected to each other with doors.

As Tammy and I settled in, the guys in the band left to find their own dressing rooms. "Jen, do you want some bottled water? I found some in the fridge. There's some fruit in there too along with what looks like a cold-cut platter."

"I'll take a bottle of water and an orange if there's one in there."

Tammy handed me an orange and the bottle of water as she plunked down beside me o \n the couch. "So how are you holding up?"

"Does the fear I feel inside show that much Tammy?"

"No, but then I've been with you long enough to know you. Scares the hell out of you doesn't it?"

"I keep asking myself what I've gotten myself into. I don't have a choice now. I can't back out of this."

"Well, you were the one that wanted to go on the grand adventure after you changed."

"I can't argue about the adventure part, Tammy." I popped a segment of the orange into my mouth as I finished peeling it. "Great oranges by the way."

"Before things get too far out of control I wanted to tell you that I got a message from Barb this morning. Adam did call her and she got him booked on a flight out of Syracuse. With a little luck he'll be here in time to see you go on tonight. I already let security know that he's coming."

My heart soared at the thought that Adam was going to be able to see me perform. "Thanks Tammy! That means so much to me. Did Barb say how long he could stay?"

"Nope, nothing more than that message, Jen. Sorry."

About half an hour later I got the call to go back to the stage for rehearsal. What I thought was going to be the usual ten-piece band that appeared on the show had turned into a thirty-piece orchestra. There was also a bunch of other people stretching off to the side of the stage.

"So what's all this, Jay?"

"The band as we promised."

"All this?"

"Well, with the numbers on that list you gave me last night of the songs you wanted to do I just had to add a few more people to do the music justice."

"So who are they?" I pointed toward the extra group of people.

"Your dancers."

"Dancers?

"Yup. Have you ever seen a concert performance without at least a few dancers?"

"But a dozen or so?"

"It's what Wayne wanted, Jennifer."

"Well, I'm not going to argue the point. It's his money. Are we ready to give this a try?"

"All set, Jennifer."

The practice session lasted almost three hours for just eleven songs, ten for the actual show and one as an encore. I even got in a little practice with the dancers for a couple of the songs including my opening number. Everyone was quite pleased that everything had come together so quickly. I was nearly exhausted from the session and headed back to the dressing room to rest during the three hours left until the show started. The cold-cut platter made for a good if not good-for-me lunch since I wound up working straight through the normal lunchtime. The bed looked so inviting that I managed to doze off for about an hour.

The hand I felt on my shoulder turned out to be Tammy's. "Come on, Jen. Time to get changed."

The Around Midnight wardrobe folks provided me with quite a costume for the performance. A dazzling pure white single piece swimsuit with a low plunging neckline and high-cut sides that would leave every inch of my hips exposed. A translucent white wrap-around skirt with a cut in the side that extended nearly to my waist completed the costume. They included some seer to the waist panty hose and a pair of two-inch heels with straps at the toes and ankles. I was glad that I had practiced the dancing in my three-inch narrow heels. The actual heels were going to be that much easier to deal with and I needed all the help I could get.

The suit had a built-in bra since the plunging neckline went to a bit beyond my navel leaving my cleavage visible. A single silver chain stretched across the opening at about the level of my nipples to keep the suit from spreading even further as I jiggled and danced on stage. The suit was so white that it almost hurt to look at it even in the lights of the dressing table. The skirt left my left leg almost completely uncovered while the swooping hem of the skirt came to a point about halfway down my calf of my right leg. The panty hose made my legs shimmer in the bright light.

The makeup and hair crew left my ponytail is its normal style except for fluffing it up so it almost stood up on its own. Thanks to an insert it swooped up high in back of my head then flared out to cover almost the entire width of my back. The makeup highlighted my eyes and lips giving me a smoldering sex goddess appearance even without trying to look that way. The red polish on my nails was buffed to a mirror like finish after any chips and dents were repaired.

I was staring at myself in the mirror when Tammy came in to get me. "All set, Jen?"

"I think so. Any word about Adam yet?"

"No, but he should be here by now. He was supposed to arrive directly from the airport. Barb set it all up for him."

"Damn! I really wanted to know he was here before I went out there. Guess the show must go on anyway, right?"

"Yup. Everyone's waiting for you. Now go out there and break a leg, Jen."

"Thanks, Tammy."

I followed Tammy out into the packed arena through a shielded passageway to a spot under the stage. From there a lift built into the stage would make me appear out of a large white cloud of dry ice fog. Tammy gave a thumb up to a stage hand when I was in place on the lift.

The crowd stated to go wild as I heard footsteps on the stage above me. "Ladies and gentleman, I'm Wayne Zachary. Welcome to the Staples Center Arena and the opening night of Blue Lightning's first national tour. Tonight and tomorrow night we have a special treat for you. We have a very special guest opening for Blue Lightning. Please put your hands together for Jenniferrrrrrrrrr Steeeeeeeeevens!"

The first few notes of "Can't Stop Dancin'" by The Captain and Tennille echoed across the arena as I slowly rose into the cloud of mist. I took a few steps to clear the rapidly dissipating mist, then began to sing…

"Can't stop dancin' just because the music's gone…

Can't stop dancin' NO! Just because the band's packed up and gone home

Can't stop dancing just because the music's gone…

'cause if you keep on dancin' , if you keep on dancin', if you keep on dancin'

They're gonna turn the music back on…"

Somehow Jay and the band found a way to turn the thirty-second instrumental bridge in the song into a three minute extravaganza letting the dancers really cut loose. I had no hope of keeping up with them and watched in amazement at the moves they displayed. As the song came to an end the dancers all struck poses around me in a wash of brilliant white spotlights. It must have taken at least a minute for the applause and whistling to die down enough that we could continue on with the rest of the show.

Each song received similar applause until the last song of the planned performance, "The Future Is Now". That song earned a standing ovation from the packed arena.

"And now lad…" Before I could even complete the sentence introducing Blue Lightning the audience was clamoring for one more song.

I held up my hands to quiet the crowd so I could speak. "Are you sure?"

The roar nearly blew the top off the hall. "All right… Jay?"

The first sizzling notes of the opening of Xanadu by Olivia Newton-John blasted out of the speakers as eight female dancers joined me on stage. Each was dressed in a similar outfit to mine so we looked like the nine muses of mythological fame. The audience went wild as we danced.

About halfway through the number I sensed something was wrong. The stage felt all wrong like it was the deck of a slowly rolling ship. Moments after I sensed it, the stage took a big jerk to the side knocking everyone over. Someone in the band yelled out "EARTHQUAKE!" as the dancers and I fought to get off up.

The stage was shaking so badly that I barely got to my feet before being thrown back down again. I wound up on my back this time and heard someone scream. I looked at the source of the scream and followed to where she was pointing. The lighting support structure above us was swaying back and forth. I watched in horror as bolts started to break and metal started to tear apart.

A lighting beam was breaking loose from its mounts directly above me. Explosions sent a shower of glass everywhere as the lamps in the lights popped. I had just enough time to cover my face with my arms before the lights went out and my world turned to black.

 

* * * * * * * * *

 

Saturday, March 8, 2003 – A dingy apartment on the south side of Syracuse

The leggy brunette wiggled her way across the linoleum floor of the kitchen with two paper plates in her hands. She placed both of them on the kitchen table then slid into one of the well-worn chairs.

"Jimmy, when are we gonna end this scam and move on? It's been weeks and weeks!" She munched on a mouthful of the Chinese food she had just bought for both of them.

"In about two weeks, Sue. We scored big on this one, love. All I have to do is to take care of some loose ends and lead the police away from us before we can slip off into the night with a big bag of money."

"How much, Jimmy? How much are we gonna get outta this job?"

"I figure somewhere around five million dollars, give or take a few hundred thousand."

"OH JIMMY! I can't wait to get out of this hellhole and start living the good life again!"

"Me too, baby, me too."

They finished their meal in silence. Then Sue cleaned up the leftovers. A few minutes later she called to Jimmy from their shared bedroom.

"Jimmy, I'm gonna take my bath now. Do you need to use the bathroom first?"

"No, Sue, go ahead. I can wait." Jimmy watched the gorgeous girl slink into the bathroom in nothing more than her birthday suit. He sighed and shook his head. "If only she wasn't so wrapped up in the glitz on these jobs," he thought. "I have to keep reminding her all the time not to wear her designer labels and jewelry."

He plopped down in one of the worn overstuffed chairs in their living room and thumbed the remote to turn on the TV. A few seconds later, the telephone rang.

"Hello? … Yea, Ralph. … What do you mean you're being watched? … Yeah, I know … What was that name again? … Okay, I'm gonna end this now. … Yeah, I know you're out of it! You'll get your cut. STOP WHINING!"

Jimmy slammed the phone down and cursed softly to himself. Their man inside the bank just reported that he thought he was being watched by a private investigator named Rebecca Stewart. He also reported seeing a check processed from Jennifer Stevens' real account to the Stewart agency, a rather sizeable check too.

Suddenly the perfect plan to end this scam popped into place in Jimmy's head. He picked up the phone again and dialed a number.

"Hello? Tony? … Look, man, I got a job for you. I need you to take care of a couple of people. … Yeah, gone as in not breathing any more. … Yeah, I know it's gonna cost me big time. … A hundred thousand for two? Not a problem, Tony. … Yeah, we'll work out the details in a day or two. I gotta work out a couple of things. … The names? Well, one you probably don't know. … The other? … Jennifer Stevens."

 

< To be continued in chapter 16 of Zapped! >

  

  

  

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