Chapter 11

Jake should have known something was up Saturday night when Melissa wanted to go out. On weekends, Muffy was usually a stay-at-home gal because of her hectic school and work schedules. Jake took her for Italian food, a cuisine that Senoras Lopez and Martinez were having problems mastering. Melissa swore that Jake had a cast iron stomach the way he ladled the hot sauce on everything he ate. The senoras thought he was the next best thing to Elvis because of the way he ate. Senora Lopez told Louisa that Jake must be hot blooded to like his food so caliente. Louisa could only smile and nod in agreement.

Jake and Melissa arrived home from the restaurant about nine. The house was dark and quiet, Jake figured they would be spending a relaxing evening alone. Melissa said she was going to change as Jake sat on the couch and turned on the tube. He was mindlessly staring at the Wonderful World of Disney's Daniel Boone, when two slender hands covered his eyes.

"Guess who," came a soft whisper in his ear.

Jake did not have a clue. He hedged, trying to get her to talk more.

"MMmm, it's someone sweet, smart and pretty," he said.

The girl gave a tinkling laugh and removed her hands.

"That pretty much covers every woman you know," she said.

Jake recognized the voice and he broke out in a big grin. It was Beth Owens.

"Well, maybe I should have said: smart, sweet, pretty, hippie chick," he said without turning around.

"Happy Birthday!"

Jake turned his head finally as she walked around the couch. He could hardly believe how pretty she was. She had on a knee length white dress and matching heels, her brown hair was still shoulder length and flipped up at the ends. He guessed he hadn't seen her for at least four months. She had been gone for the Christmas break, visiting some of her mother's family in North Carolina. She had filled out some since he had last seen her. Her breasts were larger, riding high on her chest, and her hips flared more noticeably. She sat next to him on the couch, kissed him on the cheek, and handed him a large manila envelope.

"I brought you a birthday present," she said.

Jake took the envelope and looked at her curiously.

"Go ahead, open it," Beth said.

Jake opened the metal clasp and pulled out the contents. He gave her another baffled look. The envelope contained what looked like her personal papers. She smiled at him and took the papers out of his hands.

"This is my driver's license. Did you know I turned eighteen on December twenty-fourth?"

Jake shook his head no.

"No one else does either," she said. "They think my birthday is in March. So did I until I got a copy of my birth certificate. My parents couldn't afford my birthday and Christmas at the same time so Mama changed my birthday to March."

She held up the next item.

"This is a letter from Ms. Phillips, the principal at Kennedy. It says I have enough credits to graduate in June. I used it when I went to North Carolina and applied at Duke University."

She hauled out another letter.

"Even if I don't get accepted at Duke, I have a scholarship to Rollins College in Orlando -- and I've been accepted at Florida State," she said.

Jake was still lost and unable to see the path forward until she pulled out the last thing in the packet.

"These are birth control pills, my second month's supply. See, they're half gone. They were the last thing I needed to accomplish before I would ask you to take my virginity. I promised myself I would graduate, get into college, be eighteen, and safe before I had sex. You don't know how hard it was to keep that promise after I met you. That's why I avoided you so much.

"I've watched you for a year and a half Jake, I know for sure of at least six women you've been with and a few more I'm almost certain about. None of them have anything but praise for you. It's my turn now; if you want me, that is."

It was the most incredible performance Jake had ever seen. Next to Melissa, Beth Owens had to be the most sharply focused woman on the planet. Plus, it took a lot of Moxie to lay it all on the line like she just did. Did he want her? Does a hobby horse have a hickory dick? Jake pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Beth molded herself against him and kissed him back with all the pent up passion in her love starved body.

They broke the kiss just as co-conspirators Louisa and Melissa walked into the room.

Louisa was wearing a sharp red dress and high-heels; Melissa was still wearing the blue outfit she wore at dinner.

"We are going out with your sister and Jody to a club Debbie knows about in Daytona," Melissa said. "We will probably be late so you kids have fun."

Louisa and Melissa both kissed Jake goodbye and Melissa kissed Beth before they headed out to Melissa's Corvette. Beth moved back into Jake's arms as soon as the door closed.

"Melissa said you were mine for the night. She is about the most amazing woman I've ever met. Tigger talked to her for me. Then Melissa called me with the idea of surprising you for your birthday," Beth said.

Jake agreed with her assessment completely. It took a very secure woman to give her man a beautiful horny virgin for his birthday. Jake got them both a drink and sat back beside her on the couch. He asked her about school and home as he sat with his arm companionably around her.

"Jake why aren't you taking me to bed? Are you turning me down?"

It was an opportunity that Jake had been waiting for.

"Is that all you women think about? I am not just a piece of meat; I have feelings, you know. Why can't you just accept me as a worthwhile person instead of a sex object..."

Jake could not go on. Beth was looking at him as if he had just landed in a flying saucer. He cracked up at what he thought was a monumentally funny gag. Beth looked at him even stranger.

"Sorry, I couldn't help it. Just once, I wanted to get to say that. Isn't that the mantra of you women-libbers?" Jake said between fits of laughter.

"Which birthday are you celebrating tomorrow, your twelfth?" she asked archly.

Jake laughed even harder.

"Touché," he said. "Yes, I want to make love to you; but since we've waited this long, I thought we'd ease into it -- if you don't mind. What I want to do now is take you somewhere and show you off."

"Really?" She asked, "Like where?"

Beth suddenly loved the idea that he did not just tumble her into the bed, as badly as she wanted that to happen. She knew he was a nice guy, but she had never seen this romantic side of him. Tigger had, however, hinted she should expect the unexpected.

"It'll be a surprise. Boy, my status is going to skyrocket when people see me with such a babe," Jake said.

Beth blushed as she went for her coat and purse. Jake put his arm around her and led her to his car. Twenty minutes later, they were at the Amore. Sid Moran greeted them at the hostess station.

"Hello, Jake; it's good to see you. Who's this beautiful vision with you?" Sid asked.

Jake made introductions then Sid called the hostess over. Evidently, with Liz in Europe, they had hired someone to help greet guests. Sid and the hostess had a short private chat; the woman nodded a few times then turned to Jake and Beth. "Mr. Turner, if you will follow me I have your table ready for you." Beth was most impressed that they had gotten a table right away even though there appeared to be other patrons waiting. They had a small private table near the dance floor. Jake ordered Beth a Mimosa, heavy on the orange juice, and a club soda for himself. When the drinks arrived, Jake asked Beth to dance.

It took some coaxing but Jake was soon holding her in his arms on the dance floor. Beth was self-conscious at first but loosened up by the second song. It was so very dreamy being in Jake's arms. She felt like Cinderella at the ball dancing with Prince Charming. They stayed at the club until almost midnight. Jake drove her to the ranch; they were barely in the door when Beth could not restrain herself. She threw herself into his arms and kissed him the way she had dreamed of doing for over a year.

Jake returned her kiss with equal ardor. He took Beth's hand and led her to the bedroom. Beth whistled at the size of the bed. Tigger had not been kidding when she said a lot of people could have fun at once in it. It was bigger than her entire bedroom had been when she lived in Oak Ridge. Jake knelt down and slipped off her white high-heeled pumps, then pushed her back until she was sitting on the bed. He reached under her dress and captured the waistband of her pantyhose. Beth raised her hips as he pulled her pantyhose off her. Once the hose were discarded, Jake started at her ankle and kissed his way up her leg.

He lingered behind her knee; his lips were sending little ripples of delight along her thighs. Beth sighed and fell back on the bed. She did not have any previous experience but her active imagination had envisioned a scene much like this one. Jake coaxed her thighs apart and kissed his way toward her fragrant mound. Beth spread her legs for him as he moved higher, thankful that she had shaved and trimmed her abundant growth. Tigger's advice again, of course; guru Tigger was the subject matter expert on all things Jake. Jake planted a kiss on her little newly bald pussy through her panties then stood up. Beth opened her eyes when his lips left her body. Was that all there was? Did she stink down there or something? What made him stop?

Jake smiled down at her and pulled off his shirt and shoes before climbing in bed. He took her in his arms and kissed her, probing her mouth with his tongue. Beth was impossibly inexperienced. She had only kissed two boys in her life and Jake was one of them. She had always suppressed any thoughts of sex as a distraction from her goals. She had seen what sex led to in Oak Ridge; she was not sacrificing her future for a double wide and a passel of kids. Being smart and pragmatic, she had wisely decided that if she never started she would not have to worry about when to stop. Now, here she was in bed with the town stud having to learn on the job. Good thing she was a quick study.

Jake's lips felt heavenly on hers. The dancing and Jakes nearness had her already aroused; now all this kissing was adding fuel to the fire. Jake sat her up and unzipped her dress. She held up her arms as he pulled it off over her head. She turned crimson, as Jake looked at her in her white lace and satin underwear.

"Wow, you are even more beautiful than I imagined," Jake said in awe.

Beth blushed even redder. Her body, like her intellect, was an anomaly in her family. She was fairly tall at five-nine and very curvaceous. She had assiduously hidden her charms since she started to develop at the age of thirteen. Jake was seeing more of her than any man ever had, and he was angling to see more as he deftly unfastened her bra. Jake slipped the catch loose on her front clasp bra and drew a sharp breath as her orbs sprang free. Her breasts were medium large, wide spaced, and set firm and high. Jake traced his fingers around their periphery then cupped them in his hands. Beth moaned and fell back on the bed when he bent forward to capture her left nipple between his lips. Her nipple elongated and hardened in his mouth.

It took him less than a minute to have her breasts feeling better than she ever had during her frequent masturbation sessions. After laving her breasts for a few minutes, Jake kissed his way down her body. She automatically raised her hips as he slipped her damp panties off and approached her warm, moist quim. Soon his talented tongue was working its magic on her engorged pink pussy lips. It was wonderful the way he licked and nibbled on her. Then his tongue started to work on her clit. When his tongue touched her sensitive nub, her breath left her with a whoosh. He might never make her feel as good with his fingers as she could herself, but his tongue was marking uncharted territory.

Beth was embarrassed that her body was responding so strongly. Jake was going to think she was a slut the way she squirmed and moaned. She could not help it, however; it felt so good, and she had waited so long. She noticed that Jake was attuned to her responses. If she reacted to something strongly, he would redouble his attention on that spot. She let her hands fall onto his head and pressed him more firmly toward her need. She was close now, her hips weaving in short oscillations against his slithering tongue. Then she went over the top when he sucked her clit into his mouth and drummed a tattoo on it with his stiffened tongue.

Beth came strongly as Jake assaulted her little pleasure button. She cried out and heaved her hips off the mattress to gain more contact with his agile tongue. Jake held onto her shapely hips as she moaned through her climax. As soon as her gyrations slowed to a stop, he started again. Her second orgasm left Beth's clit super sensitive so Jake started removing his clothes for the main event. Beth gaped at his substantial male appendage; she wondered how he was getting that monstrosity into her little slit. She knew intellectually that it would fit, but the mechanics of how it could escaped her. Jake clambered between her spread thighs and wet his cudgel's crowned head with her juice.

"This is going to hurt some at first. I'll go slow but it's still going to be painful," Jake said as if reading her mind.

"Get it over with quickly, Jake; don't prolong it," she said pensively.

Jake nodded and worked his flared head into her. He felt Beth's hymen not far inside her tunnel. He took a few short strokes then reared back and surged forward powerfully. Beth's maidenhead gave way to his onslaught and he sank halfway into her tight tunnel. Beth grimaced and sucked in her breath; but didn't make a sound when he deflowered her. Jake paused and let her get accustomed to him being in her. When the frown started relaxing, he withdrew slightly and gently pushed into her. Jake could tell it still hurt so he stopped again. He kissed her and then fastened his lips on her nipple. She finally spoke.

"Bite it a little harder, Jake." He complied. "Ummm ohh, that's nice, and I feel so full inside. Can you start moving a little again?" she asked.

Jake started a serious stroke, bottoming out inbound and leaving only the head in on the rebound. It only took Beth a minute to pick up the rhythm. She put her feet flat on the bed to get some leverage then gave as good as she was getting. Beth's first orgasm from intercourse was a small one but she exploded when Jake stiffened and spewed his essence against her womb. They cuddled for a few minutes; Beth told Jake how good it all felt and thanked him repeatedly. Jake told her he was the one thankful but unless she was too sore, the night was young. He fetched her a washcloth and tenderly wiped up the cum along with the small amount of blood between her legs. She got up unsteadily to use the bathroom.

Beth asked Jake if she could take a quick shower. Jake said ok as long as he could take one with her. Jake adjusted the water temperature to her liking and they jumped in. Beth discovered she wasn't that sore so they made love again after their shower. Beth was a natural, the pair fell asleep about two-thirty, exhausted but satisfied.

Beth woke up the next morning wrapped in Jakes arms; she grinned to herself and reached for his dick. The night was officially over but she hoped Melissa wouldn't mind if she had one for the road.

Jake's official birthday party started at five that evening. Tomorrow was a school and work day; it was going to have to be an early night for everyone. Jake got some nice and useful presents plus a lot of gag gifts. It was hard to shop for the guy who had everything. At six-thirty, Sven Johansson started herding everyone towards one end of the family room. The furniture had been rearranged around a large rectangular object covered with a dropcloth. When Sven had everyone's attention, he whisked the dropcloth to the floor and uncovered a large console with a color television and some kind of large reel-to-reel tape deck inside the cabinet. It had a name plate identifying it as an Ampex Home Entertainment Center VR-6275.

"Ladies and gentlemen", Sven said, "about 7 months ago I sold the television rights for an article I wrote for the Readers Digest. Last week I received this advance copy of the movie."

Sven pressed a couple of buttons and the screen turned to snow. Then the image of a teenager in a football uniform wearing the number 50 appeared overlaid with the title: Zero to Hero, the Jake Turner Story. Oh, shit! Jake had forgotten all about this movie deal. Now here it was big as life on his birthday. He tried to make his escape but Muffy grabbed his arm and pulled him down on the couch. He was forced to watch all ninety minutes of the glamorized Hollywood version of 1971. The girls oh'd and ah'd at the Hollywood hunk that portrayed Jake and agreed that Joan Collins was perfect as Helen. They laughed that both his sisters were blondes in the movie.

Jake stoically endured the good natured ribbing from his friends and family as the credits rolled. Sven made the ordeal a little easier to take when he handed Jake a check from the movie's producer. The check was for twenty thousand dollars, the balance of the agreement Sven had worked out. Man, if he had had that money last week he would have made a bundle on the Super Bowl. As it was all he had was five grand to put down on the Dolphins. He and Tiny the gun store owner worked out the same deal as they had the prior year. Tiny was getting wealthy on Jake's betting tips. He would be ready for next year, he vowed; he knew the Dolphins won two in a row. It was a fluke that the Dolphins (always his favorite team) were in the Super Bowl three times in a row.

Their guests were gone by nine-thirty. Jake helped Melissa and the Diazes clean up. Louisa had that glint in her eye so Jake knew something was up. Melissa was trying to act blasé; another dead give away. What now? He found out a half hour later when both women exploded out of the bathroom. They were wearing Kennedy High cheerleader uniforms. Melissa had hers from last year; Louisa had borrowed Debbie's. Another male fantasy was fulfilled when the women jumped him. They kept the uniforms on through everything. Rah-Rah-Shish-Boom-Bah!

January passed and February was well started, when Jake read in the campus newspaper about the start of baseball practice. Stetson was a NCAA Division II school; they did not have a football team, but they did have an outstanding baseball program. On Monday the twelfth, Jake tried out for the baseball team as a walk-on. Jake caught the coaches' attention right away when he threw a frozen rope to the plate from deep right field. Jake survived the cuts and made the final roster of twenty-five. His status hit a bump in the road when the coaches learned how old he was. NCAA rules required a player to be eighteen to play a competitive sport. It took the direct intervention of Maria Thornton in a legal capacity before he was allowed on the team. In the end, Jake's parents signed their permission and the NCAA granted Jake a waiver to play baseball.

Jake enjoyed playing and, while it cut into his free time, it did not interfere with his academics. Ramon was overjoyed about Jake playing baseball. He pulled an old glove out of his closet and played catch with Jake every chance they got. Ramon was good; he had even played a little semi-pro ball in Mexico before he immigrated to Texas. Ramon had been a pitcher and he goaded Jake into taking a shot at pitching.

Jake asked Marshall Stephens, Stetsons head baseball coach for a tryout on the mound. To both of their amazement, Jake was a natural. He had excellent control and, with Ramon's tutelage, soon had a repertoire of four pitches: fastball, curve, slider, and an excellent change up. Jake pitched southpaw but worked with Ramon on learning to pitch right-handed as well. Jake mastered the mechanics right-handed but could not get the velocity on his fastball he needed. Jake put Coach Stephens in somewhat of a dilemma; if Jake was a starting pitcher it took his bat out of the lineup for games he did not pitch. Jake amazed Stephens when he told him he could play the outfield right-handed so he would not tire his pitching arm.

Jake pitched his first game in late February against Rollins College. He was a little nervous and pumped up which made him erratic the first two innings. He walked three batters, hit one, and threw a wild pitch that quickly had his team down two-zip. He helped himself at the plate with an RBI double in the bottom of the first inning. He settled down on the mound and kept Rollins scoreless for the rest of the game. His teammates rallied in the sixth inning and scored a pair of runs. It was not the greatest debut, but a win was a win. Jake became the team's undisputed star player; by mid March he had a four and one pitching record with an excellent minuscule 1.25 earned run average. In addition, he was batting a cool.375, with nine homeruns.

He was studying at home after a game, when Sid Moran called with the news of Liz's death. Jake was stunned. How could a person that vital and full of life be gone? All of her 'colds' and 'bouts with the flu' made sense now. Jake asked about arrangements; Sid replied that Liz's remains were on a plane bound for Palmdale. Her funeral would be on Sunday, the twenty-fifth. Melissa overheard the conversation and sat in his lap holding him as he told her the details. Things were not so perfect in paradise now; Jake had lost the first person of those he loved in this new existence.

After the funeral and his meeting with Gino Morano, Liz's Mafioso half-brother, Jake sat in Liz's bungalow. Well, technically, it was his now, he thought, as he looked at the deed, but to him it would always be Liz's. He picked up the Palmdale savings bank passbook again. She had given him a million dollars tax free. He did not need or want the money; maybe there was a way to turn it into some sort of tribute to Liz. It only took him a little while to come up with the idea of a scholarship, a scholarship for young women who wanted to get into the medical profession. He would call Sid, clear the idea with him, and discuss starting some sort of foundation in Liz's memory.

Despite Jake's sadness, life moved on. Helen was pregnant and thrilled about it. Charles was happy about the situation also; Helen's enthusiasm was infectious. Charles became the butt of many jokes for fathering a child at his age once Helen let it slip she was in a family way. Charles was fundamentally relieved that Helen was back to normal now and off his back. He could concentrate on business without distraction for a change. Helen was also less demanding about sex now, sparing Charles the embarrassment of his increasingly frequent bouts of impotence.

Yes, he was impotent, a combination of natural factors and the medications he had to take for his skyrocketing blood pressure. Helen was more understanding now; she said he was her husband and sex was only a small part of that. Charles threw himself into growing Tuner Furniture and Appliance Superstores. Every major city in Florida now had a TFA Superstore or one under construction. In addition, the store in Atlanta was permitted and one for Savannah was in the mill. TFA was the industry's innovator in computerization, customer service and inventory management. Turner set the standard for just in time delivery and quick turn around of merchandise.

It took the Murphys until April to moved down to Palmdale. Sean's sense of duty made him stay on and train his replacement. Nina, Erica, Sean, and Claudia stayed until the rest of the family was ready to move. Sean asked his son and daughter to stay to help with the move. Nina was not going without Sean and talked Erika into staying also. Claudia was eager to get to Florida, but bit the bullet. Family came first with the Murphys. Jennie Murphy was ambivalent about the whole thing. Her man Larry was in the Naval Academy Preparatory School, scheduled to start at Annapolis in June. He had caught the attention of his commander in boot camp as officer material. So, it did not matter to her where she was as she waited for him.

Air Erika was up and running: one plane, two pilots, and a rented hanger so far. Dave Larson proved himself the right man immediately. Larson's departure from Delta was a rarity, but his lack of seniority at the airline was TnT's gain. Larson was true to his promise and came on board with a plan. Melissa told him to work through Mitzi and run with it. Larson found a four year old Cessna Model 172 Skyhawk that an elderly doctor was selling. The aircraft had been perfectly maintained and the price was right. He then interviewed pilots and settled on Joe Bunnell, a young navy pilot who left the service because of a peccadillo with his commander's wife. Bunnell was also qualified to fly helicopters and had an instructor's rating. Mitzi negotiated them a hanger, got them office space, and hired a receptionist.

By the end of March, Air Erica had contracts to provide corporate aircraft services to TFA, Thornton Development, and Sven's advertising agency. In addition, they were in the running to land the fledgling NASCAR's business. Jake told Dave and Mitzi to do what it took to land NASCAR. He told them he thought the National Association of Stock Car Racing was going to be big one day. Dave then purchased a second aircraft, a six passenger, twin engine, 1970 Cessna 421B. The second aircraft was expensive but gave them long range capability and it had a pressurized cabin.

When Erika came down in April, she immediately started taking flying lessons. Joe Bunnell magnanimously said he would give them to her, thus sparing Dave the trouble. Joe was in lust with Erika from the start. Erika knew it and teased the hell out of him. Bunnell had the ego it took to be a carrier pilot and could not understand why she did not tumble for his charm. Dave cautioned him about his infatuation, citing the coincidence of the company's name and hers. Of course, Joe did not listen and made a grab for Erika one evening when they were alone in the hanger. He received a black eye and a sprained wrist for his efforts. The end result of all this was blue balls for the chagrined Bunnell and a brand new pilot's license for Erika by the end of May.

Erika loved to fly and was good at it. She became Dave's copilot on a lot of trips, gaining hours, and experience. After the little altercation in the hanger, Joe decided that discretion was the better part of valor and kept his relationship with Erika purely professional. Besides, by then he had a plethora of attractive female students to divert his attention. Jake and Melissa started taking lessons, as did Mitzi, Nina the elder, and Claudia Murphy.

Sean started working as soon as his family was settled into their new house. They sold the house in Southie for a hefty profit and were able to get a very nice five-bedroom two-story ranch only a mile from the Turners. Sean earned his keep from the start by going undercover as a construction worker on a site plagued with pilferage. It took Sean only four days to bust a plumbing contractor who was using his crews and vans to take everything that was not nailed down. They had been doing it on all the job sites, but the team on this one got greedy. The police recovered tens of thousands of dollars worth of equipment and material at the contractors shop. In later years, even when he had a staff of ten loss prevention specialists, Sean still went in the field on the tough cases. It became common knowledge that stealing from TFA, TnT, or Thornton was a quick route to playing rock hockey at the big house.

All of the sudden it was the end of May and Jake found himself on the stage at the Kennedy High School awards assembly. He was presenting the first Elizabeth Moran Scholarship. Jake gave a short introductory speech about Liz and named the winner. The most surprised person there was the recipient, Beth Owens. She had not even heard of the scholarship and certainly had not applied for it. She walked onto the stage in a daze, took the envelope from Jake, and walked back to her seat.

Tigger wanted to see what the scholarship covered. Beth had won two others for five hundred dollars each. Beth handed her the envelope and Tigger read the enclosed letter first. She looked at Beth but had been rendered speechless and could only hand it back to her. Beth read the letter and her chest constricted. The scholarship was for four undergraduate years, covered tuition, books, and room and board, with a monthly stipend. The kicker that had rendered Tigger speechless was that, if she were accepted to an accredited medical school, it covered four more years under the same terms. Jake noticed her sitting in her seat crying quietly. Liz Moran now had a legacy.

The next evening Jake went to Cindy Sorenson's graduation. He had not seen Cindy in almost six months, although she called him every couple of weeks. Cindy's modeling career kept her on the run all over the world. Private tutors, paid for by the modeling agency, had kept her up to speed on school work. Jake sat with Jack and Teresa, Cindy's proud parents. Jack told Jake they were equally proud of him; they were agog at how easily he had turned a gift of a million dollars into a charitable trust. After the ceremony, Jake went to dinner with the Sorensons. During a private moment at the table, Cindy said that she was still a virgin and would remain one until they were married. Yes, she knew of his plans with Melissa, but she was supremely confident that she and Jake would happen. It was their destiny, she said, written in the stars.

Classes had already ended for Melissa and Jake. The summer session did not start for three more weeks. Well, classes would start for Melissa, anyway. Jake was determined that he was going to enlist and be in basic training while she was attending class. Jake had invited his folks to a cookout at his house tomorrow. He was going to tell them his plans then and get them to sign the permission papers. Tonight he was telling Melissa, a conversation he was definitely not looking forward to having.

Joe J

Chapter 12