Chapter 18
Tiny Johnson, Jake's gambling buddy and the owner of Tiny's Gun Rack, called Jake the second week of February to ask if Jake had any hunches about the upcoming Daytona 500. Tiny was interested in taking some action from the NASCAR crowd and figured that his lucky charm might help him get even richer. This was definitely Tiny's year as Jake clearly remembered the unusual 1974 Daytona 500. Jake remembered the race because NASCAR had trimmed the race's distance to 450 miles to save fuel during the energy crisis. It had also been an exciting race with over fifty lead changes and a fantastic duel between Richard Petty and Donnie Allison.
Jake told Tiny to try to goad the Chevrolet fans into betting on their drivers and then bet his money on Petty to win big. Tiny was past wondering how Jake predicted these things and just took the money to the bank. Tiny, who seemed to know anyone worth knowing in Florida, took Jake to the Daytona pits on the Friday before the race. Tiny introduced Jake to Smiley Warrick, the owner of the garage that built Jake's upgraded Chevelle. Smiley had a car in Sunday's race that he was sponsoring himself. His prospects in the race were not very good because he lacked the money to attract a top tier driver or to field a very competitive entry.
While they chatted, Jake had one of his insights. NASCAR was a fast growing sport in the southeast; TFA Superstores was a fast growing business in the same region. Sponsoring a race team could be a boon for TFA if promoted correctly. With Jake's help, Sven Johansson could make that happen. Jake asked Smiley if he could run a full schedule if he had a sponsor.
"Yep," Smiley drawled, "if I had some serious sponsorship I'd run with the big dawgs insteada' sittin' on the porch."
Jake asked how much money would be required to field a competitive team. Smiley gave Jake a figure that was easy to live with.
"Could you have a new paint scheme and logo ready for Sunday?" Jake asked.
"Do you have ten thousand dollars for a one race deal?" Smiley countered.
Jake took out his checkbook, wrote out a check for ten grand, and handed it to Smiley. Smiley looked at the check dubiously, that was a lot of money for a kid to be throwing around. Tiny vouched for Jake by telling Smiley that he was more than good for it. Smiley folded the check, put it in his shirt pocket, and stuck out his hand.
"Welcome aboard, Junior," he said.
Smiley and Jake hashed out the color scheme of the TFA Number Fifty, a Dodge Charger. It was going to be white with red and blue lettering. Jake insisted that 'God Bless America' be stenciled on the spoiler. Tiny Johnson got into the spirit by purchasing a fender to advertise on. He went crazy over Jake's design, the right rear quarter panel would display the message: 'Tiny's Gun Rack - God, Guns, and Guts Made America Great'.
The paint scheme was completed by Saturday night. When Smiley and his crew pushed the car out of the garage area, it was an instant hit with the fans wandering around. Every fan in the pits wanted their picture taken standing by the beautifully gleaming Dodge. Jake had sprung for an additional five hundred dollars for the custom hand lettering and quality paint job. The car was never a factor in the race but it was clearly an instant fan favorite.
Jake took Charles, Sven, and Melissa to the race Sunday, the nineteenth. He had not mentioned the sponsorship to them; he wanted it to be a surprise for his father. Smiley had obtained credentials for them so Charles saw, for the first time, his company's latest investment in all its glory on pit road. Charles loved the car but was dubious about its value as advertising. Sven, though, saw the potential and mentioned a couple of ideas that popped into his head. Charles finally agreed to try it for a year.
Melissa fell in love with racing from the first moment she stepped on the speedway. While Jake, Sven, and Charles were looking over the car, Melissa pigeon-holed Smiley. As busy as Smiley was, he stopped what he was doing to hear the lady out. Yes, he allowed, he could build a second race team. Yes, she could be the team owner, and no, he did not think a woman driver existed who was qualified to race in the championship series. Melissa bristled at his last remark.
"We are going to have to do something about that," she said.
Smiley walked off shaking his head.
"Women", he muttered to himself. "God bless them, they have at least half the money and all the pussy, and still they aren't satisfied."
Sven and Jake started using ideas in 1974 that had taken the stock car community another decade to implement in his last life. Jake insisted that their driver be personable as well as talented. He had a show car built that toured TFA stores in cities near the up-coming week's race. TFA advertisements in selected locations featured the race car and Coy Daniels, the team's glib and handsome driver.
For his part, Smiley used the influx of money to build a competitive team. By the sixth race of the season, Number Fifty was slicing and dicing with the big boys at the front of the field. Coy won his first race at Darlington; by the end of the season, he had won two more, finishing seventh in the point's race.
Of course Melissa got Smiley to put together a team for her; after all, money talks and bullshit walks. TnT racing had no trouble finding sponsors with the operation Melissa had him put together. Melissa even lured Ford back into racing, getting them to sponsor her team and provide a couple of Gran Torino Sport Coupes. In exchange, Melissa provided a first class operation and instituted innovations that Jake passed on from the future. She was the first owner to hire a profession engineer, train the pit crew as a team, and use glued-on lug nuts. She also stressed driver safety, instituting a better roll cage, roof flaps, and a safer driving compartment.
TnT racing quickly became a powerhouse in NASCAR. Bill France listened when Melissa Thornton-Turner talked. As a result, the sport jumped forward at least a decade. Oh, and TnT made a ton of money, especially when they started the merchandising craze among fans. You could not be a respectable good old boy unless you were wearing a TnT racing hat (NASCAR approved). Especially if you could claim you bought it at the track, off the TnT souvenir trailer.
Back at the ranch, Ramon had his hands full. It turned out that the cattle that died during the cold snap had been weakened by a strain of bovine influenza. A quarter of the herd still had the debilitating bug. It took a lot of work and vigilance by the ranch hands to nurse the herd through the rest of the winter.
At Stetson, Jake and Melissa were working on the last year of their degrees. Melissa was set for graduate school after she completed her four-year degree. Jake had no such ambition; when he graduated, that was it for formal schooling. He planned to continue to learn; he just was not going to attend a college to do it.
Baseball practice was not eating up a lot of his time at present. Practice was held in the gym most days in February because of the cold, blustery weather. The gym was fine for pitching but quashed full-fledged fielding and batting practice.
Jake was still gung-ho about his military duty. He and his six men were preparing for the annual Inspector General's visit coming in April. In addition, Jake was still volunteering at Congressman Wiggins' office. He put in a few days a month helping constituents resolve problems. Jake truly loved it when he could make something good happen for a citizen; plus, he enjoyed the opportunity to tweak the noses of recalcitrant bureaucrats. Andrew had asked Jake to work full time for him when he graduated. Jake said no thanks. He could probably volunteer more days but he did not want to be tied down long term. Jake further told Andrew that he himself was going to run for the congressman's seat once Andrew retired and Jake turned twenty-five.
Jake's personal life was still stable and still the stuff of dreams. He had to pinch himself sometimes to believe it was real. Melissa and Trish were the most amazing women in the world. Between the two of them, Jake was as well cared for as a man could possibly be.
Melissa received her invitation to dinner with the Greers in the first mail after Valentine's Day. She and Trish had a huddled meeting before Melissa called back and accepted. Jake lounged on the bed as Trish helped Muffy get ready. Jake had a feeling they were spreading it on for him when Trish trimmed and shaved Melissa's little cooze right on the bed beside him. As Jake watched mesmerized, Trish and Melissa filled him in on what was happening.
"When Victoria invited me over it started as a way for her to enjoy a little girl-girl sex that included hubby. It ended up with Bill trying to screw Victoria's brains out for two days. Victoria called on the phone to tell me all about it. While I was there, Victoria took care of me and Bill took care of her. The ardor that he displayed after our little tryst gave me an idea. Victoria told Bill about tonight's dinner with Melissa two weeks ago and then cut him off. We figure that tonight he'll definitely have some lead in his pencil. She's not pregnant so Bill is getting first shot this time with you and me taking a shot this weekend."
Jake shook his head in wonder at the machinations of women. But he was not going to argue, it was a good plan and made him horny. Melissa finished dressing and kissed him and Trish goodbye. She looked incredibly sexy in a short little sun dress. Bill was in for some evening.
As soon as Melissa was gone, Jake made a grab for Trish. Trish eluded his grasp and laughed.
"After supper, big boy, I'll give you a dessert you won't soon forget," she said.
It was a memorable evening for all of them. Trish made Jake wait for his dessert until almost ten o'clock. She got him off quickly then prolonged his agony until Melissa arrived home at eleven-thirty. Melissa stripped off her clothes in a mad rush and dove into bed.
"Put it in me, Baby," she said. "Watching Bill and Vickie has me hot as a fire-cracker."
Jake was more than happy to oblige. Melissa was not kidding about being horny; she came loud and often as Jake ploughed her. Luckily, Trish sitting on Melissa's face muffled some of her screams or someone would have thought a murder was being committed in the master suite.
Melissa later told them the details about her evening at the Greer's. After dinner and some very good wine, she and Victoria started kissing on the couch while Bill sat in his recliner and watched. Having a strange audience made it even more exciting for Melissa. Before long, they were naked in a sixty-nine on the Persian carpet with Victoria on top. Bill shed his clothes and took his wildly climaxing wife from the rear. By Melissa's count before she slipped out, Bill had already deposited two big loads in Victoria and was working on his third.
Marriage plans were finalized in February also. Melissa and Jake were getting married in Palmdale Episcopal Church, the church her father had helped build. Their reception was going to be held at the Palmdale Country Club. Melissa had taken Jake's advice and let the Country Club's social director take care of the arrangements.
Towards the end of February, Jake received a call from Barry Miller, the State's Attorney for the Fifth Judicial District and Maria Thornton's paramour.
"Make sure you and Melissa watch the evening news tonight," Miller said.
So at eleven he, Muffy, and Trish were sprawled on their gigantic bed grab-assing around as the news casters droned on about local car wrecks and house fires. All farting around ceased abruptly when the male talking-head announced that a major drug trafficking ring was eliminated that day. Jake turned up the volume as the man provided breaking news details:
"The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in a joint news conference announced the smashing of a major narcotics smuggling ring. The FDLE and FBI stated that more than thirty arrests had been made in a coordinated series of raids in four states, including Florida. More arrests are anticipated as warrants for an addition twenty people have been issued.
"The FBI named Vincent Scarfano of Rhode Island as the ring leader of the smuggling enterprise. Scarfano, also known as Vinny the Weasel, was arrested at his office in Providence, Rhode Island. Scarfano is the president of the International Brotherhood of Stevedores and Longshoremen, an office he used to allegedly facilitate his criminal activities. The FBI spokesman stated that Scarfano and a few associates in the union's local chapters retrieved and sold cocaine smuggled into the country on ships that they unloaded.
"Raids conducted at the Port of Tampa netted ten suspects and over two-hundred kilograms of high grade cocaine, according to an FLDE spokesman. There was a local connection to the arrests as Scarfano and two Tampa men, Lester Miller and Donald Farenti, were also charged in the shooting death of prominent Palmdale businessman Russell Thornton and the disappearance of his brother Randal. The Thornton brothers owned Thornton Development based in Palmdale and Thornton Construction of Rhode Island. Law enforcement authorities were quick to point out that the brothers were killed by contract, not because of their involvement in Scarfano's illegal activities. No further details were released.
"In other local news..."
Melissa let out a whoop and hugged Jake and Trish fiercely. She could finally put that sad chapter of her life behind her. Well, mostly behind her at any rate. There was still the matter of her step-mother Vivian. Vivian was somewhere in Europe and had not been heard from since Uncle Randal's death. Or at least everyone thought she was in Europe.
Chicago, 1970
Alfred sat at his desk in his bedroom at his parent's large gingerbread Victorian house. As usual, he was plotting and scheming. He had his journal out doodling timelines on a blank page. Timeline One was the timeline Connie originally came from (it was hard to think of himself as Connie; she was more like his grandmother now). Timeline Two was the future he just left. Timeline Three was the one he currently occupied. He knew that his presence in the second had not caused much of a divergence from Timeline One. Major events were identical in both. He was going to be careful that he did not make too many waves in this timeline as well. He was also going to be gentle with Timeline Four. His target was Timeline Five. There would be eight of him then with centuries of knowledge and memories for gobbling up money and power. He would be Alfred the first, Emperor of Earth.
Alfred saw that his major duties in this timeline were to accumulate wealth and make sure the future he knew stayed on track. With those goals in mind, he could indulge himself while he waited. His dick hardened as he contemplated all the ripe little girls he could buy while he bided his time.
Thinking about young girls brought to mind his alter-ego Michelle. Had he really been as weak and spineless as she appeared to be? Or was it that he was just so much stronger, so much more powerful now? Jesus, he had such control of his environment it was almost scary. In whatever body his mind occupied, he had always been a master manipulator; in this iteration it was more like mind control. He fancied that he could see into people's souls and pluck out a weakness to exploit. So far, he had mostly controlled his urges, limiting himself to testing his powers of persuasion on young girls and a few business dealings. The results had been beyond his wildest dreams, he thought as he absently rubbed the head of the nude girl kneeling by his chair.
In Florida, March came in warm and mild; after all the cold weather, it was as if summer had arrived over night. From a dead stop, everything sprang to life at once. Melissa had the pool company at the house for maintenance on the first day the thermometer topped 75 degrees. Quincy Nobles took down storm windows and put up screens so Senora Lopez and Tanya could air out the main house.
Quincy and Tanya were excited about their new house nearing completion. Melissa had given Quincy free rein in the supervision of the house's construction. As a result, the house was better built, completed faster, and cost less than the original specifications. Of course, that started Melissa thinking about the residential construction business. Jake's prediction of a building boom a few years off meant another opportunity to make some money. Melissa put her staff at Thornton Development to work on a feasibility study.
Jake was enjoying the warm weather as well. Baseball started being an outdoor sport again and women started shedding clothes; life was good. He was also getting to enjoy his birthday present, his own gym, more. Working out became a whole ton of fun when the women in his life started working out with him. It was like old times with Debbie and Angie, with the added bonus of the attached sauna and shower.
March fifteenth was the grand opening of the prototype HERZ Total Fitness Center. Debbie Turner, Claudia Murphy, and Trish the Dish had designed the entire operation. They had included everything in the prototype. The plan was to weed out services that were not popular or profitable before opening other stores. HERZ was an overnight phenomenon. Women joined by the droves. From coed to matrons, you were no one if you did not belong to HERZ and own at least one Diamond Pointe workout outfit. Trish coined the phrase 'sisterhood of the fit' to describe their clientele. HERZ would end up moving the cause of true equality for women forward by decades.
March passed into history, then April slipped by, and it was suddenly May. Melissa was starting to wear thin from school, her work, and worrying about her wedding being perfect. Trish recognized Melissa's stress and pulled the plug on her hectic lifestyle. Trish called Paul Willis, the Chief Operating Officer at Thornton Development, and Mitzi Walker, who held the same position now at Turner and Thornton Holdings. She explained the problem and asked them if they would keep Melissa from trying to do too much. She got instant and unconditional agreement from both. Next Trish took over the wedding preparations. She scheduled a weekly meeting with Melissa, the Social Director at the Country Club, and herself. Finally, she convinced Melissa to increase the amount of time she spent exercising in the gym, horseback riding, and swimming.
Melissa resisted at first but, as she felt the benefits from Trish's plan, she embraced it. Jake was thankful for Trish's intervention, once again he also thanked his lucky stars that she had sought him out.
A blissfully serene Melissa zipped through her finals during the third week of May with her perfect 4.0 grade point average intact. Jake received his first grade lower than a 4.0 and was no longer tied with Melissa at the top of their class. Melissa gave him no end of grief about his misfortune.
"How," she asked, "could a guy with fingers nimble enough to unfasten any bra made -- and using only one hand -- get a 'C' in typing?"
Chicago, 1971
Alfred and Michelle Tremont said their wedding vows at Saint Mark's Methodist Church on June 15, 1971. A reception followed at the Grosse Point Country Club for almost two hundred guests. Everyone agreed that it was a match made in heaven; they had never seen two young people more in tune with each other than Al and Michelle. Michelle was a very pretty young woman. Her decision to undergo cosmetic surgery to correct a weak jaw and an overbite made a world of difference in her appearance. Diet and exercise had helped also; she was slim, yet curvy in her designer wedding gown.
Michelle had made the changes in her appearance to please Alfred; she adored him and would do anything he asked. Her darling Alfred, it seemed, could almost read her mind; everything he did was exactly what she wanted. He even seemed to know and share her naughty little kinks. In a word, he was perfect for her.
For his part, Alfred had enjoyed molding Michelle into his obedient little slave. Given how well he knew her, it had been ridiculously easy. Alfred had not shared the secret of their sameness with Michelle yet. It was too early he decided; better to bind her even tighter to him before he clued her in.
Everything was going exactly in accordance with Alfred's master plan. He had just turned twenty-three and was a millionaire in his own right. In addition, he had increased his parents' wealth considerably. He figured that it was a prudent move; after all, he would inherit their fortune one day.
Alfred was sitting at the head table at their wedding reception while he ruminated about all this. He absently scanned the assembled guests as his mind wandered. Every table in the room held at least one person whom he had seduced. Alfred had found that seduction was an excellent business tool, not to mention a great source of power. He was indiscriminate in his seductions; male or female, it did not matter, as long as he gained an advantage from the liaison. He was not above involving Michelle in his little games; it was child's play to get her to participate.
His sweeping gaze caught the eye of his new mother-in-law. She had been one of his first conquests, smoothing the way for him to keep seeing Michelle while she was in high school. Alfred nodded to one of the directors of the Chicago Board of Trade; how different he had looked last week as he knelt in front of Alfred and expertly sucked his cock. Money plus sex equals power, that was Alfred's theory of relativity. It explained as much about the universe as Einstein's theory and was much easier to understand. Yes, things were moving along nicely. Alfred resolved anew to keep it moving steady and slow.
On May 29, 1974, the day after Memorial Day, Jake was evicted from his room. His women claimed that with only four days until the wedding, they had too much to do and he got in the way. Trish marched him to the front door where his suitcase was already waiting.
"Go to the bungalow," Trish said. "We'll send for you when we need you. Otherwise you are on your own."
Jake grumbled and bitched to himself the entire fifteen minute ride. What the hell was he going to do for four days? His pre-programmed answer was waiting for him at the bungalow in the form of Hope and Faith Phillips.
The twins were sitting on the couch watching a soap opera when he let himself in the front door. They turned towards him as he stepped inside and gave him identical sexy smiles.
"Hi, Jake; we are here to baby-sit you this afternoon," said Faith.
"And to make sure you don't try to sneak back to the ranch," continued Hope.
"We have a foolproof plan to keep you here," finished Faith, as they
started pulling their tops over their heads. Jake was goggle-eyed as
twin headlights popped into view.