Chapter 14
On Monday morning, the second of December, Darren Flack had a visitor in his office in Orlando. The visitor was Cheri Goldblatt. Cheri was there because of the mention of Billy Clyde in an article printed in the Sunday Edition of the Orlando Sentinel. Cheri had agonized over going to the authorities until finally, curiosity and a feeling that it was the responsible thing to do sent her to the FBI Field Office. Darren Flack made Cheri comfortable as he interviewed her. Years of practice and tons of patience on his part put nervous Cheri at ease. Soon the story was spilling out of her as Darren took notes. When Cheri mentioned going home with Billy Clyde, Darren perked up.
"Did he take you to the ranch?"
"No, he had a nice small apartment in Deland."
"Do you remember where in Deland?"
"Sure, I don't know the address - but I drove there twice."
After a few more questions, Darren asked Cheri if she would be willing to show him where the apartment was. Cheri agreed. Darren made one phone call then grabbed his suit coat and escorted Cheri to his sedan. It took forty-five minutes to drive down Interstate 4 to the Deland exit. Darren pulled into a Texaco station just off the exit ramp and parked. Ten minutes later, Debbie Turner pulled into the same station. Darren honked his horn and Debbie pulled her silver BMW next to him.
Darren had called Sean Murphy's office as a courtesy so that a representative from the Turner camp could be there when he searched Billy's apartment. Sean was already in Las Vegas arranging security for the speech Jake was giving the next evening, so Debbie came instead.
Darren pulled back onto State Road 45 with Debbie following. With Cheri giving directions, the two-car cavalcade reached Billy's rental in fewer than ten minutes. Cheri pointed out Billy's shiny black pickup still parked in the driveway. Darren took the key-ring taken from Barnard's body out of an evidence bag and led the way to the front door. Darren nodded with approval when he noticed the Turner woman move out of the direct line of sight from the door and place her hand in her purse. It was clear that she was as competently professional as he had heard.
Darren unlocked the door and stood aside as he slowly pushed it open with one hand. He identified himself as a federal agent, waited a few seconds, and then cautiously looked around the doorframe. There was no sound from the inside. Darren walked into the empty living room then motioned the women inside.
"Is this the way it looked last time you were here?" Darren added.
Cheri nodded. "He was very tidy - for a man," she said.
Darren had to agree with her. Darren himself used a maid service and his apartment was still never this clean or even this neat. Darren poked around after cautioning the women not to touch anything.
While Darren was looking for anything interesting, the two women were sizing each other up. Cheri reminded Debbie of her first female lover, Jody Marks. Cheri was short and curvy like Jody but her breasts were smaller. Somehow, Debbie also instinctively knew that Cheri shared Jody's submissive nature. Cheri saw in Debbie the same qualities that had drawn her to Billy. Debbie was completely feminine but radiated a sense of power and control. The combination made Cheri shiver somewhere deep in her body.
"Poor Baby, this must be hard for you. There doesn't seem to be anything here for me to do; so why don't I take you home?" Debbie said.
Cheri looked Debbie in the eye. "Yes, ma'am, ' she said.
Debbie smiled at that and went to find Special Agent Flack. Darren snapped up the offer because it meant that he could be there when the crime scene team processed the apartment. Darren wanted this case wrapped up quickly so he could put in for retirement and get back to Piney Mountain and Jo Beth Spivey.
Debbie questioned Cheri about her relationship with the man she knew as Billy Clyde as she drove towards Orlando. Cheri said that she and Billy were having an affair but were not in love; Billy pretty much used her and that was what she had wanted. Cheri missed Billy Clyde but was not in mourning for him. Debbie nodded her understanding and asked Cheri about her home life and her marriage. Cheri unhesitatingly told her new friend the complete truth about her relationship with Phillip, including the events of the last month. Both women could feel the warming attraction between them; it was almost a physical presence in the car.
Cheri quickly accepted Debbie's suggestion that they stop somewhere for lunch. Debbie wheeled into an Appleby's off the interstate. Debbie parked, hopped out of her Beamer, and walked around to open Cheri's door. Cheri accepted Debbie's hand and slid off the plush leather seat, letting her skirt ride up her thighs. The skirt was not one of those she had purchased for Billy Clyde but was still only just on the tasteful side of short. Debbie smiled her approval as the top of Cheri's thigh-high stockings appeared. Arm in arm, they walked into the restaurant.
While Debbie and Cheri were getting acquainted over lunch, Jake was once again at Palmdale General Hospital. The stitches in his shoulder were coming out today then he was getting a complete physical exam before he hit the campaign trail for real. Melissa insisted he get the physical because he was in for a hectic eleven months and she was taking no chances where his health was involved.
Jake and Melissa returned to the ranch at three-thirty, the same time Mikayla came home from school. Jake had spent three hours at the hospital, long enough to get the results of expedited lab work. He received a clean bill of health from both doctors - Dribs and Beth Owens. Beth laughed when he said he hoped he never saw her again professionally. Beth knew about Melissa's plan for another baby.
Jake was pleased that Mikayla was back to being her old self. Mikayla, taking Brittany's advice, was going to be a good girl at home so she could earn the freedom to be a bad girl elsewhere. She knew it would not be hard to fool her dad; she was, after all, his little angel. Her mom would be the tough sell. Mikayla knew that pulling the wool over Melissa Turner's eyes was almost impossible. In the end, she decided that she would give her mother just enough grief to seem normal. Mikayla figured that both her parents would be gone campaigning most of the time anyway. She was going to make sure the reports they received about her were positive; she needed some time and space for serious hell-raising.
Mikayla sat around and gabbed with her parents for a few minutes before heading to her room. She turned on her stereo, picked up her phone, and dialed the Holts' number. The phone only rang twice before someone answered.
"Hello, Mrs. Holt, this is Mikayla Turner."
"Hello yourself, and I thought we agreed my name was Tiffany. Brittany is not home from school yet, by-the-way."
"That's okay, I called to talk to you anyway, Tiffany. I wanted to thank you again for yesterday. I had a great time."
Tiffany Holt smiled with pleasure. She too, had had a good time. Mikayla was a sweet, mature, and thoughtful young woman. Tiffany was also pleased that Mikayla had treated her as a friend, not some ogrish parent. Mikayla had even asked Tiffany to call her by the nickname her friends used.
"So did I, Kayla. It made me feel young again."
"You are young, just think about how hot you looked in those outfits you bought."
Tiffany giggled. "I don't know why I let you girls talk me into those, Ed would never approve of them."
"His loss; men are so lame. I thought they looked fantastic on you. Listen Tiffany; my folks are going to be out of town for a week. That means I'll either be here by myself or get shipped off to my grandmother's place. Do you think I could stay with you guys instead? I won't be a problem, I promise."
Tiffany quickly agreed, telling Mikayla that Mr. Holt was also going out of town so she would enjoy the company. Mikayla gave Tiffany her mom's private number and Tiffany agreed to call her as soon as they hung up the phones. Mikayla broke the connection with a smile; teasing and manipulating Tiffany was so much fun. Yesterday had been a blast and the coming week promised to be even better. She walked to her closet and started picking outfits for the week, nice conservative ones for school, and special ones to wear for the Holts.
Tuesday morning Jake, Melissa, Debbie, and Graciela took off for Las Vegas. Jake was speaking at the annual Vietnam Veteran's Association convention. Tonight would be the first of three major speeches he was giving this week. Melissa was speaking at a luncheon for female executives the next day. Graciela was helping both Turners with last minute refinements of their speeches. Debbie was lost in thought about Cheri Goldblatt. She was seriously attracted to the young woman and Cheri let her know the feeling was mutual. Once back from this road trip, Debbie and Cheri planned to get to know each other much better.
Jake's advance team had made some outstanding arrangements in Vegas. He and his entourage were booked into the Excalibur, a new hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip. Jake and Melissa had a regular room, the same as the rest of their staff. Sean had picked a block of rooms at the end of the hall on the twelfth floor. Sean assigned rooms randomly to keep the exact location of the Turners private. The Vietnam Veterans had booked over half of the Excalibur's four thousand rooms. Tonight was the formal dinner culminating the event and Jake was the keynote speaker.
After a meal of better than average banquet food, the association's president introduced Jake. Jake moved to the podium to polite applause. This was a tough crowd; many of them were still bitter and disillusioned by the war in Vietnam. Jake had factored that fact into his speech. He thanked the appropriate people for inviting him to the event then introduced Melissa. Jake smiled when she received a much more enthusiastic welcome than he had. Next Jake trotted out the jokes Gracie wrote for him. They were self-deprecating jabs at politicians that garnered him some big laughs. Jake was an exceptional public speaker. His voice was medium deep and his delivery well-measured. When he had his audience's attention, he smoothly segued into the serious portion of his speech.
"It is time," he said. "It is time for our generation to take charge of our country and move it forward into the next millennium."
Jake went on to present his ideas for a post-cold war military; a military trained and equipped to respond rapidly to small-scale conflicts, yet capable of conducting major operations if necessary.
"Now that the cold war is over, I believe our principal threat will be from international terrorist organizations. Organizations cloaked in religious or patriotic zeal, bent on destroying our way of life. Against these new threats, billion dollar B-2 bombers that don't fly are of little use. Nor is an ocean full of multibillion-dollar super carriers. As President, I would restructure the military to meet evolving threats.
"I have been fortunate to have been many things in my life: rancher, ball player, member of congress - but I am most proud that I was a soldier. I enlisted in the National Guard at the age of seventeen, not to avoid the draft, but because I wanted to serve my country. For that same reason, I stayed in the Guard past my initial enlistment. I am glad I was able to serve as an enlisted man and a noncommissioned officer as well as an officer. I think coming up through the ranks gives me a unique prospective to bring to the job of Commander in Chief."
Jake also presented his position on veteran's benefits, military compensation, and retirement. His remarks about those items gained him some major applause; the vast majority of the veterans shared his views. After the speech, Jake and Melissa circulated through the packed ballroom. Jake really enjoyed being with these men and women, he and they shared a bond. It did not take much urging from Melissa for him to stay for the dancing afterwards. It was just the right venue to start his campaign in earnest.
Back in Palmdale, Mikayla was snugly abed in the Holts' guest room. Tiffany had picked her up at the ranch at four in the afternoon. Tiffany made appreciative noises about the house and ranch as Mikayla flung her bags into the back of Tiffany's Volvo station wagon. Mikayla allowed that it was a nice place as she hopped into the passenger seat. When they were underway, Mikayla turned in the seat and covertly checked Tiffany out. Mikayla suppressed a smile when she saw that Tiffany was wearing one of her new outfits, a short, powder blue tennis skirt with a matching top and light jacket.
"That outfit looks even better on you than it did on the store mannequin," Mikayla said.
"You don't think I look like an old lady trying to look young?"
"No way! You are still a babe. You look like Britt's sister instead of her mom. And you don't act old, that's one reason why I like to hang out with you."
Tiffany glanced sideways at her young passenger. God, the girl was adorable. She exuded a Lolita like sexiness that stirred long suppressed feelings inside Tiffany. Brittany's assessment of her mom's sexuality was spot on. Tiffany was gay, although she fought it, and denied it, with every fiber of her being. Tiffany was a junior in college when her female roommate opened her up to her true nature. For six months, the two women carried on a torrid affair until Tiffany abruptly broke it off. Tiffany wanted things in life that could never happen if she were a lesbian. For one thing, her scholarship won as a result of becoming Miss California would be yanked. For another, her parents would disown her. Then finally, there was the American Dream, a house in the suburbs with two cars and two children.
The breakup was hard on Tiffany but she pushed ahead. During the summer after her junior year, her parents introduced her to Stephen Ulrich, a well to do stock broker, ten years her senior. The following summer she had her fairy tale wedding and settled down to start a family. Her first marriage lasted seven years before Stephen left her. He left her for another woman, of course. One, he said, not nearly as perfect or nearly as cold.
Tiffany stayed single two years, doing some modeling and a few television commercials. Strangely, she hated being single. She dated around until she met Ed Holt. Ed turned out to be the perfect match for her because he made it clear he wanted a wife in name only to advance his career. Ed had his own interests, but he was kind, respectful, and undemanding towards her. Most importantly, he truly appreciated the way Tiffany ran their home and cared for their children. Merle Haggard wrote a song that summed up Tiffany and Ed's life together: "It's Not Love (But It's Not Bad)".
Now, out of nowhere, this captivating young woman was threatening to undo her carefully constructed façade.
"You have more reasons?" Tiffany asked.
"Well, I also like that you don't treat me like a stupid child. I don't know why, but being around you makes me feel really good."
Tiffany smiled at her and patted her on her leg.
"I like you too, Kayla, and you are most certainly not a child," Tiffany said.
When Tiffany moved the hand off her leg, Mikayla grabbed it and held it.
"I think we are going to be really close friends," she said.
The next stop on Jake's speaking tour was Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. Jake accepted the gig at Dartmouth because it got him into New Hampshire early. Also, the political demographic of the Dartmouth population was moderate to conservative, just the audience he needed for his message on economic issues. Jake knew what issues to tout because he knew economic recovery, fueled by the computer and telecommunications industries, was around the corner. During his speech, Jake also highlighted corporate responsibility and the need to strongly enforce regulations designed to protect consumers and investors.
Jake knew that domestic economy was the issue that put the Democrats in charge of the White House. He was positioning himself as the candidate with the ideas to turn the economy toward sustained prosperity.
During his Dartmouth speech, Jake also spoke about welfare reform. The system is broken, but fixable, he said. What was needed was the political resolve to push for reform.
"We will continue to be a nation of haves and havenots until we display the moral courage to tie benefits directly to work. I don't mind subsidizing people who are trying but need a hand, but I detest the idea of giving a handout to those who aren't willing to try," he said.
Reviews of his speech in the major press were generally favorable. He sounded, one commentator said, both compassionate and resolute, with a firm grasp of the issues.
Jake's third major policy speech of the week was given at the Annual Foreign Press Luncheon in Washington. Jake created a buzz with his remarks. Jake told them that the greatest threat to world peace was international terrorism. His administration would make eradicating terrorism its top foreign policy objective. Two keys to achieving that objective were better relations with Islamic countries and peace in the Middle East. The resources of the United States would be available to help countries fight terrorism but would be brought to bear against those who supported it.
"My administration would honor existing treaties and alliances and work to forge new ones. We will shoulder our burden at the United Nations and work tirelessly towards finding diplomatic alternatives to armed conflict. Those who wish us no harm will never find a better ally, but those who wish us ill will never have a more vengeful enemy."
Jake and his team returned home to Palmdale Friday night. By all reports, he had seriously scooped his competition by presenting his positions so strongly at such an early date. Jake figured he had nothing to loose by showing his cards this early. Now all he had to do was keep his momentum. He planned to do that by campaigning in every primary state at least three times before they voted. It was an ambitious plan but one that was doable.
The next morning Tiffany and Ed Holt brought Mikayla and Brittany to the ranch. Brittany was going to spend the rest of the weekend with Mikayla. They were going horseback riding today and Melissa had promised to take them to the mall that evening. Mikayla brought the Holts into the house to introduce them to her parents. She found them sitting on the couch reading, a dozen newspapers scattered around them. Jake stood and shook Ed's hand as he introduced himself and Melissa. Then he introduced Melissa to Tiffany. The two couples chatted about their kids for a few minutes before Ed and Tiffany departed.
"They seem like nice people, Hubby," Melissa said.
"You are just saying that because Ed is so handsome," Jake teased.
Melissa laughed and punched him on his good arm.
"They are both attractive; they are Barbie and Ken. But did you notice that there is absolutely no spark between them? They never touched one another the entire time they were here, yet they did not seem to be avoiding each other's nearness either. It was as if they were comfortable coworkers or something," she said.
Jake shook his head in amazement.
"You picked up all that in less than ten minutes?" he asked.
"It was obvious. You men are so dense."
Mikayla and Brittany put their bags in Mikayla's room then headed for the stables. Mikayla saddled up her horse while one of the ranch hands helped Brittany. In no more than five minutes they were cantering down Mikayla's favorite trail that meandered through a hundred acres of scrub oak, long needle pines, and palmetto palms. As they rode, Mikayla thought about the past week.
Tuesday, Chazz had picked them up from school. Brittany and Chazz took her to the Planned Parenthood clinic where Mikayla receive a quick exam and a prescription for birth control pills. They filled the prescription at Walgreen's then drove to Chazz's friend Jason's house. Jason was a student at Emery Riddle; his wealthy parents had rented him a nice two bedroom duplex only two blocks from the ocean. Chazz pulled out his stash and rolled a couple of joints. Pleasantly stoned, Mikayla and Brittany did a strip show for the boys then jumped their bones. Mikayla got it doggie-style for the first time as she watched Jason pounding Brittany on the couch.
They spent a pleasant hour at Jason's then the trio headed back to the Holts', still slightly buzzed. After dinner, Brittany and Mikayla did their homework at the dining room table while Chazz pretended to study in his room. Brittany called it a night at ten. Mikayla went to the guestroom, changed into one of her brother's tee shirts, and joined Tiffany in the media room.
"I'm not sleepy," she said. "Can I sit in here with you?"
Tiffany smiled and patted the couch next to her.
'Of course you can."
Mikayla returned the smile and sat down. She pulled Tiffany's arm over her shoulder and snuggled against the older woman's side. They were watching television when Tiffany rubbed the back of her neck and grimaced.
"What's the matter?" Mikayla asked.
"Oh, it's nothing, sometimes I get these tension headaches in the evening. I think it is from holding my shoulders back all day. The down side of having big breasts, I guess."
Mikayla laughed and looked down at the front of her own shirt.
"I wouldn't know anything about that, but sit here on the floor and I'll rub your shoulders for you."
Tiffany protested but Mikayla was adamant, so she slid off the couch and sat on the floor in front of her young friend.
Mikayla started kneading her shoulders with surprisingly strong hands.
"Geez, you are really tense Tiffany, let's loosen your blouse so I can get at the muscles better."
Before Tiffany could protest, those strong, nimble fingers had her blouse partially undone and both the blouse and her bra straps pulled off her shoulders. Mikayla looked down over Tiffany's shoulder at the ripe flesh trying to escape from the industrial strength bra the older woman wore.
"Wow, those are nice big ones. Why do you have them all smushed up like that? Are they real?"
Tiffany gave a throaty laugh at the rapid-fire questions.
"Yes, they are very real. I wear a minimizer bra to keep them from being so conspicuous. Ed doesn't like them sticking out and jiggling around and I don't much either. Ed says that with these, and Tiffany for a name, I could be a stripper."
Mikayla giggled and ran her fingertips across the creamy skin squeezing out the top of the bra.
"No, if you were a stripper your name would be Bambi - and you'd be famous."
Tiffany blushed scarlet as Mikayla's fingertips sent erotic lightning bolts through her. She sighed when her young friend moved both hands back onto her shoulders. She did not know if the sigh was relief or disappointment. It took Mikayla ten minutes to work the tension out of Tiffany's shoulders. Tiffany rolled her head around on her neck and pronounced herself cured. Mikayla leaned forward and buttoned up Tiffany's blouse and Tiffany rejoined her on the couch.
"You worked a miracle Kayla, you deserve a reward."
"I was glad to do it for you Tiff, so a reward isn't necessary. I think you should wear nicer bras, at least when Mr. Holt isn't around."
"These are the only kind I have. Besides, I need them for support."
"My mom wears nice ones that support hers. She is not as big as you are but she isn't small either. Lets go to Victoria's Secret tomorrow and see if we can find you some."
Tiffany said they could go look but she was not promising anything. Mikayla hugged her happily.
"That's great, if you pick me up after school, we can go while Britt is at cheerleading practice. Now kiss me good night, I'm getting sleepy."
Tiffany bent forward to kiss her on the cheek but Mikayla turned her head and pressed her lips to Tiffany's. Tiffany was startled by the intimate contact but did not break the soft lingering kiss. Mikayla applied a little more pressure then pulled her head back.
"That was my reward for getting rid of your sore neck," she said.
Tiffany mumbled okay as Mikayla bounced up and headed for the guest room. Tiffany watched television for a few more minutes then headed for bed her self. Sleep eluded Tiffany as she thought about Mikayla's actions. She was convinced that the young woman was interested in her as more than just a friend. And God help me, so am I, she realized, as her fingers stole into her pajama bottoms. Tiffany was surprised at how quickly she was able to reach orgasm. Tiffany was mortified with shame that she had just climaxed thinking about sex with her daughter's friend, and resolved anew to keep herself under control.
Tiffany dressed carefully for her shopping trip with Mikayla. She wore a nice, slightly above the knee, black skirt with a white sweater and two-inch black pumps. The sweater was one that she usually avoided wearing because it was very form-revealing. She rationalized wearing it by putting on a loose pink cardigan over it. She applied her makeup carefully then rushed out of the house when she realized she was going to be late. Tiffany arrived at the high school just as the last school bus was departing. She was worried that Mikayla had given up on her and had taken the bus until she saw her waiting patiently at the edge of the parking lot.
Mikayla hopped into the car with a huge smile.
"I knew you wouldn't stand me up!"
Mikayla's smile was infectious. Tiffany smiled back at her.
"Of course not; but I'm sorry I'm late anyway."
"I forgive you but you owe me another kiss. Now let's go to the mall before it gets crowded."
Once at the mall, Mikayla wasted no time in dragging Tiffany to Victoria's Secret. She knew exactly where to look in the intimate apparel section for what she thought Tiffany needed. Tiffany admitted that the bra and panty sets were very pretty.
"They are very nice Kayla, but who would I wear them for, certainly not Ed, and who else is there?"
Mikayla gave her a look of disbelief.
"You wear them for yourself, Tiff. Trust me; wearing them will make you feel good. Besides, you might meet someone you want to wear them for, until then, you can wear them for me."
"Kayla, I'm a happily married woman, there won't be anyone else seeing them. Still, you might be right about feeling good wearing them. Find me a couple of 38Cs and I'll try them on."
Mikayla zipped through the racks picking an assortment of colors and styles. When she had half a dozen she led Tiffany to the changing rooms. Tiffany stepped into the room with the garments while Mikayla waited outside the door.
"Wow, this one one fits perfectly and is even comfortable," Tiffany said.
"I wanna see it," Mikayla said, opening the door.
Tiffany stood in her skirt, heels and white lacy bra, blushing pinkly as Mikayla openly admired her.
"That does look good on you; here, try on the blue one."
Tiffany picked up the blue satin bra off the chair and waited for Mikayla to leave. Mikayla gave her an exasperated look.
"Come on, Tiff, I don't want to go in and out the door six times."
Tiffany shrugged, unable to find fault with her logic. She reached behind her back, popped open the clasp, and let the bra slide down her arms. Mikayla held up the electric blue, satin bra. Tiffany's breasts were beautiful. The large orbs sat high and close set on here chest. They drooped slightly but her large nipples pointed upwards at a slight angle. They reminded Mikayla of a ski jump.
"They are beautiful, Tiff," Mikayla said in awe.
Tiffany blushed at the compliment and the open admiration on Mikayla's face, but she could feel her nipples crinkle and harden.
'They are starting to sag. When I was younger, they stood straight out."
She took the bra from Mikayla and tried it on. This particular model pushed her mounds close together and forced them upward. Tiffany tried on all the others. Four of them fit and offered the comfort and support she wanted. Mikayla took the ones she liked to the check-out while Tiffany redressed. Tiffany had tried to protest when Mikayla said she would pay for them but Mikayla was insistent.
From the store, Mikayla led Tiffany straight to the women's bathroom. She dug into the bag, pulled out a pink bra similar to the blue one, and pushed Tiffany into a stall.
"Put this one on and only wear the pink sweater over it," she directed.
Knowing that arguing would be fruitless Tiffany did as Mikayla wanted. Change complete, she opened the door of the stall. Mikayla looked her up and down then unbuttoned the top two buttons of the cardigan revealing an expanse of creamy cleavage. She stepped back and checked out her handiwork. She nodded, pleased with the results.
"Perfect." Mikayla said. "Now all we have to do is fix your hair and go show you off."
Mikayla pulled some of Tiffany's shoulder length, wavy blonde hair over her shoulder so that it framed her face and pointed down towards her exposed cleavage then led her out into the mall. The pair walked through the mall stopping often to window shop. They even met some of Mikayla's friends at the food court. Tiffany was embarrassed by the attention she garnered but proud that Mikayla had introduced her as her friend, instead of her friend's mom.
That night Mikayla again joined Tiffany in the media room when everyone else was in bed. They sat and chatted about their shopping trip. Mikayla even got Tiffany to admit that she enjoyed it. When Mikayla was ready to go to bed, she stood up and pulled Tiffany to her feet.
"Pucker up, Tiff, you owe me two kisses but I'll settle for one good one."
Tiffany was dumb founded when Mikayla took her into her arms and kissed her like a lover. Involuntarily her arms came up and circled Mikayla's neck when the young woman's tongue slithered into her mouth. Tiffany almost moaned when Mikayla broke the kiss and stepped back.
"Goodnight, Tiffany, hope you have sweet dreams," she said.
Tiffany nodded dumbly and wished her the same. In bed that night, Tiffany again sought solace with her own fingers. It was the first time she could remember that she had satisfied herself two nights in a row. After an orgasm even stronger than the previous night, Tiffany lay in her bed chastising herself for her behavior.
"I've got to put a stop to this," she muttered to herself.
Of course, she did not put a stop to it; Mikayla would not allow that to happen. Wednesday evening's kiss set the tone for the rest of the week. Mikayla kissed her whenever the mood struck her. By Friday, Tiffany was actively doing little things for Mikayla to earn more of the sweet kisses.
Ed Holt returned from his business trip Friday afternoon. Friday evening he took Tiffany to the country club for a charity fundraiser. Chazz took Brittany and Mikayla to the movies to see 'Terminator II'. Tiffany might not have been as pleased with Chazz volunteering to take the girls had she known it was playing at the drive-in. She would have been even less pleased had she known that Chazz had arranged for them to meet a friend of his there who owned a conversion van.
That night Mikayla tried ecstasy for the first time. The drug made her feel wonderfully sexy. She ended up being taken by both boys that night and, had more been available, she would have taken them on too.
Mikayla knew how conflicted Tiffany Holt was about what they were doing, but she did not care in the least. What mattered to Mikayla was what Mikayla wanted, and Mikayla wanted Tiffany. Mikayla's conversion from a sweet, shy girl into a rebellious, willfully wanton teenager was pretty much complete.
Jake campaigned in the early primary states for the next ten days. Melissa did not travel with him for this trip. She had preparations to make for the Christmas holidays. This year's Thornton and Turner Corporate Christmas Party would be the last they held as she moved away from direct control of the business.
In keeping with his plan, Jake campaigned hard in every state. He made two trips to Iowa, even though he knew that he was not going to swing many voters away from native son, Tom Harkin. Jake was not conceding a single delegate in case the race had no clear victor when the convention rolled around in July.
Jake was the front-runner in the polls now, as Bill Clinton's popularity had plunged to the single digits because of sex scandal revelations. Jake had to keep the pressure up to keep Clinton from becoming the 'Comeback Kid' as he had in Jake's previous life. Melissa was going to campaign with him for all of January so that voters would see the sharp contrast between the Turners and the Clintons. Jake thought that he could hold his own against Bill Clinton but knew that Melissa would certainly shine when compared to Hillary. In a close primary where voters were undecided between him and Clinton, Melissa's popularity would surely sway voters toward him.
On December seventh, Darren Flack, special agent in charge of the FBI Field Office in Orlando, faxed his retirement packet to the district headquarters in Atlanta. The fruitless search of Billy's apartment and pickup truck had finally laid the case of Bernard Kingston to rest. Darren's request for early retirement caught the regional director by surprise. Darren was an up and comer in the Bureau, being groomed for a directorship. Flack's adroit handling of the politically sensitive Turner case had put his advancement on the fast track. The regional director called Darren to remind him of those facts.
After a fruitless fifteen-minute conversation, the director reluctantly agreed to endorse the application up the chain of command. He also approved Darren's request for terminal leave starting on December the fifteenth. In eight days, Darren would be free to move to Piney Mountain. Darren had no idea what his future would hold, but he knew he could not have a future that did not include Jo Beth Spivey.
Darren hung up the phone and leaned back in his high-backed office chair. Only eight more days and he would be forever in the arms of his big enigmatic Indian Princess. Darren bemusedly thought that the Kinks had him in mind when they sang the line in Lola that went "It's a mixed up, muddled up, shook up world".
Graciela Touque stood in front of her full-length mirror staring at her reflection in disbelief. How in the world had the Turners talked her into this? When Jake had innocently asked her if she would help him with his children's Christmas party she had never expected to end up decked out as an elf. Yet, here she stood in a green body suit, red skirt, and red pointy hat. Oh yeah, and a red vest. The vest was an addition Melissa had the seamstress add to Grace's costume to cover her rather substantial breasts. Grace went to the family room to meet with the other two elves and Santa. Mikayla Turner and her friend Brittany Holt were the other elves, but Grace did not know who was Santa. Whoever he was, he must be getting paid a fortune because someone told her over two thousand children were expected.
Jake's annual Christmas party for kids was now a weeklong carnival that encompassed kids from all over the county. It took dozens of volunteers three months to put the event together and cost Jake a bundle.
"Ah sure, and here's me oother elfin now," Santa said in a thick Irish brogue. "Coom sit on Old Nick's knee lass, ahn he'll give you a special gift."
Gracie stared at the costumed man, agog that he appeared to be a drunken letch. The other girls were giggling hysterically at the old pervert's antics, but she noticed they were staying out of his reach. There was no telling what the old reprobate had been telling the teens. Just when she was about to lay into the man, Melissa walked into the room dressed as Missus Claus, complete with granny glasses perched on her nose.
"It is almost time to go to the fire station are we all ready to go?" Melissa asked.
"Allo, an' it's the Missus herself. Well Santa's not leavin' til this new elf sits on his knee."
Melissa looked at Grace in exasperation.
"Sit on his knee, Grace, he's harmless and we need to get the show on the road."
Grace gave Melissa a weird look but gingerly sat down on the edge of the old man's knee.
"Goodness lass them is big ta-tas, coom give Santa a cuddle then," Santa said as he snaked his hand around her waist.
Grace jumped up. She was ready to lambaste the drunken fool when he said, "gotcha", in Jake Turner's voice.
"Boss?" She asked incredulously.
The Christmas holidays flew by for everyone but Mikayla. Her parents being home put a serious crimp in her love and party life. It took a lot of encouragement from Brittany and Chazz to keep her from openly rebelling against her tyrannical parents. She had only managed one quickie with Chazz in the last two weeks and was seriously Jonesin' for a gallop on his bologna pony. Thankfully, Mikayla had gotten Tiffany and Brittany involved in the children's Christmas parties, so Brittany had a valid excuse to stay over a couple of nights.
Mikayla's conquest of Tiffany Holt was moving along slowly, but it was moving along. Tiffany was unresisting now whenever Mikayla wanted to kiss her. Mikayla could also get away with some minor groping if she did not press too hard. In the vernacular of yesterday's teenagers, she was getting close to second base. Mikayla planned to up the pressure New Years Eve when she spent the night at the Holts' house. The Holts were going to be at her Aunt Maria's annual bash, and for the first time, Mikayla was going to be there also. She had laid the groundwork for having time with Tiffany by asking some of her family to spend time with Ed Holt. It was to make him feel welcome amongst them, she explained.
And so it was on the last day of the momentous year that was 1991.
It had been a roller coaster ride of highs and lows for Jake and his
family. Who could have imagined that the year coming up would put it to
shame?