Chapter 9

ALICIA & GREG

“Thanks for inviting us,” Alicia told the management team at the weekly staff meeting. “I guess what I want to suggest is pretty radical, but I think it can be important.

“In talking with Chad, he really wants to try to help other men in his situation. He mentioned he wanted ‘before’ pictures that he could show husbands who were reluctant. Naturally, I thought of the women’s progress pictures.

“Obviously, we could have Mark do the pictures anywhere, but how about this. We take Chad, or any new husband, over to the main Tee. Nude. It would be a time when the women could wear robes, but I have a felling most would not bother. OK, how slippery is that slope?” She ended with a grin. Most of the staff ended with gaping jaws.

Greg followed up immediately. “You all know what we plan for the open area. From talking with the Tee women, we believe most of them will be in the open area as often as they are allowed. We think the same arguments about the benefits to the kids of having committed naked husbands around will apply to the Tee women, as well.”

In an uncharacteristic move, Julia ordered “This meeting is suspended. I’m taking these two over to the Tee. When we reconvene, we will have data on the women’s reactions.” She motioned for Alicia, Greg, and Caroline to stay.

“Let’s just do it and measure the reactions afterwards,” Julia suggested. She immediately asked Caroline to call Chad to see when he could return, not telling him why.

Hanging up, Caroline told the others “He will be here in an hour.”

Julia instructed “You two go and tell the women what is going on and give them the option of wearing a robe, staying in their rooms, or just going on as normal. Meet Chad when he arrives and escort him over there. Caroline and I will hover, then we will do some interviews afterwords.”

“What do you think about having Chad stay around and exchange stories?” Greg asked.

Julia actually slapped her forehead and exclaimed. “Talk about missing the obvious! We ALWAYS exchange stories whenever possible. Absolutely!”

When Chad had arrived and stripped, Alicia told him what was in store. “Why?” was his response.

“You actually mentioned ‘before’ pictures,” she reminded Chad, “and we have an excellent setup for pictures to track progress at the Tee. Why not use that? Also, remember that you are kind of a guinea pig. We have had male employees spend some time nude at the Tee to speed their comfort level with being nude. We want to test the women’s reaction to naked males who are essentially ‘clients’ just like them.”

“How do you think they will react?”

“I doubt if even five of the twenty will either wear robes or stay in their rooms,” Alicia predicted.

“Hmmm. What do you think wives of the husbands will think of this idea?” Chad questioned.

“Let me answer that one,” Greg offered. “In Transformations experience, wives are much less concerned about their spouse’s exposure than are husbands. Of course, there are notable exceptions among husbands, but they are exceptions.”

“And because the staff spends nude time, it should be nothing new to husbands of the Tee women, right?” Chad observed.

By that time, they were entering the Tee. When Chad had been introduced to eighteen women, only two robed, he joked with Alicia “May I consult you for advice on the direction of the market?”

His first photo session was no more enjoyable for Chad than it was for most of the women. The speedo type suit that substituted for the women’s bikinis was particularly embarrassing.

Chad ended up staying for dinner because the sharing of stories took so long. He met two additional robed women, but the two who had originally worn robes shed them. When he left, he had many promises to see him in the open section and meet Allison.

It was Greg who threw out the first questions at the management meeting the next day. “After what happened with Chad in the Tee yesterday, I have to at least ask a couple of questions. “Why have the men work out at Lindsey’s rather than at the Tee. Beyond that, why not have them work out at Rejuve. Now, I think I know the answers.”

“Well, Greg, what do you think the answers are, then?” Julia challenged.

“I guess the answer about Rejuve is easier. Wives of the men would lose some of the effect of the unique female society that we hope will develop - like it has at the Tee. Also, it would introduce another difference between the clients. Having some leave for work every day poses enough of a danger in that respect. As far as the Tee, I think ‘Don’t mess with success’ is the important principle. I would suggest that having the men there for pictures is a beneficial interruption, but having them work out there daily would take too much from the Tee’s magic. Maybe the biggest reason, though, is the anticipated effect of ‘good dads’ on the Lindsey’s kids.”

“That’s well thought out, Greg,” Julia complimented, “but I am concerned that even the picture sessions may be too disruptive. I think that for a while, at least, we need to protect the isolation of the Tee. We let the women visit Lindsey’s and we will be letting them visit the open section. But let’s keep any male presence ‘inside’ to employees or trainees.”

KELLY

Kelly Hamilton just put her head back against the battered headrest of her wobbly front seat and let the tears flow. The officer looked at her sympathetically for a moment, then started to walk away. The wreck of a car had almost no muffler. There was no way he could have ignored it.

Back in his patrol, as he was entering the stop on his in-car computer, he saw the brochure that had been given to all cars just a few days earlier. Seeing that the young woman had not yet moved off, he took the brochure and hurried up to the decrepit vehicle. He moved in front of the passenger door so he would not startle her too badly and rapped softly on the window. Looking weary and concerned, she rolled the window down part way.

“Ma’am, I don’t want to insult you or anything, but you look like you could use a hand. If this doesn’t apply to you, I apologize, but take a look at it.”

“Th ... thank you, Officer.” She could not sit there any longer. She was already pushing the tolerance of her daycare person. The woman, who took in pre-schoolers in her home, was a dear, but she had her limits. Even though less expensive than the institutional day cares, the woman still absorbed a major portion of Kelly’s meager wages from the discount store.

Even through the ever-present exhaustion, the greeting from her two-and-a-half-year-old Colin always gave her a boost. How such a treasure could come from the seed of such a colossal disappointment as her former fiance was something she would probably ponder for her whole life.

“Dolores, can I make a phone call. My card ran out, and I just can’t afford another one. You know I had to give up the phone at the apartment.”

“Sure, Honey. Something bad happen?”

“I got my car tagged for no muffler. In thirty days, I’ll be in even worse trouble. I just can’t afford a muffler. Besides, that junker isn’t worth spending anything on. The cop was nice. He gave me this.” She held out the brochure about Jennie’s. “I only read a little bit, but I sure need help.”

When a woman answered the phone at the 800 number on the brochure, Kelly said “Can you tell me more about the place?”

“First, Ma’am, where are you calling from?” When she learned that Kelly was calling from in town, she asked “Do you have transportation?”

“Not for long, but yes,” Kelly answered.

“Do you have any commitments this evening?”

“Not really. I have to get my little boy to bed, is all.”

“Come on out here for dinner. It’s free, and your baby will be taken good care of. You can find out all about Jennie’s. Will you come?”

“That’s a ways from here and I barely have enough gas for the rest of the week.”

“You will leave with a full tank. I promise,” the woman told Kelly. “Oh, wait. Hold the line just a minute.” When the woman came back on the line she said “If you trust us with your name and address, someone will pick you up in thirty minutes. Do you want to do that?”

“Can I still bring my baby?”

“Certainly. There are already seven children here under five, and we have only been open one month. What is your address so I can get the van on the way. Oh, there is a baby car seat installed. Two, actually.”

“Wow! This is ... this is...” With a catch in her breath, Kelly gave her address, then answered a few other questions.

“Look for a white mini-van. A young woman named Missy will be driving.”

“Do you work at Jennie’s?” Kelly asked the girl when she had Colin safely in the infant seat.

“No, I live at Lindsey’s which is in the same complex.” Missy gave a ten-minute short summary of what Lindsey’s was. “You will actually be eating with us at Lindsey’s. Then someone will tell you all about Jennie’s. Do you know Jenny Ballard’s story?”

“I ... I’ve probably heard it somewhere, but I don’t follow country music.”

“That’s OK, there will be a video about her, too. It’s an excellent presentation.”

Over a very good dinner, with Colin happily spirited away by some eager teens, Kelly was introduced to Joyce and Ben Ormond, the resident managers of Jennie’s.

After dinner, they took her into another section of the complex that was empty. A TV was all set up with informational videos about Jennie’s. After watching for about forty minutes, Kelly had plenty of questions.

“It really won’t cost me anything?”

“That’s right. Jenny has made a fortune, and she wants to use it to help women who are where she once was. She was lucky, and she knows that. She also knows there are millions of women who are not so lucky.”

“And you’ll help me get ready for a job?”

“Yes. As you heard, there will be good jobs waiting.”

“How long can I stay?”

“We have not set a time limit. Jennie and some other donors are considering an apartment complex on the grounds where you can move once you have income. It will be designed specifically for single mothers.”

After another fifteen minutes of more questions, Kelly said “This all sounds too good to be true. There must be a catch.”

“It’s not a catch, Honey. We just didn’t want to tell you this until you had all of the important information. Jennie’s is a part of the Transformations complex.”

“Trans ... Oh, no! I’ve been through all this, got my hopes way up, and now you tell me I have to be naked! That’s ... that’s...”

Joyce and Ben did not even bother to respond. Ben just pushed a button and two naked young women walked in. One was nursing an infant girl. The naked women came up to Joyce and Ben and hugged them warmly. One turned to Kelly and said “These are the people I wish my parents would have been like.”

To Joyce and Ben, she said “We’ll take it from here,” and the Ormonds went out the door.”

“I’m Monica, and this is Sarah with baby Carter. Kelly, take off your clothes and we’ll talk in the hot tub over there.”

“T ... take off ... I haven’t decided to come here. I can’t do it!”

“Look, you’re about to pass up the first good thing that’s happened to you in a long time, maybe in your life. You’re going to make that decision without all the important information. You think that being naked is something horrible. Give it at least this much of a chance.”

The persuasion went on for another ten minutes, but Kelly finally gave in. Once in the tub, the other women told their stories. The several similarities to her own life really impressed Kelly, despite her upset about her nakedness.

Her questions started to take on a tone of desperation. She wanted the chance. The others could tell. She just had to get over the big problem.

When she thought the time was right, Sarah got out and picked up a nearby phone. “Randy, would you come in here and take Carter for me? We need to talk some more.”

“Is Randy a girl?” Kelly asked nervously.

“No. Oh, sorry. Just stay down in the water and he won’t see anything.”

Kelly’s eyes almost bugged out when Randy walked in, took Carter in one arm, and hugged Sarah with the other. Kelly gasped at Randy’s contact with the naked woman.

When she sat back in the tub, Sarah said “Those kids are unbelievable. They’ve all come from really rough situations, but with the help of Lindsey’s, they’ve gotten over it.”

“You trust your daughter with a ... a high school boy?” Kelly asked in amazement.

“Completely. They’ve had great child care training. My biggest problem with Randy and the other guys is that I want to take them to bed so badly I can hardly stand it.”

“That would get you kicked out in a hurry, huh?”

“No, it wouldn’t. I don’t do it because I don’t think it’s the best thing for the boys right now. The most amazing thing about everything around here is the respect. Everyone honestly watches out for everyone else.”

“It just seems that when you have to be naked, that’s ... insulting?”

“Not at all, Kelly. Do you honestly want to come here?” Monica was asking.

“Oh, it sound marvelous, except...”

“Yeah. It seems like the big thing, but it really doesn’t matter.” This time, Monica got out of the tub to call. “Joyce, come on in.”

But it was not just Joyce who walked in. It was Joyce, Ben, and Randy, and they were naked. Kelly shrieked and sank as low as she could in the tub. It was Randy who sat on the edge of the tub and talked to her. “I’m a pretty new member of the staff at Jennie’s, and I’m still in high school, Kelly. I would only be with you outside of school hours.

“One of the policies at Jennie’s is that the male staff use the pool and hot tub regularly. Those places are nude only. We think it is a sign of respect to you women that we bare ourselves sometimes, too.

“There’s more I could say - a lot more, but it doesn’t matter. You need Jennie’s. Your little boy needs Jennie’s. Stand up and show us your bare body. Once you have done that, the hardest part is over. Then, you can move in and start changing your life.”

It had quickly been discovered that Randy had an unexpectedly smooth, persuasive speaking style. His growth spurt was beginning, but he still appeared to be younger than his words would indicate. Like a couple of other women before her, he won Kelly over. As if she was afraid she would change her mind, she practically jumped to her feet. Everyone froze in place for a moment, then Monica and Sarah charged her and hugged and jabbered in delight.

“Kelly, Honey,” Joyce said. “Why don’t you just go in right now. We can take care of everything at your apartment for you. If you feel bad about just abandoning your job, we can arrange a temp. We’ll at least send someone to talk to your supervisor.”

“You mean ... you mean ... it’s over?” Kelly said incredulously.

They had all heard similar expressions before. They knew that she was talking about her desperate, seemingly hopeless struggle to scratch out a life for herself and her baby. She was talking about her years of struggling alone, with no one that she could truly depend on. She meant the constant need to watch out for the scumbags who were always waiting to prey on her.

JAY

Jay did not know what he would do without the college rec center to work off his frustrations. Oh, he still ran, and that helped, too, but ‘pumping iron’ and working the bag had become almost like an addiction to him.