Chapter 4: The Girls’ Stories

Jon’s perspective

Jane started to make herself busy, filling a pot with water and putting it on the stove. She went to the cupboard to get some pasta while I started with the coffee.

The other girls sat on the stools on the opposite side of the Island. “So whose turn is it now?” I asked. “Remember warts and all, no holding back.”

They looked at each other and Genja started, “Genja Nilsson, 27 years old. Born in Malmö, Sweden, but have lived here for the last ten years. I have a brother and sister living with my parents back in Sweden. Had a very happy childhood and was a pretty good swimmer when I was a teenager ... When I was seventeen, I came to the US as an exchange student and attended Houston High School as a senior. I loved it here and soon found it felt like home.

“I started dating Brian Jones the quarterback at the University of Memphis. We met when my host family brought me with them to a Habitat for Humanity build. You may know him, he’s the backup quarterback for the Steelers now. After I graduated high school, I thought I knew everything. So as an impulsive eighteen-year-old, I took a road trip with Brian to Vegas and we got married. It was the biggest mistake of my life.

“After I won four individual events at the state championships my senior year of high school, a lot of colleges recruited me. Since I was with Brian, I followed him to Memphis. We stayed together for eleven months while we went to college. Turned out, we hadn’t really experienced life and we were too young to get married. So, we decided to split up and live our own lives for the next two years. I had completed my degree in Economics and, well, Brian had been quite a success at Football.” She started to giggle, “And that’s when Brian gave me the biggest break of my life.”

She looked at all of us, internally making a decision, before she continued. “You see, Brian was the third round draft pick for Denver and that created a lot of excitement back home in his native Charleston. It turns out that a reporter from local paper was doing a bio of Brian, and in his investigation he somehow was able to get some very personal pictures of Brian, entertaining a quite strapping black Guy! It turns out that Brian had developed a liking for the same gender as I appreciate.”

“No! I can’t believe it, Brian Jones is gay?” Claire squealed.

“Well, I’m not sure about gay. Maybe bi. We didn’t have any problems when we were together. Anyway this reporter got in touch with me as his ‘wife’, not realising that was only true on paper. We had continued to live together but lived very separate lives. He was more like a brother by this time, and I didn’t really know him. But he still meant a lot to me. Brian came from old money, and his parents were loaded, so I guess the reporter thought he could get a large payday.

“Anyway, after the draft, Brian went to Denver and for whatever reason, he didn’t have a cell phone yet. I didn’t have any way of contacting him. I wasn’t close to his parents, due to the way we got married, and they blamed me for all of it. But they were the only people I knew that would be able to contact him. Well, they refused to give me the contact number they had without knowing, specifically, why I needed to speak to him. So, I took great pleasure in giving his mother a no holds barred explanation! God, the pleasure I felt in that call was unbelievable. That bitch had always looked down on me, and to hear her splutter and squirm was wonderful. Anyway, they obviously took care of the reporter, and got all the pictures, except the copies the reporter sent me. So half a million dollars and a quick quiet divorce, all organized by the gorgeous Fiona Wright, and I was able to start my life again. I still have a copy of the pics, but let’s keep that to ourselves.” She finished with a mischievous grin.

“Well that’s quite a story,” Jon said, passing coffee around. “So, the juicy bits are missing from that tale of your life.”

They were all laughing. Genja continued, “Typical guy, some great gossip, and all you want to hear about is the sex! Well Brian was by no means my first. I may have only been seventeen when I met him but I’m Swedish and we are very much more liberal in our thinking. My cherry went when I was fourteen, to a sweet boy named Lars, in my bed, on a Saturday afternoon, while my mum and dad were nearby in the kitchen.”

“What? You’re kidding. No way!” Fiona screamed, obviously shocked.

“Yes way. In fact, I had to shout for my mom when we had finished, as I was feeling some pain and there seemed to be a lot of blood. We Swedes are brought up to not put a stigma on sex and sexuality. We are schooled to be safe, secure, and open about such things. My mother put me on the pill when I had my first menstrual cycle. Did you know, Sweden has the lowest rates of sexual crime or unwanted pregnancies in the world and it’s all due to our education.”

“It’s something I’m wholeheartedly in agreement with,” I added, sharing my thoughts with them. “The US and the UK could learn a lot from the Scandinavian model on this subject. Although, I’m biased on the subject, as my mother was born and brought up close to Stockholm. It’s also true that marriage doesn’t hold the same importance to Scandinavian’s, meaning they have some of the lowest divorce rates in the western world.”

“Everyone ready for food?” Jane said starting to fill bowls with the freshly made pasta. “Shall we just sit here to eat?”

We all agreed and started to devour the lovely meal that Jane had put together in less than fifteen minutes.

“Well I suppose it’s my turn,” the beautiful redhead started. “I’m afraid that it doesn’t have all the love and support that you two had.” She paused to gather herself and continued, “So, I’m Fiona Wright but I was born Fiona Price, 31 years old.”

“Wait, Price? Were you married before?” Genja questioned.

“Patience, I’ll get there. So, 31 years old, born and raised in Flagstaff, Arizona. My father was the town mayor and my mother was the president of more committees than I can remember. I was brought up to be seen, but definitely not heard.” She paused, then continued, “That changed two days after my twelfth birthday when I was abducted and raped repeatedly by two guys, that just happened to be passing through Flagstaff.”

“Oh my God! You don’t have to say anymore Fiona, if you don’t want to,” Jane said. Genja was starting to weep quietly, and Claire covered her face with her hands.

I went and wrapped my arms around Fiona, she melted against my chest. “No, I want to talk about this. I have kept this inside me for nearly twenty years,” Fiona continued. She steadied herself but stayed in my arms. I could tell, she was taking great comfort from my hold. “After they abused me for two hours, they let me go. When I got home, I didn’t say anything to my folks. I actually got a whipping from dad for getting home three hours late!

“After a couple months my mom asked about my period. When I told her it had been nearly three months, she got nervous and took me to the doctors. She told us that I was pregnant. My dad went berserk and insisted that I tell him who the father was. He didn’t believe me when I told him what happened. I had hidden my panties from that day, since they were covered in cum. I didn’t want my mom to find them when she did the laundry. So, I gave them to my father to get them tested. Even after he got them tested and proved that what I said was true, he still blamed me for ruining his reputation. Within a week, they had arranged to send me to a home in Oklahoma City that helped pregnant teenagers. That was the last time I ever saw my father. I saw my mother once more, a week after my son, Conner, was born. Since then, I have never seen my parents.

“I raised Connor with the help of the volunteers that run the home, allowing me to get a good education. When I graduated from Oklahoma State, the first thing I did was change Connor and my surname to Wright. I was able to get a scholarship to Memphis law, part of University of Memphis. I had to make the decision to leave Connor at the home, but he was happy and was getting all the support I could dream of giving him. I used to go back every spare day I could, just to show him how much I loved him.

“After law school, I got a job at a firm in Little Rock. After I passed the bar, I was making enough to buy a condo that I hoped was big enough for us both to live in. By that time Connor was a young teenager and had his friends and support network in Oklahoma. if I had moved Connor from all that love, it would have been like doing what my parents did to me all over again. So, I left him where he called home.” Fiona was openly crying now, clinging to me as she leaned on me for support. “I still don’t know what was worse, the rape or the rejection by my parents. What I do know is that I was a victim twice and I was only twelve!”

Genja, Claire and Jane all came over and gave Fiona a tight hug. I let go and went to refill my coffee. “Hey, who said you could you stop holding me! You’re the first man that has held me in nineteen years...” Fiona started, with a smile appearing where the tears had fallen.

“Fiona Wright, you lying bitch!” Genja cut her off laughing. “Two weeks ago I saw when you had some handsome guy give you a very nice cuddle!”

“Maybe,” she added, shyly. “but he didn’t hug as nicely as Jon does.” That caused all the girls to erupt in laughter. “Well to the juicy bits, as you like to say, Jon, there are none! I haven’t been able to get close enough to another man to allow them to get past second base. There have been some nice guys. But it’s me. I’m just not comfortable enough to go any further. God, I have never felt comfortable enough to share what I just did with you guys!”

“Well that’s the first time I’ve heard the story, and I’ve lived with you for six years. I thought Connor was an old boyfriend that you used to visit. I didn’t realise he was your son!” Genja exclaimed.

“I’m sorry Gen. I should have trusted you enough to tell you the truth. But I just didn’t know where to start?” Fiona added, seeing the hurt in Genja eyes.

“Do you want to know what your parents are doing now?” I asked.

Fiona stopped and looked at me wide eyed. She asked, “How would you know what they’re doing and where they are?”

“I don’t. But we could most probably find out in approximately thirty seconds, if you did want to know,” I answered. It was time to reveal another one of my secrets. This felt like a good opportunity.

“Well that’s a pretty bold statement,” Fiona replied. “Ok, go for it.”

Jane stared at me. “Are you sure Jon?”

I just smiled back at Jane. These girls had opened me up and opened up to me. We had started to trust one another. Apart from my family and Jane, I had never felt this close to anyone.

“Computer, full family background on Fiona Wright, nee Price, from Flagstaff, Arizona,” I called out.

Almost instantly the computer started to relay facts, “Born September thirtieth to Drew and Caitlyn Price. One sister, Sara, age seventeen. Born January twelfth. Caitlyn, forty-eight, no record of employment. Drew passed away seven years ago from gunshot wounds. No suspect ever caught. Case still open, but not actively being pursued.”

Fiona was wide eyed “I have a sister?”

While Fiona expressed her surprise at this new family information, the computer continued, “Caitlyn and Sara are presently at a motel on the outskirts of Memphis, where they have spent every weekend and holiday for the last four years and three months. Previously they had a repeat booking at a Motel just outside Oklahoma City starting the weekend following Drew’s passing. Going through the social media postings, it’s seems that they are on a mission to find Fiona Price. Financially, there is income from a pension and insurance payments. The family home is presently listed with a local real estate agent as is a second property in Newport, Oregon.”

“What! She has been looking for me for seven years?” Fiona was gasping for breath. “How did that just happen? How could you find out that much information so quickly? What is that damn computer?”

“That ‘damn computer’, as you put it is an AI that I developed. When I was at Oxford I stumbled on the ability to create bio computing.” I swallowed hard, I knew that I had already given too much information, but it was too late to stop now. “I gave a computer a brain. It can see, hear and develop thoughts. In fact, the only thing it can’t do is taste. Because, if I gave it robotic limbs, it could touch. It also has feelings, and learning empathy is its latest task.”