Chapter 41

Sunday, Carl and Diane returned from their cruise on the Love Boat. The couple acted like any other recently married pair, they were all lovey-dovey and touchy-feely. Jake gave them both big hugs to the startlement of Carl. The girls excitedly grabbed their mom and dragged the new Mrs. McClelland into the house as Jake helped unload the car. He did not even want to imagine what the conversation was like in the house. For his part, Carl’s conversation was almost normal as he filled Jake in on the cruise. Then Carl floored him when he casually mentioned that he was giving up teaching and going into business for himself. Carl told him that after a little experimentation, both the compounds Jake had mentioned showed promise. He was going to work on them simultaneously, but focus primarily on the baldness cure as it was the simplest. Jake congratulated him and asked about funding, laboratory space, and equipment. Carl gave a rueful laugh, “That all might be a problem,” he conceded.

Once Carl and Diane had gotten their stuff into the house and Melissa had given Diane a rundown on the twin’s most excellent conduct, it was time for the older teens to head home. They had said their goodbyes in a personal way earlier, but they were all still misty eyed as they hugged each other by Jake’s car. They were barely out of the driveway and Jake was missing the little rascals already.

Jake told Muffy about his conversation with Carl. He told her that he thought Carl was on to something. It might be a good idea for Thornton and Turner Holdings to back him with some startup funding. Melissa agreed immediately. Jake’s advice was already making her money faster than she could count it. He seemed to have a knack for spotting trends and potential. The next topic of discussion was a little more delicate. Jake asked Melissa if she would hire Mitzi Walker. Melissa was not overjoyed at the prospect of having Mitzi as an employee. Then again, Jake was an exceptional judge of character so she relented. It was time to open an office for TnT anyway and they would need a secretary / receptionist. Jake drove her to Mitzi’s motel and let the women work out the details. Tomorrow was a holiday so Mitzi and Melissa were going to find suitable office space. When Jake and Melissa hit the road again, Melissa grudgingly acknowledged that Jake was right about Mitzi being a lot deeper than she appeared.

Mitzi Walker turned out to be everything Jake and Melissa could have asked for in an employee. Her big haired gum smacking was a façade, they soon learned. In reality, she was smart, efficient, and organized. She was also fiercely loyal. Once she started with TnT she stayed the course, rising to the position of Chief Operating Officer as the company grew.

Mitzi never forgot her promise to herself concerning men. In a couple of years, she found her soul mate, a gentle studious young man named Scott Hughes. Yes, she ended up married to Magoo Hughes, the computer guru. They turned out to be the perfect match. Jake had seen that and subtly nudged them together. Scott treated her as if she were the most fragile flower in the garden. While Mitzi acted as if he were Dirty Harry and Rambo rolled incongruously into a skinny, goggle-eyed package. The ultimate testament of their rightness together was the set of four children she bore him and he doted on.

Melissa and Mitzi eventually became good friends. They looked like sisters, especially when Mitzi started taking grooming and styling tips from the boss. Mitzi had invested ten grand of Randal’s hit man money in the Sterling Fund at Melissa’s urging. She was wealthy and successful in her own right by the age of thirty. She was a hero to her family in Rhode Island -- the one member of the family who had made it. The days of phone answering, filing, and typing were over. The only sucking and fucking went on under the tent of marital love with Scott.

But all that was in the future. Monday, February 21, 1972 Mitzi was riding with her new boss looking for an office, happy to have a job, and excited about her future.

Mitzi was not the only one excited that morning. Rebecca Doane was on pins and needles as she carefully dressed for her sweet young lover. She had settled on the charcoal skirt - it was short and full and matched with a soft gray cashmere sweater she knew he liked. Sexy black panties, black stockings, and brand new four inch heels completed the ensemble. The patent leather ‘fuck me pumps’ were taking some getting use to. She tottered a bit when she walked but she knew she was killer posing in them. Her assessment was confirmed when Jacob’s eyes bugged out as she flung open the door to let him in.

Jake did not have a clue of what it was that caused his heart to go pitter-pat when he saw Rebecca. But it did, big time. For some reason he took her hand and kissed it, then held it against his cheek. Rebecca made a little gasping noise and pulled him into the house. As soon as the door closed behind him, she threw her arms around his neck and laid her head against his chest.

“I’m all dressed up for you, Jacob,” she said, “Take me somewhere and show me off.”

Not quite what Jake expected but he loved the idea of showing her off. She traded the FMPs in for a pair of lower heels before taking Jake’s arm as he walked her to his car.

Jake opened the door for her and she slid gracefully into the seat.

“You aren’t afraid of being seen with me?” Jake asked.

“Never, my love,” she said.

She was good as her word because she clung to him lovingly everywhere they went that morning.

Jake went to Sterling Investments first. He had a few questions and suggestions for Marty.

Martina Sterling looked up from the novel she was reading. She knew it was unprofessional but she could not put the damned thing down. She smiled when she saw Jake. He was her good luck charm. Her business had taken off since he had become her first big client.

Rebecca caught the name of the book she was reading and smiled also. She nudged Jake inclining her head towards the book. It was ‘The Fury of Love’.

“Hi Marty, how’s the book?” Jake asked.

“You caught me. I picked it up yesterday at Books a Million. The book is spellbinding, this lady knows how to write for women,” Marty replied.

Jake grinned and said, “If you treat me nice I could probably arrange for you to meet her and get that autographed.”

Rebecca elbowed him in the ribs, then said, “Actually, I wrote it and I would love to sign it for you.”

Marty looked dubious, “You wrote this!?”

“Every page,” Rebecca said, “Look at the cover.”

Rebecca draped herself in Jake’s arms like the damsel on the cover. Marty looked down, then up at Rebecca and Jake.

“I’ll be damned,” said Marty.

Marty thought she had ceased to be amazed by her young client. Wrong again. As she was signing the book, Rebecca told Marty that she never would have had the courage to write it if it were not for Jake. Then she floored them both by saying that the book would not have any love scenes if Jake had not taught her all about sex.

Jake completed his business, and then waited while Rebecca quizzed Marty about the Sterling Fund. Rebecca liked the idea of an investment pool that relied partly on Jacob’s intuition. He seemed to have an uncanny ability to almost see the future. Before they departed, she bought four shares.

“Wow, Cakes, that’s a lot of money to be throwing around,” Jake said when they reached his car.

“That is part of the reason I wanted to go out, Jacob. I have big news. LaMonte is coming into town Wednesday. He is bringing me a check for a hundred and fifty thousand dollars and a contract for three books, one every six months. My next book is coming out in hard cover first. ‘Fury’ is already on its third printing. Isn’t that exciting?”

It was indeed. Jake grabbed her and gave her a congratulatory kiss. The book deal would allow Rebecca to resign her job at the end of the school year. She would be able help her sister with the baby and still write at home. Perfect.

They went from Sterling to the mall. They walked around holding hands. They drew a lot of looks but did not run into anyone they knew. Of course, they went to Barnes and Noble. They lurked near the new release section and watched a couple of women pick up her book. Rebecca was excited watching her novel find its audience.

The couple ate lunch and headed home. Rebecca described in detail what she wanted Jake to do to her as they rode.

Only a skilled ballerina could have done the things Rebecca did wearing those impossibly high heels. She had them on as they fucked like bunnies, her bent over the arm of the couch. She wore them when they made love so sweet it was as if they had invented it for the first time in the big bed upstairs. They were even waving in the air as Jake succumbed to her pleading and slowly took her deep in her ass as they lay face to face. The heels flew off as she thrashed about in the throes of a high-volume anal orgasm. Her screams stopped only when she fainted from the intensity.

As Rebecca was screaming her release in Palmdale, a miraculously revived Regina Mallory was screaming in terror in a white hospital bed in Orlando.

Jake brought home a copy of Rebecca’s book for Helen. Rebecca had autographed it and written a nice inscription. Helen was impressed. She was even more impressed when she started reading it. The slow build up to romance between the two main characters had her aroused by the fourth chapter. When Charles arrived home from work at six, Helen dragged him upstairs and jumped his bones. Jake was stuck with finishing dinner as Charles got an E-ticket ride in Helen’s Magic Kingdom.

Doctor Christopher Douglas called for Jake at seven. He had a big favor to ask. Jake allowed that he owed the doctor many favors and would be pleased to repay some of them. Douglas told Jake that he had a young woman patient that had awakened from a drug induced coma much the way Jake had. The problem was that the woman was babbling on about not being who they said she was. She did not have a family. They were killed in a plane crash last year. That was probably the cause of her despondency. She kept insisting that she did not belong there and was hysterical to the point of having to be tranquilized. Dr. Douglas asked Jake to come to the hospital and try to talk to the woman. Jake might be able to calm her down by relating his similar experiences. Jake was instantly alert and intrigued. He readily agreed.

Jake woke up at six Tuesday morning. He was planning an early departure to beat some of the Orlando traffic. Melissa’s plan was that he stay in bed wrapped around her, keeping her warm. The temperature was in the low forties that morning and Melissa was freezing. Melissa had nixed his electric blanket idea. She said it was his responsibility to keep her warm, not some electrical device.

Jake figured that the best way to keep her warm was to cover her. So he rolled her on her back and climbed on her. Melissa cooed and pulled the covers up over them. Jake burrowed under the covers. He was Winnie-the-Pooh looking for honey. It only took a minute or two to get her juices flowing. Once she was moist enough, he slipped her the one eyed ranger and started a slow stroke. Melissa lay there contentedly, squeezing his dick with her inner muscles as she soaked up his body heat. She loved the way her man took care of her. Then Jake stopped moving and just lay on her. The feeling of all the skin to skin contact was divine. Jake put his lips next to her ear. When he started talking her eyes snapped open.

Jake said, “Muffy, I love you more than I can ever tell you. I appreciate you and how you’ve let me have my freedom. You know you come first, don’t you?”

Jake had found the one thing that the beautiful rich girl wanted. Her legs came up around his waist and she buried her face in the crook of his neck. It was all so sweet she cried as she came. As they lay basking in the afterglow they talked about the future, refining their plans.

Melissa was going to find them a house further inland. A house big enough for the extended family they were accumulating. She also wanted a retreat on the beach. Thornton development was building a seven story condominium above the dunes near the north jetties. She would see if there were two adjoining unsold units she could combine. Eloping to Vegas just went out the window. She was going to throw the wedding of the century. She had two years and a gaggle of friends to plan it.

Jake made it to the Orlando Regional Medical Center at five till nine. It took some creative driving to make it on time. Jake took the elevator to the fifth floor. Signs identified it as the psychiatric ward. Dr. Douglas met him at the nurses’ station. They shook hands, then Douglas led him down the hall. The doctor explained that, although calmer from medication, the young woman was still in a panicked state. They stopped at a door and looked in through a high set small window. Jake was shocked at the sparsely furnished room the girl was being kept in. It was the room Nicholson had in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’.

Jake turned his attention to the woman. She was small with long dark red hair like Debbie’s. Even in her disheveled state and hospital gown she was pretty. Jake pushed open the door and walked in. The young woman looked up at him warily. Jake could tell he was not who she was expecting.

“Hello Regina, my name is Jake Turner.”

“Nina,” she said in a voice so soft he had to stain to hear, “My name is Nina.”

“Ok, Nina, that name fits you better anyway,” Jake said.

She favored him with a longer look. He was the first person in this crazy place that had acknowledged her name.

“What do you want?” she asked.

“Well, Dr. Douglas wanted me to talk to you because I went through the same thing you are going through nine months ago.”

She snorted a derisive laugh, “I sincerely doubt that,” she said, “This is like some surreal David Lynch film, I’m Sheryl Lee in ‘Twin Peaks’”.

Ding, Ding, Ding! The alarm bells went off in Jake’s head. David Lynch was the same age as Jake’s other body. In 1972 Lynch was not making commercial movies, ‘Twin Peaks’ was from the 90’s.

“I may understand better than you think. Let’s try a little test. When I say a name you don’t recognize let me know,” Jake said.

She nodded resignedly.

“Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan...” Her eyes got wider. “Bush...”

She did not let him continue.

“Who are you?” she screamed, “What are you doing to me?”

Jake calmed her down speaking soothingly to her.

“Tell me who you are first,” he said. “And I’ll tell you what I know.”

“My name is Nina Murphy, until two days ago I was a housewife and school secretary in Ormond Beach.”

Jake held up his hand to stop her. He was getting as freaked out about this as she was.

“Let me guess, you were born and raised in South Boston and you have two grown sons,” he said.

She gave him a venomous look, “I knew this was some sort of trick. My husband is behind this isn’t he? He wants to get me committed so he can have little Miss Fake Tits.”

Jake laughed, “If Arnold is behind this, he sure went to a lot of trouble to get us both here. Nina, in the time you came from I was Jay Reynolds. I built your house”.

“Now I know you are lying. Jay Reynolds is dead. I went to his funeral.”

“Exactly,” Jake said, “My body died during a thunderstorm in 2003, but my mind ended up in the body of a comatose teenager in 1971. I have a feeling that the same thing happened to you. What is your last memory before waking up here?”

“I was on my way to work driving down Granada. I heard a loud horn, then I woke up in this body.”

“Your second clue. As nice as I thought your body was before, you have to admit this is a newer model. What is almost as amazing as you being here at all is how closely you resemble the other you,” Jake said.

For the first time she laughed a little, “Well, I have a better butt now, but my breasts are smaller. Did you really think I had a nice body?”

“Oh, yeah, I had a huge crush on you,” he said.

Then he changed the subject. “So, do you want to get out of here?”

“I want to go home, to my real home.”

“That’s not going to happen right now, Nina. So let’s get you out of here first, okay?”

Jake and Nina talked for another fifteen minutes. By the time Dr. Douglas returned, she was calmer and much more rational. Nina told Douglas that she was more in control now and hoped that her memory would come back. She let him call her Regina without making a fuss. She said Nina must have been a childhood nickname or something. She said she wanted out of the hospital. Jake asked if Douglas would let her stay with his family if his parents agreed. Dr. Douglas said it was not that easy. She would need to be examined and released by a psychiatrist because of the suicide attempt. Jake nodded and asked for a few minutes alone with her.

Once the good doctor was gone, Jake told her how he himself had earlier dealt with the shrink. He told her to stick to the story of no specific memory of her Regina life without mentioning anything about Nina. Jake would be back there tomorrow afternoon with a lawyer to spring her. He held her until Dr. Douglas returned, then headed home.

Jake barely remembered the ride home down I-4. He mind was racing to catch up with the implications of Nina’s sudden appearance. Her showing up actually reinforced his theory that when his body was killed his psyche or soul or whatever you wanted to call it reached out through time and space and found a receptive space to occupy. Why some other dying person’s mind had not made the transfer probably had something to do with compatibility. Something like organ transplants, he guessed, a bad match was rejected or the connection could not even be established. There must be a very short window of time for the transfer to occur.

Now, what to do about Nina? Nina was not adapting very well to her reincarnation, that was for sure. She wanted to go back but Jake was positive it was a one way trip. Time enough for working on that problem after he got her out of the rubber room.

When Jake arrived back at his house, he laid a heavily edited version of Regina’s plight out for Helen. Helen made sympathetic noises and said of course they would help the poor girl. She called Charles and asked him pro forma. Jake knew the matter was already settled the minute she had said yes. Charles was actually all for it. Anything to get the thought of having another child out of Helen’s mind was a blessing as far as he was concerned.

Helen called Maria to find out what had to be done. Maria called Barry Miller to see what he could accomplish. Barry called his counterpart in Orange County and asked for some professional courtesy. By eleven o’clock the following morning a court order assigning temporary guardianship of Regina Mallory to Charles and Helen Turner was signed, filed and waiting at the hospital for Helen and Jake.

Wednesday, Jake begged out of baseball practice. At four, Helen, Maria, Erika, and Jake were at the nurse’s station, court order in hand. Bringing Erika along was a spur of the moment decision on Jake’s part. Something just told him that she was the person that would relate to Nina better than anyone else. Jake did not know how he knew this but his instincts were so good in this life he did not doubt it for a nanosecond. Funny, thought Jake, this second time around all those typical teenage jitters, uncertainties, and miserable cloudy thinking simply did not exist. He was almost effortlessly satisfied and yet driving his new life to some broader horizon of happiness for himself and an expanding circle of close family. Maybe Nina would snap out of her panic when she was out of the hospital environment. There was some wrangling between Dr. Douglas and Maria over appointments and consultations, but finally Douglas reluctantly signed the release order.