Chapter 5

The situation had apparently degenerated even further by the time I finished thinking and came downstairs. Andrea was sitting in an easy chair pretending to read a magazine, while Sue had her arm around a teary-eyed Gail on the couch. Julie and Shelly were clearing the table, and Karen looked like she too was about to cry.

"So who ordered a stripper?" I said loudly.

"I think everybody's already seen the show," Andrea huffed, shooting a dirty look at Shelly.

"Well, everybody else," I said. I glanced over and saw that Sue was horrified. I knew what she was thinking: this was helping? "And I've seen all of you. All of all of you."

I'd gotten their attention with that. They were all looking at Andrea.

"I think I'd remember that," she said, flipping a page.

"Probably not," I said. "But I certainly remember it. I remember the cute little tattoo you have on your butt."

Andrea's jaw dropped open.

"How do you know —" she began.

"And I remember that at least when you were younger, you had to wear a special piece of cotton in your bra to keep your nipples from constantly popping up, particularly your left breast which is oddly more sensitive than your right."

Her hands dropped down to cover up her breasts, as if I was staring at them. I wasn't, though. I was staring directly into her eyes as I approached her and knelt at her feet. I lowered my voice so that she alone could hear me.

"And I remember how you liked to have somebody take that left nipple in his mouth when you have him inside you."

"How are you doing this?" she whispered.

"Because I have seen you," I said, caressing her face. "I do know you. Are you really upset with Shelly?"

"Yes," she whispered. "No. Oh, I don't know."

"Do you think you're less attractive than Shelly because she went out with that Steve guy?" I said.

"It's just..." she continued.

"You worry that you're more boring, plainer, don't you?" I said.

"Yes," she hissed.

"And now you're worried that even your new stepdaughter's more adventurous than you, don't you?"

She just stared at me.

I smiled at her.

"Far from it," I said. "You are one of the hottest, sexiest babes that I know. Shall I prove it to you?"

She looked around nervously.

"Jason," she swallowed, continuing softly. "If you'd approached me last year... "

Oh yeah, right. Like that would have happened.

"No, no," I smiled. "I know you're getting married next week. I know your new stepdaughter's here. Trust me, okay? Andy?"

She swallowed again, before whispering, "Okay."

I stood up and backed up so that everyone could see me.

"All right, ladies," I announced. "Now it's time for tonight's entertainment. First, though, I need an assistant. And I believe I will select..."

I made a pretense of scanning the room, noting in particular Karen's suspicious look.

"... Julie!"

I took the brunette by the hand and led her upstairs, where I sat her down on my bed and sat down next to her.

"How could you have seen Andy when she doesn't remember it?" she asked.

I cocked my head at her.

"The doll!" she finally exclaimed.

I stood up and walked to the closet.

"You have two!" she said as I pulled them out. "Do they both work the same way?"

I nodded.

"So here's what I want you to do," I said.

Ten minutes later, I walked downstairs and immediately had the ladies' attention.

"First of all, I want to tell you a story," I said. "About a boy, sixteen years old, who one day found two dolls in his attic."

Karen gasped.

"Jason, are you sure?" she said.

"You already know," I said. "Julie already knows. It's my understanding that Sue already knows."

Now it was Karen's turn to blush. Sue had a big smile.

"I'm sure that we can count on our three other best friends here to keep our secret," I winked.

Actually, I wasn't sure of any such thing. Not for that reason, at least. They were women, right? But, seriously, what could they do with the knowledge? Tell somebody else? Hah! Try it, girls. It's hard enough when you actually have the dolls.

Karen just smiled back at me as I scanned the puzzled looks on Gail's, Andrea's, and Shelly's faces.

"They were magical dolls," I continued. "And he could turn them into any woman he wanted to."

All three women had crossed their arms over their chests. I had crossed the line into unbelievability.

"For example," I said, "he could turn a doll into his mom's friend, Mrs. Johnson, and learn that stockings make her feel incredibly sexy."

"Oh my God," Shelly exclaimed, her hand over her mouth.

"Or he could turn a doll into his teacher, Ms. Dodge, and learn that she might need to be invited over for Thanksgiving dinner."

"Oh my God."

Now it was Gail's turn to put her hand over her mouth.

"Or he could just have a little fun," I grinned. "Julie?"

Julie came downstairs followed by my two eighteen-year-old college girls, Shelly Havelmeyer and Andrea Hanson, dressed exactly as they had been the night before Thanksgiving during their first semester of college.

"Oh my God," Andrea said, as the last of the skeptics fell. Shelly got up from the table and sat at Andrea's feet.

"Shit, that's really us," she whispered.

"If you girls wouldn't mind giving us the couch," Julie suggested to Sue and Gail, who quickly scrambled to find seats on the floor. "All right? Showtime!"

I'd had Julie summon the dolls to avoid the whole "master" business, which might interfere with my plan of giving Andrea and Shelly a sneak peek at what might have happened that night seventeen years ago. 'Showtime' was her code word for action, and the two girls started in immediately. As Julie had instructed, the two girls were oblivious to anyone else in the room.

"I can't believe he gave an exam the day before break," Shelly said. "When we come back the final's only three weeks away. How'd you do on the paper anyway?"

"A-minus," Andrea said. "You?"

"B-plus," Shelly said. "Smart ass."

The real women grinned at each other.

"So we have a whole night here until we head home tomorrow," Andrea said. "What shall we do?"

"Let's start with that bottle of champagne we've been saving," Shelly said eagerly.

Fortunately, I checked; we did have a bottle of champagne in the refrigerator. Shelly returned with two glasses and filled them. Literally. And then they started gossiping about the other girls in their classes.

"So," Karen turned to the real women, "how much did you two have to drink 'til you got up enough courage to make the call?"

Andrea laughed.

"This was my first champagne," she said. "I'd say about one more sip."

The younger version suddenly put down her glass and leaned in to her roommate.

"Guess what I've got," she asked.

"A vibrator?" Shelly offered as we howled in laughter.

"Guess what else."

We laughed again.

"Steve Riley's telephone number," Andy announced, pulling a slip of paper out of her back pocket.

Shelly smiled.

"He's probably already gone home," she said, taking another sip.

"Nope," Andy said. "I know the girl who's giving him a ride. They don't leave until tomorrow morning at seven o'clock."

"Shit," Shelly hiccupped. "Are you gonna call him?"

"Yup," Andrea said. "Think he can handle both of us?"

We all looked at the real Shelly and Andrea, who were both looking at the floor.