Michael Bk. 01 Ch. 07: Experimentation

Both Lisa and Michael looked up with open mouths to see Jessica, the girl they had met while buying clothes the previous day, standing right in front of them, accompanied by a long-legged, tailless blue-healer dog. Jessica had a wide smile on her face as the dog settled into a sitting position beside her leg.

"I'm sorry," Jessica said. "I didn't mean to intrude into what was obviously a private conversation. I would normally have walked by without saying anything but then I saw it was my two favourite customers and couldn't miss the opportunity of catching up with you. I stopped when I saw Lisa rolling around on the blanket in fits of laughter. It was only when I heard the reference to butt-plugs that I realised I should have kept walking. But it was too late. I had already stopped. I am embarrassed and I've embarrassed the both of you. I apologise. I'll catch up with you some other time."

"No, don't go," Michael said. He didn't know why. "Why don't you join us?"

"Yes," said Lisa. "Can we offer you a sandwich or a drink? We have coffee, juice or water."

"Water would be fine, thanks," Jessica said, joining them on the blanket. Without command, the dog laid down beside her, but on the grass rather than on the blanket.

"What a well-behaved dog," Lisa said. "I always wanted a dog but my husband refused to allow us to have one. In hindsight, that was probably a good decision. I know he wouldn't have bothered training it and it would have ended up being just another piece of flotsam in his life to be ignored and discarded."

"Yes," Jessica said," taking on ownership of a dog is a big responsibility; particularly a working dog like Digger, here." At the sound of his name, the dog's ears pricked up and he lifted his head from his paws. He looked at Jessica to see if there was something she needed him to do. When she smiled at him, he lowered his head back down onto his paws and closed his eyes. His ears stayed alert, however. It was easily seen that the dog's sole purpose in life was to protect and please his mistress.

"When I started transitioning from male to female," Jessica explained, "I copped a lot of flak. My parents didn't understand my predicament and, like most people, thought it was a sexual thing. I couldn't seem to get it through their heads that it had nothing to do with me being a homosexual but it had everything to do with my being in the wrong body. I was a girl stuck in a boy's body.

"Two years ago, I left my home-town and moved here to start my business. Buttongrass Boutique was an idea I had been carting around with me since I left school -- probably even before that, truth be known -- but I was never going to be able to get it off the ground in the town in which I had grown up. My family was too well known and I would be an embarrassment to them. They didn't mind me pursuing my business plans -- my father actually thought it was a good one -- just so long as I did it somewhere else. They even offered to put up the start-up capital, just so long as I used it somewhere where any link between them and me was unknown.

"I looked around and found that there was an opening for my type of business in this area. But once it became know that I was a transgender person, I started to receive threats -- both to myself and my business; mostly from people who, like my parents assumed that I was a homosexual predator looking for a way to entice young people into my world. When the threats started getting personal I went back out to my old town and looked up a friend who breeds these Stumpy-tailed Blue Healers. The Blue Healer is inherently a fiercely loyal animal, which is very protective of its owner. The stumpy tail is a natural genetic trait of the slightly larger and longer-legged English Smithfield, also a very intelligent, protective and loyal dog. Both breeds are highly trainable and their natural aggressiveness makes them good with both cattle and as protectors.

"Digger has proved himself a couple of times when the situation has warranted it. One of the things I have trained him to do is ignore food and treats offered by anyone but me or one of my closest friends. That has saved his life twice when those who wanted to get to me tried to poison him by throwing food into our yard. Nobody has tried anything for more than a year now so hopefully, the pressure is off."

"Wow," said Michael, "I didn't know things were that bad; and I've lived here all my life. Sure, I've had a few problems at school but nothing like you're talking about."

"It might not be an entirely local thing in my case, Jessica said. "I have a feeling that I might have brought some of it with me. I have no idea why. But I'm fairly sure that whatever has been happening has its genesis back there.

"Enough of my problems, though," she said, looking at Michael. "I recognised you as a fellow traveller as soon as you walked into my shop yesterday. You looked like someone who has been walking around with the weight of the world on your shoulders but has suddenly had them lifted off you and set aside."

"You are very perceptive for such a young person," Lisa said. "That's exactly what had happened. Up until the previous afternoon, Michael hadn't a friend in the world. Then, suddenly, there was a shift in the planet's axis and he found that not only did he have a friend he found love.

"Then, yesterday, he found he had another friend, someone who understood exactly what he has been going through. Your kindness, Jessica, turned both our worlds around and set both Michael and me on a whole new path.

"By the way, thank you for your referral to Angela. I think we might also have found another friend in her; which, I guess, brings us to the butt-plug business you heard. I was chiding Michael for making me laugh as it appears to have stirred up a bit of excitement. This is the first time either of us ventured out while wearing plugs. It's all a new experience."

"I always wear one when I go out walking," Jessica said. "I love the stimulation it gives me. The danger comes when you sit down. There is a huge temptation to start rocking on the thing to bring on an anal orgasm. That can be a bit of a problem for me as I still have all my male parts so I not only get a full-blown erection, I also come all over the place.

"The tits are real, though. I've had all the hormone treatment and the hair removal procedures. I just haven't been able to afford the final step. And, of course, I'm going to have to foot the bill for that one myself. It's not something I even want to raise with my parents; no pun intended."

"You are a very beautiful young woman, Jessica," Lisa said. "I don't think I would have picked you for being transitional. If you were that beautiful when you were a boy, I don't wonder that you were bullied and abused."

"Unfortunately, I was a very feminine boy, Lisa. Of course, that meant I was labelled as a homosexual. I was not only the target of the macho boys, though. I also became a target for every gay man and boy in the area."

"It's starting to get a bit chilly," Lisa said. "Why don't we pack up here and move the discussion to our place. Michael and I had talked about inviting you around in the near future. Meeting you here is kismet. Why wait until another time?"

"Truth be told," said Jessica, "I was trying to think of an excuse to get back in contact with you both. As you say, it is kismet. I'd be pleased to come around. I've got your address in my phone so I'll drop Digger off at home and get changed. Is there anything you want me to bring?"

"Only some wine, if you prefer anything other than Chardonnay. Unfortunately, that's all I have in the fridge: Chardonnay and soft drink."

"Okay, I'll be around at about five o'clock, if that's okay?"

"Perfect," responded, Lisa, as she started to pack up their picnic things. "We'll look forward to seeing you then."

Michael and Lisa watched Jessica as she followed the path towards the carpark.

"What a strange coincidence," said Michael, as he folded the blanket and lifted the basket and cooler.

"Yes," said Lisa. "There have been a number of strange things happen since your stars aligned on Friday."

Ignoring their earlier agreement not to display any affection towards each other in public, the two of them walked hand in hand back to their car.

Continues Book 2