Transformations

By Brenda K Stone

Meet Colette, Lizzy, and Cathy.
Colette wants her secret, sexy double life back-- and the sixteen hunky men that go with it. Lizzy has a crippling relationship to leave behind. Cathy wants out of her hoarding addiction.
Colette, Lizzy, and Cathy are real world women with real world conflicts. Women poised to take on that world to find true happiness. Women not afraid to change. Women on the move and on the mend.
Women like us.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brenda K Stone
• Release date: Jun 19, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463203170

Brenda K Stone

Brenda K. Stone is the pen name for Barb Lee, a native of Western Massachusetts who loves to write, travel the world, hike the world, and go to rock concerts. When not engaging in these particular adventures or the several other activities she enjoys that leave her no time for rest, you can find her “doing research” with her nose in a rock and roll biography and her black bunny Gert not far away, probably sleeping.

Book preview

Transformations: Women Like Us – Book 1

Copyright © 2017 by JenAl RockLit Publishing

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever including Internet usage, without written permission of the author.

This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, or events used in this book are the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people, alive or deceased, events or locales is completely coincidental.

E-book formatting by Maureen Cutajar

www.gopublished.com

Print: ISBN: 978-1548030735

EBook ISBN: 978-1-5323-4320-9

Table of Contents

Moonlighting: My Daring Double Life

Confessions of a Recovered Hoarder

On My Own and Staying that Way

Author’s Note

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Contact Information

Also by Brenda K. Stone

About the Author

Coming Autumn 2017

Moonlighting: My Daring Double Life

Here’s how a typical day goes in the life of me: wake up at six a.m. Shower, swallow a bit of breakfast and a steaming cup of Joe, then drive a few miles to Alexander High School. There, I’ll spend the day, as the school adjustment counselor, dealing with the everyday tragedies of teenagers: He doesn’t love me and I can’t concentrate on my school work. Or, She doesn’t love me and I’m going to beat up the punk she does love. I adore my job and my students and helping them through their issues. But when the bell rings at quarter past two I’m as excited as the students to leave, because that’s when I shift into the next gear.

Some days I head to the gym, or maybe out for a power walk. Other days I’ll go out with friends or over to Mom and Dad’s for dinner. No matter what I do though, I’m always home by six and sleeping by six-thirty. After two hours I’m awake again and heading to my second job. From ten at night until one in the morning every Wednesday through Sunday, I train and manage two groups of eight male exotic dancers at Club Dangerous, a ladies club thirty miles away.

Did I say my day was typical? I clearly lied.

Well Colette, you can’t be doing it for the money, Mom quips over dinner one Wednesday evening, because every time I see her and Dad they just can’t help but comment. Or the attention, Mom adds, because she knows I have a lot of male friends due to my natural blond- and-blue-eyed good looks.

I think our daughter is the one who needs adjustment counseling, Dad says sternly, but then he chuckles, so I know he’s more accepting of my moonlighting position than Mom is.

I’m definitely not doing it for the money or the attention, I address Mom’s comment first as I swallow a mouthful of her delightful scalloped potatoes. I know she’s trying to find out how much I actually make and I’m not telling. I don’t discuss money with her and Dad. I’m afraid, too, that Mom might be under the impression that I’m trying to find a boyfriend at Club Dangerous, but I’m not commenting on that either. And Dad, it’s no one’s business what I do between leaving school and going back the next morning. I’m there everyday. That’s all that matters.

But what if someone from school goes to that club? Mom worries aloud.

Then that just proves they love watching sexy men dance around in their underwear too! I laugh.

Mom slaps her hand against her head. My daughter, using her college degree to teach male strippers how to dance.

My degree is in adjustment counseling. Because Mom and Dad always sent me to dance lessons when I was growing up, I have an interest and a talent for dance and choreography, so I declared a minor in dance. I jumped at the chance to work with the guys at Club Dangerous.

Oh Mom, it’s not like that at all. They’re extremely talented and already know how to dance. I just help them out with their routines and keep them on track. One of these days you’re going to agree to come to the club and watch them and you’ll see how great they are. Besides, they don’t take everything off.

Well they might as well! And I won’t be seen inside that club!

Women of Mom’s age are in the club all the time. But I know what her biggest gripe is about me working there, and it’s not because my dancers take their clothes off. It’s because Mom’s afraid I’m never going to find someone to love and I’m never going to give her grandchildren if I keep working my hectic schedule and mingling with the sexiest men within a fifty mile radius of our small Michigan town.

Not only are five nights of my week full of the sixteen hunky Michigan Men, but we also work on routines at the club four hours during the day on Saturdays and Sundays. I can understand Mom’s concerns. But I love my double life and have no plan to give it up. Besides, I’m of the opinion that you shouldn’t have to give up what you love to please someone else. I want someone to accept me as I am, double life and all.

As happy as counseling kids makes me, I have to admit that weekends are my favorite days because I get to mingle with the beautiful boys and work on their routines with them. They’re all so nice, and not surprisingly, most of them have girlfriends and wives. They really aren’t the type of studs who want to pick up a different woman every night, even though they could. Fraternizing with customers outside of the club is career suicide, and they know it. Anyway, many of them are family oriented but dance at night to make some extra money, maybe so their wives can stay home with the kids or the kids can go to a good daycare. But that doesn’t mean I don’t accept their cheek-kisses and hugs when we see each other.

On this particular Saturday, Lily, the owner of the club, is waiting for me at the front door. She’s not usually there until much later on Saturdays, so I let myself in. With her is a strikingly handsome dancer-type with dirty blond hair and a muscular frame. Maybe he’s a new recruit and she’s there to break the news that one of the old-timers is leaving? I’ve been working with them for almost a year and a few have left, which is always hard to deal with because we work so closely and get so attached to each other.

Good morning, Colette, Lily says tentatively.

Good morning, Lily.

I want you to meet Brian.

I put my hand out and offer a firm handshake to the new hunk on the block. Brian gulps noticeably as we shake hands.

Hi Brian. Here for an audition? I ask cheerfully.

No. Actually, Brian is, um, going to start working with the crew on their dance numbers, Lily speaks up, but in a nervous voice.

I take a step back. So there’s going to be two of us working with them? It sure would be nice to know about these things ahead of time. As far as surprises go, this isn’t one of my favorites.

Well, no. Brian used to be a dancer and now he’s more interested in choreography, so I thought it would be a lot better if a man was working with them… Lily’s voice trails off. I can tell she’s having a hard time with this conversation, because up until now she and I have had an excellent working relationship.

Brian looks uncomfortable and has compassion in his eyes for the woman whom apparently is suddenly out of a job she loves. Me.

I have to gather my thoughts for a moment before I can speak, because I really don’t know what to say. I feel like Lily has a knife in my back and is dragging it slowly down through my flesh in front of this stranger.

You never told me that I wasn’t working up to your expectations. I look right into Lily’s eyes. Though I’m not one to pick fights or seek confrontation, I also know when I’m being treated unfairly. I’m not just going to leave with my tail between my legs when I’m being let go for no reason.

Maybe we can talk about this another time, Colette? Lily suggests, glancing at Brian, who continues to look like he wants to disappear.

I need to go into the studio and get a few things. I know Lily isn’t going to talk to me about anything, so I decide to take the high road and leave with my chin up and my pride intact.

Sure, she says as I walk away.

Most of the guys are already in the studio and they start greeting me like it’s a normal day. It doesn’t take me more than a minute to figure out that they don’t know what’s going on. And it doesn’t take them long to realize something is wrong as I start packing up some CDs, a digital camera, and some props we use for rehearsals that belong to me. They all go into the bag that I usually take fun things out of. Now everything is going in the opposite direction, including my feelings.

Colette, I may be wrong, but it looks like you’re leaving us, Randy, one of the performers I like best, says in a cute, chiding voice that sounds like he doesn’t want to believe what he’s saying.

I continue to pack up, hardly able to make eye contact with Randy or any of them. My actions are starting to garner more attention and pretty soon they’re all standing around in shock while I tell them that Lily has hired someone to take my place.

But you’re the best, Colette! We don’t want anyone else! Another of my favorites, whose name is Mark, says.