The Vicarage Bench Anthology

by Barbour, Mimi

  “Shush, little love, things will work out,” he said, forgetting he was talking to the real Jenna and not an empty body.

  The aching sweetness in his voice stirred Jenna. She’d never heard Jake speak with such tenderness. The voice was quite different, but the inflections were exact.

  She leaned back to gaze into John’s eyes, and deep, very deep, in the back of them she caught a familiar glow of the teasing cheekiness that was pure Jake. It was wonderful to feel him near, and for the first time since the folly began she felt safe. She’d missed him terribly.

  Over the last months Jake had gotten used to touching Jenna with love. Without forethought he brought his hands up to cradle both sides of her face and lowered his lips to hers. Slowly, achingly so. She held her breath as spasms of delight exploded throughout her body. He nibbled first one side of her mouth and then the other, his lips scarcely touching hers. He teased her mouth with his tongue and licked his way inside. Her moan of desire was his undoing. He swooped and drained her passion.

  His hands gathered her closer into a loving embrace. They massaged her back and roved to her buttocks where they kneaded, gently shifting her body around so there would be better access to her breasts and to paradise between her agitated legs.

  She rotated herself to give him all the space he wanted. Rockets were exploding all around her and she had never felt so fine. He manipulated her body like a maestro playing his beloved instrument. His brazen technique soon had her swollen with need. Deep under his spell, she shushed scruples and ignored prickles of inner resistance.

  His hands worked their way around to her front, where his fingers were reaching under her flowing white blouse for her breasts while his mouth was busy devouring her willing neck.

  “Hold it, you two. I understand your sentiments, but I must point out that these are not your bodies. If Lucy and I want to—er—make out, it would be fine, but…

  “Goody!”

  “Lucy, go away,” Jenna admonished breathlessly.

  “What was that?” Jake asked.

  “Lucy said, ‘Goody,’” replied Jenna.

  “I can talk for myself,” Lucy cut in. “John, I agree with you.”

  “Agree to what?” John asked, lost in the four-way conversation.

  “To make out with you. If you want to, that is.”

  “Oh, for God’s sake,” Jenna groaned. She was shocked at what had almost happened between her and Jake. Of all people—Jake?

  She was not into sex, normally, and was stunned at what had nearly happened. It was time for her to set him straight.

  “Jake, don’t make up your mind that I’m easy or promiscuous after what just happened. I’m not.” Confessions didn’t come easy to Jenna, but honesty did. “I know I’ve had a lot of boyfriends, but—trust me—the main reason none of them ever lasted is because I wouldn’t have sex with them. For a while, escorting a beautiful model satisfied them, but ultimately they’d get frustrated and leave. I don’t particularly like sex. Its messy and painful and not a lot of fun.”

  “It isn’t?” Lucy popped out.

  “Lucy, get lost,” Jenna snarled.

  “Jenna.” Jake cut in on the babbling. “Pay attention. I want you to understand what I’m about to say. I don’t want to have sex with you. I want to make glorious, passionate love to every inch of your body until your eyes cross.”

  “Oh! Dear me,” Lucy whispered.

  “My sentiments exactly,” John whispered back.

  Chapter Thirteen

  For two days John stayed away from Lucy and, it follows, Jake and Jenna were separated also. John felt a cooling-down period was imperative for everyone involved. As he awaited word from Dr. Andrews on his new strategy, he grappled with having to share his thoughts and feelings with another entity and decided he didn’t like it at all. His sympathies for Lucy increased daily.

  Jake was not totally in agreement with the philosophy of “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” He drove John crazy arguing his personal point of view, and tempers swelled.

  It must have been a full moon, some freak of nature or wacky weather phenomena disturbing the locals, because patient numbers were on the rise, and it didn’t help at all that every time his internal roommate saw blood, he’d swoon. John was fed up and his clients were beginning to eye him suspiciously.

  He and Jake hadn’t managed the art of mental discussions nearly as well as the ladies had, so there were many interruptions of thought, which didn’t help his concentration. John had never met a fellow with more questions, some of them very personal. Jake’s vibes were good-hearted, sensitive and friendly, but still John was feeling very hard done by. He missed Lucy, and it didn’t help that Jake mooned over Jenna every minute.

  Finally, Dr. Andrews called and arranged a meeting at Lucy’s house that night, and not a minute too soon.

  “Did Dr. Andrews tell you what his plans were?” Jake prodded, once more pushing John’s internal buttons.

  “You heard exactly what I heard, Jake.” John rolled his eyes behind his wire-rims again.

  “Right! What do you think he’s come up with?”

  “I haven’t a clue, and stop being a pain in the neck.”

  “Oh, suck it up. I’m nervous and I always talk too much when I get nervous.” It was one of Jake’s most endearing qualities that in moments of stress he would act like a young, uninhibited boy.

  “Suck it up! I can see the English language has deteriorated appallingly with your generation.”

  “You’re an intellectual snob. Did anyone ever tell you that before?”

  “Yes, thank you. I’d rather be a snob than a slob.”

  “Damned if I don’t like you, John. Let’s move our butt and get over to the house to see how our ladies have fared.”

  Chuckling, with humor restored, John replied, “It’s early yet. How about sharing a beer first?”

  “Yep, you’re my man,” said Jake, happy again.

  “Don’t remind me.”

  A short time later they were seated in Lucy’s newly redecorated, cozy parlor. The changes reflected a conspicuous Jenna touch, and it was easy to see what the ladies had been up to in the last few days.

  The attractive red-and-gold embossed draperies added warmth to a room mainly furnished in dark cherry wood furniture. There were two small sofas covered in a golden brocaded material and angled around a square coffee table. The old mantel around the fireplace had been sanded and painted a pale gold to contrast the furniture. By the hearth was a set of brass fireplace tools.

  A fluffy ivory afghan, artfully arranged over the brown leather rocking chair, added a soft touch. Now that Jenna’s hidden talent for knitting had been passed on to an ecstatic Lucy, it made the cover, knitted with her very own hands, that much more precious. The starched doilies, scattered over the polished wood, dated the room. Jenna hated them but Lucy had insisted they be displayed because her grandmother had made them and in Lucy’s mind they were a treasure to be exhibited and not stuck away. The soft lighting from two expensive pole lamps swathed the room in golden hues, and the words “good taste” were foremost in the minds of the guests as they stepped over the threshold.

  Lucy was proud of herself and thrilled with her new environment, and Jenna knew that Lucy couldn’t wait for John to see what she’d accomplished—because, after all, Jenna was all thought and no action.

  Jenna was also feeling proud of Lucy, who now walked erect, head held proudly, displaying her beauty. She was no longer cowering from life and had begun to open up to the neighbors and make new friends. She was much happier, and it saddened Jenna that the upcoming separation would mean goodbye. On the other hand, she knew it was time to leave, more than time.

  Jake had promised that her body was being well looked after and she believed him, believed in him, but she wanted to be back living in it—almost as much as she wanted Jake.

  What’s that all about? Her mind was boggled at how often Jake filled her thoughts, and only Lucy knew of the
steamy X-rated dreams that filled her nights. She had never before experienced sensual desires like the ones Jake had aroused in her. Thinking of him brought reactions in Lucy’s body that tattletaled on where Jenna’s thoughts were heading. She’d get a swift rebuff from Lucy, who wanted her own thoughts of John to affect her body, not someone else’s fantasies.

  Meanwhile, after spending all these many weeks sharing the mind space of the gentlest, most considerate person she’d ever known, Jenna was more than ready to make overdue changes to her own behaviour. Lucy’s personality traits had rubbed off, and Jenna would be the better person for it. She was glad her thoughts weren’t so sour anymore, and she was ready to improve her own life.

  A pealing doorbell announced the late arrival of Dr. Andrews, who looked quite pleased and definitely satisfied. He shook hands with everyone and accepted a glass of Guinness before settling in the comfortable leather chair the other two had courteously left for him.

  Jake, who couldn’t contain himself another moment, broke out with, “Give us the straight goods, Dr. Andrews. What have you come up with?”

  While the doctor described the arrangements he’d made, based on assumptions only, because there was no proof or precedent, his listeners were astonished at his genius. Considering it was their futures in the balance, they simply prayed he knew what the hell he was talking about.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “You’re here,” said Marnie. Relief rang in her voice and her shoulders sank inches as she released a deep, noisy breath.

  “Yes, of course. Did you think you were imagining me?” the old man asked, a smile tugging at the corners of his moustache-covered mouth.

  “I guess not, but you have to admit that the bizarre happenings of the last few months would lead any sane person to question themselves, Dr. Andrews.”

  He chuckled. “That’s true, I suppose. But I thought I’d convinced you of my identity the other day. I explained the whole story to you. I told you how I came to be with you at the exact moment you needed me.”

  For the last forty-some years, his solitary bachelor’s life had kept him living in a vacuum of his own making. He preferred his introverted lifestyle because not having to interact with others left him more time for reading and for his studies. Over the years he had become the foremost expert on time-travel theories. He’d written a few books on the subject, and many students interested in the field of quantum physics sought after his knowledge. He recognized that his whole life’s work could be attributed to the events coming up and the related events that had happened forty-three years before.

  Now that this day had arrived, he was glad he had kept his body fit and strong and stayed in good health so that he would be here to see the exchange of Jake and Jenna with his own eyes once again, only this time he would witness them being replaced into their own bodies.

  He still lived in his family home, situated close to the vicarage, and every six months or so he would read again the extensive files he’d kept for forty-three years. They explained why it was so important that these events be allowed to happen in sequence, how the young people involved benefited so greatly from knowing each other, and how enriched their lives were from the shared experiences they had lived through. No one must interfere or change the past or the future.

  He had arrived at the scene just in time to help the young secretary Marnie with two body shells that needed to be looked after. For the next week neither of them had a moment to spare, because the nursing duties had taken all their time, but now the week had passed and it was the next Saturday, coming up to the noon hour. They were pushing the wheelchairs with Jake’s and Jenna’s bodies in them towards the bench.

  “First we’ll prick Jake’s finger. Then I’ll take Jake’s right side if you’ll take his left, and we’ll swing him over to sit on the bench,” Dr. Andrews said, taking charge.

  “Right. Put the brakes on, and ready—heave,” said Marnie. Her voice stressed from Jake’s dead weight. She’d never realized what a tall man he was, probably because Jenna was a little over six feet and when the two were together they fit so well. He’d always insisted on dressing formally while at work or at social functions with Jenna; maybe that was his way of remembering she was his livelihood, not that she didn’t remind him often enough. One never did realize that the man in the suit had the body of a Rocky Balboa.

  Curls attacked his hair, which had grown longer and framed a strong face with magnificent, deep-set, golden-tiger eyes. Larger-than-normal lips, with the top one somewhat protruding, added a sexy pout to a smile that would start at one side of his mouth and work its way across when he was amused.

  The last week had been grueling, and Marnie didn’t know what she would have done without Dr. Andrews’ help. At first, when she had to face the fact Jake had somehow disappeared, leaving the empty shell of his body for her to collect, she just wanted to sit and howl.

  Dr. Andrews had calmed her, supported her and coerced her into going along with the swap one more time. He’d spent hours describing how Jenna had joined with Lucy and how both girls had benefited by the change. Outwardly Lucy showed the greatest difference, but in getting to know Jenna during the lengthy counseling sessions they’d had, he’d realized that Jenna had gained much more from the time they were together.

  Because Lucy was such a sweetheart, some of her sweetness had rubbed off onto her complete opposite and, vice versa, in all fairness it could be said that many of Jenna’s strengths were lessons Lucy needed to learn. Lucy had lost over thirty pounds, gained oodles of self-confidence, learnt how to dress and apply makeup, and switched from a frumpy old-maid-in-the-making into a lovely modern young woman.

  Jenna’s lesson, on the other hand, was to learn that the best way to keep people near her was not to overpay them, or order them to leave and then fear they would, but to care about them and let them care about her.

  “I’ll have to see it to believe it,” Marnie muttered. “I’ve worked with Jenna for over five years, and all I can say for her is she respects the work I do, she pays me exceedingly well, and she doesn’t throw things at me like she does at Jake.” Being an honest person, Marnie added, “Of course, he pushes her buttons. She’s fired him so many times and he’s never left. Just shows up at the office the next day same as usual.”

  “She needs him in her life, and by firing him she’s testing him to see if he’d leave her.” Dr. Andrews was so definite on this shocking point that Marnie, leaning forward with her mouth open, just had to ask.

  “What makes you say that?”

  “She’s in love with him and isn’t aware of it.”

  Marnie knew that Jake wasn’t aware of it, either. She kept to herself the knowledge of all the hours Jake had spent with Jenna’s comatose body and how lovingly he’d taken care of her. After all, it was his business, and over the years Marnie had learned one very important lesson. The best way to lose a job was to gossip about the boss.

  “Tell me again how you planned the switchover today.” Marnie was still confused.

  “When I arrived at Lucy’s a few nights after the debacle of trying to extricate Jenna from Lucy and instead ending up with Jake, I explained to them that when Jake received the tape it proved that neither Lucy nor John had contacted you and Jake about Jenna’s situation. Something obviously had happened to them, but what about me? My genetic background was one of longevity on the male side and since I was only forty in 1963 it was quite plausible for me to be still alive in 2006.”

  “But how did you know it would work?”

  “Quite simple. The next Saturday at noon Lucy and John and I went to the bench and the exchange happened without a hitch, and that’s when I knew.”

  “What did you know?” demanded Marnie, still at a loss.

  “That I’d be alive and here to help you. You see, my dear, I sent myself a tape so I would be sure to appear at the right time.” He didn’t bother to explain about the files he’d kept all these years.

  “Well, in that case
, why didn’t you send yourself the tape to stop the whole situation from ever happening?”

  “How could I? If it never happened, I would never have known about it, right?”

  “Okay, I can see that, but then when you realized something could go wrong with Jenna coming back, which it did, why didn’t you appear then?”

  “I could have, but I honestly didn’t even know if the tape would work. It wasn’t until Jake came through that we realized it had worked.”

  “Okay, now I understand, but I’m still not too sure of how you’re so certain that our switch tomorrow will work.”

  “Because tomorrow is the exact day forty-three years ago that Lucy and John said goodbye to Jenna and Jake. I was there.”

  “So what you’re saying is, it worked.” Marnie’s voice was rising in excitement.

  “Yes, my dear. It worked brilliantly.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Dr. Andrews proved to be right. When they settled Jake solidly on the bench, strapping him down, he was limp for a few moments. Then the flinching started, first in his hands and then in his feet. Next his spine straightened and his head moved. Quite suddenly his eyes opened wide and he had reoccupied his body fully. It took a little while longer before he became conscious, but as soon as he was, he started to bark orders.

  “Quick, help me out of this rig.” He was weak and needed Dr. Andrews’ support to make it over to his chair. He looked all around and spotted Jenna by the gate.

  “Bring Jenna here now. Did you prick her finger?” His voice shook from his throat being dry.

  “I’ll do it right now, Jake,” answered Marnie, who had run over to Jenna and taken her finger and felt a spurt of mean satisfaction when she pricked it darn good and hard. Make sure it takes was the thought that popped into her mind. Damned if I want to be doing this again.

  Jake stared up at Dr. Andrews hovering over him, checking his pulse and looking into his eyes.

  “Hel-lo, Dr. Andrews!” Jake glanced over to see Marnie pushing a wheelchair close to the bench. “I love you, Marnie, my girl. First thing tomorrow you’re getting a raise.” He shoved the doctor lightly aside and stood up on wobbly legs.