Mama Jo Jo's Advice
- Also available at:
- | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Scribd | Intera | 24 Symbols
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Release: September 19, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-77127-154-7
Pages: 60
Price: $3.50
ags: Erotic, Erotica, Adult, Romance, Romantic, Sexual, Sex Shop, Sex toys, Transsexual.
Words: 22041
Back Cover:
Jo-Jo Bragan, a fifty-nine year old ex-prostitute from New Jersey, operates a novelty shop in the small town of Carterville, Georgia. She's a clairvoyant known throughout the community as Mama Jo-Jo and she uses her gift to help her customers find sexual satisfaction and romantic happiness.
Tammy Banks and Julia Richards have entered Mama Jo-Jo's shop. Though strangers to each other, both women have troubling relationship problems: Julia has to reveal to her new boyfriend she's a male to female transsexual in mid-transition, while Tammy desperately needs to extricate herself from an emotionally abusive relationship. If they follow Mama Jo-Jo's advice, will it prove helpful in either situation?
Excerpt:
"She is a lady. And she is as feminine as you or I. And you're lying. I don't know why, but you are."
"I never meant to overhear her secret," Tammy continued to lie brazenly. "And I'm sorry you are assuming I did it intentionally. But I really didn't."
The old lady's expression never softened. "You just can't stand feeling like you're all alone, can you? You're always hoping to find out something about someone else who’s more screwed up than you. Just so you can justify your staying in a bad relationship. A relationship that, no matter how bad it gets, you just can't stay away from for very long."
Tammy's mind spun dizzily. Where did this old bat get her information? How could she know this? How? The other two times she had been in here, the old crone hadn't said over two words to her on either occasion. The first had been hello, the second, goodbye. Tammy instantly wondered if they had a mutual acquaintance she wasn't aware of. Yes, that had to be it. There could be no other explanation, except for a lucky guess.
But, there was something about the authority in which the accusation had been made that convinced Tammy that Mama wasn’t merely speculating. She knew about Tammy’s awful situation, for certain. How she knew didn't really matter.
"It's not so good when somebody else knows something intimate about you that you try to keep hidden, is it?" Mama continued. "Just knowing they know is embarrassing. Just think how Julia would feel right now, if she knew you were aware of her secret. Put yourself in her position, just for a moment. How would you feel if everything in your emotional make-up was feminine, and your outward appearance was feminine, beautiful, and desirable, but you’d been born with this one physical characteristic of manhood so alien to all other women's bodies? Would you be ashamed of it? Would you want anyone to know about it? Consider how difficult it is for her to find a suitable mate who will accept her as she is. Your relationship problems are nothing compared to hers, yet your wicked nature made you eavesdrop. And unless I'm terribly wrong, once you leave here, you'll go and tell someone about what you overheard, just to see the shock and disbelief on their face. Then afterward you'll both snicker, and make cruel jokes about her."
Tammy instantly recognized this as the complete truth; she was certain she would have told Simon about it, just to see his reaction and hear his vulgar and derogatory remarks. This truth made her ashamed of herself. How had she gotten so ethically bankrupt for this to be true? When she was younger, she wouldn't have dared divulge private information to ridicule another person.
"I won't tell anyone," Tammy quickly promised. "I really won't, Jo-Jo. If I may call you that."
"I already said it's the only thing you can call me," Mama glared at her still. "And I do hope you'll not tell another living soul. Carterville is not a large town. Julia wouldn't stand a chance of escaping the discrimination and harassment. She fled from her home-town just last year because of closed-minded bigots."
"How did you know I'm in a bad relationship, anyway?" Tammy asked, selfishly. She was careful to keep her voice soft and demure, so as to not upset this fiery lady further.
"It's a gift," the lady smiled blandly. "But with my gift comes responsibility. I've never betrayed anyone before, so don't worry about me betraying you. I won't tell your petty secret. It probably wouldn't even raise an eyebrow anyway."
"I'm not worried about you telling anyone," Tammy said, ignoring the slur against her while hoping this situation would somehow make a turn for the better.
"Why not?" For a split second, confusion marred Mama’s wrinkled face underneath the tawdry makeup.
Tammy hesitated only a moment before saying, "Because if you can keep Julia's secret then I know you will have no problem keeping mine."
"But I really like Julia."
Tammy dismissed this insult as she had the one before it. She still felt ashamed for what she had done, and fully realized she had to admit the truth if she was ever going to make this right. She took a deep breath and said, "You win, Jo-Jo. I'm really sorry for eavesdropping. I freely admit now I was lying when I said I didn't do it intentionally, but I really didn't mean any deliberate disrespect. I don't even know why I did it. I just want you to know that. I'm really trying now to make it right. Can't you see that and forgive me?"
"I see you have much room for improvement in your character."
"Then help me, please," Tammy begged.
"My gift doesn't allow me to mold a person's character. It only allows me to recognize their situation and provide the proper advice for them to correct their ways. Their character is their own to build, if they choose. I have no say in the finished product."
"If what you say is true, then you can help me. You can tell me what it is I need to do."
The stone-cold stare wavered. A touch of compassion surfaced. "You need to get away from the man you're seeing. He's not good for you."
"How?" Tammy asked. The hopelessness of her situation welled up within her and erupted in silent tears. "I've already tried. I can't find anyone better. He's the best I can find."
