This is the seventeenth part of a fiction serial, in 1421 words.

Nan and the newly-named Aunt Sophie were having a high old time. They had emerged from the bedroom looking like two late 1950s glamour models who had been left to ‘go off’. Both were wearing girdles, bullet bras, and fully-fashioned stockings attached to industrial strength suspenders that dangled from the elasticated girdles. They were also wearing knickers bigger than even those favoured by Bridget Jones. Nan also had a plot of sorts, and she cleared the coffee table, before laying deck of cards out on it. “OK Benny love, what we will do is play strip poker, except we will just pretend. As each of us loses, we will take something off. Keep clicking away, and make sure you get it all. In fact, it might even be better to shoot it as a video, then you will miss nothing”.

He changed to video setting, and warned “Nan, this won’t last too long. The card is not very big for long videos”. Lilian and Sophie were already in character, so without turning, she mumbled “Stop and start it then love, but get the best bits”. It had been a long time for the two elderly friends, but Benny had to admit they slipped back into it as if they had been filming together yesterday. The supposed poker became little more than a game of Snap, as they seemed to compete with each other as to who could get their clothes off the quickest. Sophie was not remotely embarrassed to remove her bra in front of Benny, and he shook his head at the sight of her sad little paps that looked like deflated balloons. That was bad enough, but when Nan’s bra went flying across the room, Benny called a halt. “Nan! Come on, I’m your grandson. let’s not forget that”. He half-turned, so he didn’t have to take in the view. Nan’s once tantalising boobs now looked more like a couple of massive empty leather water bags, the sort you see slung around the neck of a mule, in an old Western film.

Sophie turned to speak to him. “Turn the camera off for a minute, Benny”. He pressed the switch, and she continued. “If you are going to work in this game, you have to forget all that stuff. You are filming Aunt Sophie and Betty Baxter, that’s all you need to know. Point the camera, get the good stuff that the punters want, and just forget about who you are related to, and what you are seeing. If you are going to make a go of it, you have to be detached. If you can’t do that, then get someone in to film for you. OK?” He knew she was right, but it wasn’t easy. “Carry on, Sophie, I won’t say anything”. Two minutes later, and Sophie’s knickers were round her ankles, her bum cheeks looking like a couple of under-cooked Cornish pasties. When she reached over to pull Nan’s knickers off, giggling and leering, Benny thought he might pass out. As he caught sight of what Nan called her ‘Old Glory’, he let out a long groan. “Oh, Christ Nan, did you have to?”
He didn’t sleep well that night. As well as the sofa feeling lumpy, it was all but impossible to erase those images from his mind.

The next day was the busiest day in Benny’s young life so far. After around three hour’s sleep, he had jumped in the shower to wake himself up, very pleased that he had remembered to get clean clothes out of his room the night before. He could hear snoring from both bedrooms, and guessed that the film stars were sleeping off a late night of fun and drunkenness. By two in the afternoon, he had a bag full of cash, his feet ached, and he needed something to eat and drink. Outside the last bank on the list, he was delighted to see a free cab, and he gave the driver Linda’s address. It was a long way, and a hefty fare, but he didn’t mind. He had more money than he had ever seen. Despite having a key, he didn’t use it, and when she answered the doorbell, she looked very happy to see him. To dispel any idea she might have about heading for the bedroom, he spoke very quickly. “Linda love, I was up filming half the night, and I have been out since before nine. I would love a bacon sandwich and a coffee, if it’s not taking the piss to ask”.

Over the sandwich and hot drink, he told her the full story. The website, the videos, Nan, Sophie, Noddy, the forum, the site shop, selling the underwear and photos, and how tired he was. He added the news that he was moving into Mrs Hall’s but carefully left out the bit about the two rampant sex sessions he had so far enjoyed with Beverly. Linda was suitably impressed, and jumped at the chance of earning some extra cash. She had been looking out for something to replace the lunchtime job at the cafe, and even suggested that Sylvia would be happy to help out too, for a few quid in return. They arranged that he would drop off the padded bags and envelopes once they arrived, and Linda and Sylvia would put the items into them, adding the address labels. Linda said she could use her Mum’s old shopping trolley to wheel a fair load round to the Post Office, and would make a couple of trips while Sylvia carried on stuffing the bags. He kissed her goodbye, and headed off. Still lots to do.

At Noddy’s place, there was no reply. Noddy never came down to answer the door, so he guessed Beverly must be out. Benny decided to hang around. No point walking back to Nan’s, then having to turn around and come back. Twenty minutes later, Beverly appeared on the landing. She was looking very smart, wearing a sharp two-piece suit that made her look like a real businesswoman. Not caring about the public display, she kissed him with unexpected passion, before opening the door to go in. Once inside, she opened the shoulder bag she was carrying, and showed him wads of cash, all new notes. “I have been out and about withdrawing money too, Benny love. We have to get out as much as we can, before it starts to get noticed. You had better go up and have a chat with Darren. He’s got some exciting news”.

Noddy was at his usual spot, looking as if he hadn’t moved in days. When Benny walked into the room, he started talking non-stop. “The demand for the photos is not as high as we expected, but quite a lot of them want to buy signed ones. You will have to get a decent pen, and get your Nan to sign them. I have put all the details in an email and copied it to you. My Mum’s pages are very popular too, and over ninety people have signed up to Velma’s private section already”. Benny presumed that ‘Velma’ was the name Beverly had chosen for herself. He wasn’t even sure that was a name, but that hardly mattered. He remembered the filming session last night, and placed the memory card on the desk. “This is Nan and her friend. She’s going to be called Aunt Sophie. It’s all video, but you can edit it, and use some screenshots for stills”. His friend slid the card to one side, then turned to face him.

“You have to get onto Zafir, the video guy. The pre-orders for your Nan’s videos are huge, and we need them sooner, rather than later. I have already accepted payment for a lot of the one thousand we ordered, so we need to get them posted out. Quite a few of those forum blokes have ordered the full set, twenty films at fifty quid each. This new video of your Nan and Sophie will be just as popular, I’m sure”. Benny smiled. “We have sold quite a few then?” Noddy took off his blue hat, rubbed his head, and put it back on. “Over eight hundred copies, Benny. That’s eight-zero-zero. Do you realise how much that comes to?” Benny could quote the poetry of William Blake, but had never been fast with sums. As he hesitated with the answer, Noddy raised his voice.

“FORTY GRAND, BENNY. FORTY THOUSAND QUID!
WE MIGHT HAVE TO GO LEGIT”

To be continued…

This is the sixteenth part of a fiction serial, in 1100 words.

Benny finally got out of the flat less than ten minutes before Mr Hall returned home. Keith hung up his jacket in the hallway, and walked through to find his wife sitting in a pink dressing gown that he didn’t remember ever seeing before. But he failed to notice her new hairstyle, or the very good make up job she had done earlier that day. She stood up and went into the kitchen, popping something into the microwave for his supper. When the bell went off, he went through and eyed the plate of unappestising brown stuff. “It’s just a microwave lamb hot pot tonight. I have been busy today. When you finish that, we need to have a talk”. She walked out, holding a glass of something that looked like whisky. He didn’t bother to mention that he had already eaten a curry during his break at work, just shovelled down a few mouthfuls of the hot pot, and dropped the plate in the sink.

Keith slumped into the armchair, hoping his wife wasn’t going to go off on one of her nagging sprees. He hadn’t expected what came next. “Keith, we both know this isn’t working. We’re like strangers, for Christ’s sake. When did you last ever speak to Darren? And what about our daughter? I don’t think you have ever phoned her since she moved. You can’t just walk through life in a dream, love. I think it’s time to face facts. You should move out, maybe live nearer to where you work. I know you won’t miss me, and I sure as shit won’t miss you. I need a new life, be myself again. I can’t do that with you around, so I am calling it a day. I checked, and we have almost two grand in savings. I will go to the bank tomorrow, and get you half. You can cancel the direct debits for the housekeeping and bills, and you will have more than enough to get by”. She sat back, expecting an argument.

Keith felt the relief flood over him. Many times in the past ten years he had thought about just leaving. But he felt responsible financially, if not emotionally. Recently, he had thought about sharing a house with Vijay from work. He was struggling to pay the mortgage on a two bed in Harmondsworth, and had asked Keith if he knew anyone looking to share. That was only three weeks ago, so might well still be available. The prospect of not having to face his nagging wife every evening filled him with joy, but he tried to disguise it. “Will you manage alright? You know, with your carer pay for Darren. You will have to get a job again, I reckon. She was nodding as he talked. “Oh I will be alright. I have something lined up. I won’t need anything from you, I’m pleased to say”. Keith suddenly smiled, taking Beverly by surprise. “OK then, I will pack a bag to take into work, then get the rest of my stuff later. I will give you an address to send on my post. All being well, I should be out of here by Sunday evening”. That had shocked her. Expecting protest or tantrums at the very least, she certainly hadn’t expected such ready agreement. She looked away, and muttered “Good”.

When Benny got back to the flat, he could hear giggling and laughing as he opened the door. He wondered if Nan might have one of her fancy men there, even though it wasn’t Friday. Carefully glancing around the door to the living room, he saw her sitting on the sofa with another woman. Spotting him, she called out “Come in, Benny love. Come and meet Sophie, soon to be Sophie Bright. Sophie darling, this is my lovely grandson, Benedict. We all call him Benny though”. He walked over and shook the old lady’s hand. “Pleased to meet you, Sophie”. She pulled him forward, and kissed him on the cheek. Nan carried on. “Sophie is going to be staying for a while, so you will have to take the sofa. She is going to be one of the stars of our new website, and work with me on some new films. She was Dolly back then, you will have seen her on those old ones, you know, Tony’s VHS stuff. But we have changed a bit since”.

He couldn’t place the little old woman from the films, but nodded. “Oh, right”. She was small compared to Nan, quite thin, with a very wrinkled neck. Her bright white hair was smart though, and she obviously looked after herself. He sat opposite, feeling shattered after such a long day. Sophie gave him a smile. They had obviously been drinking, as he could tell from the almost-empty bottle of brandy on the table, and the two glasses. She spoke carefully, trying hard not to sound slurred. “I hope that I don’t put you out, Benny. I feel bad about you sleeping on the sofa. I am happy to curl up on it myself you know, I’m only little”. Benny tried to sound unconcerned. “Not at all, it’s no problem. You take my room. Besides, I might be moving out soon”. He turned to Nan. “Mrs Hall said I can move in there, be close to Noddy, and the work. Save keep going backwards and forwards to their place”. Nan didn’t pick up on any implications that had. She just smiled, and turned to her old friend. “Well, that works out perfectly then”.

As he stood up, Nan spoke again. “Don’t rush off anywhere love. Don’t forget you have to take more photos of me. And you can do some of Sophie too. She has brought some lovely old undies; girdles and all sorts. We will get changed, once we finish our drinks”. Benny groaned. “Nan, I’m really tired. You wouldn’t believe what I have had to do today. Let’s do it in the morning”. Nan wasn’t having any of it. “It’s not even ten yet, plenty of time. We have been looking forward to it, haven’t we, Sophie?” Her friend had her glass to her mouth, but nodded anyway, spilling some of the booze onto her chin. They downed their drinks, and he set up the tripod, after placing a fresh memory card in the camera. He could hear them squealing like a pair of twelve-year-olds in the bedroom, as they put on their outfits.

He had a full day tomorrow, and a feeling it was going to be a long night.

To be continued…

This is the fifteenth part of a fiction serial, in 1635 words.

Benny had thought Linda was pretty good, but Beverly made her seem like she wasn’t even trying. It had felt like being in among some Greco-Roman wrestlers, twisting, grappling, and wrapping around each other. But much better of course, because Mrs Hall had released something inside herself that maybe even she hadn’t been aware of. Close to twenty years of sexual frustration, countless hours of fevered imaginings, and more than a few days spent surfing on her laptop. It had all burst forth, and he had been the very grateful recipient of her release. After, she had tidied up her hair and make up, re-positioned her underwear, and told him to get busy with the photos. He set up the tripod, and started to follow her lead.

She did the full range. On the bed, beside the bed, bent over the bed, then standing on it too. Bra on, bra off, panties on, panties off. On her back, on her front, looking over her shoulder, and also standing over Benny, looking down the lens as he clicked away on his back. She finished off fully nude, even removing the stockings for the last dozen shots. He had to hand it to her, she was a real natural, and she had obviously done her homework on the poses. It was all done and dusted in under an hour, and a quick review on the back of the camera showed they had got some first-class results. Beverly put the dressing gown on, and turned to him. “Right, Benedict. Put some underpants on, and go and sort things out with Darren. I will do you some egg and chips, give you a shout when it’s ready. Then after we have eaten, I want to have a nice talk with you”. She swept out in a cloud of pink fleece, not waiting for a reply.

Noddy was very matter of fact. “Close to eleven grand, Benny, and it’s not even six pm. I am still emailing passwords, in between learning Russian. I don’t want any problems routeing the site, so I want to be on top of any language issues”. As he was talking, his fingers were moving constantly, things scrolling up and down on at least three screens, and all sorts of beeping and whirring sounds could be heard. It was like visiting someone in an Intensive Care Unit. Not that he ever had, but he had seen it on telly. Noddy told him to get a notebook, and write down what he told him. It was a lot of stuff, and he had to keep being asked to repeat it. Benny would have to get up early the next day. He had to go to lots of banks, all over the place. He scribbled down the names and addresses, PIN numbers, and account names. At each bank, he should use the ATM, and draw out a certain amount, different in each bank. Darren turned to emphasize some points. “Use cabs, but don’t keep the same one for all the journeys. Keep away from public transport, but if you have to use it, get a bus, and sit downstairs, with the bag on your lap. It will have a lot of cash inside, so put some T-shirts in first, then hide the money under them. Don’t wear anything distinctive, just plain colours with no logos, and take a baseball cap, but only put it on for a few of the withdrawals.”

Benny checked the details, and went over it again. Then Noddy added, “And when you get home tear those pages out of the notebook, and destroy them. Not throw them in the bin, get rid of them. I suggest you tear them in very small pieces, then flush them down the toilet. Don’t burn them, in case you set off the smoke alarm”. His tone was calm, not ordering, just stating what needed to be done. He was on the ball, that was for sure. Benny wondered what the Hell he would do without him. “Christ, Nod. That’s a lot of banks mate. I’m going to be out most of the day”. Noddy turned his stool round, and let the screens alone for a moment. “It will be like this every day for some time, then at least twice a month after that. You have to realise about money laundering regulations, withdrawal limits, CCTV in the ATM machines. You can’t just walk into a bank and withdraw ten grand anymore, Benny. Not unless you want to explain how it got there, and whether you paid any tax on it. And don’t forget to take those extra shots of your Nan, they are crying out for them”. Benny whistled. “You are totally on it. You should be an expert on all this, you could make a lot of money”.

The smelly young man shook his head, finally looking exasperated with his friend.
“I already am. And hopefully, we will”.
From downstairs, Beverly shouted. “Food’s ready!” As he turned back to the screens, Noddy asked him, “Tell my Mum to bring me up a sandwich after. Tomato Ketchup. And some milk, the full-fat stuff, not the semi-skimmed she has in her tea”. Benny grinned. “Will do”.

When they had eaten, and Beverly had taken up the sandwich and milk, she came to sit beside Benny on the sofa. “Don’t tell me you didn’t enjoy yourself earlier, and don’t even think of saying you don’t fancy me after that performance. I may be a lot older than you, but I can still tell when someone really wants me”. He wasn’t about to deny it. “No, it was lovely. And I do. Er, fancy you that is. It was just a shock. I mean, you’re Noddy’s Mum”. She ruffled his already untidy hair. “Well not anymore, now I am your other half. I was thinking, it would make sense for you to move in, save keep coming round every day. You would be on the spot for Darren, and I would be more than happy to have you around, as I surely demonstrated upstairs. We would make a good team. I’m sure you could find me very useful for all sorts of jobs, as well as those behind closed doors”.

That was the last thing that he had expected to hear. “But what about Nan, who would look after her? And Mr Hall, what would he say? Would I have your daughter’s old room? And would I have to pay rent? I don’t at Nan’s, just give her some food money”. She stroked his face and shook her head slowly. “So many questions. I should have thought after the good time I showed you you would jump at the chance to be in bed with me every night of the week. And don’t make me laugh about your Nan. Everyone knows she looks after you, not the other way round. I reckon Lilian deserves a break after all these years, she’s getting on a bit, after all. And as for rent, I am guessing enough money will be coming in to more than cover that. No need to worry about Keith either. He won’t be here anymore. I’m sorting that out later”.

Benny was stumped for a reply. He couldn’t argue that it didn’t make sense to not have to keep coming round, and it was hard to deny he fancied her. He was still thinking about that session earlier, no getting away from that. Nan had been good to him, but might well be happy to have him off her hands. Noddy didn’t seem to care less, and Beverly was a decent cook, if her egg and chips were anything to go by. And she seemed to have her head screwed on too. He suddenly thought of something, and sat up straight. “Linda. I forgot Linda. What would I tell her?” Beverly wasn’t looking concerned. “Who’s Linda, your girlfriend?” He nodded. “Well, sort of. You know, Big Linda from the cafe on the market, works on the flower stall too?” Beverly nodded, getting a mental image of a woman selling flowers, unimaginably gigantic boobs, and her hair scurfed up like a top-knot. She smiled. No competition.

“How long have you been seeing her? Have you made any commitment to her? Are you in love with her or something?” He felt a bit silly as he replied. “Nothing like that really. We have done it a couple of times, and she gave me the key to her flat. I really like her, but I don’t have to answer to her for anything. I just think she’s nice, and don’t like to upset her”. Beverly pretended to think it over. “Nicer than me, Benny love?” He shook his head. “Do you fancy her more than me then? He shook his head again. “Well, how about this? Keep the key. I can spare you now and again to keep her sweet. Tell her you are living here, just sharing with Darren because of your business. She doesn’t need to know any details, at least not for now. Maybe offer her some work. We need someone to do lots of trips to the Post Office, as well as stuffing the envelopes and padded bags with the stuff. We could drop it off at her place, and she could work from home. Darren will print out the stickers for mailing, and we will give her the cash for the postal charges. Worth keeping her happy, she might come in handy later”.

He thought for a moment. It would be good not to upset anyone, and have no hassles. “OK, sounds good. If you’re sure”. She smiled, and almost purred. “Oh I’m sure”. Slipping out of the dressing gown, she opened her arms wide.

“Now. Come over here, and let’s seal the deal”.

To be continued…

This is the fourteenth part of a fiction serial, in 1280 words.

At least Nan was happy. Benny was pleased to see her in her element when he got back, relishing all the adoring remarks made by her fans on the forum, and ‘Ask Betty’ page. No time to hang around too long though. He wolfed down a bowl of cornflakes in the kitchen, not even bothering to sit down. He had to get back to Noddy’s place with the camera, take the shots Beverly wanted, then tell him about the DVD films on order, and sort out how to get more money out of the accounts to pay for them. He grabbed all his stuff, and went to say goodbye to his Nan. “Nan, we are doing really well. I will be able to give you your money back in the next few days, and a lot more on top of that. Noddy says we need more photos of you, so I will start on those tomorrow”.

Nan was fixed on the screen, typing gingerly, as if the keyboard would hurt her fingers. “Oh Benny love. HD. We need HD, apparently. All the boys here are asking for HD video and Hi-Res photos, whatever they are. She had her legs sprawled out either side of the laptop. They looked funny, sort of swollen, and were an unusual colour. “I know about HD Nan, but the camera is too old for for that. It will have to wait until I get a new one. Noddy can tune up the photos, it will be alright for now. Nan, what’s wrong with your legs?”

Lilian stopped typing, and looked up with a smile. “Its the boys, love. They want to buy my stockings and tights, once they have been on my legs of course. I’m wearing four pairs of stockings with three pairs of tights over the top of them, to save time. After I take them off, I can put them in some of those zip-seal sandwich bags. You will have to post them off, once they have paid for them. It’s up to you or Noddy to work out how much, I will leave that to you. But the next time you are near the market, you better buy me a lot more, maybe fifty pairs of each. They have all sent their names and addresses by email, they tell me. To be honest love, I can’t wait to get them off, I’m sweating cobs under all this nylon. And god forbid I need a pee in a hurry, this lot feels as tight as if I’ve been swallowed by a snake”. Benny chuckled at her, and gave her a big kiss on the top of her head. “See you later Nan”.

Beverly Hall had been right. She did scrub up well. The woman who answered the door looked like someone much better-looking, pretending to be Noddy’s mum. Her usual boring hairstyle had been changed completely. Various colour highlights had lifted the dark auburn, and the front was no longer combed in what he thought of as a ‘Hitler Parting’. Instead, it was a spiky fringe, gelled-up in a modern style. The hair alone had taken five years off her age, and careful, classy makeup removed five more. She smiled at his expression. “Like the hair? I did it myself. Told you I could look good. Now, did you bring the camera, like I said?”

She was wearing a pink hooded dressing gown that almost touched the ground, and as soon as they got into the living room, she undid the belt, and opened it wide. “TA-DA! What do you think of that, young Benedict?” She revealed that she was wearing a black lacy bra, her generous breasts bulging from the cups. The matching high-cut skimpy panties left little to the imagination, and a suspender belt was attached to some sheer black stockings. Her fingernails and toenails were painted with a lush dark red polish, and her glossy lipstick matched it perfectly. Other than a small ‘baby belly’ bulging slightly above the waistband of the panties, her figure was surprisingly good. Benny actually though ‘Wow!’ But decided to go with “Very nice Mrs, er, Beverly”. She didn’t bother to tie up the belt, and carried on talking. “I was hoping for better than ‘very nice’, but it’s a start. I decided we will do my photos in the bedroom. I have tidied it up, changed the bed, and lit a scented candle too. It will create the right mood, I think. I was out and about as soon as you left. I have been to Primark to get the undies, no point paying too much for them. Then I got the hair stuff from Boots in Oxford Street, while I was up there. She reached out and took his hand. Come on, up we go”.

At the top of the stairs, Benny hesitated. “What about Noddy? Won’t he think it’s funny if I am in your room? Maybe we should stay downstairs.” She shook her head. “He’s learning Russian, from one of those audio things, so he will have headphones on anyway. He’s just bought a Russian keyboard, you know, with their funny symbols on it. I expect he will pick it up in no time. He has a talent for things like that”. Benny didn’t move. “All the same, I would hate to upset him, and we really have a lot to do”. She looked fed up. “You have never got it, have you? Darren doesn’t think like that. Such things don’t register in his thought processes. He operates at a different level to the rest of us”. Beverly dropped his hand with a look of disdain. “Right, follow me”. She opened the door to Noddy’s room, and the strange odour wafted into the space on the landing. She tapped her son on the shoulder, and he turned, removing the headphones as she mimed the action. “Darren, Benny is here to take some photos of me for the website. We are going into the bedroom for a while, so don’t worry where I am, alright? He will come and see you when we’re finished, and you can go over everything then. OK, love?”

Noddy didn’t show the slightest surprise at his mother being done up to the nines, dressed like a high class call girl, and talking about going into her bedroom with his school-friend. He didn’t even grin. “OK, Mum. Hi Benny”. Then he turned back to the screens, and replaced the headphones.

Beverly beckoned him with a crooked finger, and he meekly followed her into the bedroom. It was three times bigger than Noddy’s, and actually done out quite tastefully. The bed was huge, and he wondered how they got the mattress up the stairs. Beverly slipped off the pink gown, then sprawled on the bed, curled up in a seductive pose on her front, with her legs waving in the air behind her. Benny had to admit that she looked pretty hot, even though she was still Noddy’s mum. And the stirrings in his loins were in danger of giving away his appreciation. She ran a finger around her mouth, looking him up and down.

“Right, Benny love. Two things are going to happen this afternoon.
One. You are going to take some very sexy photos of me.
Two. I am going to have you.
The only say you have, is choosing which one happens first”.

Benny looked at her squirming on the bed, her cleavage bulging above her folded arms, the firm white globes of her bum cheeks protruding from the sides of the panties, and her toes wiggling inside the stockings.
There was no contest.

He dropped the bag and tripod, and clawed frantically at his belt.

To be continued…

This is the thirteenth part of a fiction serial in 1170 words.

Benny sat in the the taxi that was taking him to the small industrial estate in a back street not far from White City. He had decided not to use Leroy from the flats. The less people who knew wht he was doing, the better. The traffic was bad, but it gave him time to think. Mrs Hall had surprised him. He had never really taken that much notice of her in the past. With her rather masculine hairstyle and mumsy clothes, she was just ‘there’. But he was going to have to take the photos later, as he couldn’t risk her blocking Noddy from the operation. The potential money was huge, much more than he had expected. But hiding it, then getting at it was going to take a lot of work. He called upon the resources he had used when studying for his exams, trying to get his head around just how busy life was going to become, even with such a small cottage industry like the one they had started.

Lilian had been using the laptop most of the day. Benny had showed her what to do, and after a few stumbles, she had finally worked it out and got in the flow. The comments on the thread were all lovely, and it brought a tear to her eye to read how so many people had dedicated a part of their life to keeping her memory alive. Her comments in reply were natural, and appreciative, and the replies came thick and fast. She also read some very appreciative remarks about her new photos in the ‘Ask Betty’ section, and chuckled at the variety of requested poses and outfits. Despite the amount of really graphic and seedy stuff online, her fans just wanted to go back to the traditional stuff. Old-fashioned underwear, domestic settings, and blatant flashes. Nobody asked for anything extreme, not one of them.

Dolly Bright had finally got back to her, but none of the others had followed up. Dolly was married to someone a fair bit older, but he wasn’t well, and knew nothing about her past. Her real name had been Sophie Kingwell, and that had changed to Sophie Ward when she got married. She told Lilian that she would love to do some work on the site, as it would make a change from being in the house, and a little extra money never hurt. Her husband was in hospital now, on his way out, it seemed. And he would be going into a terminal care hospice soon, so she would have a lot of free time. They decided that she would be called Sophie Bright, and use the name ‘Aunt Sophie’ with her pictures.

He paid the cab fare, and walked over to the small industrial unit with the name ‘ZR Facilities’ on a small sign by the door. He had phoned and made an appointment to see the owner, Zafir. In a big sports bag, he was carrying twenty VHS tapes, and some photos of Nan. Inside, the place was smaller than he had expected. More or less a room full of machines on racks, and a tiny counter at the front. Zafir was a young Indian-looking guy, very smartly dressed, with a wicked haircut. “So you want some old films transferred to DVD, and these old wrappers and photos combined into inserts? How many are we talking about?” Benny had already been thinking of a number before arriving. “I was thinking fifty of each to start with, but it all depends how much they cost”. Zafir used a calculator on his phone to work out some figures, but didn’t immediately come up with a price. “The copying is no problem, we can do that by machine. But there is some work involved in getting the DVD inserts right. Then there is copy protection. You get a master that can be used to run off as many as you want, but if we don’t include that copy protection, someone will rip you off, and sell them on Ebay. That’s a software thing, and easy enough. But it adds cost. Then there are the cases, but they’re cheap enough. The main issue is the poor quality of the old VHS. I can have a look at some of the films, but I am betting we will need to upscale them, and that takes time and money. Basically, the more you buy, the cheaper it gets”.

Benny leaned on the counter, taking it all in. “Don’t get me wrong, Zafir, but how can I be sure that you won’t just copy the films, and sell them on?” The young man took no offence at the remark. “I have a business, Mr Fortune, and it’s a good one. If I started ripping off customers, I wouldn’t last too long. Then where would I be? I assure you I have no interest in your affairs, and I certainly have zero interest in this seedy crap you are hoping to sell. I only look at it from a technical aspect, and I hope to get repeat business if you are successful. Does that reassure you?” Benny nodded. “Sorry, but I had to ask. How long before you could get some films to me?” Zafir smiled. “How long before you can collect some, you mean. I don’t do deliveries, unless you want to pay some hefty courier fees. Let’s say two days for the masters and inserts, then I will run off the copies you requested overnight. You can collect one thousand DVDs in three days. But I want a big deposit now, and full payment on collection. If it was a bigger order, I might get the price down to two pounds fifty each, but for just a thousand it will have to be three quid each, so three thousand pounds. I want five hundred up front to cover the donkey work, then a telephone payment by card, or bring cash, before I let you have the films. And make sure you have a big car, or van. There will be a few cartons, and they will be heavy”.

The five hundred was paid using one of the cards that had arrived from the new bank accounts Noddy had set up. He waited as the payment went through, relieved that his mate had done his stuff. Zafir hadn’t cared that the name on the card was different, as long as he got his money. They shook hands, and he passed over a business card. “See you in three days. If any changes come to mind, then call me”.

Leaving the bag with him, he wandered back out onto the main road. After trying in vain to find a free cab, he eventually got on a bus to Paddington. from there he would easily get a taxi from the rank at the station. On the top deck, he relaxed and stared out of the window.

So much to do, but at least it was all coming together.

To be continued…

This is the twelfth part of a fiction serial, in 1375 words.

As she made the sandwiches in the cramped kitchen, Beverly Hall was thinking hard. Tomato Ketchup ones for Darren, the only thing he would eat, besides Coco-Pops. Cheese and pickle for Benny, whether he liked them or not. Darren had told her everything of course, he always did. People with his condition always spoke the truth, whatever the consequences, She liked that about her son. He was never sneaky or deceptive. That helped to make up for the harder years when she was struggling. She had never been able to go back to work after he was born. She missed the company, and hated being stuck in the house most of the time. But most of all, she missed being Beverly. She was overlooked, a housewife and housekeeper, good old Bev, as everyone called her.

She had met Keith when he was in the army, stationed close to her home in the West of England. He didn’t have much of a job in the forces, mostly driving and fixing lorries in the motor transport section. At least he was never posted overseas. He had been good looking back then, but he hadn’t aged well. The first flush of marriage soon passed, and he left the army as soon as his time was up. He wanted to move back to North London, where he came from, and it had been a shock for Beverly. Too noisy, too full-on, and lots of unfriendly people. But she had her daughter soon after, and once Kirsty was around, she at least had the company of some other young mums she had met. But once Darren was born, Keith seemed to just switch off, and leave it all to her. He was in and out of jobs for a while, and they often struggled. Then he had found a security guard job, in the cargo sheds at Heathrow Airport. That seemed to suit him, and he was still there, after sixteen years. He worked twelve hour shifts, six days a week. Adding the long commute each way, he was out of the house for almost fifteen hours a day, only getting home in time to eat dinner, doze in front of the telly, and go to bed. On his one day off, he got up late, read a newspaper in great detail, and then went to the pub for a couple of pints. She couldn’t remember the last time he had even spoken to his son. She didn’t blame Kirsty for getting married and moving away either. She had been a good girl, helped out when she could.

Noddy was too excited to eat. “Look, Benny. The site moderator approved Betty immediately. He has already started a thread, visited the website, and signed up as a member for thirty quid!” Benny munched his sandwich. He didn’t like Branston Pickle, but hadn’t wanted to seem ungrateful. On the sidebar of the site, was a box marked ‘Ask Betty’. The forum moderator used the name ‘bettysbiggestfan’, and he had left a comment, which Noddy had immediately approved.

‘My dream has come true. I need to pinch myself, to know it is really you, Betty. Thank you, thank you. More please. Never go away again, beautiful Betty”.

Noddy smiled. “I think we cracked it, Benny”.

Just forty-five minutes later, even Noddy was shaking his head in disbelief. The forum thread had close to four hundred comments, and there were already one hundred and sixty-five members signed up to the site. ‘Ask Betty’ had over ninety comments. Members were asking for specific poses and clothes, and wanting to buy photos, DVD films, even her worn underwear, tights, and stockings. The research done by both of them hadn’t come anywhere close to the excitement generated by Betty’s sudden reappearance. Noddy was doing some sums. “I have to get busy emailing the passwords, Benny. But look at this”. He held up a sheet of paper, with writing and figures on it, in his very neat hand.

US members so far. 100 X $50 = $5,000
UK members so far. 44 X £30 = £1,320
EU members so far. 21 X E30 = E630

“Benny, that’s close to six grand in under an hour, and it’s still coming in. Once the time changes around the world kick in, we can expect a lot more, I’m sure. I need to open more Paypal accounts and start spreading this money around fast, before it gets noticed. We will need more online bank accounts too, so I will get on that. You need to get started on those video transfers, and get a lot more pictures of your Nan. And I mean a lot. She has to answer these messages too, all of them”. Benny left the last quarter of his sandwich, and stood up to leave. Noddy turned, his eyes alive with excitement. “Come back later with those photos and I will explain about how to get hold of some of this money. But don’t forget, other than any sundry sales, it has to last a month, and we have to give them some content”. Benny gave him a thumbs up. “Sure thing, Nod”.

Beverly Hall was waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs. She was smiling, but had a determined posture, arms folded across her chest. After leaving the sandwiches, she had stood outside listening, and had only come down when she realised Benny was about to leave. On top of what her son had already told her, she had worked out exactly what was going on, and where it had got to. “Sit down, Benedict love. We need to have a little talk”. He hesitated, taken aback by her rather syrupy tone. “Can we do that later, Mrs Hall? Only I have rather a lot to do just now”. She shook her head, widening the smile. “It won’t take long, but it has to be now”. He perched on the edge of the sofa, his body language indicating he was ready to leave as soon as he could. Mrs Hall came and sat close to him. Very close. Uncomfortably close in fact.

“To start with, I want you to call me Beverly. Not Bev mind, Beverly. Mrs Hall makes me feel old, and though I might be forty-nine next birthday, I am nowhere near old, I can tell you. Now, I know that you are soon going to be getting quite a lot of money, Darren has told me how much he thinks it might be. And that’s every month. I expect you to do the decent thing, and give him a fair share. I didn’t spend the best part of the last twenty years looking after him, just so he could be exploited by other people”. Benny shifted a bit, but she just moved into the gap. “But Mrs, er, Beverly, Noddy told me he doesn’t want anything. I offered, I really did”. She slid her arm along the top of the sofa, her voice getting even softer. “He may not know what to do with cash, but he can always use new equipment. You know they keep bringing out bigger and better computers and stuff, and we don’t have the money to keep replacing them”. Benny nodded. “OK, fine. You tell me what he wants, and I will see you get the money to buy it for him”. She smiled, and Benny moved to stand. But the arm behind him rested on his neck suddenly, indicating he should stay put.

“And there’s something else, something for me. ” He was confused. “I could get you a new telly or washing machine, something like that. Or both.”. Beverly waggled a finger at him. “Is that what you think I want? Oh no. I want to be on the site; have my own feature, and my own fans. Next time you come round, bring your camera, and we can start taking the photos”. Benny raised his eyebrows. “You? What about Mr Hall, and Noddy? He will know, even if his Dad doesn’t” She smiled like a cat who had got the cream. “Leave Keith and Darren to me, Benny, and stop looking so surprised. You wouldn’t credit how well I can scrub up, I kid you not. And I look pretty good in my underwear, even if I say so myself.” She leaned forward again, her voice almost a growl.

“I really do”.

To be continued…