Anderson / J.D. Of Bitches and Babes

1. Auflage 2025
ISBN: 979-8-31781540-0
Verlag: BookBaby
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 560 Seiten

Reihe: Of Bitches and Babes

A struggling late-night radio show titled 'The Zack and Zed Show' has been struggling to keep their ratings up, even though the two hosts really enjoy their late-night banter. Despite their efforts, nothing they did seemed to attract new listeners, until one night a heavily inebriated young man called into the show, telling the hosts that his girlfriend just left him high and dry at one of the local nightclubs and began yelling that he believed his girlfriend was a babe, but it turned out she was just a bitch. Suddenly, the hosts notice a spike in both listeners and callers, all wanting to express their individual opinions on the situation-both supportive and condemning. This event sparks inspiration, leading to an idea that might just save their little late-night talk show.

Upon graduating high school, Jim Anderson spent a whole year waiting to be drafted into the military, like many of his friends already had been. With the threat of being drafted constantly looming overhead, many employers refused to hire him since he was likely going to be shipped overseas in the near future, causing Jim to endure one of the most miserable years of his life. Eventually, Jim was drafted into the Army and, within months, was shipped overseas to Vietnam as an infantryman with the 196th Light Infantry Brigade of the Americal (All American) Division that acted as a 'reactionary force' unit that worked with multiple different divisions and branches of the armed forces. His unit practically lived on helicopters, as they were constantly on the move, being sent from one hot spot to another to support other units in need. During his time overseas, he was wounded in battle twice, resulting in a 4-month-long hospital stay, but it also earned him the Purple Heart along with various other awards. After being honored with multiple service-connected awards, he left the military a month early to go to college and begin a journey that would take him through Calhoun Community College, the University of North Alabama, Alabama A&M University, and the University of Alabama. His educational career ended with him obtaining a Bachelor of Science, a Master of Arts, an Education Specialist degree, and a Juris Doctorate. Jim has served as both head football and baseball coach and as a school administrator and has managed the country music band, Heartland-an award-winning platinum-selling country music band-that his two sons participated in as charter members. Additionally, he is also involved with professional baseball as the first official scorer with the Double-A Minor League baseball team, the Huntsville Stars. He is also an affiliate of the Oakland Athletics program. Currently, Jim is living a good life in Athens, Alabama, within Canebrake-the most beautiful golf community under the sun-with his wife, Diana Ballinger Anderson.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Anderson, Jim

J.D.,

Leseproben

Night One

Mad Mary:
An angry and abused female lover seeking revenge

Professional Polly:
A cold-hearted and sarcastic business professional

Monday, July 17

“Hello, everybody! Welcome to the Zack and Zed Show coming to you live and in color from the studios of “The Rock” in Nashville, Tennessee. Also, let’s shout a warm and wonderful hello to our troops overseas listening on the Armed Forces Radio Network, as well as all along the Zack and Zed network across the Southeast. From Alabama to Mississippi, to Louisiana and Georgia, to the Carolinas and all parts in between we welcome you one and all,” said Zack in his most exuberant and colorful tone. “Boy, have we got a great show lined up for you, tonight.”

“How right you are, sir. Folks, this is going to be a truly special show. Tonight, isn’t just any old ordinary show. To the contrary, it’s the one show that we have all been waiting on for a couple of weeks now,” said Zed. “Tonight, we begin the best five days of your life! Actually, it’s safe to say it could be the best day – or night! – of our life.”

“Yes, I think it’s being a little low key to simply say that we’ve been waiting on this show for a long time, Zed; most certainly, we’ve been waiting on this bad little boy for two weeks and we’re ready to get it on! Yes sir, … this is the night that we start our Of Bitches and Babes contest! I am so ready for this,” said an overly-excited Zack. “Tonight, we are going to begin an on-air nightly reading of two of the selected stories, and we’re going to do it for five big shows.”

“That’s right, and when the last one has been read at the end, we’ll pick us a grand prize winner and send that person, and a little sweet thing of his choosing, off to Hawaii to enjoy the fruits of the great victory. Also, all of you need to know that as of this very moment negotiations are underway to have this compilation of stories published. Of Bitches and Babes soon will be available for the public to enjoy, and to help send some badly-needed funding to Nashville’s Children’s Hospital,” said Zed.

“But for now, it’s time to get down to the business at hand,” replied Zack. “It is time for the main event!” A few good special effects came eerily from some mysterious origin; namely, a little tape the folks in advertising had come up with to enhance the moment. “And now, ladies and gentlemen, the moment we’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived. It is now Monday, and time to read the very first edition of the soon-to-be-best seller Of Bitches and Babes!” Canned applause and phony laughter followed, but was not intended to be considered real. It was sarcasm at its best; all part of the show to be simply what it was. “Drum roll please,” said Zed. Immediately, Zack placed two unsharpened #2 pencils to good use… and the show was on.

“The very first story to be read on the air from the upcoming book Of Bitches and Babes comes to us from Richard Conley in Madison, Tennessee. His story concerns a tale about mad girlfriends and physical abuse,” said Zed. “This could make Monday, July 17 the hottest day of the year!”

“Yes, we do have some people out there that think it’s really fun to go around beating up on their friends and lovers. Especially lovers,” said Zack. “This story concerns a young lady that apparently has gotten to the point that she’s about had enough abuse from a certain guy…and decides to do something about it.”

“It sounds like she’s about to get a little rowdy,” replied Zed. “Maybe dangerous?”

“You know, I think I knew somebody like that myself one time. Let’s see, it was the summer of 2019 and ...”

“Thanks dude, but you’re not in the contest,” said Zed. With his voice taking on a tone of utter seriousness beyond his normal ravings, he turned to the formal introduction. “Ladies and gentlemen, I want you to settle into a nice and comfortable chair, get yourself a good stiff drink, get your friends quiet and in control around you no matter where you are, and listen to the golden voice of Mr. Zack as he reads the first of our ten stories selected by our staff of very highly qualified professionals as being one of the best of the hundreds entered. Please listen to this nasty and horrifying tale of a fed-up lover that is entitled ... Mad Mary. Take it away, Mr. Zack!”

Zack took a short breath, and let out a little sigh. “Let’s do this,” he said. And so it began, the first night of the weirdest idea and biggest gamble in their career. God help them. He held the document and, with a twinkle in his eye, began to read the first manuscript. Yes, it was on. He then, rather dramatically, began the live reading of the author’s rendition of … Mad Mary.

…………….

She fell hard against the table after the backside of his hand slammed into her face. A trickle of blood began to steadily ooze out of the corner of her mouth as she placed her hand to her lips to feel the damage.

A minor voice of opposition to him began to arise within her, but silenced itself immediately. She heard the aborted sound come from her own mouth as she felt the sting from the blow. She knew not to scream; no sound, in fact. To let on as if it mattered to her would only become an invitation for him to do it again.

He looked down at her body now lying prone beneath him, and decided she needed some more. She would pay for what she had done to him. He kicked her in the back of the head as she recoiled from his advance. Another blow struck her flush on the head when he erupted into frenzy; other blows raining down upon her now-defenseless body. It didn’t matter much after that. He got in a few more choice blows that battered her body but had no effect upon her soul. After all, unconsciousness does have a strange number of rewards.

He backed off after that. Having finished and void of further rage, he left her lying on the floor for the better part of an hour before deciding that the gentlemanly thing to do was to lay her on the couch until she regained consciousness. After all, a man has to do the right thing, you know.

Morning ascended upon the window as the sun shone brightly against the curtain. She made her first move; painful, but at least she had somehow survived … again. Not surprisingly, survival had slowly become the primary goal in her life.

Arising with utter pain ripping her body, she made it to the bathroom and did the best she could to restore order to a ravaged spirit. Thanking all that could be thanked, she eased into the tub and remained for the better part of an hour. It was good to be alive; ... sort of.

She remained in the tub while the warm water caressed her nose and brought both security and relief to her ravaged soul. Her wounds, although quite painful, did not constitute anything of an ultra - serious nature. That is, she did not feel any need to seek treatment. At least, physically.

Somewhere in the painful fog of reality, she had devised her own plan. This was the end. “Well, how long are you going to take this crap?” she said out loud if for no other reason than to make sure she could still speak and hear like a normal human being. She needed reassurance to that effect since she did not presently feel very normal.

She couldn’t get used to it. Time and time again Joey had taken out his frustration upon her. This was not the first time he had taken such liberty with her. To the contrary, he apparently had come to the realization that he even had permission to do so. He gave himself permission anytime he wanted. It also was fair to say that he would do it again without any further permission.

When she first started dating him, the fire within their relationship burned so brightly that she ignored the occasional blows that would come in anger. After all, he was a misplaced New Yorker living here at the desire of the home office. His frustrations appeared to be the outgrowth of the pressures of the job. Frustration and pressure appear to be one and the same these days, she thought. Love overcomes all things, right?

Their relationship had entered the sixth month when his quiet behavior started to turn toward violence. Little things came at first. A slap on the cheek; a little backhand to the head. Those acts would be followed almost immediately by an apology. She would recognize those acts as frustration and forgive him. No problem. It was such a small matter to deal with.

Time had increased the frequency of the attacks. Not only did the number of acts increase but the ferocity as well. It was also getting old; really old, actually. Lately, he had gotten more used to doing it than she had gotten used to forgiving him for doing it. Surely, no equality there.

Lying in the tub was soothing to her as well as healing. The real benefit was having time to think it through and working up a bad attitude about her treatment. She had taken enough. Really. No more taking the pain; no, … she had taken it for the last time. This was for real; no more pain from him, or any man. She had taken her last blow. No more permission, Joey.

Being a good person has its faults. Some people take the view that being good is weak. She was tired of being good. She was more tired of being weak. Most of all, she was just tired of him. She was just tired, period. There needed to be a change in her life … and very soon, at that.

Two days would pass before she...