Mature / Thirty+

Salon Supplies

Salon Supplies
A Vignette
By Maryanne Peters

My business is business. I buy and I invest, and where I need to manage my investments, I do that too. I try not to get too involved in what I buy. You always need to be ready to sell and tell the staff that you are leaving and so are they. There is no room for sentimentally – no room for attachments.

Space Queen Chapter 11

The day of the hauker hunt had arrived, and I felt a surge of anticipation mixed with a hint of nervousness. Donning the traditional armor provided for the marriage hunt, I couldn't help but notice how snugly it fit around my hips. It was a reminder that while it wasn't typical for a woman to partake in this ritual, I was the first outsider to participate in the hunt.

Comfortably Numb. Chapter 9 of 10

Chapter 9

The afternoon was just wonderful. It was all elegance and flair, juxtaposed with industrial backgrounds. It was during this time that the Vogue reporter cornered me to ask some questions. When she asked what I drove, I told her about the Jensen, so she made sure that I was taken out to it, in my next outfit, for her photographer to take some pictures.

Vampire Hunter Turned (Into a Girl)

For years, a vampire hunter has been chasing the vampire queen Lilith, but when he finally catches her, she turns the tables on him, and turns him into her little sister!

The Demon and I Chapter 5

A beautifully d d3ac897b-935c-4eac-85c9-f88b374616d8.png

As we continued our preparations for the battles ahead, Adriana and I recognized the importance of honing my skills with Lucifer's Scythe despite the inherent dangers it posed. With that in mind, we crafted an imitation scythe to serve as a training tool, allowing me to familiarize myself with the weapon's style and techniques.

Comfortably Numb. Chapter 8 of 10

Chapter 8

The only break, the following Wednesday, was when we had the Mayor come along to cut a ribbon to declare Harrison Industrial Steelworks open for business. I took Carol and the girls in that day all of us dressed to the nines, and we met up with Janet, Gerald, and the rest of the Board, with their families. Geraldine turned up, with Bobby driving her and Astrid. Cyril and the rest of the office were there, along with some of the other union representatives.

Pee Pot, Chapter 3

I opened the dating site, where my profile has been set to not looking and not subscribing to send messages for months, since I started dating Brenda more regularly. I had it find me some matches, and some of them looked potentially OK, but I realized I couldn’t even get myself to send a message to one of them, and I shut it off again.

I probably do need the counseling, and sooner than I thought.

I distracted myself by reviewing the state of knowledge about the syndrome. There had been a lot of fascinating studies, but they were no longer headline news and I had to go look for them.

BetterU Incorporated - Prerelease Please

BetterU Incorporated is a large company that spans the multiverse.
Each new world and subsidiary has its challenges.
Doctor Ranjeed Pusapati is ready to celebrate with his team the approval for the production of auto-closets.
A device to automatically dress and - if necessary - adjust a person's measurements upon specifications.
But just as they start to party, reviews start to arrive. This shouldn't be possible as they haven't delivered a single device yet.
But the reviews are coming in and all paint a bad picture: the auto-closets are out there and they are malfunctioning.

Surviving The Conspiracy

There were rumors of a shakeup in upper level management and some promotions that might be in the offering. Our company was going through some tough times, increased competition and some personnel that were not qualified for the position they held in the company. Most of these employees were ones that were hired by friends or family members that were already employed by the company, a practice that was commonly used until recently.

Kemeia Ascends Part 5

This is part 5 of my first work, a fan continuation of the unfinished Kemeia Ascending. It is entirely inspired by Armond's magical world of Argentia and its Goddess Selene.

This is part 2 of my first work, a fan continuation of the unfinished Kemeia Ascending. It is entirely inspired by Armond's magical world of Argentia and its Goddess Selene.

Link to the book here Kemeia Ascends - A Fan Continuity

Comfortably Numb. Chapter 6 of 10

Chapter 6

As I drove south, I was very mindful of the speed limits, something that I now took very seriously, not wanting to have my licence being checked while I was in a skirt. Being a nice day, I had opted for something casual but well made and we had bought a couple of good skirts, suited to a businesswoman.

I had a good collection of blouses that we had bought to go with the skirt suits that were in the garment bags hanging in the back of the car, alongside the new dress that had cost almost as much as a month’s salary.

Roberta Galbraith - A Sleuth Awakens - Part 2

The news of a suspicious dead body spread around Tottenham ‘nick’ and well beyond like wildfire thanks to loose-lipped people and social media. The forensic team had hardly arrived on site when the first TV News crew mobile broadcast unit arrived on the scene and immediately began broadcasting live.

The Boy Who Never Was Part 3 of 3

Robert has been asked out on a date as Bobbi. Can his feminine side make the evening a success or is he doomed to exposure and ridicule?

Chapter 3

Robert stood in the hallway for the next 5 minutes absorbing what had just happened. Then he went into the kitchen and stood there for another 5 minutes considering what he should do next. His appetite was gone so he simply grabbed a granola bar from the cupboard and began chewing on it. He walked into the living room and sat on the sofa, his legs tucked beneath himself.

Buyer's Remorse - Chapters 5 - 6


The Man in Red

Buyer’s Remorse Chapters 5 - 6

by Maeryn Lamonte
Copyright © 2023

This is an unpleasant couple of chapters. Please be cautious.

They involve a rebellious child who thinks he can get away with anything

An abusive husband who has similar self-centred views regarding his marital entitlements

The loss of pretty much the only friend in this lonely life

The former occupant of the life and her views on what she'd left behind

And the protagonist and her response to all of the above.

By the end, there are signs that the tide may be on the turn.

I should also mention that the manner in which the police respond in these chapters is purely fictitious and does not reflect actual practice in any way.

Pee Pot, Chapter 2

Sunday, July 22, 2007

As we approached the first anniversary of the change, I started to think about dating. I had dated before, but my last sort-of regular date had moved to California 3 months before the change and we weren’t close enough yet for me to quit my job and follow her there, so we split up. And I’d just never found anybody right in the 3 months after that before everything got crazy.

By Strange Ways, part 6 of 6

I wondered if she was asking the impossible. She had no work experience she could talk about, no references, and was a rank beginner at English writing and modern technology. Maybe there weren’t any jobs around here for someone like that that would also pay for transition care – insurance policies that covered it were rare enough as it was.

The Boy Who Never Was Part 1 of 3

Robert looked at the beautiful young girl in the mirror. She was wearing a sleek red silk dress with Asian emblems on it, held on her slender form by spaghetti straps. Her modest breasts barely registered to the casual eye but the vivid red lipstick enhanced her mouth and the smoky eye makeup she had expertly applied gave her face a striking beauty and her long black hair that descended over her shoulders framed her beautifully, The dress ended mid thigh and then her slim legs showed down to the bright red 4 inch heeled shoes she balanced casually on.

Roberta Galbraith - A Sleuth Awakens - Part 1

In a perfect world, Police Constable Roberta Galbraith would have been working in CID as DCI Foster had promised. She actually did spend a whole week in CID before a spanner somewhere in the multi-faceted works that make up the Metropolitan Police jammed something up and word came down from on high, 'I'm sorry PC Galbraith, you can't do that'.

Comfortably Numb. Chapter 4 of 10

Chapter 4

After that, Albert and I talked a bit of shop, but I tried to keep Raylene in the discussion, adding bits of information for her to add to whatever knowledge she had about running a Union. When I had paid, we stood and went to fetch our coats. Raylene gave me a hug, and then I did the same for Albert. I was happy that he didn’t recoil or flinch. Our time, tonight, had allowed him to think of me as a woman.

Fifty and Out

Fifty and Out

By Dee Sylvan

June 2023

I’m sitting in my car wondering what in the heck has gotten into me. The Grande Ballroom is hosting my 50-year class reunion and I’m in the parking lot, ready to walk in, but…

18 months ago, somewhere in the Thumb region…

Rachel, one of my best friends from High School and the former homecoming queen, is showing up on my caller id. “Hi Alex, would you be interested in helping plan our 50th high school reunion for the Fort Austin Pirates?”

Buyer's Remorse - Chapters 3 - 4


The Man in Red

Buyer’s Remorse Chapters 3 - 4

by Maeryn Lamonte
Copyright © 2023

The new life isn't quite what he anticipated. He'd asked to be similar age, similar intelligence, same culture, not unattractive, and he'd been given all those things, after a fashion. What he hadn't counted on was being married to a fat, lazy and abusive husband with a couple of troubled pre-teen sons.

It wasn't the life she'd wanted, but was better than nothing?

Comfortably Numb. Chapter 3 of 10

Chapter 3

Cyril told her that it would be our pleasure to be close to the project until we had installed competent workers who could carry on. He even offered to alternate with me, as I had so many other sites around the country that I was needed at. That was a revelation, as he had become office-bound lately. We discussed what the contract between us should look like, and Janet walked us to our car.

Who Am I?

“Bryan, where’s Martin?” Wendy said as he entered. They twins hugged one another.

“I can’t stay long. We broke up.”

“Really? W–?” Marisol said, also giving her brother-in-law a hug.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry, Bro.”

“There’s nothing you can do about it. We disagreed about something and neither of us were willing to change our positions. It was a mutual understanding that we’d grown apart.”

“You were together for five years.”

The Old Man

Maeryn Lamonte Copyright ©️ 2024

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for coming tonight. I realise it’s a little bit of an imposition for me to ask you..."

Everyone laughed politely, which only seemed to confuse the Old Man. I mean this was the New Year’s party, wasn’t it? And he’d all but told us attendance was obligatory. So surely he must have expected a good turnout.

Pee Pot, Chapter 1

Friday, August 4, 2006

It happened one morning. Like most mornings, I woke up and went to the bathroom to pee.

It started normally. I got a good stream going into the bowl as I stood in front of it.

But I was feeling drained. While a little residual tiredness in the morning was OK, this was more than that, and it was getting worse. And something weird was happening in the bowl. I leaned forward, one hand against the top of the toilet tank to support myself.

How I Decided it was Time to Come Out to the World


How I Decided it was Time to Come Out to the World

By
Kristine V. Read

Angered by the continuing news of legislative attacks on the transgender community, Eric needs to make an important decision about coming out to his family, and the world.

Comfortably Numb. Chapter 2 of 10

Chapter 2

After the others had left, I started making calls. If the girls I wanted to talk to weren’t at home, I’d leave a message for them to call before six-thirty today or tomorrow. By the time I put the phone down at a quarter to seven, I had a list of nine girls, who were all happy to be kept informed about a new site with female welders.

Trust Your Gut?

Life and love can yield turns, some welcome, some not. Leah, her friends and family would find that out over the years

Trust Your Gut?
By Marissa Lynn

New Year's Eve 2019

"Why am I here? I wasn't in a contest. It wasn't Halloween. I didn't finish last in my fantasy football league. Nope. I did this to my own damn self."

Jake was lost in his thoughts as Jasmine and Amy had run out of the apartment for God knows what to pull the look together.

Marriage Counseling

“He refuses to do any of the work you’ve suggested,” Susanna said. “You gave us that charm. He was me for less than ten minutes before he freaked out and we had to swap back.”

“I didn’t want to freak out,” Tyler said. “You didn’t warn me it was your time of the month.”

“It didn’t occur to me that would be a problem.”

“Are you telling me you didn’t freak out when it was your first time?”

She didn’t answer.

Carlos, their marriage counselor, said, “Did you?”

Boys Night Out

Boys Night Out Cover final3.jpg
An executive discovers a mysterious package which allows him to become the embodiment of his greatest desire, and it makes an invitation from the boys at work an irresistible opportunity for self-discovery. However, the journey to understanding is fraught with peril, and hell hath no fury like a woman’s.

By Strange Ways, part 5 of 6

“Good evening, Jenny,” she said. “I swept the floor in the kitchen, but I can’t tell how you take up the carpet to shake it out. Do you move all your furniture every time?”

 

I suppressed a laugh. “No, we have a machine for that – let me show you.”

A Grumpy Old Man’s Tale 47 Increasing Independence

A Grumpy Old Man’s Tale 47 Increasing Independence

“That story Angus prised out of her concerning that Landrace boar her grandfather gave her as a piglet when she was what? six or seven was priceless! And her mum’s reaction when her lurcher pup her dad gave her just kept growing when she’d thought it to be a Jack Russell was out of this world priceless. That she raised the pig to killing weight, had it follow a bucket of feed to the slaughterhouse and insisted on watching every detail of its slaughter and butchering and being given explanations of what was being done and why was remarkable enough. But to cap it all that she helped process the blood, the head meat, the offal and all the bits and pieces was, I considered, amazing. When she said it had had a good life, but she’d raised it to eat and didn’t like her bacon so fresh that it could bite back, so it had to die, I had to struggle to avoid laughing, because she was absolutely serious about it. When she said that her next piglet, a gilt [an unmated sow], was given to her by the slaughterman, who is shortly to become her grandfather in law, so she could see the differences between sows processed for pork and boars processed for cured meat due to the testosterone boar taint I couldn’t help but laugh. Then when she said Grandad Vince the Mince obtained a barrow [a castrated boar] for her to raise to finally to complete the picture, which she then killed and butchered herself at the slaughterhouse. I had to look away because I’d tears of laughter in my eyes.

Pages

Subscribe to Mature / Thirty+