The Freshman Copyright 2005 by EC Chapter 12 - Cecilia's own words Cecilia's life returned to normal the following Thursday morning. She woke up, went to class, and talked to the professors from her Wednesday classes about making up the work from the lectures she had missed. However, the previous day's incident left her badly shaken, by making her fully aware of how fragile her life truly was. Her entire existence and the world as she knew it depended on the whim of a single person, Dr. Ruth Burnside. Still sore from the spanking from just 12 hours before, Cecilia was very nervous when she entered Burnside's office with a final list of readings for her midterm paper. Burnside behaved as though nothing had happened the previous day. She photocopied the list, told her student to add one title, and provided the e-mail address of an English-speaking professor at the National University in Danube City from whom she could request further information. Burnside then did something that indicated she still trusted Cecilia, in spite of the recent crisis. She outlined the midterm schedule to her student and asked her to help proctor exams in her three freshman classes. Cecilia was shocked. "Dr. Burnside, you...actually trust me with proctoring, I mean, after...?" "Cecilia, it's obvious to me that what you did on Monday was exercise extremely poor judgment. I don't see it as a reflection against your integrity. You fucked up, but that was a learning experience and it isn't going change your responsibilities under your contract with the department. Also, I'll let you know something else, that maybe you'll find important. A single stupid act doesn't really change my over-all opinion of you as a person. You showed yourself willing to face the consequences of what you did, which is what matters. If my opinion of you had changed last night, you would've been dis-enrolled at the ethics hearing." Burnside took it for granted that there would be no further problems from Cecilia, no further academic crises or violations of university rules. The student's relationship with her mentor would return to normal, with the exception of a second round of physical discipline that loomed at the end of October. Cecilia knew a very unpleasant day awaited her at the end of the month. She correctly assumed that a session of severe punishment would be followed by a night of servitude at the professor's annual Halloween BDSM party. Cecilia's feelings about the impending second part of her punishment were complex. She was scared, but at the same time looking forward to having the opportunity to completely resolve the examination incident with her professor. Physical punishment was the way Burnside dealt with people who upset her, but once the punishment was completed, the professor considered matters settled. The woman never held a grudge nor played on an offender's guilt. In spite of her apprehension over what awaited her at the end of the month, Cecilia mostly was relieved. A painful and humiliating evening was a very small price to pay to avoid the alternative: expulsion from the university, the loss of her scholarship, and a possible criminal prosecution. As far as her official record was concerned, the only evidence placed in her student folder would be a memo noting the date she had gone before the ethics committee. Because the committee officially referred her punishment back to her professor, the note would not detail any accusations and could not be used against her in any way. Upon graduating the note would be expunged from her record. ---------- While Cecilia dealt with her secret academic crisis, Jason and his friends had to contend with the strange notoriety they had achieved the previous weekend. No one in the dorm thought about making fun of the four streakers, because from the beginning they were treated as sports heroes by the dorm staff. Still, it felt very strange to both Lisa and Jason to be known as "the naked champions" and see their bare bodies displayed on the front page of the Monday edition of the campus newspaper. Later, dozens of high-quality digital photos of the two winners became available on the Internet from several on-line photo galleries documenting the race. Both winners realized that if they ever ran for public office, the Tri-Alpha photos would become a campaign issue for sure. Jason and Lisa decided to donate their trophies to the Huntington Hall championship display case, where the hall director placed them in a prominent spot with a photo of the two winners taken standing arm-in-arm with their RA. The director was quite proud of the Tri-Alpha win, given that it was the first major campus- sporting event won by a current Huntington Hall resident in six years. The naked bodies of Jason and Lisa now were preserved for posterity, forever enshrined along with sports trophies won by other hall residents going clear back to 1955, the year the dorm was built. Jason became much more of an official nudist as a result of the Tri-Alpha 10-K run. Three days after the race, a Chicago naturist organization approached him about becoming a member, something he readily agreed to do. The group's leader also asked Jason if he wanted to give a speech the weekend following the next at an upcoming nudist gathering in Springfield. The presentation would be a recap of the Tri-Alpha race and how it felt to be the winning participant in a nude athletic event. The group's leader had seen Jason's television interview following his win and was impressed with him. Jason was just the type of person the naturist movement needed to bring in new, younger members. His youth, attractive appearance, ability to speak in front of cameras, and notoriety made him a promising representative for the organization, especially for efforts to recruit college-aged people into exploring naturism as a lifestyle. The Friday night following his win, Jason approached Cecilia with the news about the invitation to join the group and give his first public speech as a nudist. Cecilia was pleased that Jason was asking her permission before accepting the invitation, but now she was presented with the first moral dilemma resulting from her relationship with him. Cecilia's initial instinct was to tell him not to go. She was not a nudist and suspected that if Jason became wrapped up in promoting naturism, at some point she would have to make changes in her own life to accommodate that part of her boyfriend's beliefs and values. Her obsession for controlling both her partner and her own life would be challenged by having to go along with supporting him as a spokesman for a public moment. However, as that thought passed through her mind, Cecilia's words the first night she met Jason came back to haunt her: "I'm warnin' you, what I don't like is a hypocrite. If you're a nudist and have chosen that lifestyle, I expect you to stay committed to your beliefs and ready to defend to your values." Commitment to his beliefs and defending his values...well, that was exactly what Jason was planning to do in Springfield, openly express himself as a nudist. Cecilia realized that with her own statement she had committed herself to accepting her boyfriend's unexpected new obligation. Given the direction she had pushed him over the last month, she was in no position to tell him not to speak openly about what he believed in. She would be giving him inconsistent advice and force him to be a hypocrite by telling him to do one thing, and then later telling him to do something contradictory. In her mind, having a partner who was a hypocrite was much worse than losing some of her control over him. After some thought Cecilia granted Jason permission to become a member of the naturist group, take his trip to Springfield, and give his presentation. He enthusiastically hugged her in gratitude. ---------- By Friday night Cecilia's bottom had mostly recovered from the spanking she had received from Burnside two days before. There still was a faint feeling of stiffness from the remaining bruises, but the marks were not visible under Cecilia's dark skin. As she looked at her bottom in the mirror she thought to herself; I guess that's one advantage of not being light-skinned, stuff like this doesn't show up so easily. With that it became clear that she could keep the Wednesday punishment secret from her boyfriend after all, even if she was undressed for sex in a lit room. Cecilia and Jason followed their usual Friday night routine of reviewing the material for Burnside's class. As always, he stood at attention in the nude while she sat at his desk questioning him. Following the course review, Cecilia told Jason to get dressed and follow her back to her room. Jason was expecting to massage her, although he had been puzzled by the fact she had not wanted a massage either Wednesday or Thursday night. It turned out that Friday night was the third night in a row in which Cecilia did not ask for a massage, which left Jason wondering if she was displeased with his massages or had become bored with them. Upon entering the room, Cecilia undressed her boyfriend, ordering him not to move until she gave him permission. She gently ran her fingertips over his body, lightly touching his skin and arousing him. Sure enough, within a couple of minutes he was clearly aroused and his penis stiffening. Cecilia explored her boyfriend's backside, lovingly caressing his bottom-cheeks and massaging the sensitive area at the base. As she explored and studied his attractive bottom, a long-standing fantasy returned to her full-force, her desire to put a young man over her lap and spank him. The fantasy was not a spanking for punishment, but a spanking for erotic excitement. Her heart raced, because she knew that tonight was the first night out of many she would put Jason over her lap. She continued rubbing and exploring his bottom, and then gave him a warning of what was about to happen by patting it with a gentle spanking motion. "You know, you really have a cute butt. You know that, right?" "I...I guess it's OK..." "No, it's not just OK, Jason. It's perfect. Perfect for a nice spanking, don't you think?" Jason's heart jumped into his throat as she patted him more firmly. He didn't know how to answer. He had secretly fantasized about a spanking, but was afraid of another painful session with Cecilia's belt. He shuddered with both fear and arousal, not knowing what exactly she was planning to do to him. She stopped, placing her hand more firmly against his right buttock. "Answer me please. Don't you think your bottom is perfect for a nice spanking? Isn't that what you think I ought to be doin' right now?" "Y...yes, Cecilia...I guess you could spank me." "No, that's not how to ask me for a spanking. What did I tell you about talkin' to me with respect, Jason? If you wanna nice spanking, you gotta ask me right." "C...Cecilia, please give me a nice spanking." "A nice bare-bottomed spanking? Over my lap? Is that what you want from me?" Jason's penis hardened even more at Cecilia's words. Yes, he realized that was indeed what he wanted. "Yes, Cecilia, I want a nice bare-bottomed spanking over your lap." "Say please, and kiss my hand, Jason." Cecilia stuck out her hand. Jason then did something she had not expected. She was elated when he got on his knees before kissing her hand. He took her hand in both of his and touched the back of it to his lips. "Cecilia...please spank me." With that she gently took both his hands and directed him to stand up. She sat on her bed and motioned him to lie over her lap. He had to position himself a bit, because his penis was very stiff. Once he managed to move his hard-on to the side so he could rest comfortably over her thighs, he followed her instructions to spread his legs slightly and turn his bottom up. He could feel the cool air of the room against his exposed bottom-hole and the backs of his testicles. Cecilia was in no mood to hurry. She gently caressed his entire backside, exploring his spread buttocks and the sensitive area in between. He began sweating from arousal and anticipation as he felt the palm and fingertips of his girlfriend's hand explore his most sensitive areas. She admired the healthy color of the attractive bottom under her face, thinking how much more attractive it would be in a few minutes with a deep pink glow applied to the exposed skin. She began slowly and gently at first, as she gradually moved from caressing and patting his bottom to lightly spanking it. He sighed with anticipation and pleasure as Cecilia leisurely picked up both the pace and force of the slaps. The lovers knew this would be a prolonged, sensuous experience, a perfect match of moderate pain and extreme pleasure. SLAP!... SLAP!... SLAP!... SLAP!... After about 10 minutes, Cecilia was spanking full-force. Following the example set just two days before by her professor, the Dominican spaced the slaps about five seconds apart to let Jason feel each swat and appreciate it before receiving the next one. She also realized that spacing the slaps would keep her arm from tiring too quickly and allow her to deliver a much longer spanking. Cecilia's hours at the gym were paying off, as she realized that just a month before she would not have had the endurance in her arms to deliver a proper spanking. Now weakness in her arms no longer was an issue. The warm tingling Jason experienced at the beginning gave way to a much hotter sting. He shifted uncomfortably, but even as the pain in his bottom was becoming more difficult to endure, a feeling of intense pleasure swept over the rest of his body. He had felt the same feeling the night Cecilia punished him with the belt, but this time it was much more intense. Cecilia was completely aroused. The sight of her lover's attractive bottom, now colored with a lovely shade of deep pink, the feel of the weight and warmth of his body on her thighs, the feel of his very stiff penis pressing against her leg, the sound of his breathing, and the crisp sound of the slaps filling the room...all those wonderful details fulfilled a fantasy that had filled her nights for several years. She was wet between the legs and burning with desire. Finally she couldn't wait any longer...she had to have him inside her... She stopped and motioned him to get up. His eyes were wide with pain, pleasure, fear, and extreme arousal reflected in his expression. His penis was as hard and big as it could possibly get, ready to perform its duty to satisfy the needs of both lovers. She quickly pulled off her clothes as he tore open a condom package and slipped the protection over his painfully hard erection. A few seconds later, she was lying on her back with him safely inside her. For several minutes he aggressively moved back and forth as she moaned with pleasure. He held back as long as he possibly could, desperate to prolong the intense feeling of pleasure and relief. Cecilia squeaked with delight as sweat poured down her body and she shuttered from a very intense orgasm. Jason closed his eyes and clenched his teeth as the warm burning in his bottom intensified the extreme pleasure he felt up front. He realized the heat in his bottom was what was making this experience so special. As he continued to feel the lovely sensation from his backside he thrust and thrust, totally exhausting himself and expending all of the stress built up over the past week. At last he pumped jets of semen into his condom as intense relief rushed over him. A few minutes later, their energy spent in one of the best sessions of sex of their lives, Jason lay on his back in Cecilia's bed, with his head partially propped up by her pillows and his girlfriend in his arms. They were sweaty and stunk from their recent exertions, but very relaxed and happy. Cecilia rolled on her stomach and rested her head on Jason's chest, gently exploring his stomach with her fingertips. "So tell me...how's your butt?" "You know...it's weird, but it feels really nice right now, like all warm." "So you liked that?" "Yeah, I did. I mean...it's totally different from anything I ever felt before. It hurt, but at the same time it really felt great." "Well, you know that you're a very naughty boy, Jason. You know that, right?" "Yes...I suppose so." "And you know that naughty boys need lots of discipline. That's why you liked it so much, 'cause you're so naughty." With that she reached down and began exploring his wet penis and testicles. He began to stiffen with her next words. "I'm gonna have to discipline you a lot more, Jason. I'm gonna have to put you over my lap for some good bare bottom spankings, and don't think I forgot about my belts. I'm gonna use those on you too, when you're really bad. I'm gonna punish you lots, 'cause it's what you need. That cute bare bottom of yours was made for spanking, don't you think?" Jason gasped as Cecilia slowly stroked his penis into another very hard erection. "Y...yes...Cecilia." "I'll keep that cute ass nice and red for you...nice and red." "Yes..." She stroked his hard-on a few more times, then gently squeezed it and let go. She rolled on her back, the expression in her eyes clearly indicating she wanted another round of sex. He jumped up, grabbed a condom, and slipped it on. He then entered her, the remaining warmth from his recent spanking still present in his backside. Jason had yet another exquisite orgasm, but his thoughts no longer were on the punishment he had just received. Now he knew this night's spanking was just the beginning. He was destined to present his bare bottom for many more sessions from his lovely Cecilia. Some of the punishments would be much more painful than others. There would be gentle spankings for sensuous arousal, and there would be painful whippings for strict discipline. However, all of Cecilia's punishments would be delivered with love, given to him because she cared for him and because she knew submitting to her discipline was what he needed. ---------- As soon as she recovered from the race, Lisa's modesty was completely swept away. She quit bothering to get dressed except when she left the women's wing of Huntington Hall. Whenever Cecilia went to her neighbor's room, she could count on finding Lisa completely undressed. If she ran into Lisa in the hallway or the bathroom, she could count on seeing Lisa's tall attractive figure in its entirety. Lisa walked around quite naturally, with her hands casually at her sides, no matter who else happened to be in the hallway. Even having male visitors seeing her bare body didn't bother Lisa, given that everyone in the entire dorm had seen her the day of the Tri-Alpha race. Anyhow, on prominent display in the dorm's main entrance was the post-race picture taken with Jason and Cecilia, so she saw no point in any further modesty. Lisa's new lack of inhibitions extended to the way she dressed when she left the dorm. Her clothes in public became as revealing as possible without risking arrest. When she wore dresses, she wore them without any underwear. When she wore blouses, she wore ones that were of light, loose-fitting material and no bra underneath. When she wore jeans, she wore low-riders. She bought the most revealing low-riders on the market, ones that, even when she was standing up, barely reached the top of the crack between her bottom cheeks. Lisa's new pants pulled half way down her butt whenever she sat down. Whenever she was sitting at the student center or in the dorm cafeteria in her low-riders, her hips and the top part of her bottom were on full display to passers-by walking behind her. Mike looked upon his girlfriend's new-found exhibitionism with a mixture of fascination and apprehension. Mike was quite liberal in his politics, but of the group, he was the most conservative about what he wore in public. While it was true that in California he had gone to local nude beaches with Lisa and some other high school friends, in Chicago he understood that he was in a somewhat more conservative part of the US and dressed accordingly. Now he was with a girlfriend who had become quite flamboyant in her manner of dressing and her behavior over-all. Guys all over the university looked at Lisa's body under her revealing clothing, and enviously at Mike, her companion. Lisa now had plenty of options available to her, should she ever get bored of her relationship with him. There were plenty of men around campus, and some women as well, who would have been happy to take Mike's place at Lisa's side. Cecilia was intrigued by the changes in her boyfriend and her friend: that her boyfriend was about to become an open proponent of nude living and her friend seemed to have lost any inhibitions about her body. Her thoughts wandered to the Tri-Alpha picture signing event, which was scheduled to be held the following Wednesday, a week and a half after the race itself. Every year the fraternity sold over-priced autographed pictures of the race winners to raise money for charity. Typically there was a moderate amount of interest in the autograph event, and most of the interest was for pictures of the winner of the female division. However, the euphoria over having a non-Tri-Alpha member win the men's division meant turnout would be higher than normal and that there would be at least as much interest in pictures signed by Jason as pictures signed by Lisa. Cecilia wondered if there was a way she could help make the picture-signing session even more successful, because she had a personal interest in raising money for that year's selected charity. The proceeds were slated to go to upgrading a pediatric hospital in an impoverished area of the Dominican Republic, located in a small town just a few miles from the Haitian border. The town was not too far from the village where her grandparents still lived. Cecilia saw the autograph fund-raising event as an opportunity for her to do something for her home country, and perhaps even something that would directly benefit her extended family. Finally Cecilia came up with two ideas she hoped would raise additional money for the hospital project. The first idea was to have Jason and Lisa attend the event wearing what they wore during the race, their running shoes and nothing else. Having them sitting naked while they autographed their race photos certainly would make the public more interested in buying pictures, no matter how over-priced they were. Cecilia's other idea was to invite a professional photographer to set up a camera and backdrop, and give members of the public a chance to pose for a picture with one or both of the naked race winners, for a hefty price, of course. Cecilia contacted the president of the local fraternity chapter and presented her suggestions. The fraternity leader liked both ideas and forwarded them to the national Tri-Alpha directorate, who, in turn, cleared them with the university Board of Regents. Within a few days the details were settled. The picture-signing event would be moved to the main conference area of the student center and be advertised campus-wide. At the beginning of the week Cecilia approached Jason and Lisa with the changed venue for the autographing session. Jason and Lisa looked at each other upon finding out they faced several more hours naked in public as a result of the Tri-Alpha race, but they both agreed. Certainly the charitable cause was worth while, and both race winners secretly enjoyed the daring feeling of having their bodies exposed in such a public setting. So it was agreed, starting at 6:30 and going until about 10:00, the two race winners would wear their running shoes and socks, but otherwise be fully undressed as they signed autographs and posed for pictures in a crowded room during a public event. Wednesday night Jason, Mike, Lisa, and Cecilia walked to the university student center right after dinner, on a dreary rainy evening. Once inside the student center they went to the building's main reception room, where a rather long line of fans already was forming. Oh yes, it seemed that Jason and Lisa were quite the celebrities that night! As soon as they entered the main reception area Jason and Lisa got undressed and put their shoes back on. Mike and Cecilia stuffed their clothes into student backpacks as the two race winners sat down on chairs covered with towels behind a large table. The president of the local Tri-Alpha chapter and a reporter from the campus newspaper approached them and explained what was going to happen. There were three sets of race photos being sold for signatures, one of Jason standing with his trophy, one of Lisa standing with her trophy, and a picture of the two winners standing side by side with their trophies. If a fan approached Jason with a picture of himself, he would ask the fan's name, making sure the spelling was correct. Then he would write a short personal message and sign his full name. Lisa would do the same for her race photos. The only pictures Jason and Lisa would both sign were copies of the shot of them standing together. After the initial two hours, the two race winners would stand up and pose with guests at a backdrop set up by a photography student from the university art department. The fraternity abandoned the idea of hiring a professional photographer when they found an art student who was willing to take the pictures for free. The art student's time and talent would be her own donation to the children's hospital project. Cecilia glanced over at the photographer, a young woman who seemed about her own age, roughly 19. She was not exactly pretty, but she had a very interesting appearance. She had a figure that would have been considered attractive in the late 1800's: wide hips, thick thighs, and a nice large bottom. She had pale skin and very sad, haunting eyes. The photographer's hair was interesting to Cecilia as well, done up in much the same way the singers of "Socrates' Mistresses" from Upper Danubia had their hair styled, braided and wrapped around her head. The photographer wore a long, loose-fitting skirt that accentuated her wide hips and voluptuous bottom. The art student, in spite of her young age, was all business. She moved about the area where she had set up her backdrop, adjusting the lighting and testing the camera lenses she had brought. Cecilia later learned the photographer had borrowed most of her equipment from the art department and was trying to work with the unfamiliar items and settings as best she could. Finally, at 6:30, with Jason and Lisa were sitting on their towels behind the table, the Tri-Alpha representatives opened the doors and allowed the public to come into the room. The first stop for the customers was to purchase pre-printed race pictures at a separate table staffed by fraternity members. The Tri-Alphas had the foresight to print not just the pictures of the winners standing with their trophies, but also several action-shots of Jason and Lisa as they approached the finish line. There were a total of 15 different photos customers could purchase, at fifteen dollars apiece, or one hundred fifty dollars for an entire set. Jason and Lisa noticed many of the customers buying complete sets, as well as separate photos they wanted autographed. Over the next two hours Jason and Lisa wore out their hands signing pictures. On each picture the winner wrote a short message directly addressed to the customer by name. They worked quickly, but it seemed that no matter how many pictures they signed, the line of waiting customers never diminished. The Tri- Alpha fraternity members running the event had to guide the clients to move away from the table once their photos were signed, and also chased away anyone who tried to photograph Jason and Lisa sitting at the table. Anyone who wanted to take a picture with the race winners that night would have to wait until 8:30 and pay for the privilege. As she watched the growing line of customers and her two dorm residents frantically try to keep up the pace signing photos, Cecilia decided to strike up a conversation with the photographer. The young woman's name was Suzanne Foster. Suzanne was double majoring in physical therapy and art, with a specialization in photography. Like Cecilia, she was a sophomore still living on campus, but unlike Cecilia, Suzanne was not receiving a full scholarship and thus was financially strapped. Cecilia and Suzanne talked non-stop for nearly two hours, without realizing how quickly time was passing. They both were surprised to hear the Tri-Alpha representative announce a break. Following the break Jason and Cecilia would make themselves available to pose for pictures with guests, for a donation of $ 100 per picture. The two race winners went to the bathroom without bothering to get dressed, had a drink of water, and took their places in front of Suzanne's studio backdrop. For the next two and a half hours Suzanne's camera flashed at the two naked race winners posing with fans. The event organizers looked at each other in amazement. This was by far the most successful post-race money-raising event in the history of the Tri-Alpha 10-K run. While Suzanne worked to rapidly take pictures, Cecilia helped out, opening rolls of film and helping the photographer load her two cameras. Cecilia's assistance allowed Suzanne to work much faster and ensured that everyone who wanted to have their picture taken with the race winners had the opportunity do so. No one could have foreseen how many people wanted to take pictures with the race winners. When Suzanne came close to exhausting the supply of film she had brought with her, Cecilia volunteered to run to the art department photo lab and grab additional rolls. She and Mike took Suzanne's key and desperately rummaged through her photography supplies to gather up more film. They made it back just in time for Suzanne to re-load her camera and continue shooting. The anxiety and excitement that Jason and Lisa felt at the beginning had long since given way to a feeling of routine exhaustion as the two naked race winners stood arm-in-arm with one guest after another and the flash went off in their faces over and over. In the end they posed with over 200 fans, going an hour past the planned schedule and adding more than $ 20,000 to the charity proceeds. The supply of pre-printed race pictures completely sold out, in spite of the production of extra copies. It was past 11:00 p.m. when Jason and Lisa finally waved goodbye to the departing crowd and picked up the backpacks containing their clothing. They went to the bathroom, quickly got dressed, and re-entered conference room. They were completely tired out and ready to sleep. However, they were elated when the fraternity's president told them the evening had raised a total of over $ 70,000 for the hospital project. Cecilia exchanged addresses and phone numbers with Suzanne and departed with her three dorm residents. She was very happy from having made a real contribution a worthy cause the same night she made a new friend. ---------- Three days later, Jason stood on stage at a microphone in Springfield, speaking about his experience winning the Tri-Alpha 10-K race. He began by describing his own experiences as a naturist and how he gradually became more and more comfortable with his body as he progressed through high school and the first semester of college. He jokingly talked about his comical streaking adventure with Ken, and then moved on to discussing the 10-K race itself and the strategy that he used to win. Cecilia and Ken sat in the audience. Cecilia was one of the few dressed people in the room, which made her stand out and feel a bit uncomfortable. Ken had decided to attend the event in the nude, and sat next to his RA, feeling a bit daring doing so. Like most of his listeners, Jason was completely undressed. In spite of his lack of attire, he spoke with poise and confidence, calmly making eye contact with various senior members of the organization in the audience. He had rehearsed his speech in front of Cecilia and Ken, researched the history of the race, and was prepared to talk about it at length. As it turned out, the Springfield speech became an important turning point in Jason's life. Over the next several months he would travel around the Mid-West to speak at colleges promoting the benefits of nude living. Later in his life he become a public spokesman in opposition to legislative efforts to curtail public nudity at beaches and a nationally recognized face for numerous clothing-optional causes. Even that first night it was obvious that Jason already had his fans and admirers. Cecilia was a bit surprised at the success of her boyfriend's public presentation. She was impressed by his confidence in himself as he stood on stage speaking to interested and sympathetic listeners. She felt deep satisfaction as she realized it was because of the relationship with her that he was here. Perhaps this was his destiny, something in life he now could fulfill. Perhaps part of Cecilia's destiny had been to help Jason find a purpose in life by giving him a cause to promote.