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THE SALESPERSON by The Professor Chapter One - The Big Sale I pushed the contract across the desk in front of my customer's face and said, "Just okay this and we can get started." He hadn't agreed to my contract; at least not in so many words. But I had been selling for my entire adult life, and I knew what to do. I had gotten him to agree to key parts of my presentation. When I sensed any reluctance, I drew back and asked him to clarify his concerns. I quickly cleared up his misconceptions and misgivings and drove my presentation to its logical conclusion, with the contract directly in front of him. Now the Moment of Truth had arrived. The next person to speak had lost. If my customer managed to say anything at all, he would lose and I would have a sale. If I had to speak first, there would be no sale. It worked every time. But as the seconds ticked off, I wasn't worried. I had studied my customer's needs very well. He needed the services and products my company had to offer. He couldn't say no. After what seemed to be an eternity, he slowly reached for the contract and signed it. At last, he looked at me. "When will the system be installed?" "We'll get the hardware in in about a week," I promised him. "As soon as it arrives, I'll be calling you to arrange the installation." He smiled, handing me the contract. "Great!" was all he said. I walked out of Matthew Crown's office with a contract for eighty new computers with all the appropriate peripherals. When I added all the software, networking, and training which I had sold with the package, it would be the largest order in our office for the month. Sam, my Sales Manager, would be proud of me. It was only a matter of time before he would push me for promotion to Sales Manager. I had heard that Denver would be available in a few months, and I wanted that assignment badly. The order would produce a tidy commission for me as well. I wasn't sure how much. I never figure that in advance. If the customer sees a salesman with dollar signs in his eyes, he'll run for the hills faster than any deer faced with a hungry wolf. As I reached the main lobby, I spotted the competition. American Netstar led our company in almost every market in the West except here in Phoenix. Our company, National Net, had a significant lead over them, mostly due to my efforts, if I do say so. Dan Morath, the Western Sales Manager for American Netstar had tried to hire me twice before. Although the compensation package looked good, I didn't care much for Dan and couldn't see myself working for him. So I turned him down - nicely the first time and not so nicely the second. Dan had tried over and over to find a rep who could beat me in Phoenix, but after three tries, he had to be getting frustrated, because I beat all three of them to the punch almost all the time. His latest rep in Phoenix was a hotshot about my age (24) who he picked up from one of the computer manufacturers. The guy came on too strong, though, to suit most of Phoenix's laid-back customers, and he was floundering. Now, here he was in the lobby a day (or at least an hour) late and a large number of dollars short. Victory was all the sweeter because I saw he had brought Dan in from LA for the presentation. "Hey, Dan," I called, completely ignoring the hotshot, "how's it going?" One look at my face and Dan knew he had already lost. The hotshot was going to take serious crap when they got out of the office. "It's going well, Jack," he lied to me. Then curiosity got the best of him. "What were you here for today?" "I just came over to see Matthew Crown," I told him. I didn't want to volunteer any more information. "Any luck?" "Quite a bit actually. Good seeing you, Dan." One good lie deserved another. I left him with hotshot so they could sort out their Failure of the Day. I didn't bother to go back to the office. It was already nearly five, and I had had a great day. Hell, I was having a great year. I was our top rep in the West and number two in the nation with a good shot at number one. I headed for home to get out of my suit and hit the pool. God, I loved being a salesman! I had been selling most of my life when you got right down to it. In high school, I sold ads for the yearbook, and in college, I was Rush Chairman of my fraternity. I guess I always wanted to be in sales. My dad was pretty pissed about that. He was a doctor and wanted me to be a doctor, too. Since I was an only child, he felt as if I had let him down. we never got along after that. Dad didn't make it to see me graduate and get a great job in high-tech sales. He and Mom died in a car wreck my Senior year at Arizona State. I doubt if he would have been pleased in any case. With him, if I wasn't going to be a doctor, I wasn't going to be anything. My parents left me enough money to finish college, but most of Dad's estate went into trust for me. I couldn't touch the money until I was thirty. Frankly, there wasn't that much in the estate anyhow. Dad wasn't a high-priced specialist; only a lowly GP, although I guess they call them "Family Doctors" now. And to be honest, I didn't much care. I had a good job, and I was very confident of my abilities. I planned to make my first million; not inherit it. I spent the evening in my favorite bar, O'Reilly's, in Scottsdale. It was one of those places the high-tech sales crowd always hangs out in. I linked up with a couple of my fraternity brothers who were still around after graduation doing about the same thing I was (although not as well). We tossed down a couple and started looking for girls. I got lucky there, too. The next morning, I was in the office right at eight with a smile on my face. I had scored twice the previous day. That was once with Matthew Crown and once with a young sweetheart who had just gone to work for IBM. She wanted to see my selling style and I was happy to oblige. I sold her right into a terrific night of sex and debauchery. Sam was waiting for me in my office. "So, how did you do with Crown?" he asked with no preamble. "Here." I tossed him the contract. He looked at it, checking to see if I had sold everything right. Finally he looked up. "You asshole! Why didn't you call me last night and tell me you got the contract? I stayed here until almost six thinking you'd call me with the news." "I didn't figure I needed to call you," I grinned. "You knew I went out to pick up the contract." "Sure, but something could have gone wrong." A small crowd was gathering. The other two reps in the office and the Service Manager had overheard the news and wanted the details. "What could have gone wrong?" I asked innocently. "Well," Sam started, "for openers, that clown from American Netstar could have gotten in and wrecked the whole thing." "No, he couldn't," I told him. Sam frowned. "How can you be so sure?" "Because," I told him with a wicked grin, "I had a hot date with Crown's secretary three nights ago, and she told me that American wasn't coming in until after my appointment. All I had to do is make sure Crown signed before they got in." Sam groaned. "I should have known sex would come into this sale someplace." "It's part of the salesmanship," I told him. Mike Mitchell, one of the other reps broke in, "I heard that Dirty Dan fired that new guy over at American." "Where did you hear that?" we all asked at once. "Their Service Manager told me last night. He and I go way back. We grew up together. He's dating my sister." "Great," I muttered. "Now I'll have to scope out their new rep. Maybe they'll hire a girl this time." "Dirty Dan?" Sam laughed. "I doubt it. I don't think there will ever be any women on his sales team." Before I could respond, Cindy, our receptionist was on the intercom. "Jack, there's a bluebird in your territory. He's on the phone." That was the news every salesman wants to hear. A bluebird is an unsolicited caller who wants to buy. This would be the icing on the cake. It was Friday, and I could close out the week with another sale. Amidst the muttering from the other reps of "he has all the luck," I picked up the phone. "Jack Barnes," I answered crisply. "Mr. Barnes," a pleasant male voice began, "my name is Bradford Mills. I'm with Magnus Corporation. We're a national land developer. Perhaps you've heard of us?" "Of course," I lied smoothly. I had never heard of Magnus. "Well, my company is looking for a new computer system. I was just talking with my good friend, Matthew Crown. He tells me you were able to help him. Would you be interested in looking at our needs?" "I think we can be of help, Mr. Mills," I said with a twinkle in my eye for the benefit of my fellow employees who were still crowded into my office. "How many stations are you looking at?" "We currently have 200 computers tied to our network around the country," came the reply. "We need to expand that number by at least twenty percent." A live one, I thought to myself. This was the perfect ending to a perfect week. I had just signed a big order under the nose of my top competitor, and now I had a brand new prospect. If I did my homework right, I could get this Mills under contract before the end of the month. I'd be the hero of the whole nation and take over the number one slot in the country. The promotion to Denver would be right around the corner. I didn't realize it at the time, but I had just made a classic salesman's blunder. I had looked ahead to what the sale would mean for me instead of making a cautious, thoughtful approach. Being a good salesman is like being a good predator. In the wild, a predator knows to sneak up on his prey, always staying downwind and looking for signs of trouble. A predator who smacks his lips and leaps with abandon for his prey is apt to go hungry. Most salesmen who make this blunder lose the sale. As I was soon to discover, I was about to lose a lot more. Chapter Two - The Trap I had no trouble making my two o'clock appointment with Mr. Mills. His offices were in a new building I had watched going up in an office park on the edge of my territory. He had explained to me on the phone that his company was operating with a skeleton crew for the moment and needed to get the details of their computer system ironed out quickly before the full staff moved in. This was music to my ears. I had a sales prospect who had an immediate need. A sale like this and I could buy my ticket to Denver. I was a little surprised to find the building still far from finished. The way Mr. Mills had talked on the phone, the move-in date was imminent. It looked as if some of the floors weren't even completed yet, and the elevator wasn't working yet, so I had to hoof it to his office on the third floor. Even his office appeared deserted. I tapped lightly on the outer door and was rewarded with a friendly, "Come on in!" Mr. Mills' office was still bare bones. There was only a desk and chair as well as a visitor's chair in the office. A middle-aged man who looked somehow familiar looked up from his work and said, "You must be Jack Barnes." "Guilty," I quipped, reaching for his extended hand. I was surprised to feel a slight tingle when our hands touched. "Pleased to meet you," he grinned. "I'm Bradford Mills. I appreciate your dropping everything to see me." Dropping everything consisted of giving up an early afternoon at O'Reilly's knocking down a few beers and selecting a conquest for the weekend. "I'm glad I could make it, sir." "Sit down." He motioned to the visitor's chair. "I'm sorry I can't offer you something, but as you can see, we're still a little bare bones around here. Thank god for cell phones or I wouldn't even be able to operate out of here." I sat down in the chair. I noted it had an odd seat and didn't feel exactly right on my butt. "That's fine. I don't need anything," I lied. Actually, I could have used a beer from O'Reilly's, I thought, because my voice cracked unexpectedly. "Now," Mr. Mills began, "we're going to need to have the system we decide upon up and running within thirty days. Is that a problem?" "I wouldn't think so," I replied, upset that my voice cracked again. Also, I was upset when I felt hair on the back of my neck. I made a mental note to set up a haircut appointment for Saturday. "Now, I'd like to know a little more about what is important to you in this system." "Well," Mr. Mills began, leaning back in his chair and tapped his fingers together, "the system needs to be fast. Is your system fast?" I smiled. "Si, es muy rapido." What had possessed me to say that? I hadn't had Spanish since high school, and I certainly wouldn't use it on a sales call. I opened my notebook, preparing to write "Important: Speed" when I looked at my hand. Something was wrong. It appeared darker than it should and smaller. As I watched, my fingernails began to grow, filing themselves down to a point and changing color to a deep burgundy. "What the hell?" I yelled as my voice not only cracked but also went up a full octave. As I looked at my now slender hand and wrist, two delicate gold bracelets faded into existence around it. Mr. Mills began to laugh suddenly. Odd, I thought through the panic I was feeling. There was nothing to laugh about. "Feeling a little out of sorts, Jack?" he asked. Out of sorts wasn't the phrase for it. My entire body seemed to be rippling and changing. I looked down in horror, breathing quickly, and with each breath, mounds of flesh began to inflate on my chest. I could feel their weight suddenly changing the entire balance of my body. "Not quite yourself today, are you, Jack?" he laughed as I felt my hair growing longer and curling down my back and over my shoulders. "What are you doing to me?" I demanded. I tried to stand to face him, but I lost my balance and fell back into the chair on what was now a very well padded ass. I looked down to see why I had lost my balance and looked in horror at the three inch heels that were now on my feet. Also, the legs of my blue pinstripe suit pants had fused and formed a skirt, which was inching slowly up my legs, exposing slim, feminine legs encased in dark sheer nylon mesh. "It should be obvious to you, Jack," he said. "I am changing you into a woman. To be precise, I am changing you into a Hispanic woman. In a few minutes, you will be Maria Delgado, a rather lovely twenty-three year old woman." "Pero, porque?" I asked in my new, higher voice in a language I barely understood moments before. I winced slightly as my ears felt the weight of two heavy gold hoops, each an inch in diameter. "Why?" he said, translating into English. "Let me show you why." I gasped in amazement as the image of Mr. Mills shifted into the familiar image of Dan Morath. Somehow, I realized that unlike what was happening to me, the visage of "Mr. Mills" had been nothing more than an illusion. Morath had set a trap for me with himself as the bait. "I've gotten tired of constantly losing sales to you, Jack," Morath explained. "Do you have any idea how many sales reps I've had in this territory in the last three years?" I dared not speak, for I knew that I was starting to think in Spanish. I had to think hard before I could make the words come out in English, so I shook my head instead, feeling the waves of coal black hair tickle my cheeks as I did. "Three sales reps!" he answered. "I haven't replaced that many in all of Southern California. You have probably cost me a big promotion already, but I have a way for you to make up for it." I looked down as my tie became a gold necklace and my shirt became a silky blouse with a wide open neck. The blouse pushed out uncomfortably with my new breasts. I felt them surrounded by what I knew was a bra. I licked my lips, surprised to taste lipstick there. "You see, Jack, or I should say 'Maria,' you're going to be my new sales rep in Phoenix!" "No!" I cried in my new feminine voice, trying hard to speak in English. "Yo - I can't. I'll be missed at National Net. I work there." "Wrong, Maria. Jack Barnes is whom Sam will miss. If you walked in the door of his office right now, he'd throw you out. You work for me now." "Then I'll tell him," I snapped, feeling my new face flush. "I'll get him to believe me somehow." Morath shook his head. "I doubt that very much. Most people don't believe in magic any more. Do you know there are less than five hundred sorcerers left in the world? In fact, in the entire Southwest, there are only four of us. You'd never get anyone to believe you." "Es posible," I admitted, "pero - but I'm not going to work for you, you ......" I couldn't think of a proper name to call him in English, and I wasn't about to let him hear me curse him in Spanish. It would have given him too much satisfaction. "Who else are you going to work for?" he asked innocently. "I can hire you without any trouble. I've already taken care of it. But if anyone else tries to hire you, they'll find out you killed a man in Mexico - a policeman, no less - before your fifteenth birthday. That's why your parents brought you to this country." "But I didn't!" "I know that. But the police will believe it was you. They'll send you back to Mexico. Do you have any idea what it will be like for you in that body in a Mexican prison?" Unfortunately I did have some idea of what would happen. Still, I thought he was bluffing. How could I work for him if I was constantly looking over my shoulder to see if the police were following me? Still, I had to find a compromise out of this. I picked my words carefully, suppressing the Spanish words which tried to rise to the surface. "Okay, Dan. How about this for a deal? You change me back into my male self and I'll work for you." He shook his head. "I can't do that. The amount of magic in the world is not infinite. It took me a year to put enough spells together to change you into Maria. It would take at least another year to change you back, even if I wanted to. Which I don't." "But why?" I asked, fear rising within me. For the first time, I realized I might have to spend the rest of my life like this. "Why did you go to all of the trouble to change me? Why not offer me the job as I was?" He smiled a dangerous smile at me. "In the first place, you wouldn't have accepted the offer this time just as you've never accepted an offer from me before. The only way you would work for me is if you had no choice. The way you are now, you have no identity except the one I give you, so if you don't work for me, about the only thing left open to you would be prostitution. And secondly, I wanted to give you a little payback. You've caused me more trouble in Phoenix than you can imagine, so I thought this change would humble you a little." I had to admit he had a point. There is no way in the world that I would have worked for Dirty Dan as my normal self. Good salespeople develop instincts, and my instincts told me that Dan Morath was not a man I would voluntarily work for. He appeared to be the type of manager who planned to be promoted at the expense of his people. I looked down before answering and immediately found what I was looking for. I figured if I was really a woman now, he would have provided me with a purse. Sure enough, it was on the floor next to my chair - a navy blue purse which perfectly matched my woman's suit. I picked it up and fished through it carefully, trying hard not to rip my newly long fingernails on anything. I found a wallet and pulled it out. I smiled as I removed the driver's license from the wallet and displayed it. "I thought you said I had no identity!" Dan shook his head. "No, that isn't what I said. I told you that you had only the identity I had given you." "Then this is all I should need," I said smugly, rising to my feet. I nearly fell, not being used to the balancing act that my new three inch heels required. "You don't own me, Dan." With as much dignity as I could muster, I wobbled to the door. My entire center of gravity had changed, and I felt as if I were going to fall any second. I could feel my larger ass wiggling and the downward pull of my breasts jiggling as I staggered toward the door. "We'll see about that," I heard Dan say as I walked out the door. My car was still in the parking lot, so I fished through the purse for the key. At last, I wrapped my hand around what seemed to be car keys, but they didn't feel right. I attributed the strange feel to the fact that my hand was now smaller. I was astonished and distressed to find it was the key to a Nissan Altima, not my BMW. Of course. Apparently Maria didn't drive a Beemer. She apparently preferred an Altima. The keys to my BMW had disappeared with the rest of my identity. Now I had two things to fume about. Dirty Dan had stolen my identity, changed my sex, and now he had taken away my Beemer! I was pissed. I opened the door and struggled to get in the car, nearly losing my balance. Then I recalled how I had seen women in skirts enter cars when I was still a man. Carefully, I sat down sideways on the driver's seat and swung my legs into the car. This was going to be difficult. I would have to learn a new way of moving if I was to avoid making a fool of myself. I had just started the engine when a police cruiser, lights flashing pulled to a screeching halt directly in front of the car. Two officers got out and approached me. Now what, I thought? I put down the window and said pleasantly, "Is there a problem, Officer?" Without returning my pleasantries, the larger of the two officers asked, "May I see your license and registration, Miss?" I rankled at being called "miss." It was embarrassing enough to be stopped by the police for no good reason, but to be a woman made it even worse. I fumbled through my wallet for my new license and through the glove compartment for the registration. I breathed a small sigh of relief when I found it there. The officer studied my documents without a word. Then, without any preamble he said, "Will you please step out of the car?" "But! why?" "Just step out of the car, Miss." There was no mistaking his tone. This was an order; not a request. Confused and not a little frightened, I reversed my recent entry, swinging my legs out and getting to my feet as gracefully as I could. The other officer continued to watch me from a distance. I was alarmed to notice his hand resting on the butt of his gun. There was no doubt in my mind that he was prepared to draw the gun if necessary. If the situation had not been so potentially explosive, it would have been funny. Even in my old body, I was hardly a threat for two armed officers. Now, in this new weak, feminine body, I was not a match for anyone. Once I was standing, the officer said, "Now turn around with your hands on the car." I did as I was told, realizing that I was about to be "frisked." I don't know if I was more humiliated or frightened. As he gently but professionally patted me down, I remembered with horror what Dan had told me about the murder of a policeman in Mexico. That was what this was all about! Dan had made certain that the police would find me. He must have called them right after I stormed out of the office. But maybe - just maybe - I could bluff my way out of this, I thought. I had only Dan's word that the police were really after me. Maybe he had called them with some false charge and I would be free in few hours. I had to play out the hand. It was either that or agree to go to work for Dan. What other choices did I have? The next few hours are a blur to this day. I was taken to the nearest police station, fingerprinted, booked, and placed in a holding cell with three other women. The process was degrading to say the least. The cell was clean but uncomfortable, with only wooden benches to sit on. And the lights were so bright that it hurt my eyes to look at them. Besides, I felt like a man in drag. I sat dejectedly on one of the benches away from the other three women, hoping they would leave me alone with my thoughts. No such luck. All three women looked like rough stuff. As a man, I wouldn't have worried much about any of them, but as a woman, I knew I was smaller and weaker then two of the three. Unfortunately, the third one looked to be the roughest of them all. She was dressed in jeans and a halter top, both of which had small spots of blood on them. She was Hispanic and not unattractive, but with her hair cut almost as short as a man's and the La Raza tattoo on her left arm, she looked like one though cookie. "Hola, hermana," she said to me, not unfriendly. It meant "Hello, sister." I understood it, of course. Spanish was the language I thought in now. "Hola," I managed to reply. "What's a high class lady like you doing in here with us?" she asked in Spanish. I was actually relieved to be able to speak Spanish. It was easier for me than English. "It's a mistake," I told her. "They think I'm somebody else." Truer words were never spoken. "Yeah, sure," she grinned. "We're all here because of mistakes. Only we're the ones who've made them. My mistake is after I knifed my boyfriend, I let him run away instead of killing him. The son of a whore called the cops on me. What can you do?" I looked down at my nylon covered knees, still unable to completely believe who I was. I had to come to terms with the possibility that I was going to be Maria Delgado for the rest of my life. And if I was to remain this way, how did I want to live my life? I could stand on principles and refuse to work for Dirty Dan, but if I did, I was likely to spend the rest of my life in a Mexican prison. After only a short time in the holding cell, surrounded by prostitutes and would-be murderesses, the thought of a life in prison was no longer theoretical. I could well imagine that life in a Mexican prison would be worse yet, probably made to perform sexually for guards and other prisoners. There was no future for me there. I sighed and got to my feet, calling out to a guard, "Please, I would like to call my attorney now." I didn't have an attorney, and I didn't plan to call one. What could an attorney do for me? Dan had me where he wanted me, and if I didn't play ball with him, nothing short of Johnny Corcoran could get me out of this mess. The guard escorted me to a small private room with nothing but a desk and a phone. After dialing the number I gave her (Dan's office), she stepped out of the room. Dan answered with a flat, "Hello." "Dan, this is Jack Barnes." "Who?" he asked innocently. Apparently, he was not going to allow me any part of my identity. "All right," I agreed reluctantly. "This is Maria Delgado. Are you satisfied?" "And what can I do for you, Miss Delgado?" "You can get me the fuck out of here!" I hissed. "Are you ready to accept my offer?" "Yes," I said quickly. "Oh, yes. I'll go to work for you. Just get me out of here." An hour later, the door to the holding cell was opened, and I was escorted to a small office. I wasn't surprised to see Dan in the office. With him, behind the desk, was a middle-aged man I hadn't seen before, but he looked like someone in authority. On his desk was my purse. "Ms Delgado, please have a seat," the man said. I sat as demurely as I could. "The Department owes you an apology," he began, sliding my purse to me. "It appears that you are not the Maria Delgado we are looking for. Your attorney here has provided us with your credentials, including your naturalization certificate, and it appears that we have made a serious mistake." I listened as he continued to apologize and said nothing, letting Dan talk for me. Apparently, he had been able to convince the police that he was an attorney. I don't know; maybe he really was an attorney. Many of them end up in sales. The man asked me to sign a waiver absolving the police. I did so gladly. Anything to get out of there. In a few minutes, we were shaking hands and Dan was escorting me to the door. We said nothing until we were out of the building. Then Dan said under his breath, "Well, Maria, I hope you've learned your lesson." I didn't reply. Chapter 3 - Alone At Last When we were in his car, he began to speak as he drove away. "OK, Maria, let's get a few things straight. I used a simple hypnotic spell to convince the police that you were not the woman they were looking for. Nothing in your police file has actually changed. If they arrest you again, they will find your picture and fingerprints in that file. It will be an open and shut case. This was your one and only chance to screw up. If you cross me again, you'll be on your way to a Mexican jail before you can straighten out your pantyhose. Do you understand?" What choice did I have. "Yes." He nodded. "Good. Now, I'm going to take you over to your new apartment. You'll find clothing and other personal items there; enough to start your new life. I want you to spend the weekend getting used to being Maria Delgado. Then I'll expect you in the office Monday morning. You'll have a week of orientation in the office. After that, you'll go on quota immediately. You'll be expected to make your quota quickly. One quarter below quota, and it's off to jail. Have you got that clear?" Madre de Dios! I was practically his slave. I didn't dare have a bad quarter, so I would have to work for him as hard as I could. I'll admit that it had crossed my mind that I might skate on him and get him in trouble with my bad sales numbers. No such luck now. I would have to give him my all or my life would become a hell far worse than it was now. Again I replied, "Yes." "And, Maria, tonight should be the last night you can discuss your old life with me or anyone else. As far as the world is concerned, Jack Barnes fell off the face of the Earth. So if you have any questions, you'd better ask them tonight." "One question," I ventured. "How long must I be like this?" "One answer," he replied. "You can plan on being Maria Delgado for the rest of your life. As I told you before, it took a year's magic just to change you and put all the legal stuff together. There's nothing magic about your apartment. I put all that together myself over the last two weeks." "How long have you been planning this?" I interrupted. "For almost eighteen months. I saved every bit of magic, denied myself any number of small pleasures, and cost my reps at least half a dozen sales I could have influenced just to bring you to this moment. So you can see, I'm not going to give up my investment lightly. "As for your second question, you'll work for me until I get promoted. Then you'll be on your own. You can continue to work for the company or move on. I know you don't like me, so that will be an additional incentive for you to work hard for me." "But why a woman?" I asked, fearful that the answer might have something to do with his expectations that I be more to him than just another sales rep. He saw my concern and grinned. "I know what you're thinking," he said brightly. "I wish I could oblige you, but I'm happily married. Besides, I have other plans for you in that regard. I made you into a woman because it pleased me to pay you back in an embarrassing fashion for all the embarrassment you've caused me. Also, as a man - any man - you might have figured out a way to break my hold over you. But as a woman, you'll be subject to new emotions and new sensations that will keep you off balance for as long as I need you. Besides, I needed a woman and Hispanic rep to meet some EEO quotas for the company. Since you're both a woman and Hispanic, I get two gold stars for you. Ah - we're here." Dan pulled up in front of a fairly new apartment complex and walked me to my new home. He had already furnished it in a reasonably comfortable fashion. At least I would be able to live relatively well. "You have everything you need," Dan said, handing me the key. "I've provided you with clothes and all the accessories you'll need for a while. Don't worry about paying me back. You'll find there's a personal loan from your bank that you will have to repay. The proceeds of that loan provided your car and personal items. And by the way, I expect you to dress in a sexy but professional manner. I think you know what I mean." He started to leave; then turned to add slyly, "Oh, I almost forgot. Your little act of defiance tonight is going to cost you. I saved up just a little bit of magic which I'll share with you now. You might call it a curse." He made an odd gesture in the air, and I suddenly felt an odd tingling in my breasts and between my legs. It wasn't an unpleasant sensation. In fact, it was the most pleasant sensation I had felt since becoming a woman. My body shuddered and I let out a small sigh. "Yes, my dear, it feels good, doesn't it?" he said softly. "Si," I managed to gasp. "That last little bit of magic has given you an extremely strong sex drive. You'll find you need sex with a man almost as much as you need food, and almost as often." "No!" "Yes," he said with a grin. "From now on, you'll feel the need for sex building within you. There are some birth control pills in the medicine cabinet. You'd better get used to using them. By tomorrow night, you'll be ready to be screwed, and every two or three nights after that as well." "But I'm not -" I started to say that I wasn't gay, but that would have sounded rather stupid given my present sex. It wasn't gay for someone with a body like mine to be attracted to men, but I wasn't. I was still attracted to women, at least from an intellectual standpoint. Did that make me a lesbian? "I'm not attracted to men," I managed to finish. "No," he said as he left, "but you will be." As the door closed, I found myself completely alone as a woman for the first time. I realized I had never really seen myself yet. I had been too busy either fencing with Dan or worrying about the police. I went into the bedroom and found it decorated for a woman's taste although not overtly feminine. As I expected, there was a full length mirror behind the door. I had never seen a woman's apartment in my life that didn't have a full length mirror some place, typically the bedroom. When I looked in the mirror, I saw a very attractive, if somewhat disheveled woman. She - I - had olive skin which looked Hispanic one moment and Oriental or even Black the next moment. My hair was longer and darker than I had realized, flowing about half way down my back. It was coal black in color, with a slight curl which gave it body. My face was nearly angelic, with perfectly made-up eyes and lips and just a small amount of dark blush on the cheeks. Checking about to make certain all of the drapes in my apartment were closed, I began to remove my suit. In a few moments, I was nude and could see for the very first time my entire body. If it were not for tactile sensation, I could have viewed my body with detachment and imagined myself still male watching a beautiful woman. But I didn't have the normal male responses any more. Staring at the oversized breasts with their large dark brown nipples, slim waist, rounded hips, and long, sleek brown legs would have caused a pleasurable stirring in my penis if I still had one, but of course, I didn't. I did find that I had other unfamiliar sensations, though. If it was the cold on my nipples or a sexual stirring, I couldn't say, but my nipples became semi-erect as I watched, and seeing them enlarge, I began to feel a faint stirring throughout my body. Next, I began to feel a twitching sensation between my legs, almost as though the muscles were trying to expand and contract on their own. I felt a slight dampness in my new slit. Then, I remembered what Dan had done to me with his last bit of magic. He had said that I would have a very well developed sex drive. This must be the beginning of it, I realized. Hurriedly I turned from the mirror and opened one of the drawers in my chest of drawers searching for something to cover myself with. I thought that if I didn't look further at this new body, the urges would lessen. I was wrong. I found several filmy nighties, but no other bed wear. Desperately I slipped on the least sexy one I could find, but the feeling of the silky material on my smooth body was too sensual for words. Damn that Dan! He had created an itch which would have to be scratched. I resolved to put it off as long as possible. I turned off the lights and slid between the soft sheets which covered my bed. In the darkness, I fought vainly for the release of sleep, but as I watched the numbers slowly advancing on my lighted clock, I realized that I had been awake for nearly an hour. What to do? Then I had an idea. If cold showers worked (or so I've heard) for men, why not for women? I jumped from the bed and practically threw myself into the shower. The cold water felt good. Fortunately, I had the presence of mind to keep my new long, dark hair from getting wet. After a few moments, letting my body shiver from the cold, I dried off. To my relief, I found that it had worked! I slipped the nightie back on, but didn't slip on the panties. I wanted nothing rubbing on me which might bring sexual stirrings back to the surface. With a sigh, I crawled back into bed and slipped thankfully into sleep. That was not to be the end of my first night as a woman, though. I had forgotten the power of dreams. A series of dreams came to me, unlike any dreams I had ever had before. I saw snatches of a childhood I had never known. I saw myself as a little girl, cute and dressed for a party in a small pink dress with matching socks and white shoes. I saw myself as a teenager, carefully applying makeup for a big date. And finally, I felt myself in the arms of a handsome young man as he moved his hand slowly, gently up my short skirt and into.... I awoke with a gasp. The feeling I had experienced earlier had returned, only this time, they were magnified many times over. My nipples extended painfully against my nightie, and the feeling between my legs was one of incredible emptiness. Without thinking, I sought to end the emptiness by covering my new opening with my hand, but the longing became even greater. Out of desperation, I pushed two fingers against the opening which greedily twitched in anticipation. I was no longer capable of rational thought. I pushed my fingers into the opening, exercising only enough care to make sure my newly long nails didn't scratch the walls of my vagina. I began to massage my clitoris slowly, gently until I found it hardening like a tiny penis. The walls of my cavity became slick with an odor I had before smelled only on others. I allowed another finger to join the first two, pumping myself with determination. Then it happened. It was a sensation I could never have imagined as a man. It was as if my entire body rippled with pleasure. I let out a throaty gasp and felt warmth everywhere. As a man, I was used to feeling the sudden crescendo of ejaculation, but this was far different and far better. I felt waves of pleasure lapping over me, lessening with each passing minute, but still satisfying. When the feelings stopped at last, I drifted off into an exhausted sleep and dreamed only of flowers and warm summer nights. Chapter 4 - The First Day of the Rest of My Life? I awoke the next morning earlier than I usually awaken on a Saturday. I lay awake for a few minutes, reorienting myself to my new body as much as possible. I had awakened slowly and had full memories of my unsettling night. I could still smell the scent of my sex on my hand and on my nightie. I resolved as I lay there to exhibit self control. I was not about to give in again to the sex drive Dan had wished upon me. Finally, I got up and began my morning ablutions. I was like some sort of robot. I walked to the shower stripping off my nightie, showered and washed my hair with ease, shaved my legs and under my arms, wrapped a towel expertly over my torso and another around my hair, dried my hair quickly and effectively, styled it, and applied a fresh coat of makeup, all without so much as a thought as to how alien this entire process should have been to me. As the last of my fresh lipstick was carefully applied, I stopped short. How did I know what to do? I had never done most of these things before now. How did I know how to wash and dry long hair, let alone style it as I had done? How did I know how to apply makeup? Something had happened to my entire thought process. I slipped on a robe and resolved to solve the mystery over breakfast. I made coffee and quickly ate juice and cereal, again without thinking. As Jack Barnes, I usually got up on a Saturday and fixed bacon and eggs, but as Maria Delgado, I fixed a simple breakfast of cereal and juice without giving it a thought. What was happening to me? At least as Maria, I still drank black coffee. I sipped my coffee while trying to solve the puzzle of my new life. Then I remembered the dreams. In my many dreams, I had acted as Maria Delgado. I had dressed as a girl, ate as a girl, and even made love as a girl. All of those things were now as natural to me as breathing. Unless I exerted conscious control over myself, I would act as if I had always been Maria. I would have to stay on my pretty little toes or Jack Barnes would be lost before I could figure out how to get him back. My first experiment at conscious control did not go well. I had determined to dress in as unisex a fashion as I could manage, given the constraints of my wardrobe. For underwear, I picked a bra and panties of a neutral beige avoiding the pinks and lavenders which surrounded them. I felt reasonably proud of myself as I had resisted the subliminal message to choose the pink ones. But my self congratulations were short in duration as I began to struggle with the bra. My ample breasts kept slipping out of the cups as I twisted to fasten the bra from behind. How was I to do this? I obviously needed a bra. The answer came wordlessly but effectively, and I deftly turned the bra around, fastened it, then reversed it again, allowing my breasts to fall gently into the cups. The autonomic systems had taken over again, and my mind coasted as I picked a pretty pink tank top and tight, short jean shorts which left little to the imagination. I slipped on a pair of sandals with a small heel, making a mental note to touch up the polish on my toenails. I selected a nice pair of gold loops for my ears and a darling necklace with a small sapphire in the center. It wasn't until I slipped a dainty gold watch on my left wrist that I realized that I had been under the spell once more. I thought about taking it all off and starting over. Surely Maria Delgado had a sweat shirt and sweat pants somewhere in that closet. And tennis shoes. There had to be tennis shoes. But instead of changing, I sighed and returned to my coffee. What was the use? I would only go back and change again the minute my resolve slipped. The next question was what to do with my day. If I were still Jack Barnes, I would have called a couple of friends, maybe played a little basketball in a pickup game at the gym, and looked forward to an evening at one of a number of watering holes where the sweethearts grazed. As Jack, I was between girlfriends, so I would have been looking for opportunities as the evening wore on. But as Maria, I was a sweetheart, so the rules had changed for me. First, I didn't have any friends. Since Maria Delgado was a brand new person, I didn't know anyone. Next, I wasn't about to show up at the gym. More than one of my old friends would be putting the moves on me in a New York minute. Obviously, hitting the waterholes looking for women was out of the question. If Dirty Dan had his way, I would be looking for men like Diane Keaton in Looking for Mr. Goodbar. I shuddered at the thought. I resolved to keep myself under full control. I decided to spend my day around the apartment, learning as much as I could about this new person I had become. I spent the morning inspecting closets and drawers, but I was, for the most part, disappointed. Maria Delgado was a very two dimensional person. I found a copy of Cosmo with an address label that indicated that Maria had been a subscriber for only a month. A copy of Vanity Fair indicated the same subscription date. That meant that Dan had set up all of his props fairly recently. I wondered how he had managed to rent the apartment without a physical Maria Delgado at the time. Other than the magazines, the only other proof of Maria Delgado's existence were the closet full of feminine attire and the dresser filled with lingerie and other feminine items. The last place I checked out was the bathroom. A minimal quantity of items were in the medicine cabinet - Aspirin, vitamins, and .... I found a small case unlike anything I had seen before. It had pills each in their own compartment with the days of the week abbreviated over each compartment. Birth control pills, of course. The case was designed to let me know that I had taken my pill each day. Well, I wasn't going to need them. Then I thought about how I had lost control the night before. If that happened with a man..... I shrugged and downed one of the pills. It was better to be safe than sorry. As a man, I had never believed in abortion. As a woman, that philosophy might prove inconvenient. There was no sense in taking any chances. I took one of the pills out of the case and swallowed it. For my next trick, I spilled the contents of my purse on the kitchen table. I was most interested in the combination wallet and checkbook I found there. I pulled out my driver's license and looked at it. I had seen it once before when I had challenged Dan, but I hadn't taken the time to really look at it. The picture was a typical bad license picture. How Dan had faked it, I had no idea. My birthday was listed as July 22nd, which was Jack's birthday, but I saw I was now only twenty three - three years younger than Jack. I looked through the credit cards. They were the same ones I had carried before, but they were now made out to Maria Delgado. A checkbook indicated that I banked with the same bank I had used for years, and the balance was about what I thought it should be. It seemed as if Dan had been able to shift the financial details of Jack's life over to Maria. I was sure that when I found all of my bank and investment records, they would be the same as Jack's. At least Dan wasn't a thief. And while I was on the subject, Dan didn't appear to be a lecher, either. I mean, he had ample opportunity to get into my pants if he wanted to. All he had to do was magically make me attracted to him, but he didn't do it. Maybe he really was that loyal to his wife. If so, it was the first and only reason I had to respect him. The rest of the purse contained a few touch up cosmetics, lipstick, Kleenex, some breath mints and... Oh no! A package of condoms. I resolved I wouldn't be needing these, but instead of throwing them away as I planned, I unconsciously placed them back in my purse. By early afternoon, I had learned about as much as I could from the stuff in the apartment. I made myself a bite of lunch, which turned out to be a pre-made salad with a glass of water. I looked around for something more substantial, but Maria apparently ate healthy. To my surprise, the lunch tasted just right, even with low-cal dressing on the salad and only water to drink. I had looked for some beer, but there was none available. After lunch, I, I tidied up the place and settled down on the couch to watch a ball game. However, after about two innings, I got bored. I couldn't seem to keep my mind on the game. I flipped to another station where there was a rerun of a Mad About You episode and decided to watch it. I had always had a thing for Helen Hunt, but today, she didn't look so good to me. I found myself looking more at Paul Reiser for some reason. Then it hit me again. I was drifting into patterns of thought more like Maria Delgado instead of Jack Barnes. It seemed as if I could never let down my guard or I wouldn't be me any more. I thought about how much I would really like a beer. Yeah, a cold dark beer; something from a mico- brewery. And a steak. Right. I needed a steak. No more rabbit food for Jack Barnes, no matter what he looked like on the outside. I plowed through the refrigerator and the freezer, but the closest I could come to steak was a package of chicken breasts. Sorry, no breasts. I already had two of them. I giggled at the thought, but stopped almost at once. Only girls giggle. I was Jack Barnes. Jack Barnes didn't giggle. There was only one thing to do. I'd have to go out and get a steak. And a beer. I knew of a great place in Scottsdale that served big, thick, juicy steaks and the coldest beer in the Valley of the Sun. I looked at the clock. It was nearly five. I could beat the crowd and get a steak, get out and be back home in no time. That way, I wouldn't have to appear as a woman in public for long. I had to change, though. If I was spotted at the Turf dressed in tight jean shorts, I'd have to beat the guys off with a stick. I looked in the closet for something to wear - preferably pants. But there were no pants to be had. Oh well, I decided, I was going to have to get used to wearing skirts some time. It might as well be now. I found a long brown skirt and tried it on, but for some reason, it didn't look right. I pulled out a short tan skirt and was much happier with the look. I found a light sweater top which went with it and put it on. Then I looked at myself in the mirror. I looked cute, but not too sexy. But something was missing. Instinctively I took off the skirt and put on a garter belt and dark stockings. I put the tan skirt away and opted for a red one instead with a matching red top. Three inch heels seemed conservative enough. I added appropriated accessories - a slim watch and a small gold pendant on a gold chain. Then I went into the bathroom to fix my makeup. As I write these words, I think I must have been like a guided missile on a pre-programmed course. I didn't think about what I was doing; I just did it. If I knew on any level of consciousness what I was doing, I wasn't aware of it then. I was, of course, making myself look as sexy as possible, but that wasn't really apparent to me then. I picked up a matching red purse and emptied the contents of my other purse into it, including the condoms. With an unknowing smile, I set off to get my steak dinner. Chapter 5 - Night Life I drove as quickly as I could toward the steak house, trying desperately to close out the Maria Delgado thoughts which were creeping around the corners of my mind. The steak house. I had to get to the steak house. Steak house. Steak house. Steak house. It became my mantra as I glided through the streets of Scottsdale. At last I saw the sign for the steak house. It was right next to O'Reilly's, my favorite hangout when I was Jack Barnes. My mind suddenly blank, I stopped short of the steak house parking lot and pulled up in front of O'Reilly's. What the hell, a little voice said coyly in the back of my mind, a quick beer at O'Reilly's and then off for a steak - just like the good old days. O'Reilly's was already crowding up for Saturday night, I saw several familiar faces, both male and female, but of course, I was an unfamiliar face. Several people turned to inspect me as I took an empty stool at the bar, but I ignored them. After all, I was only going to have one beer, and then it was off to the steak house. "Yes, Miss," the bartender said, "what will it be?" I almost ordered my beer, but at the last second, something else sounded better. "White wine," I said. Now why had I ordered that? I seldom drank wine, and certainly not in O'Reilly's! When the bartender delivered my wine, I reached in my purse to pay for it when a male voice said, "Put that wine on my tab, Steve." My God, I realized, someone was trying to pick me up. I turned to tell him coldly that I would pay for my own wine when I suddenly realized that my would- be benefactor was Randy Wilmont, an old fraternity brother of mine. Randy was a good looking guy; just over six feet tall with wavy brown hair the girls always seemed to want to run their fingers through. Our eyes met and I froze, unable to say a word. "Randy Wilmont," he said with a smile. I found myself smiling back. I was on auto pilot again. "Maria Delgado," I said much easier than I thought I would be able to do. We made small talk for about an hour while I polished off two more white wines. To make a long story short, he took me to dinner at the steak house where I ordered a petite filet and still left half of it. We talked some more over coffee and brandy. I found it easier to talk to Randy in my new body than I would have thought possible. It was easy to talk about subjects which interested Randy since I had really known him for years. The problem was that I wasn't talking to him like an old fraternity brother. Instead, I was talking to him like a young woman about to decide if she should spend the night with him. Did I find that odd? Yes, in small snatches, I did, but whether it was the wine or the curse or both, I continued to act like a normal young woman. The evening almost had a G rated ending. Randy walked me to my car and held the door open for me. As I looked at him again, the full force of Dan's spell hit me. Without another thought, I reached up and pulled Randy's face to mine in a long and passionate kiss. As our lips parted, I gave him my address and told him to follow me home. I didn't have to ask him twice. As I drove back to my apartment, the part of me that was still Jack Barnes was crying out in terror, "What do you think you're doing?" It was a question I couldn't answer. My mind might not want or need Randy, but my body most certainly wanted him and needed him. I could feel a dampness between my legs and experienced a feeling of emptiness there which had to be filled if I was to keep my sanity. I knew what was going to happen when we arrived at my apartment, but there was no way I could stop it. I was a prisoner to my own physical desires, and as perverted as they seemed to the male side of my mind, there was nothing I could do to stop them. We entered my apartment together without a word. The time for words was over. I lead Randy into my bedroom as if in a dream. The male part of my mind was screaming to wake up, but my new female flesh longed for Randy to make love to me. There was a pressure building within me that I couldn't understand, and the pressure had to be released. In moments, Randy had pulled off all of my clothes, except the garter belt, stockings and shoes. I had done the same for him, falling to my knees to pull down his shorts. Suddenly, I was facing his erect penis. I involuntarily licked my lips and inched closer to it. I knew what I had to do and Jack Barnes be damned. It was a night of incredible passion, and one I would like to forget. I had no control of my actions, and my mind screamed for it to stop even as my new body screamed for more. Did I enjoy it? Of course I did - physically at least. I had never known such physical pleasure. We made love in ways I had never imagined before, and it was nearly dawn before we fell into exhausted sleep in each other's arms. There was no morning. We slept until nearly one when I awakened to the uncomfortable realization that I was in the arms of an old friend. The feelings of passion which had claimed me the night before had been spent, and I was left with a feeling of chagrin and shame. I quietly pulled myself from Randy's arms, rewarded with a sleepy snort, and pulled myself from the bed. I felt unclean with the realization that I had received his sperm in both my new vagina and, worse yet, my mouth. I slipped on a filmy robe and went to the kitchen and made a pot of strong coffee as if to get the taste of Randy out of my mouth. What had happened to me? I still had the mind of a man but a woman's body. Had the body taken over the mind already? I didn't feel like a woman, but I obviously didn't feel like a man. It was as if two people were living inside my body, I thought as I took the first sip of coffee. It tasted bitter and hot, but I eagerly took more. Just as I had eagerly taken Randy last night. I felt a tear forming in my eye. "What's wrong?" I jumped at hearing Randy's voice. I hadn't heard him come in. "Nothing," I lied. "It's just that the coffee is a little hot." He put his arm around my shoulders. "So are you, babe." I thought about running away, screaming. I didn't want this, but I could already feel myself getting wet between my legs. What had Dan done to me? I couldn't resist. I put down my coffee cup and turned to him. He was still nude. I squeezed against him, letting my filmy robe fall open. The hairs of his chest tickled my erect nipples. I had to stop this, but I couldn't. Then his lips found mine and I was lost again. Our lovemaking was as intense as it had been the night before. I lost count of my orgasms, but I knew that I had gotten Randy off three times - twice between my legs and once more in my mouth. Again exhausted, we fell asleep for a while. It was nearly three when I woke up again. Randy wasn't beside me. I heard the shower running and shook the sleep from my head. At least I was finally satisfied. My new body had decided to let my mind take over again. I was actually less upset than I had been earlier. I had finally realized that I had no choice in what had happened to me. I didn't desire men, or at least I didn't think I did at the deepest level of my soul. What I had done with Randy was just another one of Dan's little tricks. I resolved to hold on to my true self no matter what. Still I wondered, why was Dan putting me through all of this? He had turned me into an attractive young woman, and yet he had kept his hands to himself. Did he fear a sexual harassment suit? Surely he didn't. With his little Mexican scenario, I would end up in a jail across the border before I could even say "sexual harassment." Whatever his reasons, I resolved to stay strong. I wasn't going to let this destroy me. The water in the shower stopped, and moments later, Randy came out fully clothed. I was suddenly aware that I was still naked. He bent over and kissed me lightly on the lips. "Gotta go, babe." I managed an insincere smile. "So soon?" "Sorry. I've got to catch a plane tonight for a meeting in Dallas tomorrow. You gonna be here when I get back next Thursday?" "I'll try," I said enigmatically. "Great!" he said as he went out the door as if I had just said yes. Was I this easy to fool when I was a man? I sighed. It was after three and I had accomplished nothing. I hadn't even eaten (except for swallowing something I would rather not think about). Swallowing something? Oh my God, I thought, I had forgotten to take my birth control pill. I rushed to the medicine cabinet and pulled out the dispenser. The only directions on the bottle said, "Take One Daily." I quickly swallowed one, chasing it with a full glass of water to hurry it on its way. A little relieved that I had the pill churning through my system, I threw on a robe and went into the kitchen to fix something to eat and read the Sunday paper. I spent the rest of the day reading and watching television and trying by these normal Sunday pursuits to forget that I was now Maria Delgado, part time horny slut. I felt a wave of depression over what I had done with Randy. Apparently once Maria's needs had been met, my nominally male mind took over again, disgusted by what I had done I was a man, or at least, I should be. I moped around for the rest of the day. By ten I was ready for bed. I wasn't looking forward to my first day at work with Dirty Dan, so I decided the best defense would be a full night's sleep. In spite of the time I had spent in bed over the last twenty- four hours, I fell asleep quickly, happy to be in bed alone. Chapter 6 - The New Job The shrill scream of the alarm brought me out of a deep dreamless sleep, and for a moment, I was Jack Barnes once more in my mind. Then the tickle of long hair and the bloated feeling of large breasts and wide hips came into focus. I felt the morning urge to pee, but not the swollen penis that usually came with it. I was about to face another day as Maria Delgado, I realized with a sigh. I forced myself out of bed, stripping off the nightie I had donned the night before. It struck me suddenly that I had put on the nightie without a thought of how odd it felt. Whatever Dan had done to my body had also had an effect on my mind, it would seem. Unless I consciously thought about it, I would act as if I had always been Maria Delgado. It was comforting to know that I would not pull some major gaffe which would expose me as a fraudulent woman, but on the other hand, it was disturbing to think of how little control I had over my situation. To make matters worse, I would have to go to a new office and play my new role to the hilt in front of Dirty Dan and his minions. I wasn't looking forward to that morning, but I had little choice. It was that or another visit to the police. I was actually happy to be on auto pilot as I prepared for work. I still wasn't comfortable with the morning routine of a woman, so I just relaxed and let my body go through the motions of doing my hair and applying my makeup. I did reassert control when it came to picking an outfit, but I had little control there as well, since Dan had chosen a wardrobe of uniformly professional but highly sexy clothing. I went for one of the least provocative outfits - a blue pinstripe suit with a navy silk blouse. The outfit tended to accentuate my new breasts while the skirt felt as if it ended at my crotch. I had chosen tan hose and a pair of shiny black pumps with a three inch heel to complete the outfit. I drove to work with my stomach doing flip flops. Nothing I had done yet as a woman was as frightening to me as going to work. I was about to meet the staff at American Netstar for the first time. It felt as if I were a spy in an enemy camp. I couldn't overcome the feeling that someone would point at me and yell, "That's Jack Barnes from National Net! Quick, stop him ... er, her!" Still, I had no choice. Dan had me where he wanted me. My only chance to regain my old life would be to be the best sales rep I could for him and try to convince him to change me back. I knew he had said I was going to be a woman for the rest of my life, but I could hope. When I walked into American Netstar's offices, I couldn't help but notice that they looked very much like National Net's offices. Instead of the green and white colors of National Net, red white and blue predominated and the furniture was a little plusher than the furniture at National Net, but beyond that, it looked about the same. I actually felt a little better. This was familiar territory even if it was the enemy camp. "Hi," the perky young redhead at the receptionist's desk said with a smile. "Can I help you?" Maybe it was my imagination, but I noticed that she greeted me differently than the way I was used to be greeted by receptionists. The greeting was a little less formal and off putting. For all she knew, I was there to sell them something, so usually a receptionist would be more formal and less open. It was a nice change. "Yes," I said, "I'm Maria Delgado." I practically choked on the words but the receptionist didn't seem to notice. "Oh, hi, Maria. I'm Sharon Mitchell. You're our new salesperson." Salesperson, eh? Well, I had been called worse. "Hi, Sharon. That's right. Is Dan here?" "He's been waiting for you." Right, I was sure he had been. He had probably gloated all the way over on his flight back from LA. "Just follow me." In a previous existence, I would have followed Sharon to the ends of the earth, but as Maria, I could only watch her and wonder if my butt was swinging as much as