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