A Study in Silk
by Aleisha James
Greg and I were in the bathroom, crowded around the small vanity, each
trying to get as much of the mirror as we could without actually poking
elbows at the other.
Greg had started ahead of me and was already doing his eyes, while I was
still making sure that my foundation looked perfectly smooth.
Suddenly he stood up, and lowering his eyeliner pencil he began to shake,
while I could see tears beginning to well from his eyes.
"What's wrong, Greg?" I asked, my concern showing in my voice.
"Mike, take a look at us. don't you think there's something going on here?"
I looked at our reflections, but for the life of me I couldn't figure out what he
meant.
Gazing back at us were two very slender young men, with smooth, hairless
faces and arms. Greg was wearing the ivory silk slip he had bought last
week, and its spaghetti straps looked very pretty against his satiny skin. He
hadn't put on a bra, but then we didn't really need bras yet. His breasts, and
mine were still small, and while they were growing rapidly, they were so
firm that they stood up proudly without support. His hair needed styling, but
so did mine. We would have to wait a few weeks to get enough length to be
able to do something creative, but even now we knew how to make ourselves
look good.
His eyebrows were plucked into high, thin arches. It was his idea that we do
that, but then he had always taken the lead in our new approach to our
appearances. It had all seemed perfectly natural and it still did.
He had not yet applied his lipstick, but his lips still looked full and inviting.
What could the problem be?
My slip was identical to his except that it was in pale peach with black lace
trim. I had been late into the bathroom because I had wanted to try my new
garterbelt and nylons, and I felt wonderfully sexy as I looked at my
reflection. I had a long way to go, but I sure looked better than I had three
months ago when we first decided to take better care of ourselves. Our diet
had worked wonders for both of us and even the vitamin supplements that
Dr. Franklin had supplied as part of the study seemed not to have interfered. I
could see the swell of my breasts under the lace of my bodice, and I could
feel my nipples harden as I stood up.
What on earth was bothering Greg? He was at least as pretty as me, so he
couldn't be getting jealous?
"Mike, don't you get it? We're boys!"
Well of course we were. Greg could certainly be an airhead at times, I
thought.
"I know that, Greg. What else could we be?"
"But we look like girls, Mike. What's happened to us? It must be the study!"
"Nonsense, dear" I assured him.
"Dr. Franklin's study is all about relaxation techniques, about enhancing our
abilities by ensuring that we sleep well and get the appropriate reinforcement
through the tapes we play during our sleep. Besides.." I confided.. "Dr.
Franklin as good as told me that we were getting the placebo tapes.. the ones
that have no effect at all"
"He can't know that" Greg said.
"It's supposed to be a double-blind test so that even the experimenters can't
tell who gets which tapes"
"You don't really believe that, do you" I chuckled. "I think Dr. Franklin
knows exactly what's going on, and I think he likes me a lot, which is why
he's let loose these hints. He doesn't want us to worry."
He looked at me, as if I had just said something really silly..
"Of course he likes you! Don't you get it? He's got to be gay. This is all part
of his so-called study! Turning normal straight guys into girls! And we're his
prime subjects!"
He wasn't making any sense at all. Dr. Franklin was the one man I knew I
could trust. He would never do anything dishonest and he certainly wouldn't
be doing unethical experiments. There are some things in this life that you
know deep down, with absolute certainty. This was one of them. Greg had
met Dr. Franklin and had spent just as much time with him in private review
sessions. What could account for this sudden paranoia?
Then a thought struck me.
"Greg" I said, taking a firm stance with my legs slightly apart and my arms
crossed in front of me.
"You've skipped a tape, haven't you? You've been cheating on the study,
haven't you?"
His blush and lowered head was all the answer I needed.
"You know that it's essential that you don't skip any tape. No wonder
you're so whacked out! Spouting nonsense like that. You miss a tape and
you lose all grip on reality. Now let's get you lying down in bed with your
earphones on"
He came with me, but he was obviously unhappy. He muttered something
about me not making sense. If the tapes were really placebos, then listening
or not listening couldn't have any effect. But I wasn't paying attention. I had
been worried that my best friend was losing his mind, falling into paranoid
delusions. What could he be thinking? We wore these clothes because it made
sense to do so. Only old-fashioned pseudo-macho chauvinists would
disagree. These clothes were more comfortable, that's all. The fact that they
looked feminine was incidental. It wasn't the point at all. And as for the way
we looked, it had been his idea to stop working out, and to lose a lot of
weight. Muscles led to heart attacks, he had said. A healthy boy is a slim
boy. It was he who had come home from a meeting with Dr. Franklin with
the news that Dr. Franklin would like us to take the vitamins every day. So
what if it was soon after that that our nipples became sensitive, and then our
breasts began to enlarge. There was no connection at all: it was silly to even
think about it. I wasn't a girl! Even if it seemed to me recently that girls had it
far easier than boys.
I was relieved when I saw his eyes close and his chest begin a quiet regular
rhythm as he heard the familiar soothing introduction to the tape. I couldn't
figure how he had missed one: I listened to mine faithfully, just as we had
promised Dr. Franklin when we had signed up for the study.
I returned to the bathroom and finished my makeup. I was getting quite good
at this, I thought.
After a final inspection, I returned to my room and selected a cute black
minidress, which I had bought at Dalmy's on our 'special' account last week.
It seemed almost a shame that we only wore dresses at home, but while
wearing lingerie, makeup and pretty dresses was so clearly the sensible thing
to do, something told me that going out like this was not appropriate. At
least, not yet.
I curled up with a romance novel. To think that I spent all those years
sneering at girls who read these books! They were full of wonderful
characters, facing such obstacles to true love. I read little else these days, and
my marks were beginning to suffer, but I felt that these books gave me such
insight into the human heart that it was well worthwhile. I had to be careful
not to cry, and ruin my makeup. Sometimes, when I had taken the time to
look nice, I would stop reading before the end just to avoid the tears of
happiness that would overwhelm me when the heroine found true love.
I was well into the book when Greg appeared. I had not heard him get up,
but it was easy to see that all was well. He had brushed his hair into a
pageboy look which went well with his delicate features. He had really gone
all out, as evidenced by his crimson nails, dangling diamond earrings, and
the diamond pendant which lay between the mounds of his swelling breasts.
He was wearing a green cocktail dress, with a full skirt that hung to just
above his silk-clad knees. He saw me look up, and paused to twirl on one
foot. He had more confidence than I in such high heels, I thought with a flash
of envy, as I saw that he was wearing his green and black open-toed evening
shoes with four inch heels.
The back of the dress was daringly low, and I knew that he still wasn't
wearing a bra. We had talked about his buying a strapless bra to go with the
dress, but he had insisted that he would wait until he felt that his breasts had
developed some more. Well, I thought, it won't be long now, what with that
cleavage he's showing.
Greg minced down the stairs and sat himself down on the edge of the couch
where I had been curled up with my book. He smoothed his skirt beneath
him with unconscious femininity, and I felt relieved. He was back to normal,
just my old friend Greg.
He reached out and touched my shoulder lightly.
"Oh Mike" he said. "I'm so embarrassed, I don't know what to say"
"Don't worry, honey" I said. "Just make sure you don't miss any more
tapes, okay?"
He nodded. "That's for sure. Boy, was I getting weirded out!"
Thankful that all had ended well, we spent the rest of the night talking about
our plans. Greg wanted me to get my ears pierced as he had, and I was
pretending to be reluctant. I even teased him a little: "Now you want me to
pretend to be a girl?"
He was gracious enough to blush again, but he insisted that I would feel
better about myself if I had it done. I finally relented and told him that I had
already scheduled an appointment for the next morning.
"I thought I'd do it before checking in with Dr. Franklin" I said.
He giggled, and I had to smile myself.
I was rested and self-confident the next morning, as always after listening to
tape. I replaced last night's with he one marked for tonight, and got dressed.
It occurred to me as I was selecting my underwear that it really didn't make
sense to wear rough clothing next to my skin. So I gratefully chose a pair of
black silk panties and a matching teddy. I had progressed to where tucking
my member between my legs was automatic. I chose a black sweater, which
would hide my lingerie from public view. I had dithered over what to wear
on my feet. I decided to compromise. I had so liked my garterbelt that I put it
back on along with some gossamer thin smoky nylons. Then I pulled some
socks over my feet, so that only I would know that I was 'properly' dressed
underneath.
Blue jeans and running shows completed my ensemble. I carefully brushed
my hair into a uni-sex style and grabbing my purse, I headed for the door.
The beauty parlor where I had booked my ear-piercing was almost empty this
early in the morning and it took only a few minutes for the procedure to be
complete. I left the shop with two metal studs in my ears and strict
instructions to keep them clean for the next several days. They stung just a
bit, but it was worth it to me.
My meeting with Dr. Franklin was for 9:45 and I was a few minutes early. I
waited on one of those hard, plastic chairs that can be found outside the
offices of so many university professors. The door to Dr. Franklin's office
was closed and I contented myself with reading another of my romance
novels which I had brought to read on the bus.
Eventually the door opened and a tall, broad-shouldered young man emerged.
He turned to face into the room and called out.
"Thanks for your help, sir"
He seemed very polite, but awfully young. I doubted that many girls my age
would prefer someone like him to an older, more sophisticated gentleman like
Dr. Franklin.
I giggled inwardly. What if Greg had been with me. I think that if Greg were
a girl, he'd like exactly that type of young man!
I rose to my feet and walked to the now-open door. I knocked lightly as I
looked inside.
Dr. Franklin was behind his desk, as always. His lean, ascetic looking face
was turned towards the door in response to my knock and I was pleased to
see a warm smile slowly break out on his face as he rose to greet me.
He was much taller than I, perhaps a half-foot more than my 5' 7 `. He kept
himself in good condition, and his trim waist and athletic build made him
very attractive. His brown eyes seemed to widen as he looked me over from
head to toe before extending his hand for me to shake. His grasp was warm
and dry, with just enough pressure to reassure me that he liked me and
welcomed me into his room.
He waited for me to seat myself before resuming his position behind his
paper-cluttered desk.
"It's good to see you, Mike" he said. His baritone voice was like music to
my ears. I could listen to him all day!
"Thank you, sir" I breathed. For some reason I felt as if he might know and
approve of my dressing today. Why I felt that escaped me. Not that there was
anything wrong or even strange about the way I was dressed. But the thought
that he might know how prettily I was dressed beneath my conventional
outerwear made me feel all tingly inside.
"Why, you've had your ears pierced" he said in a tone of mild surprise.
Nervously fingering the stud in my left ear, I agreed that, yes, I had. Did he
like it?
"It's a great idea"` he said. "But I bet Greg had his done first!"
It always amazed me that he could tell what was going on in our lives. It was
as if he were a mind reader. But then, I reflected, he had probably noticed
Greg's earrings when he had last met with him.
He pulled out a file from the middle of one of the piles on his desk. It was my
file.
We spent the next thirty minutes with me going over a detailed questionnaire.
I sat motionless, with my eyes closed and he read the questions in that
wonderful voice of his. This was a routine that I had grown accustomed to,
and by now my answers flowed almost without conscious attention.
"Time's up" he said, snapping his fingers. I sat up with a start. I had gone
even further into trance than I normally did. I could remember nothing other
than the usual warm glow, which intensified as he looked at me.
He sat still for a moment, seemingly deep in thought. He nodded to himself,
as if he had come to some important decision.
He stood up and told me to come with him. I followed without hesitation.
This was a man I trusted implicitly.
We walked in silence out of the building into the bright fall sunlight. His car
was parked in the faculty lot immediately behind the building and I obediently
got into the passenger side. It was an new Acura, one of the expensive ones.
I admired the car, but he was still lost in thought so I fell silent and waited for
whatever was to unfold.
After about twenty minutes we pulled into a shaded driveway and came to a
stop in front of a large older home.
He got out and I followed him into the house, which he unlocked with two
keys. He immediately entered a code in a complex-looking security panel. He
hardly looked at me as he gestured towards the stairs. He led the way up the
gleaming wooden staircase and down a hallway to a locked door. Once again
he unlocked the door and then he motioned me in.
It was a huge bedroom, decorated in a fantasy of femininity. It might have
come straight out of one o my more far-fetched romance novels.
The walls were covered with what looked like patterned white silk. A large
window dominated the far wall, with patterned sheers and heavy cream-
colored silk drapes gathered with large ribbons of matching fabric.
The plush carpet looked brand new, a rich white which seemed to cry out for
someone to walk bare-foot. A four-poster canopy bed occupied about a
quarter of the room, with white silk trimmed with cream lace.
On the same wall as the door sat a long, low vanity with a make-up mirror.
The vanity was covered with tiny jars of cosmetics and perfume sprays. Two
stands held lustrous wigs, one blonde and the other brunette. Tiny lights
surrounded the mirror, and an upholstered but armless chair sat before it.
Closets lined the wall to my left. The mirrored doors reflected the contents of
the room, making it seem twice it's actual size. Two large dressers stood, one
on either side of the window. I noticed that a door on the opposite wall led to
what I could tell was an en-suite.
"What do you think?"
I realized that Dr. Franklin had broken his silence and was awaiting my
response.
"It's beautiful" I said. "So very pretty"`
He smiled.
"Go over to the closets and look inside"` he said.
Not having any idea what was going on, but feeling safe with Dr., Franklin,
I complied. The closets were full of clothing. And what clothing!
One closet held nothing but evening gowns and party dresses. Slinky black
silk hung next to dramatic scarlet, and a tiny slip dress, which would leave
nothing to the imagination hung next to a floor-length, off-the-shoulder
number that seemed like something out of a movie.
The next closet held more sensible wear: suits with knee-length skirts,
blouses, dresses one might wear around the house. Then came a closet full of
nothing but shoes!
"Look in the bureaus" I heard.
The top drawer was full of panties in a multitude of colors and styles. The
next held a small selection of bras. The third was full f carefully folded
teddies, camisoles, slips and half-slips.
I turned around before looking any further.
He had moved to closets and had pulled out the slip-dress I had noticed. It
was a beautiful shimmering black, very simple, very elegant, and I felt sure,
very sexy.
"Michael" he said, walking towards me with the dress held across his
outstretched arms.
"Please try this on for me."`
How did he know? I thought. I had wanted to wear that dress as soon as I
saw it.
"You are perfectly safe with me, my dear" he said.
"I know I am" I replied, taking the dress from his arms.
"You know how to look pretty"` he said.
"You'll find everything you need to look your best for me"
He left and I stood alone in that fantasy-bedroom.
How could he know? I kept asking myself that question but while it occupied
my thoughts, it didn't stop me from undressing.
I was glad I had my own lingerie on under my rough clothes. Whoever lived
here had wonderful taste, and I felt diffident about using her precious things.
The dress felt marvelous as I stepped carefully into it and pulled it up my
body.
I was glad that I had lost five more pounds that week, else it might not have
fit over my hips, As it was, it clung closely to my body.
He said that I was to look pretty, so I was extra careful with my makeup.
Fortunately, I recognized most of the brands and the actual shades that the
owner of this room preferred. We had almost identical tastes, although the
selection here was far greater than the meager assortment that Greg and I had
put together.
That thought gave me pause. Too bad for Greg.. he would love this room!
I noticed a jewelry box sitting with its lid ajar. Well, I might as well look, I
said to myself.
The box played a pretty tune when I lifted the lid. A music box!
Laying on top was an envelope, with my name on it. Curious to see what
was within, I opened the envelope and out came a piece of stiff white paper
and several pieces of jewelry.
The note asked me to wear the jewelry from the envelope, with the exception
of the anklet. The thin gold anklet had a disk if beaten gold attached to it. It
was inscribed, and I read the inscription.
'Aleisha - Property of Jack Franklin' it said.
The name resonated in my head. I had to sit down. I held the anklet across
my fingers, wondering if I was supposed to wear it. I couldn't... I wasn't
Aleisha.. (the word .. yet.. echoed dimly in my mind). I stood up, and,
taking a deep breath put the anklet down. Even Dr. Franklin, it seemed, did
not feel the time was right.
At last I was finished. I selected a pair of black open-toed pumps from the
closet, grateful that the owner and I wore the same size. That was fortunate,
since I knew that my feet were probably a couple of sizes bigger than most
girls of my height.
I walked to the door and looked out into the hallway. There was no sign of
him, but I could hear soft music coming from downstairs, and there had been
no music playing when we had arrived.
So I went downstairs towards the sound of the music. I didn't recognize it,
but it was soft jazz, with a female vocalist.
The music led me to a large living room. It was furnished in a masculine sort
of way, with dark leather furniture and a glass-topped coffee table. Abstract
paintings hung on the walls, and sculptures stood in corners and on the
bureau lining one wall.
Dr. Franklin was sitting in a comfortable-looking armchair, but rose to his
feet as I entered. Once again I got the impression that his eyes widened as he
saw me, and his gaze traveled from my head to my toes and back again. I had
the strangest feeling that he was mentally undressing me. That should have
bothered me, but for some reason it didn't.
"You look lovely, my dear" he said.
He walked towards me and stopped about three feet away.
"Turn around, so that I can see all of you" he spoke.
I obeyed, and as my back was turned toward him, I felt a hand on my
shoulder.
"That's far enough? let me savor this for a moment"
I was acutely aware of his presence behind me. There was a warmth on my
bare skin and I could detect his scent, a strong, masculine aroma which was
oddly pleasing to me.
I felt his hands caress my sides, running lightly over my dress. Then they
stroked my buttocks and I found myself making an involuntary gasp for air.
What was going on? For the second time in two days I felt confusion. First it
had been Greg acting so strangely, with his suggestion that Dr. Franklin was
gay and had been manipulating us to turn us into girls. Now Dr. Franklin
was acting as if he were sexually attracted to me!
I couldn't help myself. I turned to face him.
"Sir, please tell me what's going on? Why are you doing this?"`
The smile left his face immediately, and he averted his gaze as he stepped
back.
"It's a little too soon, I guess" he said, as if to himself.
Looking back at me he said "You've been taking such good care of yourself
that I just wanted you to know that I appreciate the effort you are making"
"Thank you" I said, although I had an uncomfortable feeling that something
very important had almost happened. I wasn't sure what it was, but there had
been something about the way he had looked at me that prompted my next
remark.
"But I have to tell you, sir, that I was getting worried there. You were
looking at me as if I were a girl, and you know that I'm not"
"Oh yes, Michael" he said. "Believe me, I know exactly what you are"
He added, before I could respond to that cryptic remark, that he would take
me home, but I was to wait there for a moment.
He left, only to return within a minute with a black cashmere coat, with a fur
collar.
"It's getting chilly out" he said.
He helped me into the coat.
"What about my clothes?" I asked.
"You don't need those tonight, and I'll have them delivered to your home
tomorrow"
"And what about this?" I said, holding out the anklet which I had had in my
hand.
"We'll talk about that some other time" he said, taking it from me.
We walked out to his car. I was conscious of the click of my heels on the
hardwood floors and the concrete paving. He held open the passenger door
and I sat sideways and then swiveled my legs in. He closed the door and
walked around to climb in the driver's side.
We were silent on the way home. He repeated his courtesy once there,
holding open my door and taking my hand to assist me out.
We walked to the front steps and he stopped as I climbed the first one.
"Please don't drop out of the study" he said. "What happened tonight has
nothing to do with that"`
I was still confused. What had happened tonight? I smiled down at him.
With my heels and the advantage of the step I was actually taller than him.
"Don't worry, sir" I said. "I'll still be a good subject for your study"
His eyes searched my face for a moment and than he nodded and turned
away.
I watched as he got into his car and pulled away from the curb. My emotions
were in turmoil despite my outward calm. I had come close to crossing some
Rubicon tonight, but what and why I could not say.
I had forgotten my purse at Dr. Franklin's house so I had to ring the bell.
Fortunately Greg was home, but then again, we never went out anymore.
Greg was dressed for bed, wearing his pink housecoat over his favorite
babydoll nightgown. He wasn't wearing any makeup. I was startled,
nonetheless, at how much like a girl he looked. I had never noticed that
before, even when he had told me to look into the mirror when we were
doing our faces.
He stepped back, with an expression of awe on his face.
"Mike, you look like a million dollars"
"Where did you get that coat..? "
I came in and turned on my toes, holding the front of my coat open, so that
Greg could appreciate my finery.
"Take the coat off, honey!" he said.
"I just have to see that dress!"
I hung the coat in the hall closet and then walked carefully into the living
room, aware with every step of Greg's eyes upon me. I even put a little extra
swivel into my walk.
"It's delicious" he gushed. "Where did you get it?"
I told him all about my evening, including Dr. Franklin's strange behaviour.
"Well, I can't say that I blame him for looking at you like you say" he said.
"If you were a girl, you'd have to fight the boys off with a machine gun or
something"
"You don't look too bad yourself" I laughed. "We'd both need machine-
guns!"
"Thank you, dear" he said, with a quick curtsey . He came over to me and,
standing close, looked me in the eyes. Then he surprised me by leaning
forward and giving me a quick kiss on the lips.
I froze.
He looked at me with concern.
"Honey, I've wanted to do that ever since I got up this morning, and you
look so wonderful I just couldn't help myself"
"It's okay" I stammered.
"Really?" he asked.
I nodded and he said "Let's prove it"
This time he took off his housecoat. He was wearing an ivory-colored
babydoll nightgown, with delicate lace trim around the bodice and the hem.
His nipples pressed against the silken fabric as he stepped up close to me. I
could smell perfume on his skin as he put his arms around my neck and
leaned in to place a long, lingering kiss on my lips.
My body went rigid as his lips made contact with mine, but the feel of his
body against me, the feel of his silken nightgown ,and the smell of his
perfume came close to melting my resistance.
We kissed for what seemed like hours, our mouths hungrily tasting each
other, our tongues pressing against lips which opened to greedily engulf each
other. I could feel warmth in my groin as blood rushed to engorge my
member and I knew that Greg felt the same response, as his stiff prick
pressed against me.
We finally broke, breathing hard.
We each stepped back.
I had lost control of my senses as we had grappled, and it was only on seeing
him at a distance, however short, that I realized what we had just done, and
perhaps worse, what we had been about to do.
"Greg" I pleaded "We have to stop now!"
"No.. we can't.. I need you.." His eyes locked with mine, desire mixed
with puzzlement lending an urgency to his voice.
"We're not girls. That's why I came home. Had I wanted to be a girl tonight,
I could have stayed with Dr. Franklin."
He stood there, his hands stroking the silk of his nightgown as if he needed
the affirmation that he was wearing a nightgown, as if by feeling the fabric he
could assure himself of his femininity.
"Oh God, Mike" he said, as his face crumpled and he turned away.
"What's been happening to us?"
I reached out to him, without any sexual overtones. We hugged, and I could
feel against my face the tears which he was crying. To my surprise, I found
myself crying as well, and we clung together as two lonely survivors seeking
shelter from a storm.
Finally, he sniffed and pulled away.
"I think I need some more tape. I feel so much better after a session" he
said.
"Somehow I feel that it's the only way to make sense of this, to give me my
sense of who I am"
Our gazes met.
"I think you were right the other night when you said that the tapes are being
used to condition us" I said.
"Of course I was" he replied.
"But what choice do we have? There's no turning back, and the tape will
make it easier. Maybe tomorrow we'll be happy with what's happening to
us"
I nodded my reluctant assent. We were doomed, but the thought of trying to
change back, of giving up what felt so right about the way we looked and
dressed was inconceivable.
I was asleep within minutes of inserting the earphones and activating the
tape.
The next morning found me feeling full of light and joy. Greg was already up
and I noticed with approval that she was looking especially feminine this
morning.
She greeted me with a kiss.
"Hello, sleepyhead" she said.
"Hi, darling" I said as I hugged her and gave her a kiss on the lips.
She was wearing a negligee I had not seen before. I admired it and she told
me that she'd got it at Dalmy's. Well, I knew that! Both of us had got all of
our new clothes from that store, ever since that day when we had
simultaneously stopped and admired their window display. That must have
been about a week after we enrolled in the study, although surely that was
just a coincidence.
Anyway, we had gone inside and wandered through store, marveling at the
selection that girls got to wear. I think it was Greg who first suggested that in
this day and age there was no reason why boys like us shouldn't wear
comfortable clothing as well. I had expressed skepticism. After all, there was
a name for boys who dressed as girls: drag queens.
He had laughed out loud.
"Nonsense, Mike. I'm not talking about going queer. But just take a look at
this, and have a feel"
He was indicating a rack of teddies, and I did reach out to feel the cool
smoothness of the silk.
"Imagine that under your shirt, against your skin. Wouldn't that feel nice?"
I had to agree, and just then a well-dressed middle-aged sales assistant came
up to us and asked, as if it were the most normal thing in the world, whether
we would like to buy ourselves something pretty.
We were both taken aback, and our confusion showed. She told us to come
with her and she led us to the back of the store where she showed us into a
small office.
"Boys, I saw how you were looking at that lingerie. You weren't looking for
your girlfriends, so there's no point in trying to deny your interest"
We stammered our denials despite her comments.
"Don't worry. You are not alone. We have plenty of boys, normal
hetereosexual boys just like you who recognize the silliness of not being able
to wear the wonderful clothes designed for women. We have so many that
we want to develop a market. The best way for us to do that is to make
clothing affordable for you young men"
We looked at each other. Greg asked the question that was on both of our
minds.
"What do you mean: affordable ?"
"You boys have your old ward-robes and good lingerie, not to mention
pretty dresses, accessories, cosmetics and so on, cost a lot of money. Few
students can afford a proper wardrobe, and I doubt that your parents would
help with these particular expenses"
We laughed, breaking the mounting tension.
Once we were at ease, she explained that Dalmy's offered special accounts
for boys like us who wanted to experiment. The store was aided in this by a
generous donation from an unspecified source. The point was that we could
buy almost anything we wanted to and there would be no cost at all.
We could hardly believe our ears, but soon enough she had us out looking at
the teddies. I picked out the black number that I had worn last night, while
Greg choose an identical design in what was to become his favorite color:
ivory.
We had gone back every week since; sometimes several times in a week, and
now boasted impressive selections of lingerie, although we were still
working on dresses, blouses and skirts.
Anyway, Greg must have been to the store without me. What a little wench, I
thought to myself.
She sat me down at the breakfast table and served me my usual breakfast of a
small bowl of Special K cereal and a dollop of low-fat yogurt. She brought
over her food and sat beside me.
We played with our food, while I kept stealing glances at her. She was doing
the same, and when our eyes met we pealed with laughter. I just couldn't get
over how pretty she was!
I was about to suggest that we adjourn to her bedroom to pick up where I had
stopped us last night when the telephone rang.
Greg answered. She said "Hello" and then "Yes, she's here"
She passed the phone to me. I already knew whose voice I would hear.
"How are you this morning?"
The deep baritone of Dr. Franklin's greeting warmed my stomach. I could
feel heat rising to my cheeks as Greg made kissing faces at me.
"I'm fine, thank you sir" I answered.
"Call me Jack" he said. "I think we know each other well enough for that,
don't you?"
This was incredible. I had been sitting with Greg, feeling a strong physical
desire for her. Now with his honeyed voice in my ear I could think only of
Dr. Franklin? or Jack.
"All right, Jack" I breathed into the mouthpiece.
"We almost made a breakthrough last night, you and I" he said.
"Yes, I know"
"I gather, from Greg saying that 'she's' here, that the two of you have made
that breakthrough on your own"
"I think so, Jack" I said.
"I knew it was close. I only wish I had been there to witness your self-
discovery"
I could hear his laughter over the phone.
"We didn't do anything, Jack. It's just that this morning we know what we
are. Do you still want to see me?"
"Of course I do? and I will. You need a man to show you the full meaning
of sexual pleasure. A girl like Greg can be a lot of fun, and I'm sure that you
love her. But that is not the same as surrendering to a man; a man who will
own you, possess you and control you. That will happen, and you know that
you need it. Tell me now"
I couldn't stop the words from leaving my lips.
"When, Jack? Please, I need you so? Please forgive me?I could have been
yours last night. Please make me your own!"
I could see Greg out of the corner of my eye. She had sat down, a serious
look on her face. She reached out and laid one hand on my forearm, as if to
assure me of her support.
"I will see you tonight" he said. "You'll become mine tonight"
He hung up and I just sat there. His last words echoed in my head, and I
stared into nothing.
I reverted to normal with a start.
Greg was on her knees in front of me, licking her lips as she lifted the hem of
my peignoir.
"You may belong to Dr. Franklin" she said. "But I'm not letting this go to
waste!"
She closed her lips over my rampant penis and proceeded to suck me off,
gently and with total concentration. I arched my back as her soft, warm
mouth enveloped me. My hands involuntarily took hold of her head and
encouraged her bobbing motions. I felt my hips begin to move in response to
her tender ministrations. Excitement mounted and I flashed on me performing
this same adoring service on Jack Franklin.
That thought pushed me over the top, and I came very quickly. Greg even
seemed a little disappointed as she licked me clean.
"I think Dr. Franklin will want you to exercise more control, to take longer!"
she said as she rose from her kneeling position.
I bowed my head, not wanting to make eye contact. I was already feeling
shame and embarrassment. What wee we doing? But no sooner had I asked
myself that question than I mentally shook it off. Today was a wonderful
day! Greg and I had no worries anymore, our destinies were already planned
and we could relax in the certainty that Jack Franklin knew what was best for
us.
I realized that I had lost my appetite for what remained of breakfast, and I had
a lot to do if I was going to be ready for Jack that evening. I had to have
something to wear!
I had adored that slip-dress and it seemed that Jack had liked me in it as well.
So I decided that I would carefully iron it and wear it over some new lingerie.
And that meant a trip to Dalmy's!
I asked Greg to go with me to help pick out something special.
"Of course I'll go" she said. "It's not every day that my best friend is
bedded by the man of her dreams, and you'll want to look your prettiest and
your sexiest for him"
I looked at her.
"You feel it too" I said. "We crossed over.. we're girls now?"
"It's like we said last night" she said. "The 'study'.. it can't be a
coincidence that we began to think that it was okay to lose so much weight, to
shave all of our body hair and to start wearing girl's clothing so soon after we
started to listen to the tapes."
She placed her hands beneath the small but firm globes of her breasts. I had
never paid much attention to her figure before, or to mine for that matter.
Now, admiring her breasts, I realized that my own were even more
developed.
"And we've been growing breasts ever since we got those vitamin
supplements along with the tapes"
"But Dr. Franklin told us that this was just a study in relaxation therapy!" I
sobbed, a part of me still wanting to deny the truth..
"What do you think he'd do? Tell us that he was going to turn us into pretty
little queens? Tell you that he anted you as his own personal love slave? No,
he has to dress it up as a legitimate study. I bet that most of the students are
enrolled in a real relaxation study and that only 'special' kids were chosen for
his 'special' subset"
"But why, Greg? Why would he do this? Even if he wanted to, even if he
could, why would he choose more than one of us? You don't love him, but I
do! And that must be because he wants me to. Why not you? Why me?"
I'd said it. I loved him, not matter how upset I was. No matter how disgusted
I was by the thought of being a fairy, of sucking cocks, of being his
possession, the only thing that mattered was that I loved him.
Greg stroked my back, trying to soothe me.
"I don't know, honey" she said.
"Maybe he needed backups in case you didn't fall for him. Maybe he has
plans for me? I've had some recurring dreams recently, there's someone in
them, but I can never remember any details. Maybe that's who I destined to
belong to, just as you're destined to belong to Jack Franklin"
I stood up, feeling empty, but somehow better. Greg was still my best friend
even if she had become a queen, but I could tell by looking at her that she
was never going to live as a boy again. I looked in the mirror, and my mind
flashed back to the time when she had begun to cry, concerned that we were
being changed against our will, and without our knowledge. Then I had been
the one to reassure her, but out of ignorance rather than knowledge. Her
concerns, her suspicions had been only too accurate. And I had dissuaded
her.
Perhaps, had I seen what was reflected in that mirror on that day, I could
have resisted. I could have destroyed the tapes and sought help. But I had
been so well conditioned that I had seen two boys in the mirror: not two
queens. Now, looking into the same mirror, I could see how little masculinity
was left.
We were the same height, and almost the same build. My breasts were
perhaps slightly more developed than hers, while her hair seemed a little
fuller than mine. Facially we looked like sisters, with similar noses, high
cheek-bones and small ears. Looking harder than I had ever done before, I
could see why Dr. Franklin had chosen us, if indeed that was the
explanation. With our bone structure, we had little difficulty passing for
attractive young women, even without makeup.
And our bodies were very feminine by now. Perhaps, I thought, too long-
waisted for perfection. But I knew that by now I weighed only 125 pounds,
despite having more of an ass than I could remember and despite what must
be several pounds of breast tissue. My waist was tiny and there were deep
hollows over my collar bones. As I looked at those hollows an image came
unbidden into my mind of Greg nuzzling me there last night, and how
wonderful she had made me feel. Was it too late for me? For us?
I turned to her
"Greg" I asked. "What should we do?"
She looked thoughtful.
"I guess we could call our parents" she said.
Neither of us were on good terms with our families, who in any event lived
far away. Just the thought of my father seeing me like this destroyed any
chance of pursuing that option. It was evident from her expression that Greg
was of a similar mind.
"Or we could complain to the College. What Franklin's done is completely
unethical. We still have the tapes and the machines as evidence"
I protested. "Think of the stories, think of how we will be treated. Even if
they believe us, can you imagine what our futures will be like?"
Greg turned to me.
"I know, honey. I just wanted to be sure that you understood. Besides, I like
being pretty!"
I mustered a brave smile.
"I guess I do too"
"Then let's go out and buy something special. Your Dr. Franklin will be
seeing you tonight?are you okay with that?"
"I think so.. and maybe picking out something really nice will make me feel
better about it"
I continued "The tough thing is, Greg, that I while l think of us as girls, I
know that we are not. We are physically still boys and I don't think that will
ever change. Yet I'm in love with him!"
"Sugar, you don't look like a boy to me, and I don't think that Dr. Franklin
thinks of you that way? although I guess he likes girls with cocks!"
"Moping about it won't change things, I guess. And you're right? we may
as well enjoy being who we are" I said, smiling through my incipient tears.
I got dressed carefully, rolling my nylons up my legs slowly in order to avoid
having a run. I chose white panties, bra and garterbelt. Putting the bra on felt
like an act of surrender to my femininity, and I felt calmer once I had adjusted
the cups to fit. It was unheard of for us to go out dressed as females during
the day; last night had been the first time I had ever been outside in a dress, or
wearing makeup. But it felt as though it was now inevitable. Soon the whole
world would know. We had been tricked into taking hormones, conditioned
into dieting, and trained subconsciously to think of ourselves as feminine
creatures and nobody would have gone to that much trouble to keep us under
wraps.
So I put on a white camisole and a pale lemon blouse, leaving enough buttons
undone so that the lace of my camisole was clearly visible. It was daytime
and I instinctively knew that only light makeup was appropriate: just some
lipstick and a very small amount of eyeshadow.
I brushed my hair back and used a pink scrunch to hold it in a ponytail. Small
gold earrings replaced the metal studs, and I chose a simple gold necklace.
My skirt was white, mid-thigh length with a short slit on the right side. I
chose a belt and a pair of shoes to match my blouse. A spray of Obsession
and I was done.
Greg was already dressed, and I was disappointed to see that she was going
out as a boy. On second thought, maybe that was unfair to her.
She wore a white shirt, with the cuffs rolled up, and blue jeans with a belt
made of gold-colored chain. She had a gold bracelet on her wrist and a hint of
lace showed above the buttons of her shirt.
She wore running shoes, but whereas the ones she usually wore were white
and green, these were white and pink. And I could see that she had on the
barest trace of light pink lipstick.
` "You look super!" she squealed. "I wish I'd been brave enough to dress
all the way. Do you think I should change?"
"Greg, you look fine, and besides, if we wait any longer, I may chicken out"
We walked to Greg's beat-up old car and she drove. It took us about fifteen
minutes to get to Dalmy's.
Our special assistant, as we had come to think of her, was busy with another
customer, but she saw us come in and smiled. She hurried over to tell us that
she'd be with us in a moment, stopping long enough to touch my sleeve and
whisper.
"Oh sweetie, you look wonderful!"
Greg and I contented ourselves with looking over the newest additions. We
had long grown accustomed to the stares which we had attracted when
shopping while dressed as boys. Accustomed but not completely ignorant of
them either. This time was different, even though the store was busy.
"Greg" I said. "Nobody's paying any attention to us"
She looked around.
"That's because we look like we belong. Even in this. ` She pointed down at
her clothing.. `I look as much like a boyish girl than a girly boy.. and you
are perfect!"
We smiled and giggled. If only people knew!
Loreen came over, after a longer delay than we had anticipated.
"Now girls, what can I do for you?" she asked.
"Mike's going on a special date tonight! A REALLY special date, and she
needs something very special to wear!"
I blushed and lowered my eyes. Greg was speaking way too loud, and while
both of us had taken to speaking in softer, higher tones in recent months, she
still sounded more like a male than a female. Referring to me as 'Mike' would
cause consternation if anyone overheard. It felt as if all eyes were on me,
which shouldn't have bothered me. But it did, maybe because I was suddenly
conscious of how feminine I looked.
Loreen was unfazed, as usual. She took my hands and squeezed lightly.
"I knew something was up, what with you finally coming here in decent
clothes. He must be a very special man, and I think a very lucky man to have
you as his date"
She led us to the part of the shop in which evening wear was displayed.
She sorted through rack after rack, while chattering away happily.
"Just you wait, I'll find you a perfect dress?you'll be absolutely stunning!"
She held up one selection after another, but always shook her head and put it
to one side.
Then at last she held up a dress, looked at me and nodded.
"I think this will do. Now we'll have you try it on and I'll have it altered
immediately if it isn't a perfect fit"
She led me to the fitting room and handed me the dress.
"Are you wearing a slip?" she asked.
When I said that I was wearing only a camisole she strode off to return
almost right away with a long white half-slip, with a lace-trimmed slit nearly
to the waist.
"The slip's not as pretty as I know you like" she said. "But it'll let us be
sure that the dress hangs right. Make sure the slit is on the left, and take-off
your bra. This dress is for a girl who's not afraid to be seen, who has firm
breasts! Old women can't wear this type of dress" She smiled as she pulled
the curtain shut.
The dress looked gorgeous and I had to try it on. I was impatient while taking
off my skirt and blouse, but it would have been unladylike to hurry and risk
damaging my clothes.
It was on at last, and I took a deep breath before looking at my image in the
mirror.
I almost fainted!
Looking back at me was a beautiful young woman wearing a dream of a
dress.
Her left shoulder was bare, and I could feel the coolness of the air on both
my arm and much of my back. The dress was made of black satin, although
the bodice, such as there was consisted of black lace. The top of the lace just
barely covered her left nipple, and the entire breast was visible. The neckline
ascended to her right shoulder, such that her right breast was entirely
covered, although the lace started no more than half an inch above the nipple.
The dress showed off her slender waist, and indeed I could not remember
ever realizing how slim I had become. No boy could ever have worn this
dress!
The dress managed to accentuate the flare of her hips. Or so I assumed, since
again I had not previously been conscious of how dramatically my figure had
changed.
As the girl in the mirror moved, turning sideways to look at her profile, the
ankle-length skirt moved with her, the long slit on her left side revealing a
flash of lace and flesh.
She was beautiful, and this even without proper makeup, or shoes, or hair or
accessories?
And she was me!
Wait until Greg sees me in this! I thought. Then, with a feeling of warmth in
my groin and my stomach, I thought 'Wait until Jack sees me!'
I quickly thrust that thought form my mind. I couldn't afford an erection
here!
But thinking of how Greg would react gave me an idea.
I pulled back top of the curtain, holding the rest of it closed so that I could
stick my head out without revealing my dress. Greg was nearby, looking
through a catalog.
"Greg" I stage-whispered.
She looked up expectantly.
"Be a dear and ask Loreen to find me some shoes and maybe some jewelry. I
need to see how it feels when I'm wearing heels"
She took off right away and he and Loreen returned very quickly. Loreen
passed me a pair of simple black patent leather spikes, maybe three inch
heels. They had cute ankle straps and open toes, just as I liked.
Once I had them on, I stuck my head out again and told Greg to close her
eyes.
Then I pulled the curtain open walked out. I felt wonderful!
I stopped four feet in front of Greg and told her she could look now.
The expression on her face told me that my view of myself in the mirror had
been no lie. Her mouth dropped open and she was, for the first time in our
friendship, at a loss for words.
Then she ran forward and hugged me, kissing me on the cheek.
"Oh Honey" she said, squeezing me tight.
"You are so beautiful. That dress is you, really you!"
"You'll have to let go" I said, half-jokingly. I could feel a hardening in her
jeans as she reacted to our embrace. My own penis stirred where I had tucked
it between my legs.
"Otherwise you'll ruin the dress, and maybe your panties!"
She stepped back quickly, a look of alarm passing over her pretty face.
"Don't be such a tease" Loreen cautioned.
"Besides, that dress can take a hug or two? it had better, given the way you
look in it, dear. You rate to be squeezed by someone much stronger than
Greg and more passionate as well"
The next fifteen minutes were spent with Loreen supervising a seamstress
who took careful measurements and stuck pins in a few places. Loreen
helped me out of the dress and told me that it would be delivered to my house
no later than 5 o'clock.
Back in my skirt and blouse, but still glowing from wearing that dress, I
spent a happy hour trying on shoes. In the old days, the idea of shopping
was anathema to me. How could anyone take more than a few minutes to buy
something? That silly, macho attitude was history now and Greg and I had a
wonderful time, trying on different pairs, walking up and down the aisle, and
giggling over our selections. Loreen eventually persuaded me that the pair she
had me wear while trying on my dress was the best selection
Then it was off to the lingerie department.
First, I had to have new panties. Since I was wearing black, Loreen
suggested that I stay with that color.
She surprised me by saying that they had recently got in a new style of panty.
"We've had a number of special girls like you two in recent months, as you
know. It's something to do with that study you two are enrolled in."
"And you girls sometimes have 'reactions' that tend to spoil the image, if
you know what I mean"
The memory of my budding erections when I had thought of Jack Franklin
seeing me in my dress and again when Greg had embraced me sprang into
my mind. If just thought could excite me, or physical contact with another
girl, how would I handle the reality of the man I loved?
Loreen continued.
"These panties have a special tube sewn into them. They look and fell like
ordinary panties, and because of the market they are designed for, they are
very pretty. It's important that all of your clothes reinforce your new self-
image. However, when you put them on, tick your penis into the tube and the
panty will hold it between your legs. The material is stronger than it looks, so
you won't create a scene no matter how excited you get"
She produced several pairs, and I tried them on. I really liked the pair with
the black lace around the waist and the high-cut leg openings, but I bought all
of them. After all, a girl needs lots of panties!
I had thought that I would wear the same garterbelt as I had last night, but
Greg insisted that I buy something new, and Loreen agreed. In the end I
bought one that was very similar: black with small lace rosettes where the
four tabs joined the belt.
Nylons came next. Loreen suggested either black with seams or a smoky
black with delicate patterns in the weave. I chose the patterned nylons for
tonight, but bought several pairs of each.
"You need a half-slip, and it's got to have a deep slit on the side" Loreen
told me.
"That means that this will have to do"
She produced a slip identical to the one I had worn when trying on my dress,
except that it was in black silk and lace.
I thought that we had finished, and Loreen had wrapped up my new
purchases for me, when Greg whispered something in her ear. She
brightened, and looked at me.
"Oh dear. We almost forgot! This is going to be your special night! Your
beau will adore you in that dress, but he will want to ravish you once you're
out of it. We need to find that special little something that will make him
desire you that tiny bit more that gives you, as the girl, the true power of your
sexuality"
The 'special little something' was a tiny confection of black satin and lace.
The satin covered my body from below my breasts to just below my groin.
The lace revealed, rather than concealed, my breasts and my thighs. Tiny
straps would hold it up, until, as Greg giggled, "He tears it off!"
I blushed as Loreen held it in front of me, with a warm, knowing smile.
Then a thought struck me.
"We're doing all this for me, Loreen. We should do something for Greg as
well. She's as much a girl as me and she deserves something pretty as well"
Greg protested.
"This is your day.. it's your special night. I'm happy with all I've got.
Besides ` she said `Maybe next time it'll be my turn and you can find out
how much fun it is helping your best friend choose her fancy clothes for her
first big date"
Loreen intervened.
"Mike's right, honey. Why don't you pick out a little something for
yourself. After all, you never know when Mr. Right, or maybe even Ms.
Right will come knocking at the door!"
That led to a delightful twenty minutes, culminating in Greg picking out a
very feminine nightgown similar to mine but in pale blue, with cream lace
trim.
We were at the cash register with our packages when I remembered that
Loreen had let slip that she knew about the study. Of course! What a silly girl
I was; so naove! Somebody had set up our 'special account', on which we'd
spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars. It had to be part of the plan.
"Loreen, tell me something" I said, placing my hand on her forearm.
"You've known all about the study.. about what's been happening to us..
about how we have been conditioned against our will?"
She put down the parcel she was running past the laser wand and took a
quick look around. There was nobody in the immediate vicinity, but the store
was crowded. She looked serious, biting her lower lip as she thought about
her answer.
She came to a decision.
"Follow me, girls" she said. She placed our purchases on some shelves
beside the till and called another sales assistant over, telling her to make sure
the bags remained untouched until we got back.
She then led us to the same small office where we had first discussed our
special account.
"I guess I can tell you now. You seem happy to be girls, and from what I've
been told it's too late for you to even want to back out now"
We nodded our agreement.
She proceeded to tell us that she and Dr. Franklin were brother and sister; and
that their father had been killed when they were quite young. He had been an
unusual man and had been very lucky in his choice of wife, since he had been
a transvestite. He had even been in nightclub acts as a Female Impersonator.
His lifestyle had been accepted as normal by his children, but when their
mother remarried they learned that most people looked on 'drag queens' as
abominations, even if they were heterosexual or, as Loreen confided she
suspected her father had been, bisexual.
Their mother's second marriage had been unhappy, and their step-father had
always been especially hard on Jack, who he accused of being destined to
grow up just like 'that fag, your father'.
The marriage had not lasted, and Jack had never shown the least inclination to
wear women's clothing. He had dated as a young man, but had never been
able to settle down. Loreen herself had been abused by their step-father,
although she gave us no details. It was enough, she said, to make her unable
to trust normal men. Neither she nor Jack had ever settled down.
Jack's energies had been sublimated into his work. Perhaps his childhood
had influenced his choice of profession: to study psychology might perhaps
allow him to understand and thus to come to grips with his childhood.
But along the way he learned that he was powerfully attracted to boys who
dressed and acted like girls. At the same time, the respectability demanded of
him as he pursued tenure and grants made it dangerous for him to establish a
relationship. Then there was the problem of AIDS. Those 'girls' he did
encounter were usually prostitutes, or at the very least, were party girls with
whom he could never feel safe.
What could he do?
Through groups on the Internet he found that there were a number of
respected, successful men who shared both his desires and his fears. It took
years to identify a handful of people who could be trusted, but eventually a
small group of like-minded men decided that what was needed were 'girls'
who had no background as such. Who would be virgins, and yet who would
be enthusiastic and monogamous lovers. Who could pass as women in any
company. How could this be done?
By coincidence Jack was offered a chance to work on a government
sponsored research project. It was for one of the more obscure intelligence
agencies and it was into behaviour modification. He would ordinarily have
turned them down. Such projects might sometimes become public many
years later, doing great harm to the participants. The agency assured him that
this would never happen, and he pretended that that assurance had been
sufficient. In fact, he had decided to take the risk since he saw the project as
gaining him access to knowledge and techniques which would help his group
find their perfect lovers.
Another member of the group was a biochemist, with access to hormones,
appetite suppressants and other chemicals to assist in the physical transition.
Jack had wrestled with moral qualms. He and Loreen had always been close,
despite their different career paths. She was eventually able to get him to talk
about the plan, and , to his surprise, she immediately offered to help, using
her position as a manager of Dalmy's to help the candidates acquire their
wardrobes without causing an uproar.
She had only two conditions, she said.
The first was that Jack had to screen the candidates and be able to stake his
entire credibility on the promise that the girls would enjoy their new
condition: that they would be truly happy.
She stopped there and looked at us.
"Would either of you like to be boys again, and not be able to wear your
pretty clothes?"
I tensed. What could I say. Part of me wanted to cry out in protest, but that
part of me had no control over my actions.
We shook our heads, as if fascinated by her story, which was anyway true.
"What was the second condition?" Greg asked, in a tone which suggested
that he half-knew and half-dreaded the answer, while all the time needing
desperately to hear it..
"Stand up, Greg" she said, matching her action to her words.
Greg obeyed and Loreen stepped towards her.
"Close your eyes, darling"` Loreen breathed.
I could see Greg tense as she closed her eyes. I held my breath, knowing
what I was about to witness was as momentous for Greg as my date tonight
would be for me.
Loreen was much the same height as Greg, and only a little heavier. She
placed her arms around Greg, sighing as she did so.
"I've waited so long" she said as she pulled Greg close and kissed her.
Greg stiffened for a moment and then she seemed to flow into Loreen's
embrace. I ducked my head and cleared my throat.
This got Loreen's attention and she pulled back from Greg, without letting
her go.
"She's my second condition! That Jack make me a perfect lesbian lover.. a
beautiful girl with a cock"
"But I think it's time Greg changed her name. I think she'll be Gwen from
now on"
Part 2
Gwen blushed, and seemed to glow with happiness. She leaned forward
and kissed Loreen passionately. I could feel my penis stir, even though I
knew that women were no longer for me. Soon I would have my own
moment; the moment when the veil that still masked some of my new self
would be torn away.
Finally the two of them surfaced for air. Loreen seemed almost startled to
realize that I was still there, while Gwen appeared embarrassed.
Loreen looked at me as I looked at Gwen, and she smiled.
"Well, I've told you our little secret, and I have triggered Gwen's change.
Now we have to see about completing your transition, don't we, Mike?"
I nodded. I now knew how Gwen had felt when asking Loreen about her
second condition. Fear mixed with desire as I contemplated the completion of
my journey.
Loreen led us back into the shop. I saw that she held Gwen's hand until they
were in the public area again, and even then they remained close. Gwen's
entire being seemed focused on Loreen, and her cheeks glowed a fierce red
until after we left the store.
Loreen helped us retrieve our packages, but she wouldn't let us leave with
them.
"Gwen will be staying with me" she said.
"I'll send someone around to pick up her clothes from your house, and I'll
pick out some more for her here. You, in the meantime, need to do something
about your hair"
She handed me a business card on which I saw the name and address of a
hair salon. It was at least ten blocks away.
"I've already made arrangements. You ask for Denise, and she'll take care of
you, dear. You can leave the packages here. I will have them delivered to
Jack's place. There's no need for you to go home after getting your hair
done."
She gave me another card, with the number of a taxi company.
"We've set up an account for you, so you needn't drive anymore. And here's
a key to Jack's house. He won't be home until 6 or so: enough time for you
to look your best"
I put the cards and the key in my purse and went to the exit, where a cab was
already waiting. I still don't know how she arranged that.
"Where to, Miss" the driver said.
I had given him the address before I realized that I had responded
automatically to being called 'Miss".
Part of me wanted to correct his mistake, but the greater part of me felt happy
about his recognition of qualities in me which I had never prior to this day