Executive Assistant (part4 Of 4) free porn video

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT By: Jacki Pett Part 4 Funny that the first thought that came to mind was what would I wear. I had an idea what would be appropriate. Maybe I was fortunate that I let the girls talk me into some of the clothes they had the day before. "Do you have golf shoes?" She asked. "No." Mine were in my golf bag in my bedroom up North. "We'll stop and get you a pair." "Could we run by home first?" I didn't want to go into a store dressed in my new white dress. It just didn't seem proper for shopping. It didn't seem right to ask Virginia to wait downstairs while I went up to the apartment to get something to wear. I would have liked a moment alone with Connie to talk but it would have to wait. I was disappointed to find she wasn't there. In the kitchen I found evidence that she had not had breakfast alone. "Connie went out early." I remarked. "I wanted to show her my new dress." "She'll see it another time Honey." Virginia assured me. While I was there, I poured myself a glass of juice and took my vitamins. "You take all those every day?" Virginia asked, seeing me lay out the five different pills I took. "Every day." I said proudly. I decided to buy myself, at the first opportunity, a small pill container so I would always have a supply of my vitamins with me in my purse. I hadn't taken anything I bought out of the bags. I wasn't even sure where the things were I was looking for. Virginia enjoyed seeing everything I bought. "You picked this all out yourself?" "Christy and a couple of our friends went shopping with me, they helped." "I don't know why I didn't think to get you any casual wear. I don't know what I was thinking of." She chastised herself. "I have plenty Aunt Virginia." I insisted but she just smiled at me. I knew what she was thinking. I finally found the tan shorts I had been looking for. Next I wanted the new tee shirt I found. I continued rummaging through the bags. "This would go really well with your shorts." Virginia remarked. She picked up the pale yellow tank top that Christy had picked out for me, from the bed. "Really, you think?" It was snug fitting. Christy had insisted I buy it, and a few other things like it. "Absolutely." I grabbed the bag with the sneakers I bought and got out my new white Keds. Virginia was rooting through my dresser drawer. She brought out a pair of socks. "Here, I knew you had a pair that nearly match that top." She held up a pair of pale yellow cotton socks. "You can change at my house. We really have to get going if we're going to be able to meet them on the tee." It didn't take us ten minutes, on our way to the golf course, to pick up new golf shoes. I was floored by the price on the box. I wasn't about to argue with Virginia when she took out her checkbook. My game had suffered a little in the year and a half since I'd played but not too badly. I wasn't able to drive the ball as far as I was used to. Maybe it was the strange clubs, they were women's? I didn't realize how much muscle I'd lost over the past months. My arms, as wiry as they were to start with, were even thinner and weaker than they used to be. I didn't know if the hormones had affected my muscle tissue. I felt funny going out on the course in the figure hugging spandex tank top. It fit so tightly over my chest that it showed off the outline of my breasts. It made them look bigger and I had to wonder if they were still growing. I had seemed lately that my bras had to have shrunk in the wash, or had they? My soft fleshy breasts more than filled the small cups of my bras. Still, I had a good time playing. The two women we played with were good company and not bad golfers. We were all pretty evenly matched and that helped. We were followed by a foursome of men. Two were young, about my age, and two older. They looked like a pair of fathers and sons. The group in front of us was very slow and several times the men caught up with us at the tee. They made casual conversation. The older men spoke more with the others. The younger pair opted to pass the time with me, although I would have preferred they leave me alone but I didn't want to appear rude in front of Virginia and the others. I felt very conspicuous in the tank top with them standing so close and staring at me. They talked about our golf games after introducing themselves. "You have a very nice stroke Jennifer." The blond one, Craig, remarked. "I was watching you tee off." I smiled a casual smile. "Thanks", was my only reply. "I saw that chip shot onto number four. That was great." Jack added. "You look like you've been playing a while." He sat on the bench next to me. "About six years." I told him. Jack was the better looking of the two. He reminded me of Mel Gibson. They continued to make conversation as we waited to tee off. I smiled when it was appropriate. I didn't enjoy it but I also didn't let it show. "So what do you do Jennifer?" Craig asked. "I work for and advertising agency. I'm the executive assistant to the head of the division." I told them proudly. "So you're a secretary?" Jack asked, apparently trying to clarify. It wasn't the way he said it, his words didn't sound sarcastic, it was just that he made it seem demeaning, 'just a secretary.' I was proud of the work that I did. I may have started out as a secretary but I was much more than that now. My reply was with a sarcastic undertone. "I'm not just a secretary. I report directly to one of the vice presidents of the company." I was so flustered at his comment that it didn't come out as strongly as I intended. The two guys just looked at each other. I saw the faint smile they exchanged. I resented them taking me so lightly. It was one of my first experiences with the bias that so many women had to endure. Fortunately for them, or maybe me, it was time to tee off. I hit my tee shot in the same direction as Virginas and we walked from the tee side by side, pulling our handcarts. "Craig was cute. What were you three talking about?" She thought he was cute. "He's a jerk." I told Virginia the comment he made and their reaction to my remark. "Honey, you've got a lot to learn about men." She said in a motherly tone. "Most are like children who don't think before they open their mouths. Just be patient with them." "I'll try." It sounded as if she thought I had an interest in men. Hadn't I just had the same conversation with Connie, I asked myself? There wasn't time then to correct her mistaken impression. There was almost no opportunity to talk to her without the others overhearing. They caught up to us again on number eleven tee. If my sarcasm earlier had offended them, it didn't show. Craig asked, "Your husband doesn't golf?" "I'm not married." His question would have been humorous if I didn't recognize it as a ploy to find out if I was single. Jack followed up his question with one of his own. "Engaged?" They weren't subtle at all. "No." "Maybe you'd allow us to buy you a drink at the nineteenth hole if you and your friends are planning to stop off after your game?" Craig offered. I had no idea if Virginia and her friends planned on having a drink after but I definitely wasn't interested in their offer. "I don't think we're stopping for one." I just wanted them to leave me alone. A little later it occurred to me that I should have responded to their rude questions with a few of my own. I should have asked if they were married and why their wives or girlfriends didn't golf with them. I had simply been too nervous to think of things like that at the time. They were right behind us on eighteen. By then I just wanted to finish and get out of there. I didn't ask Virginia if she was planning on stopping off for one. I should have, explaining to her why, but I waited too long. "You don't have to have a drink. You can just order a soda." She suggested when I told her I wasn't interested in going into the small bar. Virginia and her friend wanted to discuss the game they just finished. From the small table we shared, I watched out the window, looking toward the eighteenth green. I hoped they wouldn't stop. Maybe they hadn't seen us come into the bar? I finally spotted the four men as they rounded the back side of the green. All hope disappeared as they made a direct line toward the clubhouse and the bar. I had no doubt they planned on coming in. I turned my attention back to my companions. I would ignore them. "So how did you do?" Jack asked over my shoulder. So much for them leaving me alone. "I ended up with a 78." He looked surprised. I had the feeling he didn't do as well. It was my turn to have a little fun. "How did you do?" "An eighty one." He said sheepishly. Craig came up behind him. "How did you do?" He didn't look any better than Jack when he heard my score. "Would you let me buy you a drink?" Jack asked. I was about to say no. "Go ahead Dear. We'll be right here." I turned to Virginia in surprise. I hadn't expected her to encourage me. Jack had his hand on the back of my chair, ready to pull it out for me. "I don't know." "Go on Honey, I'm fine." Virginia insisted. Again she pressed me to go. "Just a coke." I told the two as I got up from the chair. We didn't sit with the two older men. The tables were too small to hold five people. Craig held my chair for me as I sat. They made small talk. They stayed away from the topic of work, asking where I came from up North. My accent certainly wasn't southern. They asked who Virginia was and I told them, "She's my Aunt." "So you're just visiting?" "I've just moved down." "And you're staying with your Aunt?" Jack asked. "No, I live with a friend." Craig was blunt, "A girlfriend?" "My adopted Mom." I answered. That was essentially true. Jack asked, "So you haven't had a chance yet to see much of Atlanta?" The small talk was becoming boring. "No. I work most of the time." "You should get out and see more." Craig suggested. I knew what was coming. "When I get some time to myself." I wasn't about to give them an easy opening. I wondered which of them was going to get to it first. It didn't matter, of course, I wasn't about to accept an invitation to go out from either one. I thought to myself, if I really were a woman, Jack would be my preference to go out with. I had been impatiently waiting for Virginia and her friends to finish their drinks so we could go. They finally pushed their chairs out from the table. "Well, it's time for me to go." I announced to the pair. They had missed their chance, I laughed to my self. I was wrong. Jack was the one who spoke up as I pushed my chair away from the table. "Some friends and I have tickets to the benefit concert next weekend, I was wondering if you'd like to go." He looked very nervous. I remembered the times I had asked a girl to go out in almost the same way. I was always nervous, afraid she'd say no and be rejected. I always hated that moment of truth. Craig looked dejected. He was probably angry with his friend that Jack had asked first. I could imagine the conversation they'd have when I left. No way was I going to accept Jack's offer. "I'm afraid I'm probably going to have to work next weekend. We have a magazine shoot scheduled." It was a lie, of course. Jack looked the way I had anticipated he would, dejected. His friend almost appeared to cheer up, given the small grin on his face. I could imagine what he was thinking. If he couldn't score, at least Jack didn't either. "Well if you change your mind," He fished his wallet out of his back pocket and pulled out a business card. "The concert's Saturday night." He handed me his card. "Give me a call. My beeper number's there too." He added, It was a fancy card with gold embossed lettering. I tucked it in my pocket with every intention of throwing it away later. I smiled across the table as they stood up with me. "I don't think I'll be able to get away but thanks for asking anyway." I took some satisfaction in being on the other side of the fence. The side that did the rejecting. It was a nice change. I was wrong. Jack was the one who spoke up as I pushed my chair away from the table. "Some friends and I have tickets to the benefit concert next weekend, I was wondering if you'd like to go." He looked very nervous. I remembered the times I had asked a girl to go out in almost the same way. I was always nervous, afraid she'd say no and be rejected. I always hated that moment of truth. Craig looked dejected. He was probably angry with his friend that Jack had asked first. I wondered what the conversation would be like when I was gone? No way would I even consider accepting Jack's offer. "I'm afraid I'm probably going to have to work next weekend. We have a magazine shoot scheduled." It was a lie, of course. Jack looked the way I had anticipated he would, dejected. The look wasn't very apparent but I was looking for it. His friend appeared to cheer up, given the small grin on his face. I could imagine what he was thinking. If he couldn't score, at least Jack didn't either. "Well if you change your mind," He fished his wallet out of his back pocket and pulled out a business card. "The concert's Saturday night." He handed me his card. "Give me a call. My beeper number's there too." He added, It was a fancy card with gold embossed lettering. I tucked it in my pocket with every intention of throwing it away later. I smiled across the table as the stood up with me. "I don't think I'll be able to get away but thanks for asking anyway." I took some satisfaction in being on the other side of the fence. The side that did the rejecting. It was a nice change, almost fun. "If you'll let me have your number I could call and we could do something another time?" That I didn't expect. I didn't want him to call. I had to admit, he was persistent. "I don't usually give it out. I have your card. I'll call you." On a cold day in hell, I thought to myself. As we walked out the door, I remembered my first encounter with men as Jennifer, what seemed so long ago. I remembered how terrified I'd been, with my palms sweating and my knees shaking. Sure, I was still nervous about meeting men but I wasn't nearly as terrified as that first time. I thought I handled myself quite well. "What was it he handed you?" Virginia asked as we put our golf clubs in her trunk. "His business card." She smiled at me, asking eagerly, "Did he ask you out." I really had to have that talk with her. "Yes." "That's wonderful. He's very handsome. Where's he taking you?" Did she actually think I had accepted his invitation? I was amazed. "I told him I couldn't go, that I had to work." "That's a shame Honey." A shame? Her friends, who parked their car right next to Virginia's, prepared to leave. "We had fun. It was very nice to meet you Jennifer. You play a good game. We need to get together for another soon." I smiled sweetly. "It was a pleasure meeting you too and I'd love to play with you again. I enjoyed it." I did enjoy the game. When Virginia and I got in the car, I continued the earlier conversation. "Aunt Virginia, I don't really have to work next weekend. I just didn't want to go out with him." She looked at me, puzzled, for an instant. "Well, you'll meet someone nice that you like. You just need to be patient Honey. The right man will come along." She thought she understood. She didn't. Virginia was too much. I didn't want to get into it then and there. I was too tired from walking eighteen holes. It was almost six when we got back to her house. Neither of us had a desire to go out eat. I helped Virginia in the kitchen. We threw together a light dinner. The wine tasted good with the pasta. "May I ask you a favor?" I asked across the table. "What is it Honey?" My thoughts went back to the hot rollers upstairs. My curiosity was peaked. I was anxious to try them. "Would you show me how to use the rollers in the bedroom?" I knew how to roll my hair in them but I had now idea what combination of the different sizes to use or how to arrange them in my hair. "I'd be happy to Honey." She was thrilled that I asked for her help. "Right after dinner." It didn't take us any time to clean up. I needed a shower, besides, Virginia said they worked best when your hair was wet. Among the clothes in the closet was a pink nylon robe. It wasn't any shorter than mine at home but it was much nicer. I recognized the Liz Clayborn emblem embossed on the front. Wearing only clean panties, I slipped it on and sat at the vanity table where we plugged in the rollers to heat up. "Can you make my hair look like hers?" I asked, showing Virginia the picture I had been carrying around in my purse for several days. I had seen it in one of Connie's magazines and had cut it out. The girl with bangs, like I had now, had a head full of soft curls. Her hair was a little longer than mine, down to her breasts, but I hoped mine was long enough. My hair seemed to grow fast and I hoped it wouldn't take too long for it to grow to that length. "I think we can do that." Virginia agreed. I watched closely as she separated my hair just so and wound it on the hot rollers. "There's lots of hair styling magazines that would show you how to do this and give you hints on different styles for your hair." "I've seen them on the magazine racks." I just never picked one up to look at. Guys don't pick up that kind of magazine, much less buy them. There was no reason I shouldn't now. I would get some the next time Connie and I went food shopping. "Are rollers like these very expensive?" I asked as she continued to set my hair. "Just take these home with you. I bought them for you." "I wouldn't feel right taking them." "Nonsense. They're yours, just like your clothes in the closet." She reminded me. "All I ask is that you leave a few things here to wear for when we decide to go out and you need a change of clothes." It was all mine. To do with as I pleased? It didn't seem right somehow, the idea of taking the clothes home with me. Not that I didn't want to. Virginia had exquisite taste in clothes and she bought only the best labels. Most girls would envy my wardrobe and it was growing all the time. I was really pretty lucky, I remember thinking to myself. "There, all done." She finished putting in the last roller. "I think that's going to look just wonderful." "How long do I need to leave them in?" I had no idea. "Well, you could use your hair drier and we could take them out in about a half hour or just leave them on overnight and take them out in the morning." "I have a hair drier?" I hadn't seen one. "It's right here." She went to my closet and took the box off the shelf. I hadn't even noticed it there. I had been too busy looking at the clothes below. "Let's get you set up." She took it out of the box. I sat there at the dressing table while my hair dried. Virginia brought me a magazine to read and left me alone. We couldn't talk very well over the noise it made. I remember thinking what a weekend it had been. Getting my hair done, shopping and finding all the clothes I bought. Then discovering everything Virginia had gotten me. I had been disappointed about Christy and I was still hurt but Connie had helped me put some of that hurt aside. I really enjoyed dinner and the play with Connie and Virginia. I thought about the woman at the play wearing their beautiful dresses and again my curiousity was piqued about how I might look wearing an evening gown. I was a little nervous at church but the way Virginia's friends accepted me put me at ease. I even got a kick out of the looks from the women's husbands. The white dress I wore was so pretty and feminine. It was almost a shame that it was too dressy for work. I could just imagine how my friends would react to seeing me in it. Playing golf was fun. Being flirted with, now that it was over, had been fun too, in a way. I remembered Jack's business card in the pocket of my shorts over on the bed. Maybe I would just keep it, just for fun. To remind me of the experience. "You should be dry by now." Virginia said, coming up from behind me. I hadn't heard her come in over the noise of the hair drier. She had showered and changed. My hair looked so strange when she took the rollers out, before she brushed it out. Again, I paid close attention to the way Virginia styled it. She showed me how to give it volume and get it to lay just so. I was delighted with the way it took shape. It wasn't exactly like the picture, but close. My hair did need to get a little longer but it looked great anyway. "I love it." I said, looking in the mirror, turning my head this way and that. Big full waves cascaded down from the top of my head to below my shoulder. My bangs were pulled off to one side. The words sensual and sexy had never crept into my vocabulary until that moment. "It's very pretty Jennifer. You have beautiful thick hair. I still can't get over how pretty it looks with the highlights." I was more than satisfied. "Do you think I could do this myself, in the morning?" "I'm sure you could but it would be easier if you go to bed with it set." She told me. "You can pick up some inexpensive plastic rollers or, better yet, some of those soft foam ones. They're much easier to sleep in." I wondered what it was like to sleep in rollers? It had to be uncomfortable. "Do you sleep in rollers?" Virginia had beautiful curly hair. "Sometimes." If she could do it, I could get used to it. I would give it a try, but not tonight, I told myself. "I should really get home." It was after nine. I was anxious to see Connie and have her see what I did with my hair. The other reason I wanted to get home early was that I hadn't forgotten Connie's look when she left the night before and I wanted to have some time with her before we had to go to bed. "You should wear one of your new dresses home. This peach one would look really pretty with your hair that way." The peach dress was sleeveless with a softly scooped low neckline that let my hair lay against my skin. It's skirt was long , longer than any dress I had worn, almost to my calves. It was full and flowing. It, with my hair styled the way it was, gave me a soft feminine look that I liked. Who could possible mistake me for a man? There were peach pumps to match. I wore my pearls but we both agreed that the dress would have looked better with gold. I wondered what Virginia was thinking and was anxious to see what jewelry she was going to buy me next. There were so many new experiences I was learning to enjoy. I was packing up to go, putting my shorts, top and socks in a bag to carry it home. My outfit, that I wore there Saturday night, was already on hangers and ready to go. "Would it be alright if I take the white dress to show Connie?" I asked. "Of course Honey. I told you. They're your things to do with what you wish." Virginia fetched it from the closet. She didn't let me leave without putting the curlers in my bag too. "It's getting late. You be careful driving home and lock your doors. It's not safe for a girl your age to be out alone. Not even in her car." She told me at the front door. As Jeffrey, that was something I never bothered to worry about. I was only learning to adjust my thinking. It wasn't safe for a girl alone to be out so late. For an instant I imagined what a rapist's reaction would be after accosting me. Then I thought, I wasn't as strong as I used to be. It could be a very unpleasant, if not dangerous experience. I felt a new level of empathy for women. I locked the car door after sliding into the front seat. All in all, it was a great weekend. It left me feeling both attractive and with a new sense of confidence. I received a pleasant greeting from both Carl the valet and the doorman, Lester. The looks that accompanied their greetings reinforced my excitement over how good I looked. It was ten o'clock and Connie wasn't home yet. I was a little worried about her. It appeared that she hadn't been home all day, by the way the apartment looked. Nothing had been moved since I was there in the morning. Not even the vitamins I left on the kitchen counter. I knew she might still be out with her 'friend' and I shouldn't worry but there wasn't a note where she'd gone or any message from her on the machine. There was a message for me though. Christy called around six looking for me. She wanted me to call if I didn't get in too late. I decided not to call her. After what she did to me, I thought I'd just let her wonder where I was. The oddest thought suddenly struck me. I had a way of getting back at her. Maybe I would tell her I had a date, a date with a guy. That would drive her nuts, I was sure of it. She would ask who and I would tell her "Jack." I would show her his card and tell her how we met and what a great guy he was. I could make up something about him taking me out to dinner and the theater. I wanted her to be jealous. I wanted her to want me the way I wanted her. But no. I couldn't do that, could I? I thought of Tina. I hadn't called her that weekend, as I had each Sunday. I almost regretted giving her Connie's number. What if she called and Connie answered the phone. The message on the machine was Connie's. I wondered how Tina would react to my living with a woman? I felt a little funny, sitting there in my pretty dress in my heels with my hair looking prettier than I ever remembered hers looking. In fact, when I thought about it, overall, I looked prettier than she did. What would she say if she could see me? I almost hung up the phone after dialing her. "Hi Tina." She told me about her week and I told her about mine. It was getting difficult to have that kind of conversation with her, I had to twist around and change my recount of the week so much. She sounded so lonely. "I miss you so much." Did I miss her the same way? "I miss you too Tina." "I was talking to my folks and they thought it would be all right if I came down to visit since you have so much trouble getting time off to come up." That came as a shock. "I don't know if now's a good time Tina." I tried not to sound panicked but I wasn't very successful, given her reaction. "Why not!?" She asked with concern. "What's wrong?" I took a deep breath to calm myself. "Nothing's wrong. It's just not a good time. I'm working constantly and I wouldn't have much time for you." "You're working nights and weekends?" She asked sounding a little peeved. "Just about." I lied. "Did you work this weekend, today?" "All day. I got in about eight." "Who works with you?" She asked. This was the jealous side of Tina that I knew. She had no reason to be jealous in the past but that hadn't stopped her when I made plans that didn't include her. "There's a couple of us that work the photo shoots, and the models, of course." I could have kicked myself for saying that. I had been downplaying the fact that I worked with models because I knew she didn't like that. I screwed up and mentioned them at the worst possible moment. "Jeffrey, are you seeing someone down there?" Tina had a habit of being direct. "No!" I insisted. Considering the way Christy was treating me it wasn't really a lie. That was nonsense. Of course I was cheating on Tina and I felt like dirt because of it. On the other hand, if Tina were to walk in and see me, see how I had changed, she would turn right around and walk out on me. "What about the models?" She asked. "Honest Tina, I'm not seeing anyone." What would she had said if I told her two guys were coming on to me that day and one asked me out? "I've been asked but I've said no." She seemed to calm down a little. "Well you better not. I'd be down there so fast your head would spin." "I believe you." It probably wasn't a good time to suggest to her that maybe we should start seeing other people, as I had planned to tell her the next time we talked. I had no plans on going back north to live and work. I couldn't even imagine making a trip up to visit. How could I? No, my life was in Atlanta now, or at least till I found a cure for my problem. "Well if I don't come down, then I expect you to come up for your birthday." She insisted. My birthday was only a little over a month away. I had to tell her something or she'd be down for sure. "I'll be there, I promise." "You better. I really miss you Jeffrey." She said again. "I miss you too. I'll talk to you next week. Take care of yourself." "I love you!" Her tone was familiar. She expected a reply. "I love you too." I couldn't muster the same enthusiasm but I tried to sound convincing. A lot of the exhilaration I had felt that weekend left me after talking to Tina. I went in my bedroom and started cutting off tags and putting my new things away. I waited and waited for Connie, putting off undressing. I so wanted her to see me looking so pretty. I watched the eleven o'clock news. I didn't even take off my shoes for fear she'd walk in any moment. As the news went off I finally turned off the TV. I was ready to give up and go to bed. My finger was on the light switch when I heard the key in the lock. I turned as the front door opened and rushed toward the foyer to greet her. I found there, to my surprise, a man holding Connie in his arms, kissing her. I felt so embarrassed. They both turned at the sound of my approach. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean . . . " "Hi Sweetheart." Connie said over the man's shoulder. "Hi . . . " I answered meekly, almost calling her mom. I decided I better not, at least not in front of the man. He was big, at least six foot two or three. He wasn't a young man. He had to be at least fifty but he looked to be in great shape for his age. He had salt and pepper hair and a kind face. He could have been the president of a company with his polished appearance. He was very handsome. "Jennifer, I would like you to meet Kevin, Kevin Donaldson." He extended his hand to me. "It's very nice to meet you Jennifer. Connie's told me so much about you. Actually, there's little else she talks about these days. You're certainly as beautiful as she's told me." He was very flattering. "It's very nice to meet you too." My small hand was lost in his big paw. He had a great smile. It was the kind that made you like someone the instant you met them. I couldn't help but notice the faint, pale ring on his ring finger when his hand closed around mine. It was unmistakable. "I didn't mean to interrupt you two. I was just on my way to bed." I started to back off from the two. "I was just going." He told me. Once more he kissed Connie. Not as passionately, but with tenderness, barely brushing her lips. "It was wonderful." He told her, looking into her eyes. I had never seen Connie look that way. For the first time, she was not the self assured, always in control of the situation woman I knew. She was simply a woman who appeared to melt in the arms of a man. It was nice to see her in that light. He turned back to me. "It was a pleasure Jennifer. I hope next time we meet we can get to know each other a little." I began to understand what Connie found so attractive about the man. "I hope so too." His smile seemed to melt you. With that he was gone. "I like him." I told Connie as she just stood there at the door for a moment. My words seemed to startle her. "So do I, so do I." It was cute, seeing her this way. "Let me look at you." I was beginning to wonder if she was going to notice. "I love that dress and your hair. Did Virginia help you do that?" "Tonight, after dinner. We were experimenting." I was glad she liked it. She touched my curls then the strap of my dress. "Sweetheart, you look lovely. I can't get over how much the change in your hair has done for you." "Really?" I was thrilled that she liked it so much. "Really!" I remembered the dress that now hung in the closet. "I just have to show you the way that white dress looks on me." "All right," She said with a smile. "Go put it on." I all but ran to the bedroom. I changed quickly. Fortunately, I had a pair of white heels in the closet because I forgot the new ones at Virginia's. "Oh my, that is lovely." Connie told me when I made an entrance into the living room. "I'll bet you got a lot of compliments from Virginia's friends at church?" "Everyone loved it. I can't tell you how wonderful I felt wearing it." It didn't even feel odd to say that. Connie smiled again and there was just a touch of condescendence in her voice. "I think I can imagine." How stupid could I be? The new experiences I'd been having, the feelings I was discovering, were feelings that Connie, like most women, discovered when they were children. At times, I must have seemed like a child to Connie and Virginia. "I'm being silly?" "Not at all. It's only natural for you to feel that way. I'm just so glad that you're adjusting so beautifully." The condescending tone was gone from her voice, replaced with the motherly tone I found so reassuring. "Don't you think you should get ready for bed now? It's late and we have work in the morning." I was keyed up. "I don't think I can sleep." I hung up and put my things away with care. After finishing in the bathroom and moisturizing, I went straight to the dresser drawer that held the nighties Connie and Virginia bought me. I found the one I was looking for under the white pajamas. It was red and delicately trimmed in lace on the neckline, hem and narrow straps, just like the one I left at Virginia's. I found a clean pair of red panties in the other drawer and put them on. I really like the way it looked on me in my mirror. It made me feel much the way the beige dress did when I wore it, soft and feminine. I was beginning to savor the feeling. I sat on the edge of my bed, contemplating. I made up my mind, got up and went to Connie's room. Her door wasn't closed all the way. "Mom?" "What is it honey?" I pushed the door open. Connie was standing there in just her underwear. I felt a little ashamed for intruding. I had never seen her that way. "I'm sorry." I started to back out of the room. "Don't be silly honey, come in." I did as she said but took care not to stare. "That looks nice on you." She commented about the nightie. "It looks comfortable." "It is, very." I kept my eyes everywhere but on her. She sensed I was uncomfortable. "Since when can't a mother and daughter see each other in their underwear?" Sweet, I thought. Too bad I wasn't as comfortable with it as she was. Her reference to our being mother and daughter wasn't in jest. There was none of the humor in her voice that normally went with our kidding about our situation. It was an arrangement I was comfortable with now. In fact, I enjoyed it. It made me feel closer to her. "What's up?" She asked giving me her full attention. "There's just something . . . " Connie seemed to read me like a book. Sitting on the edge of her bed, she called me to her side. "Come here Honey." I sat down next to her. I didn't know where to start. "Tell me what's bothering you." "I was just worrying about something." "Something about Jennifer?" Jennifer was just fine at the moment. Quite content in fact. "No, I'm all right. I was worried about you." I looked up and saw her smiling. "You're worried about me? I'm all right Sweetheart." "Remember, over at Virginia's last night? When she showed me the room she fixed up for me." "Of course." "Well, you seemed upset somehow." "No Honey. I wasn't upset. I was happy for you." She insisted. "You looked hurt." I went on. I knew I wasn't mistaken about what I saw. When she didn't respond, I knew I was right. "I just wanted you to know that no matter what Virginia does for me, or what she gives me, nothing is as important to me as you are." I wasn't sure I said it right, the way I had intended for it to come out. It seemed inadequate to express how I felt about her. She still said nothing. "She's like an Aunt to me and I appreciate all she's done but I don't feel about her the way I feel about you." Connie's eyes filled with tears as I spoke. The two of us seemed to cry together all the time lately. "What I'm trying to say is that I love you and nothing will ever change that." She wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tight. "Oh Jennifer. How did I ever get so lucky to find you? You are the dearest thing. I love you so much. I have since I first saw you. You've become the daughter I never had and I adore you." My tears came quickly and seemed to just flow in torrents. I held her as tightly as she held me. "I've never been happier." I told her. Virginia had been right about it taking too long to set my hair wet in the morning. I was glad I tried setting it dry and slept in the curlers. It looked so nice Sunday night that I just had to wear it the same way Monday. Monday held no surprises for me. I got a lot of complements on my new skirt and jacket and especially my hair. Each day seemed to get better and better. Since the incident with Ginny the week before, everyone was very nice to me. It didn't take an Einstein to deduce that no one wanted to have to confront Connie as a result of harassing me. It did leave me wondering who was being nice to me because of that and who was really my friend. Carol and the others who stood up for me I was sure of. There were a number of others who were nice to me before the incident. I couldn't waste my time worrying about the rest. Tuesday morning held a surprise for me. Connie called me into her office around mid morning. "We had a call from Curlins. They've decided to start running a full page color ad and they want to discuss a possible layout." I recognized the name. I had seen their stores in a few of the malls I'd been in. It was a small local chain of clothing stores. I didn't know why she was telling me this? "They've asked that we give them a presentation, show them what we can do for them." "Do you need me to put the usual portfolio together for you?" "You'll need to do that, yes, but I won't be presenting it." She leaned back in her chair. "Who's going to do it?" There was no one else available. The other sales people were all out of town. Connie grinned. "You are." "Me!?" She surprised me. "I'm not ready to . . . " "Don't be silly. Of course you are." Her look turned serious. "You've helped me put together a dozen complex presentations. You know the pricing, the presentation techniques and what we can do for them. There's no one better qualified to do it. You've even directed photo sessions on your own. You're better qualified that ninety percent of our sales people." Modesty aside, that was all true but I'd never done a presentation on my own. Not the least of my worries were that I'd be making the presentation alone, as Jennifer, in a strange place, in front of strangers. "Are you sure?" Connie sat up straight and smiled at me. "Positive." I parked my car in one of their visitor's spots. I checked my hair and makeup. I had been dressing that morning when Connie came in and suggested I wear one of my suit outfits this morning. I had planned on wearing slacks but I took her suggestion without giving it much thought. It was a linen outfit, a pale gray window pane plaid and it looked very crisp and smart. I had liked the silk shells that hung in my closet but hadn't had an occasion to wear them. The white one looked very nice under the collarless jacket. I understood why she wanted me to wear the outfit now. I waited for my knees to stop shaking before I stepped from the car. Straightening my skirt, I walked carefully down the sidewalk to the front door. I presented myself to the receptionist. "Good morning." I said to the girl, struggling to appear calm and cheerful. "My name is Jennifer. I'm here to see Mr. Brooks." I was scared to death but tried hard not to let it show. I had this picture of having to stand up in front of a room full of men and give my pitch. It wasn't anything like what I thought it would be. Mr. Brooks, a very polite and cordial middle aged man, came out to greet me. He escorted me to his office where I met two of his associates. They were all very pleasant, very polite to me. It helped calm some of my fears. There was always the nagging thought in the back of my mind that someone, somewhere, would recognize me for what I was, but this wasn't the time or the place. Mr. Brooks associates, who I'd be making my pitch to, were a young man and a middle aged woman. It wasn't as formal a thing as I anticipated. We simply sat around a table and I fed them the facts and figures. I told them why our firm could represent their interests better than any of the other firms in town. My palms sweated, my knees shook and, at times, when they threw questions at me one after another, I thought I might lose it. I didn't forget, for a second, who I was or the part I was playing. There was none of the behavior, the harassment as I came to recognize it, that was exhibited by Mike Parks. The men were very professional and listened intently to my pitch. It helped when I realized I didn't have to contend with Parks kind bigotry. The woman was equally considerate. She didn't have a clue that she was dealing with a man and I did nothing to make her doubt for a second that I was a woman, even when it came to accompanying her to the ladies' room during a short break. I had little trouble remembering how to act, sitting there with a man on either side of me and the woman across the table. I tried not to fidget too much, sitting up straight, only occasionally tugging my dress down to cover my legs. I was glad I had a lot of practice and it helped me to get through it. I didn't try to give them a hard sell, that wasn't my way. I was honest with them and it worked. To my amazement, I won the account. It was a great feeling. I almost goofed when I had the contract in front of me to sign. I almost started to sign it 'Jeffrey', but caught myself. With a flair, I wrote out 'Jennifer'. Connie had empowered me to sign for the firm should the deal go through. With the signed contract in hand, I walked out their front door and wanted to shout for joy. I knew it was just a little account. It was only a small, local chain of stores but I rode back to the office on cloud nine. Connie wasn't as surprised as I was. "I knew you could do it." She said smiling, congratulating me. "Yes you did!" I said, giving her a hug, right there in the office. We never did that sort of thing in the office but I couldn't help it. I stayed on that cloud the rest of the day. I called Virginia at her office. She was thrilled for me. I tracked down Christy at a shoot and I found Trish at home to tell them the great news. I temporarily forgot that I was angry with Christy. "The account's all yours Jen. Run with it" Connie told me when I calmed down and sat with her late in the day. That was fine with me, but a little scary. Wednesday was anticlimactic after the excitement of the day before. I was back at my desk, doing all the usual tasks that filled my days, but in addition, I met with the art department, scheduled three shoots, talked to the printer and spent an hour and a half on the phone with Carolyn Rogers, the woman at the presentation the previous day. Patty called from La. It was great talking to her. I told her my good news and she was very happy for me. I crossed my 'T's and dotted my 'I's. Connie and I sat down at five and discussed my plans. I was determined not to miss anything. "I sounds as if you have it covered." She told me when I finished telling her what I had done so far. Wednesday was almost as hectic and I loved it. The week was over before I knew it. The first shoot for Curlins was scheduled for Monday and I had everything covered by the time we were ready to leave the office on Friday night. I was proud of myself. "I thought we'd have a little celebration dinner." Connie suggested as we packed up to go. I wasn't about to argue with that. While neither of us had plans for the evening, I didn't relish the thought of going home to cook. Christy had asked me to come over for dinner but I put her off. I still wasn't over the hurt I felt from last week and it was the only way I had of getting back at her. I couldn't tell her I was jealous and hurt. "Great! Where are we going?" I asked as we headed for our cars. As long as I was with Connie, I was fine, I could handle being out in public. "I thought we'd have a drink at Bristols then decide." I was surprised she'd forgotten. "I can't go out for a drink." "Of course you can." She insisted. Then she remembered. "Oh, here." She opened her purse and took out a folded piece of paper. "What's this?" I took it from her. "Open it and see." She waited anxiously for me to look. I unfolded it and almost dropped the plastic coated card on the ground that was wrapped in the paper. It was a social security card with the name 'Jennifer Sackett' typed on it. "Where did you get this?" I asked, surprised. It looked so real. "I told you I'd take care of it. Don't you remember?" Since she mentioned it, I did remember giving her my birth certificate. I looked at the paper the card was folded into. It was a new birth certificate and it was Jennifer's. It had the same birth date and place of birth as my original only it showed me, Jennifer Sackett, as being 'female'. "Sackett?" I questioned. She gave me her name instead of my own, Mitchell. "I didn't think you'd want anything to tie you back to Jeffrey Mitchell. That's all right, isn't it?" "Sure, that's fine." It didn't make much difference. It was only a fake. "How did you manage this?". "I have friends." She said smiling. "Now you don't have anything to worry about." "What happened to my old certificate?" "I put it away in my safety deposit box, for safe keeping. You don't want to leave those things lying around." I couldn't argue with that. Her voice or maybe her expression seemed a little odd when she said it but I didn't read anything into it. "Here, let me hang onto that one for you too." She reached out and I handed it to her. "If you need it tonight, we'll have it. You should put your social security card in your wallet." It was a comfort to have it. Now if I had a problem, I didn't have to worry. I just hoped no one would realize they were fakes. They shouldn't though, they looked very real. "Now you can get yourself a new driver's license." She suggested. That was a scary thought, going the Motor Vehicle office as Jennifer Sackett and admitting I used to be Jeffrey, Jeffrey Mitchell, a man. I would have to turn in my old license. If I didn't, they would check through my social security number and learn the truth. It would be so embarrassing but it might just be worth it. It would be a comfort to have a driver's license that had Jennifer's picture on it. Could I suffer the brief embarrassment was my only concern? I followed Connie to Bristols. I had never been to the place but I'd heard of it from the girls at work. It was supposed to be a very classy lounge. A place where The yuppie, white collar crowd went on Friday nights. It was in the middle of the downtown business district where Virginia and I had strolled that Sunday a few weeks ago. I was dressed for it. I still hadn't run out of new outfits to wear and I hadn't brought any of the outfits home from Virginia's yet. I had on my red print dress and black heels. I really liked the way it looked on me. One of the girls at the office told me I look 'classy' in it. My hair still looked good. It held it's set all day and it still looked like it had that morning when I brushed it out. Sleeping in rollers was going to take me some getting use to, but the results were well worth some minor discomfort. The soft plastic ones I bought on Monday were better than the stiff hot rollers. Finding a parking spot wasn't easy. We finally had to leave our cars in a parking garage and walk a block and a half. I wished I'd brought a jacket. My dress was short sleeved and it was cooling off. The place was packed when we walked in. We had to squeeze past people to get to the bar. I rubbed by more than one person on my way to get a drink. It seemed that women tired to get out of the way as much as they could but the men seemed to enjoy making me squeeze by. I found myself face to face with a few guys in those cramped quarters. They just smiled at me and said 'hello' as I brushed by. I offered them no encouragement. I was almost disappointed that I wasn't asked for my ID. The bartender was terribly busy and Connie ordered for us both. "Let's see if we can find a place to sit." Connie said in my ear. She pointed toward the back of the lounge. I led the way, squeezing past the throng of people that crowded the length of the bar. It was no better in back. There was no place to sit. "Let's try upstairs." Connie suggested, taking over the lead. The lounge had a second floor. A wide balcony ran completely around the place. I knew from the girls that there were bars up there too. The only place that wasn't crowded was the stairs. The upstairs was as bad as down below. Still, I followed Connie. She must have spotted a place to sit, I didn't see one. It wasn't till we were almost upon them that I spotted the group of people that had taken over a table on the far wall, right next to the balcony. "Surprise!" They yelled. Trish, Kim, Judy and Gloria were there. Carol from accounting, along with Pam, Linda and Gwen, were yelling as loud as the others. Barbara, from the art department, held up a drink in salute to me. I was surprised and delighted to find Virginia there too, laughing and drinking with my friends. I looked at Connie and she was grinning like the Cheshire cat. "Surprise?" "You planned this." I said, sounding like I was scolding when I was actually delighted. "We had to have a party, to celebrate your getting the contract." She said meekly. We partied hard. We ate and drank, we had a ball. More than once, the topic of conversation was me and how well I had adapted to my new life but not a derogatory word was said. I had a great time. I was talking to Linda and Pam. "Do you play tennis?" They asked me. I had heard them, a number of times, talking over lunch about how they played all the time. Tennis was another of the sports I tried to do well at in high school but I never won any notoriety for my game. My father didn't give me much credit for my efforts, as hard as I tried. "I've played a little." I told them. "You've got to come play with us sometime." Pam insisted. "There's about six of us from work. We play on Thursday nights. You should come." It was really nice of them to invite me. "I'd like that." I just had to figure out what I would wear. I had this picture in my mind of me serving in a tennis skirt. No, shorts would do when the time came. As afternoon turned to evening, a band started to play downstairs. It wasn't long till Kim and Linda dragged me down to the dance floor. Most of the others followed. I felt funny at first, dancing with them, but they wouldn't let me go back upstairs. I was feeling the effects of the wine I'd been sipping and after the second or third song, with them all encouraging me, I started letting myself go and followed their lead, dancing like them. I really had fun. I did worry that some guy might come up and ask me to dance. While some of my friends were asked, no one hit on me, to my relief. Deep down, I was a little jealous. I knew I wasn't beautiful like my friends but it would have been nice to be asked at least. The party finally broke up around eight. The only ones left at the end were Connie, Virginia, Trish, Gwen and myself. I had watched my drinking, restricting myself to only a few glasses of wine. I was worried that I might have lost my tolerance for alcohol and was afraid of getting drunk and making a mistake that could expose me. I was alright to drive myself home. "Did you have a good time?" Connie asked when we got back to the apartment. "I really did." I appreciated her setting it all up, getting everyone to come. "I was watching you out there dancing. You did really well. I was impressed." I reminded her, "We danced quite a bit that night Pat and I went out. I was still a little nervous though." "You seemed to get over it." She said smiling. I knew she was referring to the way I danced, just like the other girls. "I felt a little silly. I didn't know you were watching." Not that it would have mattered. "You didn't look silly. Besides, all the girls dance that way. You fit right in." Neither of us were hungry. We had nibbled on enough hors d'oeuvres to make up for dinner. I was a little tired. I was content to change and get comfortable in front of the TV. I did wonder what Christy was doing that night? I wondered if she was sitting home, alone? Or was she out with a date? I was a little annoyed with myself for handling things the way I did. I had no right to get angry and feel jealous. I shouldn't have played games and lied to her about being busy. I thought about calling her then and there but I didn't. I was afraid I'd find out my concerns were justified. I decided I'd wait till Saturday and call her then. Of course, that was before I learned that Connie had other plans for us Saturday. "I was wondering Jen," Connie had been referring to me as 'Jen', off and on for a few days. I didn't mind the nickname. The familiar was kind of nice, not so formal. "I was wondering if you'd like to get out and take a ride tomorrow? We could go north and I could show you the mountains?" I was actually thinking of going into the office in the morning, to try to get ahead a little, but it wasn't something I had to do. All that I'd seen so far of Georgia was the city. "That sounds nice." I agreed, work could wait. We got an early start. We drove North out of the city, toward Stone Mountain. It was only a little more than an hour's drive. It was wonderfully relaxing to get away from everything. Stone Mountain was definitely an impressive sight but there were too many tourists. We didn't stay more than an hour and headed North again. I was born and raised in the city. Tall buildings were my mountains. My mother and father took few vacations and when they did they were content to stay close to home. I had seen mountains, of course, mostly in New Jersey, but they weren't anything like the ones I saw that Saturday. I suppose I needed to get away from everything for a day because it felt wonderful to drive aimlessly, just enjoying the views with Connie. We had lunch in a small, quaint roadside restaurant outside of Gillsville. I don't think I once gave a thought to 'Jeffrey' that whole day. We talked about her for a change. Connie told me more about her life that day than she had since I'd known her. I never knew she had been married once, when she was very young. I was shocked to learn that she had a baby by the man and he forced her to give the infant girl up for adoption. I couldn't fathom any man having enough influence over Connie to make her do something like that but, as she said, she was very young. I imagined I was beginning to understand a little better why our relationship had blossomed. I was, in a way, filling the role of the daughter she had lost so many years ago. Judging by how old she said she was when she had the baby, her daughter would have to be close to my age. The information, unconsciously, cemented my position with this woman. Now that she had found the daughter she had lost, how was I ever going to live with taking her daughter away from her again? I wondered for a second, what she'd named the baby? We continued our trip, swinging East through the mountains, talking through the afternoon. Shortly after the adoption of her daughter, Connie's husband left her for another woman. She was bitter, so bitter. His reasons for her giving up the baby were obvious. He wanted no permanent ties to bind them. It was obvious by her tone that she still loathed the man. The experience hardened her for years. She redirected her energies toward her career and ended up where she was that day, a very successful business woman who would never allow another man to make a single decision for her. Her life was consumed by her work, leaving little time for anything else. There were a few affairs over the years but she never let herself get too close to another man. She satisfied herself with married men. It was then that I understood about Kevin Donaldson. She still didn't trust men, even after all those years. We turned South, down Route 17, passing through deep valleys and rustic small towns. The sky was clear all afternoon, only beginning to turn cloudy around five. We took Interstate 20 back into Atlanta, stopping about forty miles out at a Pizza Hut for dinner. I was stuffed when we climbed back in the car around seven. I felt much closer to Connie after our day together, with all she shared with me. She came into my room as I was getting ready for bed. She didn't say anything, she came up to me as I sat on the bed, rubbing my lotion on my legs. She sat beside me. I stopped what I was doing and just looked at her. "What is it?" I asked. "I just need a hug." She told me. I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her tight. I whispered, "I love you Mom." Emotion welled up inside me, as it did so often these days. I owed this woman so much for her loving support. She didn't treat me as some sort of freak. She held me even tighter. "I love you too Jennifer." She let me go eventually. She didn't get up and leave right away. She looked at me curiously. "How are you doing?" I didn't understand. "What do you mean?" She pointed to her chest. "You feel as though you've gotten bigger Honey." I had. There was no doubt about it. "The medication's not working." I admitted. I tried to kid myself but it was useless. "May I see?" She asked sweetly. Why not? I lifted my nightie. "Oh Jen. Why didn't you say something?" She asked. "Those hormones the doctor gave you haven't helped at all. You're almost twice as big as you were." "I take the pills every day. He said it might take time." "What about the rest of you?" I knew what she meant. Connie had never seen what had happened to my scrotum. "It's worse." "Let me see." I reluctantly pulled down my underwear. I read concern on her face."Oh honey. We've got to get you back to the doctor." I pulled up my panties. "I don't want to go back to him." I told her. "Why not?" She asked with concern. "I'm embarrassed." I admitted. "They all know I'm a man there." "We've got to do something Honey." She thought a moment. "Would you go to a different doctor, if I went with you?" I thought a moment. It would be embarrassing, no matter where I went. "I suppose." I had to do something. I couldn't just keep putting it off. I was only kidding myself that my condition would correct itself somehow. "Leave it to me Honey." She said with determination. Once again, I put my complete trust in her. "All right." We both went to church with Virginia on Sunday. I was thrilled that Connie joined us on the golf course too. She was a terrific golfer, much better than me. There was no repeat of the previous Sunday's events and I was grateful. I did wonder about Jack, did he go to the benefit concert with his friends? Silly thought, I decided. We stopped at Virginia's and I picked up a half dozen of the new outfits from the bedroom closet. There were still a dozen that remained. "I've picked out some new things but they haven't delivered them yet." She informed me. I couldn't wait to see what she had bought. We didn't stay there long. Virginia followed us back to Connie's and we ate dinner there. It was a nice change, having her there at my place. Carolyn Rogers and a Peter Boyle arrived at the office bright and early to oversee the shoot. I was at my peak and everything went perfectly. They were very impressed with the proofs I took to Curlins to show them on Wednesday. With their approval, the first spread would appear in Sunday's paper. They were very pleased with my work, as was I. The pebble silk double breasted blazer and skirt that had been hanging in my closet untouched, came out Thursday morning. I wore my cream colored silk shell under the jacket. After putting it on I decided nothing felt as nice as silk. I didn't know why Connie hadn't told me earlier. She waited until we were on our way to work. "I called my doctor and explained your problem. She suggested that we come in and see her before referring you to anyone else. She's going to see us this morning." "A woman?" I said apprehensively. "Don't worry Honey. She's very good and who better is there to go to than a woman who specializes in hormonal problems?" That made sense. "What kind of a doctor is she?" "She's a gynecologist." Connie told me casually. "A female doctor!? I can't go into a gynecologist's office." "Why not?" Connie just looked at me in wonder. I realized how silly my objections sounded. Calmly, I asked, "What name is my appointment under?" "I thought it might be easier if I made the appointment under Jennifer Sackett. Doctor Winter didn't mind and thought it might make it easier for you." I received more than a few compliments on my smart outfit. It occurred to me that I dressed quite well for a secretary, thanks to Connie and Virginia. I felt a little guilty that I had nicer clothes than most of the women in the office. We worked till ten and then left for my appointment. I should have kicked myself for doubting Connie, even for a moment. I should have known better. To the receptionist, I was just another female patient. Only the doctor would know. Better it be a woman doctor than a man and Connie was there with me. I was a little uneasy, sitting in the waiting room waiting for them to call us. Connie and I filled out the doctor's forms together. "You can't do that." I said quietly when Connie checked off 'female' on the sheet of paper. "You don't want the doctor's receptionist or his nurse to know, do you?" "No, but can't we get in trouble for doing that?" "I already cleared it with the doctor. It's alright." "Well, if the doctor said so." "Miss Sackett," the receptionist called us and took the completed form. We were escorted to an examining room where the nurse handed me a gown, "if you'll undress and slip this on I'll