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As By Day, As By Night By Lacey Deveraux (c) Lacey Deveraux, Eugene, Oregon 2001. All rights reserved. This is a work of transgender (TG) fiction. If this sort of thing offends you, then please don't read it. If you are not old enough to read it, please don't. I promise it will still be here when you are older. I'll even send you a copy if you would like. I wish to give a huge thank you to Constance Grant as well, because without her prodding and massive amounts of help, I would have never finished or felt that it was good enough to publish. Thank you again, Connie, from the bottom of my heart! If you have any comments, email me at [email protected]. I'll try and respond to you as soon as possible. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy my story. As By Day, As By Night By Lacey Deveraux I was greeted by the sound of tinkling bells as I pushed open the door to the little store. The sound of my size 11 high-heeled boots echoed in my ears as I walked across the solid stone floor, down the length of the store counter to the far wall. Bits and Bites was an old store, quaint, and well kept, like every other building in the town of Port Douglas, Oregon. Rows of penny candies in jars lay under the glass countertop. The clerk had run the store for the last six years. She was a short, auburn haired woman, named Katrina. I had been in there before, but never dressed like this. I was wearing one of only three outfits I dared wear in public. It was a conservative little number, consisting of a long denim dress that came down to my ankles, matching denim boots with silver heels, and a denim jacket. I put on my cosmetics subtly, remembering everything I had read from all the issues of the Cosmo and Allure. Most of my collection had come from the waiting lounge of Dr. Starbrite's office. It was an understated look, just enough to even out the skin tone of my face and draw attention to my eyes, one of the few body parts of mine I actually liked. They were rather large and round, with a dark brown iris so dark it was sometimes hard to tell when the iris left off and the pupil began. But I hoped no one was going to see that, because I had covered them with a pair of sunglasses, a rather flimsy disguise. A mass of jet-black curls framed my face, thanks to my mother's set of steam curlers and a very expensive human hair wig that I had saved for years to get. I could feel my pulse race. I was as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. Usually, I never went out like this by the light of day and I generally went up the highway to buy my cigarettes, but I didn't have enough gas to go there. I had just enough to run around town for a little bit, certainly not enough to drive forty miles to my usual stop every time I ran out of cigarettes. I would just die if I were to be recognized here. Not to mention my parents, deeply conservative pillars of the community, would kill me if they found out I was running around town dressed up like a girl. To calm down, I looked at the tubs of homemade ice cream in the deep freeze through the frosted glass. It looked delicious and on a whim, I decided to get one. "Ma'am, cahn ah git a choco-late and vahnilluh aice creeme cone?" I said in a heavy Southern drawl. It was the only way I felt comfortable talking to other people, because I sounded my most feminine that way, and it was a far cry from my normal, nasal voice. I thought I had become quite good at it, especially after watching Gone with the Wind so many times. Katrina moved from the register halfway down the continual counter to the ice cream freezer. She took an old-fashioned waffle style cone out from under the counter, and then began to pack it first with vanilla and then chocolate ice cream. She wrapped a napkin around the cone and handed it to me over the glass. I walked over to the register. Katrina began ringing it up. "Is that everything?" she asked me. I paused for a second. "Cahn I git ah pack ah Vaghina Slim Ultrah Light One Twenties menthall." I said, pointing one candy apple red press-on nail at the pack on the wall behind her. I hoped Katrina was as easy a person to buy from as the guy down the highway. I didn't have any ID as a female, and I didn't really have set name for my female persona. No one really bothered with me, so I didn't have to give a name or anything. I held my breath, filled with fear and suspense as Katrina examined me. "Take off your sunglasses, dear." She asked sweetly. A bolt of fear whizzed through my body. I swallowed; causing the red, lace-trimmed handkerchief I tied around my neck to visibly jump. I wanted to leave right then, forgetting about everything, but the craving for the cigarettes got the best of me. I never craved them as my normal self, only when I was dressed up. I hung my head, and slowly slipped off the glasses. I folded the earpieces down. Holding them in my hands, I looked up. She looked at my face for what seemed an eternity, but it only could have been a few seconds at most. If she recognized me, like most people in this tiny town would, it didn't show on her face. "I guess you look old enough." She said, then whirled, and slid the pack of cigarettes out of the shelf holder. She sat them on the counter. "Matches?" she asked. "Nuh thank ya," I replied in my pseudo-southern drawl. I slid my glasses on, and then watched as she rang up the cigarettes along with my ice cream cone. "Well, that's fifty cents for the cone and two fifty for the cigarettes. So I need three dollars." Said Katrina. I reached into my coat pocket and pulled out a five-dollar bill. It was all that was left of the spending money I got from my first of the month paycheck. I took my change and left. I stood outside under the streetlight, enjoying the heavenly homemade ice cream cone. I casually examined the lamp as I ate. It had the look of an old oil lamp dangling form the post, but it was changed to electricity sometime in the 1940's. One of those little touches that made Port Douglas such a curious place to live. All the buildings and houses in the city limits had to look old fashioned (Victorian, if I remember correctly from school.) It was a city code, to help maintain the city as a historic site. Even the pavement in the town was textured to look like cobblestones. They're some of the things I loved about this town. I finished it, wiped my hands, and patted my mouth clean. I put the napkin in my pocket. I opened my pack of Virginia Slims, putting the wrappings in my pocket too. I drew out one of the long, thin cigarettes and put in to my lips. I lit it with my slim gold Zippo lighter, enjoying the minty smoke. A couple of puffs later, I was calm again. I saw a group of boys approaching on bicycles, so I decided to get in my car and leave. I pulled out of the parking lot and started down the road towards home. I had a lot of time. There was no one expecting me home. My parents would be gone for the entire summer visiting my Grandmother in Maine. I drove leisurely down the coast road, past Thornwyck Viewpoint, towards the trailer park that was my home. I slowly smoked the cigarette down to the filter. I loved how my lipstick left a ring on the white filter. I put it out in the ashtray, making a mental note to scrub the tray out before my parents got home. On a whim, I turned down Seaview Drive. It was twilight, almost dark. I had to turn on my lights and remove my sunglasses. I lit another cigarette and was enjoying it as I drove down the winding road. It was just barley light enough to see things clearly, but they were nearly colorless, painted in that kind of blue-black color that things get when it's almost dark. I saw a motorcycle coming around the corner. I recognized it immediately as the red Suzuki Samurai that my best friend Kade rode. It was the only one in the area. I gasped, wondering if he could see me dressed like this, as he was sure to know the car. There weren't that many sparkly purple Honda CRX's in Port Douglas. Maybe we would pass each other fast enough so he couldn't see. He was going awfully fast, as usual. But we never passed. Out of one of the many driveways along the road, a golden retriever shot out, directly in front of Kade. He turned much too quickly to avoid the dog. Braking hard, he slid along the pavement into the gravel shoulder. He slid in the loose material, and finally lost all control, flying over the handlebars. He landed hard and continued to skid along the hillside by the road. He finally came to rest among some cattails in the ditch that ran along the side of the road. I screeched to a stop, practically slamming the brake pedal through the floorboards. I ran across the road to him. I splashed into the trickle, and looked down at him. My heart was beating like hummingbird wings. Carefully, supporting his neck and keeping his back straight, I rolled him over, out of the water. His "riding armor" as I jokingly called it, was badly damaged. There were large areas of deep gashes in it, like a giant cat's claw had repeatedly swiped at the breastplate. I raised his faceplate and leaned over to listen for his breathing. He was still breathing, but he seemed to be out cold. The shoulder guard was completely worn through, like a child's plastic toy that has been dragged along the pavement. Little wisps of smoke still rose from it. I wasted no time and called for an ambulance, using the cell phone that my Grandmother had given me. She insisted I carry it for emergencies. This was as big an emergency as any I had ever seen. As I was telling the operator of the accident and the possible extent of his injuries, I felt a hand reach up and touch my handkerchief. I looked down as I continued to talk and saw a dazed looking Kade staring at me. He said muttered one word. "Lacy." Then his eyes rolled in the back of his head and he lost unconscious again. I stayed on the cell phone until I heard the sirens and saw the flashing lights around the corner. The realization that I was still dressed up as a girl hit me, so I got in my car and left just before they actually got there. I didn't want to have to explain who I was and why I was dressed like that. I sped home and got undressed, cleaned off my makeup and dressed in my normal clothes. I drove quickly to the hospital and tried to see him, but they would only allow immediate family in right then. There was nothing I could do to convince them to let me in, so I just went back home. There, I paced the floors, worried about him. I couldn't believe they wouldn't let me see him. We were practically brothers. I had known him since kindergarten, and he was my best friend in the whole world. I felt even worse for leaving him before the help actually got to him. Anything could have happened in the time that I chickened out and left and the time that the ambulance arrived. I felt sick inside, thinking about what I had done. I had practically abandoned my best friend in his hour of greatest need; just because of my desire to wear girl's clothing and to pretend that I was a girl. I was mortified at what I had done. Mrs. Markinson called me at midnight to tell me that he was okay. He had broken his collarbone, dislocated his right shoulder, sprained his right wrist, and had a concussion, among many bruises and cuts, but he was okay. They wanted to keep him for observation and some tests for a few days, but he'd be fine. She also told me that if it wasn't for someone calling from a cell phone, he could have died. He landed facedown in the water, and would have probably drowned. She thought I should know, since we were such good friends. I felt a little better knowing Kade was okay. But I still couldn't shake the feeling that I had abandoned my friend. It was awful. I tried sleeping, but I couldn't. I tossed and turned on the couch. I tried watching those boring infomercials, and then a documentary on the development of the Jeep, hoping that boredom would help me fall asleep. I just couldn't get to sleep, even though I was almost bored to tears. At three-thirty in the morning, I decided to go for a ride on my mountain bike. I hoped that exercise would help me get tired enough to fall asleep. I pedaled clear into town and around most of it. I went by the hospital and checked when visiting hours were. They were from nine in the morning to five in the afternoon. From there, I just pedaled randomly down the deserted streets of the town. I turned down Willow Street. I didn't get more than twenty feet down the sidewalk when I got a flat tire. "Great. Absolutely great." I said to no one, as I examined the nail in my bike tire. It was large and poked through the bottom and out the sidewall. It was a mess. "Well what did you expect, Stephen? You know you shouldn't ride on the sidewalk anyway." Came a voice from behind me. It was a woman's voice, with a heavy Eastern European accent. I turned and looked over my shoulder. The woman was dressed in a long, floral print skirt and a light blue shirt, about the color of an Apple Macintosh folder. The woman herself was rather striking. She was older, with dark hair and eyes. I thought she was in her mid-thirties. I wondered for a moment how she knew me. She even knew the proper pronunciation of my name, with the "ph" sounding like an "f". "I can see you need to talk," she began, " Will you come inside?" I looked at her dubiously. She looked harmless, but what does that really mean. I have always heard stories about people other people thought were harmless and those people ended up going on killing sprees or something. "I'm not going to go on any killing sprees. It's my job to know such things. I am the great Madame Mimmy." She said, pointing at the sign standing beside me. It was rather flamboyantly painted, even in the light of the street lamp. "Madame Mimmy, World's Greatest Fortune Teller." Normally, I'm very skeptical of these things, especially at four- thirty in the morning. I am just not convinced that someone can foretell someone's future. I stood by once while Kade got his fortune told, and I could barely keep from laughing as the woman gave him the biggest snowjob I had ever heard. She looked like she had just walked off the set of one of those really bad USA "Up All Night" movies and into the fair. She seemed like she could be one of those people that can't walk and chew gum at the same time, but Kade loved it. He didn't seem to realize that he told her most of his own fortune. I guess beauty had its advantages. But his time, I felt different. I'm not sure why, but I just did. 'Why not', I thought, as I sat my bike down outside the door and walked in. It was rather dark inside. There were rows of books on the shelves, ranging from old to new. She led me back through a thick patterned velvet curtain to a room. A single round table sat directly in the center of the room. It was covered with a cheap red tablecloth and brightly lit by a single overhead lamp. A crystal ball was in the center of the table. It seemed to glow with a light of its own. She motioned me to sit down at the table. I took a seat, staring at my reflection in the crystal ball. "Are you ready to begin?" Mimmy asked. Somehow, I had missed her sitting down, as well as the last ten minutes. A shiver ran down my spine for some reason, I wasn't quite sure why. "Yeah, sure." I said. Mimmy began with the usual rigmarole of the cheap sideshow fortune-teller, with the waving of the hands around the ball and the exaggerated voice and mannerisms. She went through the usual generic types of fortunes, the ones that people pay to hear. She didn't really hold my interest. I tried keeping myself occupied by looking at the distorted room in the crystal ball. "I see a person of two lives, one by day, the other by night." She said. That got my attention real quick. My head shot up. She was no longer looking at the crystal ball, but directly at me. She looked right into my eyes with a rather curious look in hers. "The person I see is divided. The two halves cannot exist fully apart, causing much grief. Different as light and dark, they exist exiled in those worlds." She said gravely. She had my full, undivided attention now. "But that person cannot exist like that forever. Those that exist only in the dark are eventually consumed by it, and those that exist only in the light are eventually burned by it. True people live in both." She said, creepily and cryptically. I had to admit, I was a little scared. I had never had anyone talk about my life like this. A complete stranger was telling me about my life, a secret part of my life, from the sounds of things. That feeling never left me while I listened even more intently, if that were possible. "You must reconcile the two. Make them whole, stitch them together into a person who knows about themselves and the human heart, because they have plumbed the depths of their own." Mimmy intoned gravely. Okay, I'm hooked, I thought. "How?" I asked. She produced a small vial full of a light blue liquid. It glowed with a light of its own. It was like one of the special effects in a bad movie. "With this." "What is it?" I asked. "A simple potion. It will not work grand miracles, by any stretch, but it will give you the means to help make some changes in your life, if you really want such things. All you have to do is drink it by sundown tomorrow. And remember, sometimes we feel guilty even if there is nothing to feel guilty for." I was stunned, to say the least. I wasn't sure if she was just guessing and being extremely close, or if she was for real. But I had a feeling that she was for real. I reached out and took the vial. "Now I know you don't have much money right now, but if everything works out for the best, you can pay me what it's worth later. Just don't forget about me and buy cigarettes and ice cream." She said, with a sort of half smile on her face. My jaw gaped, as I stood there looking like a landed fish. I was at a complete loss for words. I complacently let her walk me to the door. Out on the sidewalk, I snapped out of my reverie. I turned back and the shop was closed up tightly, with the shutters locked and the blinds over the door window down. I walked over to my bicycle. It was locked to the lamppost right out front. I unlocked it and began walking it. But something wasn't quite right. It wasn't until I looked at the back tire rolling along merrily behind me that I knew. The tire wasn't flat. In fact, it was completely untouched. This night was getting way, way, way too weird for me. I just wanted to get back home, so I didn't really question the tire or anything else. I got back home just before sunrise. I was finally tired enough to sleep. Luckily, I could sleep in, because I didn't have work tomorrow. I crashed on the couch, leaving my clothes on, just delaying long enough to take off my shoes and empty my pockets. I thought about throwing the vial of liquid away, but that was too much effort to even consider right then. I sat it on a tall pile of books and lay down, falling asleep in seconds. When I awoke, the sun was shining brightly. I was very thirsty. My throat was absolutely parched. I reached for my water glass and found it to still be full. I drank its contents down in one long gulp. It was wonderfully refreshing. I rose up to set the glass down and check the time on the desk clock. It was then I noticed the empty vial. The vial that I had gotten that evening from Madame Mimmy was empty! No, I didn't just do that; I thought to myself, I couldn't have. My cat, Tigger, rubbed against me, and I noticed the tip of his orange tail was wet with a glowing light blue liquid. Even though I knew I probably wouldn't like it, I tipped the glass down and looked inside. A little bit of light blue liquid glowed faintly in the darker confines of the bottom of the glass, like the film left in the bottom of a glass after you drink some milk. "Oh God, I drank the potion!" I said, with my eyes riveted to the bottom of the glass. I panicked, a million different horrible possibilities running through my mind. I sprinted to the kitchen, grabbed a spoon, and then ran to the bathroom. I spent the next several minutes trying to make myself throw up. I got nothing but teary eyes and a sore throat for my efforts. I concluded that I must have absorbed it into my body already, and there was no getting it back. I just had to hope it didn't turn me into a frog or something. I could feel the fear in the pit of my stomach as I waited to see what would happen to me. I knew that the potion was supposed to do something. I tried to visit Madame Mimmy's shop, but the building was completely empty, and even dusty, as if no one had been in there for a very long time. So, that was a dead end. I waited, thinking Mimmy was a part of a dream. Perhaps I had drunk something absolutely horrid like bug spray, and it was slowly eating my brain. I hate my overactive imagination sometimes. Hours wore on, and nothing happened. I began to relax, thinking that it may have been some water with that non-toxic Glo-Stick liquid in it. Just stuff that Mimmy had passed off to people as a magic potion. Like everyone knows, there is no such thing as magic. Content with that thought, and convinced that I wouldn't die a horrible death from some exotic poison, I lounged around the house, being generally lazy. I got into "My Fair Lady" on AMC. I loved Audrey Hepburn's cockney accent. It was great. I got up at the intermission to get some orange pop. As I was walking back from the kitchen, I got really dizzy, and my vision clouded up. It passed, and I looked at the little intermission timer. About a minute had passed, and the movie was about to start. I didn't feel really bad; maybe it was just a head rush. The movie was starting again, so I started to run to the couch. I stepped right out of my half laced up hi-tops. My socks hit the carpet, something they normally don't do, because my Mom got me a puppy, a German Shepherd, named Ally and she isn't quite housetrained yet. Luckily, I didn't hit any of the presents that she sometimes leaves on the floor. I carefully stepped back, making a note to lace them up a little tighter when I walked around. I flopped on the couch like I normally do, and prepared to enjoy the last part of the movie. As I did, I had an odd jiggling on my chest. Hmm, I guess I should wear a bra more often, I thought absently to myself. It took a second for the thought to fully sink in. I lifted the rather loose shirt and looked down the collar. Hallucination, it has to be, I thought. I let the shirt fall back to my chest and closed my eyes. "One- Mississippi -one, one- Mississippi -two, one- Mississippi - three, one- Mississippi -four, one- Mississippi -five, one- Mississippi-six." I counted silently in my head, hoping to see nothing there later. I looked again. They're still there. I carefully reached down my shirt and touched one. It was soft and jiggly, reminiscent of soft jello. Oh, howdy, they weren't hallucinations, I thought. "Unbelievable!" I said out loud, or at least tried to. For some unknown reason, I didn't have a voice. No sounds whatsoever came out of my mouth. I tried screaming and yelling, but I couldn't make any sound at all. Reflexively, I picked up the phone and stared to dial, but I realized just how stupid that was, with me not being able to speak at all. I was beginning to get scared. What other kinds of weird effects were taking place inside me? And were they permanent? And how do I explain this to my parents when they get home? Another thought occurred to me. I probably changed in other places too. Other less obvious places. A hand slipped down my pants, finding a little less there than I woke up with this morning. That was it. I had to see for myself. I got up, ignoring the movie and ran into my mother's room. I closed the door and stepped to the side of the large, freestanding mirror. I stripped naked and closed my eyes. I took a step over and opened them. Yup, not my normal factory standard body. I seemed to have the other model right now, and I didn't know why. I was rather attached to the old body; I had a lot of miles on it, and while I didn't like many things about it, it was still MY body, and I didn't really appreciate it being toyed with. And I looked disturbingly like my cousin Annabelle, which is not to say she isn't pretty, she's just A GIRL! And about six minutes ago, I could have said without fear of contradiction that I was a boy. But not now. I was a girl, and boy howdy, I was a girl. I was a little small and short as a guy, only five foot six and a half in my socks, which was disappointingly short for me. Now it was rather delightfully tall. My body changed a little with this transformation, besides the rather obvious new parts, I seemed to be a little more fit and athletically inclined. My facial features were a muted version of my male features, much more appropriate for my new body. I especially loved my fuller lips and pixie nose. It's a dream. That's it. I convinced myself of this as I looked at the new person in the mirror. That's the only way to explain this. Had to be a dream. So I decided to go with it. When in Rome and all that. It's not like I could do anything about it anyway. It was one wacky dream, but kind of a nice one, I'd sure give it that. First thing, I wanted a Polaroid. This was too nice a body not to get one. Just in case I ran into a genie or something in this dream, I could wave this photo in front of him and hope he'd change me into a rich and very smart version of her. I began by going into my closet. I opened the door and removed a box of shoes and a box of other junk. Then I lifted the piece of unsecured carpet and set it aside. I lifted a piece of floorboard and revealed my secret hiding place. It was a convenient little cove that the previous owner of the trailer had built into the floor. For what, I don't know. Now it contained a veritable pirate's treasure of clothes, of women's clothes that I had covertly collected since I was in the sixth grade. I had always wanted to wear Kade's sister's prom gown that I rescued from a trip to the trash. I never did wear it because I could never realistically fill it out. But I could now. It was a nice blue number, like a freshly laid robin's egg, and wonderfully soft, smooth, and feminine. Out it went onto my bed. I threw out some Victoria's Secret panties and a pair of Hanes Silk Reflections pantyhose. In the very bottom, were the shoes that she wore. They were only size 8, a far cry from the women's size 11's I normally wore. I may have small feet for a guy, but I have honking huge feet for a woman. It almost would have been easier to climb Everest than find shoes that could fit me. On a whim, I slipped them on. You could have knocked me over with a feather when they slipped on with absolutely no problem. I couldn't even get half of my foot in them before, but I managed to get them on with about as much difficulty as a fish has breathing water. I slipped them off, and took everything to the bathroom. If I was going to do this, I was going to do it right, dream or not. So that meant I needed to get all gussied up. Which meant a long hot shower, shaving, plucking, painting, curling, spritzing, and a whole load of other verbs. Three and a half hours later, I emerged from the bathroom. I felt a little overdressed all alone in the house with just me, Ally, and Tigger, but I looked really good. I wished somehow I could go to a prom dressed like this. Maybe as a joke I could get Kade's sister Megan to escort me to the prom dressed as a guy. I wonder how that would go over. I took some more pictures with the Polaroid. I was thinking of making my own fashion portfolio. Maybe I could have a series of dreams and become some fashion model. That would be something, my own little soap opera dreams. I thought about going out, but I didn't have any more money to buy anything anyway. But I did have the fashion show idea. I put three CD's on shuffle in the stereo, Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, and Roxette, then grabbed all my outfits, plus some of my mother's clothes, and began walking down the hall, modeling them in front of my mother's full-length mirror, which I moved to the living room. I really got into the music and began acting like the mirror and Ally and Tigger were my audience of adoring fans. I wanted to give them a show to remember. I watched myself walk back from the living room as I went to change. Wait a second, do I really walk like that!? You've got to be kidding me. I took a few steps forward, looking back over my shoulder at the mirror. Okay, that wasn't just a fluke. I was shocked. I walked towards the mirror. It was still the same. I guess I could describe it as a "bump and grind" kind of walk, sort of a lithe kind of swagger. It was the kind of step I always used to see on girls as they walked towards their boyfriends, or just wanted to show off. Where did that come from? I thought they just took all the girls aside in school or something and showed them all how to walk like that. I was rather pleased with myself. I seemed to be a natural. But then again, it was my dream and I could act as realistically female as I wanted to. With a renewed sense of fun I resumed the show. I did a casual wear, formal wear and bedtime wear show. It was wonderfully fun. I wished I could have shared this dream with someone else. I sorted through all the Polaroids after the fashion show as I watched some late night TV. They were amateur, but they still looked pretty good. Or at least, I thought they were pretty good. And what did it matter; they were pictures in my dream, anyway. I slowly let myself nod off on the couch, in the prom dress. It was really comfortable on my new body, so I wore it again in the grand finale of the fashion show. "Bang, bang, bang." The sound of a hand on the tin of the trailer door woke me out of my sleep. I brushed a lock of black hair out of my eyes and let them focus. I was dressed in a prom dress and I could feel the makeup still on my face. I panicked, jumping up. Polaroids slipped off my stomach and onto the floor like water cascading over the side of a waterfall. I slipped on the rug as the shoes as the almost unbearably tight shoes I was wearing lost their grip. I slid to a stop in front of the door. I peeked through the keyhole and saw a Fed-Ex delivery person, standing there with a letter. I knew Mom was expecting a letter, so I couldn't ignore it. It was important enough that she sent it next day air from Maine. "Just a second." I called. I was immensely relieved to hear sound come out of mouth. I opened the door and signed for it. I almost signed Stephen Mackenzie, but I caught myself and signed Annabelle Mackenzie. I took the letter and he went on his way. I breathed a big sigh of relief as I closed the door. I looked over at the scattered Polaroids on the floor, and then down at the dress I was wearing. It hit me like a freight train. IT WASN'T A DREAM! My mind screamed. Then my feet screamed. Well, not really, they just hurt really badly. Mostly because they were stuffed in shoes three sizes too small for them. I tried pulling them off just with my hands, but it was not gonna work. I couldn't grip them well enough. All I managed to do was roll around on the floor and attract Ally's attention. Womp! She jumped right in the middle of my chest, wanting to be part of the game I was playing. I deflated like a bellows. Now, she's a cute puppy and all, but she's really big. I managed to catch my breath and push her off, but she jumped right back on top of me, licking with that big drooly tongue of hers, and occasionally tugging at a sleeve or ribbon on the dress. In the ensuing melee between us, she managed to get her teeth around the left shoe and yank it off, which was good. It was not good that she ran off with it. She shredded one of my Mom's favorite pair of pumps, so I wasn't about to let her go off alone with these. I had to chase her down the hallway, into my parent's room and shimmy under the bed and pull the shoe away from her, complete with the drool puddle she had thoughtfully put inside it. I managed to find a shoehorn in one of the kitchen junk drawers to get the other shoe off after some effort. I breathed a sigh of relief. Gosh, my feet hurt. Personal note, remember to take off your shoes before you go to sleep. Okay, now there's some time for thought. I drank some potion, accidentally, that I got from this old fortune-teller and I changed in the middle of My Fair Lady. I stayed that way all night, then this morning I'm back to normal. Good, potions wore off, and I can get on with my life. I hope. Please? Pretty please, with sugar on top? I thought to whatever or whoever was playing with my head and body like this. I got out of the dress and took a quick shower. Back into Stephen clothes I went. I walked out of the bathroom and was greeted by Kade, looking around. He had his right arm in a sling, as well as a vest type thing that was supposed to keep his upper body from his neck to mid-chest immobile, along with his right shoulder. He reminded me of a patchwork mummy, with all the bandages and slings and half casts he had on. I knew that reckless fool would have left the hospital as soon as he could get his clothes on and put the pen to the release form, even if it might not be the best think for him. "You're out of the hospital!? In your condition! What are you thinking!?" were my first words. I wanted to slap him on the back of his thick head. Actually I knew what he was thinking. He hated hospitals every since he was eight and his grandfather died while he was in the room alone with him. He hated them every since. But that still doesn't mean that he didn't make a really stupid choice in this case. And what was Mrs. Markinson thinking, letting him go? He may be almost nineteen, but that doesn't mean that he should get to do things like that. I made a mental note to talk to her later. "Hey Stephen," he said, just out of habit, not hearing what I said or really looking at me. He walked past into the guest bedroom. He looked around, puzzled, but he still didn't say anything. He was acting really weird. My first thought was that the helmet wasn't as protective as it should have been. When he walked into my room, I looked around in horror. I hadn't picked up a thing. All my dress up clothes were strewn about the floor. There was a sinking feeling in my chest. I just knew he would put it all together. "Ah-Ha!" He said. I my heart nearly leaped out of my mouth. "I knew she was staying here with you." He waved my red, lace- trimmed handkerchief in front of my face. "That's why you were sleeping on the couch, wasn't it? You're such a gentleman, giving up your bed to an angel like that. So who is she, and where is she hiding?" That was an excellent question. Who was she? Really? She wasn't exactly me, and by that I mean Stephen. She was an entity in herself, one that seemed to have jumped out of my control lately. "Lacey. Spelled L-a-c-e-y." I said as I watched the waving handkerchief. Not bad, I thought, for a spur of the moment name. "Hmmm, Lacey. Pretty name." He looked at me thoughtfully for a second. I hated this. Did he know or not? This paranoia can almost give someone a heart attack. "So tell me about her. What's her last name?" Last name? Last name!? Is it too late to pray to God to just strike me dead? At least that would save me the embarrassment of slipping up and having to tell him the truth. My eyes darted around like little hummingbirds. "Deveraux. Lacey Deveraux." I said as I read the last name of the author, Jude Deveraux, from the end of the cover that stuck out from under my bed. Phew! Saved by my love of romance novels. Never would have thought that would happen. That's two dodges. Third time's the charm, though, and I was running out of objects in my room that had potential to save me. Somehow, I managed to create an entire life for someone in an hour and a half. Kade was absolutely relentless. He wanted to know everything I knew about her. According to him, I obviously knew her well enough to let her borrow my beloved car, which meant I knew her pretty well, so he wanted to know everything I knew. So I embellished. I told a story. Okay, I flat out lied through my teeth. Lacey was a friend of my cousin Annabelle and she wanted to get away from her parents and their current divorce problems. So Annabelle brought her to Port Douglas from Eugene, Annabelle had to leave because her dog Dinky swallowed his sock toy and had to have emergency surgery. I said Lacey could stay here for the rest of the month, just to get away from it all, but she comes and goes at odd times, so you may not see her here during her stay. "Ohh." He said thoughtfully, with a little glimmer in his eye. I heard a horn honk outside. He slowly got up. "Sorry, that's Mom. She insists that I don't overdo things. She's my ride until I get my bike fixed. Besides, I couldn't ride it or even drive the car in this condition anyway. There's some pain medication at home with my name on it too. Stay cool, and have Lacey call me when she gets in. It doesn't matter when, just have her call. See ya." With that, he left. Golly, this was getting to be a mess. I had no idea what I was going to do. I thought and thought about it. The only way to avoid things was to just avoid dressing up and say that Lacey left because of an emergency or something. That was it. It was perfect. Feeling rather proud of myself, I fed Ally and started to clean the house. I barely heard the phone ring over the dull roar of the vacuum cleaner. I quickly shut it off and dived for the phone. I answered, "Hello?" "Stephen dear. How is everything?" came the familiar female voice on the other end of the phone. "Well Mom, there are some bad things, and some good things. The bad thing is that Kade totally wrecked his motorcycle on Seaview Drive. He hurt pretty bad. But the good thing is that he's feeling better now, much better. He's out of the hospital and running around, even though I think he shouldn't be. Other than that, everything is just peachy as can be. How about you?" "Weather's great, your Dad is fine and your Grandparents are doing wonderful. They plan on touring the fifty states in their huge Winnebago once we are done visiting. Stephen dear, did you happen to get a letter I sent out early today? It's really important." I quickly rummaged around in the little box I had for all my parents' mail. I pulled out the letter. "Yup, it's right here in my hand." "Super. Now can you do this for me? Take that letter along with my file box to Marjorie down at the office. She'll know exactly what to do with it." "Oh yeah, sure thing, Mom. Anything else?" "Nope, that's about it. Just keep out of trouble and try and show Ally that it's better to go outside that in the house. And actually get after her, because your idea of just putting her out every hour isn't working." "Sure it will. Give it time." "I know you mean well, but I doubt it, honey. Why don't you use the tried and true way of doing things?" "Well, because sometimes the new things are better. Tell you what Mom, I'll bet you one of your homemade triple fudge ice cream cakes against me doing all the dishes and housecleaning for a month that my way is better. I'll have Ally housebroken by the time that you and Dad get back." "Okay, dear. I'll take that on the condition that you will let me take her to a trainer should you fail." "Sure. It won't be a problem. She will be perfectly housebroken when you get home." "Well, your Dad is waiting for me, so I have to go. Kisses, honey." "Kisses, Mom. Bye, have fun." "Bye." With that, she hung up. I was pleased to know everything was fine with them. It's a security kind of thing. I went back to doing housework. I finished cleaning the house, then went into the yard and did some work there. I finished, then I settled in and started watching the Counterfeit Contessa on tape just before dark. I was watching Tea Leoni skipping down the sidewalk in New York as I made popcorn in the kitchen. When I came back from the kitchen, I got dizzy and my vision clouded. When it cleared and I felt normal again, Ally was happily munching the spilled popcorn and the movie was already past the opening credits. I felt different, like I had the night before, and I knew that could only mean one thing. I had changed again. Well, that one-shot change theory went out the window. But what was making me change, besides the obvious one, the potion? Was it the kitchen? Did the potion know when I went into the kitchen to get something while I was watching a movie? I changed back sometime during the night, so the change isn't completely permanent. What triggers the change? The scientist in me wanted to figure out the details of it all. What made me change, why and how, were the questions I craved answers for. I had to find out. I needed to talk to someone. That someone was Madame Mimmy. She made this potion; she should know its effects. I opened my mouth to call Ally, but I didn't have a voice again. That was some really odd effect of the potion. I wanted to know about it too. I knew I had to track down Madame Mimmy's shop somehow, even though it appeared to be gone. I put on some inconspicuous clothes. Nothing really fancy, just a skirt and a sweater for the cool coastal night air, some pantyhose and the blue shoes. I had no other shoes that would fit my feet now, so they would have to do. I thought about just wearing jeans, but that seemed a little too casual. For some reason, I felt like getting all dressed up. I managed to get back to Madame Mimmy's shop again, but it was still empty. Very empty, like no one had ever been in that building before. Ever. I had hoped beyond all rational hope that she might be open during the nighttime, since I originally found her at night. Not a chance, unless she magically turned herself and all her things into dust bunnies. This was a dead end. I was a little disheartened as I sat down on a bench across the street. I just sat; thinking about everything that had went on in these last three days. It was enough to drive someone absolutely batty. Chin in my hands and elbows on knees, I sat, staring off into space, at the open storefront. I almost didn't notice him, I was so very wrapped up in my thoughts. A man in a suit stopped and looked in the storefront. Then he opened the door. There was a shimmer, like the air rising from pavement on a really hot day, and for a second, I saw the inside of the shop! Madame Mimmy was still there! I ran across the street, mindless of the traffic roaring by. I tried the door, several times. I even put my foot on the doorframe and pulled on the knob with both hands. It didn't even jiggle. I pounded on the door, stopping only when people began to stare at me. This was totally frustrating. I sat down in front of the door, feeling like crying a river, and I didn't care who saw. It was then that my left hand bumped into one of those small plastic eggs that come out of supermarket quarter machines. I batted my rapidly moistening eyes and picked it up. I opened it with a pop. It had a little piece of paper inside. I unfolded it and read it. Those that find their own way are the happiest in life. MM Deep down, I knew that I would have to do things without Mimmy's help, despite the fact that she was the one that complicated my life to no end. Some answers, just a few, that's all I ask. It's not like I wanna know what the secret of eternal life is, just what is going on in my life and why. I started walking down the street to the general store. I had left my car in the parking lot there and I was dying for a cigarette. I pulled the pack of Virginia Slims out of the pocket of my denim jacket and lit one up. I took one puff and felt like I was going to choke to death. It burned by throat and lungs, and my eyes were full of tears. It felt like I had never had a cigarette before in my life, although I knew I had smoked many packs before. I opened the door to get some air. I sat there with the door open and Faith Hill playing on the radio. It was the first time I had ever heard her sing. Appropriately, the song was "Take Me As I Am". I loved her voice. It was so nice and smooth and feminine. If I was always a girl and I could have picked any voice in the world to have my voice like, it would be hers. "Umm, excuse me. Is your name Lacey?" asked Kade, rather politely. I wasn't used to him speaking to me in that way. We were much more relaxed, and here he actually seemed nervous. It threw me for a loop. I was so startled I almost dropped my cigarette. "Yeah, my name's Lacey. And you are?" I asked him. I had to play along. I couldn't very well just drop on him that I was his best friend in a girl's body. "Kade. Kade Markinson. We've met before. I just didn't get a chance to introduce myself, because I was only half conscious." He said. Just a second! I spoke out loud, and someone heard me! As a girl! I was a little shocked and confused, but happy. A girl that can't talk is like a goldfish without fins. Kade went on, mistaking my look of shock for one of confusion. "You were the one who called the ambulance for me when I crashed on Seaview Drive. I do have the right person, don't I?" "Oh, sorry. I didn't recognize you. It was kinda dark. I'm glad to see you up and about so soon after such a nasty accident." I said. For some reason, I felt like playing with my longish hair. I meant to get a haircut, but I kept putting it off. It wasn't all that long; it only came down just past my ears. It was only longish for a guy, but it was enough to twirl a finger around. He smiled at me. I felt my heart thump. "I guess I had a guardian angel watching over me." "Guess so," I said. Part of me wished he would stop looking at me like that. I felt all weird and tingly inside. Another didn't want him to ever stop. "So, since you had a big hand in saving my life, would you mind going out to dinner or a movie with me tomorrow? I feel I owe you something." he said, breaking into another smile. Stop that! The rational part of my brain screamed. Those smiles had a weird effect on me. Part of me really didn't like the effect, but another loved it. I put the rapidly dwindling cigarette out, then answered "Umm, maybe sometime later. I just want to stay out of the way and take my mind off things. I really have to go, I promised Stephen that I would feed the puppy for him." Right, like I could really take my mind off anything that was happening to me. But it was the best thing I could think of, and it did kinda fit with the story I told Kade. I got in the car and pulled out of the parking lot. I was really confused and I felt weird. I had another cigarette as I drove home. I had no idea what I was feeling. I had never felt anything like it before. I sat at home on the couch, with Ally right beside me, with her taking up part of the couch and laying on top of me some too. I thought about what had just happened and the options that were open to me. Kade really seemed to like Lacey, but I wondered if that wasn't just some kind of traumatic event have a thing for the one that saved you kinda thing. And there was a big part of me that wanted to give him a little happiness in his life. He was my best friend after all, and I hadn't ever seen him quite this stuck on a girl before, not even when he was after Jennifer Lavoie during senior year. He just lit up around Lacey. Somehow, I felt it was easier to refer to her as a separate person. She practically was one now. And we are so very different. Like night and day. But somehow, we were also the same. It was just bizarre and unexplainable. My creation, my alter ego, was getting out of control, becoming a person in herself instead of just a facet of my personality. I drifted off to sleep sometime during the Flintstones on Cartoon Network. I was awakened by the sound of whining and claws scraping across paneling. It was coming from the general direction of the front door. I raised up on the couch and looked down to see Ally cock her head to one side and look at me with her big brown eyes, pleading for me to open the door so she could get out. I was filled with a sense of pride; my housetraining was actually sinking in. Who says you have to take the strict approach, just put them out every so often and reward them when they piddle outside instead of on the carpet. That will never work Stephen. Well ha-ha-ha, Mom, it does work. You owe me a homemade triple fudge ice cream cake. I thought, rather proudly as I let Ally out the door. She ran out on the early, early morning dew soaked grass, sniffing around. She ran under some low hanging apple trees and stayed under there for a while. I looked out at the sky. It was turning a softly hued pink color, reminiscent of cotton candy fresh out of the sugar spinner. It slowly stained the low hanging clouds the same color. It was slowly getting brighter, but it wasn't quite daylight yet. Ally just came out of the trees when the first rays of bright new sunlight crested the hill and bathed me in their light. My head swum and my vision clouded. I reached for something to grab, but there was nothing close. I vaguely recall the sensation of falling, but it seemed like it was happening to someone else. The next thing I remember is lying in rather brightly lit and wet grass, with a warm and wet tongue licking my face. When I opened my eyes, Ally jumped back and looked at me with a concerned look on her face. After she was sure I was okay and wasn't mad at her, she jumped on me and tried to get me to play. I shooed her away so I could get up, and I realized I was in my Stephen body again. And then it all came together, in one big package, with a bow on top and everything. I changed when the sun went down and when the sun came up. Lacey at night, and Stephen during the day, that's the pattern. I hadn't noticed before, because I was sleeping at the time I changed back. I also felt stupid, actually really stupid, because I hadn't noticed that I changed at dark. It was all so obvious now. Well, at least some of it was. I went back inside and reluctantly took off the skirt. It was a darn good thing that no one saw me dressed like that, I thought. I'd hate to explain that. I washed up and changed into my pajamas. I woke at eight and went to work. It was the end of my two days off. I was a little distracted all day, but all I had to do was deliver packages for the staff at the local community college. Not exactly the most taxing mental work, which was good, because I was really spaced out most of the day. I was occupied with thoughts of my current situation. And after eight hours of work and nearly that much time in thinking, I wasn't any closer to a real answer to anything that was happening. I was kind of hungry; so I went to the Tasty Freeze and grabbed a peanut butter cup freeze. It was their version of a Dairy Queen Blizzard. It was a wonderful restaurant, having been in Port Douglas for over half a century. I was absently sucking on the oversized straw, watching the traffic on Douglas Avenue when Paige, my next-door neighbor, sat beside me. "Hey Stephen, up to much?" "Not really, just relaxing after working all day. " "Penny for your thoughts?" "Oh, I wasn't really thinking, I was just staring off into space." "Oh. Like my new dress?" She stood up and spun around in front of me in the booth. "Yes. It looks wonderful on you." "I'll bet it would look just as good on you." She smiled a sort of secret smile that let me know she knew something. I just about choked on my peanut butter cup freeze. Inside, I was a little scared, but I tried not to let it show. "You know Stephen, I always thought of you as the nice older brother that I never had. You really are a great guy. I saw you yesterday morning, as I was getting ready to go for my run. That was you, wasn't it? In the skirt and sweater, on the lawn, playing with the dog, wasn't it? Don't worry if it was, I don't think its weird. A lot of people have that kind of 'hobby' and they're perfectly normal. I was just curious. It looked an awful lot like you, you know." I didn't know how to answer. I knew she was trying to make me comfortable so I would come up with an awkward sort of lie that would be just as good as me saying "Yup. your right. I love to wear dresses and pretend I'm a girl." I needed an excuse of epic proportions and the speaking skills of Johnny Cochrane to make it believable. I nonchalantly took a sip of my freeze.There must have been something in that particular glop of peanut butter cup and ice cream, because I got the most inspired idea. "Um, that wasn't me. That was my cousin Annabelle. She stopped over on her way to San Francisco. She was helping one of her friends move in to and apartment there from Eugene. I for one don't know why she didn't just go to the University of Oregon. It's a great school. And it's a lot closer and cheaper than any school in California." Paige looked at me for a second. If my face betrayed me, she certianly didn't let me know. "I see. Well, sorry. I didn't mean to imply anything by that. You know, there's a really strong family resemblance between you two." There was a lull in the conversation, with the sounds of the few diners in the restaurant conversing and straws at the bottom of freezes sucking air. Paige abruptly broke in and said, "Well, I have to go pick up my little brother from baseball practice." She rose with her cup in her hand and slung her purse over her shoulder. "See you later, then?" "Oh sure. See you later." I said. I watched her as she got into her car and left. I breathed a sigh of relief. That was entirely too close for me. I sat there for a second, then rose and threw away my empty cup and left. I got home just before dark. This time I was ready for the transformation. I had the usual cloudy vision and felt the usual dizziness. Then I was Lacey again. It wasn't such a shock now that I could predict the change, but how long would this last? I'd hate to live the rest of my life hopping between Lacey and Stephen. It would just be downright bizarre. I realized that I might need some new clothes for the times that I was Lacey. I only had a few outfits and I had a feeling that I might be stuck in this predicament for awhile. I had my Discover card, but I felt that was just for emergencies, and only used it as such. I sent in the application only because I wanted to see if they actually would give me the card, because I had no credit history and a low paying part time job. It had a one thousand dollar credit limit, which was an absolutely huge amount for me, but it was nothing compared to my Grandmother's Platinum Visa card, which had a one hundred-thousand dollar limit. She could have charged our entire trailer and the land it was on in the park on the card if the owner would have let her. All because of the two extra zeroes on the credit statement. It was mind- boggling if you thought about it. I was the one that was in charge of the account. My parents didn't even know about it. I had all the mail relating to it sent to the post office box that I used to order things by mail. I would be the one responsible for the bill. But I really wanted some new clothes. The siren call of the local stores was becoming louder and more irresistible every second. And I could buy whatever I wanted, because I had the body to fit the clothes. I could try them on in the store and everything. My practical side was warring with my hedonistic side, and that was a fight that my practical side rarely won. My perpetually empty wallet was a testament to that. But I was now a nocturnal girl, and I did need to look my best. An hour later, after a call to the Discover card company, I was at Threads n' Things, a discount clothing store. I had convinced myself that I was a real girl now, and as such, I needed a wardrobe to match. I just hoped she had enough self-control not to max out the card on clothes. It would take forever to pay off the balance on that card if she did. But at least it was a thrift store, not one of the retail stores that were close by. At least my hedonistic side occasionally realized the need for her to exercise some measure of frugality. I entered the door in rather ratty looking jeans and a t-shirt, with some old tennis shoes on. I dug around in the storage shed in the backyard to get them. I hadn't worn them since I was 14. But all my other clothes were dirty, and everyone had them seen by now anyway. What kind of self-respecting girl has only three good outfits? I planned to remedy that. And from the look of the clerk, she was very willing to help me with that. She came directly over. "Can I help you?" "Sure." I felt a little weird. I had never really bought anything female in a store. Somehow, I still felt like I was Stephen and I was going to get caught buying girl's clothes, even though there was no way that anyone could know I was Stephen. "So, dear, what are you looking for? We have a wide selection of clothes. I'm sure I could help you find something to fit your tastes." I had to think for a minute. What did I want? I could get a multitude of items. All I had to do was figure out what I wanted. So why not try it all? "I'm not exactly sure. How about we look at everything." Lacey's response had taken over and squished my Stephen response. I, I mean, she was beginning to get harder to control as of late. I didn't like it, I think. I started to gather up clothes. Some were dresses, some were casual skirts and blouses, jeans and t-shirts, just about anything that was available and eye-catching. I was like a kid in a candy store. "Are you going to try anything on?" asked the saleslady. Duh, try on the clothes. See how they fit and look. I had never needed to do that as Stephen, because his clothes were simple, just jeans and shirts with tennis shoes. And it's a little hard to try on clothes mail order. "Yeah, absolutely." I said. I was starting to get into this whole shopping thing. It was starting to get fun. I figured that I may as well get to know her some, since I was probably going to be here for awhile. "So what's your name?" I asked. "Mine's Lacey." "Oh, I'm Karen. Nice to meet you Lacey." She said pleasantly. "Nice to meet you." I replied. She reached out and pulled some clothes off the rack. "This would be absolutely darling on you. If you got the right shoes to go with them, it would be a perfect outfit." She handed me a pair of designer jeans and a blue ruffled silk blouse. The jeans had little flowers and hummingbirds embroidered on, and the blouse had a matching pattern. I slipped into the dressing room and began undressing. The jeans went on with no difficulty. Karen must really know her clothes. They fit perfectly, absolutely perfectly. And snugly, too, I giggled. I turned and read the tag in the mirror. 26 32's. I'd have to remember that. I slipped the blouse over my head. It was deceptively low cut. Can we say cleavage? Suddenly I went from putting on clothes to "gosh, look at those!" "Is everything okay in there?" asked Karen. "Ummm, yeah. I'm just deciding." I said. I was unsure about going out dressed like this. I realized that this was the kind of outfit that you wore out when you wanted boys to stare. I wasn't sure that I was up for that right now. Did I really want to be stared at, especially like that? I decided to get Karen's opinion on the matter. I stepped out of the dressing room. I twirled around and said, "So what do you think?" Thwack! I watched a sheepish looking man get up from the floor, amid a mess of clothing from a tipped over rack. His wife was staring daggers at him. Poor klutz, I thought. "Lacey, I think that speaks for itself." Karen said, barely keeping her laughter in check. "Although I don't think you should wear that anyplace that men can trip over things." It took a second to sink in. Then it all came together. The klutz, the poor klutz that I felt sorry for was ogling me! Me of all people! That's why he ran into the rack of clothes. I felt really good, special in a way that I had never really felt as Stephen. I now had some idea why women wore those revealing outfits. They liked the attention that they got as much as men liked looking at them. I swaggered over to the jeans with my "bump and grind" walk, feeling very self-assured, and picked out three more pairs in different colors and matching blouses. With Karen's help, I picked out a whole wardrobe of clothes. Sometime around nine-o-clock, three stores and seven hundred dollars later, I stopped shopping. It was mostly because all the stores closed on me. I got several outfits, dressy ones, casual ones and some shoes to match, and some perfume, lingerie, and a few cheap accessories. I'm sure I looked like a walking pile of shopping bags and boxes. A voice came from behind me, a familiar voice. "Hey, you dropped something." Kade came around the mountain of merchandise I was carrying. "Oh, hi Lacey. Doing a little shopping I see. I guess that means that you plan on staying in town for awhile." "Maybe, I'm not exactly sure." I replied. "Here, let me take some of those for you." He said. "No, you're hurt. I couldn't let you strain yourself like that." I knew that he wouldn't let it go; at least until he helped out what he saw as a girl in need. "But you could take my keys and open the car up for me." I smiled at him and his face seemed to light up. "Can you reach into my right side jacket pocket and get the keys for me?" I said, lifting my elbow out of the way. He slid his hand in and grabbed them, then ran ahead. When I got there, the hatchback was open for me. Kade helped me put my purchases in the car. My poor little car was practically bursting at the seams. "So, you doing anything tonight?" Kade asked, with note of hopefulness in his voice. He did that little half smile thing that was so charming. "Oh, I don't know. I have a lot of things to do tonight." I said to him. I silently hoped he would take no for an answer. I added, "And shouldn't you be in bed or the hospital or something?" No such luck. He ignored my last comment and said, "Well, it doesn't have to be tonight. It could be tomorrow night, or any night you're free. You know, you saved my life. I owe you big. The least I could do was take you out for a nice evening on the town. I would be privileged to take out an enchanting young woman like you." Kade always had a way with women. I had watched it before, but never from this angle. I could feel myself visibly blush. I toyed with my hair again, torn between Lacey's reactions and feelings and Stephen's reactions and feelings. They were warring, and right now, with Kade looking at me like he was, Lacey's were winning hands down. "Thank you," I stammered. I couldn't seem to put together complex s