I wrote this one as part of a story exchange with Eric. I followed
his wishes in the transformations and some of the clothing.
Otherwise the story is all mine.
Maggie
Circle of Women
By Maggie Finson
Dan Hastings couldn't tear his eyes away from the group of young
women chatting in the lobby of restaurant he has stopped at for
dinner during a particularly gruelling road trip. As groups of young
women went they weren't all that extraordinary. A slender blonde, a
petite one with Raven hair, a taller redhead who had the build to
carry her height well, and the last with rich brown hair and the
sweetest voice he had ever heard.
There were a few things, though, that made them stand out besides the
obvious attractiveness of each one. All had long, beautiful hair,
and blue eyes. But it was their clothing that had drawn his
attention first. Each woman was dressed exactly the same as her
companions. Snug blue shells that showed off that they were women
and not just girls, with black silk tees underneath the shells to
hold the views given by the low cut shells to a minimum, knee length
black skirts that looked to be of silk too hugged their hips and
bottoms delightfully for male eyes, legs covered in dark, gleaming
hose, and wearing black pumps with about a two inch heel.
Deciding they were in some kind of uniform, Dan wondered where in
such a small town as Fairmont they could all work that would require
such smart looking attire. Giving that up as a senseless exercise for
an already overtired mind and imagination he tried getting back to
his meal.
But something about them kept drawing his eyes back to the group who
seemed oblivious of his sometimes intent regard. A feeling that he
couldn't explain was clamouring at the back of his mind that these
young women were something special, something that he had been
searching for over the years and never really found more than rumours
or outright hoaxes about.
"Nah." Shaking his head and forcing himself to pay attention to his
meal, a very good hot beef sandwich made with real mashed potatoes,
Dan dismissed that near premonition with a chuckle. "I've been on
the road for a solid week. I'm worn out, need my vacation, and am
starting to imagine things because of all that."
Still...
"Excuse me?" A soft, velvety voice interrupted his reveries and Dan
looked up to see the slender, and very pretty blonde of the group
standing at his table wearing a small frown.
"Didn't anyone ever tell you it isn't really polite to stare?
Especially at women you don't even know?"
"Umm." Caught, and reddening under her clear blue eyes regard, he
drew in a breath before trying to respond. "Sorry. I've been on the
road for a while and was actually just spacing off there. I do
apologize for seeming to stare at you, it wasn't intentional."
"Looked like a pretty intense spacing off to me." The pretty young
woman retorted, then smiled briefly. "But I guess that'll do for an
apology right now. Telling the truth would have worked better,
though."
"Ok, I admit it." Dan let out a sigh of capitulation. "I was
staring. Sorry, it's just that I am tired, and all of you dressed in
the same outfits just intrigued me is all. I didn't mean to insult
any of you with it."
"That's a little better." she allowed her smile to grow a bit as she
ran a hand over her outfit. "We're all in a -- call it a club -- and
these are the club uniforms. We wear them to our meetings."
"Well you all look really nice in them." Dan replied, trying to
smooth over his faux pas with a compliment that was genuine. "That's
another thing that attracted my attention, to be honest."
"Thanks. I think." The blonde grinned, then held our her small, slim
hand. "I'm Agatha Powers, by the way."
"Dan Hastings." He took her hand gently and felt a small thrill
almost like an electrical shock as he shook it. "I am sorry about
the staring."
"We cleared that part up, Dan." Agatha returned with another smile.
"Just be careful about that in the future. Staring at people can
have all kinds of consequences, not all of them as pleasant as our
little conversation here. Keep that in mind, if you would in the
future."
"Um, right." Dan winced, thinking she had just put him in his place,
even if gently while wondering if she had a jealous boyfriend or
husband. "I get the point. Thanks, and tell your boyfriend I didn't
mean anything by it, please?"
"Oh, I don't have one of those currently." Agatha laughed softly
causing her waves of thick honey blonde hair to ripple. "And I'm not
really looking at the moment."
"Too bad for the guys around here, then." He blurted out before
thinking, then blushed.
"You look like a man who needs some rest pretty badly." Agatha seated
herself across from him without being invited in a gracefully
sensuous series of motions and whisper of silk against the vinyl of
the bench. "Are you going to be staying here in Fairmont at all? If
you are, I'd recommend the Bell, Book and Candle Inn. It's modern,
has plenty of vacancies just now, and also has a pretty good dining
room for guests."
"Bell, Book and Candle?" Dan perked up a bit at that name and Agatha
chuckled at his reaction. "Oh it's kind of silly, I know, but
Constance, the owner and landlady of the place, just loves that old
movie."
"I'll give that some thought." Dan glanced at the reflection of his
almost haggard face framed with short brown hair in need of cutting
in the window and nodded. "Thanks, I do need some rest and was
thinking of staying over somewhere close."
"Tell Constance that Agatha sent you, if you do." The young woman
slid out of the seat and gave him a smile. "She'll give you a
discount and fuss over you like a lost child returned home. But come
to think of it, she treats all her guests that way. You'll like her,
I think."
"Thanks again, ummm MS. Powers."
"Just Agatha, Dan Hastings." She smiled briefly before adding. "I'd
just hate to have someone find you in a pile up somewhere down the
road. You get a good night's sleep and enjoy your stay in Fairmont.
I have to go now. Bye."
She glanced over her shoulder at him while leaving and gave him a
smile that held volumes, none of which even hinted at invitation.
For some reason, Dan had to suppress a shudder when she did that, but
still found himself watching in fascination as Agatha and her friends
left the restaurant.
"Talk about mixed signals." He muttered to himself while picking up
the check to pay for his meal and leaving a standard tip for the
waitress who had been so attentive until Agatha had walked up to him.
Jill, the perky waitress who had served his table took his credit
card with a smile and ran it through the slot in the cash register.
"I see you met Agatha."
"Yeah, sort of." Dan shrugged. "Interesting lady."
"That she is." Jill responded with a little sigh while handing him
his receipt. "Lucky for you the impression she got in your meeting
was a good one."
"What's that mean?" Signing the register generated credit card slip
and handing it back to the woman, he gave her a curious look.
"Oh nothing important." Jill smiled brightly at him. "She can be a
real nasty bitch with people she doesn't like is all."
"You know, I kind of got that impression myself." he answered as he
tucked the credit card back into his wallet.
"Well, you came through it ok." Jill grinned. "She kept her claws
sheathed with you. Take care, Mr. Hastings."
"Thanks, and the food was great here, along with the service."
"I'll be sure and tell Dad you said so." Jill smiled. "He's the cook
and owner here and always enjoys getting complements from the
customers."
"Well, any he, and you get, are deserved." Dan put in before giving
her a wave and heading out for his car.
He felt eyes following his movements as he paid the bill, spoke with
Jill, and left the restaurant. It was a feeling that refused to fade
even as he unlocked the door of his new, but road dirty Celica and
got into the car.
****
"That one recognized us for what we are."
"Nonsense." A soft voice answered with authority. "He may have felt
something, but gave no sign of knowing what he was feeling."
"You shouldn't have told him about the Inn here." Another spoke.
"Look, he was going to stay overnight anyway. At least at the Bell,
Constance can keep an eye on him for us."
"What happens if he decides to stay for a while?" a hesitant one put in.
"We'll deal with it when it comes up. He's no threat to any of us,
and won't be."
"You'd better be sure of that." The first voice insisted.
"I am."
****
The Bell, Book and Candle was, as promised, modern and had a very
comfortable looking lobby with exits leading into a well cared for
dining room, a polished wooden stairway leading up to where he was
sure the rooms would be, and the office.
"Can I help you?" A pleasant middle aged woman questioned as he
looked over the surroundings. "I'm Constance, by the way and run
this place."
"Yes, I think you can." Dan replied with a smile while wondering if
all the women in this town were pretty, or if they just kept the
unattractive ones out of sight. "Agatha suggested that I come here
for a room tonight, so I thought I'd check."
"She did?" Constance smiled in delight. "Well come on in and let's
get you a room, then."
The woman continued her friendly chatter as Dan got checked in, and
drew him out on a number of things. "What brings you to Fairmont?
"Oh just passing through on business." Dan replied. "I just finished
up a really big job in Chicago and wanted to see something besides
city and interstates, so headed this direction on my way back home."
"Well, I hope you have enjoyed the trip so far." Flashing another
smile, she questioned. "What do you do for a living, if you don't
mind me asking?"
"Oh it's nothing really earthshaking." With a small self deprecating
shrug he told her. "I work on installing computer systems, then
getting them to do what the buyers want them to. Just finished up a
long job and had some time on my hands. Which is why I chose to come
this way instead of taking the shorter way home."
"Well, you sure do like someone who needs to relax for a bit."
Constance nodded while handing him a key card. "You're in room 201,
it's right at the top of the stairs, but I'm afraid there's no one
here just now to carry your luggage up for you."
"Oh, that's no problem." Dan found himself smiling back at the
woman's infectious good cheer. "I don't have all that much stuff to
carry."
"Good." Constance answered briskly. "Breakfast is served from six in
the morning till nine, and is part of the fee you pay for the room.
Other meals are available, but cost extra. Local phone calls are
free, long distance is added to you bill. And we do have computer
connections to the internet in each room. Plus Satellite Television."
"Sounds great." Dan held back a yawn. "But truthfully, all I want
tonight is a hot shower, and some sleep."
"Then that's what you'll get, dear." Constance smiled. "This is nice
quiet place for things like that."
"Good, oh, when is checkout time?"
"Any time before three P.M. is fine." The woman answered. "If you
stay longer than that, I'm afraid I have to charge you for another
night."
"That sounds fine." Dan nodded. "Could I get a wake up call at, say,
seven A.M.?"
"No problem, dear." Constance made a quick note and set it next to
her phone. "If there's anything else you need just call or come down
and ask. Oh, there is a soft drink machine in the hallway up there,
with tea and coffee available in the dining room if you prefer."
"Works for me." The man smiled back. "I'll just go park the car and
get my stuff upstairs. Thanks for the hospitality."
"All part of the service." Constance grinned. As she moved away from
the desk he noticed that she had held her figure very well, and moved
with the same kind of easy grace that Agatha had shown. Even in what
appeared to be her forties, Constance was a strikingly beautiful
woman.
****
"Bell, Book, and Candle." Constance answered her desk phone shortly
after Dan had carried his two soft sided suitcases up the stairs.
"Hello Agatha, dear!" she listened for a minute, then nodded. "Yes,
he just went up to his room. I gave him number 201."
"Oh, I'm pretty sure he is just a rather pleasant fellow who is over
tired from work and travelling, dear" Constance answered another
question then added. "He seems to be very nice."
"Well of course I'll do that for you." Constance agreed as if
whatever question she had been asked was needless. "You say he
noticed? Now that's interesting. Perhaps it's just that he's so
tired. On the edge of sleep many people perceive things they
wouldn't otherwise, and that poor fellow was close to dropping by the
time he got here."
"Well, I'll certainly stay alert to the possibility, Agatha." the
woman assured her caller.
'That's fine, dear." Constance finished. "I'll give you a call in
the morning and let you know how things are going. I really think
Selena is over reacting in this case. The man builds and programs
computers, for heaven's sake. With that kind of profession he would
just be the last kind of person I would choose to really pay
attention to things that aren't both modern and tech related. You
take care of yourself now, and I'll talk with you tomorrow."
Constance placed the phone back in its cradle, then paused long
enough for a thoughtful look up the stairs before getting ready to
lock up for the night.
****
The room was both spacious and comfortable in an old style way that
seemed to welcome him into itself. The adjoining bath had a large
tub with a shower and whirlpool included in the thing. He Dan lost
no time getting out of his things and under the soothing beat of
steaming water from the shower head. Drying off with a remarkably
soft towel for a hotel of any sort, he slipped into a pair of briefs
and tee shirt, leaving his discarded clothing on the floor to be
picked up later.
After crawling gratefully into the queen sized bed and turning off
the bedside lamp, he let out a contented sigh and was almost
immediately sound asleep.
****
They were standing in a circle lit fitfully by candles spaced around
the outside of their grouping. Agatha was there, along with the
three companions she had been with inside the restaurant. There were
others he couldn't see all that well because of the flickering light
and surrounding darkness. The women were singing, a sweet compelling
song with words that he couldn't understand but still compelled his
attention.
Their song abruptly stopped, and all those gathered turned to face
him. What he noticed first was that all their eyes were blue, and
glowed with internal light independent of the candles or dim
moonlight. Agatha's face seemed to grow in his vision until it
dominated his view of things as she spoke. "Didn't I say it isn't
always safe to stare? Now you've done it and we'll have to make sure
you don't tell anyone what you've seen."
He turned to run, or tried to do so. Only to find himself frozen in
place as the slender blonde approached him with a wicked little smile
as she began making motions in the air in time to a chant from the
women gathered behind her. He couldn't even scream out his terror.
****
"Ahhh!" Dan sat up in the bed covered in sweat and at a loss to tell
himself where he was for a second or two. As his sleep induced panic
washed away he realized that he was safely in the hotel room he had
rented earlier. "Man, I've been letting the job get to me, I guess.
That was one weird dream."
He sat up for a few minutes, gathering his wits, and nerve before
falling back into a dreamless sleep.
****
Dan awakened early, still recalling the odd, and halfway frightening
dream with a shudder. He shook his head and muttered to himself
while heading for the bathroom. "Just chalk that one up to too much
time on the road and work, I suppose."
His lean face seemed a little less haggard in the mirror that
morning, with the dark circles from lack of sleep fading at last.
Shaving seemed to be a bit easier than it had been over the past
while, with his usually tough beard giving in to the razor without
the usual struggle, but again, he was at least partially rested that
morning so wasn't just going through the motions on automatic as he
had been.
After washing his face, combing his tousled brown hair into a
semblance of civilized appearance, and gathering his dirty clothes
from where he had dropped them the previous night, he wandered back
into the room proper to get dressed.
Checking the small clock set on a bedside table, he noted that it was
not quite the time he had requested the wake up call, so picked up
the phone and called the desk.
"Good Morning, Mr. Hastings." Constance's voice cheerfully came over
the phone and he wondered if the woman ever slept at all, or had a
grumpy side at all.
"Morning." Dan responded with a smile that he knew she couldn't see
but still felt almost compelled to show at hearing her voice anyway.
"I just wanted to save you a call. I'm already up, but had a
question. Would it be a problem if I stayed another day or two? I
just realized how tired out I really was, and thought I'd give myself
another couple of days relaxation time if you don't have the room
booked for someone else."
"Problem?" Her voice chirped back with a laugh. "Not at all. You
stay as long as you like. Oh, breakfast is being served in the
dining room now. Why don't you come down and share a cup of coffee
with me at least?"
"Be down in a few minutes." Dan put the phone back in its cradle
wondering why it was that he felt so good about staying in the little
town of Fairmont for another day or two. Deep in his subconscious,
old longings stirred, stretched their figurative limbs, and began to
awaken.
****
"I take it that you like Fairmont." Constance made it a statement
rather than a question as Dan savoured the best three egg and ham
omelette he'd had in years.
"Well, it's nice and quiet here." He answered between mouthfuls of
breakfast. "Truthfully, I kind of needed to find a place like this
for a while. You know, to recharge my batteries and just be able to
relax for a while."
"Well, this town would be good for you in that case." Constance
smiled from behind her coffee cup. "Nothing much in the way of bad
things seem to happen here, and it is generally a quiet place except
for the local kids, but that's pretty much to be expected isn't it?"
"Kids are going to be kids." Dan agreed as he took another sip of the
aromatic coffee the Inn's proprietor had personally brought him. "No
matter where they are."
"A truer thing was never spoken." Constance chuckled. "But overall
the kids here are good ones."
"Kids are in most places." He nodded with a sad expression. "It's
the outside influences that turn them bad."
"Yes, a shame isn't it?" Constance let out a small sigh then changed
the subject. "You have the look of someone searching for something,
Dan. Do you mind my asking what that might be?"
"I don't really know." Came the answer as he gave the idea some
thought. "I never really thought about it much, you know? I just
feel like something about my life isn't all that complete, or right.
I don't know, it's hard to explain because all of it is pretty
unformed in my own mind."
"Oh, I'm sure you know what it is, dear." Constance smiled. "Just
give yourself some time to think without all the pressures of your
job and life out in the larger world and it might come clear for you."
"Maybe you're right." He really wanted to change the subject. The
idea of what he was really searching for, the thing missing in his
existence, was one he had actively pushed down for a long time and
bringing it up at all was very uncomfortable. "I'll see if some real
quiet time might make things a little clearer for me."
"It will come in it's own time, dear." Constance nodded with another
motherly smile. "Don't try and force it."
"I suppose that's right." He agreed with a small smile. "I'm not
about to kill myself over it. When it comes it comes."
"Right you are, dear." The woman gave him another of her beautiful
smiles and reached across the table to pat his hand. "You just try
and relax for a while here. I'll work to make your stay both
enjoyable and restful."
"Thanks." Saying that, Dan moved his chair back from the table and
started to stand. "I think I'm starting to like it around here
already."
"Fairmont is an easy place to like." Constance nodded. "So long as
you aren't looking for big city action, or lots of excitement."
****
"Hello, Agatha." Constance spoke into the phone she had gone to once
her guest had gone back upstairs. "I think you may be right about
Mr. Hastings, but the poor dear either doesn't want to admit his
desires or really isn't consciously aware of them. I did some
checking up on him earlier this morning by the way."
Listening to the other person for a few seconds, she went on. "He
has no family to speak of, and is an independent contractor working
for a rather large computer company on individual contracts. He gets
a new contract for each job, and has down time between each contract.
Evidently he is very good at what he does, but there is nothing
pressing that would require his personal attention just now."
"Oh yes, you read him right on that, Agatha." Constance agreed with
something the other had said. "Dan Hastings is basically a very
good, caring person. I think that he would be an excellent
candidate. You might tone the dreams down a bit, you know, make them
a bit less threatening? I heard the poor man scream last night and I
was downstairs in my study when he did it."
"I agree, make them more pleasant for him over the next few nights."
Constance nodded with a satisfied little grin. "As for the changes?
Well, let's just keep them going gradually for now. That way if he
decides to bolt, the damage won't be all that great from the first
few days."
"All right, I'll keep you posted on things, Agatha." she answered
before replacing the phone in its cradle and thinking about her
newest guest. Dan, dear, I know full well what it is that you've
been searching for all of your life. Please accept what is about to
happen to you as the gift it is meant to be.
****
Dan spent a pleasurable day just wandering through the town. He was
surprised at the amounts and variety of goods for sale in the shops
until one shopkeeper told him that the entire county shopped there.
Still, the merchandise he saw on the shelves was never anything less
than the absolute best offered anywhere else, even the large cities
he usually spent his time in.
The one thing that bothered him all day long was a persistent itching
all over his body. It wasn't bad enough to be more than a bit
uncomfortable, but at times the sensation did mar his enjoyment of
the day a little. Only a little, though, and he purchased a tube of
skin cream to ease the feeling before returning to the inn and
getting cleaned up before going out for his evening meal.
One thing he saw continued to intrigue him that evening. Several
other women dressed exactly as Agatha and her companions had been
were in the restaurant. The blonde who had upbraided him about
staring, then suggested he stay for a day or two was not one of them.
Even so, he couldn't shake the feeling that the three he saw that
evening were watching him surreptitiously, whenever they thought he
wasn't looking in their direction. The gooseflesh rose on his
forearms even if it had only been his imagination as he insisted to
himself it was.
****
"Are you all right, dear?" Constance questioned with concern in her
voice and written across her face as he entered the Bell, Book and
Candle. "You look a little drawn."
"I think I may have picked up a bug of some kind." Dan responded with
a sigh. "It was probably incubating for days and just decided to
show up now. I don't feel that bad, just a little tired yet."
"Are you feverish?" She questioned solicitously.
"No, not really, just have a rash or something starting up is all. I
picked up some antiseptic cream that should take care of the
problem." He answered with a smile for her concern. "Do you always
treat your guests like they were your children?"
"I suppose it's that old Jewish Mama syndrome." She laughed. "And
I'm not even Jewish. I just like to seen my guests taken care of, is
all. I'd hate it if you got sick while you stayed here. I'd feel
almost responsible for that."
"Not to worry." Dan let out a small chuckle. "It isn't anything
serious, I'm sure. Just some oddball allergy or something I picked
up is all. I'm sure, I'll be all right."
"Well, if you need anything, or if it gets worse, don't forget you
can call me." Constance nodded. "I know people who can do some
marvellous things if you are sick."
"Thanks, anyway." Dan was becoming a bit uncomfortable with her
offers of care, so headed upstairs with a wave and a forced bounce in
his step. "All I need is another good nights sleep and I'll be fine."
"All right, dear." Constance gave him a cheerful smile and a small
wave as he climbed the stairs.
****
He dreamed again that night. This time there was more definition to
the images he saw, women, seven of them now, standing in a circle and
calling someone. "Dan, come to us, come and receive our gift."
Agatha stood forward, holding out a hand while wearing a smile. "Dan
Hastings, you have wished for things that life will not give you.
Your search is over, now. Come to me, and find what you have sought
for so long. Come to me, come to us."
"What do you want?" He questioned, able to find his voice this time,
and finding that he was able to move. But for some reason he didn't
want to. "Why me?"
"You know." She answered and the others echoed her words. "You know,
you know, you know."
"I don't know anything." He stammered. "Please, tell me what it is
you want from me?"
"Look to yourself." Agatha told him sternly. "The answers are there,
only waiting for you to find them again."
"What was lost will be found." The others softly chanted. "Once
found will make one whole. Come to us, Dan. Come to us. Come..."
****
Dan sat up in the bed with a start, but no shout that time. The
itching had stopped, to his relief, but once he reached to turn on
the bedside lamp, a look at his arm stopped the motion in mid reach.
"What the?"
In the moonlight coming through the window his arm appeared smooth,
hairless and a little thinner. Thinking it was a trick of the light,
and his groggy state from waking so abruptly, he shook himself
mentally then lowered his head back to the welcoming softness of the
pillows and returned to sleep. Without dreams that time.
****
"Wow. That one wasn't as bad as the other night, but it was still
really weird." Dan mumbled as he worked his way out of bed and padded
to the bathroom for his morning ritual of shave and shower. "Oh man,
I wasn't dreaming this after all."
Staring into the mirror in disbelief, he ran a hand over his cheeks
and chin. There was no trace of a beard at all on his face. Even
the little dings and scars he had accumulated over years of using a
razor seemed to be gone. His reflection stared back at him with a
flawless complexion, lacking the enlarged pores he had become
accustomed to seeing every morning, and appearing soft as a young
girls.
"What in the world is going on here?" His arms were bare of hair as
well, and did look thinner to his eyes. On second look, he did have
light downy hairs on his arms, but nothing like the longer, darker
hairs he had gone to bed with. I wonder..."
His legs were pretty well denuded of hair, too. And were slimmer and
smoother than he was used to seeing. The only word he could come up
with to describe them as they now appeared was sleek. Smoothly
muscled, slim, and hairless. His legs now looked like something he
would have admired on a pretty woman. "This is not happening."
A very careful examination of his full length reflection in the
mirror mounted on the wall next to the bathtub showed his original
estimation was pretty accurate. His legs were slimmer and feminine
in appearance, and his arms were thinner. Was he imagining it, or
were his hips just a bit wider than they had been, and was his waist
just a touch narrower?
"This is unreal!" reaching up to touch his hair, he noted yet another
difference. It was thicker than he remembered, and seemed to be
getting darker. And was brushing against his shoulders when he
distinctly recalled it being inches shorter just the night before.
"What is going on here?"
Memories of long repressed desires surfaced briefly, but he pushed
them back down without thought and out of long habit. He looked
years younger, and felt better than he had in years. "Sheesh. I
have got to get out of this place."
Getting dressed was illuminating, too. His shirts were several sizes
smaller, and his pants had changed subtly. Narrower at the waist and
noticeably wider at hips and bottom. Even his shoes were two sizes
smaller, and had become loafers that looked like either a man or
woman could wear them. "This is too weird!"
Going downstairs he stopped at the desk intending to check out and
get away from whatever was causing him to change, or make him think
he was. Constance looked up from the desk and smiled at him. "My,
you do look better this morning, Dan. I'm glad a good nights sleep
was all you needed after all."
"Umm, yeah, I do feel better than yesterday." He admitted with a
grin. "I think this place may be good for me, I haven't felt this
good in a long time, you know."
"I'm happy you like it here, dear." Constance beamed. "Is there
something you wanted?"
"Uh," Suddenly, he didn't want to check out just yet. Something
inside himself, soul, subconscious mind, whatever, urged him to stay
another night at least. After all, he was feeling wonderful for a
change, not dragged out and constantly having to force himself to go
through a day. "Not really. I just wanted to say thanks for the
concern last night, is all."
"Oh, that's no problem. Are you going to have breakfast this morning?"
"Oh, I don't know." Dan wondered what had happened to his usual
appetite, and shrugged. "Maybe some juice and a roll. I'm just not
all that hungry this morning."
"Oh, that's fine. With your trim figure I can see why you don't eat
a lot for breakfast." Constance nodded. "Come on into the dining
room and I'll join you and have a cup of coffee while you have your
juice and whatever. We can chat some more while you do."
"All right, that sounds good." Dan found himself saying, wondering if
the woman had noticed the changes he was sure had been worked on his
body overnight. But she acted as if he was the same, other than
having been a little ill the previous night, as he had been since
checking in to her establishment.
None of the staff seemed to see anything different about him either,
greeting him by name and the morning waitress brought him a cinnamon
roll, milk, and a small glass of orange juice without being asked.
"Oh, sorry, it's the same thing you had yesterday and I just had the
idea it was a morning ritual for you." The girl, Evvie, blushed when
he questioned her about it. "If you want, I can bring you a menu."
"No, that's ok." He found himself giving the girl a smile of
reassurance. "This is fine, thank you. Wonderful in fact."
"What was that about, if you don't mind me asking?" Constance tilted
her head while giving him a curious glance. "I sat at this same
table with you yesterday and you had exactly the same thing for
breakfast then as you have now."
"Oh, I guess I'm still a little muzzy from the way I felt yesterday."
Dan temporized, knowing with a small thrill of fear mixed with
excitement that he had had a large omelette for breakfast the previous
day, with a side order of sausage, toast, and no juice.
"Well, when someone sleeps really hard, that sometimes happens,
dear." The woman nodded sagely then smiled again. "Well, I need to
get back to the desk, we have a large group coming in later today and
I need to have things ready for them. You enjoy your day, dear, and
I'll see you later on."
"Ok, Constance." Dan nodded as he sipped the juice with more delicacy
than he ever recalled using before. Instead of the almost slurping
it down without pausing for breath he had generally done in the
morning for years, he slowly savoured the slight bite of the fresh
squeezed orange juice. And nibbled at the roll between sips. Once
he was finished, Dan dabbed at his lips with a napkin before leaving
a modest tip and rising to leave.
No one he had seen the day before acted as if anything was different
about him at all, which he found very unsettling when every glance he
got of himself reflected from store windows told him he was different
in appearance, if only a little overall.
"Hello there, Dan!" Agatha smiled in greeting as she walked towards
him from the entrance of a shop. "I see you decided to stay a little
longer than one night. You must like it here. I can see that our
town seems to agree with you."
"I guess so." He answered, noting that she was not wearing the outfit
that had caught his attention the first time he had seen her.
Instead, she was wearing a stylish lavender sundress that hugged her
slim, but pretty figure quite fetchingly. "How are you?"
"Fine thanks. You?"
"Oh all right. Just a little confused at the moment." Came the
answer before he could hold it in.
"Really, confused in what way?" She tilted her head in what almost
seemed to be secret amusement.
"It's hard to explain." Dan searched for a way to voice his knowledge
of the physical changes he had gone through recently without sounding
completely insane. He settled for finishing rather lamely. "I just
feel different than I did when I came here, is all."
"Well, you do look more rested than you did the night I caught you
staring in the restaurant." She smiled. "I'm happy that our little
town seems to be so good for you."
"I kind of wonder about that." He admitted with a slight uneasiness.
"I think being here has changed me."
"Oh has it now?" She asked with a slight lift of an elegant eyebrow.
"I would think the slower pace and quiet would work changes in just
about anyone with sense. Especially someone who works under the
kinds of pressure you do. Why a few days here would work almost
magical changes in a person if they were looking for a change of pace
and somewhere to recharge their batteries. I've seen it happen
before. Some people just seem to be renewed after visiting us here.
It's really gratifying to see when it happens."
"That may be it." Dan nodded uncertainly. "I do know that I sure
feel different than I did when I first got here."
"Then you're one of the lucky few who experience that in a lifetime."
Agatha assured him with another sunny smile. "If I were you, I'd
just enjoy it and let the angst around here renew you. You sure
looked as if you needed it when you first arrived among us."
"I did at that." The rueful admission was drawn out almost
unwillingly as he agreed with her. "Truthfully, I was burning out
big time and was actually thinking of taking a long stretch between
contracts after I got home."
"You see?" The blonde gave him an infectious grin. "It's working on
you already. Is there anything that you really need to be back home
for immediately?"
"Not really. My rent is paid up for the rest of the year, and the
utilities come automatically out of my bank account. As for people,
there really aren't all that many that I'd miss a whole lot for not
seeing for another little while."
"Well good!" Agatha touched his hand companionably. "Then you just
spend as much time as you want here. You're welcome you know."
"I've gotten no other impression from anyone I've met here." In fact,
most of the residents didn't treat him as a tourist or short term
visitor. Instead he found himself being given the kind of attention
a long gone resident of the place would receive after returning home.
Strangely it felt good to him in a way that he couldn't quite get
hold of, other than being comfortable with it. In spite of his
worries about the perceived changes in himself that no one else
seemed to notice at all.
"Good." Agatha smiled again. "If anyone treats you badly, you just
tell Constance or me, and we'll set them straight for you. We like
having you here, Dan, and hope you decide to stay for a while yet."
"Oh I think I probably will." He answered, then finished. "Stay for
awhile, I mean. I was going to check out of the Bell today but got
sidetracked before I could do it. Now that I think about it, I'm
kind of glad I didn't check out."
"Well, fate takes a hand in things off and on, you know." The young
woman answered with a chuckle. "Maybe you weren't supposed to leave
just yet."
"Maybe not. Maybe not."
"Well, I have to get going." Agatha apologized. "I have a large
gathering tonight that I'm still preparing for. I'll see you again,
though."
"Bye." He waved as she started moving down the sidewalk. He found
himself watching her with an interest that he wouldn't have shown
earlier. Instead of her obviously interesting aspects for a male,
which he had noticed the first time, he was looking over her dress,
shoes, and the way her hair bounced when she walked.
"Man, what's getting into me?" Shaking his head in puzzled half
amused surprise, he went on. "Could be the changes I'm going through
are more than just the physical ones that no one but me can see."
****
Back at the Bell, Book and Candle, Dan consciously began to take
stock of what had happened to him since checking into the place. The
changes that no one else seemed to notice were unsettling enough, but
his own internal alterations were more so. Like the way he had
watched Agatha earlier in the day. He hadn't been watching her
figure so much as what she was wearing and how she wore it. And the
shop windows that had managed to catch his eye that day were all
ladies clothing, women's shoes, household items, or crafts. He could
never recall being interested in any of those before coming to
Fairmont.
So What was happening to him? And why wasn't he more frantic about
it than he seemed to be. In fact, why on Earth did part of him seem
to be eagerly accepting any and all changes he was going through?
Not a large part, but enough that the rest of him was not in a panic
over things at the moment.
The parking lot of The Bell, Book and Candle was almost filled when
he returned later that afternoon. The vehicles in the lot were all
either newer models or carefully restored vintage cars. As he parked
his own two year old Celica, he noticed a mint condition 1956
Chevrolet, an even older MG, and several Rolls Royce Silver Phantoms
there.
"Now this is really odd." He mumbled to himself. "Not one of these
cars is worth less than some people's houses. I wonder what kind of
convention, or whatever, is going on to draw so many affluent types
to this little town?"
The really strange thing about all the cars, aside from their
monetary worth, was that every one of them gleamed as if they had
just rolled off the showroom floor.
"Oh, hello there Dan!" Constance called from the desk and a crowd of
young women talking like old friends catching up on years of
experience apart from each other. "Did you have a good day?"
"Yes." His answer came so easily that it actually surprised him. "I
just kind of wandered through the central business district most of
the morning, then ran into Agatha this afternoon again. She
mentioned some kind of gathering she had to be ready for this
evening. Is that what's going on around here right now?"
"That it is." Constance nodded cheerfully while handing out keys to
the ladies waiting at the front desk. "It's kind of a ten year
reunion going on for the next several days."
"Oh, what kind of a reunion?" He found himself watching the group of
women heading up the stairs with their baggage and thinking that he
may have fallen into a meeting of professional models they were all
so good looking and well dressed.
"It's a gathering of circles, dear." Constance answered with a smile.
"Each circle is from a different town in the surrounding states and
is dedicated to helping people who really are in need."
"Oh, a charitable organization?" Dan nodded, making sense of all the
expensive cars outside and the elegant dress of the new guests. It
was a group of women with more money than they could use themselves
who made a pastime of sharing it out to people in need one way or
another.
"Kind of." The proprietress agreed with a wide smile. "We all work
at keeping things running smoothly in the towns where we live, and
try to make sure the other people living in them don't have to suffer
unnecessary hardships in their lives."
"That's kind of an ambitious aim for a group to have, isn't it?"
"It is." Constance agreed. "But that's what every lady here has
dedicated her life to doing, and for the most part, we manage fairly
well at it."
"Commendable of them, and you." He answered, actually feeling a bit
uncomfortable about subject for some reason he was unable to define
to himself. "Well, I'm headed up for my room now. Will it be too
crowded for having dinner here tonight?"
"Oh, not at all." Constance assured him. "All my new guests are
going to a dinner party at Agatha's home this evening. "The place
will seem quite deserted in another hour or so, I promise you."
"How many of them are there?" Dan questioned, then coloured at his
nosiness. "If it isn't impolite to ask, that is."
"Oh, thirty of them here." She replied with a shrug. "The parking
lot here isn't a really big one, so it seems more crowded than it
really is you know."
"Ok, well, I'll be down later for dinner." He answered. "Right now I
feel like taking a short nap."
"You do that, dear." The still bustling woman replied with a wave.
"You are here to rest, right?"
"Yes I am." For some reason, Dan was nervous about all the women
sharing the accommodations with him, and actually imagined a tingle
like a small electric charge running up and down his spine as he
climbed the stairs to his room.
****
The tingling had become more intense as he entered his room,
centring in his chest, with little surges to his crotch that spread
to his hips, bottom and stomach. "Oh, man. It would be nice if I
could feel just relaxed in this place. Every time I come in here I
get to feeling almost sick. Wonder if I'm allergic to something in
the place?"
The odd feelings slowly subsided, but didn't really go away as he
listened to the other guests talking and moving in the hallways.
Still the day had been a good one up to that point, and he really did
feel better than he had in a long time, even with the odd feelings,
twinges, and slight discomforts. "Maybe I'm just noticing little
things more now that I'm not so tired I ache from that."
Not worn out, but sleepy from the day's pleasant activities, he
kicked off his shoes and laid down on the bed. The physical changes
in himself that no one else appeared to notice nagged at his mind as
he settled himself, and the man idly wondered why he kept pushing
that particular worry to the back of his mind.
"I should be terrified, or at least more worried than I am just now
about this stuff." He told himself while trying to work up more than
the bit of concern he was feeling over the whole thing. "Also I
really ought to be more than a little curious about just why I'm
finding myself so comfortable in this town. Guess some places just
hit people that way, but even so..."
Truthfully, he not only felt very comfortable in Fairmont, for
reasons he couldn't exactly pin down, he actually felt at home there.
Like it was a place he had left long ago and found again recently.
Deeply buried in his subconscious mind, the same something that had
started coming awake earlier, stretched, looked around, and began
looking for a way back into the light.
Dan, unknowing of that, slipped into an easy slumber.
****
He seemed to be floating in this dream, and it was a very pleasant
sensation, warm, relaxed, and at peace with himself.
There were no visions or dreams in that short sleep, simply a
whispering voice that urged him to accept the gift he was receiving
and finally allow his restless inner self to have the completion it
had craved for so long. Soothing tones combined with softly
whispered words assured him that all would be well, and that he did,
indeed, belong in Fairmont as he had started to feel. You're home
Dan. Be at peace with yourself and accept what is to come. It's all
for the best, and for your well being. Trust in that, dear one.
****
Dan awakened refreshed and feeling a great sense of anticipation over
something he had no real conscious idea about, just that he felt
things were going to change for the better and stay that way for him
at last.
In the bathroom, he gave himself another critical looking over, were
his hips getting bigger? His shoulders seemed to have shrunk a
little more, and his arms were even slimmer than they had been that
morning. "Nah, I'm just looking for things that aren't really
happening is all."
His hair, though, had darkened even more, and gotten thicker while
creeping sown past his shoulders. That was something he could
qualitatively measure and he did with a small grimace. Thinking it
may be some kind of prank, he reached up to feel for his scalp under
the new mass of hair and wasn't truly shocked to discover that he
wasn't wearing a wig. It was his own hair, firmly rooted in his
scalp. A quick tug and yelp of pain further confirmed that for him.
Shaking his head and feeling the new weight of his thicker, longer
hair move, he whispered. "A person's hair just doesn't grow that
fast, and change colour while it does. What is going on here?"
But it felt right to him. More right than anything had over the past
few years.
He experienced a few moments of anxiety when he thought of what
people might think or say when they saw his longer, changed hair. Or
the rest of the changes he had gone through over the past day or so.
Very conscious of the weight of the hair on his shoulders and the way
it felt whenever he moved his head, Dan gathered his nerves and left
his room. The few people still in the halls, all women, were too
intent on getting themselves to the gathering Constance and Agatha
had told him about to notice a halfway feminine male with thick,
glossy dark hair reaching past his shoulders. Still, none of them
had seen him earlier and he was still more than a little nervous
about the reactions of people who had seen him before.
Constance greeted him as if nothing was different. "Did you have a
good nap, Dan?"
"Yes I did, thanks." He answered, then couldn't resist asking the
woman. "Do you notice anything different about me?"
"You look more rested." Constance told him with a shrug. "Otherwise,
no. Why?"
"Oh, just wondered." Dan responded. "I feel really different is all,
and was just wanting to know if anyone else noticed."
"Well, you do look much more rested than when you first checked in
here." The woman replied with a smile. "I think our little town is
good for you."
"Yeah, I know." He let out a long sigh. "Have you noticed anything
else about me? Different, I mean from when I checked in here?"
"Like what?"
"Oh, physical things, like my hair." Dan gave a small shrug as he
broached the subject that was really bothering him.
"You have beautiful hair, dear." Constance assured him. "Any girl I
know would love to have your head of hair, it's so glossy and soft
looking. Do you do anything special with it?"
"Not really." Dan shrugged. "It just does that all by itself. I
brush it, keep it clean, and don't worry much about it."
He wondered why he had said anything like that, since he had never
given such care in taking care of his hair. Up until very recently,
he had kept it short and just washed it, combed what there was of it,
and not worried about it.
"Well, I can tell you this much." Constance smiled at him. "You
have beautiful hair, and I think it is much better cared for than you
like to admit. It's nothing to be ashamed of just because you're a
guy, you know."
"Oh, I'm not ashamed of it." He assured her. "I just do what I need
to so it stays halfway civilized and don't really worry about it
after that."
"Sure you do." The woman chuckled as if he had made a good joke out
of the conversation. "Hair like you have takes work, and nothing you
can say will convince me, or anyone else, otherwise."
"Whatever." Dan found himself patting the newly sprouted mane and
making sure it fell properly for the best effect while wondering why
he was doing it, or even how he knew the ways to do that. "Guys
aren't supposed to give so much care to their hair, after all."
"But you obviously do." Constance told him with a nod. "And it shows."
"Thanks." He responded with the uneasy feeling that she actually knew
what was happening to him but wasn't letting him know she did.
"What's on the supper menu tonight?"
That ended the uncomfortable conversation as she went into detail
about the dining room's offerings for guests that evening. It was
with no small amount of relief that he left her to enter the dining
room and ordered the stuffed pork chops with fresh asparagus spears
in cheese sauce.
The meal was wonderful, especially with the break he got from
worrying about the changes he was undergoing just by enjoying the
well prepared food.
Following the meal, he was inexplicably tired again, so returned to
his room without speaking to anyone. Once there, he turned on the
television and worked his way through the channels to see if anything
interested him. He finally settled on a fashion show on The Women's
Channel and settled in to watch the models show off not only the
garments they were wearing, but their lovely bodies.
Once that was over, he still watched as another program about hair
styles and care of the hair, along with proper makeup styles for each
shape of face came on. For some reason, he had to fight an urge to
practice some to the techniques he saw on the show. The only thing
that prevented him from doing so was that he had none of the makeup,
or hair care tools needed to try the methods out for himself.
"Man, is it that late?" He asked no one as he heard the other guests
begin to filter back into the place and noted that he had been
watching the shows for several hours with a yawn. "I need to get
myself to bed here."
Before he did, Dan sat in front of the mirror of the vanity in the
room with a hairbrush he didn't recall having earlier, and brushed
his hair until it shone. With a contented sigh, he undressed, padded
into the bathroom to brush his teeth and use the cleanser he didn't
remember buying either on his face. Once those actions were finished
to his satisfaction, he almost fell into bed and was asleep before
turning off the bedside lamp.
****
There were even more women in the group he dreamed that night. Each
of them seemed to be sizing him up, as if he had asked to marry their
favourite daughters, or wondering why he was present at a gathering of
females. All of them were clad in the snug black skirts, blue
shells, and black tees he had first seen Agatha and her companions
wearing.
Even weirder, as each one looked his way, her eyes took on an intense
blue glow that hid pupils, iris, and whites completely. Dan's
insides churned under their unflinching regard and he tried turning
away from it without success.
"Don't be afraid." Agatha emerged from the group, her own eyes
holding the same unearthly glow as the other's did. "If we had meant
to harm you we would have done that by now. All you need do is
accept. Simply accept."
"Accept what?" He stammered out while the women formed a circle
around him and Agatha then began softly chanting. "What is going on
here, and what are you doing to me?"
"All in its proper time, dear one." Agatha gave him a warm smile.
"When the time is right, you will understand, and know what to do.
Come to us then, Dan. You'll find us when it is time, or we will
find you. It really doesn't matter. For now, relax, rest, and take
what we give you without questions I can't answer for you yet."
"All right." He answered slowly, feeling strange stirrings in both
his body and mind. "But this should be scaring the crap out of me.
Why isn't it?"
"We're helping you with the adjustments, dear." Agatha gave his arm a
gentle pat and smiled at him again. "Just allow the flow of things
to carry you along and things will be fine. I promise."
"Why can't I seem to leave this place?" His question sounded almost
plaintive even to him, but he hadn't even considered getting in his
car and driving away since that first morning. That was something he
knew would have happened under any normal circumstances, so why had
he stayed when doing so was causing him such problems?
"You can leave here anytime you like, Dan." Agatha soothed, then
added. "If you really wished to do that. Do you?"
"Nuh -- no, I guess I don't." Came his half hesitant response. "But
I don't understand why that is."
"You've come home, dear. That's all."
"I've never been here before." His protest masked the fact that he
felt what she had just said so strongly that it nearly terrified him.
"That doesn't matter, you know." The woman's blonde hair was stirring
in a breeze that he couldn't feel as she replied with a slow smile.
"Most people never find their true homes. Be glad that you have. It
is a rare gift given to only a special few, after all.
Settle in and let things happen as they will, Dan dear. You'll see
I'm telling you the truth."
"All right."
"You have to go now, sweetheart." She urged him out of the circle as
if he were a child in the midst of an adult function and needed to be
sent to bed. "This place isn't for you yet, and the dispensation we
have for you to visit tonight is running out. Sleep well, and I'll
see you in the morning."
"But..."
"Go now." She gently, but firmly ordered him. "You can come back
tomorrow night. But your time is up for now. Good night."
That time he actually felt himself, or his soul, being pulled back to
his sleeping body. But he didn't start awake once he returned, just
mumbled something in his sleep before turning over and dreaming no
more that night.
****
Things had changed again, he knew before even opening his eyes to the
morning sun streaming in through the window overlooking the town's
main street.
His hair was longer and had darkened to a Raven's Wing Black during
the night. The thick strands he first saw laying against his pillow
shone with good health and care. When he carefully sat up, the hair
fell in thick, soft waves to the small of his back while the
unaccustomed weight of it tried pulling his head backwards until he
made an unconscious adjustment to its presence.
There had been more changes. His hands had become slimmer. They
were smooth and soft, with long slender fingers and were quite
beautiful. Except they were the hands of a woman on his arms. Not
that those arms looked at all out of place with the hands.
His feet were smaller, even delicate in their shape and size now.
With trim feminine looking ankles leading to smooth curves of calves
and thighs that gleamed in the light.
Walking was different, because of the smaller feet, and he was sure
his hips had widened on top of everything else. Dan made another
small mental adjustment and the slightly swaying gait that his new
shape demanded became almost normal, at least he could walk without
falling, or careening into furniture and walls when he did.
His heavier, longer mass of hair also added to his problems, it swung
in time to his new gait, and kept getting in the way. He impatiently
pushed it back off his shoulders in a very feminine gesture then
tossed his head to make sure it was all flowing down his back instead
of twining around his arms and tangling him up.
Shower time was a revelation, again. His hips and bottom had
expanded, not enough to be actually considered female in appearance,
but with the definite beginnings of feminine curves showing in them.
His waist was smaller, and seemed to be higher up than it had been,
while shoulders and arms had again narrowed and lost all the male
muscle definition he used to have.
"Aggh!" The forceful stream of water from the shower actually hurt
his skin, and he was forced to turn it down several times before
reaching a comfortable stream. "Wow, I've never been that sensitive
before. My whole body is getting softer as this goes on."
Without thinking about what he was doing, he began washing his mass
of thick, soft black hair with a shampoo he didn't recall purchasing,
then took a very long time rinsing to make sure all the suds were out
of it before applying a generous amount of conditioner to it. Again,
he couldn't really recall buying the conditioner either.
If he thought his hair had been heavy before, when wet it dragged at
his neck like a half ton of soaking wet cloth, and slapped at his
bare back when it wasn't clinging there. With an internal sigh, he
wrapped a towel turban-wise around it to keep it out of the way and
to start sopping up some of the water it had absorbed. That act was
performed without really thinking about it, and when he stopped to
consider what he had done, it shocked him. He'd seen women do that,
but never tried it himself. Of course, till recently, with his short
hair, that hadn't been necessary.
Grumbling about that, and worried that he was actually losing his
mind and simply hallucinating those things, he went to the sink to
brush his teeth. And came to another abrupt stop after looking at
his face in the mirror.
It was still his face. Sort of, anyway. The jaw line had smoothed
and softened, while his cheekbones were high and more defined than
before. A small, straight nose now graced the centre of his softer
looking face, with large looking blue eyes framed with thick curling
lashes and thin arcs of dark brows that showed no sign of being
plucked. Even his mouth looked fuller. His throat hadn't escaped
the changes either. Now it was slim, smooth, and without any trace
of an Adams Apple.
All that, even without the long dark hair framing it, showed a
remarkably pretty face that barely avoided being too feminine for a
man to have. "Oh, brother. I have got to be dreaming all this
stuff. That's the only logical explanation for my not being in an
absolute state of panic here."
Thinking that way caused him to wonder why he would dream such a
thing in the first place. Though part of him knew the reasons and
was gleefully watching all the transformations as they happened, he
still refused to look too closely into that aspect of his personality.
"Wonder if I have any clothes that fit by now?" He muttered while
padding back into the bedroom and opening up the closet to check.
What he saw in there caused him to let out another long, drawn out
sigh. "Guess so."
His underwear had changed into nylon male bikini briefs in a variety
of brighter colours than he would have chosen for himself. At least
before all this weird stuff started happening to him. His
undershirts were softer and almost silky in appearance, as well.
Getting into them was interesting as the slick material seemed to
just slide into place as he pulled on the briefs. Removing the towel
from his hair he noted that it was still quite damp, but at least it
wasn't dripping any longer. Getting the undershirt on over his head
without tangling his hair was an interesting experience, but he
managed to get it done after a few abortive tries.
"Man, this is hard to get right." He muttered while making sure the
hair was all outside the undershirt then padding over to the vanity
where he had a blow dryer sitting. "I wonder how long it'll take to
get all this dried off and brushed back into a reasonable semblance
of a civilized appearance."
Half an hour later he sat there dreamily running the brush through
his newly acquired mane and actually enjoying the feel of the brush
running through it and against his scalp.
Reasonably dried, and brushed, the glossy black mass shone with care
and good health.
"Well, like I heard somewhere before. It looks good on me."
"Now to finish getting dressed, and hope no one notices how girly I'm
starting to look. Like that's going to happen with this face and
hair, but I can at least entertain a little bit of hope there, right?"
He chose a long sleeved blue knit pullover and struggled again to get
all that hair through the neck hole but managed a bit better that
time. A pair of thin white cotton socks that looked way too small
when he held them up, fit his feet without stretching, and the Jeans
he picked out were just baggy enough to hide his growing feminine
charms at hips and bottom. A pair of men's size five Nikes finished
that part of the job and fit his smaller feet very comfortably.
Reaching for his wallet and keys on the dresser another thought
occurred to him. "What happens if I have to show ID somewhere? I
sure don't look like I used to, that's for sure, and it could be a
problem."
"Well, why doesn't this surprise me?" He muttered once he'd opened
his wallet to check his drivers license and work ID cards. The
pictures on all of them matched his new appearance and even
particulars like hair colour and weight had been changed. "Well at
least I won't have problems if I have to show this stuff to anyone."
Stopping to give his hair one last brushing just to make sure it was
falling properly and not in a mess, he gave himself a quick once
over. "Well, I guess it isn't too bad. I look kind of femme
especially with the face and hair, but I'll have to live with it, I
suppose."
"Good morning Dan!" Constance called from the counter where she was
working and she waved him over once she saw him coming down the
stairs.
His altered gait tended to slow him down as he worked his way across
the lobby towards the desk and he was almost terrified that one of
the women sitting or walking through at the same time would comment
on his feminine grace. Except for a few smiles of greeting and
softly voiced Hellos, none of them paid all that much attention to
him.
"You are looking great!" Constance gushed as he reached the counter.
"I'd say that our little town really agrees with you, Dan. You have
a glow that's positively contagious now, and your hair has its shine
and bounce back. So does your step, by the way. Overall, I'd say
that you seem to be really doing well here and that the rest has done
you a world of good."
"Thanks, I do feel really good this morning." He admitted while
finding that it was true. But even so, he hesitantly broached the
subject that had been bothering him so much over the past few days.
"Ummm, have you noticed anything else different about me over the
past couple of days?"
"Well, other than you've lost those big dark circles under your eyes,
and look like you have energy to burn now, no. I can't really say
that I have. Is there something bothering you?"
"Oh, it's just that now I'm ready to get out and do some real
vacation type stuff, I'm just worried about how people might accept
me looking the way I do." He answered with more honesty than he'd
planned on.
"Well, Your hair is very long for a man, but it's so beautiful that I
can understand why you wear it that way. You do have more of a
pretty face than a handsome one, but I don't think you'll run into
any problems around here because of either thing." She answered, then
gave him an impish grin. "Except for the local women maybe being
just a tad jealous of your lovely complexion and hair."
Dan actually blushed at that comment. "I hadn't thought of that one."
"Well don't worry yourself about it." Constance gave him a sunny
smile. "You'll probably hear comments like 'that hair and skin is
just wasted on a guy! Too bad.' and not much else about it."
"I can live with that, I suppose." Dan found himself smiling back at
the woman and waved towards the dining room. "Well, I'm going to get
some breakfast. I feel like I haven't eaten in days. Well, maybe not
that bad, but I do seem to have a lot of appetite this morning."
"I'll be busy her