My Wonderful Obsession 17 free porn video

My Wonderful Obsession Part 17: The Chick Flick Kath was over very early the next morning, ringing our doorbell. I was already up, but just barely, and had to grab a housecoat to put on over my nightie to answer the door. Kath was standing there dressed in her hiking outfit. "You're going today!" I exclaimed, and she nodded. "C'mon in and sit down," I said as I ushered her inside. We went into the kitchen and Kath parked herself at the island. "Okay, I want to hear everything - and don't leave out a single detail!" she demanded as I dropped some bread into the toaster. 'Hmm - this is going to be fun,' I thought. "I'm very sorry, dear girl," I sniffed, "but I'm sworn to secrecy." "Oh, stuff a sock in it why don't you! No secrets between us - remember? We're very frank with each other, right?" That made me giggle uncontrollably for at least ten seconds, then I said, "Okay Frank, have it your way, but I'm warning you - you might not be able to handle it all." "You mean you went to bed with him?" she demanded in a whisper, and that set me off giggling again. I was snapped out of it by the smell of burning toast. "I WISH ... I mean I DON'T wish - well, maybe I do wish a little ..." "Will you PLEASE tell me what happened!" "Okay, okay ... what can I say? We had a great time. He picked me up, I took him out for breakfast, we did a hike, we got soaked, I got covered in mud, I got cleaned up ... then we went out to dinner. End of story." "Yeah, right. You can tell me about the mud bath later - I just wanna hear about your hot dinner date. Where did you go?" "A French restaurant - I think it was called Chez Victor something-or-other." "You mean Chez Victor-Hugo? Sandy, that place is like, really expensive! How did you get him to take you there?" "I dunno, he just took me - I guess his parents like it there. They paid for our dinner." "They WHAT? I don't believe it. Oh my God, why didn't I keep that guy for myself?" "Too late now - he's all mine," I said with my best smirk. "Figures - you get all the breaks. So what did you order for dinner?" "Mark ordered for me," I said haughtily. "Coquilles St-Jacques, I think." I'm surprised I remembered what it was called. "Scallops?" Kath raised an eyebrow. "Now I get it - he was trying to have his way with you. Sandy, don't you know? Scallops are an aphrodisiac!" "They are?" I looked at the ceiling and stroked my chin for effect. "Hmm ... I guess that explains a lot." Maybe that's why I was feeling so amorous, I wondered! "SANDY! Quit playing games with me and tell me what happened!" "You're certainly pushy this morning," I laughed. "Are you sure you can handle the truth?" "YES." "Well, okay, but he really WAS the perfect gentleman ... even when he was stroking my legs, and caressing my feet ..." Kath's eyebrows were almost at her hairline and her mouth was wide open. "But I didn't mind at all, especially after eating those scallops ..." "You little hussy! Did he at least kiss you?" "Not there, in the restaurant!" "Oh, so you went somewhere else. Where?" "If you must know, we went for a walk in a park. And it just ...kind of happened. You know." "I wish I DID know. What was it like?" I tried to put on a show of looking dreamy-eyed about the kiss, but of course it was no 'show' at all - it was heartfelt and real. "When he kissed me I was in heaven." Kath was quiet at last - but not for long. "Like I said, it must have been the scallops. Maybe I should get Ben to take me there tonight and I'll order some for HIM." "You should BOTH have them," I laughed. "You probably need to loosen up a lot more than HE does. He's already nuts about you." "I should be so lucky. What makes you say that?" 'I've watched him - you know, like, how he looks at you. Anyway, I have it on good authority." "Oh, Sandy - really? Did Mark tell you that? Oh my God, I can't believe it - he LIKES me!" "Kath," I giggled, "try to calm down. You're going hiking with Ben today, obviously. Is he taking you out later?" "Yeah - but I have to be home by eleven," she scowled. "Okay, so what are you going to wear?" "What did YOU wear last night?" "Oh, just a very pretty white eyelet sundress, a little jewelry, nice nails, perfume ... and a LOT of makeup." "Oh my God, did you have to? Mark probably told Ben and he'll expect ME to look like that. I'm screwed." "Not necessarily," I said with a smile. "If I'm not mistaken, I owe you big time - you know what for. All you have to do is come over after your hike and I'll help you get all dolled up. Remember, we're almost the same size. I'm sure we can find something extra-femmy for you ..." "I was afraid you'd say that. But I'm just not into frilly stuff like you are." "Kath, get real - I'm not into frilly stuff - I'm into nice stuff. Like we both wore last Friday. Remember how that went?" She cocked her head in partial agreement and said, "It was very nice. I even FELT nice. Okay, you convinced me - I'll do it. Can I come over after I shower and get dressed here?" "Sure, no problem - that'll work out just fine. But don't dry your hair, and try to be here a couple of hours before date time." "Thanks, Sandy - what would I do without you?" At that moment we both heard a car horn tooting, and Kath immediately jumped up and headed for the door. "My ride's here - wish me luck!" she said happily. 'And what would I do without you?' I thought for at least the hundredth time as I watched her leave. ***** I was so excited for my friend Kath - maybe she'd have a romantic date like mine. Well, nothing could ever be as romantic as my first date with Mark, but I really wanted her to experience what it was like to have a guy eating out of your hand. For that to happen, she'd need some expert help to look her best, and that's where I'd come in. After Kath left, I went back upstairs to see what dress options there were in my closet. This time, come hell or high water, she was going to wear a pretty sundress like mine, and I was going to do her nails and makeup. She was going to knock Ben's socks off if it killed her! But I owned just three sundresses that would do the job - the white one, the yellow and white floral one and a pink one of the same pattern. And I knew that none of them would go with Kath's fair skin tone and hair color - I'd previously checked Natalie's Color Me Beautiful book and figured she must be a 'spring'. So I made a snap decision to go to the mall and buy a new dress just for her. After all, she had been so supportive and helped me so much to become the person I was, and what had I ever done for her in return? But first I had about an hour's worth of work to do for Mom, so I quickly put on my 'thong', a fresh bra and panties, then my white jean skirt and a pink cami-top. 'Perfect shopping clothes for a hot day' I thought as I fixed up my face and hair. I still wanted to show off all my nice nails, so for shoes I went with the pair of low-heeled casual sandals. While I was doing Mom's data entry I realized that my nails were now longer than they'd ever been. I'd always wondered how girls could type so well on a keyboard with long nails, but I guess I just adapted and found it to be no problem at all. Soon I was getting off the bus at the mall. Being a Saturday, the place was extra-busy. The smaller shops I had in mind were a bit crowded, and I didn't see much in the way of sundresses on display. When I finally got to ask a saleslady, she looked at me like I was from the moon. "Oh, the summer dresses are all gone. We're selling fall clothing now," she sniffed. "But it's only July!" I protested. I couldn't believe it. I could buy summer guys' clothes in the summer, so why couldn't I do that with girls' clothes? 'There's ONE problem with being a girl,' I thought - 'you have to put up with the stupid women's fashion industry'. "You might be able find something at Macy's," the lady confided. "They have all their summer clothes on sale right now." "Oh, thank you - you're very kind," I said sincerely. "I'll be back to shop for my fall stuff." "Don't wait too long - our winter fashions will be here before September." I was still shaking my head as I entered Macy's. But, I thought, that kind of silliness was just one more thing to learn about being a female. I went straight to the Juniors section and found several racks of summer dresses - all sale priced! A very friendly black woman with a nametag that read 'Vivian' was there in an instant asking if she could help me, so I told her what I was looking for. "Oh, you've come to the right place, honey," she said. "What size are you - a six?" "Yes, I am," I answered, very impressed that she could tell so easily. "This rack has all our sixes and eights," she said. "Is it for a special occasion, or just to look pretty?" "Both," I laughed, as I began to sort through all the possible candidates. There were at least four dozen dresses in my size. "It needs to be very cute." "To impress a boy?" Vivian smiled. "Yep, I certainly hope that's what happens." "Oh, honey, you could wear a sack and still impress the boys. But don't do that - I'd like you to buy a dress from us!" I laughed again, and I was beginning to like Vivian a lot. She was SO helpful - helping me pick out at least half a dozen nice ones and carrying them to the fitting rooms for me. She also stayed with me while I tried on and modeled each dress, commenting on the style or color and whether she thought it 'worked'. She even had a drawer with a variety of high-heeled pumps for customers to put on so they'd have a better idea of how the dresses looked with proper footwear. I'd never worn pumps before, or anything else with that much heel, but I loved how they made my ankles and legs look so sleek and shapely. I was in seventh heaven! Mostly because I loved trying on such a variety of pretty clothes but also because other shoppers were stopping to offer their positive comments. My favorite dress of the lot was similar in style to my white eyelet dress - the top had the same sweetheart neckline and spaghetti straps, and a bustier-style bodice with an embroidery design on the bra cups. But the skirt was layered, giving it a party dress feel. It was made of a satiny pastel-turquoise material and lined just like mine. It was an easy choice! Vivian was looking a bit unconvinced though. "Honey, that dress is real pretty on you, but I don't think it's your color. Let me see if I still have it in a different color." "Oh, that's okay," I said. "I'm actually buying for a friend. This color will be perfect on her." For a moment I considered buying one for myself in another color, but then I remembered that women hate it when their friends wear the same dress as them. 'Another stupid rule,' I thought. But I COULD buy something ELSE for myself! So I took off the turquoise dress and handed it to Vivian, then went back to the rack to look at some more options. Vivian gave me a very nice compliment. "Honey," she said as I modeled what must have been the tenth dress, "your body is MADE for pretty dresses. And you have the nicest legs too." "Thanks ... you just made my day," I giggled, totally thrilled to have that kind of confirmation of my ability to pass as a girl. Long story short, it didn't take me long to find two more very cute sundresses that fit me perfectly. And the best part was, they were all forty percent off! "I'll take both of these," I said to Vivian as I passed the two dresses out the fitting room door." "Oh, silly me - I forgot to tell you about our weekend sale - if you buy three you get one more for free. Is there another dress you liked?" "Oh - that's great!" I exclaimed. That never happened when I shopped for boy clothes! It took me another round of trying on dresses before I found another perfect one for Kath. This dress was a salmon color with a floral pattern, kind of like my yellow sundress, but it had wider shoulder straps and a straight-cut bodice, low enough to show some cleavage. The hemline was edged with a wide strip of transparent chiffon which ended about two inches above the knee. The dress needed to be worn with a bra, and mine didn't quite do it justice, but I thought Kath would fill it perfectly. Vivian carefully folded and packed the four dresses at the checkout counter, still chatting away like I was her best friend. I thought she was the best saleslady I'd ever encountered, not that I'd known very many in my short career as a female. As she handed me the bulky shopping bag, Vivian leaned closer and whispered, "Honey, your friend isn't a boy is she? Last week I had two girls in here shopping for dresses for their boyfriends. Happens all the time," she said, smiling and shaking her head. I burst out laughing - the situation was so funny and ironic at the same time! I wondered what Vivian would say if I told her I was the boy shopping for dresses for his girlfriend. But of course I kept my mouth shut and Vivian joined in the laugh. She obviously thought I found the notion of a boy wearing a dress to be a real hoot. ***** I was back at home later that afternoon doing laundry. Mom had just gone out on a shopping expedition of her own, saying she'd be back by dinnertime, when the phone rang. I picked up on the portable in the kitchen. "Hello?" "Hi kid, it's me." Mark! "Hi, how are you today?" I took the phone into the living room and sat on the sofa looking outside. "Great, especially after last night. How about you - did I get you in trouble for being home so late?" "No, not at all - I mean YES, you did actually. How are you going to make it up to me?" Mark laughed. 'I love making him laugh,' I thought. "Well, how does a movie sound?" "You mean tonight? I thought you were busy with your Dad or something." "I was - but we're all done now. I was helping him with his computer at the office." "Oh, so you're a computer expert too, on top of all your other talents?" "Yeah, I get by. It was pretty easy though - just upgrading his Windows. There were a few things to sort out - like programs that wouldn't run on the new version, and the printer wouldn't work - but it's all good now." "So when we have computer trouble I can call on you?" Any excuse to see him more often, I thought with a smile. "Sure, any time - but I can't make promises. Computers are pretty finicky." "So like, what do you want to see?" I asked, switching the subject back to something a lot more interesting - our possible date. "Oh, I dunno - is there something you haven't seen yet? You can pick." "I haven't seen anything lately," I replied truthfully. "Let me check the paper to see what's playing and I'll call you back." "Okay, talk to you soon," he said. As I got up to put the phone back I saw a beat-up Chev pull up in Kath's driveway, and she got out and waved to the driver, whom I guessed had to be Ben. I glanced at the clock - it was only three! So I ran outside to intercept her. She looked exhausted and her tee-shirt was stained with sweat. "You're back early," I said with my sweetest smile. "How'd it go?" "That was the toughest thing I ever did," she moaned. "He had me climbing up and down cliffs and we were practically running everywhere else. You'd think I was doing basic training!" "Sounds like fun," I kidded. "I hoped you saved some energy for your big date tonight." Kath fixed me with an 'are-you-kidding?' stare and shook her head. "It's all used up - you'll have to go in my place." "Can't," I replied airily. "I'm on my OWN date tonight. You know how much I love to help, but tonight you'll have to tough it out for yourself, dearie." "Some friend YOU are," Kath snorted wearily. "I guess I'd better go get cleaned up. He's picking me up at six." "Yes, you should. But since you have all this extra time, I think you'd better, um, use your shaver a bit." I'd noticed that her legs looked a little fuzzy. I lifted her arm and peered into the sleeve. "How do your pits look? Hmm - they could use some help too." "You're being awfully fussy, Sandy - not to mention overly personal." "I need to be. Remember, we're getting you dolled up. You can't have hairy legs and armpits." "I'll do my best with what little energy I have left," Kath moaned again. 'This is going to be a busy afternoon,' I thought as I went back in my house. First I located the section of the paper that had the movie listings, and with one glance decided what we should see. I wrote down the locations and times. Then I hit redial on the phone. "Hi gorgeous," answered Mark's voice. "Hi handsome ... hey, how did you know it was me?" I remembered being called 'bro' last time. "Lucky guess. So what are we watching tonight?" "I hope you don't mind taking me to a chick flick ... how does 'Shakespeare in Love' sound?" "That definitely sounds like a chick flick. I was thinking more along the lines of 'Saving Private Ryan' - you know, nothing like a good war movie." "Are you kidding me? You'd take your girlfriend to a war movie? Some gentleman you are!" Mark was having a good laugh on the other end of the line. "Okay, okay ... I did say you could choose, so I guess I'll just have to suffer through your lovey-dovey show." "Mark are you pulling my leg again?" I immediately regretted that choice of words - and he did pick up on the double meaning! "No, that was last night! Okay, so maybe I am, a little. Actually I did want to see that movie. I heard it's one of those play-within-a-play kind of stories. There's something else about it that's supposed to be interesting." I knew what the 'something else' was, but decided to let Mark find out for himself. "Cool. It starts at seven-thirty at the AMC - I think that's the closest theater. We could go for a bite before that, if you wanted ..." "I was hoping we could do that too. When can I pick you up?" "At six? I have to help Kath get ready for her date with Ben tonight." "If YOU'RE helping Kath, Ben doesn't stand a chance. Maybe I should warn him," Mark chuckled. "You'll do nothing of the sort! We're going for maximum impact, and it needs to be a surprise." "I know all about maximum impact, let me tell you," he laughed. "Like I said, Ben doesn't stand a chance." "Well, I have to go now - duty calls. See you at six?" "Six it is," he promised. I hurried to get my laundry finished and put away, then I took a quick shower but couldn't spare the time to wash my hair. Around four the doorbell rang and in walked Kath, her hair sopping wet. She was wearing a clean pair of shorts and a tank top. "Okay, miss makeover expert, I'm here. Do with me what you will," she said solemnly, as if she was on the way to her execution. "Feeling a lot better now, I see." "Much better, actually," she said, her face brightening. "I didn't even cut myself, and THAT'S a miracle." Squatting down, I ran my hands over her legs and said, "Kath, you did a perfect job!" "Well, Mom DID loan me her new razor when I told her I needed to shave my legs. I think she's still in a state of shock." We both had a good giggle. Until lately, I was sure Mrs. Thomas was worried her daughter would be a tomboy for life. Not if I had anything to do with it, I told myself. I'd decided to do Kath's hair, nails and makeup in the kitchen and already had all my appliances and supplies ready to go on the island. Seating her on a stool, I got to work blow-drying and flat-ironing, and soon her hair looked longer and straighter than ever. It still had traces of the color rinse she'd put in for the play, which I thought gave it an extra trendy look. I finished up by brushing her hair back away from her face and fastening it out of the way with one of my big hair clips. Then I got started on her nails, inserting my foam blocks between her toes and doing a little filing on her fingernails. "Too bad you bite your nails so much," I scolded. "You don't give me much to work with. "What can I say - it's very stressful having friends like you." "You have no idea ..." I'd bought some salmon-pink nail color at Macy's that morning, and as I hoped, it looked terrific against Kath's skin. To make sure her nails had extra wow-power, I brushed on a couple of coats of super-gloss sealer. I hoped she was enjoying the spa-like pampering. "So do you know where he's taking you?" I asked. "No, but I made sure he knew where you two went last night." "That was mean - unless his parents are willing to pay your bill, that is." "Why shouldn't they - their son's going out with the most eligible girl in town." "AND the best-looking," I added. "Too true," she laughed. "And you just make sure about that, okay?" While her nails were drying I began working on Kath's face. I'd enjoyed doing her hair and nails a lot, but doing her makeup gave me the chance to brush up on my artistic skills, and besides it made me feel an extra touch of intimacy with her. "Please don't overdo it," pleaded Kath as I began applying a little highlighter below her eyes. But I just laughed, "Isn't that the whole point? Don't forget, the better you look, the more treats you get." I was actually just kidding - I'd never make her look unnatural. But I did feel confident that I knew what look would be appropriate for her, for the dress, and for her dinner date. And I spent a good half hour doing the best job I possibly could! When that task was done I led her upstairs to my room for the next step. Kath saw her face in my vanity mirror and let out a gasp, but I could tell by the grin that followed, and the way she looked at her face from different angles, that she approved. "You still need lipstick," I reminded her. "Maybe, but what I really need to do right now is give you a great big hug," she said as her arms instantly went around me. We stood eye-to-eye for a moment, and then to my surprise Kath planted a big kiss right on my lips! "I love you, Sandy ... you'll always be my best friend." I could feel tears welling up in my eyes, and all I could do in response was nod my head. But now things would get even more intimate. "Okay," I said as we slowly broke apart, "I need you to take off your clothes. Is that all right? You can leave your panties on." Now I was glad Mom wasn't home - what if she were to walk in on us? "Good thing they're aren't any boys around here," she joked as she pulled off her shorts. I helped with the tank-top, being extra careful not to disturb my makeup job, and then unhooked her bra. As she slipped the straps off her arms I realized I hadn't seen her breasts since we were bra-shopping two years before. They had definitely grown a lot bigger, at least double my size if my guess was correct. But would they still fit the dress, I wondered, staring at the lovely sight in front of me. And I was feeling more than a little envious that Kath was much better endowed than I was. "Now what?" she asked, her eyes following my gaze downward over her nearly nude body. "is this the outfit you had in mind?" "Well, Ben might think it's just great, but I don't think your Mom and Dad would approve, and I don't either. So, sadly, we'll have to cover up some of your beautiful body. Lucky for you, I do have something nice to cover it with. But first you need a little of this ..." I began applying baby oil to her shoulders, feeling very privileged to be able to be this intimate with a girl, as only her best girlfriend could ever be. Then I did the same with her feet and legs, stopping about a foot or so above her knees. "That feels very nice," she purred. "Do I get a back massage too?" "Don't tempt me - I'm having way too much fun already," I giggled. "Oh - and I want you to wear perfume this time - you have two choices." I found the fragrance Mom had bought me in California, and the new one I'd been wearing lately. We sampled both and agreed that she should go with the California one, even though Ben had liked the other on me. I made sure Kath had enough scent applied in all the right places, feeling confident that Ben would love how it smelled on her. Then I told her to shut her eyes and keep them closed till I said so. I opened my closet and retrieved the turquoise sundress from its hanger. "Now put your arms out like this and hold very still - I don't want you messing up all my hard work." I slid my arms up through the dress and carefully eased it over hers, then down over her body until it was in place. "Okay, you can relax your arms but no peeking. Uh, please excuse my hands but I have to get you stuffed in here," I said as I arranged her breasts to fill the cups. "Just pretend I'm Ben, okay?" I still couldn't believe I got to do this! "I think I'll have to slap you anyway - like, when did you get so fresh?" she giggled. "I've always been fresh ... you know me. Okay, I just have to zip you up now, so suck it in a bit ..." She was definitely bigger up top than I expected, but what the hell, I thought - she'll just have to look a bit sexier. "Ben WILL want to grab you with this dress on," I taunted her as I joined the little hook at the top. "I dunno - did Mark grab you?" "Not exactly, but I'm not as voluptuous as you are." I positioned Kath in front of my long mirror and said, "Okay, feast your eyes on the new you!" She opened her eyes and didn't say a word, then she turned side to side to observe herself from different angles. "Wow - this dress is something else. I really look good in it, don't I?" I was almost in tears again, she looked so amazing. "You look unbelievable. Your Mom's going to freak - if she recognizes you, that is." The most striking aspect to me was her bustline, which the dress gathered and uplifted, displaying the softly rounded tops of her beautiful, almost-white breasts and the deep cleft between them. If I'd been a 'normal' guy I wouldn't be able to take my eyes away from the perfect view. "I hope so," said Kath. "That'll be the best part." "Oh no, the best part will be when Ben freaks. Your Mom will never appreciate this dress like he will, trust me." "Oh, Sandy ..." Kath was almost in tears herself now. "You're really the makeover queen, aren't you? I never thought I could pull off anything like this, but you've done it. You've really done it! Thanks SO much for loaning me your dress - it's so wonderful." "Well, YOU had to provide the wonderful body, sweetie - and look at you - quite the figure I'd say. And I have a surprise for you - it's not MY dress, it's YOURS. I bought it for you today." "You DID? Sandy, you're amazing. But I'll pay you back - how much was it?" "You've already paid me a million times what that dress cost. You helped me get my body, remember?" "And a very cute body it is," she giggled, hugging me. "But I still feel like I owe you." "Better wait to see how your date goes before you say that." "It can't go wrong now, Sandy - I just hope he doesn't have a heart attack when he sees me." "I think he'll want to stay alive so he can have his way with you," I laughed. We spent a few more minutes on Kath's hair, keeping it put up but letting a few tendrils hang down on one side. She'd gotten her ears pierced on her last birthday, so I was able to convince her to wear a nice pair of dangly earrings, and a matching neck chain as well. Then I gave her a tube of lipstick to apply while I went to look for the right shoes. We tried a few different pairs before settling on a tan-colored open-toed sandal with about an inch of heel. By then it was after five-thirty, so I told her she needed to get back home to wait for her man to show. "Make sure you wait upstairs so you can make the grand staircase entrance," I advised her. Mom was just getting home as we went outside. I was happy to find that the temperature was still around ninety with no wind - that meant Kath wouldn't need a wrap, which would only cover up her attractive cleavage anyway. "Is that you, Kathleen?" Mom asked when she got out of the car. She had a look of amazement on her face. "I don't think I've ever seen you with a dress on - except perhaps in the play." "And at the dance recital ... AND at the prom," I corrected. "Those were just costumes, Mrs. Johnson," Kath giggled. "I guess this is, too - my dating costume!" "You look VERY pretty," Mom complimented her. "I love your makeup - it suits you very well." 'That won't be the last compliment she gets tonight,' I thought with a smile. At that moment Kath's ever-watchful mother appeared at their door. "Kathleen - oh my God, where did you get that dress?!" She trotted over to join us. "And you have so much makeup on ..." Then she saw Kath's gorgeous nails and I thought she was going to freak out like I had predicted. "Why in heaven's name are you so dressed up?" "Mom, calm down - I'm just going on a date - you knew that. Sandy helped me get ready." "Is that another one of Sandy's dresses?" she asked suspiciously, glancing over at me. "No Mom, it's MINE. And I'm going out to dinner with Ben Wright, remember?" I could tell that Kath was enjoying herself immensely, just like Julia had when I helped her get all dressed up. And it made me quite pleased! "Just the two of you?" "MOM - cut it out! Remember, I'm seventeen now? Like, I can date now?" "Where's Ben taking you to dinner? It had better be somewhere very nice, the way you're dressed, young lady." "I have no idea, but Sandy got taken out to Chez Victor-Hugo last night so it better be at least THAT nice." Mrs. Thomas just shook her head, but I could tell she wasn't entirely unhappy about how her daughter looked, and she even laughed at Kath's statement. "Well, best friend," I said, giving Kath another hug, "you just have the best time tonight. And remember, I get a full report. Fair's fair!" "I'll tell you as much as you told me, nothing more," she replied haughtily. Our Moms looked at each other and shook their heads, then I waved goodbye and went back to our house to get ready for Mark's arrival while the two Moms chatted a while longer outside. I already knew what I wanted to wear to the movie: a flared, pleated short white skirt - since Mark seemed to enjoy my legs - and a clingy blue top that had my favorite scoop neckline. I added a pair of white hoop earrings and matching wrist bracelets, and slipped on my pair of low heeled leather sandals. I only had enough time for a quick makeup application, so I stuck with the basics - eyeliner and mascara, and my pink lip gloss. Luckily all my nails were still in good shape, thanks to Karen's expert workmanship. Oh, and I couldn't forget a couple of spritzes of Mark's favorite scent! At six I was back downstairs, and he pulled into the driveway only a minute later. "Bye Mom - I'm going to a movie with Mark!" I called as I grabbed my purse and headed out the door. Mark was already halfway to the front steps and when he saw me he stopped dead in his tracks. "Do you always have to look so good?" he asked as he gave me a quick hug and kiss. "Only when there's someone who appreciates it," I answered, not entirely sincerely given my obsession with always looking my best no matter who or what. Mark drove us to a little bistro restaurant within walking distance of the theater, and we managed to score a table for two on the patio in front. I just ordered a garden salad with grilled chicken, and Mark decided on a salmon burger. While we were waiting for our food, we chatted about Ben and Kath. "I wonder where he took her for dinner," I mused. "Why do you want to know?" Mark inquired suspiciously. "Oh, nothing ... I just wanted to make sure you took ME to the best place in town for our first date." That got him chuckling. "Well, I'll tell you what - if they can find a better restaurant, I'll just have to take you to an even better one." "Then I hope they DO find one," I giggled. Then I looked him straight in the eyes and gave him a nice appreciative smile. "You know, Mark ... if you'd just taken me to the golden arches it still would have been the most romantic night of my life." Mark arched his eyebrows and seemed to be silently absorbing what I'd just told him. Then he responded, simply, "Thanks. That means a lot to me." And we just stared into each other's eyes. 'Oh God,' I thought, 'I am SO falling in love with this guy ... how in the world could that have happened?' It really WAS surreal - exactly a year earlier I was a boy, madly in love with a girl, and we even had wonderful sex together. I remembered feeling like I was really meant to be a male after all ... but now it was the exact opposite. I couldn't BEGIN to imagine being male, and I wanted nothing except to be this wonderful guy's girl for the rest of my life! "Do you think Ben was okay with spending the day with Kath?" I asked, trying to refocus and avoid letting the conversation get too serious this early in the evening. "I don't see why not," he answered. "He IS pretty crazy about her. I just hope he can handle her." "And what's that supposed to mean?" "Well, she's your best friend and if she's anything like you ... look out!" "You're not doing very well explaining yourself," I said suspiciously. "I didn't know I was so hard to handle." Mark laughed and said, "Oh, but you are! You have no idea how much I stressed about where to take you last night." "So you think I'm hard to please, too." "Uh, not really I guess ... it's just that you come across as someone who's very particular. So I wanted everything to be perfect - I didn't want to disappoint you. " "As if YOU could disappoint ME," I smiled, a little surprised to hear how much Mark cared about my enjoyment of our date. "I just didn't want to take any chances." He certainly wriggled out of that one like an expert, I thought. But now the conversation had become serious again. Luckily our food arrived. "Let's change the subject," I suggested. "I'm really looking forward to the movie. It's been like AGES since I saw one. Kath and I always went together - we're both movie fanatics." "Me too. I'll watch almost anything - well, anything but slasher films. I don't know how people can sit through that stuff." "Maybe they're on hot dates and it's a good excuse to ignore the movie." "Never thought about that. So you want to go to a slasher film instead?" "MARK!" I laughed and giggled. It seemed like we were doomed to talk about nothing but our developing relationship. 'Might as well throw in the towel,' I thought. "We don't have to do that to have a good time." If that sounded to Mark like a come-on, it was. 'Two can play this game,' I smiled. We finished our meal and Mark paid the bill. At the theater I used a couple of gift certificates I'd had since Christmas to get us in, and we were all settled in our seats with drinks and popcorn fifteen minutes before the movie started. Good thing, too - the theater soon filled up, mostly with groups of girls but there were also a lot of young couples just like us. I knew in advance from reading the reviews that the movie had some kind of cross-dressing theme. Will Shakespeare's love interest is a girl who pretends to be a boy to get a part in one of his plays, and because the 'boy' looks so much like a girl he naturally gets to play the girls' parts. Did I find this interesting? DUH! The neatest part was that Shakespeare really believes the girl is a boy, but he/she is so feminine that he can't help falling madly in love with him/her. Of course, he soon finds out that the object of his affections is really a girl after all, and then they engage in some passionate lovemaking. I found the tale to be wonderfully romantic and totally riveting. 'Poor Mark,' I thought. If he was hoping I'd be bored with the movie and spend the whole time necking with him, then he was disappointed. We DID kiss a couple of times, but the rest of the time we just held hands or rested our hands on each other's knees. Well, actually Mark didn't restrict himself to my knee - when his hand wasn't there his fingers were usually stroking my upper leg. More than once I felt tingly all over and there was definitely pressure building up behind my gaff! I had try hard to stay focused on the movie, but I didn't want Mark to stop touching me, either! I don't know if I was the best movie date, because I reacted so emotionally to every scene, especially the ironic or romantic ones. And this movie was full of them. In the suspenseful parts I grabbed Mark's arm tightly with both hands, which usually made him look at me with a big smile. The only letdown was how the movie ended, which I really wanted to be a happy-ever-after ending and was anything but. After the movie Mark suggested we go for dessert, so we went back to the same bistro and sat talking about the movie. I told him I thought the acting was superb, but what I really loved was the storyline. "I did too," he agreed. "I felt like I could totally relate to Will Shakespeare." I thought I knew what he was driving at, but was afraid to ask him to explain. He did anyway. "He's so attracted to Viola even though he thinks she's a guy. He can't help himself. That's kind of what it's like for me ... with you." 'Oh, God,' I thought, 'now we're getting WAY too serious'. But I wanted to hear more, and he obliged. I just stared into his eyes and listened, hoping to discover exactly why Mark wanted me, of all people, for his girlfriend. "You're like ... the most attractive girl I've ever met," he whispered, shaking his head a bit and leaning closer, "and you're not even a real girl. But you're even better than a real girl. You're just like Viola - so feminine, and so incredibly pretty. I really love your style - like, how you dress, how you do your face and hair, your perfume - and your voice ..." he shook his head again. "How can I say this ... like, you're just perfect. And, uh ... you're actually very sexy. I love hearing you speak, how you say my name ..." "Like this? - 'mister Mark McCowan'..." I used my best 'sexy' voice. Then I got up from my chair and went over to him, and leaning down I whispered in his ear, "Mark, you're SO sweet ... I think I need to give you a nice big kiss." And that's what I did, with everyone else watching. A few even clapped! Then I said, "You are such a special guy." And I kissed him again. We lingered over dessert for another half hour, holding hands across the table and chatting about the Shakespeare movie and others we'd seen before, and then we left and began driving home. Just after eleven we pulled into my driveway, but I wasn't ready to say goodnight yet (because Mark was still holding my hand!) so we stayed in the car a while longer, making good use of the opportunity to practice our kissing skills some more! A new-ish Oldsmobile pulled into Kath's driveway a short time later. "That's Ben's dad's car," said Mark. "No fair - he had a nicer car for HIS date." "I still like your Corolla best," I assured him. "And I think it's cute." As we watched we could see the other car's two occupants kissing! We looked at each other and nodded, then we both jumped out and ran next door to surprise Ben and Kath, who were apparently counting on some private one-on-one time. No such luck - we opened their doors and pulled them both out for inspection! Ben, who looked quite dashing in his tan-colored suit, had lipstick smudges all around his mouth - 'Way to go, Kath!' I thought with a grin. "Hey, what's the big idea?" Ben said with mock indignation, obviously pleased to see us just the same. "We just thought you two might need to come up for some air," I giggled. "SANDY! You're being a little presumptuous, aren't you?" Kath scolded, but she was on the verge of giggling too. "We don't have to presume anything," Mark laughed, "we saw it all with our own eyes!" By then, Mark had put his arm and hand around my shoulder, and Ben must have taken that as a cue because he did the same with Kath. "So where did you guys go?" I asked, eager to hear how my friend's date had gone. Kath turned her head to look up at Ben, who said, "No place special. But the company sure was." Kath, who smiled broadly at the compliment, shook her head and said, "It WAS a special place, Sandy - Mount Adams Fish House. We both like seafood, as it turns out." I fixed Kath with a knowing stare. "Don't tell me - scallops, right?" She giggled, "How did you ever guess? But this brave man here ordered sushi!" "Wow, Ben, you ARE brave," said Mark. "How was it?" "Raw fish DOES take some getting used to, but you know me, I'm up for almost anything." "Especially when there's a pretty girl you need to impress," Mark laughed. I was totally enjoying the uniqueness of the moment, hanging out with my best friend Kath, each of us with the arm of a handsome young man holding us close to him. 'Can it get any better than this?' I asked myself, not for the first (or last) time. But sooner or later the mood had to be broken, and it didn't take long - we heard Mr. Thomas' voice ordering, "Kathleen - time to come in!" Boy, was I glad I didn't have parent issues like that! "I'll just be a few minutes, Dad," Kath replied, indignation in her voice. He seemed okay with that and the door closed again. "I guess we should be letting both you girls get your beauty sleep," said Mark. "Not that you need it or anything ..." "Careful!" laughed Kath. "Hey, Sandy and I are thinking of going swimming tomorrow - at our community pool - you guys can join us if you're free." She looked at me to see if I disagreed, but I hadn't thought of inviting them and didn't know if I liked the idea or not. It would be another big step, showing off that much of my body to these guys. Ben looked at Mark, who just shrugged and said, "I'm not too busy - how about you?" "What time?" asked Ben. "Whatever's good for you," Kath replied. We settled on a time (earlier to avoid the crowds) and the guys offered to pick us up, then they both said goodnight and drove away - but not before Kath and I each got very nice goodnight kisses! "So I take it you and Ben are getting along okay?" I kidded her. "You could say that ..." she answered softly, her eyes following Ben's car down the street. "Well just remember, I'm still your best friend, right?" Kath laughed, "My memory's just fine - it's yours we have to worry about!" ***** My yellow bathing suit still fit me well enough, although happily my breasts filled the bra cups a little better than they did the year before, and I was good enough now at hiding my extra parts with the gaff that I wasn't quite as worried about bulges showing. I'd been going to that pool since I was maybe five, but this was the first time I'd ever used the women's change room. Of course I ducked into a toilet stall to change into my bathing suit, paying extra attention to how well my male bits were hidden, then I put my long hair up with the matching yellow clip. Last, I applied some zinc lip sunblock in my favorite shade of pink. Kath and I put our stuff in one locker and went out to the pool together. I think both guys were kind of amazed when they laid eyes on me, but of course Ben reserved his compliments for Kath, who was wearing the same black one-piece she had used for the past couple of years. I made a mental note to take her swimsuit shopping and find something in one of her proper colors. Mark, however, didn't say a word, but his smile spoke volumes and he sure looked me over carefully! That made me feel rather self-conscious, so I responded by moving closer and standing on tip-toes to give him a quick kiss, hoping that would distract him. It was the perfect day to be at the pool - scorching hot, even though it was still before noon. We spent most of the time playing in the water, chasing each other or seeing who could swim lengths faster. I found that I could beat all the others every time! After his third or fourth loss, Mark said "It must be her bathing suit - I was sure I saw a girl wearing the same one get disqualified at the Olympics." "I'll loan it to you and you can see if it helps," I offered. "No thanks, I'm not falling for that one - you'd be able to swim even faster if you didn't have anything on at all." That got Kath giggling loudly. "I'd pay a lot of money to see THAT race." "HOW much?" I asked in my innocent voice. Now everyone was laughing and splashing each other. Ben was getting the worst of it from Kath, so he lunged for her and picked her up in his arms. That must have surprised her, because she immediately stopped splashing him and put an arm around his neck. A moment later Mark was carrying me in his arms too, and like Kath I put my arm around his neck. The guys paraded us around like that for a while and got some nice wet kisses for their trouble, then we switched places and the girls started carrying the guys! I always thought it was cool how much lighter things are in the water. We also spent some time stretched out on our beach towels on a grassy area near the pool, soaking up the hot sun and the good company. Mark was flat on his back and as we chatted I found myself running my fingertips through his curly, light-colored chest hair, marveling at how perfectly it suited his slim body even though I had done everything I could to avoid growing any of my own. Thankfully I didn't have the slightest trace of hair on my chest - not even any peach fuzz like I had on my arms, and that's exactly how I wanted it to stay! Kath saw what I was preoccupied with and she made Ben roll over onto his back as well, then she began playing with his chest hair which was noticeably thicker and darker than Mark's. I smiled to myself as I watched her pretty nails catch and reflect the bright sunlight. I think Ben noticed them too, because he reached out with one hand and pulled Kath's face down to his for a nice long kiss. At that moment I felt absolutely thrilled for my best friend. Later, after we got back into our street clothes, the guys took us to a local drive-in for burgers and shakes. They had come in Mark's Corolla, which was a bit tight for doing drive-in food, and besides it was too hot to eat in the car, so we sat outside at a picnic table. I was wearing an off-the-shoulders strapless top and Kath, who was sitting across from me, noticed something. "Oh-oh, Sandy dear - you forgot your sunscreen, didn't you?" she said with concern in her voice. "Why, do I have a burn?" "Oh yeah - your face got some, especially your nose, and I think you're in for a classic bathing suit tan." I looked down and sure enough, there were two light-colored streaks crossing over my shoulders and the rest of my skin looked distinctly reddish. I lifted my top a little to look down, and there was a perfect line separating my red upper chest from my paler breast area. The guys checked themselves out too, but I think I had the worst of it. "I'm sorry, I should have brought some screen along for you - I put mine on at home and didn't think you wouldn't have any with you," Kath said apologetically. "I did have some," I said. "I just forgot to put it on." That was true - using the women's change room must have thrown me off my game. "Oh well, I'm sure a little sunburn won't kill me." Actually, I was very annoyed with myself. My looks were very important to me, and having a sunburned nose wasn't part of my plan. The strap marks didn't concern me much though, since they kind of go with the territory when you're a girl, and that's exactly how I was spending my summer. On the way home I asked Mark to stop at a Walgreen's so I could pick up some aloe vera. "Do you want me to put some on you right now?" he offered as we left the store. "Sure, if you don't mind ..." "My pleasure," Mark said. As he started applying the cool gel to my shoulders and upper chest, I thought 'No, it's really MY pleasure'. I absolutely loved it whenever he touched me. He also put a little on my nose and face where the skin was reddest. "There - hopefully that'll fix you up." "Thanks, Mark - you're very sweet," I said in my nicest voice. "No problem - somebody has to look out for you. Might as well be me." "Gee - now I wish I'd forgotten my sunscreen too," moaned Kath. We all laughed and Ben said, "Feeling left out, sweetie? I can put some on you just to be on the safe side, if you like ..." "Tell you what - next time we go hiking you can put my sunscreen on for me." "It's a deal," Ben chuckled. ***** Mark wasn't expected home until six for the McCowans' regular Sunday family dinner, so he and I decided to spend a little more time together that afternoon. Ben and Kath couldn't, however, since upon arriving back at her place Kath's parents had sternly reminded her that she promised to clean her room that day, and they said they'd already been way too lenient in letting her go swimming. Like I said before, I was glad I never had parents like that - although I could maybe sympathize with them a little - Kath's room really was quite the mess. My room, on the other hand, was as tidy and spotless as ever so Mark and I were free to hang out, which we did by driving over to Mount Echo Park to go for a walk. I didn't tell Mark that I'd done the same thing as Julia's boyfriend only the summer before! Before long we were holding hands and strolling the park's wooded trails, out of the direct sunlight to keep my skin from getting burned even more. But I don't recall being aware of my sunburn because all my attention was on Mark. He seemed to be eager to discuss our deepening relationship, and as usual he was saying the nicest things to me, which in retrospect were probably meant to put me in a receptive mood. If that was the plan it worked very well, because I just felt more and more amorous towards him with every step. "I've decided something," Mark said at one point, making it sound like he had a big announcement to make. And boy he did he ever! "What is it?" I asked, turning to look him in the face. But before answering he took both my hands and positioned me directly in front of him so that we were now looking into each other's eyes, our faces only a few inches apart. "Sandra," he said softly without breaking eye contact. "I think I'm falling in love with you ... and I want you to be my steady girlfriend from now on ... if that's okay." I could scarcely believe what I was hearing. I felt a massive wave of emotion wash over me ... it seemed like all my fondest dreams were coming true, all at once! But right then I was totally speechless, so I think I just nodded as I felt my tears start to flow freely down my face. Mark put his arms around me and pulled me close as I buried my face into his neck and just sobbed for I don't know how long. But then I felt his hand on my face and he turned it upwards so that he could kiss me deeply. I passionately returned it and didn't ever want to stop kissing him. Eventually I did, but only long enough to take his face in my hands and look into his eyes, hoping he could see through the tears and see all the love there was in mine. I needed to tell him anyway. "Mark ... oh, Mark, I love you too. I love you so much." Then we kissed again and held each other tight for a long, long time - and I'm sure Mark was a bit late for dinner that evening. To be continued ....