Only Women Do That, Chapter 3 free porn video

(c) Copyright 2012, by Leslie P. Lowe. All rights reserved. [email protected] Only Women Do That, Chapter 3 By Leslie Lowe "I'm so sorry, Mr. Sam," Lynn said, mortified, beginning to cry, trying to collect all the cum in his skirts. He adjusted his bra, which had slipped down, exposing one of his nipples. In that moment, Lynn could not disagree with Mr. Sam. He most certainly did feel like a whore. "Not you," Mr. Sam said. "Daddy," Sherry said, standing up, letting the video camera slide out of her fingers. "They made me do this!" She was also crying now, whining in a pitiful little-girl voice. "Not you either," Mr. Sam said sadly, obviously traumatized. "Then who are you calling a whore?" Sherry said. "Him." He pointed. "Rod, you told me you and Sherry were just girlfriends. You said you loved me. You wanted to be my woman if we could keep it private. And now this?" "I can explain," Rod said, in a very deep voice, zipping up. "Shut the fuck up," Mr. Sam said to Rod. "Lynn, you're fired. Get out of my building. Sherry, you're grounded. Rod, you're back on the shovel line, or you can resign if you want. Take your choice. I'm only giving you that for old times sake, because you were a good fuck. And to think I loved you. Well, fool me once." Shaking his head, he turned around and stomped down the hall to his big corner office, and slammed the door. "Rod?" Sherry said. Rod walked out without a word. Sherry looked down at Lynn. "I guess you get the last laugh, sissy." "Except I'm out of a job and everybody in town thinks I want to be a woman." "That makes two of us, sistuh!" Sherry said, giving Lynn a high-five. She walked out. Lynn knelt where he was, trying to catch his breath. He thought about what had just happened, the shame of it, but also the humor, trying for the present not to anticipate the real consequences. He murmured his favorite mantra. "None is so wise as she who refuses to take herself seriously." It had saved his sanity and perhaps his life in countless abusive situations and suicidal moments. But realizing he would have to tell all this to his mom, before others did, quickly sobered his mood. He stood up slowly, still holding all the goop in his dress, which in places was starting to stiffen, like his cum- covered face. He grabbed his purse, checked around for anything else that was his among the debris in the room, and headed for the ladies' room to clean up. # # # "Oh--my--God!" Kay said, holding Lynn's hand. "He didn't?" "He did!" Lynn said. "Mr. Sam really told them off. It was so funny! But notice that I was the only person fired?" "Now you know you're a woman," Kay said. "Welcome to my world." "Ain't that the truth?" Lynn said. Despite all the early trauma in the day, having to tell his brave mom the bad news, and the fruitless canvassing for other jobs, he was glad he had not cancelled his date with Kay. Seeing her reaction when they met, he was really glad he had decided to come as his girl self and please her as best he could by showing off the new makeup skills she had taught him. She had gushed about how great he looked, what a natural talent he was with hair and makeup. "We're hiring girls now at MAC," Kay said, as they finished their sumptuous meal at The Rivers. "Boys too, for that matter. Are you interested?" "Am I! So long as there's no accounting involved." "No. And even though it's not architecture, it is art, the way we do it." "I'm sold," Lynn said. "If I can do it as a woman." "Really?" Kay said. "Disappointed?" "No, delighted," Kay said. "Why?" Lynn asked. "Because I'm a lesbian, silly!" "Really?" Lynn said. "Disappointed?" "No, delighted," Lynn said. "Why?" Kay asked. "Because I'm a woman, silly!" "I would love to show you my etchings," Kay said. "That would be so fun!" Lynn said. "Shall we split the check?" Kay asked. "Yes," Lynn said, "if you'll calculate the tip. I'm over all that." # # # "Would you like to join us?" Kay asked Ginger, who was watching television when she and Lynn got to their apartment. "You are such a naughty girl!" Ginger said, winking at Lynn. "You two live together?" Lynn asked, maybe just a bit disappointed after all, finding out Kay already had a lover. "Roommates," Ginger said. "And I was not talking about a three-way," Kay said, "but about having one of my special homemade cosmos." "I knew that," Ginger said. "Of course I'll have one. You're going to love this, Lynn. But you should prepare to stay overnight. No one will be left standing." "I can call my mom," Lynn said, immediately regretting the admission. "I mean, you know, and tell her what I've decided to--" "Relax, girlfriend," Ginger said. "You're female now, and all our lives are run by our moms." "So," Lynn said. "Are the two of you, uh--" "Dating?" Ginger said, smirking. "She's going with Sara," Kay said. "Don't you think they make a cute couple?" "Totally!" Lynn said, relieved and not at all reluctant to show it. "I'm so glad for them. What a wonderful group of people I've fallen into!" "One never knows, does she?" Ginger said. "I agree completely," Lynn said. "Now more than ever. My life has been full of surprises lately." "Here's one for you," Ginger said. "We have a quaint little custom here in our home. When a new girl stops by, if one of us is interested in her, we play strip poker." "I never was much of a cardplayer," Lynn said. "Oh, goody," Kay said. # # # Early the next morning, maybe 3:00 AM, Kay and Lynn lay in each others' arms, chatting about their lives, already seeing their futures intertwined. They were very comfortable with each other. After all, this was well after the drinks, and after the girls had stripped Lynn of his inhibitions and his clothes, and after Kay had pulled him into bed and taken his virginity both ways. "Call me Goldilocks," Kay said. "OK, Goldilocks," Lynn said, enjoying the way their bodies warmed each other under the covers in the refreshingly chilled air coming through the open window. "Let me see now. It's not because of the color of your hair?" Kay's hair was a rich, dark chocolate cascade of curls that contrasted beautifully with Lynn's. "No, you're the dumb blonde in this couple," Kay said "Guilty, but perhaps not so dumb as you think, my pretty," Lynn said, trying gamely to mimic the accent of some continental detective and succeeding only in sounding like a cartoon. "Is it because you are a little bare?" She said, "Nnnooo," trying to keep a serious look, but giving in to a cute giggle, while caressing his penis delicately with her fingertips for the hundredth time that night, then burrowing under the covers to take him in her mouth again, languorously enjoying her lover once more, responding with perfect sensitivity to each of his moans and giggles, letting him guide her lips and tongue. "Nice clitty," she said from under the covers. Finally, Lynn pulled her up and kissed her gently on the lips and delighted in her kissing him back hard and deep, Kay taking his mouth with her tongue as she had taken him in his pussy with her strap-on earlier. Lynn shivered and opened his eyes. Looking at his lover, loving her incredibly beautiful, smiling face, he said, "Don't try to change the subject, Goldilocks. So why is it you must be called Goldilocks?" "Because, silly girl, your penis is ju-u-ust right!" And she made Lynn prove it again, her screams of pleasure waking the poor Ginger, who pounded on the door, and said, "If you two crazy people will quit fucking and let me get some sleep, I'll buy you breakfast!" # # # By mid-morning, a Saturday, the three girls were sharing intimate stories about crushes and dates and lovers and losers, still a little sleepy but rapidly recovering with the help of the magnificent coffee at All About the Egg. Ginger was about Lynn's size, and had lent him a few casual things, a cute tee top, capris, and flats, and Kay had done his makeup, using the opportunity to give him a few more hints about days versus nights and a stern reminder about moisturizing incessantly. He had seen himself with the other two girls in a wall of mirrors as they were shown their table, and he was pleased to see that he fit right in with his girlfriends. "Sex had never been anything I could imagine someone really liking," Ginger said. "I thought God had made it for the boys. It was just blah for me." "Me too!" Kay said. "Until this morning." "You're too sweet," Lynn said. "Maybe," Kay said to Lynn, holding his hand, "but I'm telling the truth. And you're just sweet enough." "Oh, gag," Ginger said. "You two make me sick!" "Can I tell her, Lynn?" "Sure," Lynn said. "Like I have secrets any more?" "It was her first time," Kay said smugly. "I was his first." "You mean as a girl?" Kay looked at Lynn and they giggled, pecking each other quickly on the lips. "Both?" Ginger asked. Lynn nodded and they all cracked up. "It was a big day for you then," Ginger said. "You have no idea," Lynn said, wondering if he ought to further illustrate what a crazy week this had been by telling Ginger about the blow-job rodeo yesterday morning. He looked at Kay for guidance. But Kay wasn't looking at him any longer. She was looking up and behind Lynn, and her eyes were as big as frisbees. Ginger was doing the same thing. "Lynn Simpson?" said a large man in a suit and tie, stepping in front of Lynn, holding out a wallet sporting a shiny badge. He was accompanied by a stolid woman dressed in a wrinkled pantsuit. "Yes, sir?" Lynn said. "That's me." "I'm sorry, miss," he said, "but you're under arrest." # # # A few hours later, Lynn sat alone in a frigid interrogation room, his bare arms covered with goosebumps and his tummy churning with anxiety. He was wondering what he should do about the boy-girl thing now, not that this was his biggest problem. After the two officers had put the cuffs on Lynn and before they had held his head and inserted him into the back of the cop car with admirable sensitivity, Kay had whispered to Lynn not to tell them anything but his name and address, and she would get her sister, a lawyer, to represent him. Detective Eric--"call me Eric"--Payne and his female escort, Sergeant Gloria Patrick, came back into the room. Gloria stood in the corner. Eric sat across from Lynn again. "Looks like she's not coming," Eric said. "Why do you say that?" Lynn asked. "You haven't had much experience with lawyers, have you?" "No," Lynn said. "Is that a problem?" Eric laughed. "I'm starting to like you, and that's disturbing." "I feel for you," Lynn said. "You're a guy, right?" "Define the term for me?" "You've got yourself a penis, or so the holding cell matron tells me." "She should know," Lynn said. "But seriously, would you thank her for putting me in a cell of my own? That was sweet of her." Eric laughed and so did Gloria. "Not me. I'm not going to tell Joan that. She'd tear my head off if I accused her of being sweet. Besides, it's regulation. We don't let men in dresses loose on the general population. Sorry to disappoint you." "Right," Lynn said. "All I need now is a boyfriend." "Another boyfriend?" Eric said. "What do you mean?" "Aren't you gay? Don't you have a boyfriend already?" "No," Lynn said. They must not know about Rod and Sherry's assault. Should he get into that? Then he stopped himself, remembering Kay's order to keep his mouth shut, deciding not to make any decisions of his own under such stress, but rather to obey his beautifully dominant new girlfriend. "Want to talk about what your life is like? Maybe it will help us understand. Maybe we can help you out. I can't see you doing what they say you did." Theft by unauthorized credit card use for starters. Embezzlement. Conspiracy to commit fraud, saying they felt Kay "was good for" indictment as a co-conspirator but they might change their minds if Lynn decided to cooperate. Blah-blah-blah. "Really? Thank you for understanding." "So tell me about your life," Eric said sweetly. He is good, Lynn thought. He felt maybe he was attracted to the man, tall and handsome and apparently very sensitive in that cop way, like on TV. "I'm sorry," Lynn said. "I really do appreciate your trying to help me, but I'm so afraid, and so innocent, by the way, that I don't think I can trust myself to answer any questions about anything without the help of a lawyer. This is all so scary, you know?" "Yeah, I know." Eric said, standing up and leaving the room without another word or a glance back. Gloria sat down next to Lynn. "He went to take a smoke break," she said. "He gets nervous when a perp--I mean--uh, someone, doesn't want to talk." "It's been so long!" Lynn said. "What time is it?" "Almost three o'clock. You hungry?" "No, they gave me lunch in the cell," Lynn said. "Coffee maybe?" "Sure thing, babe," Gloria said, standing up. "I need a cup myself. Cream and sugar?" "Just cream," Lynn said. "Watching my figure, low-carb." "Aren't we all," Gloria said. She had a stocky, boyish build, but a very feminine face and voice. "I don't dress up too bad." "Do you go out much?" Lynn said. "Do you date other police officers?" "Cops are crazy," Gloria said, "except for me. Be right back." She left. While he was waiting, Lynn contemplated how different this was from what he had expected. These were nice, ordinary people. He liked them both. Was it a trick? Were they in the other room right now, discussing how to manipulate him? Maybe if he just explained what Sherry and Rod had done? No, let's not open Pandora's box. Lynn wondered if some of his actions might actually have been criminal. Should he have resisted more? Should he have been more mindful of how everything he had done might look if someone, or several people, lied about it? Gloria came back in with two paper cups of coffee. Lynn took a sip of his. Not bad. "Wow! It's great coffee," he said. "I don't let anybody make coffee in this department but me," Gloria said. "Used to be a cook, loved it, but they don't have health insurance and they don't have pensions in restaurants." "How long have you been a detective?" Lynn asked. "About five years. Eric and I been partners two of them. He's a good family man. Nothing there for a girl wanting to have fun, not that I am one of those." "Really? Why not?" "There comes a time in a woman's life when you just lose interest in the whole thing. Too many lousy men. Too many bald heads, if you know what I mean. I don't know. How about you?" "I've never dated. Until I met Kay yesterday." "Come on! A pretty little thing like you?" "Thank you, but--" Lynn stopped himself. "Look, Gloria. If I start, I won't be able to shut up. Someday, I would love to go out with you and have a drink and chat about our lives. You seem sweet to me, and a wonderful person. But I'm afraid. These people are so scary." "Who? Eric?" she smiled like nothing could be further from the truth. "I think I'll keep my mouth shut? Maybe after this is all over, we can talk?" Lynn said, taking another sip of his coffee. "I understand, sweetie," Gloria said, patting Lynn's hand. Lynn stared at the wall. Gloria stared at the wall. Lynn licked his lips. "Would you like to borrow my lipstick?" Gloria said. "No obligation?" Lynn said. "You owe me a coffee when this is all over, girlfriend." "Deal," Lynn said. Thirty minutes later, Lynn looked better and felt better, because Gloria had been true to her word and had produced a lipstick in a lovely shade while not pressing with further questions. He sat there admiring his manicure, which was holding up very well, when a tall, thin, breathtakingly beautiful woman came through the door, smiling. She had dark hair, in a boyish cut, carried a red leather briefcase, and wore a killer business suit with a skirt too tight for comfort. She stood there, poised and balanced, on her designer high-heeled pumps. "I can't believe you're not a real girl," she said to Lynn. "Imogene?" Lynn said. He had not expected even the beautiful Kay's sister to be so striking. "That's me!" the lawyer said. "Nice to meet you, Lynn." She took Lynn's proffered hand in both of hers, pulled him to his feet, and gave him a long, heartfelt hug. "I'm sorry it's taken so long. I was in trial today." "Did you win?" "Of course! I always win," she said, laughing. "Well, not really. But today, justice was done. I love a fair jury." "Thank you for coming. I don't think I've told them anything. Kay made me promise not to." "Smart girl." "She is." "I meant you, Lynn. But Kay is too, and my sister is in love with you, honey. Let's get that out of the way." "The feeling is mutual." "I'm so glad, but you're the client, and I want you to know something. Without your permission, I can't share with her anything you tell me. And don't worry about this unindicted co-conspirator bullshit. They don't have a fucking thing on her." She smiled. "I'm sorry. Sometimes those cops make me so mad. They're so transparent." "I thought they were nice." "Maybe they are. Who knows? But they always seem nice when they have a sweet person like you in their clutches." "Oh," Lynn said. "So tell me all about it." And Lynn did. # # # "Your honor, the state calls Mr. Sam Trainor." Lynn watched Mr. Sam walk up to the witness stand, tall and erect. The prosecutor began his questioning. Mr. Sam really was an attractive man, and today, he did not seem at all like the sad, end-of-life depressive that Lynn had known for months at Reliable. Lynn was so happy for Mr. Sam, and for all those who loved him. And for Reliable Contractors, which apparently was thriving again, now that Mr. Sam was back in control. Lynn realized his attention had waned, and things were happening up front, the preliminary questioning done. "Mr. Trainor," said the surprised prosecutor, "are you now saying you do not believe that the defendant used your credit card? We have his signature on the slip." "No. I am saying she used it with the authorization of my daughter, who was CEO of the company at that time." The prosecutor shook his head and looked up at the judge. "Your honor, I move the court for permission to take Mr. Trainor on cross as a hostile witness. He seems to have come under the influence--" "Objection!" Imogene said. "You're objecting to my motion?" the prosecutor said with a smile. "No," I'm objecting to your attempt to argue facts not in evidence. "Counsel will direct their arguments to the court," Judge Ramchandra said, smiling at them, all sweetness and light. "Your motion is granted, Mr. Pollack." An amazingly patient woman, Lynn thought. That prosecutor had been so tricky, or at least that's what Imogene had said. And now, Imogene seemed more incensed than she had in all the hours and hours they had spent together getting ready for this trial. "Thank you, your honor," said the prosecutor. "Now Mr. Trainor, isn't it true that you are in relationship with Mr. Simpson?" "I'm engaged to her mother, Jennifer Simpson, if that's what you mean," Mr. Sam said, smiling benignly, "a woman who has sobered me up and given me the only happy moments I've known since my wife of thirty years died of cancer about four years ago." "Just answer the questions, Mr. Trainor. Isn't it also true that you frequently visit the home of Mr. Trainor?" "Sure I do. I'm engaged to her mother! Or did I forget to mention that? And I think of all three of those girls as my daughters, just as Lynn's mother does." "All three of those girls. Hmmm. I suppose the three girls to whom you refer are Kay Nichols, Ginger Freeman, and the defendant, Lynn Simpson?" "You know it," Mr. Sam said. "They're more fun than a barrel of monkeys." Several jury members laughed. "Do you really want to bother with this, Mr. Pollack?" Judge Ramchandra said. "Withdraw the question, your honor. No further questions." "Cross, Ms. Nichols?" "No, ma'am. Thank you, Mr. Trainor." "No problem," Mr. Sam said, standing up to leave. "Just a sec, Mr. Trainor," said the judge. He sat back down and looked at her. "Yes, ma'am?" "Do you know for a fact who authorized the credit card purchases in question?" "No, ma'am." "And are you aware of the tenor of the testimony on this point given by your daughter, Sherry Trainor? I know you could not hear it, since you were waiting in the witness room as required, were you not?" "Yes, ma'am. But I know, or at least she told me what she was going to say." "Then why do you now think Ms. Simpson is innocent of the charges and that your daughter as CEO authorized them?" "Well, Ms. Simpson said--" "Objection. Hearsay." "Overruled, Mr. Pollack," said the judge. "Admission." She waited to see if the prosecutor would attempt a retort, and seemed pleased to hear none. She nodded and calmly invited Mr. Sam to continue. "When I say Ms. Simpson, I mean Lynn, not her mother, who I call Mrs. Simpson or Jennifer." "Thank you, Mr. Trainor," the judge said. "I think that clears it up for Mr. Pollack." "You're welcome," Mr. Sam said. "Anyway, Lynn said that Sherry told her- -Lynn--that because I wanted Lynn to wear a dress the next day, I should pay for it, or my company. I guess she got mad. Woman can be--" "Yes, Mr. Trainor," the judge said, smiling, radiating patience and acceptance, "and men too. None of us is immune from jealousy. Please go on." "I'm sorry. That's what I meant," Mr. Sam said. "Anybody can be jealous. Jennifer is trying to train me." "You seem very open to learning, Mr. Trainor," said the judge. "I congratulate you. Now please go on, because we don't want the jury to miss their lunch!" Lynn checked his watch, admiring its delicate, feminine design, suddenly amazed that he could be sitting there dressed as a young professional woman and feeling such peace while his whole double life was being displayed to the world. The case had gone viral nationally, and the courtroom had been filled to capacity both days of the trial, with lines of gawkers and scores of bailiffs managing the crowds outside. It wasn't even ten o'clock yet, and seeing that, he admired even more this judge's gentle sense of humor and her way of controlling without looking pushy. He could learn a lot from a woman like that. Maybe one day he could be so gracefully assertive? "Sorry, judge," Mr. Sam said, getting the joke. "What I'm trying to say is that this is just like Sherry. I love my daughter, but she can be a handful, and sneaky, and yeah, mean, even a bully. I don't know where she gets it, because her mother was as sweet and nice as the day is long." "Touche'," said the judge. "A good one, Mr. Trainor. I admire your modesty. You may step down." Mr. Sam knew when to shut up. He nodded and stepped quickly toward the audience area. "The state rests," said the prosecutor. "The jury will retire for a bathroom break and my special chai or, if they prefer, coffee, while we lawyers look at some procedural issues," Judge Ramchandra said graciously. She ran her courtroom as if she were receiving honored guests in her home. Lynn was continually impressed. After the jury had filed out, the judge got quickly to work and denied Imogene's motion to dismiss on the ground that there was enough evidence on both sides to support a verdict. She asked if counsel had any ideas about how to expedite the remainder of the trial. Imogene said that she had impeachment evidence to offer that would prove Sherry's testimony to be false. Pollack jumped to his feet and protested vociferously that he had been given no notice, no time to prepare and had no idea what evidence this might be. The judge simply said, "It's impeachment, Mr. Pollack." She looked at Imogene and said, "Is this the video we discussed?" "Yes, your honor." "Ex parte?" Pollock shouted. "A special situation, Mr. Pollack," the judge said. "This is very disturbing material, and Ms. Nichols was wise to petition privately, in writing, for an exception to the rules, which we handled with a judicial council attorney present to observe. It's all very proper, I'm sure." "But, your honor, how can you allow this sort of surprise tactic, even participate in it?" "I certainly agree that it is extraordinary. I accepted her argument that notice to the prosecution was not warranted by law, in that the video was to be used only if your witnesses had to be impeached, which she had no way to predict with certainty. I'm satisfied that my ruling, though extraordinary, was reasonable and appropriate under exigent circumstances, and well within my discretion, given the precautions we took. Would you like to see the video now and reconsider your dismissal?" "That should not be necessary, your honor. Can counsel summarize the content of this video?" "Glad to," Imogene said, winking at Lynn. "This is a shocking video of Sherry Trainor and Rodney Roddick committing a sexual assault and battery on my client and forcing Ms. Simpson to perform fellatio on Roddick while under the physical coercion of being beaten, which threats were, in fact, made on the soundtrack and onscreen, and carried out onscreen by Mr. Roddick, whom the court observed during this trial is a brute of a man, much larger and stronger than my client, who is delicate and petite even for a female. There are also admissions--" "I thought you said the camera fucked up?" Rod's voice bellowed from the audience. Lynn turned to see what was happening. There were gasps and titters among the watchers, and members of the press stood up to see who it was. Lynn looked for Sherry, and there she was, a few seats away from Rod. She stood up and answered him, hands on hips, her face livid, righteous anger in her tone. "The card was empty. I told you that. I assumed the camera had messed up. If only you hadn't been so hot for that little--" "Shut the fuck up," Rod said. And both of them looked up at the judge, who was listening calmly. She smiled. "Well, if Mr. Roddick and Ms. Trainor have finished, I would like the court reporter to have the record reflect the words of the last two speakers, who were Rodney Roddick, Sherry Trainor, and Mr. Roddick again, in that order, and I will ask the bailiffs to please escort them to the holding cell so that there will be no risk of such outbursts in the presence of the jury." As the buzz in the room rose to a crescendo, the bailiffs moved in on their quarry. The judge rapped her gavel for order. Lynn turned back to the front. "You may continue, Ms. Nichols," said the judge softly, but quite audibly, and just that fast, the respectful bystanders dropped back into silence. "As I was saying," began Imogene, "there are also admissions by both Trainor and Roddick indicating a plot to have my client seduce Mr. Trainor so that the two conspirators could take over Reliable Contractors." Pollack stood up. "There is no proof whatsoever that this so-called evidence is authentic, your honor." The judge shrugged. "I think a video proven to be unaltered might be found self-authenticating, Mr. Pollock." "Yes, your honor, but with all due respect, we just heard two earlier witnesses explain that they had checked and had understood that the camera at issue had not recorded anything on the media found in the camera." "As you wish, Mr. Pollack. Lay your foundation, Ms. Nicols." "Thank you, your honor. The defendant, Ms. Lynn Simpson, will take the stand." Showtime, Lynn thought, brushing his hair into place. Leaving his purse on the table, he stood on shaking legs and clicked in his high-heeled pumps up to the witness stand. He said, "I do" to the oath and sat down in the witness chair, carefully adjusting his tight skirt and remembering Kay's advice to keep his legs crossed at the knees. He took a deep breath and smiled at Imogene. Lynn's movie-star beautiful lawyer smiled back, nodding to show her satisfaction with the feminine grace of her client's entrance, which they had worked on repeatedly. "Please state your name for the record, Ms. Simpson." # # # "And how," said Imogene, finally having gotten through the preliminaries in Lynn's testimony, "did you come into possession of this video? That is, the digital media card containing the video?" Holding up the tiny SD card in her perfectly manicured fiery tipped fingernails, Imogene smiled at Lynn, both of them sharing the joy of this moment. "Well, as I said, after Mr. Sam walked in on us, I was such a mess that I think nobody could bear to look at me any longer, and they all left. Mr. Sam had fired me. When I went around the room making sure I had all my things, there was the camera on the floor where Sherry had dropped it. So I took the card, because it was, you know, all about me, and I couldn't bear the thought of them putting it up on the Internet in retaliation and humiliating me even more. I didn't want to be a thief, so I replaced the card I took with an empty card I had in my own camera, which was in my purse." "You didn't take it to use in your defense?" "No ma'am. I had no idea Sherry would accuse me as she did." "Or to blackmail them?" "By sticking the knife in my own back?" Lynn said it exactly as Imogene had suggested. "Good point," Imogene said, also playing her role perfectly. Well, Lynn was thinking, it is the truth! "What did you do with the card?" "As soon as I got home, less than an hour later, I put it in my little fireproof safe." "Did anyone have the key besides you?" "Only me." "When did you take it out of the safe?" "Fifteen minutes before our second meeting, when you asked me to bring it to you." "Are these your initials on it?" "Yes." "When did you put them there?" "When you asked me to, right before I handed it to you that day." "I refer the court to my earlier affidavit filed with defendant's confidential ex parte motion, in which, out of an abundance of caution, I prove up the remainder of the chain of custody that takes us up to the time when the card was handed over to the clerk of court in your presence the day of our observed meeting in her honor's chambers." She paused. "Therefore, move the court at this time that the affidavit, marked exhibit D-2 for identification, be admitted into evidence in this trial." "So ordered," the judge said. "Your honor, I believe that is sufficient foundation, without unnecessarily prolonging her testimony." "Thank you, Ms. Simpson. You may step down." "Your honor!" the prosecutor said, jumping to his feet, stopping Lynn before he could even stand up. "May I cross-examine the witness?" "I don't believe that's necessary, Mr. Pollack. I'm satisfied that--" "But your honor, this witness has proposed that two key prosecution witnesses have lied, perjured themselves, and it's my duty to show that this witness we're dealing with now is a very unstable, unsavory, warped character, and that he is an un-credible person." "Maybe she's an incredible person, Mr. Pollock. But I'm seeing your point now. November is approaching, and with it the election season, and we are blessed to have scores of media representatives with us. I'll allow you to have your 15 minutes of fame. However, let me warn you. I'm a patient woman, but I do have limits. You have fifteen minutes, literally. No more, and preferably less." "Thank you, your honor," he said, as if he had achieved a victory instead of a warning. "Mr. Simpson, you call yourself a woman, do you not?" "I do." "But you have no vagina, no ovaries and no breasts. Is that correct?" "Mr. Pollack," said the judge, "was your reference to 'warped' autobiographical?" Laughter rippled through the gallery. "No ma'am, and I have a right to make the peoples' case." "Good luck with that," she said. "Thank you, your honor. Now Mr. Simpson, it is true, is it not, that you don't have a vagina, or an ovary, or even a breast? Admit it!" "I have breasts, actually, two of them, don't you?" Everyone laughed, and the judge had to struggle to quiet them. "Then you admit that you have no vagina and no ovaries?" "Yes." "And, young lady--I mean young man--you also admit that you do have a penis and two testicles hiding under that skirt, don't you?" "Well, nobody's perfect." More laughter, quieted by a stern look from the judge. "And your love interest, your mate, your life partner, the person you would marry if only the law allowed it, is also a woman, isn't that true?" "I never said I was a straight woman." "Please answer the question." "Yes, Kay is a woman." "Isn't it true that you stole $2,487.13 from Reliable Contractors by using a company credit card to buy makeup, jewelry, clothes and shoes to feed your perversion?" "Objection." "Sustained." "Withdrawn. Did you buy women's makeup, jewelry, clothes and shoes for yourself with the Reliable Contractors company credit card?" "Yes, sir." "Now, Ms. Simpson, is it not also true that you planned to seduce Mr. Simpson, the owner of the business, and that was the ultimate purpose of your buying these clothes and dressing up as a woman?" "Yes, sir. But it wasn't my--" "And finally, is it not also true that when you bought earrings, you bought not the simple silver hoops that most women wear but diamonds and pearls?" "Yes, but Sherry told me to buy the pearls, and I offered to return the diamonds, in fact, when Mr. Sam fired me, I offered to return everything, and Sherry told me to just forget it. Besides--oh, never mind." "No," Pollack said, magnanimously, "please tell us. Besides what?" "Diamonds are a girl's best friend?" Everyone laughed, louder than ever, and they seemed unable to stop, until after the judge banged her gavel repeatedly and warned them that she would clear the courtroom, concluding with, "And we're coming to the best part." That shut them up. "Now, Mr. Simpson," said Pollack, "I call your attention to--" "Thank you, Mr. Pollack," said the court. "That's quite enough. The court has sufficient evidence to make its ruling now." "But I'm not finished, your honor." "Oh, I think you are," she said, looking out at all the journalists, who had been getting every word down while Pollack dug himself deeper and deeper into his hole. "Redirect, Ms. Nichols?" asked the judge. Imogene stood up. "Briefly, your honor. Ms. Simpson, you just testified that you call yourself a woman, but you also admitted that you have male genitals and no female genitals. Please tell us why you feel you are female?" "Well," Lynn said, "it's a long story, but I'll be brief. I was always the odd duck. I enjoyed girls but couldn't play with them, because I was a boy. I didn't enjoy being with the boys. They weren't anything like me, except--you know--between the legs? So I was alone. I didn't know it was about gender. I thought I was just defective, or whatever. I was teased and bullied and beaten in school, and I never had a close friend except for other losers. But when I graduated, I became invisible, which was an improvement. Until Sherry and Rod did what they did to me, and something snapped, or a light dawned, or whatever--I don't really know. It was just that suddenly, I felt powerful, as if I had found my true place in life. Not like a man who can hurt another man feels powerful, but like someone who is safe somehow, or at least not in danger of losing herself in the void. And I realized that this peace, and this exciting hope, that I felt was because dressing as a woman made me a woman to some, and to myself, and that a woman is who I was meant to be." "So you concluded that you were like a woman trapped in a man's body?" "Not really. I didn't know that much about women or about myself. I know some transgendered women do know that, but I was less sure. It was more like I was a disembodied spirit looking for a home, and I found that home in this female persona, and it feels real to me whether or not it is real to others." "So you are not deranged or delusional, claiming that you are a typical woman?" "Not at all. I don't deny that my genitals might be man's. But I know that I am a woman in my heart. It's like I just have plumbing issues?" The audience laughed, and applauded, and the judge let them go on as long as they wanted. Finally the room was quiet again, feeling closure. Even the prosecutor seemed satisfied. "No further questions, your honor." "Thank you, Ms. Nichols. Thank you, Ms. Simpson. You may step down." Lynn returned to his seat, warmed by Kay's proud smile flashing from the first row. Imogene stood up. Judge Ramchandra cleared her throat. "The video card, and the video on it, are admitted into evidence. I don't need to view it now to make this ruling. I've seen it already. Unfortunately, it was my sad duty to do so. And let me say it was horrible. It's worse than the worst form of pornography, worse in the sense that it's not just prurient entertainment, but the real thing. Erotica is protected by our Constitution, a price we all pay for freedom of speech and creative excellence, so what some sensitive people might call pornography is no big deal in our free society, but this is real, and is a big deal. Therefore, on that basis, I hereby order that the video evidence just admitted be sealed with my order, which order shall be inscribed once on the outside of each of your double envelopes, madam clerk, specifying that no one, including court personnel, may review the contents thereof without a release order from a court of competent jurisdiction and then only after written notice is given to me personally, whether I am still holding this office or not." She paused. "I don't think our probable new defendants will pass up an opportunity to plead, but certainly, Mr. Pollack may view the video one time, for charging purposes." "Thank you, your honor," the prosecutor said. "Any questions or objections, counsel?" She paused again and looked at the counsel tables. "Hearing none, it is so ordered. This case is dismissed. Ms. Simpson, you are free to go with the stipulation that you owe me a makeover, and counsel will join me out back to break the good news to the jury." She stood up, and everyone stood up. "Oh, and one more thing," she said. "If any of you professional critics out there think I missed something, fine, bring it on. There is such a thing as a rehearing, and I'll be glad to handle any lingering issues in that manner, so you can have an epilogue to entertain your fans." With that, she rose to her full height, every bit of five feet, and walked out, buoyed by the cheers of the bystanders, the small, smiling judge waving like a victorious gladiator. Lynn watched her new friend and makeup client go, thinking, what a woman! "Not bad, girl," Imogene said. Lynn looked up to see Imogene smiling down at her. "Thank you," Lynn said, "you were right about everything. But it was so scary!" "It was an honor to represent you. And did I tell you Sam agreed to pay me time and a half my normal rate?" "Mom can be very persuasive," Lynn said. Someone tapped Lynn on the shoulder. It was her mom, who hugged her and said, "I'm so proud of my daughter!" Her mom? Lynn realized he had crossed over, finally thinking of himself as a woman! It was no longer just a role, a political statement, a public label. And next to her mom stood Mr. Sam, looking for his hug, which Lynn was glad to give him. "Lynn, I need to tell you something," Mr. Sam said, backing off and watching Kay come up to Lynn and put her arm around her girlfriend. "What is it?" Lynn said. "I can't be mother's maid of honor?" "No, that's not it. The wedding's still on, unless your mom breaks up with me." He grinned at Lynn's mother. "We good, Jenny?" She smiled and did the thumbs-up. "Besides," he said, "you look great in that maid of honor's dress. No, this is about your architectural degree." "What about it? I didn't finish, remember?" "I'm giving you a scholarship to finish, but there are three serious conditions, so you might want to think about it and ask these brilliant women to advise you." "OK," Lynn said, smiling at him. "You've got my attention." "Here's the deal. After you finish and do your internship or OJT or whatever they do to get a license as an architect, you'll become CEO of Reliable, and you can set up a design department if it makes you happy and hire a herd of other architects to help." "Really, Mr. Sam?" Lynn said. "Call me Daddy," he said. "I know you never met yours." "OK, Daddy!" Lynn gave him another hug. "But what are the other two conditions?" "In addition to being my successor CEO, when I die, you're going to be majority owner of the company as a result of the irrevocable trust I'm in the process of forming with this new lawyer of mine," he said, smiling at Imogene, "and I want you to promise me to be a good sister to Sherry when she gets out of jail. She'll own 49%, and I expect you to always have a good job open for her. She's a competent executive. Can I trust you to be fair to her?" "I should hope so! Such generosity!" Lynn wiped tears from her eyes. "Of course Sherry's a good manager. I loved Sherry and enjoyed working for her until, well, you know. And I've already forgiven her. What's number three?" "Well, this is not up to you by yourself. I want to know if you and Kay will consider adopting my grandchild." "I didn't know you had a grand--" she paused, her mouth gaping open. "Oh-my-God! Is Sherry--?" "She is. And Rod's the father. Must be my karma for being such a crazy old lech when I was depressed after my wife's death. Before you shook me out of it, baby." Lynn looked at Kay hopefully, and Kay nodded her agreement. "We'll do it!" said Lynn. "It's a deal, young lady, I mean ladies," Daddy said, shaking Lynn's hand gently, and then Kay's. "Oh, thank you so much, Daddy," Lynn said, jumping up and hugging her new father's neck and kissing him on the cheek, leaving a scarlet lip-print. "I accept! We accept!" "You're sure now?" Daddy said. "It's going to be a big pain, those two parents. You know, I haven't even told you that I found out they scheduled electronic surveillance on my home? You'll have a crazy life." "A full life," Lynn said. "Yes, Grandpa, I'll take care of your company and my sister, and even her naughty boyfriend if they're still together. After all, he is the father of our daughter--or son." "Daughter," Daddy said. "I'm so glad!" Lynn said, hugging Kay now, kissing her, letting her kiss back as long and as deeply as she wanted. Then another thought. Lynn pushed her lover away to arm's length and said to her, "But I get to be the mom?" "Whatever," Kay said, rolling her eyes. "Girl, you have so much to learn about being a lesbian!" "Tell me about it," Ginger said. "And she has a lot to learn about being a woman." She hugged Lynn and said to Kay, "Go ahead and ask her, Kay." Kay knelt down on one knee and looked up Lynn. "Darling, will you marry me?" "Yes!" Lynn said, without the slightest hesitation. "I thought you'd never ask!" [That's all, folks! Thank you for your helpful and encouraging feedback!] (c) Copyright 2012, by Leslie P. Lowe. All rights reserved.