The Last State Is The Best - Chapter 6 free porn video

Chapter 6 - On the rebound Befitting the old saying that misery loves company, by the next morning both Steve and Lois were ready to reach out. Steve knew that Melissa kept to a schedule. And so it was that her cell phone rang seconds after she shut off the alarm. Melissa knew there was only one person who would be calling at that hour and her women's intuition told her that it wasn't good news. Her husband was used to sleeping through her alarm after a few years of marriage. But the cell phone would be a different, unexpected noise and she grabbed it quickly to silence the ring tone. Telling Steve to hang on a moment, she grabbed her robe and quietly left the bedroom. Normally first stop would have been her morning ablutions, but with Steve on the line, she thought it better to head for the kitchen and start the coffee. "Okay, what's wrong?" "Why do you assume that something's wrong?" "Because it's friggin' 6:05 in the morning," Melissa replied, her voice rising in volume more with impatience than with anger. "If it was good news, you would have called last night. Uh, it isn't still last night for you is it?" "Heck no, it is morning for me. Boy is it ever morning. You're right. I screwed up again, big time. And Lois knows you're connected to it, I'm afraid." Steve proceeded to give Melissa a replay of the previous evening, how things seemed to be going well until he asked to spend the night with Lois, she got nervous in response and then he blurted out that he knew about her past. Whereupon Lois gave it to him with both barrels. Mercifully, Melissa decided that Steve didn't need to be hit over the head once again. She thought for a moment and then replied, "You know Steve, I don't know if I could have known how Lois would have reacted to being told that you knew her secret. It was also possible that she would have focused on the fact that it didn't matter to you. The thing is, we don't know what Lois experienced when she transitioned. Her reactions now are shaped in part by the responses she received when she revealed her female side to family, friends, co-workers, neighbors - anyone important to her. And we also don't know what kind of life she had when living as a boy and man. Perhaps someone she trusted very much betrayed her confidence and made things much more difficult for her. It could have even been someone she thought loved her. "Anyway, that's all speculation and doesn't matter much at the moment. What matters now is can we fix this, and if so, how." "Oh, I hope so, Melissa. There isn't anything more important in the world to me at this moment." "Good. I hoped you'd say that. You're taking a tour group out today?" "Yes." "Great. Go to work. Keep your focus on your job today. And don't fret and get distracted. Trust that if this is meant to be, the Lord will work it out. And if I think of something, I'll lend a helping hand. "Meanwhile, don't go near New York New York until I tell you it is okay to come back. Okay?" "Okay sis. I love you." "I love you, too, brother ... although sometimes I don't know why," Melissa chuckled. "Because you love pulling my tail out of the fire, that's why." "And you know that I wouldn't do it for anyone else, don't you." "Uh huh," Steve replied, finally sounding more like his usual, confident self. "Good. Now get off my phone. You have suddenly made my morning very busy and I still have to do the job that gives me my paycheck." "Okay. Call me as soon as you have something to tell me." "I will. Now scoot!" "Bye." Melissa had one more thing to do before she returned to her morning routine. Knowing that Trudy wasn't awake yet, she sent her a text. If you translated it into English, it would read something like this: "As soon as you get this, go into heavy duty prayer mode and get as many as you can to join you. Steve and Lois had a big blow up last night." It is amazing how ideas will often come to you as you relax under the streams of water emanating from the showerhead. It occurred to Melissa that she could make up some of the lost time by having just a quick bite to eat instead of her normal full breakfast. If things worked out the way she hoped, she would be having breakfast at work, taking care of a guest who had a "complaint". Meanwhile, somewhere across town, that very guest woke up and she would not be following her normal routine, either. Adding to her misery was the dull ache of a headache. The high intensity reading light made the headache throb even more, so Lois settled for the more indirect lighting and reached for her laptop. "I probably need God with some skin on Him this morning, anyway." Signing on and checking to see which contacts were online, she allowed herself a smile for the briefest of seconds when she saw Josie's name. Josie was the dearest and closest friend she had. They had met when both were in the early stages of transition and they soon learned that not only did they care about each other and had a special connection. They had found out that when life was hurling horseshoes and hand grenades at one of them, the other had her back. And on those rare occasions when both were under attack at the same time, they would get out the spoons, the frozen pound cake, the whipped cream, chocolate syrup and whatever flavor ice cream was in the freezer. Fortunately for Lois's figure, that didn't happen too often. Lois had thought about contacting Josie the night before, but she wasn't really in the mood, and with the three hour time difference, she would have woken her friend back on the east coast anyway. It was probably for the best, because Lois's typing was far more coherent at the moment than trying to talk through sobs, sniffles, wheezes and a lot of quivering. Unencumbered by early morning grogginess or emotional torment, Josie was able to get a message sent first. JOSIE: Hey gf!!! Good to see you, hon. How are you? Have a great day yesterday? *wink* LOIS: Oh, Josie, am I glad to see you. *crying* [long pause] JOSIE: Oh, no. Talk to me. Tell me what happened. LOIS: Everything was going so well. We had a nice day at the dude ranch. We kissed again during a lovely picnic lunch. We had a hot dog at Nathan's and then went to the Beatles show afterward. We were holding hands as we walked to my room. And then he said he wanted to spend the night with me. JOSIE: Did he? LOIS: I didn't know what to say. My heart said yes. My head said no. Things are going too fast ... but I may never have this opportunity again. And then doubts began to creep into my mind. You know. Would he somehow realize that I'm not a real woman? JOSIE: Honey, you know better than that. You were born a woman. Yes, you needed some corrective surgery. But your surgeon did a great job, right? No one can tell. JOSIE: And this is me you're talking to now. You know I've been where you've been. And how many times have you told me the same thing that I'm telling you now? LOIS: I guess. JOSIE: Nothing to guess about. You know it's true. Believe me, no matter what you decide to do, Steve won't know until you decide it's the right time to tell him. LOIS: That's just it. I don't have to tell him. He knows. He found out before I had the chance to tell him. JOSIE: What? How? LOIS: I don't know. I think his sister had something to do with it. I had gotten so tongue tied in trying to answer him about staying the night. He must have assumed that being trans was the only reason that I was hesitating. And that's when he told me he already knew. JOSIE: And what did you do? LOIS: I got angry. Josie, I must have pushed him backward two feet. And then I screamed at him at the top of my lungs. It's a good thing no one in Vegas is in their room at that hour. Otherwise, we would have caused quite a scene. JOSIE: And what did he do? LOIS: He was so hurt. Now that I am not so angry, all I keep seeing is his face. This strong, confident man reduced to a hurt little boy. His hands held out defensively. His eyes and his words begging forgiveness. But at that moment, all I could do was feel rage. I couldn't think of anything else. Does being trans mean we lose our right to privacy? JOSIE: Of course not, honey. But now that you have slept on it, how do you feel about Steve? LOIS: I don't know. I still feel that what he did was wrong. But maybe I overreacted? What if someone had reacted that way when I told them that I was going to be Lois instead of Louis? JOSIE: Listen, my friend. You have a good mind and a good heart. Your emotions will cool off in a while. Then your heart and mind will see things clearly. Follow them. LOIS: OK JOSIE: And I understand why you were angry. But I think you wouldn't not have been so angry if Steve wasn't so important to you and if you didn't care so much about him. If he was just some guy, you would have calmly told him to get lost and written him off as a jerk, right? LOIS: He told me that my past didn't matter to him. JOSIE: And that's a good thing, right? Isn't that what we want from everyone we tell? LOIS: Yes. JOSIE: Feeling a little better now? 'Cause I've got a dog looking at me and thumping her tail and motioning with her head for the door. And if I don't take her out soon ... well, you get the picture. LOIS: giggle JOSIE: That's my girl. I can see that smile on your pretty face. Now do your devotionals, put on something nice and go out and face the world with your head high. Whatever you do, don't stay in your room today. Find something to do and do it. LOIS: OK. I will. And thank you for being there. JOSIE: Of course. What are besties for? And you're the best. LOIS: No, you are. Love you. JOSIE: Love you too. G2G. BYE!!! LOIS: BYE!!! A couple of hours later, but still breakfast time in Las Vegas ... The phone rang on Melissa's desk. "Melissa Stone speaking." "Ms. Stone, a woman fitting the description you gave just came into America." "Has she been seated?" "Yes, she is seated at the bar with her back to the entrance." Melissa pulled up and checked the security camera aimed at that part of the bar. "Great. I should be there momentarily. But should I be delayed, don't serve her anything but water or her beverage of choice." "Understood." "Thank you, Roger." Two minutes later, Melissa walked in and sat down next to Lois. She was still reading the menu, but suddenly realized that someone had sat next to her, which surprised her, since the place was almost empty. As soon as Lois looked up and at the person who just sat next to her, Melissa held up her hand and said, "I can understand if you are upset with me, but please give me a chance to explain." "I guess I owe you that courtesy. And it Is your hotel, after all." "Good," thought Melissa, "she's being cool to me, but not cold. At least I have a chance to fix this." "Lois, the guest is always the most important person here. But I think we'd be more comfortable at that table over in the corner, don't you? We can talk more freely there." "Yes, that would be better." "Have you ordered yet?" "No. I was still looking at the menu when you sat down." "Do you need more time to decide?" "No, I think I know what I want." Melissa waved Roger over. "Roger, Ms. Simmons and I will be having a conference at the table in that corner. Please take our order and have the waitress serve it as unobtrusively as possible." Melissa waited a moment while Roger took out a pad and pencil. "I'll have a cheddar cheese and mushroom omelet, toasted English muffin with butter, and orange juice. And Ms. Simmons, what will you have?" Lois glanced at menu once more and then said, "I'll have the French toast, bacon, and orange juice." "I'll attend to it right away, Ms. Stone," said Roger, leaving immediately for the kitchen and pausing only to ask a waitress to cover the front in case someone came during the short time when he was gone. Melissa and Lois walked over to the table in the far corner. As soon as Melissa saw that Lois was settled, she began. "Before I talk to you about what Steve did, or try to explain what I did, I'd like to tell you about Leslie, another member of our family. Leslie was three years older than Steve and I." "Leslie is your brother or your sister?" "Ah yes. My understanding is that Dad was thrilled that his first born was a son, to carry on his name. But he didn't want a junior. Mom was from the South and loved Gone With the Wind, and the Ashley Wilkes character in particular. They compromised on the name Leslie for the actor who played Ashley Wilkes. Dad could always say that Leslie Howard died something of a war hero, as he was engaged in anti-Nazi propaganda films and his plane was shot down by the Germans. And his character in the movie was an officer." "I see. So he's your older brother?" Melissa continued, ignoring the question for the moment. "As Leslie grew older, he did excel in sports, but not the same ones Dad had played. Leslie favored Mom more in looks, and he was wiry and about 5'11". And he did quite well in swimming, gymnastics and the high jump. And a couple of smaller colleges had sent him some recruiting letters. No big scholarships or anything like that. But they must have thought he could do well at that level of competition." Lois nodded to show that she was following this, even though she wondered where this was going. "During his last two years in high school, Leslie had taken some dancing lessons. He said it would help his agility in gymnastics and some of the moves would also help for the high jump. So we thought nothing of it. But then near the end of his senior year, he shocked Mom and Dad by telling them he didn't want to go to college. He wanted to become a dancer instead. He had hidden the college applications and the checks for the application fees under his bed. But just about when Mom and Dad had overcome their shock and were ready to lecture him on the importance of a college education, he hit them with the shocker of all shockers. "He was going to become a female dancer! So the name suited him quite well, or so he thought. He didn't have to change it. And to answer your question, Leslie was both our brother AND our sister." Lois responded with a sharp "Oh!" of surprise, followed by a more drawn out "Ohhhhhhh" of recognition. "Now you see why I wanted to tell you about Leslie first." "What happened to her?" "Well, for the last weeks before Leslie's high school graduation, things were pretty tense around home. But considering Mom and Dad's beliefs, in retrospect I'd have to say they handled it about as well as can be expected. Leslie found a doctor and a therapist in Colorado who would treat her. And she found someone in Boise who was willing to train her for the female roles and dance steps, even when it was early in her transition. Our Pastor Burton tried to counsel her away from this path. He did it with true Christian love, never hateful, but Leslie did not change her mind. "Eventually, as her transition started to become more obvious, she had a couple of incidents with locals. Fortunately, even though the hormones took some of her muscles, being a dancer she was still quite athletic and was able to handle those incidents. But then she found out that Dad had gotten into a couple of fights on base about her. And she had gone about as far as she could go in her training staying in Idaho. The next thing we knew, we were saying good bye to her at the airport and she was moving to San Francisco." "How did Steve react to all this?" "Even though it was becoming obvious as Steve hit puberty that he was going to take after Dad and he was going to do well in the more macho sports like football and wrestling, Steve still sort of idolized his older brother. I feel in part that was because of Leslie's gentle nature. He never pulled any of that I'm the big brother, you're the little brother crap. He was a great big brother to me, too, always encouraging me, telling me I was beautiful, stuff like that." "She sounds like a wonderful person." "Yes, she was." Melissa struggled with her emotions for a moment and then continued, "Steve took it hard when Leslie announced that he wanted to transition to being a girl. He felt betrayed for the person he admired so much to do that to him. He didn't speak to Leslie for months and it would be obvious sometimes how he would go out of his way to avoid her. Sometimes I would try to apologize to Leslie for Steve's behavior, but she would say that she understood and that Steve needed some time. "It was slow at first, but eventually they would at least talk a few words to each other. But the big turnaround came after Leslie went to San Francisco. She called home often. I had some nice chats with her, but Leslie and Steve started having some real long talks. I eventually found out that Leslie, having been on both sides of the fence so to speak, had been answering Steve's questions about girls and dating, giving him pointers about how to treat a girl and so on. "By this time, Steve was one of the best looking guys in school and my girlfriends were drooling over him. Every so often, I would set one of them up with him, but it never seemed to work out. Eventually Leslie clued me in to what was going on. Steve wanted an old-fashioned girl, like Mom. All the girls we knew were modern, products of women's lib. You know, we still wanted to be treated special, and at the same time treated as equals in school, in the work place and in the home. And Steve tried but that wasn't for him." By now, Lois was listening intently and had forgotten all about being mad at Steve and Melissa. She was grateful for this insight into Steve's way of thinking. "Anyway, Leslie was in San Francisco for almost three years. She was happy to meet a number of people like herself, but it was tough for her to make it as a dancer. And she didn't want to work as an exotic dancer, though I believe she got a couple of offers. Then one day, we got a letter saying that she was going to go to Las Vegas and check out some opportunities that she heard about. Then a few weeks later, each of us back in Idaho got this." As Melissa was rummaging in her purse, the waitress brought their order, served it quickly and scurried away. Melissa found what she was looking for but waited until the waitress left to hand it to Melissa. It was a 3 by 5 black and white glossy with the name Leslie Palmer written on a small white border on the bottom of the picture. It was one of Leslie's first professional portfolio shots as a show girl. Lois studied it for a moment and said, "Oh my, she's gorgeous!" "Yes, I was actually a little bit jealous and proud at the same time. I know I could never look so glamorous, but I was happy for my big sister. She had come so far and was living her life, her dream." "Melissa, you have a different style than Leslie, but you are a very attractive woman in your own right. You have no reason to be jealous." "Thank you, Lois. And my jealousy is long past." "Is she still performing in Las Vegas? I'd love to see one of her shows, or at least meet her before I leave town." Melissa shook her head, sadly. "In hindsight, it was a mistake for her not to change her name. As best as we can piece it together, a couple of years later, someone from our area in Idaho saw the show, thought the name sounded familiar and saw a resemblance to a person he knew back home with the same name. He must have checked around back home and realized that it was the same person. The next thing we knew, one of the tabloids was printing a full color two page spread 'High School Hunk Becomes Vegas Heartbreaker'. And there was Leslie's high school graduation picture and one of him from when he was on the swimming team wearing only swim trunks and then some pictures of her in her showgirl costumes. "At first, Leslie was concerned about her job, but when attendance picked up for the show she was in, her bosses were pretty happy about the whole thing and gave her a bigger role in the show. But back in Idaho, all the nonsense started in again, only worse. Being a young guy just out of college by this time, Steve took the brunt of it. Even some of his own friends turned on him. "But the worst came when one of the pastors in our area decided to use Leslie as the poster child for his hellfire and damnation sermons. Even though he still was not in agreement with what Leslie did, Pastor Burton from our church issued some public rebuttals. They were basically in the theme of how we show Christian love to those who have fallen away and let him who is without sin cast the first stone. At no point did he defend Leslie's lifestyle. But he still ended up in the crosshairs of this Pastor Michaels' attacks. "A few weeks later, someone showed up at Leslie's show. At some point he showed a fake ID that identified him as Steven Palmer. He told one of the staff that he was Leslie's brother and was there to surprise her. While the staff had been alerted to be cautious, this person had no reason to be suspicious of Leslie's brother. Apparently it was known that he was on good terms with us. Now that she was a headliner, Leslie had her own dressing room. And that's where he was waiting for her. The next thing we knew, we received a phone call from the Las Vegas Police Department." Lois dropped her fork to her plate and put her hand to her mouth. "Oh no!" "That was actually the first time that Steve and I came to Las Vegas. We were here with Mom and Dad to identify the body and make the funeral arrangements. We decided to have the services and bury Leslie here so that she would be among friends and people who loved her and only knew her as a woman rather than bring her back home and possibly give Pastor Michaels an opportunity to turn her funeral into a circus or talking point." "I'm starting to remember this story somewhat. It must have made the national news at a time when I was trying to decide what I was going to do with my life. Any story with a trans theme caught my eye and this was one of the ones that scared me." Melissa nodded. "It wasn't long before Steve and I came to the same conclusion: it was going to be tough for us, just starting out in life after college, to have all the locals whispering behind our back, pointing their fingers. So even though we didn't love Vegas, we decided to make our lives here, at least for a while. And it had the benefit of our being available to the local police as they were trying to track down leads when it appeared that the murderer was someone from Idaho. Fortunately, Steve was cleared as a suspect quickly when the staff member stated clearly that the person who did it looked nothing like Steve. "The police sent someone to Pastor Michaels' church to interview the male members. In the end, it turned out that it wasn't anyone from his church. At some point the murderer got drunk and started bragging about it. Somebody overheard it and called the police and they were able to collect enough evidence against him and he was sent away to prison for many years. It was just some nut who heard about it on the local news and decided for some reason, probably his own demons, and to take it personally. "Of course, Pastor Michaels took no responsibility for spreading the kind of hate that led to Leslie's murder. He even made a big deal about him and his church being falsely accused and got some sympathy as a result. But he's yesterday's news now." "It's good to hear that the Las Vegas Police worked so hard to find Leslie's killer. In some places, transgendered people who are attacked have a hard time getting justice." "I know. Some of the detectives that Steve and I met turned out to be pretty good guys. Some have retired and moved away by now, but we are still friends with a couple of them. But there was another motive at work. Whatever Las Vegas officials and business people may think about transgendered people, I can tell you that they are 100% against anyone who gives the Strip bad publicity and makes people think twice about coming here for vacation." "That makes sense." "So now you understand a little bit more about how Steve and I feel about transgendered people and why we feel that way. But come, let's finish up here and take a walk. You are still owed more of an explanation, but to tell you that part, I need even more privacy than a corner table will allow." Seeing that Melissa was wearing her name tag, Lois asked, "Don't you have to be at work, Melissa?" Melissa smiled. "Lois, guest relations is part of my job. And you were a dissatisfied guest. So I AM at work. And that's why you can put away your money. New York New York is paying for this breakfast." They walked through the hotel, engaging mostly in small talk. Occasionally Melissa would point out something in the hotel or casino that she thought might interest Lois. Now and then one of the other staff members would pass by and exchange greetings with Melissa. Soon they were by themselves and Melissa could continue her explanation. "So Steve and I both ended up making our lives here. Until recently, Vegas was growing fast and provided plenty of opportunities. And we have both had good careers here. Eight years ago, I met my Mister Right and a year later we got married. But while Steve never lacked for dates or prospects, it never clicked with any of the women he dated. And it wasn't because Steve is unwilling to commit. He very much wants to be married." Melissa studied Lois's reaction to that last statement and was encouraged to continue along the same line. "It puzzled me that Steve had such trouble finding the right woman. I may be his sister and all, but I have to admit, he is a great catch." Lois nodded earnestly in response and Melissa thought to herself, "Wonderful! That is exactly how I hoped you would respond." "And then one day, a couple of years ago, Steve and I were just hanging out. I don't even remember what we were doing. Just some brother- sister twin together time. Out of nowhere, a thought occurred to me. I played around with it in my mind for a few minutes and I decided to share it with him. "I told him, 'Steve, there's someone we once knew who was very similar to Mom, a girl with old-fashioned values like the girl of your dreams.' "He perked up and asked, 'Who?' "I replied, 'Leslie.' "Well he almost fell off his chair. At first he protested, but as we discussed it for a while, he could see what I was saying. Still, he wondered, 'how would this help?' "I told him, 'Consider this. Most of the women our age were influenced by the feminist movement. We had women like Gloria Steinem as our role models. But transwomen are generally looking to emulate their ideal female image. But it isn't very likely that they were interested in the feminist movement. So many of them are much more in tune with the traditional female roles of the previous generation. Their feminine inspiration is more likely to come from Donna Reed, June Cleaver or their own mother.' "Steve was shocked. 'You want me to start dating transsexuals?' "'Why not? They're women, too, just like our dear sister was.' "Well the more we talked about it and the more he thought about it, Steve decided I was right. Now the only question is where would we find transwomen who were looking to date men? So we tried some Internet sites and some classified ad sections of alternative newspapers and magazines. Some were okay and some were horrible. But most of the women were simply too far away. "A few weeks went by and another idea hit me. I knew that some might question how proper it was, but I knew that I wouldn't be accessing any information that I didn't already have the right to see, and I knew we would not be using that information to do anything illegal or immoral. Nor would we be doing it to hurt someone. And until now, none of the other women ever learned that we knew about their sex change. And they got a free tour and at least one date with a nice guy." "You said that you have access to information. Is there a secret data base of transsexuals out there that we don't know about?" "I have access to many data bases, but none of them are exclusively made up of transsexuals. Ironically, you can thank the terrorists who flew into the towers on 9-11 for being able to guess at your past." "I know someone who lost their husband in that attack." "Yes, that was a horrible day. Because of the time difference, we woke up to the news about that. It seemed like we weren't awake at all, just having a nightmare. "Anyway, major hotels with a lot of traffic, especially tourist traffic, have access to a great deal of confidential information. Previously, all we did was a cursory credit check. Now, we are looking for people who show up on certain lists of being possible terrorists. But we also look for people who might be giving us false identities. And one of the tip offs to a false identity is that a person just pops up out of nowhere. They're in their late twenties or thirties or forties and suddenly they show up and that's where their credit history and other information begins, like driver's licenses, car registrations and so on. "Now some of those people are immigrants to this country, but if they are here legally, we can cross-reference them through INS. And it's a good idea to pick up on people from certain countries anyway. "But sometimes ... well, certain things like social security numbers do not change. When we get the same social security number but Ed becomes Edna or Phil becomes Phyllis ..." "Or Louis becomes Lois," interjected Lois. "Exactly," replied Melissa, smiling. "Of course sometimes the name change is totally different like George becoming Jacqueline or Ralph becoming Candi. But you are aware of these things, I'm sure. And now you know how easy it was to spot you, if you have the right information and know what to look for. And I would have to assume that I have been looking for something that no one at any other hotel or resort in the United States has been looking for in this information." "Ironically, your system would not have spotted Leslie." "Hmmm, you're right. Leslie would not have shown up with a break in the name history. But from what I understand, Leslie keeping her birth name was the exception, just like she was always an exceptional sister." "I can see that you miss her very much." "Steve and I both miss her. It helps a little that we can visit her grave whenever we want to and time really does heal wounds. But every now and then, something will trigger the pain again." "What about the others?" "The others?" "It sounds like you have been using this system for a few years to find someone for Steve. I'm not the first transsexual you set up with him, am I?" "No, you're not. But some I scratched off the list and never had them meet Steve. Some I could tell the moment I met them that it would not be a good fit. And some made the reservation in their name but I could tell that they were checking in with a boyfriend, husband or female partner. And the handful of those that Steve actually did meet ... well, none of those ever worked out. A couple of them weren't interested in going out with Steve when he asked them. Some said the timing was wrong or they had someone back home. There was one other who seemed to hit it off pretty well with Steve, but in the end, she decided that she was not interested in staying in Vegas. The system certainly isn't foolproof. First of all, not every transgendered woman in our age group has the old-fashioned values that Steve is looking for. And it's expecting a lot that someone will want to change their life around based on what happens over only a couple of days ... a week or two at most. In fact, the best we were hoping for was that Steve would meet someone from Arizona or California and that the relationship could continue to grow over the distance, but a distance that would still allow for frequent visits on weekends and vacation times. Or perhaps it would be someone who came to Vegas regularly. "But the most important thing for you to know is that known of the others ever learned that we knew about their past. And we kept no information on them afterwards. While our judgment may have been questionable, it was down with purely innocent motives." "I can see that now. I believe you." "Thank you, Lois. I really appreciate that, and I know that Steve will, also. "And I have to tell you, now that we are putting all the cards out on the table, that while I never expected that the person Steve would fall the hardest for and the one I felt the best about of all the ones I found, would be someone from New York ... and yet kind of ironic considering the name of the hotel." Lois winced and then grinned. "We Noo Yawkers do have a reputation, don't we?" Melissa smiled back and said, "Yes, you do. But meeting you, I can see that it is unfair and unjustified." "Both you and Steve feel that strongly about me being the right one for him?" "Oh yes, Lois. There was something about you the moment I saw you. And it just grew stronger the more we got to know you. I feel ... I feel that you are a blend of the two sisters he loves so much. Physically, you are more like me. But in personality, you are a lot like Leslie: gentle, but no pushover; willing to stand up for what's right; willing to try new things despite your fears. And most importantly, old- fashioned femininity: a combination of demureness, intelligence and grace. Always very ladylike. " "Even when I'm throwing a fit?" Melissa chuckled. "Well, I haven't seen the film at eleven, but my guess is yes, even then. After all, there are times when even a lady needs to bare her claws. As I said, you are no pushover. If things work out between you and Steve, I can tell that most of the time, you will defer to him and that is what both of you would want in a relationship. But there are times when you will have to speak your mind and keep him in line. Lord knows that I have been doing it long enough. It's time that some other women had that job ... and pleasure. "And there was one other thing. Whether you want to call it fate, or the hand of God, I will let you decide. But I was originally supposed to be on vacation this week. Then something came up with another employee and we switched vacations a couple of days before my vacation was supposed to begin. So when I saw your file, I thought to myself, 'There just might be another purpose behind me working this week.'" "Wow! Really? That's amazing!" The two women smiled at each other for a moment. Lois held out her arms and Melissa joined her in a long, sisterly hug. Then Lois pulled back and said, "Oh Melissa. I would love to be your friend ... sister even. But what about Steve? After what I did to him, will he forgive me and want to see me again? The hurt look on his face last night keeps flashing through my mind." "Oh honey, that hurt look on his face is because he loves you! It may only be a couple of days that you have known each other, but the way he talks about you and smiles, I would bet my last chip that this is the real thing for him. And that poor boy's body may be playing tour guide this morning, but his heart is back here, wondering how things are going in our conversation and waiting to hear from me. If I don't call him soon, he will be the one stumbling into people." "Serves him right! Just as long as he doesn't stumble into any beautiful, single women." "Don't you worry about that, Lois. He only has eyes for you, now." "Melissa, I was attracted to him almost from the first also. But in a couple of days, I am going to be three thousand miles away! Oh, Melissa, I don't know what to do." "It just so happens that I have an idea about that. And it will do a favor for me, too. You were right, this is getting a bit long to be away from my desk for a guest relations problem. But If I can log that I was also working on recruitment, then it will be a big plus for me, especially if things work out the way I hope they will." "Recruitment? I don't understand." "Let's walk back to my office, Lois. I will explain it along the way." Indeed looking very much like sisters, the two women headed back to Melissa's office. Melissa asked, "Steve said that your work background Is in financial services?" "That's right. I have about fifteen years experience in various positions in that field." "Excellent! Okay, here's the situation. There's a position open in the accounting department in the main office for the MGM Grand Hotels here in Las Vegas. For some reason, even with the economy the way it is, they just can't seem to find the right person for the job. The person you would be working for has a reputation of being rather fussy, so that might be a part of it. Whatever the reason, the people working there are going nuts trying to handle the workload this long minus a person. They were already short staffed because of budget cutbacks downsizing the office. "So I would build a lot of good will with a few people if I found someone to fill that position. As you know, good will is a valuable commodity these days in corporate America. But if you have the right work background, I have a feeling that your endearing personality would melt even the fussiest boss. "Let's see ... it's about 10:30 now. If I could set up something for late this afternoon, say at 3 PM or later, would that give you enough time to get ready? Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't ask if you had any other plans for today." "No, nothing really." Lois thought for a moment. "I'm pretty sure I have my resume on my laptop, but it would have to be printed. And I did have some business clothes with me, but they are sitting at the bottom of the suitcase. They must be pretty rumpled by now and could use some cleaning." "No problem. We can print your resume in my office or in the business center. And we have one hour dry cleaning available here. Don't worry about the cost, it will be on me. Of course, there are plenty of shops in the hotel. And that would give us an opportunity to do one of the things girlfriends do best ..." And Melissa and Lois said in unison, "SHOPPING!" Melissa called the accounting department and was able to set up a meeting for 3:30 PM. Minutes later, they were inside Soho Village. Melissa introduced Lois to Sheryl, an attractive, caramel-skinned young woman with an engaging personality. They sent Lois over to the section where the business suits could be found in the Misses sizes, while Melissa pulled Sheryl aside to speak with her for a few moments. Then Melissa told Lois that she would be right with her, as soon as she called Steve. "I think the poor boy has suffered long enough," she chuckled. "What size are you, Ms. Simmons?" asked Sheryl. "In most things, I take a four," replied Lois. "And please call me Lois." "Okay Lois, that will help me narrow down the selection a bit. Did you have anything particular in mind?" "To tell you the truth, I really didn't have a lot of time to think about it. I suddenly was set up by Melissa with a job interview and decided it would be more fun and safer to buy something new than to trust the one hour dry cleaning service. My complexion is a spring, so I generally should not wear anything too dark. Other than that, I am one of those people who isn't quite sure what I am looking for until I see it." "Got it. We have a good selection of career jackets in your size. Some come with a full ensemble, others are mix and match. While you are looking in that section, I will see what I can find that might interest you." Melissa rejoined them. "Steve is so relieved. But I told him to hold his horses a little longer and wait to call you. I told him about the job interview and he understood. He's real excited for you and he said to tell you that he knows you will do well." "Thanks, Melissa," replied Lois. "What do you think of this," she said, holding up a tweed jacket. "A little old for you, I think," Melissa replied. "And did I hear you say that you are a size four? Girlfriend, I am so jealous. I haven't been that size since two children ago." "Melissa, size is just a label in a garment. The important thing is that you look great." "Well, you are blessed with a very trim figure, Lois. And they are going to be very impressed with how attractive and business-like you look this afternoon. Doesn't she look wonderful, Sheryl?" "Yes she does, Ms. Stone. And I have a feeling that one of these jackets is going to get you that job this afternoon." They walked over to the mirror and Lois tried on a lilac-colored cascade jacket (not quite business looking enough) and a red peplum blazer with a shawl collar (the color a little too harsh for Lois's complexion). But when she tried on the faux silk open jacket (light yellow with brown streaks), Sheryl said, "That looks super on you." Melissa concurred, "That's the one, Lois." Lois replied, "I think that you are right. I love it!" Just then, Melissa's phone rang. She chatted for a few seconds and then said, "Well, it was bound to happen. They need me back at my desk. But as you can see, Lois, you are in good hands with Sheryl. Come down to my office around a quarter to three. That will give me time to tell you a little more about the job and the person who will be interviewing you. And bring your laptop so you can print your resume. And of course, I will get to see how you look before you go to the interview." "Thank you for everything, Melissa. This has been a wonderful morning. I'll see you soon." "See you later, Lois. Good bye for now. Bye Sheryl." "Good bye Ms. Stone. I will take excellent care of Lois for you." "Now Lois, to complete the outfit, would you prefer a blouse or a shell? And would you rather have slacks or a skirt?" "I definitely would prefer a skirt, Sheryl. But I am not sure about what to wear under the jacket. Do you have any suggestions?" "We have some really nice shells that would go beautifully with that jacket. Since you are only wearing this for an interview, you probably will not be taking off the jacket, so a shell would be appropriate. And best of all, we have a special on the shells right now from some of the clothing lines: buy one get one free." "You can't beat that! Okay Sheryl, let's see what we can come up with." In the end, they decided that with such a beautiful jacket, they would go simple with the rest of the outfit. For the shells, Lois chose one that was cream-colored with a pleated neckline while the other was white with an undershirt neckline and decorative stitching. The skirt was a simple styled medium charcoal gray that came an inch below the knee. "I see what you mean about dark colors, Lois. That medium gray looks almost black on you." "Yes, Sheryl. My LBD is just about the same color as the skirt." Just to make sure, Lois tried them all on before leaving the shop. "Oh Lois, you look fabulous. They are so going to be able to picture you on the job when you wear that outfit." "Thank you, Sheryl. You were a big help. You have a good eye for clothing." "You're welcome, Lois. It was my pleasure serving you. Now do you need anything else to go with that? Shoes or bag perhaps?" "No thank you, Sheryl. I have some shoes back in my room that I just know will look great with this outfit. And I have a couple of bags with me. One of them should be okay." Sheryl was about to respond to that, but she remembered that she was told by Melissa not to say anything, so she checked herself. Then she said, "Come over here to the register, and I will ring you up." When the checkout was completed, Sheryl said, "Good luck on your interview, Lois. I'm sure you will do just fine. I enjoyed meeting you." "Thank you, Sheryl. Perhaps I will be seeing you again. I enjoyed meeting you, too. Good bye." "Good bye." And as Lois hustled out the door, she didn't notice Sheryl voiding the receipt and recharging it to Melissa's employee account, just as Melissa had instructed her to. When Lois got back to her room, she caught sight of herself in the mirror. "This must be why they call it beauty sleep. I didn't get much of it last night. I better grab some now and relax before my interview. And after that big breakfast, it won't hurt to sleep through lunch. It's a good thing I wasn't trying on any tight clothes," she said, rubbing her stomach. Lois took off her makeup and outer clothes, requested a wake-up call for 1 PM and fell into a deep, relaxing sleep. When the wakeup call came, she was refreshed and ready to face the rest of the day. She tucked her hair under a shower cap and let the water massage some more energy into her. Then she sipped some tea and munched on peanut butter and cheddar cheese snack crackers while sending a quick e-mail to Josie, thanking her for the pep talk and letting her know that things were looking up. Then it was time for a fresh coat of makeup and her new outfit. Laptop in hand, Lois knocked on Melissa's door at twenty minutes to three. "Lois, just look at you! You look like you are ready to take on the world. That outfit is perfect for you. It's a good color for you, it fits your personality and it looks great on you." Lois beamed in response. "Keep up that confidence, girlfriend, and you're a shoo-in. Speaking of which, Steve called twice since this morning. He is so anxious to make things up to you. You've got him right where you want him, hon. All you have to do is reel him in. Isn't it wonderful having a man wrapped around your finger?" "It's a new feeling for me, but one which I can get used to pretty quickly, I'm sure." "Oh, Lois, I'm so happy for you. You deserve good things in life. And I have a feeling they are going to start coming your way." "They already have, Melissa. They already have." "Well, let's get your laptop set up and we can print out your resume. You can leave your computer with me while you are in the interview. I won't do any more spying. I promise!" "I'm not worried about that. Besides, the most incriminating thing you will find on it will be some tummy exercises." "This is your resume on the desktop?" Lois nodded. "Good. I'll get this hooked up to my printer and you will have a hard copy in no time. Meanwhile, here is some information you will need for the interview. You can read it while I take care of the technical stuff over here and then catch up on some work I was supposed to be doing this morning. But feel free to interrupt me if you have any questions." Lois read over the notes several times. Now and then she had a question. "The interview is not in this building? It's in the MGM Grand? How do I get there and how long will that take?" "Yes. The Grand is where we have our main corporate offices in Vegas. It is right across the street on the other side of Las Vegas Boulevard. You don't even have to go outside to get there. If you go to our mezzanine level, you will see directions to the walkway that goes over the street and takes you right to the Grand. You should have no trouble finding it. If you leave here by three fifteen, you will have plenty of time to get to the interview and not feel rushed." "The man interviewing me will be my boss if I get the job? Mr. Cockburn? I just can't get away from these things, can I?" Melissa laughed out loud, startling some of her co-workers for a moment. "Oh my, I am so glad you mentioned that, Lois. I would have forgotten to warn you about the most important thing to know for your meeting. His name is pronounced CO-burn. Scottish, I think. Ed Cockburn. If you don't call him Mister COCK-burn and you don't call him Mister Ed, you will be way ahead of most of the people who interview for the job." It was Lois's turn to chuckle, as she thought back to that old television show about the talking horse. She couldn't imagine anyone dumb enough to call a prospective employer Mister Ed. Then again these days, you can never tell. "Here's your resume and a nice folder to carry it in." "Oh Melissa. You printed it on such lovely paper. Plain copy paper would have been fine." "Nonsense. You only get one chance to make a first impression. Now, do you have any more questions?" "No. Everything else here is pretty self-explanatory." "Great. Now when you get to the Grand side of the walkway, go downstairs to the casino level and walk straight ahead through the casino. On the other side of the casino, the concierge and front desks will be on your left and the main offices will be on your right. You can't miss it." "Thank you, Melissa. I'm sure I will be fine. How hard can this be after driving all over the Rocky Mountain States?" "Oh yes, I heard about that. Let me take one last look at you ... perfect! Now go knock them dead. And then come back here and tell me all about it." "I will, Melissa. And thank you again for everything." "It's my pleasure. See you soon." "Bye." Disclaimer: The author has no knowledge of the security procedures of the New York New York Hotel and Casino as described in this chapter, nor any knowledge of the information they collect about their guests. The author has never worked for or had a job interview with MGM Grand or any other MGM corporate division. This is a fictional account, and the author Invented certain aspects of this story as a literary device to advance the plot. New York New York and MGM were used merely because the author had the pleasure of lodging at New York New York within the past few years and was familiar with the various features of the hotel and casino. As far as what actually happened to the author while she was there, they say that what happens in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas. Each reader is free to take an educated guess as to whether it is so racy that the author wishes to keep it private or so dull that it would bore the reader to tears. And as promised, we are revisiting the disclaimer found at the end of chapter two. As Melissa revealed in this chapter, New York New York never had a promotion like the one which Melissa used so that Lois and Steve could "bump into each other" the first time. But I couldn't tell you that in chapter two: it would have spoiled the plot.