CHAMPIONS OF THE SQUARE DANCE
By Annie James
As he was about to pull their motorhome back onto the highway after
gassing up at a truckstop John Heywood's concentration was interrupted
by an exclamation from his wife.
"Wait, John! We can't leave that poor hitchhiker just standing in the
rain. He's only a boy."
John halted the vehicle, leaned out his open window, and waved to the
figure huddled under the shelter near the gas pumps. That person came
running up to the side of the motorhome. "I've changed my mind. We'll
give you a ride to Centrevale. That's as far as we're going. Go around
to the side door and my wife will let you in."
Mary got out of her seat and moved back to open the door. The slender
young boy ran around the vehicle and climbed up inside.
"Gee thanks, Ma'am. I sure do appreciate this," were his first words to
Mary as she stared at his rain-soaked clothing.
"Just a moment till I put some newspapers on the seat so you won't get
the upholstery wet." By the time John had wheeled them out onto the
highway, she had arranged for the bedraggled young stranger to sit at
the kitchen table. She seated herself across from him and attempted to
start a conversation.
"I'm Mary Heywood and that's my husband John driving. What's your name?"
"Leslie Marshall."
"How come you're out on the highway at this time of night?"
"I'm on my way to look for work."
"Aren't you a little young to be out on your own?"
"I'm fifteen. I can legally leave school in this state."
"But surely your parents would rather you finished high school."
"I have no parents. I'm an orphan."
"Well, isn't somebody responsible for you?"
"I've been living at the county home, but I left because some of the
other residents were picking on me. I'm kind of small for my age."
The boy began to shiver and Mary could see that the newspapers under him
were rapidly becoming soaked as water dripped from his clothes. Her
maternal instincts were aroused.
"What happened to your luggage with your spare clothes?"
Between shivers he admitted that he had left the group home so hurriedly
that he had brought nothing with him.
"Well we'll certainly have to do something about getting you dry before
you catch your death of cold. I wonder if ......." She stepped back to
one of the cupboards, searched for a moment, and came back carrying a
folded flannelette garment. "Here, take off your shoes first, then go
back to the bedroom and change out of your wet clothes into this
nightshirt."
"But, Ma'am, I can't ...."
"Yes, you can. And you can crawl into the bed to sleep until we get to
Centrevale. That won't be until about three in the morning. No arguments
now. Just get on with it."
Reluctantly the lad removed his coat and cap and handed them to her
before bending down to remove his shoes. With his outer clothes removed
she could see that he was soaked right through his T-shirt and jeans.
She hung his outer clothes on a hook and reached for a towel with which
she dried his long hair.
"Now, take the towel with you and dry yourself off well before you put
on the nightshirt. Call me when you are ready and I'll pick up your
jeans and T-shirt to hang where they can start to dry."
"Yes, Ma'am." Leslie walked back to the bedroom carrying the nightshirt
and towel, closed the door behind him and undressed. When he was dried
and ready to pull the nightshirt over his head he noticed that it was
decorated with pink flowers, had a bit of lace at the neck, and had a
ruffle sewn around each wrist and around its hem. He wanted to object to
the girlish garment but felt too intimidated by Mrs. Heywood to
complain. Instead he donned it and called softly that he was ready. She
opened the door and stepped into the tiny room, making no comment about
his appearance. Instead she turned down the covers of the bed and
motioned him to climb in. He did so without protest and she tucked the
covers around his neck. As she did so his eyes closed and within a few
seconds his deep breathing told her that he had fallen asleep. She
picked up his wet clothes from the newspaper on which he had laid them
and closed the door behind her as she left the room.
Seated back in the passenger seat at the front she explained to her
husband what she had learned about their young passenger. In the bed
over the cab their fifteen year old daughter Susan lying awake on her
bunk strained her ears to hear what was being said.
The Heywoods were returning from a vacation which they had hoped would
help them to recover from the tragic death of Susan's twin sister just
three months ago. It was a difficult struggle but each member of the
family was trying very hard to help the others overcome their grief.
Tonight the parents were sitting up late as Mr. Heywood drove the last
lap. He was due to return to work next morning, but an accident on the
road had held them up so long that it would be nearly dawn when they
would arrive back home. They discussed whether he should report for work
without a night's sleep or whether he should phone that he would not be
coming in until noon.
Meanwhile an exhausted Leslie slept in the back of the motorhome.
CHAPTER 2
At three-thirty in the morning Mr. Heywood drove into his own driveway
and parked. Leaving Susan and Leslie sleeping in their respective beds
in the motorhome, he and his wife entered their home and rushed to their
bedroom for a few hours of needed sleep.
When she sleepily rose at eight o'clock to prepare breakfast, Mary
slipped out to the motorhome to call her daughter and the sleeping
hitchhiker. Wakening Susan was no problem but when she rapped on the
bedroom door there was no response from Leslie. Cautiously she opened
the door and peeked in. Leslie lay on top of the covers, breathing
deeply and bathed in perspiration. She touched his forehead, instantly
realizing that he was running a high fever.
"Susan, go and fetch your father!" she called as she gathered a towel to
rub over his fevered brow.
At the insistence of his wife John Heywood carried the sick boy up to
the spare bedroom which had belonged to the dead twin and laid him on
the bed. Susan was put to work to cool his hot forehead with a damp
cloth while Mary finished preparing breakfast and saw John off to work.
Before she could get back upstairs, Susan reported that Leslie's fever
had been replaced with cold shivers. While Mary lifted him Susan pulled
the covers out from under and he was soon tucked in once again. As soon
as this had been done Mary phoned the family doctor for advice. He
considered the symptoms serious and promised to call at the house around
lunchtime. Meantime Susan was to pick up a prescription at the
drugstore.
During the morning the boy seemed to rouse from sleep several times but
appeared delirious and no sense could be made from his confused
murmurings. The doctor arrived about eleven-thirty, listened to his
chest, looked in his throat, and prescribed more pills before promising
to look in again before church on Sunday.
Leslie continued to sleep through most of the day but Mary was able to
feed him a cup of soup about five in the afternoon by propping him up on
pillows. Next morning he was sitting up in bed when she looked in after
she had given breakfast to her husband and daughter.
"Where am I?" he asked as she moved over to the bed and placed her hand
over his forehead.
"You're in our spare bedroom."
"How did I get here?"
"My husband carried you in from the motorhome."
"What motorhome?"
"Ours, of course. We picked you up, hitchhiking in the rain."
"What day is this? How long have I been here?"
"It's Saturday. We picked you up on Thursday night."
"It all seems so strange to me. I don't remember a thing."
"You've been very sick. We've had the doctor to see you. He will be
coming back again tomorrow morning."
"Could you show me the way to the bathroom? I need to go quite badly."
"Certainly! Give me your hand and I'll help you out of bed."
The boy staggered as he tried to stand and she grasped him around the
waist to keep him from falling. She led him gently into the bathroom.
Leslie was too weak to object as she lifted the back of his nightdress
and seated him on the toilet.
"Call me as soon as you finish. I'll wait just outside the bathroom
door." A few minutes later he called out just as she heard the toilet
flush. As she re-entered the room she found him leaning against the sink
staring at his image in the mirror.
"Is this a girl's flannelette nightgown I'm wearing?" he asked.
"Yes, it belonged to my daughter. It was the warmest thing I could find
to put on you."
"I wondered about the lace and the ruffles."
"Don't let that bother you. Let me help you back to bed. Then I'll have
Susan bring you a breakfast tray."
Ten minutes later he was sitting up in bed eating cereal and chatting
with Susan.
"This must be your room," he ventured as his eyes took in the feminine
appointments, white wallpaper with pink flowers, frilly curtains over
the window, cosmetics reflected in the large mirror of the dressing
table, pink sheets and flowered spread on the white spool bed.
"No, it was my sister's room. You're the first one to use it since she
died three months ago. Everything is just the way she left it."
"I'm very sorry to hear that. Would it be impolite of me to ask what
happened to her?"
"She was struck by a car when she was walking to school. The driver was
drunk and he came right up on the sidewalk where she was. I miss her
terribly. We were twins and we did so many things together."
"She must have been very nice if she was like you and your mother."
"Thank you. Have you had enough to eat? Would you like some more orange
juice, or some toast?"
"I think I've had enough for now, thank you."
"Then I'll take your tray and you can lie back down to sleep. Mother
said you must get lots of rest."
He did not argue and by the time the door closed behind her his eyes
were beginning to close.
Back in the kitchen Susan helped her mother to wash the breakfast
dishes.
"He seems very nice, Mother," she commented. "Do you think he might stay
a while? It would be nice to have someone around for company. I miss
Ruth so much."
Her mother's reply was non-committal. "Well, I don't know. In any case a
boy's interests are probably different from yours."
"No, I suppose he wouldn't want to take Ruth's place on our square dance
team."
"That certainly seems unlikely," answered Mary.
CHAPTER 3
Next morning when the doctor returned, Mrs. Heywood accompanied him as
he entered his patient's room. While the doctor was removing his
stethoscope from his bag she wakened Leslie and helped him to sit up
with two pillows behind his back. The doctor looked at his throat and
then asked him to cough while listening to his chest.
"Well, you seem to be recovering quickly, Leslie," he said as he
completed his examination. "If you continue to improve you can get up
for a short while tomorrow and by the end of the week you should be back
to full strength. Just remember to keep taking your pills." As he was
leaving the room he turned once more and added, "I won't need to see you
again, so good-bye, young lady."
He had stepped through the door before the startled Leslie could reply.
Equally startled Mrs. Heywood decided, since the doctor would not be
coming back, that she would not embarrass him by pointing out his
mistake. The incident started her mind off on a chain of thought that
she decided to take up with her husband. Meanwhile Leslie continued to
lie in bed doing a bit of reading but mostly snoozing.
As might be expected John Heywood ridiculed her idea when she explained
it to him and only agreed, after an hour of discussion, to cooperate if
Leslie should be a willing participant. She secured his promise that he
would not reveal her plan to Leslie until she considered that the time
was right. Had it not been for the recent death of their daughter Ruth,
and hence his desire to keep his wife busy rather than brooding over
their loss, he would probably not have finally agreed.
Nothing was said to Leslie next morning as Mrs. Heywood led him into the
bathroom where he was instructed to shower and to shampoo his hair.
"I'll leave you a clean flannelette nightgown to put on when you finish
and I'll come back and comb your hair so you won't overtire yourself,"
she announced as she turned to leave before he seated himself on the
toilet. Fifteen minutes later he sat quietly while she combed out his
damp hair and tied it back in a double ponytail with two pieces of
yellow ribbon.
"I hope you will excuse the ribbon," she apologized. "It's the most
convenient thing to tie your hair back with."
"I wouldn't want anyone to see me this way," he replied.
"Don't worry! No one will see you except Susan and me. Now put on that
yellow robe and scuffs and we'll go down to breakfast. The doctor said I
can let you up for meals only today, so you can come back to bed as soon
as we finish."
Following her mother's careful instructions, Susan made no comment about
his beribboned hair, his yellow plush robe, or matching scuffs. Instead
she talked about her hobbies and friends, mentioning only in passing
that her square-dance team would not be able to participate in the
coming competition because they had not found a replacement for her
sister. Right after the meal Leslie was hustled off to bed again to rest
but was allowed up again for lunch.
When he came down for supper, somewhat nervous about being seen by Mr.
Heywood, he was again relieved that no comment was made about his
appearance. Afterwards he was invited to sit in the living room to watch
television with the family. When his eyes grew heavy about nine o'clock
he excused himself and headed back to bed.
Mary Heywood entered his room next morning to find him wide awake and
sitting up. He started to talk at once.
"Gee, Mrs. Heywood, it's really been good of you to look after me while
I've been sick. I don't know how I can possibly thank you."
"It's been a pleasure for us, Leslie," she responded.
"I seem to be almost recovered now. By tomorrow I should be able to
continue on my way."
"There's no hurry. Please don't rush away." She sat on the edge of the
bed and took one of his hands in hers before continuing. "You asked if
there is any way you could thank me for looking after you, and there
is."
"Tell me what it is."
"Susan's square-dance team has not been able to find a fourth for the
competition next weekend and you could fill in for them."
"But I don't know how to square-dance."
"That's all right. We'll teach you. Just say you'll do it for me."
"Well ..... O.K., if you think it's all right."
"Thank you so much, Leslie." She reached an arm out to squeeze him to
her and bent her head to kiss him on the cheek.
She stood up once more and added, "Now if you'll let me comb your hair
out for you again, then I'll get your clothes from the laundry room and
you can get dressed to come downstairs today."
He sat on a chair while she undid the ribbons from his hair and recombed
it. She retied it with the same yellow ribbons, saying as she did so, "I
know you won't mind me using this ribbon again because you won't be
going out of the house today." Leslie did mind but hesitated to say so.
When he arrived downstairs fifteen minutes later, dressed in his own
jeans and T-shirt, no comment was made about them and he forgot
completely about the ribbons.
His morning was spent quietly about the house. Susan rushed out after
breakfast to visit a friend but he, responding to Mrs. Heywood's earlier
show of affection, volunteered to help with the dishes. He assisted also
in making the beds and tidying the house. At ten-thirty they stopped for
a cup of tea before settling down before the TV to watch a daytime soap
which she liked. When she rose to prepare lunch he followed her to the
kitchen to again offer his assistance. It was obvious to Mary that the
lonely orphan was in great need of loving acceptance.
After the noon dishes were done he followed her suggestion of an
afternoon nap and was still sleeping when called for supper.
It was about seven o'clock when Mr. and Mrs. Heywood and Susan led
Leslie down to the recreation room for his first lesson in square-
dancing with music and calls supplied by the family's stereo system.
Susan was paired with her father while Mrs. Heywood and Leslie were
partners. Leslie, being a neophyte, was not aware that he was being
taught the girl's part while his female partner acted the role of a man.
He was a quick learner and thoroughly enjoyed the lessons, particularly
when being swung about by the older woman. After a break for
refreshments they spent a second hour practising until Mrs. Heywood
suggested that it had been a long day and Leslie should get a full
night's sleep. Obediently he headed off for the bedroom.
A short while later he had just lain down on the bed when a tap came on
the bedroom door.
"Are you in bed yet, Leslie?" asked Mrs. Heywood.
"I'm just getting under the covers."
"In that case I'll come and tuck you in."
"I'd like that," he answered as she walked across the room and sat on
the edge of the bed.
"Do you want your arms under the covers?"
"It seems a bit too warm with these flannelette sleeves."
"I guess that means you are recovering from your illness. Tomorrow I'll
see if I can find a lighter pair of pyjamas for you."
"I'd certainly appreciate that."
"Now close your eyes," she added as she tucked the covers around him.
Then she leaned over and kissed him again on the cheek.
CHAPTER 4
Wednesday followed almost exactly the same pattern as Tuesday. Again the
day started with Mrs. Heywood combing his hair, and again he spent the
morning in her company. His afternoon sleep was much shorter however and
at four o'clock he rose to have a shower and wash his hair. For the
second time that day she combed it and tied it with the inevitable
yellow ribbons. He did not bother to express his protest aloud. When the
dance practice ended about nine-thirty Leslie received compliments from
each member of the family for his rapidly increasing skill.
"Gee," exclaimed Susan, "If you keep on improving like this, maybe our
team will make the finals in the competition."
"When do I meet the other members of the team?" asked Leslie.
"We'll arrange to have them over Saturday afternoon for a practice,"
interrupted Susan's mother. "That way you'll all be fresh for the dance
that evening."
When Leslie had started up the stairs to his bedroom Susan spoke
urgently to her mother. "Haven't you told him yet?" she asked.
"Patience, my child! It will be time enough to tell him on Saturday
morning. I don't want to give him too much time to worry. Just trust me
that everything will be all right."
Meanwhile Leslie reached his bedroom, stripped off his clothes, folded
them on the chair, and reached under the pillow for the expected
pyjamas. He was shocked when his hand drew forth two wispy pieces of
silky blue material.
"Surely she can't mean for me to wear this!" he said to himself as he
stared at the pieces. He checked again under the pillow, then moved over
in front of the mirror where he held the sleeveless satiny top in front
of his naked torso. He was still standing there, undecided what to do,
when he heard the tap on his door.
"Are you in bed yet, Leslie?" I hope you like the pyjamas I put out for
you."
"Uh .... I'm just changing," he blurted out and rushed to pull the top
over his head. It felt delicious. Rapidly he stripped off his cotton
jockey shorts and pulled on the silky matching panties. He rushed to the
bed, lifted the covers, and crawled in. "O.K., now I'm in bed," he
called out.
As she walked across the room only his head could be seen above the
covers. He twisted onto his side to conceal the growing erection which
resulted from the touch of the silky material on his groin. She sat on
the edge of the bed and lifted the covers back from his neck revealing
the lacy bodice and the delicate material forming a cap sleeve over each
shoulder. She tucked the covers back around him, saying as she did so,
"Those baby doll pyjamas do look lovely on you. The colour just suits
you, and I am sure you will find them much nicer to wear to bed. They
won't stick to the sheets like the flannelette gown does."
Leslie could think of nothing to say in reply. She bent to kiss him on
the cheek, wished him a good night, and left the room. He continued to
lie awake for a considerable time, enjoying the sensuous feel of the
sleek material against his skin.
In the morning he was still asleep when she entered his room. Gently she
touched his exposed shoulder through the silky material as she called
his name to rouse him. He had begun to sit up before he remembered how
he was dressed. She handed him the yellow plush housecoat he had worn
previously.
"Did you sleep well, Leslie?"
"Very well," he answered, pulling the housecoat around himself.
"Would you do something especially for me today?"
"I always try to please you. What is it you want?"
"This is something very special for me."
"I guess I can do it if you tell me what it is."
"I have an urge to see what you would look like with curls in your hair.
Would you let me set it today? No one would see it except the family and
they won't tell anyone."
"Well ..... Are you sure no one will see me?"
"I promise."
"You won't make me wear a dress, too?"
"Not today," she smiled, "just the hair."
He sat there silently for a moment before grudgingly agreeing.
"OK."
She wasted no time, but led him directly to the bathroom sink where she
shampooed his hair and then applied conditioner. Ten minutes later he
was sitting in a chair clutching the robe tightly about himself to
conceal the silk pyjamas, while she carefully combed out his hair,
parted it into small sections, and rolled in the curlers. When the last
curler was in place she tied a silk scarf over his head.
"There, that will do for now. Just come as you are down to breakfast and
we'll finish the job later."
Reluctantly he followed her down the stairs while refastening the belt
around his robe to make sure that it stayed closed. Seated at the table
he clamped the edges of the robe between his knees to keep it from
slipping off to reveal his bare thighs. At the same time his every
movement as he ate kept him sensuously aware of the silk pyjamas against
his skin and he had to concentrate very hard to keep an erection from
showing through the yellow plush robe.
His intention of rushing upstairs right after breakfast was frustrated
by Susan's request for help with the dishes, made while her mother was
seeing her father off to work. Evidently this was Susan's scheduled day
to be responsible for some of the housework. He stood up carefully and
began to carry dishes to the sink.
When Mrs. Heywood came back into the room her first remark was, "My,I'm
pleased to see you helping Susan with her chores, Leslie! It makes the
work go so much faster with someone to help. I'll get the hair dryer and
you can wear the hood while you dry the dishes."
A plastic hood was soon produced to replace the silk scarf over Leslie's
head, the motor was slung over his shoulder on a strap, its hose
connected to the back of the hood, and finally its long electrical cord
was plugged into a wall outlet. When the unit was switched on, the hood
puffed out, and he could feel warm air rushing at his hair and escaping
under the elastic band that encircled his head. Since his ears were
inside the hood he could not hear clearly, but he thought he heard Susan
say, "Oh, Mother, he looks just like Ruth! She used to do the dishes
with the dryer hood over her curlers."
Later, when the dryer was removed, Susan asked if she could be present
to watch when Leslie's hair was combed out.
"Well I guess you'll have to ask Leslie that," answered her mother.
"Oh, Leslie, may I?" she pleaded.
"I suppose so," answered Leslie, reasoning that she would see the hair
later anyhow.
The three trooped upstairs to the bedroom and again Leslie sat on a
chair facing away from the dressing table mirror while Mrs. Heywood
picked up the comb and brush to work on his hair. Susan was enlisted to
unfasten the rollers and her mother combed out his hair into soft curls.
When she was satisfied she picked up a spray can and his nostrils
inhaled the sweet scent of hair set while his ears heard the hiss of
releasing gas.
"What do you think, Susan? Are we ready to show Leslie his beautiful
hairdo?"
"Oh, yes!"
"Stand up, Leslie," commanded Mrs. Heywood. As he rose she stepped up to
him and loosened his belt. His hands came up to resecure the belt, but
at the same time he was also obeying her command to, "Turn and see
yourself in the mirror." She grasped the shoulders of his robe and drew
it down so that suddenly he faced in the mirror the image of a beautiful
young woman with an elegant hairdo wearing only her baby doll pyjamas.
Leslie stared at his reflection, almost unable to believe his eyes. He
felt naked and vulnerable but the robe had been thrown onto the bed out
of his reach.
"Doesn't he look attractive, Susan?" asked Mrs. Heywood.
"Oh scrumptious," came the answer and Susan reached over to plant a kiss
on Leslie's lips. Suddenly he became aware again of a lump forming in
the front of his pyjama panties and he sat down quickly in the chair
hoping to conceal it. It did not escape Mrs. Heywood's sharp eye.
She reacted by saying to her daughter, "Come now, Susan. We'll leave
Leslie alone now to get dressed. We'll be able to see his beautiful
hairdo all day today."
As Susan and her mother arrived back downstairs Susan could not help
exclaiming, "Oh, Mother, he's just perfect! I can't wait to see him in
Ruth's squaredancing costume."
"Just be careful you don't spoil everything," cautioned her mother. "It
was quite a job persuading him to wear those pyjamas and even harder to
get him to agree to have me set his hair. Today you must say nothing
more about his appearance or clothes. Just act natural so he will stop
being conscious of his hairdo."
Meanwhile Leslie was slow to change into his T-shirt and jeans.
Fascinated by his reflection in the mirror he examined himself from all
angles before finally starting to change his clothes. With some regret
he finally pulled off the silk panties and replaced them with his cotton
jockey shorts. He was surprised to find that the hairdo survived
undamaged the pulling of his T-shirt over his head. For the balance of
the day he remained conscious of the airy feeling of his fluffy hairdo
and did not once pass a mirror without glancing at his reflection.
Susan stayed in the house and kept him company all day. The two young
people helped with the meal preparation and the cleaning up both for
lunch and for supper. He did not take time out for an afternoon nap.
Dancing practice went very well that evening and all three members of
the Heywood family complimented him on his increasing skill. At nine-
thirty he climbed the stairs once more to his room, unwilling to admit
to himself that he was thrilled at the thought of again donning the silk
'baby dolls'. He had just finished brushing his teeth and was about to
climb into bed when Mrs. Heywood entered the room.
"Don't lie down yet," she called as she walked toward him. He sat on the
bed with the covers pulled up over his knees as she approached. She had
an article in each hand as she sat down on the edge of the bed next to
him. "Hold still for a moment while I slip this hair net on you," he was
commanded. Then she lifted the pillow to slide a satin coverlet over it
and put it back in its place. "Now you can lie down and your hairdo will
be protected so we won't have to do it over completely in the morning."
When he had laid his head down in its place she added, "In the morning I
want you to just pull your robe on over your pyjamas and come down to
breakfast that way. Don't even take the hair net off. After breakfast I
want to try your squaredancing costume on you so you can wear it for
practice when the other members of the team come over at two o'clock in
the afternoon. Be sure to get a good night's sleep now because tomorrow
will be a very busy day."
Once more she bent over to snug the covers around his shoulders, kissed
him on the cheek, turned off the light and left the room. Leslie
wriggled from time to time to heighten the exciting feeling of the silk
clothes next to his skin, at the same time wondering what his dance
costume would look like and why Mrs. Heywood was so anxious to preserve
his hairdo. Surely it would have to go before he met the other members
of the dance team. He drifted off to sleep still pondering this dilemma.
CHAPTER 5
Next morning Susan, already dressed in a blouse and full peasant skirt,
was sent to waken Leslie. When he finally responded to her gentle touch
on his shoulder by slowly opening his eyes, he could see her standing
there holding his yellow plush robe.
"O.K., sleepyhead, sit up and slip your robe on," she said, at the same
time pulling back the covers to reveal his silk-clad body. He sat up
suddenly and reached desperately for the robe, but she clung to it
stubbornly.
"Don't be silly. Put your arms out so I can help you on with your robe,"
he was told. He slipped one arm into a sleeve and twisted around so the
other arm could enter its sleeve.
"Now get off the bed so I can tie the belt around you." He complied
hurriedly anxious to cover up as quickly as possible. She stepped in
front of him, carefully placed the right lapel over the left opposite to
the way he had previously worn it, pulled it taught around his waist,
and quickly knotted the belt.
"Stick your feet in your scuffs, and let's get going. Breakfast is
waiting." Taken by surprise and unable to improvise a suitable response
to being ordered about by Susan he meekly followed her down the stairs.
At the breakfast table no comment was made about his appearance and no
one seemed to have noticed that his robe was lapped in the feminine
manner.
As soon as Mr. Heywood had departed for work, Susan was ordered by her
mother to look after the breakfast dishes. "That will let Leslie and me
get started preparing him for dancing practice this afternoon." Turning
toward their guest she added, "Don't rush away from the table, Leslie,
but meet me in the bedroom as soon as you have finished your tea." She
hurried away and shortly the noise of water running in the bathtub could
be heard.
A short time later when he had reached the bathroom Mrs. Heywood placed
a shower hat on his head. She instructed him to climb into the tub and
have a long soak while she prepared his costume. "Don't lock the
bathroom door because I will bring your underwear in after you're in the
tub," she added as she turned to leave. Leslie pulled off his robe and
pyjamas, hung them on the back of the door, climbed into the tub, and
began to soap himself. Moments later Mrs. Heywood re-entered the room,
opened the package in her hand, and dropped its contents into the tub.
"There," she said, "that bubble bath will help to make you feel fresh."
She waited long enough to see the mass of bubbles begin forming around
Leslie, then gathered his night clothes and took them to the laundry
chute. He leaned back in the warm bath so that the bubbles reached right
to his neck.
It was twenty minutes before Mrs. Heywood returned. Leslie had almost
fallen asleep. She brought with her a large towel and a pair of very
brief bikini panties. "You can rinse yourself off with the hand shower.
Then get dried and pull on these bikini shorts. I'll be back again in a
few minutes." Leslie carried out these instructions though somewhat
reluctant about donning the white stretch-lace bikini. Nevertheless when
she returned again he had fitted his privates into the confining garment
and was standing with the towel draped over his shoulders.
"Now I'll rub some of this cream onto your face."
"What's that for?"
"It will help protect your complexion."
"What is wrong with my complexion?"
"Oh, nothing, but this will be good for it anyway."
He stood patiently and without complaint while she covered his face and
neck with cold cream.
"Now step up here on this chair."
When he had complied she began with a safety razor to remove the hair
from his legs.
"Why are you doing that?"
"It wouldn't do for a dancer to have hairy legs."
He pondered that reply while she continued to work.
"Now Step down and raise your arms." The hair from his armpits fell to
join the hair from his legs on the bathroom floor. She added a little
cold cream under his arms before sweeping the hair from the floor with a
small hand vacuum. Meanwhile Leslie could feel the cold cream
penetrating and drying on his face.
"You can step down now and we'll go into the bedroom. You won't need the
towel."
Mrs. Heywood's apprehension did not show as she gave this last
instruction. Did the boy understand what was in store for him? How would
he react? If he rebelled would she be able to force her will upon him as
she had so far with the nightclothes and hair?
Indeed he reacted with shock when he saw the checked gingham dress which
she had laid out on the bed. "Surely you don't expect me to wear that. I
couldn't go out in public wearing girls' clothes!"
"Now don't get excited, Leslie. Come and sit down for a moment while we
talk this over." She seated herself beside him on the dressing table
bench. "You did promise me you would fill in on Susan's dance team."
"Yes."
"You did know the team was short-handed because Susan's sister Ruth had
died."
"Yes, but ......?"
"Then you knew it was a girl's place that had to be filled."
"I didn't think that would matter."
"But it does matter, and you gave your word. Just think how Susan and
her friends will feel if you back out now! I never thought you were a
quitter."
"I never knew what I was getting into."
Mrs Heywood felt that she was losing the argument so she changed her
tack. "Would you mind wearing girls' clothes if it were Halloween?"
"That's different."
"How is it different?"
"Everyone expects you to get dressed up."
"But you try to fool them about who you are."
"Of course!"
"Well then, we'll pretend it's Halloween." She put her arms around his
naked torso and drew him to her. "We'll see if you can fool the other
members of the dance team. If you can do that we'll go ahead, if not
we'll call the whole thing off. Let's make that a deal." She almost
kissed him but held off because of the cold cream on his face and
settled for making a kissing sound with her lips. He made no reply to
her words so she pulled him to his feet saying, "Well, if that's
settled, let's get on with it. Hand me that brassiere from the corner of
the bed."
He complied slowly.
"Now hold out your arms." She slipped his arms through the shoulder
straps and fastened the band at his back. Then she inserted pads in the
small cups. "Next we'll slip on these pantyhose." He sat quietly, saying
nothing as she lifted first on foot and then the other to pull the
hosiery up to his knees. "Now stand up." After she had pulled the hose
the rest of the way up around his waist she reached between his legs to
smooth them into his crotch. She had not counted on the swelling in his
bikini panties as he squirmed in an effort to conceal his developing
erection.
"Pardon me. I didn't mean to arouse you," she continued smoothly while
reaching out to the bed for a pantiegirdle. "This will hold you in place
so nothing will show to embarrass you," she added as she pulled it up on
him. "Now put your hand inside to arrange yourself so you are
comfortable." He turned his back toward her but said nothing as he
carried out this instruction.
"Put your arms up so I can slide your slip over your head." The smooth
white nylon garment seemed to caress him as it dropped into place, its
lace trim accenting his newly acquired bustline. She adjusted the
shoulder straps. "Let me see you swirl around as if you were dancing."
As he spun the skirt rose in a circle revealing his white pantiegirdle,
then draped itself back around his upper legs as he slowed to a stop. He
enjoyed the sensation though he said nothing to reveal his thoughts.
She commented, "Yes, that slip will do very well. Let's put on these
underpants which will match your dress so your girdle won't show when
you dance." The cotton check garment fitted closely about his hips, just
barely covering the pantiegirdle, and fastening about his waist with a
small button.
"Now we're ready for your dress." The full-skirted yellow and white
check sleeveless dress was fitted over his head and she pulled up the
back zipper, drawing the dress closely about his waist and upper body
and increasing his awareness of the smooth nylon slip against his bare
skin. "Let me see you swirl around once more." Again he obeyed and again
he enjoyed the feeling as the smooth slip first rose from his legs and
later draped back around his thighs.
After reminding him to smooth his skirt under his bottom Mrs. Heywood
sat him on the bench at the dressing table. He remained silent as she
painted each of his fingernails with dark red polish, and obediently
held his fingers out to dry while she proceeded to wipe the cold cream
off his face and neck with a Kleenex. Still he said nothing as she
lightly applied powder, a touch of eyeshadow and finally a daub of rouge
on each cheek. With a comb she restored the perfection of his hairdo
from the previous day before making a fresh application of hair spray.
He stared fascinated at his face in the mirror as she clipped a pearl
pendant earring on each ear and fastened a strand of pearls around his
neck. The final touch was an application of lip gloss in a colour to
match his glinting fingernails.
The two inch heels on the open-toed yellow sling pumps gave Leslie some
difficulty as he rose to walk over to the full length mirror. "Take
small steps until you get used to the shoes," cautioned Mrs. Heywood as
she took his arm to guide him across the room. In front of the mirror he
stood stock still while his eyes took in every detail of this strange
figure reflected by the glass. He turned slowly to try to see himself in
profile, very conscious of the thrusting breast forms which rustled the
bodice of his dress enticingly when he took a deep breath. His first
spoken words since Mrs. Heywood had commenced dressing him brought a
sigh of relief to her.
"I can't believe how lovely I look!"
"You're everything I expected. Shall we go downstairs now and show
Susan?"
"Oh, Mrs. Heywood, I'm nervous."
"There's no need to be. By noon I'm sure you'll feel as if you had
always worn a dress."
CHAPTER 6
At ten A.M. exactly he started down the stairs, holding tightly to Mrs.
Heywood's arm. Susan, dressed in a matching frock, was enthralled with
his appearance. By eleven o'clock he was becoming quite accustomed to
the higher heels as he and Susan practised their dance steps together on
the living room carpet. By twelve noon his nervousness had indeed begun
to subside as they sat down to lunch. He continued to watch Susan
closely to model his table manners on hers, just as he had imitated her
motions and gestures for the previous two hours.
With lunch over both young people donned aprons to help with the dishes,
after which Leslie was sent back upstairs by himself with fresh
instructions. He was to remove his pantyhose and put polish on his
toenails. When that dried he could wear his sandals over bare feet for
the afternoon. He was apparently still engaged in this activity when
Susan answered the doorbell to admit the two boys who made up the other
half of the dance team. She rushed upstairs to call Leslie whom she
found standing in front of the mirror renewing his lipstick.
No one could possibly have been more shy and demure than Leslie when
Susan led him by the hand into the recreation room to meet Ron and Rick.
His terror of being unmasked was of course totally unnecessary, but
still he said as little as possible, leaving it to Susan to explain that
he was her cousin visiting from another state. Leslie blushed when Ron
blurted out, "Gee, I'd like to live in your town if all the girls are as
nice looking as you,"
"And Susan," he added hastily when he realized what he had said. Susan's
sudden frown changed back to a smile.
Leslie was saved from the embarrassment of further small talk by the
entrance of Mrs. Heywood who immediately lined them up in their square
to commence the practice. Within moments they were stepping to the music
and Leslie's nervousness faded as he found that it was not difficult to
go through the familiar routine without Mrs. Heywood for a partner. He
was conscious of the swirl of his skirts about his upper legs even while
he was concentrating on getting each dance step correct. Swinging with
his partner proved to be very exhilarating for both Leslie and Ron.
After the first dance Ron declared that he could not believe Leslie had
only learned to square-dance in the past week.
Two hours of practice broken only by a ten minute break for soft drinks
seemed to just fly by for Leslie. His enthusiasm was so roused that when
the boys left at four o'clock he stood on the porch with Susan to wave
them good-bye. It was the first time he had stepped out of the house
since his arrival more than a week before.
Wearing aprons again, Susan and Leslie helped Mrs. Heywood with supper
preparations so that the family could eat immediately on Mr. Heywood's
arrival from work. "My, you two do look lovely tonight," he greeted
them, bringing a tinge of red to Leslie's cheeks beneath his makeup.
As soon as the dishes were done Mrs. Heywood led Susan and Leslie to her
own bedroom where she seated them both on benches facing the dressing
table. Old makeup was removed with cold cream and tissue before each
face was given a complete new look. Susan applied most of her own
cosmetics with only occasional direction or help from her mother, but
Leslie sat with hands in his lap staring at his image in the mirror as
fresh foundation, mascara, eyeshadow, rouge, and powder were applied. He
raised his arms obediently to permit the application of deodorant to his
armpits and again sat still to receive the final coating of lipstick. He
followed directions silently when told to apply perfume to each wrist
and behind each ear. With hair again combed out and sprayed he stood and
raised his dress above his knees so that antistatic spray could be
applied to the skirt of his slip. The spray which penetrated the nylon
of his stockings made his legs seem suddenly cool.
When the two young people walked back down the stairs, each now wearing
the matching short sleeved bolero which covered the shoulders left bare
by their dancing dresses, it would be impossible to describe one as
prettier or more feminine than the other.
CHAPTER 7
Despite appearances Leslie's nervousness had continued to grow all
through supper as he contemplated the necessity of appearing in public
at the dance trials. Again his makeup concealed the embarrassed redness
of his cheeks as Mr. Heywood held out a light silk gabardine coat for
him. Awkwardly he removed the silk scarf from the sleeve and folded it
around his neck before sliding his arms into place. His tension
increased almost to the point of nausea as he and Susan were installed
in the back seat of the car for the ride to the school gymnasium.
Finally however the ordeal had to be faced.
Holding tightly to Susan with one hand and with his purse in the other,
he stepped carefully as they entered the school to look for their
partners. Ron and Rick were waiting for them in the lobby. Reluctantly
Leslie allowed his hand to be transferred to Ron's and he followed as
Ron led the way to his locker. Here Ron helped him out of his coat and
it, along with his purse, was carefully locked away. On the way back to
the gym Leslie was introduced to several of Ron's friends, all of whom
said how lucky Ron was to have such a pretty partner. Leslie smiled
shyly at each and said as little as possible. He breathed a sigh of
relief when they were reunited in the gym with Susan and Rick.
The program started with an opportunity for all the competing squares to
dance together for two practice numbers before each was called in turn
to perform before the judges. The immediate activity kept Leslie from
being too self-conscious for the first half hour. Then nervousness set
in again as they sat watching the other dancers while waiting their own
turn to perform for the judges. When the big moment finally arrived he
walked woodenly out onto the floor, joined Susan in curtseying to the
judges while Ron and Rick bowed, found his place in the square,
curtseyed to his bowing partner, stood for a moment waiting for the
music, and they were off. Once again he lost himself in the
concentration required to keep in step with the others in the dance and
his nervousness only returned as he curtseyed to the judges at the
conclusion of their number, with the noise of tumultuous applause
ringing in his ears. The applause for their square continued as they
walked across the floor to regain their seats. As they sat down
spectators from the row behind leaned forward to congratulate them and
predict that they would earn a place in the finals. Susan squeezed his
hand in silent congratulations.
The suspense continued to grow until at last all squares had been seen
and the judges retired to consider their decision. For ten minutes there
was a loud buzz of conversation which was followed by an expectant
silence as the judges walked back to the platform to announce their
verdict. The chief judge started his remarks by congratulating all the
contestants while all present waited breathlessly for the announcement
of the winner. Tension increased as he named the third place square and
called its members up to be introduced to the crowd and to receive their
handshakes and prize money. They stood to one side of the judges as the
second place winners were called up and the process repeated. Susan
could hardly contain herself as she realized that the two other squares
which had received heavy applause from the audience had been given
second and third place. Leslie sat quietly, joining in the general
applause for the runner-up squares, but not really expecting his square
to win a prize and hoping at the same time that he would not be required
to stand up again in front of the large audience.
As the judge finally announced the winning square a roar of approval
echoed from the crowd. Susan turned to give Leslie an excited hug, then
Ron took his hand and they followed Susan and Rick up to the judges'
stand. He hardly realized what he was doing as he followed Susan's
example in curtseying to the crowd when his name was announced. Rick, as
their spokesman, accepted the trophy and thanked the judges and the
crowd on their behalf.
The crowd clapped and Leslie blushed after Rick commented that they
would not even have been competing if 'she' had not been found at the
last minute to complete the square. Tears welled up in the eyes of Mr.
and Mrs. Heywood, sitting in the bleachers, and Susan as this remark
reminded them of the recent tragic death of Ruth. Ron, Leslie, Susan,
and Rick stood at attention in the place of honour as the national
anthem was played and then were surrounded by admiring fans anxious to
congratulate them. It took twenty more minutes before the four could
escape to get their coats.
As his heels clicked along the terrazzo floor of the school corridor,
one hand held by Ron and the other holding a large bouquet of flowers,
Leslie again became conscious of the sensuous feel of his skirt swirling
around his nyloned knees. The incongruousness of his role struck him at
the same time as he realized that he had never enjoyed himself more at
any time in his life. He set the flowers on the radiator as Ron helped
him into his coat.
Back at the entrance of the school he was horrified when her mother
yielded to Susan's pleading that they be allowed to ride home with the
boys in Rick's car. Mrs. Heywood accepted the two bouquets and set a
deadline of twelve o'clock, just more than an hour later. Within five
minutes he found himself standing beside Susan in front of the mirror in
a girls' washroom renewing his lipstick. They rejoined the boys for the
short ride to a restaurant. Leslie loosened up considerably and joined
in the general conversation as they sat sipping their cokes.
On the drive back home Susan deliberately sat in the centre of the seat
to be as close as possible to Rick, but Leslie carefully placed himself
at the edge of the back seat, trying to separate himself as much as
possible from Ron. This effort failed as Ron shifted himself to the
centre of the seat. He permitted his hand to be held but refused to
allow their entwined fingers to rest on his lap. Ron compensated by
drawing Leslie's hand over onto his own lap. Leslie relapsed into
silence, frightened by the possibilities in this new situation. When
they drew up at the curb in front of the Heywood residence no one made
any move to open the car door. Susan unsnapped her seat belt and
snuggled closer to Rick. The worried Leslie pushed Ron away as the
latter tried to draw his partner closer to himself. Then Leslie broke
the silence by asking, "Isn't anyone going to open the door?" A
reluctant Ron obliged and helped him out of the car. Susan and Rick were
engaged in a deep kiss and made no attempt to follow.
Leslie started up the path with Ron at his side. As he climbed the steps
and started across the verandah he remembered that he had no key and
turned to look for Susan. As he did so he suddenly found himself in
Ron's arms being kissed. The kiss ended before the surprised Leslie
could organize a protest. He stood dumbfounded, looking at the smear of
lipstick on Ron's lips as he was told, "Thank you for being such a
wonderful dancer. I'm sure you're the reason we won, and you are also
without a doubt the prettiest girl in Centrevale. I hope you will go out
with me besides for squaredance contests."
"Oh, Ron, thank you, but I have to leave tomorrow. I probably won't see
you again."
"Aren't you going to be around for the state finals?"
"Oh no, I couldn't stay that long. Good-bye now. I have enjoyed knowing
you," he added as Susan came running up the steps with her key in her
hand.
"Good night," echoed Ron dejectedly and turned to trudge back to the
car.
As the door closed behind them Susan tried to hold a whispered
conversation but Leslie had already started up the stairs with the
resolution forming in his mind to leave in the morning.
He entered his bedroom to find the night light on and his bouquet of
flowers sitting in a vase on the night table beside the bed. Across the
bed lay a beautiful full length yellow satin and lace nightdress. A note
was pinned to the bodice. He switched on the bed lamp to read it.
Dearest Leslie,
We are thrilled that you have done so well. You certainly have talents
that you did not know you possess.
Please remember to wash your makeup off with cold cream and to wear your
hairnet to bed tonight. Perhaps you might also wish to wear your bra.
Your gown would look nicer if you do.
Love from us all.
There was no signature but it was obvious that the note had been written
by Mrs. Heywood.
Just then he heard a tap on the door. He stepped over to open it and
found Susan standing there.
"My goodness, you're slow going to bed," she whispered. "You haven't
even taken your coat off yet. I left mine in the cupboard downstairs.
Anyway I need your help. The zipper is stuck on the back of my dress."
She turned her back while he freed the zipper and slid it down without
saying anything.
"Thank you. Now put your coat on the chair and I'll unzip the back of
your dress."
Still without speaking he did as directed and turned his back toward
her. His dress loosened as the zipper slid down. When he turned to say
his thanks she clasped him in her arms and planted her lips firmly on
his. Her tongue crept into his mouth causing him a sudden excitement as
his imprisoned sex tried to join in his response. Suddenly her grip
relaxed and she hastened back to her room. Leslie moved slowly, still
tasting the flavour of her lipstick mixed with his own.
He continued to move at a snail's pace as he removed his clothes, laying
each piece neatly over the chair back, until he stood naked except for
his padded bra. He had persuaded himself that it would be impossible for
him to reach the back hooks which held it in place. The satin gown
induced a shiver of delight as it slithered down over his body. He
reached behind his back to tie a bow in the waist strings, then wondered
what he could do to control the lump showing in the crotch area. He
decided to slip his lacy bikini panties back on under the gown.
Sitting at the dressing table to remove his makeup with cold cream and
tissues he wondered whether to bother with the hairnet. After all he
would no longer need a girlish hairdo now that he had repaid his
obligation to the Heywoods. In the end he put it on and crawled into bed
still thrilling to the delectable feel of the beautiful gown. He tried
to think back over the past few days and to consider plans for his
future but sleep overcame him almost immediately.
CHAPTER 8
Leslie wakened slowly to the touch of Mrs. Heywood's hand on his bare
shoulder. His hair in its net slid smoothly over the satin pillowcase as
he turned his head to stare up at her.
"You do look attractive this morning, Leslie. I'm so glad you wore your
hairnet and your bra. It gives your bosom such a lovely look under your
gown."
His hands rose from under the covers to touch the artificial breasts so
alluringly displayed by the fallen covers. His face reddened and he
murmured, "I didn't know how to get the bra off. It hooks at the back."
She showed no awareness of his embarrassment but instead continued to
talk. "Hop out of bed now and into the bathroom. After that you can take
the hairnet off and I'll straighten your hair before we go down to
breakfast."
"That won't be necessary. I'll be leaving today."
"Which won't be necessary? Breakfast or tidying your hair?"
"My hair I mean."
"Surely, if you're leaving you'll let me do it one last time. You know
how much it pleases me."
"Well, O.K., I guess."
Five minutes later he was sitting at the dressing table while she
recombed his hair and sprayed it. He enjoyed the delicate touch of the
fabric of his satin gown as he shifted his position on the bench.
"Now I'll give you just a touch of lipstick." The tube was brushing
against his lips before he could protest. "There, that should do it.
Just look at yourself in the mirror." Leslie could think of nothing to
say as he stared at the beautiful face gazing back at him. His eyes
dropped to take in the satin covered shoulders and lace-trimmed bodice.
Mrs. Heywood stepped over to the closet and came back carrying a pair of
satin slippers and a negligee to match Leslie's gown.
"This will look more elegant than that plush robe and scuffs," she said,
holding out the negligee for him to slip his arms into the sleeves. "Now
slip your feet into these slippers." The two-inch heels forced him to
stand up straight, arching his back and thrusting his breasts into
greater prominence.
"There, at last you're ready to go down to join the others for
breakfast."
"What others?"
"Just the members of your squaredance team. I invited them for
breakfast."
"I'm not going down!" For the first time Leslie presented a direct
challenge to Mrs. Heywood's orders. The challenge was short-lived.
"Oh, yes you are. I don't like to make threats, but if you don't come I
will tell them all about you, so put a smile on your face and get
going."
Leslie hesitated for a moment indecisively before turning toward the
head of the stairs. "Oh, just a moment while I show you how to hold your
skirts so you don't trip on the stairs."
John Heywood and the two boys, Ron and Rick, stood up as Leslie and Mrs.
Heywood entered the living room. Smiling to hide his embarrassment
Leslie acknowledged each with a "Good morning," and succeeded in keeping
his poise when Mr. Heywood added the words, "You do look lovely this
morning," to his greeting. It was the first time he had ever commented
directly to Leslie on his appearance.
"Why thank you, sir. I'm flattered by your words," he responded.
"Shall we go into the dining room?" interjected Mrs. Heywood. At this
her husband took Leslie by the arm and led him from the room. Ron and
Rick followed with Mrs. Heywood. Susan, wearing a pretty apron over her
Sunday dress was just finishing the setting of the table.
Mr. Heywood held a chair for Leslie, who sat down carefully, remembering
to smooth his skirts under him as he did so. Ron held a chair for Mrs.
Heywood and Rick rushed to do so for Susan. Looking around the table
Leslie noted that the men and Susan were dressed as if to go to church
while Mrs. Heywood wore a housedress.
"I feel out of place, being the only one still wearing nightclothes,"
began Leslie.
"That's perfectly all right, Dear," broke in Mrs. Heywood. "Susan was
the first one up and it was her idea to invite Ron and Rick for
breakfast. I wouldn't let her waken you because I felt you needed your
sleep so badly. After all it is only a few days since you were too sick
to get out of bed at all. Susan and the boys want to discuss something
with you, but I made them promise not to bring up the subject until
after we have eaten, so enjoy your breakfast."
In truth Leslie did not eat very much. He suspected what they wanted to
talk about and wondered how he should respond. He was also conscious of
the feel of his silken sleeves whenever he moved his arm to eat and when
he shifted his legs the sensation roused him so much that he wished he
had worn more than the bikini panties to control his arousal. Despite
his worries he managed to keep smiling and respond appropriately when
drawn into the polite conversation.
At last, when Susan had refilled everyone's coffee cup and taken her
seat again, she received a nod from her mother. She began at once.
"Leslie, first of all we want to thank you for joining our square and
helping us to win the local competition. We had given up all hope of
being able to enter until you arrived."
"Why couldn't you have found another girl from school?"
"Because there was no one else exactly my size and because all the other
girls who do not have two left feet are already part of other squares."
"Why does their size matter?"
"Because the judges always like squares where the two couples look as
much alike as possible. Besides we would have needed time to make new
dresses."
"So you see, Leslie," broke in Rick, "You were just perfect. You are the
right size and you can really dance well. We'd never have won with
anyone else except you."
It was Mr. Heywood who finally said the words which the team members
were afraid to utter. "What they are trying to say is that they want you
to stay over for another two weeks so you can help them enter the state
finals."
Immediately all of the young people started to talk at once, each trying
to persuade Leslie. He felt trapped. Unable, in front of Ron and Rick,
to state his real reason for refusing, he was also unable to think of
other convincing arguments why he should not stay.
"Mrs. Heywood was very kind to nurse me through my illness but I would
not dream of imposing on her any longer."
"You could stay at my house," put in Ron.
"It would be no imposition at all to have you longer," stated Mrs.
Heywood. "You have been such a help to Susan and me in keeping the house
that it would be a real pleasure to have you stay for another two
weeks."
"Still I don't think I should." He turned to Susan's father. "You don't
think I should, do you, Mr. Heywood?" he asked.
The answer surprised Leslie. "I've already promised my wife that if that
is what you want to do, I will raise no objection. You will be welcome
to remain as a guest in our home."
Leslie admitted to himself that he was defeated. "I don't seem to have
any choice in the matter. If you all want me so badly, I'll stay. Only
till the contest though."
"Good, I'm glad that's settled," announced Mrs. Heywood. "Now if you
four will all be off to church, Leslie and I will clean up the breakfast
dishes. It will give us a chance to discuss our plans together."
The men rose and started out of the room. Susan took off her apron and
handed it to Leslie. Then she leaned over and kissed him on the lips.
"You're really a fine person to do this for us," she told him as she
turned to leave.
Leslie, again aware of the swelling held in check by his bikini panties,
remained seated and took another sip of coffee.
CHAPTER 9
When he stood up a few minutes later and started to put on the apron,
Mrs. Heywood stepped over quickly to tie it for him, then hugged him
tightly. "I'm so pleased you have agreed to stay," she murmured half to
herself. "It's going to be such fun teaching you to be a girl all the
time."
"All the time?" asked Leslie, "don't I get to wear my own clothes when
the others aren't around?"
"We can't afford to take chances. Sometimes the neighbours just walk
into the house without knocking. You'll have to practise being a girl
every minute of the day and night. I know you'll just love doing it.
Hasn't it been fun up to now? Come on. Admit it."
"Well, sort of."
"Just sort of?"
"Well, no. More than that I guess."
"I thought so. You don't have to be embarrassed about telling me how you
feel. I won't laugh at you for liking to dress in beautiful clothes."
"I hope not."
"Now let's get this table cleared and the kitchen cleaned up so we can
have time to get dressed before lunch."
When the work was done Leslie was sent to take a shower. On returning to
his bedroom clad only in his negligee, he found Mrs. Heywood waiting
with a fresh outfit laid out on the bed.
"O.K., let's start by putting on these black panties in place of the
white ones you wore yesterday."
Leslie turned his back to obey, forgetting that Mrs. Heywood could see
his reflection clearly in the mirror.
"Now, let me see you fasten this bra yourself." After laying the
negligee on the bed, he slipped his arms into the straps and with some
difficulty managed to reach the back hooks.
"Here are your pads." She handed him two surgical breast forms which he
fitted into place.
"Put on your pantyhose next. Remember to put your thumbs right down
inside to the toe before you start to pull them on."
When he had pulled them up around his waist she reached over and ran her
hand along his upper leg. "Doesn't that feel smooth and silky on your
legs?"
"Oh yes, ma'am."
"Reach inside and arrange yourself comfortably before you pull on your
pantiegirdle." She handed him the black lycra and lace garment and
watched as he followed her instruction.
A moment later the lace-trimmed black satin slip descended over his head
and slithered down over his body. "Isn't it wonderful to have all your
lingerie colour coordinated," she asked as he gazed once more at his
reflection in the mirror.
"Now sit down on the bench so I can make up your face. There won't be
time for you to do it yourself right now, but be sure to pay close
attention so you will be able to manage it yourself in a couple more
days." She worked quickly while he watched in the mirror.
"Stand up to put your dress on." She lifted it to put the skirt over his
head and held it for him to slip his arms into the short sleeves. As she
drew up the back zipper the mirror showed him the red velvet moulding
itself to his waist and upper body. He liked the way it emphasized the
twin mounds on his chest.
He remembered without being told to tuck his skirt under himself when
sitting to have his hair combed and sprayed once more. She showed him
how to fasten the necklace which went around his neck but she did not
bother to instruct him about the screw type earrings which she attached
to his earlobes. "Tomorrow we'll tend to