PROLOGUE
Mary Dingel, age 43, is married to Howard, age 45. They have been
married for 21 years. Howard worked in the aviation industry at a
company that derived most of its business from contracts with the
military. He was a middle manager, and he was let go, along with 2,000
other employees, when the military contracts became scarce.
Fortunately his rank and time on the job qualified him for a decent
buyout, and with Mary's income as an ICU nurse, there were no financial
problems.
They lived in a modest four bedroom home in a suburb of Los Angeles and
the neighborhood was decent. There was little crime to contend with.
Howard was a cross-dresser from the age of thirteen. Before he
proposed to Mary, he told her about his 'hobby' and of course, promised
never to do it again. When Howard promised, he truly did love Mary,
and he really thought that his love would conquer his addiction. He
was so sincere, and so open about it, that Mary believed him.
During their marriage they had two children. The eldest, a boy named
Roger aged 19 who is now a sophomore at a college in another State,
and Catherine,age 17, who just graduated High School and received a
swimming scholarship at the same school as her brother. During the
last week of August, during Labor Day weekend, the parents helped both
kids get set up in the school dormitories for the Fall semester. They
were now empty nesters.
It did not take long before Howard realized that he could not stop
dressing up. He also wanted to keep his promise to Mary. His
compromise was that he went into the closet. He accumulated a small
amount of garments and makeup, and hid them well. Mary's duties at the
hospital were Tuesday through Saturday, having Sundays and Mondays off.
While employed, Howard worked Monday through Friday and did not have to
work weekends. Saturday was the only day of the week that he could
indulge himself, but that was not easy with the children at home.
When the internet arrived, he found some solace in surfing the various
sites. He found most of them and visited them often. He would
sometimes spend the entire day at the computer reading the stories. He
never entered the chat rooms as he was afraid to. He even wrote
several original stories and submitted them to the Fictionmania site
who published them. He always used a fictional pen name.
Mary, too was computer savvy. The hospital was run by computers. In
fact she knew more about computers than did Howard. It was during
their fifteenth year of marriage that Mary happened to accidentaly tap
into one of Howard's web sites that he visited. He did not know how to
erase previously visited sites. It did not take long for Mary to find
out about Howard's activities. She was disappointed that Howard kept
this from her, but being a nurse, and now having the internet as a
source of information, she learned that what Howard was doing was
typical activity for a married and in the closet TV. So as Howard
stayed in the closet, Mary pretended that she was unaware of Howard's
activities.
Howard was a good husband, and a great father. He and his wife loved
one another, and while their sex life was never a cloud-burst, it was
adequate. The children loved him. He was kind, considerate, tolerant
and involved with the family. In his male persona he never indicated
any feminine tendencies. He was popular with his golifing buddies, and
they had a nice circle of friends with whom they socialized regularly.
As soon as he was downsized (laid off) he went on a job search. His
expertise was aircraft engineering, and all the other companies were in
the same position and were not hiring. He could probably go to work at
a company like Walmart, starting at minimum wage, but after discussing
it with Mary, it was decided that he would just wait it out until the
government began to issue contracts, and hopefully he would be re-
hired.
CHAPTER ONE
THE GIFT
It was Labor Day, after the kids were settled at college, when Mary
told Howard that she wanted to talk to him. It has been nine months
since Howard was unemployed and he adjusted to it reasonably well. A
lot of his time was visiting his favorite web-sites. Mary made dinner,
opened a bottle of wine, and afterwards, cleaned up the kitchen with
Howard clearing the table, and helping her as he usually did. Mary
opened another bottle of wine and brought two glasses to the family
room. Howard already had two glasses of wine at dinner and didn't need
any more, but Mary poured him another glass anyway. They settled
comfortably on the sofa sitting side by side. Mary then turned toward
Howard, took his left hand and cupped it in both of hers, and said,
"I want you to come out of the closet."
Howard's heart stopped in panic. With his right hand trembling he
reached over for his wine and gulped it down in a few swallows. He
thought, "How did she find out?"
"When did you find out?" he said.
"About two years ago when I stumbled upon the web-sites that you have
been visiting. I guess you didn't realize that unless you erased them,
everyplace you visit, the computer keeps a record of it, unless you
erase it. And even then you have to erase it a second time."
"Oh, my God," he said.
"Howard dear, I have been practicing what I am going to say to you for
six months now. Please hear me out. I am not mad at you. For two
years now, I have been saving the money I made on overtime at the
hospital and I now think I have enough to get the job done. I want to
give you a gift."
"A gift?"
"Yes. A gift. You have been a good husband from the day we got
married. You have been a wonderful father to the kids, and they adore
you. But when I found out about your activities I have been doing a
lot of research on the subject. I realize that regardless of any
promises you will make about 'not doing it again' you cannot give it
up. Tell me, it gets more intense with every passing year, doesn't it?"
Howard nodded.
"No. Don't not your head. I want you to tell me."
"Yes."
"I have read the stories you have been reading and fantasize about. I
also read the stories that you wrote and had published on that website,
Fictionmania. Some of them I thought were pretty good. But they also
showed me what your fantasies are. All of your stories and the stories
you read call for you to become a woman. I have discussed this with
therapists who specialize in this area and they made me realize that
even though you love me, you cannot go on like this. You have spent
one half of your life pretending to be someone you are not. I want to
bring out the real you. So this is my gift: I want you to come out and
become the woman you feel you are. I realize this will change our
relationship, but that doesn't mean that I will love you any less. I
guess, I will love you in a different way. But you cannot go on like
this. It is probably tearing you apart. Being a macho man when you
feel you are a woman."
"I don't know if..."
"Shush. I'm not finished. Do you remember the play, 'My Fair Lady'?
The character professor Henry Higgins mentored this street girl into
being a lady. I want to be your Henry Higgins. The kids are gone, so
we don't have to worry about that. I want to see that you have the
tools to be the kind of woman you are inside of you.
We will stay married as it would be foolish and costly to breakup and
live separately. Especially since I don't hate you. I can never hate
you. At this time I don't know what the relationship between us will
become, but let us try to stay together. You will have to come out to
everyone. Your parents in Florida and mine. I want you to tell all of
our friends. I don't want you to do anything that you feel obligated
to. For example, hanging out with your men friends, being a guy. You
know you are not one of them, let's stop pretending."
"But."
"Please, Howard. I must finish this. You will tell everyone you come
in contact with that you are transitioning to becoming a female. I
don't want you to be shy about it. It may be difficult for you to say
it at the beginning, but the more you say it, the easier it will
become."
"Do you want me to have the operation? You know, have a vagina?"
"At this time, no. I don't have enough money for that, and besides,
the state requires that you live full time as a woman for a full year
before any surgeon will agree to do it."
Howard already knew that and again nodded his head. Mary continued.
"So, here is the plan. Tomorrow is the day after Labor Day. I want
you to think about my gift. It will be my Christmas gift to you, even
though we will start now, if you agree to this. I will be your mentor
and either teach you or see that you somehow gain the knowledge you
need to pull this off. Tonight, please sleep in the guest room. It
will be your room from now on anyway. In the morning, tell me of your
decision. To proceed, or to keep things as they are. One thing,
Howard, if we go forward, there will be no turning back. Things will
be happening rapidly and changes will be made. Whatever you decide
will be set in stone."
"But the kids, my parents, your parents..."
"They will have to learn to accept you. You should at least live the
rest of your life in peace and harmony, don't you think?"
That night, Howard slept in the guest bedroom for the first time. He
pulled out a nightgown from the stash that Mary had him take down from
his hiding place. It felt so good. He was trembling with excitement,
and even though tired, could not sleep. What Mary told him kept going
around and around in his head. He could not get his brain to slow
down. Finally at about two in the morning, he fell into a fitful sleep
and slept until seven. Five hours of sleep. Not too much, but he was
so wound up and pumped with adrenaline that he was abuzz. When he came
downstairs forty five minutes later, showered, shaved and dressed in
his normal male clothing, he found Mary waiting for him, sipping on a
cup of coffee.
"Good morning, sweetheart," she said. "Sleep well?"
"No. Not really."
"Well. What is your decision?"
"Everything you said last night is true. I have been fantasizing this
most of my life. This is an opportunity that I will regret if I don't
accept it. My answer is 'Yes'."
"I can't say that I am surprised Howard. I did not want to influence
your decision, because I have already determined that this is the only
way for you to achieve happiness. So, finish your breakfast because we
have a ten o'clock appointment at the hospital with the doctor."
"The doctor?"
"Yes. My boss is a surgeon and we are going to start today. This is
the first part of September. My plan is for you to be complete on
Christmas Day. I think you will find that you will be kept quite busy
between now and then. There is so much to do and in such little
time."
CHAPTER TWO
Meeting the surgeon.
The surgeon was ten minutes late when they were ushered into his
office. Dr. Lewis gave Howard a physical examination which included an
EKG. Except for a high pulse which Dr. Lewis correctly determined to
be from excitement, Howard was in good shape. He then examined
Howard's face and began to mark it with an indelible pen.
"What are you doing?" Howard asked.
"You will need a facelift. Your nose has to be reshaped. It is too
big and has a hump in it. I will remove the wattle under your chin
and tighten the skin. I will also pull the skin alongside your eyes to
tighten them up. This may make your eyes a little more almond shaped.
Fortunately, you have a weak chin and I don't see the need for any bone
re-shaping. I don't like to do more than one procedure at a time, but
you are in good physical shape for your age, so I will also be giving
you a nice set of breasts. The one thing that I cannot help you about
is your hair. You have already developed some male pattern baldness
and that cannot be reversed regardless of what they advertise on TV.
If you are going to pass as a woman, you will have to keep your scalp
shaved and wear wigs."
"Breasts?"
"Of course. All women have breasts. I think a 'B' cup would be
sufficient for your build. While this is being done, my associate, Dr.
Krill will be removing your testicles."
"What!"
"Of course. I will be prescribing a course of female hormone therapy
and it would be much better if the source of testosterone is removed.
I will leave the scrotum intact, but it will also allow you to tuck
your penis between your legs without difficulty. Also by leaving it
there it will be needed if at a later time you want to have a vagina
installed."
"I didn't realize...." he began.
Mary interrupted him, "You either want to be a woman or you don't. You
can't have it both ways. Women do not have testicles!"
"Yes, Mary. I'm sorry."
"Nothing to be sorry about."
"Well," the doctor said, if we are all agreed, my nurse will have you
sign the forms and we can get started."
"When are we going to do this?" Howard asked.
"Just as soon as the papers are signed." Howard was starting to get a
little dizzy with the speed at which all this was happening. He was
led into an adjoining office where it seemed he had to sign almost
fifty documents. After the first several, he stopped trying to read
them and just signed them as they were presented to him.
As soon as they were signed, the nurse said, "Come this way. I will
take you to the changing room. Put on this hospital gown and we will
start prepping you."
As he was walking out of the room, following the nurse, Mary said,
loudly, "Stop."
Howard stopped and turned to face his wife, who came over to him,
kissed him warmly on both cheeks, and whispered, "It's going to be all
right, darling." Howard felt his wife's wet eyelashes brush his face
and realized that she was in tears. He turned and followed the nurse
to the changing room. He was then led to a private room where he was
given a pill to swallow. It was another hour before he was wheeled
into surgery. By this time the pill had taken effect and Howard was in
la-la-land. He couldn't stop it now, even if he wanted to.
The surgery took all of three hours. While he was in recovery he was
still groggy, even though both surgeons only used local anesthetics.
He opened his eyes and found he could not see anything. He tried to
touch his face with his hands and found that they were tied to the
sides of the bed. This was done so that he could not touch his face or
any other surgical spot.
When Mary saw that he was moving his hand even though tied down, she
came over and said, "It's all done, my darling. Everything went well.
I will stay with you for a bit, and then I am going home. You will
have to stay in the hospital overnight, and I will come first thing in
the morning."
All Howard could do, was to say, "Uh. Uh." Mary took this to mean that
he understood. She bent down, kissed his tied hand. and went home.
CHAPTER THREE
The Next Days
Mary entered the room at 8:30 A.M. and found Dr, Lewis removing the
bandages from Howard's head. . But his face did look cute even though
it was swollen and purple from the surgery. Because he always had a
double chin which was now removed, she didn't realize how small his
chin was. Girlish even. It also made his neck look longer. But the
main item was the nose. The masculine large nose was gone and a cute,
straight and small nose was now in its place. There was tape over the
bridge to keep the stitches in place, but one could see how cute he
would look. And the eyes. He now had lovely almond shaped eyes. What
there also was, was a mass of purple bruising all over his face. She
asked the doctor about it as he was working on Howard and he said it
should be mostly gone within two to three weeks. That if he wore sun
glasses it would be far less noticeable. Mary watched as the doctor
opened the sheets and revealed Howard's new breasts. They were lovely,
she thought. But she mentioned to the doctor that she thought that
they would be perkier. You know, standing straight out instead of
hanging down a bit. The doctor explained that if Howard was sixteen
years old, perky would be fine, but at his age, he should have breasts
that defined what he was...a woman in her forties. And they aren't
perky anymore. Finally, Dr. Lewis exposed the surgery around the
scrotum which showed the least trauma to the body. There was just one
small incision which was sewn shut with sutures.
Finally the doctor gave Howard his first shot of hormones in his
buttocks and he handed Mary a prescription for the balance of his
therapy to be taken orally. He said he wanted to see Howard in two
weeks, and once a month thereafter. Howard found himself to be very
weak, and had to be helped out of bed and into his street clothes. He
was wheeled to the downstairs entrance. Mary had the car waiting at
the curb and Howard was helped into the passenger seat.
Mary told him that he would have to be bedridden at home for several
more days and that she was taking time off from work to tend to him
until he could begin to do things for himself. Mary warned him that
things would be happening fast, but Howard didn't realize just how
fast.
When they got home Mary helped him up the stairs to his new room where
the bed was made and ready for him. She helped him undress and put a
fresh nightgown on him. As soon as his head hit the pillow, he fell
sound asleep from exhaustion. For the next several days Mary brought
him his meals, helped him go to the bathroom, and keep clean. By the
third day, he was feeling much better and was able to get out of bed by
himself. He was allowed to shower and get dressed. Howard was aware
that he was to not wear female clothes until Mary directed him to. So
except for the nightgown he came downstairs to eat in his regular
clothing except for the bra. His shirt had to be unbuttoned for the
first three buttons as it would not accommodate his new breasts.
During this time, Mary was very loving and caring to him and he felt as
if nothing has changed, except that his face was purple and that he had
tits but no nuts. Since his return from the hospital he urinated
sitting down exclusively. Prior he only did it when he was dressed.
By the end of the week Mary took Howard out for a drive and some fresh
air. The bruising was beginning to go away and Howard was becoming
accustomed to wearing a bra full time. Mary had already purchased the
bras that she thought he would need and they were waiting for him when
they returned from the hospital. This was not the first time Howard
had worn a bra, but it was the first time with his own breasts. It not
only felt different but felt natural. He mentioned this to Mary, who
already determined that his transitioning was the only proper decision.
That Saturday, five days after the surgery, Mary began to teach him
some homemaking skills. He was taught how to properly make a bed, how
to operate the laundry equipment and how to sort the clothes. How to
fold the clothes. She explained that he was not going to be a maid,
but that this is what women did all of the time. While Mary knew that
Howard's female name was Betty, she still called him Howard. She also
always used the masculine terms in addressing him, except when she
called him pet names such as 'honey, or 'dear'. She told him that
Christmas day was to be his new birthday and that is when he will
become a woman full time. That was Mary's plan.
It was at this time that Mary had him start to notify everyone that he
knew of his transitioning. He called his parents in Florida, who were
completely unaware of his TV inclinations and went into shock. It took
a little time for them to recover but when Mary stayed on the phone
with them for hours explaining the situation they calmed down. It was
decided that the children would not be told about it until they came
home for Thanksgiving break. Mary's parents were more accepting of it,
although privately they worried about the living arrangements between
Mary and Howard. They had sufficient respect for their daughter that
they gave her the space to do what she felt she had to do without any
interference from them.
Their friends were another matter. Mary insisted that they make a
point of visiting each friend's home and having Howard state that he
was transitioning. At the beginning this was hard for Howard to do,
but with each time he had to do it, it became easier. While face to
face, each friend was quite polite but one could feel the chill when he
told them what he was doing. Without exception, when they left, Mary
was later contacted by phone, exclusively by the wife of the couple
never the husband, to find out the 'scoop'. Mary told them exactly
what Howard was going through, and that she, Mary, was in favor of
Howard's transition. It soon became apparent that Mary and Howard
would have to make a new group of friends, as the old ones would not be
supportive. Mary would be welcome, but not the new Howard. Mostly it
was the husband who laid down this rule, and the wives went along with
it.
When Howard met with his golfing buddies and told them that he was
going to become a full-time woman, they laughed. They laughed because
they didn't believe him. They thought he was making a joke. But when
Howard unbuttoned his blouse and showed them the cleavage that his
breasts made, they suddenly became quiet. Howard was not meeting them
to join them in a round of golf, but just to make the announcement. By
the time he got back home there was a voicemail waiting for him,
telling him that in the future he would not be welcome in their group.
Howard was not disappointed with their decision because he already knew
what the decision would be.
Mary presented Howard with a lovely brown leather handbag which could
be slung over his shoulder. Whenever they went out, Howard now took
his purse as his slacks did not have pockets. It would have been silly
looking for him to wear male shoes, so he was now wearing lady's
loafers. They found out that Howard's male shirts would not fit over
his new breasts, so Mary had him wear blouses.. He now carried his
purse wherever he went. It was Mary's intention that Howard not wear
female clothing until Christmas day, but even with planning for a long
time, glitches in a plan happens. So it came to pass that Howard's
clothing now consisted of a golf cap, blouse, female slacks and female
loafers. With Howard's new face, even without makeup he looked
decidedly feminine.
After the swelling and bruising on his face disappeared the results of
his facial surgery now became apparent. His face now had a distinctive
feminine look to it. Both Mary and Howard were pleased with the
results. He now had an oval face with a firm chin and a cute nose.
Almond eyes and tight skin. He wanted to see how he looked in makeup,
but both the doctor and Mary told him it was too soon. He needed to
heal a little longer. At first his breasts felt strange. They were
heavier than he thought they would be. He loved to fondle them and
soon grew to love his 'girls'. Once he referred to them as 'tit's' and
Mary chastised him for using that term. Only men use that term she
said.
CHAPTER FOUR
Accumulating a wardrobe.
On the Tuesday after the surgery, he found three pills of different
colors and different sizes on his breakfast plate for him to swallow.
He didn't ask what they were for, because he knew it was part of his
hormone therapy. It was this day that Mary was taking Howard shopping.
There was so much to do that Mary bought a day-planner and entered all
the appointments as she wanted to keep track of in her schedule.. She
had already told Howard that she had several months of back vacation
time coming and that she was taking it to be with Howard full time.
The first stop that Mary drove him to was a wig store. After
consulting with her hairdresser, she decided that she needed to get
Howard at least three wigs of the same style. She wanted them to be of
human hair so that they would look natural. One to wear, one to have
in reserve and one to be at the stylists for shampooing and setting.
Before they left, Mary first trimmed Howard's head with an electric
clipper, then lathered his scalp and shaved his head clean. When he
put on his baseball cap , he found that it was now too big on him and
slipped down to his ears. He had to stuff some toilet paper inside the
hat so that it fit properly.
When the saleslady approached them as they entered the store, she
asked, "How can I help you?"
Howard just stood there, until Mary prompted him, "Say it, Howard."
"I am transitioning to a woman and I need to purchase some wigs."
If the clerk was surprised she didn't show it. When they discussed
what was desired, they spent over two hours trying on different styles
and colors and discussing how they looked on him. When the first wig
was tried on, even though it was not his style or color, the effect was
dramatic. Even Mary, who has been engrossed in her role as mentor and
teacher, realized that dressed like this he could no longer pass as a
male. Finally Mary made a decision and selected a straight haired wig
that came down to just his shoulders and was parted in the middle.
There were bangs that were cut straight across his forehead and covered
his eyebrows. It made his face look even smaller than before. A nylon
skull cap was first placed on Howard's head before the wig and this
held the wig in place without fear of its falling off or sliding on his
head. The color was similar to his natural hair color as it suited his
complexion.
The wigs had to be combed and set professionally and the clerk promised
that they would be shipped out to their home in a few days along with
the plastic heads and appropriate brushes and conditioners for home
styling. The owner came by and showed Howard how to home style his
wigs and suggested that a single wig be worn no more than seven days
before being washed and re-styled. Between the selections and
training, they spent over three hours at the store. Mary paid the bill
with her credit card as the total was well over $1,000 including the
tax.
They thanked the ladies. and Mary told Howard that it was time for
lunch. There was a mall just across the street and they walked there
and found a cafe with tables set outside for outdoor eating. The
hostess greeted them with, "Lunch for two, ladies?" It was the first
time that Howard was taken for a female. Mary answered in the
affirmative and they were seated at a little round table. Mary checked
the menu and when the waitress came over she ordered a salad with
grilled chicken and iced tea for the both of them. Howard just sat
there. He was becoming accustomed to being told what to do. He also
felt more confident in his new looks and that strangers would him as a
female.
After lunch, they shopped the mall. Mary instructed him about how
ladies shop. Shopping is an art. One looks for sales, one looks for
something that will have lasting style, and one looks for something
that looks good on you personally. Just because you are shopping does
not mean you are obligated to buy anything. Sometimes you do, and more
often you do not. Shopping is what women do. But a new wardrobe had
to be accumulated. Mary started from inside out. The easiest things
to buy were undergarments. Mary already knew what Howard's bra size
was, and together they shopped the bra section. Mary talking to Howard
all the time, instructing him as to why some bras are better than
others, and what kind of bras he would need. She taught him that cheap
isn't necessarily better. If it is cheap, and made cheap, then it
won't last. They selected a half dozen bras and put them in the cart.
Panties were easy. Mostly cotton, but at least a half dozen in nylon.
All full cut in style. Nobody is wearing chemises and slips anymore so
they ignored that section.
They selected some sweaters Next were blouses, some plain, some fancy.
Finally there were six pair of slacks in different materials. Howard
only had to try on just one pair to make sure that the fit around the
waist was Okay and that the length was good. When that was determined
it was easier to put the rest into the basket for checkout. By this
time it is almost three-thirty, and both were getting quite tired.
Mary paid for the items and each carried a full shopping bag out of
the store. They returned home at 4:15 P.M. and Howard asked if he
could take a nap. He was tired. He still had not fully recovered from
the effects of the surgery and it was a long day. He carried the two
shopping bags up to his room, slipped off his shoes, and fell on the
bed, and within minutes was sound asleep. He slept for thirty minutes,
and awoke groggy and hot. He washed his face with cold water to shake
the cob-webs out of his head and went downstairs. He found Mary in the
kitchen preparing dinner. When Mary looked at him she exclaimed,
"What happened to you?"
"Mary, I don't feel so good."
"Your face is all blotchy. Are you all right?"
"No, Mary. I feel sort of dizzy."
Mary walked up to him and took a good look at him, felt his forehead,
and said, "My God. You're burning up. I'm calling the doctor."
With that she went to the phone and speed dialed the doctor's office.
When she explained to the receptionist the purpose of the call, Dr.
Lewis came right on the line and listened to Mary as she described
Howard's condition.
"Did you give him anything different today?" he asked.
"Well today I gave him the first series of the three pills you
prescribed for him."
"You gave him all the pills at one time?"
"Yes."
"Well, that is the problem. You have to give him one pill a day for
three days, not together. You have overloaded him. He will not be in
any danger, and the symptoms should subside in a few hours. Keep him
quiet and give him a lot of water and fluids. If he isn't better by
tomorrow, call me." They said their good-by's and hung up. True to
the doctor's prediction after a few hours, Howard's face began to clear
up, the fever subsided and he felt hungry enough to eat. But he only
ate lightly as his appetite had not yet fully recovered.
CHAPTER FIVE
More Training
It was Mary's plan that Howard be brought to final feminization in
units. That until that time he would continue to be Howard and that on
Christmas day all of the units would be put in place like legos and he
would be born again as Betty. Everything you might plan for doesn't
always work out that way. Mary realized that Howard would have to
present himself as 'Betty' now. He has a new, feminine face, a female
hair style, and breasts. How else could anyone see him? Both Mary and
Howard have been so engrossed in their relationship of teacher/pupil
that neither one of them had time to think about the relationship that
would be between them.The next morning, Mary looked up and saw him
enter the room and she said,
"Feel better, Betty?" It was the first time that Mary called him by
his female name. It made him feel good.
"Yes. I slept for about seven hours and I feel much better now.
Thanks for asking, Mary."
In the past Howard (now Betty) always helped by clearing the table or
wiping the dishes as Mary washed them, but he did little in the
preparation of the food. When Mary began to make the dinner meal she
stood him at the cutting board on the kitchen counter and gave him some
carrots to dice. She stood by as she saw him try to do it.
"No. No. The way you are holding the knife you will cut off a finger.
Let me show you how."
With that she showed Betty how to properly hold the knife and to cut
vegetables. The knife was held in the right hand, and the blade was
placed against the first knuckle of the left hand which had the fingers
closed into his palm. At first he was clumsy. But shortly he began to
slice them faster. Mary had him slice far more carrots than needed, as
she wanted him to practice doing it. After a short while he became
proficient at it. Mary then showed him how to prepare the celery.
First to scrape off the outer layer which is stringy, cut off the
bitter ends, and then slice them. But Mary also wanted the celery
minced, so she showed Betty how to take a different style knife and to
mince the vegetable. Betty thought, "There is more to being a woman
than I realized."
Mary also told him that he must never, that is never with a capital
'N', leave the burners on if you are not paying attention to it. That
includes answering the phone, the door, or having to go to the
washroom. It is better to have a spoiled meal than a fire. Betty
thought he should get a notebook and write all this information down,
but he felt that he should know it by heart, as women do.
Mary finished preparing the rest of the meal, but she explained to
Betty each step of the cooking process. Mary told him that cookbooks
helped, but most women cooked by memory, and that few recipes are so
exact that one cannot just put them together without accurate
measuring. She also showed him how to taste the food to make sure it
is properly seasoned before serving. She promised that she would show
him how to add herbs and spices at a later time.
At dinner Mary said, "I am sure you noticed that I called you 'Betty'.
I think that the way you now look, people will know you only as
female. Even though it is a lot sooner than I planned, I think you
have to 'come out' now and be Betty full time. Wear your wig at all
times when going out. If you prefer not to wear it around the house,
then I will show you how to wear a bandanna. But you look more like
Betty now, than Howard. And as Betty, I will refer to you in the
female tense at all times from now on. And I want you to get used to
using it too. Can you do that?"
"Yes, Mary. I am ready. I know I have a lot to learn yet, but so far
I have been a good pupil, haven't I."
"Oh, Yes. I cannot complain. So, how are you feeling, being Betty?"
"Mary, I am happy. No. That's not it. I think 'content' is the word
I am looking for. Not even that. I am at peace. Yes. That's it. I
am at peace."
"I'm really happy for you Betty."
CHAPTER SIX
The Training Continues.
After dinner they went upstairs to Betty's bedroom where they unpacked
the purchases for the day. Mary showed Betty how to fold each garment
and properly place it in the chest of drawers. She explained that
women are neat and that most ) women will have their clothing put away
neatly. Always folded, and never just thrown in. Women must learn to
take their time, and unlike men, never be rushed to completing a chore.
Betty knew that female clothes buttoned to the left, but she didn't
know that their clothes were hung to the left in the clothes closet.
Betty was in the bath soaking in perfumed bubbles, when Mary came in.
Instinctively she slunk down a bit, but Mary said, "Girls do not hide
from girls. Remember that. First of all, you have nothing that I
haven't seen, but even so, if you are in a situation with other women,
you don't put on an exhibition that shows that you are shy."
Betty had been shaving his entire body from the day Mary gave her the
'gift'. But Mary lathered her back and shaved the hair from his back
that she was unable to reach with the razor. When Betty got out of the
tub, Mary showed her how to wrap the towel around her. How to pat her
body dry. She also explained that the soap had a drying effect and
that she should now put body lotion all over after each bath. She
showed Betty how to shave her head every three days without causing
razor cuts or razor burn.
When Betty came back to her bedroom she was handed fresh panties and
bra, and a nylon waltz length night gown. She let the towel drop to
the floor and put on the garments without any shyness. She was now
used to having female breasts and really began to enjoy how she looked
in the mirror. The face she saw was not Howard, but Betty. Betty
realized that in such a short time she had so much to remember. She
slipped her feet in a pair of mules with a 1 1/2" heel, slipped into a
peignoir over the gown and followed Mary downstairs to the family room.
"What's on the agenda for tomorrow?" Betty asked.
"We have to continue the rest of your shopping. I know you want to
wear dresses and skirts but you have to get used to the fact that most
of us wear pants 90% of the time. But tomorrow we will go shoe shopping
and skirt shopping. You will also need a coat, a raincoat and several
hats for when the cold weather comes. Probably a pair of boots, too."
"You are spending a fortune on me. Where is the money coming from?"
"I told you I have been saving for this day for two years. Plus the
surgeon gave his services for free as a favor to me, and the hospital
gave me a special rate as a long time employee and faithful nurse."
They watched a couple of episodes of "The Golden Girls" re-runs and
Mary hugged Betty, and they went to their respective bedrooms for the
night. Betty when he was 'Howard' relieved himself from his excitement
through masturbation. But he didn't realize that not having
testosterone coursing through his body, significantly reduced his
libido. He also found, and reasoned correctly, that the hormone shot
was a reason his libido practically disappeared. Betty began to love
being a woman, and although ejaculation while dressed was a previous
usual occurrence, it no longer was the case. Her penis was soft. If
she stroked it, there was some mild sensation, but nothing to cause the
penis to get hard. No amount of pumping was sufficient to cause Betty
to now ejaculate. And, strangely enough, Betty didn't care.
That Saturday, Mary told Betty that they would alternate in the house-
cleaning chores. Saturday would be the best day to do it as during the
week days, at least until Christmas day there would be too many
activities to get the house cleaning in.
"After reading your stories and the stories you find on the web, I know
your fantasy is to become my maid. Well, that's not going to happen.
We will live as two women sharing this house and we will share in the
chores. I will clean one week, and you the next. You will not wear a
maid's uniform or pretend to be anything but Betty. Do you
understand?"
"Even though there are plenty of stories about husbands becoming French
maids, with the appropriate uniform, that has never been part of my
desires. I am happy to become what I am now becoming. That is, a
woman."
"Who knows, maybe someday you will meet a man and fall in love and want
to marry him."
"I don't know if you are serious, Mary, but I never had a sexual
orientation except for females. I don't foresee me doing that."
"You never know," Mary responded.
Betty changed into a pair of jeans at Mary's suggestion. She told
Betty that it would be easier on her knees when she was on her hands
and knees scrubbing the bath and kitchen floors. Mary also told Betty
that she would be allowed to enter Mary's bedroom to vacuum and dust as
well as clean the bathroom. For the first time Betty realized that she
now needed permission to enter Mary's bedroom. However Betty was
becoming so accustomed to following Mary's orders, she just accepted
it. Betty went to the laundry room, retrieved two buckets, a scrub
brush, rags and polishing and dusting equipment and went upstairs.
She started in Mary's room. She scrubbed the toilets, washed the
shower stall and glass door, and then scrubbed the tile floor. When
she finished Mary's bathroom, she stood in the door and observed her
finished work, and the spic and span room pleased her. She vacuumed
the bedroom carpet, then dusted the furniture. When she was finished
she went to her room after closing the door to Mary's bedroom. She did
the same to her room, and again found that the finished product pleased
her. She actually liked doing housework. She took all the cleaning
stuff downstairs, put the used rags in a pail for washing later, and
began to vacuum the downstairs carpets. Mary was amused when she
realized that while Betty was working doing housework she was humming.
Humming!, Mary thought. ' I have been doing housework practically all
of my life, and never hummed while doing it. It is obvious that
transitioner's love women's chores more than genetic women.' Betty did
the kitchen last. It was sparkling when she was finished. It took a
little over four hours for the entire house to be done. The kid's
bedrooms did not have to be done as they were away at school. When
Betty was finished and the cleaning materials put away, the dirty rags
being washed, she came into the family room and asked,
"Do you mind if I join you and sit down? I'm bushed."
"This is your house, too. You don't have to ask permission to do
anything."
"Sorry, Mary."
"There is nothing to be sorry about."
"What are the plans for tomorrow?"
"I thought we would go to the mall after lunch and continue shopping.
I would like to get you shoes and we will start getting you some
dresses and skirts. It is still warm outside, maybe one pair of shorts
and a summer dress or two.
The rest of the day was uneventful. Betty found that she did not have
the same strength she had when she was Howard and needed to rest more
after any strenuous activity. Betty also found that she was developing
a personality different from Howards'. For one thing her taste in
liquor changed. Howard always enjoyed a beer with dinner and
sometimes, if there was a game on TV, during the game as well. Betty
now preferred a glass of white wine, but only just before dinner, and a
lot of times, not even then. There was nothing like a thick, rare,
juicy steak, with fries for Howard. Betty found that she now leaned to
salads, either with a chicken breast of some broiled fish on top of it.
At dinner, Mary continued Betty's education. She was shown how to
properly sit in a chair. Never with your back against the chair but
somewhere in the middle. Keep your back straight, and your chest out,
and your head high. Keep your elbows tucked into your sides. Take
small bites. Cut your food into smaller sizes. Smile. Women smile
all of the time. You have a nice smile, Betty, you must smile more
often. And women smile at everything. Keep your knees together. It
will be easier to cross them at your ankles. When not eating, place
your hands in your lap. Keep them off the table. You must be a lady.
Mary kept up such a running commentary, that Betty found herself
listening, and was eating her meal and not even being aware that she
was
CHAPTER SEVEN
THE NEXT DAY,
SUNDAY MORE SHOPPING
After lunch, Betty got dressed in a blouse and slacks. She put on a
pair of knee high nylons that Mary gave her and slipped on her
loafers. For the first time, Betty put on her wig and when it was
properly seated, she combed it out carefully. Mary watched her and
when Betty was done, she took the brush and showed Betty how to
properly finish the brushing. Mary put a little liquid foundation in
her hands, and applied it to Betty's face. The blotching from the
surgery was almost all gone now, and what little that was left was
concealed by the foundation. She took a lipstick and applied it to
Betty's lips lightly. There was no doubt that it was Betty looking back
at her in the mirror. She handed Betty the foundation tube as well as
the lipstick and told her to put it in her purse. As usual since the
beginning of the 'gift' Mary drove, and Betty sat in the passenger
seat. On the way to the mall, they began to talk to each other,
discussing clothes, It struck Mary that she found herself talking to
another woman. Has it only been a couple of weeks since there was a
husband called 'Howard'? Mary still didn't know what role Betty would
play in her life, but there was so much yet to do, and she found
herself caught up in the business of transforming Howard to Betty that
she put it in the back of her mind.
Betty was now confident enough in her looks that she exited the car
with confidence. She had already been coached in the proper way a lady
enters and gets out of a car, even when wearing slacks. As they were
walking toward the entrance to the mall they passed a vendor selling an
assortment of freshly cut flowers. Betty was passing it by, but Mary
called,
"Wait, Betty. I want to show you something." Betty stopped, turned
around and walked back to where Mary was waiting in front of the flower
seller's display.
"I want you to smell the flowers."
"What?"
"Smell the flowers."
With that Betty leaned over to a display of beautiful red roses,
sitting in a vase with water, and took a sniff.
"That is how men smell flowers Betty. Watch me." With that Mary bent
over and inhaled deeply getting the full effect of their aroma.
"Mmmmm. That's beautful Betty, really smell the flowers. Stick your
little nose in them and inhale deeply. Women enjoy this all of the
time and men never do. Let me know what it does for you."
Betty did as she was told. And then bent over and did it again. And a
third time.
"Oh, my God. They're beautiful! I never realized how much you really
enjoyed the aroma as well as their beauty. I love it!" Mary smiled,
another lesson completed.
In the mall the girls walked to a middle-class department store. It
wasn't Wal-Mart, but it wasn't Nieman-Marcus, either. Mary had
previously measured Betty and determined that she would probably be a
size sixteen, maybe a fourteen if the cut was right. They went to the
rotating racks, and looked at dress after dress. Betty was so excited
at the prospect of finally buying dresses and skirts, that she would
have bought items right away. But Mary, a wise shopper, told Betty,
"I can't believe all the crappy styles they have today. Come, let's go
someplace else."
As they walked they window shopped. Most of the stores in the average
mall cater to women, so there was much to see. Betty continued her
education as Mary again kept up a commentary explaining why some items
were good and some were not. When they passed a store that had some
very nice styles on mannequins in the window, they stopped and examined
the clothes on display.
"These are summer fashions, and it is a good sale. The sign says 75%
off. This is now September. It is too late to sell this stuff so they
have it on sale. If they can't sell it now, they will dump it to a
wholesaler at ten cents on the dollar. Whatever discount we will get
now is still better for them than having to do that. You could use a
couple of summer frocks. Let's go in and see."
Betty was disappointed to find that while the summer dresses were
beautiful, and she really would have liked to buy some, the highest
size they had was twelve, and they would never even get over Betty's
head. But Mary found a couple of cute dresses for herself and
purchased them. They did find a store that had larger sizes but had
only one summer frock that was acceptable and on sale. They put that
aside and continued to browse the store. This store had some very nice
fashions. Betty took armsful of selected dresses to the changing room,
and when dressed, came out and modeled in for Mary.
Mary told Betty, "I know that you would like to have the hems mid-calf.
But that is for teen-agers, not women our age. The skirt should fall
to just above your knees. This way, when you sit down you won't expose
yourself. You will still show plenty of leg."
Betty was astounded at how well Mary knew her. She really did want
shorter skirts. Nevertheless she listened to her mentor and when they
left the shop they had four skirts, and three dresses, plus the summer
frock. All the skirts and dresses were full skirted. Straight skirts
and dresses were tried on and while Betty was excited to buy them, Mary
turned them down. She continued educating Betty.
"Right now you don't have an ass. You don't have hips. Except for
your breasts your body is essentially male. You need the fullness of
the skirts to get the full effect of a female form. I know that there
are real women who don't have asses or hips, but I am not concerned
about them. I am with you. Maybe someday your body will be such that
you can then wear pencil skirts and form fitting dresses, but not now."
Betty was disappointed, but again realized that Mary was correct in
her assessment. The next stop was a shoe store. As Howard, he took a
size eight in a men's shoe but that equated to a size ten in a woman's
shoe. A large size but still within the range of shoes offered to
women After almost an hour and a half in the store six pairs of shoes
were selected. Two were pumps with an ankle strap with a 2 1/2"
stacked heel. One in brown and one pair in black. These were to be
for everyday wear. Mary told Betty that she was to wear the heels as
often as she could, so that her calf muscles would stretch and she
would find that they then would be comfortable to wear all of the time.
There was a pair of sandals with no heel also with an ankle strap, and
the shoes were imbedded with amber colored stones. A pair of black
pumps with a three inch heel, for when it would be a dressier occasion.
Betty was warned that she would have to practice more with those shoes
than with the others as, it had a narrower heel which gave less
support, and the 1/2 difference in height, somehow made a big
difference. She was warned that they would look beautiful to wear, but
they would be tiring on her feet. And finally a pair of sneakers to
wear about the house or garden.
They walked out of the shoe store with Betty wearing the black everyday
shoes. Mary told her to walk in a straight line. That if she sort of
let her thighs touch as she took short steps it would help. Betty did
so, and Mary then prompted her, not to look down, but straight ahead,
shoulders back, head high. And it worked.
It was now getting to be close to five thirty, and they stopped off at
a cafe in the mall and had a light supper. When they got home Betty
took her purchases to her room, had to cut off the sales tags, and
properly hang up her new clothes. She arranged her shoes on the shoe
rack in the closet. Mary said she was tired from the day and was going
to her room to read and then go to sleep. When Betty was finished
putting her new clothes away, she was still wound up from the
excitement of the day, and went downstairs, poured herself a glass of
white wine and went into the family room to watch TV for awhile. The
football game was on, but so was a re-run of Dancing with the Stars.
And that is what Betty watched. She loved to see the beautiful bodies
of the female dancers and their wonderful dance costumes.
CHAPTER EIGHT
MONDAY, THE NEXT DAY
Betty was sitting at the kitchen table having coffee and toast when
Mary entered.
"Good morning, Mary."
"Good morning to you, Betty."
"Is there anything special planned for today?"
"Yes. Today will be a big day for you. Today I have scheduled you at
my Salon/Spa for the entire day. You will get a complete treatment.
Your face is completely healed now and you have to learn how to do your
makeup. Plus I have scheduled a complete body wax. It will hurt some,
but it will give you a smoother skin and it will last almost a month
instead of you having to shave every other day. I have made
arrangements with the girls at the shop, and if they want to do
anything, just let them do it, Okay?"
"I will. Can I ask you something, Mary?"
"Sure. What is it?"
"Do you hate me?"
"Of course not. Why do you ask?"
"Well. since I started down this road, you have yet to touch me, except
when you are doing something like shaving my back. I see that you
greet others with a hug most of the time, even people you don't know
very well, but you keep your distance from me."
Mary snapped, "Give me a break! It's always only about you. What
about what I have been going through? I cannot believe it is less than
a month that I had what I thought was a husband lying in bed next to
me. We were intimate and we both enjoyed that. Now I have no
husband. I don't know where he has gone. But he is not here. Go! Go
look in the mirror and tell me what you see." Betty just sat in the
chair.
"No, I mean it," Mary continued. "Get up and go look in the mirror and
tell me what you see." And Betty walked to the foyer, opened the hall
closet door where there was a full-length mirror, and looked at
herself. And Betty said, "I see a woman."
"Don't you get it? For over twenty years I thought I had a husband.
Now I find out that it was all a sham! You have been playing a role
that wasn't you. I don't really know how you were able to stand it for
so long. Then when we went to the doctor's and he said he wanted to
cut your nuts off, you agreed to it."
"But, I thought that was what you wanted me to do," Betty protested.
"Bullshit. What man would allow that to happen? Nobody was holding
you down. All you had to do was to stand up and walk out of there.
But instead you went through with it. You didn't even ask to have a
day or two to think about it. No, Betty, this is what you wanted all
the time. Don't lay that on me. It is you. When you left my bedroom
to move into what is now yours, I missed having your body lay next to
mine. For the first week, I arranged the pillows to be next to me, so
that I could pretend that you were there. I missed our sex together.
I missed your smell as a man."
"But," Betty began.
"Not yet. I'm not finished. I can see that Betty is developing a
personality of her own. But she is not finished. You are only half-
baked yet, Betty. I don't know what the end will be, but I do know
that in less than one short month you have changed from a male to a
female. I cannot believe the changes that you are making that you may
not even be aware of. I notice that when you now write you write much
more slowly and with even letters. Howard used to scrawl. You now
write femininely. You have been using language in a feminine way. Men
don't say 'lovely' but now you do. Can't you see that I have been
going through some changes too? Don't press me on this, Betty. I
don't know what our relationship, if any, will be. Certainly you have
to agree that while we are legally married, that you are no longer my
husband, can't you?"
"Yes," Betty replied softly.
"I don't know what the end will be. But, be honest with me. I bet you
now think about getting sexual reassignment surgery, don't you? I bet
you are beginning to hate that thing that is hanging between your legs
that you have no use for anymore. Don't you?"
"I have thought about it," Betty replied. "At the beginning I felt I
had to have it. Now I look at it and it doesn't belong on my body. It
is something that doesn't belong there"
"What I now want you to do Betty, is take off your wedding band and
give it to me. I am going to take my rings off as well. I find that I
have been spending more money than I planned on. The price of gold and
diamonds are high now, and I should be able to get a good amount for
them. While you are at the salon, I am going to sell them."
Betty tried to pull the ring off of her finger but it would not go over
her knuckle. She had to go to the sink, soap it before it would come
free. She dried her hands and Betty realized from the start that it
takes a woman so much longer to get dressed than a man. A woman must
think of not only what clothes she will wear, but the shoes to go with
it, and the accessories. It takes time to apply makeup, and to make
sure that it is correct. A woman must think of so many things that a
man takes for granted.
They got to the Salon on time and were greeted by the owner who Mary
knew for a long time as she was a long-standing customer.
"This is my husband, Betty," she introduced. Betty smiled prettily and
said, "So, nice to meet you."
Margo, the owner, took Betty's face in her cupped hands, and gazed at
her carefully.
"You are right, Mary. She is a natural. Come with me Betty. We will
be here most of the day. Mary, you can get on your way, and I'll call
you when you can pick Betty up."
The first thing on the agenda was a wax job. It took almost two hours,
and was more painful than expected. Margo, took off Betty's wig and
asked why she had shaved her head. When Betty explained that she had
already started a baldness pattern and that the hair was very thin in
the center of her head, and that the doctor suggested it, Margo said.
"He may be a doctor, but he is not a beautician. I understand you are
now on hormones." Betty nodded. "Then the baldness won't be getting
any worse. What we have here can be overcome by hair extensions. In
the long run you will be much more satisfied with your own hair than
having to live with wigs for the rest of your life. Let your hair grow
out. It will take a year, and until then you will be having to wear
the wigs, but by then I think it will be long enough for me to do
something with it."
Betty's eyebrows were shaped and plucked. Afterwards lessons in
cosmetics began. Betty was shown the difference between daytime make
up and evening makeup. When to wear makeup and when only a little
powder and lipstick was sufficient. At the beginning, Margo was not
pleased with the way Betty's face looked after applying makeup and
after trying different applications.
Margo said, "The problem is that your lips are too thin. I am going to
put lipstick beyond your natural lips and give you a fuller mouth."
She did so, and decided that was the solution. She would be satisfied
with Betty's appearance with the fuller lips. Margo wiped off the
lipstick and took a red lipstick pencil and outlined the shape of
Betty's new lips. She told Betty that she was going to tattoo in the
same color as her natural lips the enlargement of her mouth. It would
be permanent, but it would be more in keeping with how she should look.
Betty remembered Mary's comment about agreeing to whatever the salon
wished to do, and nodded her head in agreement. With that Margo took a
tattoo gun, outlined the lips to a fuller extent and then filled in the
white spaces with the same color. When completed Betty's lips were
full and pouty. It stung a little, but no real discomfort.
"What do you think, Betty?" Margo asked.
"Oh. I love it."
Then Margo punctured Betty's ears and installed an imitation diamond
stud in each earlobe. She was instructed in how to daily care for them
to prevent infection, and said that the holes would be healed
completely in about a month. Then she could wear any kind of earrings
that she likes.
Pedicure with red enamel polish on her toes, and a manicure with the
same color polish as the lipstick. She was told to be careful when she
handled objects to protect the nail polish from scratching. With her
longer nails, Betty found she had to handle objects differently than
before. When using her cell or other phone she found it easier to
press the buttons with the flat part of her fingers than with her
nails. She also found that it was easier to hear the phone if one
tilted one's head so that the hair would fall away from the ear before
putting to phone to her ear. But t all came natural to Betty. As she
learned, she adopted each gesture as her own. When Mary came to pick
Betty up she was pleased with Betty's new look. She now had kissable
lips.
They walked from the shop into the mall and found a jewelry store.
"I got $3,600 dollars for our rings. You don't have any jewelry and a
woman needs that. I don't want you using mine anymore, so let's see
what we can find for you."
After some time two rings were selected, one for each hand. And they
were worn on fingers that men normally do not wear their rings on. A
nice golden cross on a golden chain was selected for around her neck.
This came to $450.00 and Betty wore them out of the store. They then
drove to Walmart and in the jewelry section found a lovely watch for
only $39.95. They found some plastic bangles that were only two
dollars each and bought four in summer colors. Betty wore them out of
the store as well.
"It is getting late for dinner," Mary said. Why don't we just get a
pizza?"
"Sure. A pizza is always good," Betty replied.
While they were eating, Mary said. "I can't get over how much a
difference makeup and your new lips make. You were nice looking
before, but you are getting sort of pretty now. You need to lose some
weight, but with your change in eating habits and the hormones, I think
that will happen naturally. Your clothes will look better on you if
you are thinner."
"Do you really think I am starting to look pretty?" Betty asked.
"Yeah. Especially when you smile. You have a lovely smile you
know...and killer legs."
"Do we have anything planned for tomorrow?"
"Yes. Tomorrow is a big day. In the morning we are meeting with the
doctor and then he arranged for you to start therapy with the
psychiatrist."
"Psychiatrist? Is that necessary?"
"Yes. I talked to him about it today. And if you are going to plan on
the, you know, the surgery, the State requires that you be under care
for a full year. This will start the process."
"Then what?"
"Then we are meeting our attorney at the court house at 12:30 PM. This
is for your legal name change. You are Betty now, and you need to have
identification to show that you are. So Mr. Levin arranged for us to
meet with the judge in her chambers before she holds the afternoon
session. Then we will go to the driver's license bureau to get you a
new drivers license. I cannot be driving you around all of the time.
And I also decided to go back to work. My work with you is just about
finished and I find I need to have some space of my own. I talked to
the hospital and my boss and he arranged that they will pay the rest of
my vacation pay in cash if I return to work early. We can use the
money. And please don't take offence, Betty, but I need some time away
from you. Afterwards we are going to the bank and get your name
changed on the account. I have been thinking about this, and I want us
to have three accounts. We each should have our own checking account
and then a common account to pay for the household and living expenses
to which we will both contribute. Otherwise the money we earn is our
own. How does that sound to you?"
"I haven't had time to consider it, but it seems fair to me."
"Oh, by the way. I have signed you up with a voice coach once a week.
After you get your license changed you can make an appointment with her
yourself. Here is her number for you to call."
"I think I have no problem when I meet people. The eyes tell the brain
what it is they see, and they see a woman when they see me. So my
voice doesn't matter that much then. But I know that when I answer the
phone I am still taken for a male."
"Your coach will help you with that. Margo recommended her."
It took only four two hour sessions for the coach to be satisfied with
Betty's new voice. She not only had Betty raise the tone of her voice
a little, but trained her to speak slower. She also trained her to end
her sentences as if she was asking a question as so many women do, and
no men ever do. This was the hardest part for Betty to learn, but when
she did, from that day forward, she no longer was mistaken for a male
when she spoke.
CHAPTER NINE
TUESDAY, THE NEXT DAY.
The TV weather forecaster said it was going to be a warm summer day, so
Betty chose to wear her new summer sundress. It had a little flouncy
hem that swung when she walked. It had a scoop neck front and back, a
tight bodice and flowed straight to the hemline which was about two
inches above the knee The neckline was low enough to show a little
cleavage. She carefully applied day makeup and went downstairs to
present herself to Mary. Mary looked at her saying, "No. That's not
right. You don't wear summer dresses with stockings and heels. Go
upstairs and take off your stockings and put