INTRODUCTION
This is the second of four interrelated recollections by a man in the
late summer of life, recalling the events of some unusual summers, and
the members of the female persuasion who made them so unusual and worth
remembering.
My Summer In The Big City
By: Zylux
The time was the late sixty's and my friends and I had managed to survive
our first year at a small university on the east coast. We had lived in
on campus dorm rooms, which were cramped, noisy, and usually lacking in
conditions for gainful study. But as bad as it was, none of us had
thought about off campus housing until several graduating seniors in a
campus social group we had joined announced that they would no longer
need the houses they were renting. The current third years already had
off campus housing and didn't want to move. But there was a lot of
interest among the soon to be second and third years, so it was decided
that a lottery would be held. Ed, one of my friends, and I were lucky
enough to be among those drawn. With the departing seniors vouching for
our character, the landlord accepted our applications. There was one
problem for both of us though, money. Housing near the campus was very
expensive to rent. Our parents would help out but made it clear that we
would have to get summer jobs and earmark most of what we made to the
payment of the rent to which we agreed.
Jobs in a small college town were hard to come by and didn't pay all that
well. Ed and I decided we would try a bigger city, New York City. Mark,
one of the graduating seniors, had secured a loft there and invited us to
join him for the summer as long as we contributed toward the expenses.
The loft was located in an area populated mostly by artists and actors.
It was perfect for Mark as his course of study throughout his college
years was anything connected with theatrical production. He described
the neighborhood as a bit seedy, but not nearly as bad as New York can
get. At any rate, it was affordable, if we could find work. We would
also have to sub-rent the house, and found some first years that wanted
to remain in the college town over summer and needed a place to stay.
With that problem solved, there was nothing left to hold us back. The
three of us packed our bags and made for the bus depot. Little did I
know that for the second time in my young life, I was about to embark on
a very unusual adventure I would not forget.
The adventure began, innocently enough, with an eight to nine hour
uneventful bus ride to New York City. We passed through some beautiful
country and some not so beautiful cityscapes. Overall it was a pleasant
trip, but we were much relieved when the bus finally pulled into the New
York City terminal late in the afternoon. The terminal was located next
to a subway station and from there, it was but a short train ride to a
station within walking distance of Mark's loft.
The loft was located on the fifth floor of a converted and renovated old
brick factory building. We hit the small lobby and discovered that it
was walkup only, but being young and full of dreams of riches that would
soon be ours, we practically flew up the stairs. Mark unlocked the door
to the loft and proceeded Ed and I inside. It was roomy but sparse.
That would change once Mark started to earn an income. Sleeping
arrangements were just as sparse, Mark would sleep in the only bedroom on
an old rickety bed, and Ed and I would sleep on the living room floor in
sleeping bags on air mattresses that we had brought with us. Still, when
compared to the dorms, we would be living well. With the day approaching
night we decided to hunt up some eats and call it a day. Job-hunting
would start in the morning.
Morning came warm and humid. Mark had the promise of some kind of work
with different theatrical groups through contacts he had made while in
college. There wasn't much hope of any of them paying much, but at least
he had his foot in the door and it was one of the main reasons he was
able to rent the loft. He headed off to meet up with the rest of the
group at a prearranged place, leaving Ed and I to clean up after
breakfast before going out to hunt for jobs.
We soon hit the streets of New York filled with confidence, but that
would change quickly. The surrounding neighborhood didn't offer much,
and what was offered didn't pay more than minimum wage for jobs that were
filthy and very labor intensive. By the end of the day I was thoroughly
dejected. Ed didn't fair any better. It was a pattern that would repeat
seemingly without end. The climb up the stairs at the end of each day
got harder and harder.
By the end of the week I had become desperate and took a late afternoon
job at a midsize restaurant washing dishes. I wouldn't get off work
until after midnight, but that was workable, as it was only a couple of
subway stations away from the loft. I would be able to continue
searching for a decent job and still have time for sleep. The only real
bad point was the boss. He seemed all right at first, a bit crude and a
little harsh, but I just chalked that up to having to survive amongst the
big flashy restaurants. He didn't show his true nature until after I got
the job. Half the time he was barely tolerable, the rest of the time he
was a rectal orifice, a fitting description considering what usually came
out of his mouth. Oh well, at least I was making money, but not much.
Things continued the same for the next couple of weeks. Ed did manage to
land a decent, but low paying job, and while I wasn't finding other work,
I was gaining knowledge of the layout of the City's financial and
business districts. My young memory was forming a mental map for a good
part of the city. I could read an address in the help wanted ads and
usually find it without consulting a paper map. It was a skill that was
about to pay off.
It was late morning on an already hot and muggy day in New York's
financial district. I was crossing the street at a major intersection,
when out of nowhere a guy on a bicycle wearing a baseball cap and a small
backpack shot through the crowd in the crosswalk. He made a left turn
and forced his way into the cross traffic amidst a chorus of horns from
irate taxi drivers. I had managed to jump back in time and keep my
balance. An old woman next to me wasn't so fortunate. She stumbled back
and ended up sitting on the pavement. As I helped her up she started
cursing at the long gone cyclist.
"Are you all right?"
"I'll live, no thanks to that messenger. THERE OUGHT TO BE LAWS, THE
COPS SHOULD ARREST THE LOT OF YA! YA HEAR ME!"
"He didn't stop for anything, not for the red light, people, or even
cars. Why? He could hurt someone or get himself killed, it doesn't make
sense."
"It's all about money. The faster he makes a delivery the faster he can
get another run, and the more runs he makes the more he earns."
"I would think his life is worth more than a few bucks."
"That's just it; they are paid well as they are the fastest and sometimes
the only way that anything can get through the jammed streets. It's
probably the best paying job around for a young man who doesn't mind
taking risks."
"Here comes another one, where are they coming from?"
"There's a service a couple of blocks up the street here. Well, thank
you for your kindness young man."
And with those last words, the old lady moved on and was quickly absorbed
into the crowd. Her words went to work on my mind, especially "paid
well". I consider myself a top-notch bike rider having spent most of my
youth on one, both on and off road, and with my newly acquired knowledge
of the street layout, I figured to have an excellent chance of getting a
job with a messenger service. It was certainly worth a try so I turned
and headed up the street.
The service was easy to find. I spotted a bike rider coming down the
street wearing the same cap as the other two. He suddenly made a hard
turn to his right and disappeared into the front of a building. When I
reach the spot of disappearance, I found an entrance to a parking garage
with a bicycle rack inside next to an office door. Next to the entrance
on the outside of the building, was a glass door with the messenger
services name on it. The receptionist greeted me upon entry and asked
how she might be of service. I told her that I would like to apply for a
job as a messenger. She pulled some forms and a clipboard from her desk
drawer and handed them to me. In short order, I had them filled in and
gave them back to her. She took them to a nearby office, and then came
back to her desk. A few minutes later a man emerged from the office,
called my name and motioned me to come.
"Have a seat Tom. So, just what makes you think you can be a messenger?"
"I used to ride bicycles off road competitively back home. I also know
the streets around here well enough to find just about any address you
can throw at me. Try me."
He did. He gave an address on the extreme fringe of the financial
district. I thought for a moment, then shot back with the nearest cross
street and the route I would take to get there. He rattled off a couple
more places covering a sizable area of the main part of the city. They
didn't give me any trouble. He was impressed.
"Your in luck, one of my top riders was in an accident a couple of days
ago. He's out for the rest of the summer and we're coming into one of
the busiest times of the year. You're the only one I've interviewed so
far who I feel can do the job. But there's one thing I have to caution
you on. We work on a seniority system not a rotational one. The guy in
the dispatch room with the most seniority gets first pick of any run that
comes in. So, the only way you're going to be making a run is if you're
the only guy in the room, or nobody else wants it. If you still want the
job, it's yours."
"I do want it, and I can start now if you can use me."
"Done deal. Sign this form and fill out this one for the Gov. and then
we'll fix you up with a company hat and get you over to dispatch."
Once outfitted, I was introduced around the dispatch room. The
dispatcher was a stout man of Italian decent by the name of Antonio,
business like but friendly. I took an instant liking to him. The guys
seemed friendly enough, I guess it was because I wasn't any threat to
their livelihood, being low man on the totem poll.
Most of the day was spent listening to the guys tell of their most hair-
raising runs. I did make a couple of runs that day and it was on one
hand a thrill I shall not forget, and on the other, the scariest thing
I've ever done. Cars get real big when one tries to thread between them
on a frail bicycle. It was to be the pattern for the next month and I
soon slipped into the routine until one fateful day.
That particular day had been a miserably slow one, and the heat wasn't
helping matters. The end of the work day was fast approaching and the
room was crowed. My chances of a run were virtually nil. A few of the
guys came to the same conclusion and decided to call it a day. They
decided to hit the local watering hole before heading home. The thought
of a cold beer, as opposed to sitting in that hot room, was quite
seductive and I made a motion to join them, but for reasons unknown,
decided to stay. That left just three of us in the room. That's when
things got interesting.
Two orders came in quick succession and suddenly I was the only one left
in the room. Now if only the phone would ring. I thought "ring damn
it". It worked. It rang.
Antonio picked up the receiver, gave a grunt, and started scribbling on
the work order pad. That's when one of the guys who had been on a run
dragged him self in. My hopes sank. He looked at the ticket but just
shook his head. It would turn out to be a long, hard run and he was
evidently too tired and hot to do it so close to the end of the day. The
run was mine.
"You're up. Go to this address, it's about here on the map, go around to
the back to the shipping dock. You'll see a desk with an old man wearing
an even older beret. He's got two packages that need to be taken to this
address in the garment district. Report to the rear entrance. They need
it yesterday, capisci?"
I took the work order, gave the map a quick look see and headed for the
bike rack in the parking garage. I mounted up and headed out the garage
onto the street. Traffic was jammed. I had to squeeze in and out
between cars and weave through pedestrians on the sidewalk. I wasn't
going to be making any friends this trip.
I didn't have any trouble finding the pick up point, it just took a lot
longer than I would have liked. After being shown the work order, the
old man pointed to two long, flat boxes lying nearby on the loading dock.
They were a bit wider than the bike's handlebars, which would make
weaving through traffic more problematic then usual. I strapped them to
my back and adjusted them until they rested on the rear wheel fender. I
was off. All things considered, I made good time and most likely made
the hit list of more than a few drivers and pedestrians.
The garment district was like nothing I had ever seen before. Delivery
trucks would stop in traffic and disgorge packages and racks of clothing,
all of which was maneuvered across traffic, and made to disappear into
large doorways or down narrow side passageways. Any vehicle trying to
pass had to run a slalom course from one side of the street to the other
and back. Workmen, carrying clothing and packages of every description,
crowded both sides of the street, spilling out into traffic. Motor
scooters tried to thread their way through it all, adding to the bedlam.
I some how found the address I was looking for. Coming around to the
back of the building, I was confronted by a steel double door with a
security camera mounted above. In the middle of the left hand door was a
sign that read "ALL DELIVERIES HERE". On the wall to the right of the
doors was a white square with a button and the word "ring". I had no
sooner pushed the button when one of the doors flew open. A large man in
some kind of security uniform filled the opening. He looked down at me
but on seeing the packages, stepped back and motioned me in. I leaned my
bike against the wall next to the guard's desk while he picked up the
phone and dialed a couple of numbers.
"Their here. Right. Okay, go straight ahead to the end of this rack of
scenery props and go left. Go to the far wall and turn right 'til ya
come to a large cuttin' table. Give the goods to Edna. Got it? Good,
don't touch anything, and most importantly, don't get in the way."
Simple enough, but getting there wasn't. It was like trying to negotiate
a minefield while playing dodge ball. People, theatrical material,
boxes, crates, racks of clothing, and loose clothing of all kinds were
everywhere and half of it was in motion, some without a body attached.
I managed to survive the gauntlet and found Edna.
"At last! Took ya long enough."
"Sorry, all the lights were green and I didn't know what to do."
"Funny, just give me your ticket so I can sign it. Here, show it to the
guard on your way out, he'll take care of the tip."
She turned away and started to rip open the boxes, barking out orders to
those around her as she did so. I started to leave the way I had come
when I noticed that the models dressing area was adjacent occupying the
center area of the building. An aisle way ran along the edge of it
leading back towards the other side of the building where I came in at.
Curiosity got the better of me, and besides, it looked a lot safer than
the way I had come, at least that's what I'd say to anyone objecting to
my being there. Of course we all know the real reason for my taking that
route.
Now, let me just say that I wasn't some hormone-crazed young male and I
had seen a half naked girl or two. But this was different; they were
everywhere and in plain view of everyone, male or female. The models
seemed to be oblivious to all the people around them, not noticing if
anyone was looking at them. Come to think of it, no one was looking,
outside of those assisting the models in dressing and undressing.
Everyone else just went about doing whatever job they had to do.
As I started out I noticed that the dressing area was divided by type of
clothing, like evening, casual, etc. and not so much by male and female.
I made it about half way across when a young woman fifteen feet to my
left front stopped me cold in my tracks. She was cute as all get out.
She had an upturned button nose and short blond hair in a pixy cut. Her
skin was the smoothest, softest looking I had ever seen. As I starred,
she reached behind her and unhooked her bra. I watched it slip down her
silken arms reveling her perfectly proportioned breasts. Suddenly she
stopped what she was doing, turned, and looked straight at me. She
cooked her head, raised one eyebrow and shot me a reproaching gaze. I
instantly felt the blood rush to my face. I must have been as red as a
stop sign. I turned away, bowed my head, and resumed my journey, very
much embarrassed. But I was not to get off so easily, for she let out a
loud wolf whistle that caused everybody around us to stop and look? at
me. Not good. She then said something that got some oohs from those
around her. I didn't really hear her as I was too busy looking for a
dark hole to crawl into.
As my little drama unfolded, an authoritative, high class, middle aged
woman wearing an expensive, custom tailored, brown pinstripe skirt suit,
approached from the opposite direction with a small entourage. She was
very upset and was loudly letting everyone in the building know it. I
became frozen with fear. Had she seen what had just happened? Man, if
she had, then I was really going to catch it.
"Has that model shown up yet? Has anyone called the agency?"
"I called them, Miss T. They can't find her, don't know where she is.
They said that her roommate thinks she skipped?"
"GREAT, that?s just flippin' great. Have they got a replacement?"
"No, Miss T, no one who comes even close to your specifications."
"What about the other agencies?"
"Sorry, Miss T, no one has anyone who could get here today."
"This just keeps getting better and better. Have we got anyone in the
building I can draft into service."
"No, Miss T, I've checked every department."
"So just what am I supposed to?. YOU THERE! COME HERE!"
Miss T was starring and pointing at ME. I was so scared that I still
don't know to this day how I managed to get my feet to move. They just
did, mostly on their own.
"You I haven't seen around here before, what are you doing here?"
"I'm a messenger, Miss, um, T, just delivering a couple of packages. I'm
on my way out."
"Messenger, huh, let's see?"
Miss T stared at me with her left arm bent across her body, resting her
right elbow in her left hand and pinching her chin with her right thumb
and fore finger. One of Miss T's assistants made a motion for me to
stand straight with shoulders back. Miss T then indicated for me to turn
my head to the right then back and to the left with the first two fingers
of her right hand. At that point in time I still was fair of face. I
was shaving, but I could skip a few days before it would be noticed. I
also liked having my hair on the long side, although it was considerably
longer than usual as I hadn't gotten a haircut since I came to New York,
not really having the money to spend on such a luxury. I must have been
quite a sight.
"Tell me, do you make good money?"
"Well, yeah, that is when I can get a run. I'm on the bottom of the
seniority list, so?"
"Yes, yes, how would you like to make some serious money?"
"Sure, what do I have to do?"
"Spend a few hours modeling a new line of teen clothing. The model we
spent weeks searching for is a no show. You are the only one in this
entire building with the attributes required and close enough in size to
model this new line. This way."
It was more of a command, than a request. I was engulfed by Miss T's
entourage and swept deep into the models dressing area.
"Miss T, please tell me the model is here, we're running out of time."
"She's not coming Angela, but I may have found a replacement. Think the
clothes will fit him?"
"Let's see, some might be tight in the waist but I don?t think that will
be a problem, for the review anyway. Here hold this up against him."
Angela had taken a short purple paisley dress from a rack of clothes next
to her and had given it to one of Miss T's assistants, who held it up
against me. With her hands, Angela smoothed the dress around to my sides
under my arms and checked both sides. She repeated the procedure all the
way down past my hips. I was too shocked to immediately say anything.
"It's a pretty good fit, I'll take him."
"Hey wait a minute Miss T, I can't wear this. I'm not a girl."
"Susan will take care of that. Just think of yourself as an actor
wearing a costume. Besides, no one will be looking at you specifically,
their interested in the clothes and the overall look."
"Okay, so why not get a girl to do the modeling, after all, it's for
girls, right?"
"Yes, and if I could find the right one I certainly would, but the look
we need is a boyish, flat chested one. With your fair face and slender
body shape you fit the bill as well as, if not better than, the model we
had contracted for."
"But I don't know of any girl who wants to be flat chested and look like
a boy, well, maybe one, but still."
"It's the fashion look that?s become hot due to a skinny model that goes
by the name of Twiggy, who has taken the London fashion scene by storm.
The rest of the fashion world is scrambling to jump on board the band
wagon before it runs out of gas."
"But I'm not a model; I don't know what to do."
"I can help him out there, Miss T. Hi, I'm Tia."
That voice had come from behind me. Turning to meet it I came face to
face with the young woman I had stared at earlier. She had a grin on her
face, a grin like one I had last seen nearly ten years prior. A Cheshire
cats grin last worn by a special little girl by the name of Sam. It
looked like I hadn't finished paying for my earlier indiscretion.
"All right, Tia, the job's yours. Now, as for you, let's get you down to
Susan."
Things were starting to move too fast. Before I could comprehend and
deal with one situation, I was being coerced into another. Just what had
I gotten my self into? Just when did I actually agree to do this?
Miss T led me, surrounded by her entourage, down through the models
dressing area to the makeup area. There was a long counter with an
equally long mirror behind it. It was broken into individual stations by
vertical columns of high intensity lights. Each station had a swivel top
stool and makeup items of every imaginable kind. Almost every stool was
occupied by a model, both male and female, working on their look. There
were also a few workstations like one would find in a barbershop, each
with a makeup artist and a hair stylist. A model in varying stages of
preparedness occupied a couple of the chairs. We approached one of the
empty ones.
"Susan, Diane, I need the two of you to make him up for the new teen
girls line. Can you do it, and in time for the review?"
Susan reached out and took hold of my chin. She turned my head to the
left then all the way back to the right, staring intently at me all the
while. She glanced at Diane who gave a quick nod.
"No problem, and it won't take long, he's two thirds of the way there all
ready. Should make a convincing girl. You want this one neutered as
well?"
"No, not just yet. Besides I suspect that Tia has designs on him."
"Ooooh, she's cute, but she'll eat him alive, probably right after
mating. You might want to start looking for a replacement if you intend
to keep him on for the premier."
I don't know if it was fright or shock that prevented me from uttering a
word of protest. All I could do was stand there with my mouth and eyes
wide open. I started looking for an escape route. Then from behind me
came a snicker, and that set everyone off. I found myself surrounded by
laughter. It was a joke. Of course it was a joke. I knew that.
"Have a seat, uh? What's your name?"
"Tom."
"Well Tom, in a little bit you can say hello to Tommie with an 'ie'."
"Well, that's settled, you're hired. Susan, Diane, I'll leave him in
your hands then. Raul, put him on the day's payroll and help him fill out
and sign the proper forms, keep us square with the government. Come
people we've got a lot more work to do. Now, has anyone thought of a
name for this new teen line yet?"
"I have a thought, Miss T. What do you think ??"
Miss T and all had quickly moved off and given the noise level in that
building, out of hearing range. Suddenly Miss T's authoritative voice
came booming through the bedlam.
"I LIKE IT! JACK? I NEED A NEW PLACARD STAT!"
If I had thought things were moving fast before, it was nothing compared
to what was about to happen. It's all a blur that has only gotten
cloudier with time.
Raul had remained behind fumbling through one of the folders he was
carrying. He pulled out a couple of forms and started asking me
questions, writing down my answers as a circle of paper was placed around
my neck, covering my shoulders. Susan started to smear some thick makeup
on my face, while Diane rubbed some kind of cream or gel into my hair.
For the second time in my life I was being turned into a girl and for
reasons unknown I was accepting it. That is, until Diane picked up a
pair of scissors. I pulled back away from her and was about to utter
some words of protest when she cut me off.
"Relax, you needed a hair cut anyway, and I'm not going to do anything I
can't fix later. I promise you won't leave here looking like a girl,
unless you want to. You do seem to be at ease with spending the next few
hours as a girl, perhaps this isn't new to you."
"WHAT, NO! I'm only doing this because I really need the money."
"Whatever you say hun, now hold still and we'll get on with our work."
Scissors and comb danced through my hair, many different brushes, and
what looked like pencils of different colors, flew across my face.
Raul's Q&A didn't take very long and was wrapped up with me signing each
form. The transformation, on the other hand, took some time. Diane
finished with my hair and then went to work on my fingernails, giving
each a coat of bright red paint. Just as she was applying polish to the
last nail, Susan finished with my makeup and turned the chair toward the
mirror. I starred into the mirror and a teenage girl who I didn't know,
starred back. She had light smooth skin with a minimal makeup look,
although a lot more work had been done than met the eye. Her hair was
styled in the manor of the classic bob, but instead of bangs, it sweep
across most of the forehead to the side. The sides hung straighter with
only part of the curl characteristic of the bob and there was an overall
touch of shagginess. It struck me as being perfect for that rebellious
teen look. I knew it was me, but I was hard pressed to actually see me
in that mirror.
"You make a cute girl. I think your own mother wouldn't know it's you,
unless she was intently looking for you, and even then she would have to
have a good reason to do so."
"That's really me? That can't be, I mean that's a, a?"
"Trust me, that's you, but you don't have time to work it out, you had
better get back to wardrobe and change clothes."
I worked my way back to Angela, who greeted me with much delight.
"You?re here at last, where have you been? I'll have to find that boy
and tell ? him ... wait, nooo, you're HIM!"
"Yeah, it's me, Susan just finished?."
"She has out done herself. I wouldn't be surprised if Susan will want to
put your picture up on her trophy wall. You're exactly what we need,
just perfect. Well, hurry up and take your clothes off, here, I'll help
you."
I went to work removing my shoes and socks with Angela helping to steady
me. I unhooked my belt then unzipped my jeans and slid them down and
off. Angela took hold of my shirt and carefully pulled it up over my
head.
"We'll have to do something with those legs. White stockings, yes, that
should do it."
She quickly disappeared behind a rack of clothes and almost as quickly
reappeared, ripping open a package of long white stockings. She rolled
one up and held it for me to slip my foot into, then unrolled it up my
leg to my thigh. She repeated the procedure with the other stocking, and
then turned to the rack of clothing.
Angela disassembled a skirt, blouse, and jacket outfit that was hanging
at the front of the rack. She picked up the short sleeve white blouse
and held it behind me. I slipped my arms into the sleeves as she pulled
it up onto my shoulders. I went to work on the buttons, fumbling a bit
as they were opposite of my shirts. She then handed me the skirt. It
was a flared mini skirt with bold black, white, and tan diagonal stripes
that formed an inverted "v" pattern front and back, really accentuating
the flare of the skirt. I stepped into it and pulled it up, tucking in
the blouse. Angela zipped it up behind me and fiddled with the
waistband.
Suddenly she moved off to a rack of shoes in a lot of different styles
and sizes, returning with a pair of brightly colored platform shoes,
which she placed on the floor before me. I slipped one foot into the
corresponding shoe, and then tried to slip my other foot into its shoe
while trying to balance on the other foot in the unfamiliar foot wear.
It wasn't easy, but after no small amount of stumbling about, managed to
get both shoes on.
Angela presented the ? length sleeve jacket that matched the skirt except
the stripes formed a "V" pattern that slopped up and out instead of down
and out. I put it on and took a look in a nearby mirror. It was a bold,
but cute outfit, to short for my tastes, but then I was supposed to be a
60's teenage girl. She handed me a few bright, multicolored plastic
bracelets. These I slipped over my hands onto my wrists as she clipped
similar earrings to my earlobes.
"We're finished with this outfit, get on down to the staging area. Oh,
and stop by makeup for any needed touchup."
"Tom, is that you? You look amazing; you make a cute girl. Watch out,
you're going to be hit on by all the guys around here."
"Very funny Tia. And I seemed to have been christened Tommie, with an
'ie'."
"Okay Tommie with an 'ie', let's begin your training. This deserted area
next to makeup will do fine. Now, this is just a review to fine-tune the
designs and overall look, so you can get by with basic modeling
techniques. If Miss T wants to keep you for the premiere, then you'll
need some serious training and lots of practice. First, the walk is
everything; it draws attention to you and then the outfit. Try walking
as if you are on a narrow beam and place one foot directly in front of
the other."
I did as instructed. It went pretty well, although the unfamiliar shoes
made it more difficult than it probably was. After all, I never had to
walk around on my toes before. Thank goodness the shoes had large heels
that weren't too high. I never would have been able to walk in the high
spike heels that most of the female models were wearing. It took a few
passes, but I managed to get the hang of it. It was on to makeup.
Susan spotted me coming and motioned me to her. She stopped work on a
model in her chair long enough to take a brush, rub it in a dish of face
powder, and brush over a couple of spots on my face while Diane touched
up my hair. Susan gave me a final look over, then gave Tia a touchup.
As she did, I moved over to a standing full-length mirror. I couldn't
believe what I was seeing. It wasn't just that I had been transformed
into a very convincing girl, but that I had allowed it to be done, and
with so many strangers around. Granted, only a few knew I wasn't a girl,
and everyone was too busy to even look at me. Still, it was a strange
feeling to be wearing girl's clothes with so many people around. Tia had
finished and came over to check herself out in the mirror.
"You ready Tommie? Let's work on your walk on the way down to the
staging area. You have nice hip action but I want you to exaggerate it.
As you take a step, force your hips to swing more than they want to go
naturally, and turn your body into the step. Like this. See what I'm
trying to say? Try it."
It wasn't easy and it took a lot of hands on help, literally, from Tia.
I eventually did manage to add enough swing and sass to my walk to
adequately present the line of clothing I was to model. It was clear
that there needed to be a lot more training if I was to be in the
premiere show, assuming I wanted to be.
We finished up just as the staging director started to arrange the models
in groups. I was in the middle of the second group to go on stage; Tia
was in the first group. The director gave us our instructions on how to
proceed. It seemed simple enough. Only half of the stage would be used
and the runway not at all. We were to enter stage left and walk toward
the center of the stage stopping on our mark indicated by tape on the
stage floor, turn to face the audience, and strike our pose. We would be
prompted to walk to the front of the stage, stop and hold our pose for a
three count, then turn 180, hold for a three count, then take a half
step, turn back to the audience and wait for further instructions.
Unless otherwise directed, we were to return to our mark and turn to face
the audience. We were to remain until dismissed, then turn and exit the
way we had come. As we returned back stage we were to bear to the
outside and come in behind the next group waiting to go on stage.
The director then arranged the first group into a line up and then walked
up the line to the head end, inspecting each model and altering his or
her pose as needed to get the look he wanted. He completed his
inspection and sent the first group out on stage. He then turned his
attention to my group. He did the same procedure as he had done with the
first group, and then began his inspection, working up the line, coming
to stand before me. He looked me over from head to toe and back with a
critical eye. Not knowing how to pose, I had copied the model next to
me. The director didn't like it.
"No, no, that?s not what I want; show me something less formal with a
touch of tomboy."
Yeah, right. I had no clue as what to do. This charade was about to
come to an end and there was a chance that I would be unmasked in front
of a lot of young men and women. I had to think and fast.
It was Sam who came to the rescue. I suddenly remembered how she looked
and acted when her mom had forced her to wear a dress about a decade
prior. I altered the pose to less from the front and more from the side;
put both hands on my hips and added a bit of a slouch. I then put a
devilish look on my face. I don't why, I just did. It worked.
"That's it; just move this hand down to your thigh. Perfect, you must
have some tomboy in you, miss."
I can't begin to relate just how happy I was that there was no one around
who knew my real identity as they wouldn't have been able to hold their
laughter. The director moved on, finishing his inspection just as the
first group was returning. He motioned us to the ready line, and then as
the last of the first group left the stage, the cue was given for us to
enter.
That was the defining moment, and I remember it all too well. I was
nervous as all get out and with good reason. I was about to appear in
front of an unknown audience in disguise, under a humongous bright
spotlight, and be scrutinized to the nth degree. Of course, it wouldn't
be that bad, but my mind wouldn't accept anything less. I was quickly
convincing myself that I couldn't do it, when Tia passed behind me.
"Break a leg Tommie."
She gave me a look of total confidence and moved on. But why did she
have to call me Tommie in front of everyone? Even with a written 'ie' it
was still a boy's name. I was becoming embarrassed and wishing I had
been given or had taking a more feminine stage name. But there wasn't
time to fret over it as I was about to take my first step on stage under
the big lights.
Exiting the dark side chamber onto the brightly lit stage took everything
I could muster. I was becoming so overwhelmed that I nearly forgot I had
a task to perform. The models in front of me started to stop and turn to
the stage front. That refocused my mind; there was a mark to find. I
nearly overshot it, but saved myself by making a much sharper turn than
the other models, causing the addition of some attitude to the tomboy
pose I quickly assumed. The audience was very small and all were
visible, and they were starring at me. With the state I was in, my only
thought was that something had gone wrong and I had been exposed as a
boy, but all eyes quickly moved on, all except Miss T's. She was smiling
and beaming with a look of satisfaction. She gave me an almost
imperceptible nod, then moved on resuming her authoritative look.
I held my pose until I was called forward. I remembered my instructions
and carried them out to the letter. Someone called out:
"Thank you, next."
I returned to my spot and assumed my pose until we were dismissed. Once
backstage, I slipped into a daze; I couldn't believe what had just taken
place. It didn't seem real, nothing seemed real, and I had to be
dreaming. I was jolted awake by a hand on my shoulder. It was one of
the female models.
"Nice job, Tommie is it? You really sold that outfit, way to go girl."
Before I could utter some kind of reply, she had hurried off in the
direction of wardrobe; in fact, all the models were doing the same. I
got the idea that I should follow suit. As the other models came to
their respective dressing area, they started to strip out of the clothes
and toss them wherever it was out of the way. I took my cue from them
and was stepping out of the skirt as I came up to Angela. I removed the
jacket as Angela unbuttoned the blouse with astonishing speed. In short
order I was standing before her in only the stockings and my shorts, boy
shorts that is. That's when it struck me that it would be a strange
sight for anyone who happened to glance my way. Of course, exchanging my
shorts for something more fitting, exposing my "identity" (for no matter
how short a period of time) was out of the question. I was just going to
have to muck through it and hope for the best.
Angela retrieved from the rack a sleeveless, black and white
checkerboard, plastic looking mini dress and held it in front of me by
the hem. I knew the routine from my experiences ten years prior and
extended my arms out in front of me. She slid the dress up my arms, over
my head, and into place as I raised my arms up.
"I see you've done this before. Good, that will make things easier and
faster."
What? NO! I haven't, I'm just copying what the others around us are
doing. That's all."
"If that be the case, then I must say that you're a fast learner and most
observant."
She shot me a bit of a smile, and then presented me with a wide, white
vinyl belt with an oversized black buckle. She hooked it around me, way
down on my hips. Black canvas shoes, black and white plastic earrings
and bracelets, and a black and white checkered beret, placed on an angle
on my head, completed the look. A quick stop at Susan's and it was off
to the staging area once more.
For the next couple of hours, this scenario repeated it's self over and
over. Events were moving so fast, that I quickly lost track of how many
outfits I modeled. It is difficult to remember individual outfits, as one
just merges into the other. Except for the last one. It was destined
for me to remember that one forever.
It was innocent enough, just a plain yellow velvet sheath with a cowl
neckline. The hem was two inches above the knees, short, but not a mini.
A gold chain encircled me low down on my hips with gold hoop earrings
clipped to my ears. Long white vinyl boots with side zippers completed
the outfit. I really liked that outfit (and still do).
When I came off stage, I didn't want to return to wardrobe. I just
wanted to spend some time in my outfit. I don't know why, I just did.
Just then, the director pulled me from the group.
"They want you over in photography. It's on the other side of staging."
He put his hand in the small of my back and gave me a little push in the
right direction. It looked like I was going to get to wear the dress a
little longer after all.
The photographer was busy with another model, so I stood off to the side
and watched. The model was moving without much direction. She would
strike a pose and would then change the placement of her hands, feet, and
head. The photographer was snapping off shots almost non-stop.
"Okay, that should do it." He then looked at me, "Your up. Now, show me
what ya got."
I noticed a mark on the seamless background that came down from behind
and onto the floor. I moved to the indicated spot and struck my pose.
The photographer was on his knees pointing his camera up at me.
"Excellent, now stare down at the camera. I like it, now run with it."
Run? Run where? I had no idea what to do. In desperation I started to
imitate the other model. It guessed it was what was wanted as the camera
was going off like a machine-gun. The shoot lasted but a minute.
"That should do it, that'll be all miss."
As I moved out of the bright lights I spotted Tia in an otherwise
deserted staging area looking at me, wearing her street clothes and a big
grin. I figured that I was in for some ribbing. Hoping to lessen the
attack, I rushed past her and headed for the dressing area. She followed
right behind me.
"'That'll be all, MISS!' Oooh, you still got the walk, shake it girl."
I resisted responding, so she altered her attack.
"You know, you did really well, and you do make a cute girl, you just
might consider a career as a female impersonator."
That did it. I turned on Tia and was about to unload on her when I
realized that we were then in an area populated by people who didn't know
who I was, or what I wasn't. With a big sigh, I relaxed and put my hand
up in front of me.
"Oh no you don't, nice try, but you're not going to prod me into an
embarrassing situation."
"Spoil sport. Besides, I think red is a good color for you, especially
your face."
I again resisted taking the bait and resumed my trek toward Angela. It
had been a tiring but interesting, and a little disturbing, day. I had
done things that I never would have believed I was capable of doing and
kind of liked it. It had been an adventure that still remains mostly a
blur, but unforgettable none the less. But, I had had enough and it was
time for Tommie to fade into retirement.
Coming into Angela's, Tia unzipped me and I peeled off the dress. I was
back in my street clothes in short order. Then it was off to see Susan.
Susan saw me coming and pulled a Polaroid camera out of a drawer. Angela
had been right; I was going to be added to Susan's trophy wall. Oh well,
she deserved it. Thanks to her skills, I had passed as a teenage girl.
Just for the fun of it, I gave her my Tommie look and she snapped off a
head shot. After the picture finished developing she pined it to an open
spot at dead center of the trophy wall. I felt honored, and still do.
I took a seat and Susan went to work removing the makeup and nail polish.
Diane shampooed the gunk out of my hair, followed by an attack with a
blow dryer. She restyled my hair to look close to a shorter version what
I had come in with, but still had a slight feminine undertone. That
didn't exactly please me, and I was trying to think of a tactful way of
complaining when Miss T paid us a visit.
"Tom, well done! You exceeded my expectations in both looks and
performance."
"Thank you Miss T, but all the credit belongs to these three and the
director."
"Well done all, but Tom, I think you are giving away too much of the
credit. Your actions and overall impression were more like a girl's than
you could have picked up in a few minutes. Either you have a natural
talent or you've had prior training. No matter, you're in for the
premiere showing in two weeks. Now, you're going to need more training
before the first rehearsal, check with my secretary, she can pull a few
strings and get you into some private lessons at one of the modeling
schools on the quick."
"Thank you, Miss T, but I don't think I want to?"
"Nonsense, you said you could use the money. You think you've made good
money today, just wait until you get paid for the show. Diane, I see you
haven't completely restyled his hair yet, excellent, that cut you came up
with was perfect for this line."
"I anticipated your need. I trimmed just enough to remove most of the
feminine look. There's a little left, but I think Tom can put up with it
for a couple weeks. Shouldn't have any trouble recreating the look on
show day."
"Excellent, and Tom, I expect you to call me in the next day or two to
confirm your being in the show."
And with that, Miss T was off, headed for parts unknown. Looking around,
the building, that just a couple of hours ago, was pure bedlam was now
nearly silent. Only a handful of people were left, finishing up their
assigned tasks. Tia and I headed off for the back entrance and found
Raul waiting for us near the guard's desk. He handed each of us an
envelope and wished us a goodnight. I folded the envelope in half and
slipped it into my back pocket. As we came to the guard he gave me an
inquisitive look.
"There you are, took you long enough to make one simple delivery. Don't
tell me you got lost, or maybe you decided to hang around and ogle the
girls."
"Neither, I got shanghaied."
"A likely story. Let's see your ticket. Okay, here ya go."
I fetched my bike and exited the building as Tia held the door open. The
scene outside had calmed down considerably. Tired and ready to head
home, I was about to bid Tia a goodnight when she spoke first.
"Neither? Sure you weren't 'ogling' me?"
"Look, I'm really sorry about that, it's just that you're, uh, so?"
"Relax, its okay, I didn't mind. So, did you see anything you liked?"
I tried to reply, but all I could do was stammer and turn bright red.
"You know, I can train you for the show, and I'll be a lot more
affordable, should save you some embarrassment too."
"Since it doesn't look like Miss T is going to take no for an answer, I
just may have to take you up on that."
"Great, we can get started tonight, we'll just go back to my?"
"TONIGHT? Wait, what time is it? Oh great! Sorry, I can't, I work
nights at a restaurant, and I'm going to be way late as it is."
"Tom, think for a moment, you're going to make more money in one day than
in several months at that restaurant. You can afford to quit."
"I'm not sure about the show; besides, I would still have to give notice.
I'll get with you in a day or two and we'll go from there. Thanks for
everything you've done for me, I owe you. I gota run."
"Wait, here's my card, it has a number on it that you can reach me at."
With a hasty goodnight, I stuffed the card in my back pocket, mounted the
bike and was off as Tia headed off to the main street to flag down a
taxi. The traffic was heavy but wasn't a problem. A street vendor
provided me with a well-stuffed sandwich to eat on the run. New York
City has some of the best places to eat in the world, and many of them
don't have walls. I came to the back of the restaurant and entered
through the delivery door. I leaned the bike against the wall and went
to punch in. I was more than just a little late.
The boss intercepted me at the time clock. He laid into me using
language I wouldn't repeat in a room full of drunken reprobates. He
finally exhausted himself out and stormed off, questioning my spices of
origin. Everyone around turned away from me, avoiding eye contact. It
was going to be a lonely night.
I stood in front of the time clock thinking to myself, "if only I had a
ticket out of here". Then Tia's words came back to me. Maybe I did have
a ticket. Pulling the envelope from my back pocket, I opened it up, and
pulled out a check. It had numbers on it that caused me to stagger. To
say the pay was better than anything I could make washing dishes would be
the understatement of the year. And that was for just a few hours, and I
wasn't even an amateur, let alone a professional model.
Without hesitation, I hunted up the boss and gave notice. He fired me on
the spot, after some more colorful language. I smiled at him and said
"thank you", and told him to mail me my last check. I headed for the back
door, retrieving the bike on the way, and exited the building into the
warm, humid, evening air. Thoughts of hooking up with Tia and
celebrating my newfound freedom lost out to being just plain overwhelmed
by the unbelievable events of the day. It was off to Mark's loft.
Mark and Ed were surprised to see me, as they knew I usually went from
the messenger service straight to the restaurant. I, of course, had to
explain that I had been fired, but had secured a far better job in the
garment district. I evaded their attempts to gain details about the new
job by diverting their attention to Tia and added that I would be seeing
her in the evenings. They first congratulated me, then became jealous
and wanted me to fix them up with models. I promised to try, but
cautioned them to not to get their hopes up as I just happened to be in
the right place at the right time. All perfectly true, I just didn't get
into details, especially about why I would be seeing Tia.
The next morning arrived warm and humid with the promise of it going to
be much hotter. Ed and Mark went off to their respective jobs while I
stayed behind to call Miss T. She wasn't surprised at all that I had
decided to accept the job, although I think I detected a slight note of
relief in her voice. She was about to transfer me back to her secretary
to get set up with training, when I told her that that had been taken
care of. She just cautioned me to be ready for the rehearsal, said
something I took to mean goodbye and hung up. I was off to work at my
day job.
Upon arrival, I checked in with Antonio and turned in the ticket from the
day before, then took a seat with the guys. During the course of the
day, I did get to make a couple of routine runs, nothing to write home
about. They didn't add up to much of a paycheck, but it was still better
then nothing. Toward the end of the day I called Tia and accepted her
offer to train me for the premiere showing. She seemed to be overly
delighted and I kind of got the impression that she was up to something.
Flashbacks involving a girl named Sam kept filling my head for the rest
of the shift.
When my shift ended I made my way over to Tia's apartment. Surprisingly,
it was located not too far from Mark's loft. It was in a nicer
neighborhood but still on the fringe of the artist district. For me, it
was perfect, as I could stop at the loft and get cleaned up before seeing
her.
I entered the building into a small lobby and took the elevator up to the
third floor. Signs pointed me in the right direction and I found Tia's
apartment, just a couple of doors down the hall. She greeted me at her
door with a big grin and all but physically pulled me inside. She was
eager to get started.
The apartment was very contemporary with bright colors everywhere. There
was a minimalist approach to furnishings with abstract art adorning the
walls. It was an interesting place to visit, but I don't think I could
live there for long.
We quickly got to work. The basics went all right; it was when we
progressed toward the more extreme aspects of modeling that things
started to fall apart. I wasn't even doing as well as I had at the
review. Something was amiss, and neither of us could figure it out.
Finally, after Tia had tried every teaching technique she knew, she said:
"Maybe we need a change in attitude, come with me."
She led me into her bedroom and told me to take off my clothes while she
opened up her closet. She pulled out a white, mini flip skirt with side
zipper and a bright red sleeveless silk blouse. Without so much as a
single word of protest, I stripped to my shorts, then took the blouse and
slipped it on. I started on the top buttons while Tia tied the lower
half in a knot. She then held the skirt for me to step into. She hooked
and zipped me in. White shoes with wide, two-inch high heels that were
one size to small completed the outfit. Tia then went to work on my hair
with a brush. When she finished, I moved to her full-length mirror. The
transformation wasn't as complete as before without makeup, but was still
startling. It was me, but I could pass as my sister, if I had one. I
stood there not believing what I was seeing when something inside of me
kicked in, and I suddenly struck my modeling pose. Tia indicated her
approval with a round of applause.
"Welcome back Tommie. Come, we have work to do."
It wasn't a miracle cure, but it did make a difference. I progressed
steadily for the rest of the session. Tia called a halt around 8:00pm.
I retreated back into her bedroom and changed back into my clothes. Tia
was disappointed.
"I was hoping you'd stay dressed so we could have a girl's night out.
I've got training in makeup art and can do well enough that no one would
suspect you're not a girl."
"No thanks. I'm going to have a hard enough time just doing the show,
there's no way I can bring myself to go out in the general public as a
girl."
"Then don't you think you should change your hair style? It looks rather
feminine that way."
It was back to the bedroom with Tia following. While I combed my hair,
She changed into the outfit I had been wearing, then made some
adjustments to her makeup. She turned to me and posed with a big grin on
her face. She looked way too hot and fast for me. A thought occurred to
me: Susan may not have been teasing; Tia could indeed eat me alive. We
exited the apartment to the elevator, lobby, and then out the building
into the warm, humid, summer evening that was descending into twilight.
She led me to a caf? in the artiest district that had an old beatnik
atmosphere about it. About a third of the clientele were musicians and
most of them had their instruments with them. Music would spring up from
anywhere at any time. The food was basic, nothing special. Still, over
all, it was a fascinating joint that would be worth occasionally
visiting. It was one of Tia's favorite places.
After we had dinner, she suggested another of her favorite places. It
was a rock club that was a block and a half away, a very loud, noisy, and
crowded club. Tia seemed to know everyone there and wasted no time
getting into the swing of things. It quickly became apparent that she
was a party girl.
As she dragged me around the club, she or one of her friends would regale
me with tales of her wild escapades. I was disappointed that Tia was so
extroverted, but there was something else going on that had me far more
concerned, for each time she introduced me to someone, they greeted me
with an odd look. I was trying to figure out why when it a likely reason
dawned on me. I wanted to confront Tia about it, but couldn't do it
there, just the same, all I wanted to do was leave.
"Tia, I think I'm going to call it a night, I have to get up in the
morning. I'll call you tomorrow after work."
"Wait, I'll join you. We need to talk privately anyway. Say, at my
place?"
"Well, Okay, but I can't stay long."
"It won't take long; we just need to talk about compensation for services
rendered."
We left the club and headed back to her place. We walked back to her
apartment for the most part in silence as my thoughts had consumed me.
I again wanted to confront her, but decided to wait until we got back to
the privacy of her place. A short time later she was unlocking her door
and ushering me in. I didn't waste any more time.
"Tia, your friends were giving me some odd looks tonight. You haven't
been talking about what happened at the fashion house, have you?"
"No, of course not! I wouldn't do that to you, although it wouldn't
matter much. They're a liberal bunch and would be fascinated rather than
shocked. You'd probably become a celebrity of sorts and get invited to
all the big A-list parties."
"Okay, let's try to stay somewhat close to reality here. Anyway, it's
not something I would want to become known beyond those few that already
know. I do have a life to return to at the end of summer, and if family
and friends were to learn of how I really earned money during summer, it
would be, well, awkward."
"Your secret life is safe. And as for my friends odd looks, it was only
because you are totally opposite of the men I usually date."
"But we're not exactly dating; you're teaching me how to perform for the
upcoming fashion show."
"And that brings up the little matter of paying your teacher. But first,
I can use your help with something. Can you come with me for a minute?"
She led me back to her bedroom and once inside, closed the door behind me
with a bit of authority. That surprised me and I turned to face her.
Tia had her back against the door with her arms slightly spread out and
pressed against the door. She was grinning from ear to ear.
"Take off your clothes."
So that was it, payment was to be made in sex. While I wasn't a virgin,
I also wasn't very experienced, and let her know it. The effect was one
of great delight in Tia. She quickly came at me, grabbed me by the front
of my shirt and pulled me to her. As she kissed me hard, she leaned into
me and I willingly fell back onto the bed with her coming down on top of
me. Something told me I was about to gain a different kind of education,
the details of which I shall skip over. Let's just say, Tia proved to be
as wild in bed as the life she led, and leave it at that.
The remaining days prior to the start of rehearsal for the show went
pretty much the same way, with the differences being in what I had to
learn. There's a lot more to modeling than how to walk. I got lessons
in poise, attitude, and how to move and pose for the purpose of showing
off the features and design innovations of the outfit being modeled. It
didn't matter what I thought of the clothes, I had to act like I loved to
be wearing them to the point of flaunting that fact. It was as if I were
saying, "Look what I?M wearing and you're NOT!" All of it was for the
purpose of getting the target consumer to want to buy the clothes, to
want to wear the clothes, to want to act like the model in the clothes,
and unwittingly entice others to want to buy the clothes as well. It
means really big bucks for the fashion house and is why the models that
are really good at it are paid so much and are kept constantly in the
public's face.
It was a lot of work and quickly took on the feel of being much more than
I really needed. Tia's excuse was that she didn't know what would be
required of me, so I should be prepared for anything. Valid, but I think
she just liked to dress me in her clothes, and have me model them for
her. It was okay with me as I was kind of enjoying that part of it, even
if her things were more risqu? than I would have liked.
One thing did happen during that time that became an instant mystery. It
was a letter from the fashion house that was addressed to me and sent to
Mark's loft. It contained a sizable check with a notation about some
kind of royalty payment. I couldn't think of any reason for it, but
being in needed of the money, I didn't question it.
The first day of the rehearsal was scheduled to begin in the late
morning. It wouldn't be worth putting in a couple of hours at the
messenger service, so I called in sick. Besides, Tia wanted me to be at
her place well in advance of when we would have to leave to arrive at the
show site on time. I didn't think much about it; she probably wanted to
run through a couple of things. Tia greeted me at the door of her
apartment and ushered me off to her bedroom.
"Take your clothes off."
"Uh, we don't have time for that, do we?"
"It's not for that, lover boy. You need to hit the shower for some hair
removal. You don't have much body hair and it can't be readily seen, but
it has to go all the same."
"Why? It didn't have to when I was drafted into service for the review."
"Miss T gave me the word last night. You are officially in the show and
registered as Tommie, with an "ie", a young woman, not a young man
portraying a teenage girl. In addition, this is a combined show, several
fashion houses will be there. The fashion world is cutthroat, and each
house will have their own spies present, and their jobs are to uncover
something that can be used with advantage against the other houses. If it
were to be discovered that Tommie is not a girl, then the consequences
would be high, not just for you, but for a lot of people starting with
Miss T. So, if you want to keep things a secret and Miss T happy, then
you will have to arrive in the most convincing manner as Tommie and
maintain that attitude until we get back here sometime tonight. That
means no body hair, a complete makeup job, and having to wear my clothes
with these panties and shoes I bought for you."
"You mean I have to move through public, in broad daylight, as a girl?
And on top of that, I have to keep from being discovered at the
auditorium. No, I can't do this; I'm just not going to be able to. This
is far more than I bargained for, I'm out. I don't care how much they're
paying, I quit."
"You have to do it, you made a commitment, remember? And if you don't
follow through, Miss T will make your life a living hell. She may even
pursue you all the way back home, and I don't think you want that."
"But, the crowed streets, the subway?"
"We'll take a cab. That will eliminate almost all-public exposure.
Don't worry, you can do it, and believe me, you will not be found out.
Tell you what, wait until I'm finished with you, and then tell me
somebody can tell you're not a girl."
Even if I didn't like the end result it wouldn't matter, I was stuck.
She was right, I had made a commitment. Even in those days, there was
still an honor code that meant something. I had to see this through,
anxiety attack or not.
We got to work. Tia instructed me in the use of the hair removal lotion.
Simple enough, nothing I couldn't handle, I just didn't want to. I some
how forced myself to do it, and the end result was a bit startling. As I
dried off, the towel easily slipped across my skin which felt very
smooth, and the air felt a lot cooler than it had before. I stepped out
of the shower and found a stack of clothing Tia had left for me.
I picked up the panties and slipped them on. They were heavy weight and
very elastic, the combination of which helped to smooth out the bulge of
my "true identity". There wasn't a bra, so I didn't have to figure out
how to put that on. I guess being flat chested has its advantages, or
could that be disadvantages? A stiff white shirt was next, followed by
red Capri pants that fit tightly to my legs. The shoes Tia had bought on
my behalf, a pair of white hi-heeled pumps in my size, was also there
along with an odd pair of stockings that only covered the toes, heal, and
bottom part of the foot. I donned these items and exited the bathroom.
Tia was finishing up getting ready. She then turned her attentions
toward me. As she had alluded to at the end of our first training
session, she, being a professional model, had training in the art of
makeup. She wasn't Susan, but she was good enough. The end