Charlie And The Chocolate Shoppe free porn video

Charlie and the Chocolate Shoppe Author's Note: I started with an idea that would have been a sequel to Companion but decided I liked that story ending the way it did and that people could decide how that story went on for themselves. But I had decided I liked the title I came up with, so with a twist to my original idea, here is a new story. Angela was carefully placing more chocolate covered strawberries in the display case, making sure they all looked perfect to any customer who ventured into the little shop. She adored working here, the owner was a wonderful woman to work for and the aroma of all the candies and fruits that surrounded her was amazing. The tinkle of the bell announced the arrival of new customers. Three girls walked in all dressed in short skirts and high heeled sandals. Angela was a bit disappointed, in her experience girls that looked like that were more of the looking type than the buying type. They would sample a piece and complain that another hour at the gym would be needed. She took a deep breath and pasted on her best customer smile. "Good afternoon, ladies!" she called brightly to them. "Can I interest you in some delicious treats today." "I'm not sure yet," the first commented. "Charlotte insisted we stop in when she saw the window display." She tossed her head in the direction of one of the other girls. "I just love the nonpareils," she spoke in almost a whisper. "Do you prefer the milk chocolate or the dark?" Angela faced her directly. "Oh, dark for sure." The girl seemed to blush at the attention she was being paid. "How much would you like?" "Um, can you do a quarter pound?" She bit her lip. Angela smiled. "Of course." Angela looked at the other two girls who were still just gawking at the chocolates. They seemed uninterested in buying anything. The one she was getting the candies for, Charlotte, was cute: long blond hair, orange blouse that was buttoned high enough to not expose any cleavage, her black skirt was short though showing a lot of thigh above the knee. She placed the bag of candy on the scale and marked it with the price. "Is that all you need today?" "Yes, thank you," Charlotte responded and handed her the money to pay for it. "Here you go." Angela handed her the change and the candy. "Please, come see us again!" Charlotte smiled and nodded. "OK, Charlotte, you got your candy. Now let's go do the dress shopping. I want to find something nice for my date this weekend," one of the others called as she pulled the door to leave. Charlotte waved and quickly followed her friends out the door. Angela went back to work restocking the displays. Her mind kept drifting back to Charlotte, though. It disturbed her because she kept seeing her face in her mind. She held the picture so clearly that she remembered the shade of green her eyes had been, how she had done her makeup, her pale pink lips. She shook her head to try and clear the image but she eventually found herself thinking about her again. * - * - * A few days later Angela was working the store cleaning the glass while waiting for customers to come in. She had her back to the door when the familiar tinkle of the bell alerted her to a prospective customer entering. "Hi there," she called out as she turned to face the door. "Welcome to Sweet Dreams. Can I get you something today?" "Yes, please," the young man answered. "Have you got dark chocolate nonpareils?" "Absolutely." Angela hurried back around the cases and began arranging the package to hold the candies as she shoveled them in. "How much would you like?" "Oh, let's splurge and go for a half pound today." He smiled at her. "Certainly." She bent to fill the bag. She could see through the case he was dressed in jeans, white t-shirt with a red flannel shirt hanging open. She stood up and placed the bag on the scale and marked the price. Looking at him she saw he wasn't that tall, long blond hair tied in a ponytail down his back. His eyes caught her attention. They were the lightest brown she could imagine, and his eyelashes were long. "Way too pretty eyes for a boy," she thought to herself. She quoted the price and accepted the money. "Have you been in here before?" she asked as she counted out his change. "Oh, um, yeah, I stopped in with some friends before." He seemed to blush a bit. Angela thought it made him even cuter. "You seem familiar but I can't quite place it. I would certainly remember seeing someone like you." It was her turn to blush. "Oh, someone as pretty as you probably gets hit on all the time," he responded causing her face to flush even more. "By the way, my name's Charlie." He reached past the bag of candy to shake her hand. "Oh, hi Charlie, I'm Angela." "Real nice meeting you." His smile seemed to light up the room. "Thanks for the candy, I'll see you again." He turned and left the store. "OK, come in again real soon." Angela sighed at the closed door. * - * - * The days that Angela worked she found herself looking hopefully at the door every time the bell sounded its alert wanting Charlie to come in. It had been a week and he hadn't come back and she was a little frustrated about it. She was in the back room when the bell sounded. She came out to find two girls coming in the door. "Hi ladies, welcome to the store. What can I tempt you with today?" She looked up as she finished and immediately recognized the one with the green eyes. "Perhaps some dark chocolate nonpareils?" "You have a good memory." The girl smiled. "Yes, please. A quarter pound." "Of course." Angela went to work getting the candy for her. Once she got the order done and was making change she looked at the girl again. Same green eyes, lipstick was a different shade, redder to go with the red dress she was wearing. But her face seemed familiar in a different way. "Could I ask you a question?" Angela handed her the candy and the change. "Sure." She shrugged. "Do you happen to have a brother named Charlie?" The other girl snickered. "Um, no, I don't have any brothers or sisters." The girl looked away. "OK, sorry. You look like you could be related to another customer we've had. Do you know who I might be thinking of?" "Yeah, I think we can guess," the other girl answered. She grabbed Charlotte by the arm and pulled her toward the door. "We'll tell him he needs to come back in and say hi. Come on, Charlotte. Terri will be waiting for us." "Bye," Charlotte called over her shoulder as she was being dragged out the door. Angela stared at the closed door for several minutes trying to make sense of what had just occurred. Finally she just shook her head and retreated to the back room to finish her chores. * - * - * Two days later Angela once again found herself in the back room when the bell rang. She dropped what she was doing and hustled out. "Hi, welcome... Oh." She stopped. Charlie stood there smiling. "Hi, I heard you were asking about me." He approached the counter. "Oh, um, yeah, I guess I did." She could feel the heat rising in her face. "Y'know, we seemed to be talking ok last time and I was hoping you might come back in. I mean, I felt like you were going to come back soon and it had been a while. Do you know the girls that come in here sometimes? It seems like you must since you heard." She hated that she felt that she was just rambling. "Um, yeah, I hang out with them sometimes." "Oh, girlfriend?" The question was out of her mouth before she could stop herself and she silently cursed herself. "No, I don't have a girlfriend." He leaned on the counter staring into her eyes. "Would you be interested in going out one evening? Maybe a movie and some dinner? Something casual, y'know, so we can get to know each other." "You are asking me out?" Angela felt off balance. "Why not? You seem nice. I think you are really pretty and worth getting to know better." "Oh, OK," Angela answered. "OK, you'll go out with me? Or OK, you understand." He played with a pen on the counter. "Um, OK, I understand and I'll, um, go out with you." "Great! What nights are you free?" He stood up again. "Oh, I'm off most nights. I watch the store mostly during the day." "OK, then how about this Saturday. Um, where would you like me to pick you up? We could meet here if you are more comfortable with that rather than telling me where you live." "That would be great." She was actually impressed that he thought about it. "I get through at 6:00, so 6:30?" "Excellent, I'll see you then!" Charlie turned to leave. "Oh, did you want any candy?" Angela called. "Oh, yeah, I forgot." Charlie pulled a quick u-turn. "Half pound of dark chocolate nonpareil?" "Good memory! Yes, please." Angela was a bit dismayed that her hands were shaking as she filled the order but got everything taken care of. She handed the candy and Charlie's change to him and watched as he left the store. * - * - * Saturday rolled around and Angela heard the bell in the front ring out. She listened intently as she finished touching up her make-up. She wanted to look as pretty as possible for her first date with Charlie. "May I help you," she heard Mrs. Jenks call to the customer. "Hi," she recognized the other voice immediately. "I'm Charlie, I'm looking for Angela. We have a date tonight." "Oh, yes. Hi Charlie, I'm Mrs. Jenks, I own the store. Angela is just finishing getting ready in the back and should be out momentarily. She was right, you are a handsome young man." "Mrs. Jenks!" Angela screeched and rushed to the door into the shop. "You don't need to tell him that!" "Dear, I'm sure he already knows and looking at you tonight it looks like you'll both be garnering a lot of attention." "I didn't do that much, it's just a denim skirt and a white sweater," Angela protested. "Yes, and the last time I saw you wear a skirt was the day I hired you. And some nice work on your make-up too, trying to look just so." "Mrs. Jenks," Angela huffed, "if I wanted all this attention of how I looked I'd have had him pick me up at my parent's house." Mrs. Jenks chuckled. "It's good to see you looking so nice, dear. Now you two run along and have a good time." Charlie reached out and took Angela by the waist and guided her out the front door. "If I had known you were going to go through all that fuss I might have dressed a little nicer for you," Charlie offered as they walked along. "Oh, you look fine," Angela assured him. Indeed, he was dressed much the same as she had seen him each time he came in the shop: jeans, t-shirt and flannel shirt unbuttoned. But the clothes looked clean and in good shape so it wasn't that different. "My jeans just happen to be a short skirt," she thought to herself. They went to the movie and then off to a dinner. The restaurant was a chain place with hamburgers, salads, and sandwiches on the menu. "Did you enjoy the movie?" Charlie asked after they ordered their food. "Oh, yes," Angela answered gazing across the table at Charlie. He had done everything right so far this evening. He asked her what she wanted, picked a movie that wasn't all violence or half-naked women. How can he not have a girlfriend already? They talked about each other telling about where they were in their lives and where they hoped to be one day. Angela was looking for a job in the field she had studied in college: architecture. But she was having a hard time getting a foot in the door. She still felt she'd get there and in the meantime working at the chocolate shop was helping her get by. Charlie was finishing up his last year at the local college and hoped to become a teacher when it was done. He wasn't certain if he would be able to stay in the area once he found a job but he was hopeful. "Do you have a lot of friends at school?" Angela asked. "Oh, I have a few," he looked out the window. "Most of my friends are girls though. I just seem to relate better to them. And they have been really good friends to me. Their boyfriends sometimes don't like me being around them so much, but after a while they realize we are all just friends." "Those girls that come in the shop sometimes, one of them is Charlotte, those are your friends?" "Um, yeah. We do a lot of things together." Charlie answered. "Ah, our food! Just in time, I'm starving." They chatted more through dinner and then Charlie escorted Angela back to the shop where they had started their date. The parking lot outside was empty except for the two cars they had each arrived in. Charlie once again gently guided Angela to the car he knew had to be hers and opened her door when she popped the lock using her remote. "I had a wonderful time," Angela told him standing just beside the open door. "Oh, so did I." Charlie was shifting his weight back and forth, foot to foot. "I'd really like to go out again if you would like to." "I'd like that very much." Angela subconsciously moistened her lips wishing that Charlie would make his move. Charlie looked around the parking lot trying to decide what to do next. "Um, ok, well, I guess I'll check in with you at the shop and see when we can get together again." He nervously took a step closer to her. He figured that since she hadn't gotten into the car yet she expected him to give her a kiss, and he wanted to. He just wanted to be sure that was what she wanted. At last he reached out with one hand and placed it on her hip and started to lean toward her. She responded by leaning back toward him. Their lips met and he could feel the softness of her lips. She wasn't backing away so he pressed the kiss longer and allowed his lips to part slightly. She wrapped her arm around his neck and the kiss deepened. "Wow," Charlie whispered when they parted, arms still wrapped about each other. "Yeah, wow," Angela confirmed. "You better come into the shop soon. I'm already looking forward to our next date." "I promise, I'll be there as soon as I can be sure of what my school workload looks like." He leaned in and kissed her lips quickly. Then he stepped back away. Angela carefully got into her car but saw Charlie studying her legs as she got in. "He's interested in more than a kiss." She smiled to herself. "And so am I." She waved to him and proceeded to drive off through the parking lot. She watched Charlie walk to his car and get in. Inside she secretly wished that he would have trouble and then she would go back and offer him a ride but she saw the headlights come to life and the car moved across the blacktop. * - * - * Good to his word, Charlie was back in the shop Wednesday afternoon telling Angela he was going to be busy all weekend with a project that was due on Monday, but he felt he could spend Friday night doing something fun. "In fact," he went on, "I think we both deserve to have some fun. How about we go over to the carnival that just set up across town? Do you like Ferris wheels? Carnival games? Cotton candy? Stuff like that?" "Yeah." She grinned. "I haven't done anything like that since I was a kid. I'd like that." "OK, 6:30 again. Here?" he asked. "Um, no. Let's make it 6:45 and you pick me up at my place, if you don't mind." Angela bit her lip. "OK, sure, no problem at all." Angela gave him her address and after a quick kiss good-bye, Charlie left. * - * - * The next day Angela stopped by the local diner to pick up a little breakfast on the way to the candy store. While she was waiting on it to be delivered she saw some familiar faces sitting at one of the tables. "Hi, ladies," she greeted them as she walked up. "I just wanted to say thank you for telling Charlie I was hoping he'd come back into the store. He did, and we ended up going out and having a wonderful time." "Oh, hi," one of the girls spoke up. "You're the girl from the chocolate store. Yeah, Charlie is really something special." One of the other girls giggled which annoyed Angela. "I don't see Charlotte with you," Angela observed wishing she were there. She always seemed nicer than the others, easier to talk with. "No, Charlotte doesn't spend much time with us during the weekdays. She's too busy other places," the girl who giggled offered. "OK, well my breakfast is ready so I better be going," she waved and turned her back hearing both girls giggling as she walked away. "What is their deal, gee," she thought. * - * - * Angela and Charlie were walking around the parking lot where the carnival had set up for its brief stay. There were kids running around, carnies trying to get everyone to spend their tickets on their rides, or money on their games. Charlie promised himself he would try and win a stuffed animal for her before they left but didn't want to carry it around all night if he got lucky enough. They rode several rides: Tilt-a-Whirl, Crazy Mouse, Bumper Cars, and others. They wandered the House of Mirrors laughing as they walked into walls of glass or saw their reflections in warped mirrors. Eventually they made their way over to the Ferris wheel. They got locked into their car and started to ascend with a jerk up into the night air. First lap around they took in all the sites that surrounded them. Second lap found them in a deep kiss oblivious to the world. Third lap they were cuddled close, arms wrapped around each other. Then as they passed the loading ramp they came to a stop as the attendant began unloading and loading sets of passengers. "Charlie, can I ask you about something?" Angela broke the silence between them. "Yeah, sure, what's up?" "I know this is only our second date, and I don't want you to think I'm getting clingy or anything, but what is up with those girls you are friends with?" "What do you mean?" "Well, I ran into a couple of them yesterday when I picked up my breakfast on the way to work so I decided to say hi and say thanks for telling you I wanted you to come back into the store again. They just kept giggling and acting weird. I don't even know their names since they haven't bothered to introduce themselves, and to be fair I haven't introduced myself to them either because they keep acting so weird. Except Charlotte, she seemed nice, but she wasn't there at breakfast." "Um, yeah, Terri and Jean can be a bit strange at times. Don't worry about them. They really can be great friends. We've been friends since elementary school, believe it or not. They have helped me out a lot over the years. I kinda had it tough growing up." Angela leaned back to look Charlie in the face. "No, too early to talk about any of that." He pulled her back against his shoulder again. "Just don't worry about them, ok. Trust me, they are ok, eventually they'll adjust to us going out." "Oh, are we going out again?" Angela asked in mock surprise. "Well, I hope we do," Charlie smiled at her. "I guess I shouldn't assume, but I thought that kiss was pretty much a way of saying you liked being with me." "I definitely like being with you," Angela purred. "And I think we have time for more kissing before they make us get off." They kissed again until their car came to a stop and the attendant opened the safety bar. They wandered about for a while then Charlie tried his hand at several games but couldn't seem to win anything more than some cheap plastic toy. He stood in front of the lines of Coke bottles with the plastic rings bouncing off the bottle frustrating his attempts to win his date a big stuffed panda bear. "Sorry, I thought I would be able to win something for you." Charlie shrugged. "Thank you for trying, but these games are set up to lose. It's impossible to win the big prizes unless they want you to." "I guess," he shrugged. "Here, go ahead and throw these last two." She accepted the plastic rings from him and tossed the first one. It bounced harmlessly away. The second one floated through the air and bounced off the top of one bottle and landed on the bonus prize hanging off the edge. "Hey!" Charlie yelled. "You got it!" "Nope," the game attendant answered. "Close but no cigar, the ring has to be completely over the neck, sorry." He knocked the ring off the bottle. Charlie just stared at the guy for a moment, but he wandered off watching to make sure nobody tried to cheat the game. He was accustomed to the abuse people heaped on him, but the money kept coming across the counter. "Come on." Angela pulled at Charlie's arm. "I already got the best prize I could want." Charlie begrudgingly let himself be pulled away. It didn't take long before he'd forgotten about it. They walked back to his car and he piloted it back to Angela's apartment. They walked up to her door and shared another long kiss good night. "Would you like to come in for a few minutes?" Angela asked. "And before you get any ideas, I am not asking if you want to stay the night. Two dates isn't enough for me to do that." Charlie chuckled. "Thanks, but I need to get up early tomorrow and ought to be heading home. And, believe it or not, I'm not ready to go there either. But I think we are making good headway. I'm looking forward to seeing you again." A slightly shorter kiss followed and Angela slipped in through her door. Charlie waited for a moment to hear the lock engage and then went back to his car. He sat there for a while staring at the apartment complex thinking about how he was falling for this girl. He didn't think that would be possible, but he needed to find out some things before it went on much longer and made it that much worse. * - * - * "Hello, dear. What can I get you today?" Angela heard Mrs. Jenks ask as the door was closing. She turned around to see Charlotte walking toward the displays. "I'll bet she'd like a quarter pound of dark chocolate nonpareils." Angela grinned. "Hi, Charlotte, how are you today?" "Fine." She smiled back at the two women. "Perhaps I am too predictable. Maybe I should order something else sometimes." "No reason not to get whatever you like best," Mrs. Jenks added. "But we are happy to provide you with whatever sweet you desire. What would you like today, Charlotte?" "I guess I'll have my usual," Charlotte laughed after looking over the display. "I just crave those things." "Then that is what you will have." Mrs. Jenks went to filling the little bag up. "You're in late today, and without your friends," Angela observed. "Yeah, I just felt like taking a little time to myself today and wandering around the mall here. It seemed like a nice day for a stroll and some window shopping." She accepted the candy and handed over her money. "It is gorgeous out." Angela gathered her things as her shift had come to an end. "I was thinking of looking for something nice to wear next time I go out with Charlie." "Well, I know I said I was taking time to myself, but if you don't mind I'd like to walk around with you," Charlotte offered. "Sure." Angela brightened. "I was hoping you'd offer but I didn't want to intrude. See ya tomorrow, Mrs. Jenks!" she called over her shoulder as they left the shop. They walked along peeking through various store windows and chatted about a few things. Charlotte shared her candy with Angela while they meandered past the storefronts. "Where do you buy your clothes?" Angela asked. "Every time I see you, you are wearing the cutest dresses." "Oh, I get them wherever I find them. Mostly I look for sales and buy when I can. This one I've had for a couple years, I can't remember where it came from." "Can I ask you something about Charlie?" Angela stopped walking. When Charlotte nodded she went on. "What does he like his girls to be like? Tom boyish? Real girly? Jeans and sneakers or dresses and high heels? He always seems to be in jeans, t-shirt and an open flannel shirt. I mean he looks good, I bet he would look great dressed up for a nice dinner, but I'm not sure what he wants." Charlotte laughed. "Charlie wants someone real, someone who can be comfortable with him and will be who they are. He does like girls who put on dresses for him, but he also wants them to be comfortable playing softball, or hiking or whatever." "You seem to know him pretty well." Angela started walking again. "I originally thought you might be his sister but he said he had no siblings. So, why aren't you dating him." "Oh, no." Charlotte shook her head. "While he doesn't actually have any I am as close to being a daughter to the family as anything. When he found me it was a challenge but he stood by me. But we won't ever be a thing." "Found you?" Angela puzzled at the strange choice of words. "Um, yeah." Charlotte paused for a few moments. "I was a loner until Charlie drew me out. Then I met Terri and Jean, and I know they can be a handful but they have been a huge supporter of me." "Well, sometimes they seem to act like teenagers sharing some secret. It's a bit annoying," Angela complained. "Let's go in here." She entered one of the stores. "I'll see if I can't get them to tone it down some," Charlotte offered. Charlotte helped her pick out a nice dress for the next date with Charlie and suggested she ask him out before he could ask her so that she could set the parameters. Pick somewhere a bit nicer to go to and see if he would dress nicer for the occasion. She reminded Angela that she needed to be just as happy with Charlie as she was worried about him being happy with her. Angela thanked her for spending the evening with her and gave her a hug when they parted ways. She couldn't wait to see Charlie again. And this time she intended to get a phone number for him. They'd gone out twice now, it was time to either make this regular or move on. And she was pretty happy, she didn't want to move on. * - * - * "Hi, Charlie," Angela called as he entered the store. "Usual?" "Sure, set me up." He smiled at her as he crossed the store to the counter. "I have a question for you.." "Wait," she interrupted him. She finished putting together his order and went back to the counter. After a peek around at the window, certain they were alone, she leaned across the counter and gave him a quick kiss on his lips. "Wow, two sweets for the price of one," Charlie teased. "But you didn't have to make me stop my question, all I ...." "No," Angela interrupted again, "I have something I want to ask you before you ask me anything. And the other sweet went both ways so there was no charge." She winked. "OK, what do you want to ask me?" "Well, two thing really. First, I'd like to have a phone number so I can call you. You do have a phone don't you?" "Yes, I have a phone. As a matter of fact it's right here," he pulled an iPhone with a cracked face out of his pocket. "That looks like it needs some help," she observed. "Yeah, I'm kinda rough on phones, I did this the first month after I got it. It isn't too bad though, I can still read things on the screen." He rattled off his number once she had retrieved her own phone. She texted him so he would have hers. "I was getting tired of waiting for you to come in. Now I can call when I want to see you. Don't worry though, I'm not one of those girls that has to call every hour to check on you." "I didn't think you were," Charlie assured her. "I would have found some excuse not to give you the number if I thought so. Was that both things or was there something else?" "Hmm? Oh, yeah, there was, is. I want to ask you out to a special event the museum is having tomorrow night. Drinks and hors d'oeuvres while we look at the exhibits. It's going to be a nicer event so while you don't have to wear a jacket and tie, jeans are not allowable. Is that ok?" "I think I could manage that." He smiled at her. "Great! Because the other day Charlotte helped me pick out a new dress that I just can't wait for you to see me in." "I knew you went shopping with Charlotte the other day," he confided. "Oh, don't be too surprised. Charlotte and I have no secrets from each other so don't say something to her that you wouldn't want me to hear, and vice versa." "She said you two were very close, I still don't understand what is preventing you from hooking up. But, if you both say it isn't happening, I believe you. "Come by and pick me up about 7:30 tomorrow if you would. I am really looking forward to our date." "Me too." Charlie looked over his shoulder checking to be sure nobody was looking through the window, then he leaned over and kissed Angela. He turned and left the store. * - * - * Angela stood in front of the mirror making sure everything was just right. She had added a little curl to her hair which fell about her shoulders. Beneath that a white sleeveless dress with a V neck that showed just a bit of her breasts. The dress itself was extremely short except that a sheer white dress covered her to the floor where high heels adorned her feet. She started worrying that perhaps this was too much. Too much cleavage, too much see-through. Before she could talk herself into changing she heard the knock on the door. "He gets points for always being on time," she told her image in the mirror. Another nervous flick at her hair and she went to the door. "Wow," Angela whispered when she opened the door, "you look great." Charlie stood there in a pair of gray slacks, white button shirt open at the collar, and a gray jacket. "Wow, yourself," Charlie answered. "You look amazing. Are you sure I'm ok? We could stop somewhere and look for a tie." "No, no you're fine," she assured him. "You are so fine. I mean, um, perhaps I am a bit overdressed, but I don't get to dress up much and I like to sometimes so maybe, well, forget it." Charlie chuckled. "I hate ties, so if you are good with me like this I am happy." "I'm good, let's go." Angela stepped through the door and pulled it closed. She kissed Charlie lightly not wanting to smudge her lipstick right away but still had to wipe away the red mark she had left on the side of his lip. They wrapped their arms around each other's waist and went to the car. They got to the museum and wandered about drinking glasses of wine and sampling the morsels offered on trays throughout. In the main foyer an orchestra played music to the crowd. They enjoyed playing with the exhibits and watching the other people. Charlie wasn't too out of place, though several of the other men were wearing suits with ties, there were enough who were casually dressed. Angela fit right in with the crowd. Only a couple other women went with more formal dresses but Charlie assured her he felt she was easily the prettiest one in the place. They left the museum and he drove back toward her place. "Charlie, is Charlotte seeing anyone now?" Angela asked as they pulled into a parking space at her apartment. "No, nobody." He shook his head. "Why? You aren't thinking of setting her up with someone, are you?" "Would that be so bad? You wouldn't be jealous, would you? I just thought it might be nice to do a double date is all." "Sorry, no, I wouldn't be jealous. It's just that we don't meddle in each other's lives that way, setting up dates and all. I don't want you to feel like you should either," Charlie explained. "I won't set her up. I don't know her that well yet. But we had such a good time the other day I just thought we might have fun doing something together," Angela countered. They got out of the car and walked to the door in silence. "I had a really good time tonight," Charlie tried to lighten the mood when they reached the door. He knew he had managed to upset Angela a bit. "I did too," she answered while unlocking the door. "I've got to be at the shop in the morning so I'm going to call it a night, ok?" "Yeah, sure." Charlie leaned to kiss her. Angela kissed him but cut it short. She turned and went inside. Charlie kicked at the ground and went back to the car. Something was going to need to be done and soon. He had hoped to avoid going into the details of his early life but it looked like it was going to have to be soon or this relationship wouldn't last much longer. In ways he was happy that Angela liked Charlotte so much, but in other ways he wished she didn't like her at all. But for whatever it was worth, it was Charlotte that led him to meet Angela in the first place. * - * - * A few days later Charlotte wandered into Sweet Dreams once again, timing her arrival for just when Angela would be getting off. She was nervous about how she would be received. "Oh, hi Charlotte. Candy?" Angela asked. "Yes, please," she answered, "and maybe somewhere we can go and talk for a few minutes?" Angela seemed to think about it for a couple minutes and finally relented. "There's a place just around the corner. Why don't you go ahead and get us a table. I'll join you when Mrs. Jenks relieves me, she's running a few minutes late today but it shouldn't be long." "OK, I'll see you in a few minutes." Charlotte left the store. Charlotte was watching the door waiting to see Angela come in. She was worried that she wouldn't show when the door finally opened and Angela walked in. Angela looked around for a moment and finally spotted Charlotte waving from a table over in the corner. "Hi," Angela offered and took a seat across from Charlotte. "I guess you heard all about Charlie and my last date, right? And that is why you are here." "Yeah, I know all about it. Perhaps Charlie was a bit too abrupt in shooting down your idea," Charlotte started to explain. She was interrupted by the waitress who took their drink order and left. "It didn't seem to take him any time at all to tell me no. No thought, no maybe, like the idea of you going out with someone would be just totally out of the realm of possibility. That just seems a little too protective to me. Maybe he does want to go out with you but is just afraid to tell you after all this time." "No, that really isn't it." Charlotte took a long drink and looked at Angela. "As far as dating someone goes, I would really love to date someone like you." Angela's eyes narrowed for a second and then widened as what she had just heard made sense. "Oh! I, um, I didn't know." "Of course you didn't," she assured her. "Charlie wouldn't say anything because he believes I should be the one to say something. Up until now I didn't think there was a reason to say anything. People can be uncomfortable around someone like me. That's why I hang out with Terri and Jean, they know everything and are still friends with me." "No, I'm fine with it," Angela tried to recover. "It's just such a shock. I've not met someone who, well, someone like you before. I'm sorry, I'm making a mess of things." "No, really, you're fine." Charlotte smiled at her. They sat and talked for a while longer. Angela told her how much fun they had at the museum and how nice she thought Charlie looked. The bill came and they each dug into their purses to get money. Charlotte pulled her cell phone and held it in one hand while pawing through the purse with the other collecting what she needed for the bill. Angela happened to look up and stopped staring for a moment. With a trembling hand she keyed her own phone and waited. A moment later the phone in Charlotte's hand began to ring. Charlotte glanced at the screen, saw the called id and in horror looked back at Angela. "Wait, Angela, please, let me explain," she whispered. Angela just shook her head. She dropped some money on the table and ran for the door. Charlotte scrambled to be sure there was enough for the bill and tried to catch her. But as she approached the parking lot she could see Charlie's car heading toward the exit. "Great, just great," Charlotte spoke to herself as she fled from the shopping center. "Now, how do I fix this. Or do I just let it drop." * - * - * Angela sat on the couch in her living room in tears rocking back and forth torn between feeling like she had lost her boyfriend and someone she was starting to believe was a friend, and anger at being lied to over the last month or so. "How could he believe he could get away with this!" she called out to the empty room. "How could I be so blind." A knock at the door made her jump. She wondered who would be there when she opened it. She wiped her face dry and pulled open the door. "Charlie," she said coldly when she saw who it was. "I was wondering if it would be you or Charlotte. Since she knows everything you know, right?" "Angela, can I come in and talk to you?" he begged. "Sure, why not." Angela turned from the door and went back to her couch. She plopped down and pulled one of the big pillows into her lap and hugged it. "Nice place." Charlie looked around and settled into a chair across from her. "Oh, please," she gave him a withering look. "Why don't you cut to the chase, huh? I'm not stupid but I can't believe you fooled me all this time. How smart you must think you are picking up girls with your good looks and then befriending them as Charlotte to learn how to be the perfect boyfriend. God, I'm just glad I didn't get too deep into this. What was your final plan? Bed me and disappear for the next one? Or are you an even bigger bastard than that? Do you find some way to rip me off and steal all my money? Good luck with that. I don't have much beyond what you see here." "Angela, please," Charlie worried his hands against one another. "This wasn't supposed to go this way. I was trying to find a way to tell you about Charlotte. I mean I didn't lie to you, I just never told you the whole truth. Charlotte and I share all our secrets, I'm not gay, so Charlotte is sort of, she is like a daughter in my family, though my parents don't acknowledge her. Obviously, Terri and Jean know and that is the secret that they giggle about. I haven't found a girl that I was interested in before I saw you. When the three of us went into the store the first time and I saw you, I knew I wanted to ask you out. The problem was that you had already met Charlotte. I couldn't just let her disappear for a while until we got to know each other a lot better because you made it clear you sort of liked Charlotte, too." "Really? You didn't lie, just skirted the truth," she argued. "Oh, sorry, didn't mean to be funny, no pun intended." "I wish you were being funny. At least it would be an indication you might understand." "No, I don't understand," the tears were flowing down her cheeks freely. "When I told Charlotte, told you, that I hadn't met someone like her before I had no idea what I was really saying! Oh, it is still true! Don't worry, I haven't lied to you at all. I just didn't realize I was telling you a truth different than what I thought I was telling you. "Look, I'm sorry, but I think you ought to leave now. I want to be alone." "Angela, I'm sorry," Charlie pleaded. "Just go." She laid her head down into the pillow in her lap. Charlie sighed and realized he couldn't push this any further. He got up and walked to the door. "Please, Angela, call me if you can give me a chance to tell you the whole story." He left and pulled the door closed behind him. A moment later he heard the deadbolt click and a sob. He trudged back to his car, his own tears beginning to fill his eyes. * - * - * Over the next couple weeks Angela went to work every day as usual. Mrs. Jenks could see she was miserable but she didn't pry. She knew Angela well enough that she would talk when she was ready. When the door opened admitting a customer Angela looked up dreading that it might be Charlie, or Charlotte, and at the same time wishing it might be him, or her. Charlie in the meantime was burying himself in his school work trying to keep from thinking about Angela. Several times, though, he found himself sitting in the parking lot off to the side from Sweet Dreams watching Angela leave for the day and walk to her car. Charlie had just gotten home from school one afternoon when he received a text on his phone: I'm ready to talk. I want to come to your place. Send me the address if you are ready too. I'll come by at 6:30 if you want. Charlie leapt with excitement. He quickly texted back his address and said that 6:30 that evening would be fine with him. He checked the clock and saw there was too much time before she would be there. He kept his place pretty neat so not much cleaning. He decided to go to the store and pick up a frozen pizza in case she decided to have some dinner with him. Maybe he'd pick up a bottle of wine. They might need a little extra something to get through this evening. Finally, the knock on the door came. Charlie went and pulled it open. Angela stood there, no smile on her face, and that made Charlie feel worse. He had hoped she would be a little cheerier, a hope he acknowledged to himself as being unrealistic. "Hi, Angela. Please, come on in." He stepped back allowing her into the living room." "Nice place," she echoed his words as she stepped into the apartment. "Yeah, thanks." He pushed the door close. "Why don't you take a seat. I got a frozen pizza if you would like something to eat. It'll take a little while to cook it, but it's the best I got. Also, I got a bottle of wine in case you'd like something to drink while we talk." "That sounds good." She took a seat on a chair. "But if you don't mind I have a few things I'd like before we get started." "Sure, of course. I'm just so happy you're here." "OK, first, pour us some wine. Second, start your oven, I'll put the pizza in when it is ready, because third, I want to talk to Charlotte," she stared directly into Charlie's eyes. "How long before she can be ready?" Charlie stood transfixed for a moment. Of all the ways he thought this evening could go, this was not one he had imagined. "Um, about an hour, maybe a little less," he finally told her. "OK," she reached into her purse and pulled out a paperback. "I'll be fine waiting." Charlie just nodded. Then he finally realized he wasn't moving and turned and went to the kitchen. He opened the wine, poured two glasses, set the oven to start warming up, brought Angela her wine, and then rushed back to his bedroom to change. He stripped off all his clothes except the panties he wore and went to his dresser. He opened the drawer Charlotte kept her lingerie in and selected a padded bra. Next he rushed into the closet and pawed through the dresses hanging there. He wanted something Angela hadn't already seen, something casual, not too dressy. He chose a green striped dress that had a scoop neckline, the skirt was short in the front, longer in the back. He felt it should strike the right balance for the evening. He tossed the dress on his bed and then went into the bathroom. He went to work applying his makeup and fixing his hair. Once the dress was on and some jewelry was added he look at the mirror with a critical eye. Everything was in place, and though rushed, he felt Charlotte was ready to entertain her guest. Angela looked up when Charlotte entered the room. She shook her head as she placed her bookmark between the pages and dropped the novel back into her purse. "Amazing," she offered. "Even though I know it's you it's hard to believe. The big question is your eyes. Charlotte's are green, Charlie's are brown." "Tinted contacts," Charlotte admitted. "It was the last thing I added to my repertoire in case someone got curious about Charlie and me." "It's effective." The timer on the oven sounded. "Pizza's ready," they both said at the same time. Charlotte started to laugh but Angela still hadn't smiled. Charlotte turned and went to the kitchen. Angela followed and watched Charlotte pull the pizza out, move about getting plates, napkins, pizza wheel, and cheese. She sliced it down and served a slice each. "Do you need more wine?" she asked Angela. "I think I do." "Yes, me too. I'll get my glass." Angela went and retrieved the glass and presented it for the refill. "OK, let's have a seat and even though this was my idea I think it's time you tell me your story." Charlotte nodded. "I was eight when it started," Charlotte began the story. "Jean and Terri both lived on my street and we hung out a lot together. They were the only two that were my age. There were a few boys that hung out but they were four or five years older, and the rest of the kids were younger. So we would play hopscotch, or jump rope, or play board games or hang out and talk. We enjoyed being together. "After a while the older boys on the street started giving me a hard time about being one of the girls. Occasionally they would push me around or hit me. My father didn't like it, but even more he got mad at me for not standing up for myself. It didn't matter that there were three of them and they were bigger, he felt I should fight back no matter what. Eventually he got the idea that if he beat me for not fighting I would start fighting. It didn't work out that way. "One day I got shoved into a mud puddle by them as we walked home from school. We went to Jean's house because I didn't want to go home and face my father. They snuck me back into her bedroom. I was dripping wet and they decided I should get out of the clothes so Jean dug out some things to wear. At first I didn't want to do it, I thought if my dad found out it would be a worse beating than for not fighting, but I was miserable being so wet so I relented. Since they were still dressed for school, skirts and blouses, they decided to have me dress the same. Jean had a large closet so at least I got to change in there instead of in front of them. "What they didn't know is that I had been trying on some of my mother's panties and pantyhose. I found them in the laundry basket which was in the bathroom. They looked so silky and felt nice I decided to try them. Even though they were too big, I liked the feel. "I literally peeled the clothes from my body, toweled off and stepped into the underwear she gave me. Then I put on tank top little girls wear with the lace around the arm holes and neck. I added the blouse and the skirt. They fit me perfectly and I really liked it. So I came back out. "They thought it was great! We spread my other clothes out to let them dry and settle down to play some board games. We had a great afternoon together. When it came time for me to go home I found I didn't want to change back into my muddy clothes, but then I also knew that I couldn't walk into my house in the skirt either. So, I changed back and went home. Of course I got yelled at for letting myself get pushed around again but I kept the memory of the afternoon in my mind and I was ok. "After that Jean and Terri started hiding away changes of clothes for me to change into when we would go off on our bikes together. We'd ride off to other neighborhoods where nobody knew us and play on their playgrounds. Or we'd spend the afternoon at one of their houses playing games. "Of course something had to happen. We were only eight or nine and after doing it for a couple months we got lazy and Jean's mom came into her room one day when we were all playing. Of course she knew who I was and with me sitting there that day wearing one of her daughter's Sunday dresses at first confused her, then she was incredulous. She was going to call my parents and tell them what was going on but we all pleaded for her not to. Jean and Terri explained best as possible how we started doing it and explain that I never got naked in front of them, I always changed out of sight. And lastly that if my father found out he would probably beat me senseless and ground me forever. She finally relented but she kept an eye on us the rest of the day. "She never did tell my parents as we asked but that didn't prevent her from inviting Terri's mom over one day when we were playing together. She told her the whole story and then paraded her into the bedroom where we were; of course I was wearing some of Jean's clothes that day too. Terri's mom agreed to keep it just between all of us as long as things didn't change to different types of games between me and their daughters. I didn't understand at the time, but later figured out that she was talking about sex stuff. "Later I started sneaking around more of my mother's things too. Trying on grownup lingerie and dresses was thrilling. It was all too big for me still but it felt nicer than the clothes the girls gave me to wear and I was getting bigger. Standing in front of a mirror wearing those things I started thinking of what it might have been like if I had been born a girl and that my name would have been Charlotte. "I started telling the girls I wanted to be called Charlotte whenever we played and I was wearing their clothes and they liked the idea. It didn't take too long before they started thinking of me as one of the girls. "Years passed and I can't believe that news of Charlotte didn't get back to my parents but somehow it didn't. The girls started getting into makeup and we would practice putting on lipstick and eye-shadow and stuff. God, it was horrendous at first but we thought we looked oh so grown up. They were growing up in other ways, too. They were needing bras and getting more say in the clothes they wore. Specifically underwear. They started not wanting to share their underwear with me any longer. "We decided to pool our money together: birthday money, lunch money, wherever it came from. We put it all together and went to a store. Of course, Jean and Terri gave me all sorts of advice on what sort of panties I should buy and they picked out a couple padded bras for me and they used the savings to pay for it all so I wouldn't have to go to the register. Then they split it up and each stored some at their house so I would have it when I was there. They still let me wear their dresses and stuff, I just had to have my own underwear. "About the time we were turning fifteen they thought I could go out as Charlotte doing things other than a playground without anyone knowing. So we tried it one day. We went to a movie and stopped off at a store to buy sodas. We had a great time that day. We even walked right up the street past the boys, who also still hung out together at times. Aside from some whistles and lewd comments they didn't realize who I was. "Of course it was too good to last. I got in a hurry to get home one day and didn't get all the makeup off my eyes. My mother spotted it while we were eating dinner. She didn't say anything right away, fortunately. My dad didn't pay enough attention to me to pick up on it. After dinner my mom asked me about it. I tried to play it off that it was just Terri and Jean playing around but then she told me she knew I had been into her clothes. "I really don't lie very well, which is why I am careful about how I answered your questions. I didn't lie, I just left the interpretation up to you. "Anyway," Charlotte went on in answer to Angela's frown, "I finally broke down and told her the truth about the whole thing. I pleaded with her not to tell my father and she agreed not to. I think she realized how bad it would be on me if he found out. She also warned me that I needed to stop doing it. I was getting old enough to be thinking about dating, and getting a job, and then college wasn't that far down the line. "I couldn't stop. Charlotte was more than just something to do for fun. Charlotte was a real person. Charlie seemed like more of the made up character. I wanted to be Charlotte all the time. "After a few more months I turned sixteen. Terri and Jean were dating and we would all get together and chat about their dates. I started to realize I wasn't interested in dating guys, I would listen to them talk about kissing the guy, getting felt up, or touching the guy and I was like, uh, no way. So next was to consider girls, me wanting to be with them and how would I feel about that. In truth I wasn't sure. Terri and Jean were friends. It never occurred to me or to them that we might date. It would be too weird. There were girls at school but aside from Terri and Jean I didn't really have friends at school. But I found I was ok with that, as long I as could be Charlotte, I was happy. "The three of us decided to attend college here. It was rough starting out living in the dorm but I managed. Eventually I got to where I could afford an apartment. It isn't much but it works for me. I also started collecting my own wardrobe for Charlotte. Terri and Jean were thrilled that they could stop lending me their clothes and we enjoy going out shopping and all together. Then one day I saw Sweet Dreams and I was craving dark chocolate nonpareils. We went in the door and there you were. I don't know what it was about you but I wanted to get to know you. But I also knew it was Charlie that needed to know you. "If I had gone in that first time as Charlie, I might have tried to bury Charlotte for a time so that I could know you. You really are the first girl I've been attracted to enough to want to date. I also found out that no matter how much I thought I could put Charlotte out of the picture I couldn't. The second time I, Charlotte, went into the store with Jean I had insisted we go by. I wanted to see you. I think I needed to know if we could be friends. I was searching for a way to tell you about me when I went by that time that we went shopping, then again when you spotted my phone. I really wasn't trying to get information on how to be the perfect boyfriend, or even the perfect girl friend to you as Charlotte. I was trying to figure out how I could turn this screwed up situation into one where we could be together." Angela sat there for several minutes looking at Charlotte. "You're really amazing," she finally spoke to her. "I watch you sitting there trying to see the man behind the woman. When you are Charlotte, you are a woman, everything you do is feminine. And I have watched you as Charlie and you are completely different. Not as oafish as a lot of men are, but definitely masculine. I'm still not sure this is a situation I can deal with, but I feel better about it than I did. I believe you didn't mean to deceive me." They sat there for several minutes saying nothing. Charlotte had emptied the last of the wine into their glasses and taken away the plates, the pizza had disappeared during the course of her story. "I'm not sure," Angela went on, "whether you being so nice and considerate is a result of you being that type of guy or because of Charlotte." "I don't think it matters, both are me," Charlotte shrugged. "I can tell you one thing, though, if you are looking for a guy who will be all jealous and jump on other guys for looking at you, I'm probably not the one you want. I'll defend you from anyone to the best of my ability, I promise, but physical confrontation is a last resort to me." "Oh, so you won't get jealous?" Angela asked. "I didn't say that. I just hope I won't do something stupid if I do." "OK, you've given me quite a bit to think about," Angela stood up and drained the final few drops from her glass. "I think I am going to go now." "Where do we stand?" Charlotte asked. "That's a funny question," Angela looked back into the green eyes under the pale green eye shadow and lashes thick with mascara. You and I may still be friends. Charlie and I might be friends, might be more. It's a lot to take in. I'm sorry, I need more time." "I wish I didn't look like this right now, I really want to kiss you." Charlotte reached toward Angela. Angela stepped away. "That is why I wanted to have this conversation with you. It would be so easy for me to go back to Charlie and pretend Charlotte didn't exist until I saw her again. This makes it a little easier to walk away for now." Angela pulled open the door and passed through it. Charlotte stared at the door as it closed and then went about slowly cleaning up the apartment. Eventually she went back to the bedroom and saw herself in the mirror. "Why?" she called to the image. "Why couldn't you have been a normal boy, or a normal girl?" A tear leaked from the corner of her eye leaving a pale black streak as it travelled to her chin. * - * - * Finals were over and Charlie was relaxing thinking about graduation when the bing bong announcing an incoming text came from his phone. He was shocked seeing it was from Angela, it had been six weeks since their conversation, he had given up on hearing from her again. "Who is graduating? Charlie or Charlotte?" it read. He shook his head because he understood that Angela still didn't understand completely the role Charlotte played in his life. "Charlie," he typed back. "I'd like to be there if you would like that," came the reply. Charlie's heart immediately started hammering faster in his chest. He wondered if this meant what he truly hoped it did. "Yes. Terri and Jean and I (Charlie) are going to a club after graduation for a celebration. Would love for you to spend evening with us." He nervously sent back then stared at the phone for the agonizing minute it took for her response. "I would like that. Details?" "YES!!" Charlie yelled out to the room. He punched in the details and asked if she would like to meet him at his apartment before the ceremony. He was relieved to see she would come by and he soared with elation. He was on cloud nine. He texted Jean and Terri to tell them of the new development. * - * - * Saturday, Graduation Day, it was finally here. Not only after all the years of work put in but also the three days since Angela had texted Charlie to say she wanted to be there. Charlie was walking rapidly around his small apartment fixing and re-fixing his clothes. Then came the knock on the door. He ran eight steps and yanked open the door. At first he said nothing, just stared. Angela stood there in a light gauzy blue and white dress and matching heels. Makeup was exquisitely done. Not since their museum date had he seen her in a dress or taken extra time on her makeup. It soon followed that most guys probably wouldn't have even noticed these details, he was glad he did. "Wow, you look beautiful," he gushed. "Thank you," she seemed to blush just a little. "Can I come in?" "Huh, oh yeah, sorry, come in, please." Charlie ushered her into the room. "You look pretty good too, nice tie," Angela commented. "Thanks, I hate the thing. It feels like it is trying to strangle me." He fiddled with it for the ninetieth time since he put it on. Angela laid her purse on the sofa and went to him. She reached up and straightened his tie then brushed a stray piece of lint from his shoulder. "I've missed you," she confessed. "I didn't think I would be here but I could never stop thinking about you. When I heard the graduation ceremony was today I decided it was now or never. If I chose never I would always wonder if I hadn't given up on the love of my life. If everything you told me about you, about Charlotte, is true, then I think I would like to give this a try." "Oh, yes," Charlie beamed. "Every word I told you is true. When you asked who was graduating, me or Charlotte, I felt like I wasn't clear. Charlotte is there for going out with friends and stuff, for when I want to feel different, better at times. She is an escape that I can't live without. But me, Charlie, I go to school. And now I will look for a job, and I will go to work. Obviously there is some crossover, like sometimes Charlotte did homework, or library research, and will likely sit up grading papers, but she can't ever show up to school or meet a parent." "I thought that was the case but I wanted to be sure you weren't trying to soften the blow and then I find out that Charlotte was going to school and become the teacher. I think if you had told me that I may have decided to go away, no matter how much I think I might love you." Angela peered into Charlie's eyes waiting to see the reaction. Charlie reached around Angela's waist and pulled her close kissing her without saying another word. "I think I love you too," Charlie breathed as they broke the kiss. "I was miserable thinking I wouldn't see you again but I knew I had to accept any decision you made. It's an odd situation, but I think we can make it work." In answer Angela pulled their faces together in another extended kiss. Charlie broke the kiss, "I hate to say this but we need to get going, I have to get there a bit early for the lineup." "We'll have plenty of time together. Let's go get you graduated." Angela went and grabbed her purse. "I have one other question for you." Charlie quickly grabbed his cap and gown. "Sure, anything." "When you saw me in this dress did you think you might like to borrow it?" Charlie stopped and looked at her for a moment. "In truth, no. I was so happy to see you that it was the only thought in my mind. Now, that you mention it, yes. It looks lovely, comfortable, and a bit sexy. It is definitely something Charlotte would love to wear." "OK, well I'm glad that at least I was the first thought," she grinned. "We can talk about Charlotte borrowing it later." Later that evening Jean, Terri, Angela and Charlie were celebrating together. "I'm really sorry we were coming off as so rude," Jean was trying to explain. "We just aren't that good at talking about Charlie when someone has met Charlotte." "Yeah," Terri continued. "Believe it or not it doesn't happen that often. Usually we help deflect guys from hitting on Charlotte. It's kind of annoying really. She gets hit on a lot when we go out." "It doesn't happen that much," Charlie protested. "Oh, you don't know how many times we've had guys approach us interested in you. More than you can imagine," Jean shook her head. "This is going to be a challenge," Angela went on. "Not only am I going to be having to watch out for some girl who might want to hit on my guy, but I have to worry about guys hitting on him when he is out as my friend Charlotte!" They all laughed. "Hey, no problem," Terri interjected. "Just tell the guys you two are together! They'll either walk away or try and convince both of you to go with them." "Hey," Jean jumped back in. "How about a girl's brunch tomorrow? Omelets and mimosas!" "Oh, Jean," Charlie protested, "Angela and I have just gotten back together and I don't want to push things..." "Nonsense," Angela stopped him. "I've known Charlotte almost as much as I've known Charlie. I think it would be great to have us all go out tomorrow afternoon. Maybe even a little shopping after? Weather is supposed to be really nice." "I'm always up for shopping," Terri added. They all looked at Charlie. "Who am I to put a damper on things," he shrugged. "I'll be there with bells on." "Not bells," Jean chided, "just heels and a dress!" "That is something I was curious about," Angela turned to Charlie. "Do you always wear a dress when you go out as Charlotte? Never pants or shorts or anything?" "Well, I always wear pants and shorts," Charlie tried to explain. "Wearing a dress is what Charlotte is all about. It wouldn't feel right to me wear pants, even pants styled for a woman, as Charlotte." "Plus he likes the way dresses feel on him," Terri offered. "And the lingerie?" Angela pressed. "Don't you know?" Jean asked. "We wondered what your reaction was the first time he stripped down to his panties in front of you." "Well," Angela blushed, "we haven't actually gotten that far yet." She turned to Charlie. "So you wear panties all the time?" It was Charlie's turn to blush. "Yeah." "Well that's interesting," she leaned back in her seat. "Is that a deal breaker?" Charlie started to panic. "I haven't owned any MEN'S underwear since I came to college. Well, since after my first year. I like the way panties feel on me." "No, not a deal breaker, but I am curious now. I think I am curious about a lot of things." Angela gave Charlie a little wink. Despite the suggestive nature of Angela's comments she left Charlie at the apartment and went home once the celebration ended. The next day they met up at the restaurant for th