The Anti-Prom
We finished our lunch in the cafeteria and proceeded to walk out back to
the parking lot. We still had fifteen minutes and a few of our group
liked to get a cigarette in before the next class period started.
This was a routine that we have been following since we came together in
our sophomore year. It was such an incredible find for all of us to come
together. Five of us are from out of state and it wasn't even the local
that got us all together. We don't really fit in with any other group and
maybe that is our connection.
Another odd coincidence is that we make up three couples now. It didn't
start out that way. It was just three guys and three girls that hung out
together. In the beginning we even dated outside the group but it never
seemed to work out for very long. The new person didn't really fit in, or
tried to take one of us away and that really didn't work. We just seemed
to belong together.
So, here I am, my name is Len and originally from the northeast. I am
dating Cheryl who came here from the Windy City. We have been dating for
the last two years. We are both about a tenth of a point from being on
the Honors List, but we don't really push that hard. We both love music,
she plays, I listen. I love sports but I am not quite tall enough and
can't seem to put on weight at all. But that's okay because I don't think
I would fit into the whole jock world thing anyway.
Next are Jason and Liz. They are the odd couple in the group so far as
appearance goes. Jason is over six foot tall and Liz is almost five foot.
Liz is definitely in command and Jason would kill anyone who hurt her.
Looking at Jason it would be easy to see him running up and down a
basketball court, or waiting for a pass from the quarterback, but he
doesn't have that competitive gene. He likes laying back, smoking a
little weed on occasion and trying to impress Liz. Liz is the local and
Jason's family moved early in our sophomore year from Oklahoma.
The last couple is Zack and Andrea. Zack is a total bookworm and is on
the Honor List. Looking every bit the nerd he is he also doesn't act it.
He is a total class clown but he gets away with it because he seems to
know just how far he can push the teacher and besides, he gets the
grades. He and Andrea started dating just this year. Andrea is fairly
quiet but she just lights up around Zack. Andrea came from New Mexico,
Zack from Tennessee.
So here we are. We reached our chosen spot on the parking lot. Every
group seems to have their own area that comes out here. The others that
are harder into the drug scene have set up shop further down the lot,
other smokers scatter about the lot with their own group of friends. The
coaches roll up and down the lot in a pickup truck trying to monitor
everyone and catch and trouble makers.
"It's hard to believe this is all going to end in a couple months," Liz
commented.
"Don't talk about it," Andrea pleaded. "It makes me sad."
"Sad?" I asked. "To get away from High School? I can't wait to move on to
college. Things will be a whole lot better than here. These classes are
so boring."
"Oh, so you are ready to leave us all behind?" Andrea countered.
"What? No!" I quickly answered. "We'll always be together. So we don't
get to have lunch every day, but our families will still be in the area
and we'll be able to meet up during Christmas and the summer."
"I think you might be a bit na?ve, Len," Zack joined in. "As much I want
to believe we will continue to be together I can't see that happening."
I saw several heads nodding, Andrea wiped a tear away.
"Well, we don't know how it is going to go yet," I defended myself.
"Andrea, don't get upset yet. Even with graduation in two months we will
still have the rest of the summer before we head out to college."
Andrea looked up and smiled nodding. Zack put an arm around her.
College was another force trying to drag us all apart. Each of us has a
course we want to follow in our lives and it seemed that none of us would
be going to the same place. Maybe we wouldn't be together much longer but
I don't want to dwell on that yet.
"Yeah, that's right," Cheryl pointed out. "We have all summer to go. And
we are going to have a big party before we head out of town, right?
Right!?"
Everyone nodded and mumbled a "Right" or a "Yeah".
"First thing up is the Senior Prom. It is coming up in just six weeks,"
Cheryl took over as chair of our little meeting. "And the first question
is: Are we going?"
"I don't know if I can do it," Liz informed us. I haven't got anything to
wear and can't afford a dress. My folks are really trying to hold things
together since my Dad lost his job and there isn't any way I could ask
them to buy me anything."
"Maybe you could find something on the cheaper end and we could all pitch
in a little and help out," I offered.
"You have no idea what all is involved," Liz shook her head. "It isn't
just finding a dress and going to the prom. Lots of the others talk about
us and that doesn't bother me, but that would put things at a whole
different level. I can't handle the cattiness of the other girls right
now."
Cheryl and Andrea were both nodding their agreement.
"You guys go and rent a tux," Andrea began. "Hopefully pick something
nice and then you pick out a corsage. You make arrangements for a limo if
you can afford it and that is about it. You pick us up and we are off to
the prom."
"In the meantime," Cheryl continued, "we need to find the right dress,
and not just any dress because it has to be something that another girl
isn't going to wear. It has to be just right for me, and in style. Then
there are shoes, make-up, hair, and jewelry."
"It's a wonder you girls want to go," Jason interjected.
"Well, once everything is done," Andrea answered, "and even during the
searching and prepping, it is a lot of fun. Especially when you get to do
it with real good friends." She reached out and took Cheryl and Liz by
the hand.
"Why don't we have our own prom," Zack asked. "That way we can decide
just how we want it to be. We can program our own music instead of some
lame DJ. We can figure out someplace and decide on going to dinner before
or bringing in some food."
"Yeah," Jason offered his support to the idea. "We'll have a lot more fun
than if we go with to that formal thing. Besides," he looked down at the
sneakers on his feet, "I wasn't looking forward to spending an evening in
those stiff dress shoes. They really hurt my feet."
"Oh, please," all three girls seemed to say at once.
"You really have no idea how uncomfortable shoes can be," Cheryl added.
"Seriously," Jason went on, "between the shoes and the stiff collar on
the tux and the tie, and jacket, you feel hemmed in all night. And hot."
"That's true," I added in. "You girls get to wear a dress that has got to
be a lot more comfortable. Open at the bottom, open at the top, maybe
sleeves, maybe not. Has to be better than the tux."
"Well maybe you guys don't know what you are talking about," Liz mused.
"What?" I was starting to dread the look in her eyes.
"What if we were to do an Anti-Prom?" Liz looked around at each of us.
"You mean we all just dress really comfortably and have a good time?" I
tried.
"How would that make it any different than any of the other parties that
we have?" Liz frowned. "No, you guys will dress up in dresses and heels
and make-up for us! And we will take care of getting our own tuxes, and
corsages and the ride to the party."
"We can't do all that stuff," Jason objected. "I'm not going to someplace
and have make-up put on. And what if someone sees me walking around in a
dress? Uh, uh, no way."
"You wouldn't do it for me?" Liz tugged on Jason's arm and you could see
the resolve slowly melt from his face.
"Wait," I continued the objection, "Jason's right. We can't be doing all
that. You girls are complaining about catty remarks and stuff, but we'll
get beaten up."
"Well, Liz," Cheryl turned to her, "I really like your idea but Len is
right. They can't do all that."
"Let's us talk about it some," Andrea grinned. "I think it sounds like a
great idea and if we can make it work, I think it would be great fun."
I looked over at Zack and Jason. None of us were smiling. But the girls
were all grinning like the cat that ate the canary.
* 2 *
I was eating breakfast the next morning with my parents and I got the
inevitable question about how school was going and if I was going to the
prom with Cheryl.
"Well, we were all talking about it yesterday," I started the story
trying to figure out just how much I wanted to talk about it. I really
wanted my mother's opinion, I didn't think Dad would be all that keen on
it. Despite what a lot of kid's think about their folks, I recognized how
smart mine actually are. "So, Liz said it was going to be too expensive
to go. And then the discussion went on to how it is so much easier for
guys to just rent a tux."
"Uh, oh," Mom murmured.
"What?" Dad asked.
"Wait for it," she nodded at me to continue.
"Well, we all agreed to do something on our own because we really didn't
need to hang out with a bunch of people we don't spend a lot of time with
anyway. So someone said that it would be a relief to not have to spend a
night in those uncomfortable shoes that you have to wear with a tux."
"Uh, oh," Mom shook her head.
"Would you stop doing that," Dad commanded, "and tell me what's going
on?"
"He's getting to it," she snickered.
"How does she figure this out so fast?" I thought to myself. Out loud I
explained, "Well, one of the girl's, I'm not even sure which one now, it
seems like they all thought of it at once. Isn't it funny how they all
seem to be talking about the same thing all of a sudden without even
saying anything to each other about it?"
"Quit delaying and tell me what's going on," Dad was getting impatient.
Mom was having trouble keeping the smile off her face.
I let out a long breath and continued. "They think we should have our own
prom. They actually called it an Anti-Prom."
"So?" Dad again.
"So, they are going to get tuxes and Zack, Jason and I have to get prom
dresses," I blurted out.
"Ha!" Mom finally allowed herself to erupt.
"You can't be serious," Dad pushed. "And how did you know?"
"If you spent any real time with these kids you would know they think
outside the box, especially Cheryl. The idea that she thought they could
teach these boys a lesson doesn't surprise me in the least. But don't
worry dear, I doubt this is any attempt to embarrass the boys, just sort
of a 'walk a mile in my shoes' sort of lesson. Isn't that about the size
of it Len?"
"I think so," I was afraid she might side with the girls. "The girls are
going to figure out a place, bring in the food, take care of
transportation, all the things we would normally do, we are supposed to
do what they do. It'll be just the six of us."
"How are you supposed to do the dress and shoe shopping?" Mom asked now
just interested in the details. She didn't seem disturbed at all that I
would be waltzing around in a dress all evening.
"I don't know," I admitted.
"Well, if you need any help with anything let me know," she got up from
the table and went to rinse off her dishes.
"You're ok with him doing this?" Dad asked.
"Why not? I think it would be a good lesson for him. Might even make him
appreciate the trouble his future wife has to go through on a regular
basis instead of complaining about how long it takes her to get ready."
"I don't complain," Dad started to protest but fell silent when Mom
flashed him a glance.
"Great," I dropped my spoon into the empty bowl.
"Sorry, son," Dad sighed. "Looks like you stepped in it and I am not
going to be any help here. I could only make it worse." He started to
leave the table then shot a glance at Mom, stepped back to the table,
picked up his dishes and took them to the sink.
Mom took them from him when he got close enough, "Thank you." Then to me,
"Len, it won't be that bad. Try and have some fun with it."
"Right," I took my bowl to the sink. She kissed me on the side of my face
and hugged me before taking my bowl.
* 3 *
The six of us got together out at the park where we liked to hang when we
weren't at one of our places. There usually wasn't anyone around after
eight or nine o'clock and we never made enough noise to warrant a call to
the police. I think the neighbors may even recognize us by now for as
often as we visit this place.
Cheryl, Zack and I were sitting on the swings drifting back and forth.
Jason was sitting on the rail of the merry-go-round, and Liz and Andrea
were sitting on the bench of a picnic table.
"So," Cheryl began our informal Anti-Prom planning committee meeting.
"Len ended up telling his folks about the plan and his mom thinks it is a
great idea!"
"I knew she would be cool with it," Andrea laughed. "Any of you other
guys tell your parents?"
"I was hoping you would decide it wasn't going to work out and then it
wouldn't matter," Zack stated.
"Think again," Liz teased. "Jason hasn't said anything yet but he will
need to."
Jason let his head drop down which started turning the wheel with the
slight shift in weight.
"Look," Cheryl went on, "you guys can work out what sort of dresses you
want. Look online to get some ideas. But figure it out soon. Shoes might
be a bit tougher but I bet we can work it out."
"You guys want to come over tomorrow afternoon?" I posed. "My mom already
knows so might as well do it there. We'll check out some sites and see
what we can find."
Zack and Jason just nodded in agreement.
"You know," Liz added, "I have heard stories where couples have done this
at their real prom. You could just go to a regular store and tell them
your dates are wearing tuxes and you need a dress. I'll bet they'd be
happy to set you up."
"Yeah," Andrea added, "I mean to get a good fit we are going to have to
go to the store and get fitted."
"You could go to a place that rent's prom dresses and save some of the
expense," Cheryl helpfully went on. "They could probably set you up with
the shoes and all. One stop and done. Easy, right?"
"Oh," Liz came back, "Jason, I need to know what color dress you decide
on so I can see about maybe matching my tie, or other things to your
dress."
"Same," Andrea and Cheryl directed me and Zack.
After that we let the topic drop. I think the girls intuitively
understood that if they pushed it much more we might rebel. We hung out
in the park for a couple more hours and then we returned to our cars and
drove the girls home.
* 4 *
I was just sitting in my room killing time when Zack and Jason walked in
my door.
"Ready to do some dress shopping?" Zack lipped.
I gave him a dirty look but opened my laptop and got the set to start.
"So, Google prom dresses and start from there?" I poised my fingers on
the keys.
"Sounds like a plan," Jason sighed.
I looked at the list generated and selected a site that seemed like it
would work. A place to start at least.
"Wow," Zack leaned over my shoulder, "look at them! Man, I wouldn't mind
seeing them walking into the prom."
"Yeah, they look great, but not to spoil the mood but we are supposed to
be looking at the dresses."
"Oh, yeah," Zack leaned back again.
"Looks like there is a lot to choose from," Jason was looking over my
other shoulder.
"We need to narrow it down some," I looked over the pictures. "I know
there is no way I would want one of the two piece looks. I'm not walking
around with my stomach bare."
Zach and Jason both nodded agreement.
"Speaking of bare," Jason added, "I'm thinking strapless would be a bad
idea for us as well."
"Are we supposed to have fake boobs too?" Zach asked.
"I hadn't thought about it," I sat back. "It would probably help make the
dress look better. What about length? Long? Short? In between?"
"I don't think I'll be able to find a long dress that will look right on
me," Jason observed. "But I don't want anything too short either."
"I guess Zack and I are lucky there," I laughed at the use if the word
lucky.
"Why don't we start with color," Zack proposed. "All the same or
different colors?"
"Different," I insisted. "This is going to be weird enough without all of
us in matching colors."
"Agreed," Zach jumped right in, "so I think I'd like to go blue."
"OK," I started scrolling again, "I think I'd like green. How about you,
Jason?"
"Well, I guess I could try red, or maybe black," he added reluctantly.
"As long as it doesn't look pink. I don't know why but pink just seems to
be really wrong."
Zack and I laughed. "Yeah, I gotta agree with you there."
"How's it going, boys?" my mother walked into the room.
"Slowly," I groaned. "At least we've sort of decided on which color we'll
each wear."
"Well, that is something," she snickered. "What about style?"
"We talked about it some and made some decisions," I told her as Zack and
Jason retreated to sit on my bed. "More like eliminated some things, but
how are we supposed to decide on something that we have no experience
with? How should we know if we want long or short or sleeves or something
that is kind of fluffy or looks real straight?"
"Those are good points. You certainly have your work cut out for you.
Good luck," she left the room leaving us just as perplexed as when she
came in.
"I thought we could knock this out in no time," Zack fell back on the
bed. "How about you give me that site and I'll do some looking tonight.
Before any of us buy anything we compare notes."
"I can handle that," Jason agreed.
"OK," I closed the computer.
They took off, I turned on some music and lay on the bed contemplating my
situation.
"Len," my mom called, "I'm going out for a few minutes. Be back soon."
"OK," I called back.
I heard the garage door open and close and lay there trying to decide
what to do. After a while inspiration struck, or desperation, I wasn't
sure which but I got up and turned off the music. I wanted to be able to
hear if one of my folks came back. I went to their bedroom.
I stood in the room staring at her dresser, then I peeked at the closet
door. Do I want to start with a dress? I don't think it will fit me, my
mother is kind of small. I don't know if anything will fit but maybe I
can find something to try.
I thought about the fake boobs and decided to start there. I went to the
dresser and opened a drawer. There were several bras in it in different
colors. I never thought about my mom wearing things like this. Red,
white, black, lacy, sheer! I cringed at the image that came to my mind. I
don't like thinking about her that way.
I found a plain black bra and tried to stretch it around my chest over my
shirt. I couldn't make the ends reach; my arms wouldn't bend far enough.
Another decision: I took off my shirt and once again tried to fasten the
bra around me, this time at my waist. It was really tight and I pulled it
up in place, the straps hung loose because I didn't want to try and fit
my arms in and risk changing them or breaking them or something.
I could hardly breath it was so tight. The cups sagged being empty. I
opened another drawer and looks to see if there was something I could try
and fill them with. Panties, as varied as the bras, but before I could
get too far I heard the hum of the garage door.
I shoved the drawer closed and struggled to get the bra down where I
could undo it. I finally got it off and hastily threw it in the other
drawer, closed it, grabbed my shirt and pulled it on as I raced to my
room. I heard the door just as I got in.
"Len," Mom called, "come here a minute."
I walked into the kitchen where she was waiting and was surprised at what
I saw.
"I went to Goodwill and found a few dresses for you to try," she pointed
to some clothes lying on the table. "I took a guess at the size and got
some different lengths so you could get an idea of what you might like
before you spend real money on a dress. I have to tell you, I thought I
would miss the opportunity to help a daughter picking out her dress for
the prom or helping her get ready, but if you would like I would really
like to help you."
"Thanks," I was shaking a bit, "I think I will need your help a lot."
"Are you ok?" she frowned. "You look a little flushed."
"I'm fine, really," I assured her. "Just running around a little before
you got in."
"OK, well, take those dresses back to your room and try them on. See if
any fit and how they feel. Walk around in them too so you will know what
it will be like to wear it."
I picked up the pile and turned to go to my room. "Thanks, Mom," I smiled
at her. Then I went to see what sort of dresses my mother chose to buy
for her son.
There were five dresses in all: two short, two long, a medium length and
one that was short in the front and long in the back. That last one
intrigued me so I decided to try it first.
I pulled off my clothes, except for my underwear, and pulled the dress on
over my head. It was green and white stripe, felt like t-shirt material
and fit down to my waist very comfortably. Then the skirt was loose and
the front ended just above my knee while the back was all the way down to
just above my ankle. I walked around my room feeling the way the dress
moved against my legs. I actually liked the way it felt. Maybe too much
as I was getting pretty excited about it.
I decided I ought to try the others and sorted through them. A red dress
that looked like a long sweater. I pulled off my first dress and pulled
on the red one. It was tight all the way down to a couple inches above my
knees. It struck me funny that a short dress would have long sleeves. I
walked around my room and felt the dress as it hugged my legs keeping me
from taking too long a stride. I liked this one too, but it had a problem
that I hadn't considered. How would I ask my mother how I am supposed to
prevent a bulge from showing in a dress like this?
I went to the next short dress. I peeled off the red dress and slipped on
a white short dress. The skirt on this one was wide, like the first
dress. The whole dress was big though so it didn't feel right. The skirt
was short, I reached down to see if it was actually long enough to keep
me covered and found it was, barely. The skirt was so wide I couldn't
feel it touching my legs as I walked around. I felt half-naked. But
knowing I wasn't made it all that more exciting.
Now, a long dress. I leaned to pick them up and as I did the sudden image
of my backside getting exposed came to my mind. I reached back and
checked and sure enough my skirt had risen up a lot. I was glad my mom
hadn't decided to walk in at that moment. I quickly turned and sat on the
edge of the bed to inspect the other two dresses.
Both were long, one was yellow and pretty straight with a pinch in at the
waist, the other looked like it would have more room. I decided to start
with the narrow one.
As I was trying to get it on over my head I noticed the slit in the back
of the skirt and once I got it settled I found that while the dress was
going to be tight, I hadn't figured out how to zip it yet, it was the
first dress with a back zipper, it would likely be easier to walk in with
that slit.
After trying a few things I decided I wasn't able to contort myself into
a position that would allow me to zip the dress all the way up. It was
open from below my shoulder blades to my neck. I decided maybe I needed
to check out the other long dress. No zippers, so I decided to swap.
I struggled out of the dress and dropped the last one on over my head. It
is what I would call a hippie dress. It was patterned in mostly tans with
some red, orange, green and blue mixed in. There was a lot of material in
the skirt. The top was sleeveless, another conundrum to me. Long dress,
no sleeves, or short dress with long sleeves. Weird
I liked the flow of the dress as well. I walked around the room a lot and
sat and moved. I decided to go to my closet and find some hangers. I
wasn't sure what my mother's plans were for the dresses after today, but
I thought I ought to hold onto them for a little while until I decided on
my prom dress.
Another odd thing. I didn't find myself dreading it as much as I did
before. I hung up the shorter dresses and then took off the hippie dress
and hung it up. I got the long tight dress and put it back on. Once again
I struggled getting the zipper as high as I could, then I took a breath
and went to ask for some help.
I walked back to the kitchen kicking the heavy skirt ahead of me. I could
feel my legs appearing and disappearing through the slit in the back.
"Mom," I almost whispered as I entered the living room where she was
sitting and reading, "could you help me, please."
She smiled when she looked up, "My, my, look at you."
I could feel the blood rushing to my face. I was certain I was redder
than the red dress I just hung in my closet.
"You look fine," she came and walked around behind me. With a tug the
zipper came all the way up to just below my neck. "I'm sorry but I got
this one on purpose because I knew you would need help with it. Have you
tried any of the others?"
I walked away from her a couple steps and turned. "Yeah, I've tried them
all on. I, uh, like them. One is a little too big but the others fit
okay."
"Good," she nodded as she eyed me up and down. "Have you decided which
style you like best?"
"No, not really," I confessed. I moved to sit on the couch but felt the
dress tighten as I began to lower myself. I stopped and pulled it up at
the waist a little and was able to sit down.
"Good," Mom say on the couch beside me. "I think you ought to try putting
on pantyhose if you are going to wear one of the tighter dresses. Much as
I might like to pretend I am getting to help my daughter prepare for the
prom, you are definitely my son."
I quickly put my hands in my lap in an effort to hide my problem.
"Don't worry, a good pair of Control Tops will help," She patted my knee
through the dress. "I don't know if you can get them on while wearing
that dress. I think it might be too tight to get them all the way up. But
if you want to try I can give to a pair of mine."
"Um, I don't know," I stammered.
"Well, maybe that is too much for today," she offered. "I've give you a
pair and you can try them later. In the meantime, your father will be
home in less than an hour and while he isn't thrilled with you doing the
Anti-Prom he understands it is one of those things teenagers sometimes
do. He won't understand me buying you these dresses."
I nodded and stood up. Once I got up I gave the dress a tug back down to
its appropriate length. I expected her to unzip me but instead she walked
by and started toward the hallway.
"Follow me to my room for a second," she disappeared.
I walked after her, the dress felt so different closed up all the way as
I made my way back to her room. I wondered if she noticed the bra I had
tried was thrown back in different than it was before.
I entered the room as she was pulling open a drawer, a different one than
I had looked in. She pushed it closed and turned with a tan wad in her
hand.
"Here," she put it in my hand, "try these next time you want to try one
of the dresses. How long before you need to order your dress so it gets
here on time?"
"I have a couple weeks," I looked at the pantyhose she handed me.
"Okay, then you have time," she took the hose from my hand. "When you put
these on, do it like this." She proceeded to gather one leg onto her
fingers. "Stick your toes in and pull them up your leg part of the way,
then get the other leg started. Work them up until it is all the way to
your waist."
"Okay," I accepted them back from her.
"Great," she turned me toward the door, and I felt the dress loosen as
she pulled the zipper down my back. "Now, go get out of that dress before
your father comes in. Oh, one more thing, are you planning on having
breasts?"
"I don't know," I shrugged and the dress almost came off.
"Well, I think it would help same as when you get some makeup on. Nothing
too large, it wouldn't do to turn this into a big joke. The girls won't
appreciate it. We can look at that later. But, keep it in mind when you
are deciding on your dress."
I nodded and turned to leave. I clutched my pantyhose to my chest with
one hand to keep the dress from falling off my shoulders and went back to
my room. I put the hose in my drawer, slipped out of the dress and hung
it in the closet, then got back into my regular clothes.
Then I realized I never even looked at myself in a mirror. Next time.
* 5 *
Monday was a regular day at school. We each had stuff going on in the
evening so we were only together during lunch and the classes we got to
share. I wasn't even going to get to spend any time with Cheryl because
it was one of those weeks where our work schedules kept us too busy.
Fortunately the girls didn't ask about any of our work toward the prom. I
know the other guys didn't want to talk about it and I didn't want to
admit that my mom had bought me dresses to try. So we talked about all
the same normal things that we talked about before the Anti-Prom became a
thing.
The day finally ended and I was getting ready to get home. I would have
almost three hours to myself before either of my parents arrived. I
thought I would try wearing one of the dresses for that time, probably
the pantyhose too to see how that would work. But when I pulled up in
front of the house my dad's car was already in the driveway.
"Dad?" I called as I came in.
"Hey, Len," he answered. "Be out in just a sec, kinda rushing around at
the moment."
"OK," I sat down and waited. It was only about ten minutes later that I
heard the garage door. Mom home early too? I was beginning to wish I had
to work today.
She came in the back door just as Dad came into the living room with a
suitcase in hand.
"Oh, hi Dear, I didn't expect you to make it home," he greeted her.
"Well, I told them you were having to go out of town for the week on
short notice and I wanted to help you and say bye," she explained. "So,
they let me off."
"I'm glad they did," he dropped the suitcase by the front door. "But, I'm
all set and the cab is going to be here in about three minutes so you
aren't going to see me for long."
"Well, make it count," she went to him, wrapped her arms around his neck
and kissed him.
"Hey, I'm sitting right here," I teased. The kiss wasn't that involved.
"Hush," Mom admonished me.
They held each other for a moment.
"Len," Dad spoke over her shoulder. "Just in case, they have my schedule
at work. I will be flying almost every evening but most are short. I'm
doing Miami, Atlanta, Washington, and New York for the last few days.
I'll be back Saturday afternoon."
"Okay," I stood up just as a horn honked outside.
Mom and Dad separated so he could give me a hug.
"You two take care of each other," he commanded, "and I'll see you
Saturday."
We both said bye and they shared another quick kiss. Dad disappeared out
the door.
"Len," Mom turned to me, "there is a package in the trunk of my car,
would you go get it please?"
"Sure," I grabbed her keys and went to the garage.
It was pretty light, whatever it was. I wasn't going to look because I
still felt kinda bad that I had gone through her things in her dresser
that day.
"Here you go," I handed her the bag.
"No, you keep it," she instructed. "It's for you."
I looked into the bag and was surprised to see a black bra and more that
I couldn't immediately recognize.
"When your father called to tell me he was leaving town for the week I
thought it might be a good opportunity for you to experiment with your
outfits," she explained so casually, like it was normal that her son
dressed like this every day. "After seeing you in the dress the other day
it was obvious to me that you needed better foundations. What is your
work schedule like this week?"
"I work tomorrow and Friday until 6:00, and Wednesday til close"
"Good, you'll have plenty of time to try things since your father won't
be here. I thought about getting you a nightgown too just to give you
another thing to experience, but realized we are trying to get you to
your prom, not turn you into a girl."
"Um, well, thanks Mom," I was suddenly very warm.
"Do you want to try something now?" she tried to sound casual but I could
hear some excitement in her voice.
"Actually, I was planning on trying one of the dresses until you guys got
home until I saw Dad's car."
"Well, now you can spend all evening doing it if you like," she smiled.
"You go decide what you want to do and if you need any help, let me
know."
I turned and went to my room. When I got there I dumped the bag out on my
bed. The contents were two bras and five pairs of panties. The bras were
padded so I would have a little extra curve under my dress. I again
wondered if she noticed her bra had been disturbed in the drawer.
I went to my drawer and grabbed the pantyhose, then went to my closet to
decide on which dress I wanted to try. I am sticking to my original plan
which is to put on one dress for the evening. Only instead of just for an
hour or two, I expect to be wearing it until I go to bed tonight.
That thought reminded me of what Mom said about the nightgown. What was
she thinking? I wouldn't be doing any of this if not for the girls' Anti-
Prom idea.
I grabbed the red sweater dress and laid it on the bed. I stripped off
all my clothes and stood there naked looking over my new wardrobe. The
panties were all different cuts and colors. I decided on red to go with
the dress. They looked like shorts, but not really. When I slipped them
on and pulled them up they were much shorter than I thought exposing the
bottom of my cheeks. They were also all lace and that left me feeling
exposed in the front even thought I was covered, even in my excited
state.
I sat on the bed and put on the pantyhose the way Mom explained it. It
took a while but finally stood up to pull them over the panties. I felt a
bit better as the denser material at the top made me feel a bit more
covered. I felt like my legs were tingling, I assume the hose were
settling by moving about to even themselves. It felt nice.
I took the black bra over the white one because black just seems to go
with red to me. I slipped it around my waist since I had already learned
my lesson about my arms not bending that way. This time though I wasn't
worried about readjusting the straps, because this was mine.
I felt an odd combination of excitement and consternation at that
thought. Why should I feel good about owning a bra, hell, two bras,
panties, and dresses? This is already weird and I haven't even bought my
prom dress yet.
I slipped my arms through the straps and worked it up to my chest. This
bra was still tight but not uncomfortably so. The straps were too short
so I had to work things around to adjust them but eventually got it done.
I ran my hands over my new foam breasts intrigued by the new addition to
my body.
"Len," Mom called as she gently knocked on my door," are you coming out?"
"Don't come in!" I scrambled to put my dresser between me and the door.
"I'm not dressed yet."
"Okay, dear. Do you need any help?"
"No, I'm fine," I relaxed a little. "I'm just about to put my dress on.
I'll be out in a minute."
"Good, I just wanted to be sure you were doing alright."
I listened to the silence for a few more moments to be sure she had gone
back to the front of the house. I moved back to the bed and picked up my
red dress. Before I slipped it on I once again looked down at the smooth
black swell of bra on my chest, the shiny tan of my legs. I got a bit of
a shiver.
I slipped the dress over my head and slid it down into place. I went to
my bathroom to look in the mirror; I wasn't going to miss that
opportunity again this time.
I stared at my image. The top of the dress had a big collar, like a
turtleneck that had been stretched out of shape. Otherwise, there wasn't
any detail to it. I looked at my legs appearing beneath the hem and
judged they looked pretty good. If I were looking at those legs on a girl
I would be very appreciative. I checked my breasts turning back and forth
examining the curves. Overall I thought I looked pretty good. Until I
looked at my face, then I saw the boy in the dress.
"Test run," I assured myself. "Just to see how it feels so I can make a
decision."
I walked out of the bathroom and went to my dresser. I moved some things
around and was able to empty a drawer. I took my new collection of
underwear and sorted them into it. I was now ready for my mother to see
me. After all, she bought me everything I am wearing, and had already
seen me in one of the dresses.
I headed to the living room. Walking in the pantyhose felt different,
breathing with a bra on felt different, just everything felt different.
"Oh, my," Mom cooed when she saw me, "you look really nice! Come, turn
around so I can see."
I went to the center of the room and did a clumsy little spin for her.
"Everything fits good?" she stood and came to me. She picked at the bra
in the middle of my back. "Not too tight? Are you wearing the panties or
just the hose?"
I was embarrassed by her questioning and picking at my bra. "Um, I think
it's okay, I haven't worn one before y'know. And yes, I put on one of the
panties."
She ran her hand down over my butt! What was she thinking?!
"Very good," she mused, "I can't see any panty lines and it appears
everything is tight enough that the only bulges you have are your
breasts."
I had to be redder than the dress I was wearing. I was totally mortified.
"Alright then," she went back to her seat, "I am done picking at you. We
will spend the rest of the evening just pretending this is normal."
I sat on the couch and turned on the TV. At first I just started to relax
in my usual fashion but soon realized as my knees started drifting apart
my skirt tightened on my thighs. I looked down and realized how exposed I
might be. I quickly pulled my knees together then I tried to cross my
legs. That worked but wasn't really that comfortable. I moved and lay
over on my hip, tucked my legs together up on the couch beside me. I
tugged the hem of my dress down and made sure it hadn't risen up in the
back. I ran my hand down my legs marveling at the feel. Then I settled
back to watch my show.
After a few moments Mom got up and left the room. Not a surprise, she
sometimes chooses to read in a different room when I am watching
television.
About fifteen minutes later Mom came back into the room but she had
changed clothes. Instead of the slacks and plain blouse she had worn to
work, she was now in a short tan skirt, yellow blouse, silk I think, and
she was definitely wearing hose.
"I thought perhaps it would be nice if we were both dressed up," she
informed me in answer to the look on my face. "And we'll make a nice
dinner, if you don't mind helping."
"I don't mind at all," I sat back up. "You look really nice."
"Thank you," she smiled. "I don't seem to get too many chances to dress
up lately and decided I needed it. Now, I need to go out and get some
groceries for our dinner. I wish you could come with me, but I know that
isn't going to happen."
"No," I pulled at the hem of my dress.
"No, I suppose not," she smiled. "I'll be back in a little while."
I sat there after she left thinking about everything I had gotten myself
into. My phone rang, it was Cheryl.
"Hey, what are you up to?" she spoke as soon as I answered.
"Nothing, just sitting around the house, my dad had to leave town so Mom
and I decided we are going to have a nice dinner, she is out at the store
now. What's up with you?"
"Things are slow so I thought I would call and say hi," she dropped her
voice and whispered, "we aren't going to see each other this week and I
miss you."
"We'll see each other at school," I reminded her.
"Not the same and you know it," she scolded me. "Oops, got to go,
customer just came in."
"OK, talk to you later, love you."
"Love you, too," she whispered and the line went dead.
I was glad she didn't ask me anything about the prom dress. I don't think
I could have told her how I was currently dressed.
I was just starting to think Mom had been gone too long when I heard the
garage door open. I went to the garage to see if she needed any help.
"Don't come out here without shoes, you might ruin your hose," she
commanded as she was gathering things from the trunk.
She closed the lid and came to me. I reached to take the groceries but
she pushed another bag at me.
"Go see if these fit," she instructed, "I'll get these to the kitchen.
Come join me when you can."
There was a shoebox in the bag. I took it to the living room and opened
it up. There was a pair of black sandals with a heel that looked to be
about an inch and a half or two tall. I unbuckled the ankle strap and
slipped my foot inside. It fit nicely but buckling the strap was a pain.
Again I felt like I was contorted trying to get my hands where they need
to be to accomplish my task: the buckle was on the outside and back and
my breasts, what little there was, were getting in my way. Why were
girl?s clothes always so hard to put on and take off?
Eventually I got them both on and got up on my feet. I wobbled a little
and the additional height, slight as it was, made me a little dizzy with
the new perspective. I took a tentative step toward the kitchen and felt
like I stomped down on that foot. I adjusted my next step with a shorter
stride and more on my toes. It felt better. Step by step I slowly made my
way to the kitchen.
?Yes,? Mom beamed, ?much better. Wearing a dress like that without the
proper shoes just doesn?t look right. How do they feel??
?Strange,? I answered. ?I mean they fit okay, just strange to walk in.?
?Well, you can get lots of practice this week,? she assured me. ?You?ll
be better off on prom night for having done it.?
We went to work there in the kitchen side by side preparing dinner.
Except for my head people would have thought it looked like a mother-
daughter experience, and I was fairly certain that was the fantasy
playing out in my mother?s head as well. Oddly enough I didn?t mind. I
was quickly becoming comfortable with the situation.
We ate, we talked, we watched a little more television. Finally it was
time for me to head to bed.
?Thank you,? I hugged her.
?For what?? she hugged me back.
?For everything you are doing for me with this,? I explained. ?I can?t
imagine what is going on with Zack and Jason but I doubt they are getting
this from their moms.?
?I am enjoying it,? she brushed my hair back. ?Get some sleep, tomorrow
night we?ll have another nice evening together. I?m looking forward to
seeing what you decide to wear.?
I went to my room and sat on the bed. Bending down I removed my shoes,
stood and peeled my dress off, at last I took off my bra and took a deep
breath. I took off the pantyhose and went to wash my face and brush my
teeth.
I hung up my dress and put the other things in the drawer. I climbed back
into bed before I realized that I was still wearing the red panties. No
matter, they would be fine, besides the sheets felt nice against my skin.
I fell asleep in moments.
* 6 *
I had trouble focusing on work the next afternoon. I kept wandering back
to deciding which dress I wanted to try that night. The other short dress
didn?t really fit right so I probably wouldn?t wear that one again, so it
would be either a long dress or the medium length.
I finally got off work and went home, I had decided. I was going with the
medium length. It was green and black so my shoes would work nicely. And
it would be interesting to try a loose dress over the tight one I wore
last night.
I walked into the house and headed back toward my room.
?Len, that you?? Mom called.
?Yeah, just heading to my room to change,? he answered.
?Good, come to my room when you?ve done that.?
Wonder what?s up now. I shrugged to myself and went to my room.
I grabbed the white bra, and a pair of white panties. These had a wide
lace waistband and were cut high on the sides. The back covered
everything, kinda like a sexy bikini. I slipped them on. Put the bra on
and got it adjusted, went to my closet, pulled down the dress slipped it
over my head. Grabbed my heels and put them on. I skipped the pantyhose
this time because I thought the panties were tight enough and the dress
loose enough. I checked myself in the mirror and decided I looked pretty
good again.
?What?s up?? I asked as I entered Mom?s room. I was shocked by what I
saw. She was dressed up to the nines and had done quite a job on her hair
and make-up. She had on a black dress cut low in the front, and high at
the hem. She was wearing black hose and really high heels. ?Um, are you
going out??
?No, dear,? she finished touching up her lipstick. ?I just enjoyed our
time last night that I wanted to dress up extra special tonight.?
?Should I go change?? I felt underdressed by comparison. ?Maybe the white
dress that you helped me zip up the other night??
She turned and looked me over. ?I think you are dressed just fine. I wish
you were just a bit smaller and I would be able to lend you a dress of my
own, but that doesn?t matter you look fine. But, if you don?t mind, I?d
like to put some make-up on you and maybe try to arrange your hair. See
more of what you might look like for your prom.?
I hesitated. I tried to decide if I really wanted it to go that far. Then
I caught sight of myself in her mirror. I looked good, except my head.
Why not let her do this tonight. Might as well see what she can do. ?OK.?
Her face broke out in a smile. ?Here, sit down.?
Over the next hour she worked on me. She started with some kind of gel in
my hair and brushed and combed until satisfied. Then she went over my
face, powder, rouge, eye makeup, lipstick. I sat patiently as I listened
to her talk to me and to herself as she worked. At last she stepped back
and looked. A momentary mess with my hair and then she nodded.
?My goodness,? she smiled. ?You make a very pretty girl.?
I found the comment thrilling and disheartening at the same time. I
turned and looked at the mirror. I was shocked by what I saw. My lips
looked fuller with a dark red lipstick, the black lines around my eyes
made them seem a different shape, the dark brown on the lids tinged with
a green to match the dress. My hair was a sort of spiky, disheveled mess
that seemed like chaos and purpose at the same time.
While I was looking Mom dropped a fine gold chain around my neck. It had
a diamond in a gold setting. ?Sorry, I don?t have any clip-on earrings,
just pierced. You?ll likely want something like that for your prom night.
What do you think??
?It is amazing,? I gaped. ?I don?t look like me at all.?
?Oh, there are pieces of you still visible,? she comforted me. ?But you
are well camouflaged.?
?I am starved,? I told her regaining my composure.
?Yes, me too,? she patted my shoulder. ?Let?s go eat.?
Mom had already prepared dinner and all we needed to do was reheat it. We
sat down to eat and talked through dinner. Several times I caught her
just staring at me. I was starting to feel like I was a disappointment to
her being born a boy.
We cleaned up the dishes and because it was already late from me getting
home late from work we went straight back to her bathroom where we washed
off all my makeup. I took off the necklace and gave it back to her.
?Mom,? I asked just as I was about to leave, ?are you sorry I wasn?t born
a girl??
?Oh, baby, no!? she came and wrapped her arms around me. ?I?m sorry I?ve
gotten so carried away. I think it is because I know I have a daughter
for just a short time. I am very proud of you for taking on this
challenge and how you are handling it. I think Cheryl will be very happy
with you on prom night.?
?Okay,? I held her as well but couldn?t help but notice the feel of the
material in her dress. ?I was just wondering. You know tomorrow night I
am working late so we won?t have time to do this.?
?I remember,? she let me go and stepped back. I saw a tear form in the
corner of her eye. ?But we can do it again Thursday, right??
?Sure, Mom,? I smiled. ?I?ll wear my hippie dress Thursday night, OK??
?That?ll be great,? she nodded. ?I?ll pick a more casual outfit for that
night as well. By the way, did you like it better with or without the
pantyhose??
?Well, it is easier in the bathroom without, and cooler. I like the feel
of the dress on my legs without them. But I liked the feel of them when I
had them on.?
?I feel the same way,? she laughed. ?But sometimes I just want to feel a
bit more elegant, and that is when I break out the fancier hose like I am
wearing tonight. The ones I gave you cost about four dollars, the ones I
am wearing cost around fifteen.?
?Well, you look amazing tonight,? I felt I was blushing again. I was
thinking about the dress she had on and what sort of bra and panty she
chose to wear under it. Wondering more why she chose than what she chose.
Questions I didn?t want to ask.
?Thank you. Now get on to bed, I need to get myself cleaned up.?
?Good night.?
I put everything away and once again chose to just sleep in my panties.
* 7 *
Thursday I rushed home from work. I was amazed at how much I was enjoying
this time with my mom. We had always gotten along really well but somehow
this was even more special. Maybe one day I?ll tell Cheryl thank you for
pushing us into this. I?m still not sure I am ready to admit that I?ve
been doing it to her, or to anyone else.
I got home and went straight to my room. I grabbed the white bra and a
pair of white panties. These felt like cotton and the sides had just a
string connecting the front and back. Plenty of material otherwise to
cover and contain. I grabbed the dress from the closet and it easily fell
over my head and down my body, well, almost. There was an elastic band
that is supposed to be beneath my breasts, I had to pull it down over
mine.
No hose, no shoes. This dress just made me want to be as natural as
possible. I went to the living room to wait for Mom to get home.
Finally she walked through the door I stood up and went and gave her a
hug.
?Hey! Ready for dinner?? I popped my head in.
?Yes, let me go change real quick and then I?ll call you to do your
face,? she answered.
She disappeared into her room. It only took about fifteen minutes before
she called me back.
She was wearing a yellow dress that looked like an oversized shirt. It
buttoned up the front with a lapelled top. She had the bottom few buttons
undone so that her knees peeked through as she moved.
?Um, are you going to do my makeup again?? I really didn?t want to look
all glammed up like Tuesday night.
?Yes, but it will be different. Trust me.?
Trust her, well that pretty much did it for me. So I went and sat while
she went about her business of transforming my face.
When she finished I turned with some trepidation because it felt like she
had done as much as the other night. Once again I stared in surprise,
pleasant surprise.
The colors were different. She had managed to accent my face differently,
somehow softening it. My eyes were nowhere near as dramatic colored with
a light tan. My lips were a pale pink.
?You are amazing,? I complimented her and her work.
?Lots of practice and a good pallet to work with,? she rubbed my
shoulders. ?Now, let?s go make dinner.?
We puttered about the kitchen and talked. I occasionally stepped on the
hem of my dress and started thinking I should have worn the shoes to lift
it from the floor. It was odd trying to carry things to the table and
hold my skirt up at the same time but I managed and we had no accidents.
After dinner we were cleaning up the dishes and things had gotten quiet
for a while.
?Is something wrong?? I asked.
?No,? she answered, her voice quiet but not quite a whisper. ?It?s just
that tomorrow will be our last night to do this. I was thinking we ought
to treat ourselves to a really nice dinner. Very dressy.?
?We can do that,? I put my arm around her waist and hugged her. ?I can
wear that dress I need you to zip for me.?
?Well, actually, I was thinking of something more than that,? she
continued to rinse dishes. ?I would like for us to go out to dinner.?
I stepped away from her. ?Out?? my voice cracked. ?Mom, us doing this
here is one thing, but going out in public is something else. Someone
might see me. I?d never live it down.?
?First, yes, someone will definitely see you. I don?t think anyone will
recognize you because I thought we?d go to that fancy steak house across
town. There shouldn?t be anyone there that either of us knows. Second,
you are going to be going out for your prom. You will be outside and have
a much better chance of being seen by someone you know. Look how good
you?ve gotten to moving around in your dresses and heels this week. It?ll
be a good practice for you.?
I thought about it, but not very long because as much as I wanted to make
her happy, this was something I just couldn?t picture doing. It was
taking all this too far.
?I?m sorry, Mom,? I felt my heart sink, ?but that is just too much. At
least on prom night I will be with Jason, Zack and the girls. It will be
different.?
?OK, I understand, it was just a thought,? she forced a smile. ?We can
still do a dressy night though. A last real night for the women. OK??
I smiled and nodded. It would be the last night until prom night. I
didn?t mind giving her that at all.
* 8 *
I got off work and once again found myself pushing the speed limit to get
home. It would be the last night of mother-daughter fun. It was funny how
even I was starting to think of it that way.
?I?m home, going to change,? I called out and didn?t wait for an answer
just went straight to my room. I stopped short at the door.
Lying on my bed was my outfit for the evening. Apparently Mom decided my
other dress wasn?t dressy enough because there were new clothes on my
bed, and shoes on the floor.
First everything was black, except two little pink bows.
The bra cups were smooth, the bow between the cups. The straps were thin
and the band was lacy. It looked very pretty and sexy.
The panty had me worried, a triangle of sheer black at the top, the rose
in the center of the top. The lowest part of the triangle was opaque and
felt silky smooth. The rest was nothing but a string.
A new package of pantyhose was there. They said they were sheer black
with a back seam.
Then there was the dress. This one obviously did not come from Goodwill.
It was covered with lace. Long lace sleeves, the bottom couple inches
were lace below the edge of the solid dress within.
I checked the shoes and they had a higher and narrowed heel. I don?t
think they are too high, guess I?ll find out once I get them on.
I stripped down and picked up the panty first. I slipped it on and felt
the string in the back slip into place. It felt odd but not
uncomfortable. I put on my bra next and got it adjusted.
Before I continued I ran my hands over everything. I was shaking from the
excitement.
?Len,? Mom called from the other room. ?I hope you like the things I got
for you for tonight, but if you take too long getting dressed we won?t be
eating until midnight.?
I didn?t bother to answer, she?d know soon enough what I thought of this,
but I took her hint.
I opened the package of pantyhose next and put them on as I had done the
others. When I stood and looked the thin black stripe wove its way up the
back of my legs. I pushed them back down and carefully worked them back
up my legs trying to keep the seam as straight as possible.
At last I slipped the dress over my head. Once again it had a back zipper
so I could only get it so far. I checked the length and overall it wasn?t
too short, however the lace was the last part of it, so where the dress
underneath ended was almost too short.
Almost, with everything else she had given me to wear I felt really sexy.
And I would feel even more so when Mom does the rest.
It was then I noticed the small box that had been under the dress. I
opened it and found a diamond necklace with two clip-on diamond earrings.
It was obviously fake from the size of the stones but I knew how amazing
the shiny pieces would look against all the black I was wearing.
I put them on, and my new shoes, checked to be sure I was as together as
I could possibly get and went to visit Mom for the completion of my look.
Mom was waiting in a black dress of her own. She was taking advantage of
her natural body. It was short, though not as short as mine. It was tight
on her and was sheer above her breasts, but displayed a lot of cleavage.
Her shoulders were almost bare, the dress high up to her neck and only an
inch or so wide where it met the back.
She was also wearing the same necklace and earrings as I had, though I
could see her earrings were for pierced ears.
I turned around, ?Would you mind?? I asked.
?Of course not, dear,? she zipped me the rest of the way into my dress.
?What do you think of your outfit??
?It?s amazing,? I took a seat and she went right to work. ?When did you
get all these things??
?Wednesday night while you were working. After we had that marvelous time
Monday and Tuesday, I thought you ought to have an opportunity to
experience when a woman decides to go all out for herself. When you go
out for your prom, you?ll now be able to decide exactly what you want to
be wearing, both the dress and what you want under it.?
?So, you wear underwear like I have on now?? I wasn?t sure if I really
wanted to ask the question, but now it was out there.
?Oh, yes, dear,? she smirked, ?Tonight I have on a strapless push-up bra
to enhance my boobs, and the panties are very similar to the ones I gave
you. I didn?t ask, but are you wearing everything I laid on the bed? You
might have decided those panties were too skimpy.?
?No,? I felt my face get warmer, ?I put it all on.?
?Sometimes women just want to feel sexy for themselves,? she continued
working. ?Not every time she puts on sexy underwear is she looking for a
man to be sexy for.?
?I am definitely not looking for a man,? I blurted.
?Hold still, I didn?t mean you were or would be,? she wiped at a smudge
that I caused.
?I just mean that while I have really enjoyed doing this with you this
week, I don?t feel any different about Cheryl. Or about anything else,? I
explained.
?That?s good, dear. Always be true to who you are. Regardless of what you
decide in your life I will always love you,? she smiled.
A few minutes later she turned me back to the mirror. Once again I was
amazed by the transformation. It was as dramatic as the first time she
had done my make-up. The coloring more in line with my outfit, of course,
but just as intense. I was surprised that she had given me a pale pink
lipstick instead of the red she had done before.
?Why pink instead of red?? I asked.
?Your age,? she explained. ?You are still only seventeen and for tonight
I thought I would make you up the way a seventeen year old ought to do.
The other night I realized the make-up I did was really a bit too mature
for you.?
?I think I do look older, though,? I stared at the image looking back
from the mirror.
?You do, but not too old. Come on, let?s get dinner started.?
?Mom,? I didn?t move.
?What, second thoughts?? I heard disappointment creep into her voice. ?I
thought you might start feeling that way here at the end.?
?Yeah,? I turned to face her and became aware that I turned in the chair
differently, I had made sure to keep my knees together. ?Second thoughts.
Do you think it is too late to go to that restaurant you mentioned
yesterday??
Her face lit up, ?No, it isn?t too late,? she came toward me as I stood
up and wrapped her arms around me. ?Confession. I didn?t cancel our
reservation, we can still make it.?
She released me and went to her closet.
?Here,? she handed me a small black purse, ?put your license, this
lipstick, keys and anything else you think you might need in there. A
girl your age would definitely be carrying a purse.?
I nodded and went to my room to collect a couple things. I took note of
the higher heel as I walked but didn?t seem to be having much trouble
navigating on them. Of course, right as I thought that I almost turned my
ankle. I regained my composure and slowed down a little bit.
My heart was pounding as we walked out into the garage to get in her car.
It didn?t slow down any as we backed out onto the street and started
toward the restaurant.
?Relax,? Mom reached over and grasped my hand. ?You look beautiful,
nobody will think you are anything other than a teenage girl.?
I tried to relax, but I wasn?t doing a very good job at it. At one point
I saw the driver of a car next to us looking over. I don?t know what he
was looking at for sure, but at least he wasn?t laughing or pointing.
We got to the restaurant and two guys hurried to either side of the car
to open the doors for us. I carefully turned and got out of the car,
refusing to meet the eyes of the one holding my door.
I was scared to death once again as I made my way to my mother?s side and
took the few steps to the door of the restaurant. It was a beautiful
evening and a slight breeze found its way under my dress and reminded me
of how little material covered my bottom.
A girl in a black dress opened the door for us as we approached. I
followed Mom through and to the counter where yet another girl in a black
dress stood waiting to take our names.
?Good evening,? she smiled. ?Will you be dining with us tonight??
?Yes,? Mom answered. ?I have a reservation for my daughter and me
tonight. It is under Moore.?
?Ah, yes, I have it right here,? the girl answered. ?It should be just a
few minutes before your table is ready, you can have a seat if you like.?
We turned and found a bench seat off to the side. I sat and held my purse
in my lap with both hands. Mom casually sat and crossed her legs.
She leaned toward me and whispered, ?I?m going to call you Lee tonight in
case I need to use your name. I didn?t think about that before.?
I nodded that I understood.
A moment later the girl who took our names appeared, ?If you?ll follow
me, please??
We stood and followed her to our table. I nervously looked around to see
if anyone was staring at us. I saw a few stares from some of the men, but
they seemed to be staring at my mom, except one who was unabashedly
looking at my legs. I suddenly felt that my dress might be too short.
?Enjoy your meal,? the girl laid the menus on the table in front of us
and left.
?Lee,? Mom spoke just loud enough for me to hear, ?relax. You?re doing
fine and except for looking like a trapped animal at times you look
great.?
A waiter came and poured water into the glasses and scurried off to
attend to a different table.
?I want you to do the ordering,? I told her. ?I don?t think I want to
talk to anyone.?
?Yes, I think that might be best,? she picked up her menu. ?We haven?t
practiced your voice at all.?
I picked out a small steak, baked potato, salad, asparagus, and we agreed
to share a shrimp cocktail as an appetizer.
A new waiter appeared and took the order, Mom added a glass of wine for
herself. He smiled at us both and disappeared.
Mom and I talked, she wanted to know how I felt about being out and I
tried to tell her about everything. How does one adequately describe
being terrified, thrilled, curious, happy, and more all at the same time.
She laughed when I described feeling the breeze as we walked in, and my
slight embarrassment at having some guy stare at my legs.
The food arrived, our water glasses refilled, and we talked and ate some
more. I was having an amazing time. After a while I hardly thought about
the fact that I was sitting in a very nice dress in a fancy restaurant
with my mother.
Until I finished my dinner.
?Dessert?? Mom asked.
?Yeah, something chocolate,? I took the napkin from my lap and saw my
legs through the lace dress. What I realized was that I was getti