Charlotte, Part 18 free porn video

My hands shake with nerves as I- and everyone else in the vast room- watch the action unfolding on the television with baited breath. "Come on," I whisper. "I know you can do it..." "The winner," the blonde TV presenter announces in her refined northern accent, "of Strictly Come Dancing 2015 is..." A long, agonising pause fills the room as everyone holds their breath, waiting for the inevitable announcement. "...Hannah and Robin!" the presenter says in a happy voice, prompting a loud, riotous cheer from everyone around me- myself included. "She did it!" I squeak excitedly. "She actually did it!" I bounce up and down on my seat with excitement as Hannah and her dance partner are presented the famous glitterball trophy, which they raise high above their heads before taking one last dance on the famous dancefloor. The whole room remains filled with excited cheering as the programme ends, though we eventually calm down enough for me to sit back down in my seat, next to my still-excited fianc?, and be able to hear what he's saying. "So cool," Stuart sighs happily. "It really should've been you up there, though..." "Nah, I'm happy with the level of fame I have," I say. "I've got everything I need, some fame, a decent amount of fortune, friends, family, and last, but not least..." Stuart smiles I give the top of his thigh a quick squeeze, and I let out a quiet giggle as I find a familiar 'growth'. "...And, of course, the genitals you were supposed to have been born with?" my fianc? asks, before laughing and giving me a long, gentle kiss. "I know THAT feeling all too well..." "And now, I know that 'feeling' too," I say with a wicked grin. "Just... Not in public," Stuart laughs, pointedly removing my hand from his thigh before standing up. "Want another drink?" "Ah, yet more proof that you're my soul mate," I giggle, handing Stuart my empty champagne glass and relaxing back on the sofa. In truth, I AM a little envious of Hannah, just as I was of Charlotte when she appeared on the hit BBC show three years ago, but I truly do have everything I need in my life- especially the young man who, three months ago today, made me the happiest woman alive by slipping an antique diamond ring onto the third finger of my left hand, where it remains today. Two days afterward, a doctor made Stuart the happiest man alive by slipping- or rather, surgically attaching- something very different, but no less precious, to the front of his pelvis, where it also remains today. Over the last three months, I've watched as Stuart's recovered from his operation, even though he isn't fully 'done' yet Unlike my SRS, his is a three-step procedure with months of recovery time between each step, so we haven't yet had the opportunity to 'use' his new equipment. What's most important, though, isn't the 'appendage' that's been permanently attached to his groin, but rather the smile that's been permanently attached to his face ever since, even despite the pain of his recovery. Sometimes I think back to where I was five years ago today, unemployed, living in squalor and with no idea of the life I was to lead, or of the woman I truly was inside. If you'd told me then that I'd be earning a six-figure sum each year simply from my own celebrity status, I'd have laughed in your face. If you'd told me then that I'd be attending a celebrity party dressed in a flimsy black cocktail dress, black hold-up stockings and skyscraper heels, I'd have punched you in the face... Or at least, I'd have made a feeble attempt to. And if you'd told me then that ultimately, I'd be the proud owner of a pair of breasts, a vagina AND be engaged to the man of my dreams (not to mention having to fight off other suitors left, right and centre), I'd have dismissed you as a deluded fool. And yet, here I am, hanging out with national celebrities and one of the best friends of the latest winner of Strictly Come Dancing- someone who wouldn't even be famous enough to appear on the show if it wasn't for my direct involvement in her life. So yes, I don't NEED all the fame and fortune that will inevitably be heading Hannah's way in the coming few months. I don't NEED anything more than I already have... But that doesn't mean I'm going to stop trying, stop aspiring to have more, to BE more than I already am. After all, what kind of example would that set to mine & Stuart's many godchildren? "Here you go," Stuart says, gingerly sitting down after handing me my drink. "Looking forward to the day when it takes me less than five minutes to sit down, heh!" "...That's not the ONLY day you're looking forward to, right?" I ask, making Stuart giggle wickedly. Needless to say, we aren't ALWAYS interested in setting a good example for the next generation! Before Stuart can give me his answer, however, we're interrupted by the head of the household parking herself next to me on the sofa and giving me a tight hug. "Hey Jay!" Charlotte squeaks excitedly. "First, LOVE that dress, you are so telling me where you got it later; second, everyone looks like they're having fun, which as hostess, pleases me; and third, how awesome was Hannah!?" "She is SO amazing," I gush. "No offence, but she may even have been better than you..." "MAY have!?" Charlotte giggles. "I just got S-E-R-V-E-D!" Charlotte and I giggle as Stuart, in traditional male fashion, looks on in bemusement. "Tomorrow's party is going to be SO awesome," I say. "And Monday's, Viks's birthday!" "Three parties in three nights?" Stuart asks with a chuckle. "Or is tonight just a warm-up?" "You're only young once," Charlotte tells my fianc?. "After all, next year Jamie and I will both be 25... Got to settle down eventually, though I don't need to tell you that, Mr and soon-to-be Mrs Milton!" "Oh, we're not going to let a little thing like marriage stop us from having loads of youthful fun, are we?" Stuart asks, giving me a quick cuddle. "Damn right we're not," I giggle. "You have to admit, we've both overcome bigger obstacles than that..." "Ah, you 'inspiration to the whole world', you," Charlotte laughs. "Whilst we're on the topic of family, you didn't happen to see the father of my son around, did you? I could've sworn I saw him earlier..." "Yeah, he WAS here," Stuart says. "Dunno if he's stuck around or not." "Oh, okay," Charlotte says, looking visibly deflated compared to her previous enthusiasm. "Well, I'll keep an eye out for him, he can't have gone far!" I smile as Charlotte stands up and goes back to mingling with the guests, but deep inside, I can't help but feel terrible for my BFF. It's been well over a year since she and Keith split up, and despite her reputation (and undeserved nickname) as 'Charlotte the Harlot', she hasn't, to the best of my knowledge, taken another lover at any point during that time- and as you'd imagine, Charlotte and I share a lot with each other, so if she had, there's no way I wouldn't know. This has, however, left her feeling especially lonely- and driven home the fact that whilst I may have everything I need in my life, many of my friends don't... And I feel obliged, as good BFF, to help them gain the happiness I have. "I know that look on your face," Stuart says, snapping me out of my 'trance'. "What 'look'?" I ask. "That look that says 'I'm going to sort this out'," Stuart says. "And don't deny it, I know your face too well." "...But she's obviously miserable without him," I sigh. "She's been without him for the last year," Stuart says. "She's just miserable because Keith's started hanging out with us again. She'll get over him again, trust me." "You- You're not allowed to use female intuition now that you're not female anymore!" I laugh, making Stuart chuckle. "It's not that..." Stuart grimaces. "You- you know Keith and I have been hanging out again, with the rest of the lads?" "Yes, and it's about damn time," I say with a smile. "Well," Stuart says quietly, "you know how girls, like, gossip?" "I'm familiar with the concept, yes," I laugh sarcastically. "Why, exactly?" "It's... It's not like guys DON'T gossip," Stu sighs. "Especially about sex. Not that I've ever gone into ANY detail about you and me, you understand..." "Good," I say, my smile falling. "Stu... What are you trying to tell me?" "Keith..." Stu sighs. "This does NOT get back to the guys, okay?" "Your 'oath of brotherhood' is safe," I snort. "Keith..." Stu whispers. "He says- he says he's started seeing someone." I gasp loudly, before grabbing Stu's hand and leading him into the (thankfully empty) kitchen. "He's WHAT!?" I ask. "I feel terrible about going behind his back like this," Stu sighs. "But he says he met someone... This was only about a week ago that he told us, so I dunno how long it's been going on. Again, you HAVE to promise me that this won't get back to the guys..." "Yes, yes, I promise," I sigh, holding up my hands in mock-surrender. "Do you know who?" "No," Stuart sighs. "He just said he had a date, that he really liked the girl... Come on, let's get back out there before they miss us." "Right," I whisper, taking Stuart's hand and heading to the kitchen door, only to be intercepted before we leave by Krystie and her boyfriend Mikey. "Hey, Jamie," Krystie says in a quiet, concerned voice. "Are you okay? You rushed out of the party like you'd just got the shock of your life..." "It- it's nothing," I sigh. "Is it about Keith's new woman?" Mikey innocently asks, making Stuart smack his palm against his forehead. "What? I told Krystie, I know I can trust her..." "Much like you told me because you can trust me," I say, making Stuart sigh. "Okay! Fine!" Stuart moans in exasperation. "Wait, wait, you told Jamie?" Mikey asks, making myself & Krystie both giggle. "BOYS!" Krystie and I both yell, giggling even harder as our outburst startles the two men. "Seriously though," I say as the two of us head back into the party, "who do you suppose it is?" "God, I dunno," Krystie sighs. "You- you don't suppose it's Hannah, do you? I mean, it's not the sort of thing she'd do, but she is mega-famous now, and he is the son of a millionaire..." "It- it can't be, surely?" I say. "She'd have told us, especially Charlie..." "Unless she can't face telling her," Krystie sighs. "Hannah has been single for a long, long time..." I sigh and nod as I stare over at Charlotte, who's sat at the bar chatting to some of our friends having clearly been unable to find Keith. "She's not the only one," I reply. The last of the partygoers depart just after midnight, leaving myself, Charlotte and Stuart alone in the vast house. Rather than tidy up now, we head straight to bed, exhausted from the night's excitement- and more than a little tired at the prospect of the following nights' excitement! "A party AND a show," Stuart laughs as I step out of my short dress and slowly roll my stockings down my legs, before removing my earrings and my make-up and pulling on a short, sheer nightie. I giggle as I climb into bed next to my fianc? and wrap my arms around his firm, slender body, gently kissing him on the lips until he reciprocates and forces his tongue into my mouth, gently licking my teeth as his slim fingers find their way to my hardening nipples, before disengaging from my mouth and peppering my body with kisses until he finds my tender clitoris, which he teases with gentle licks and kisses until my body explodes in a powerful orgasm... My body is still tingling as I wake up on Sunday morning and pepper Stuart's face with gentle kisses until he slowly wakes up as well. I giggle as one of his tired brown eyes gazes at me with confusion, before a smile forms on his face as well. I never had the pleasure of meeting 'Claire'- Stuart's identity before his transition- so whenever I look at Stuart I only ever see the man he is, the man I fell in love with. However, on rare occasions- such as first thing in the morning- he lets his 'guard' down and I can see traces of the confused girl he used to be. I wonder if, sometimes, Stuart can see traces of the boy I used to be... "Morning, sexy!" Stuart says, giving me a long, tender kiss. "Morning, beautiful!" I reply, before stripping back the bed sheets and hopping out of bed. "You need to head back home today?" "Nope," Stu says with a smug grin. "I'm all yours today. And, of course, for every other day for the rest of our lives!" "Mmm," I moan happily as I head into the shower. "The rest of our lives can't come soon enough! Speaking of, I've got a few pages open on my iPad, I was looking at place settings for the wedding, wanted your opinion." "We haven't even chosen a VENUE for the wedding yet," Stuart complains. "And you know I'm just going to agree with whatever you pick out anyway..." "It's as much your wedding as it is mine," I say. "I know you won't admit this publicly, but you must have imagined your dream wedding when you were- well, when you were younger, right?" "Only because I have two sisters who insisted on dragging me into those discussions," Stuart replies. "Genuinely never thought I'd get married, even after I started transitioning I never thought I'd become a groom..." "Says the man- the ONLY man- to have slept with three of the Angels!" I giggle. Only man we can be sure of, anyway... I think to myself. "Like it or not, you're a stud, and a hell of a catch for any woman!" "There are worse reputations," Stuart laughs, kissing me as he takes my place under the shower and I dress for the day in a comfortable sleeveless black bodysuit, black tights and a short grey sweater dress. I accessorise with a wide belt that accentuates my slimmed-down waist (and my widened hips) and dark grey leather knee-high boots with a high chunky heel. Stuart's look for the day consists of a loose pair of boxer shorts- the likes of which I haven't worn in years- followed by a pair of loose, but still smart black trousers, a dark red jumper and his favourite pair of tough brown boots. Every time I see Stuart's 'wardrobe', I'm forced to laugh- whereas I own over a hundred pairs of shoes and boots in all shapes, styles and colours, Stuart owns a mere four- his boots, a pair of trainers and two pairs of smart black shoes (one of which I actually bought him last Christmas and he's worn all of twice). As we head downstairs, both of us smile happily as Charlotte's front door opens and Eilish enters, carrying the ever-growing Keith junior in her arms. "There's my little boy!" Charlotte coos as she takes her son and gently cuddles him close to her. "Or should I say BIG boy! Did you have fun with grandma and grandpa?" "Sure, I was barely able to tear him away from them!" Eilish laughs. "He's their first grandchild and it's his first Christmas, think they want to spoil him as much as they can!" "They're not the only ones!" Charlotte giggles, kissing Keith junior gently on his tiny nose. "Thanks for picking him up from Keith's, Eilish." "Nah, it's my pleasure," the flame-haired Irish girl laughs. "Plus I could use any overtime I get, especially over Christmas, heh." "Well, I'm afraid this little one's all mine today!" Charlotte giggles. "Thanks, Eilish. See you tomorrow?" "Sure thing!" The Irish woman giggles as she gives Keith junior one last gentle kiss on his forehead before leading myself and Stuart out of the house (but not before we both take the opportunity to say goodbye to Keith Junior!). "She was a real find for you two," Stuart muses as I get into the passenger seat of his car. "Yeah," I say, watching Eilish drive away in her own small car. "Honestly think Charlotte would've gone mental by now if we hadn't hired her. Assuming I wouldn't have just taken the nanny job myself, heh." "Should I be jealous of this other man in your life?" Stuart asks with a chuckle. "Absolutely!" I say, making Stuart laugh harder as we drive along to the home of my parents, where we're greeted, as always, with long hugs from my mum, a hug for me from my dad and a firm, manly handshake for Stuart from dad. "Hi Jamie!" Dad says with a warm smile. "Hello there Stuart, son! How you feeling?" "Better!" Stuart laughs, earning a firm pat on the back as we're led into the living room. Every time we see my parents, it always seems that dad's more pleased to see Stuart than he is to see me, almost as if he's the replacement for the son he lost. I know I shouldn't be jealous, as Stuart is my fianc?, and I'm so glad that he has a strong relationship with his future in-laws. But still, every time I see him and dad joking together, a part of me feels a twinge of sadness- one of very few (possibly my only) regrets I have about my transition. It's not even like dad and I were particularly close before I became estranged from my parents- we never went on any father/son fishing trips, never went to see a football game together, never did any of the things that Stuart has done with his father since his transition- activities he's also ironically done with MY father. I'm much closer to my mother than I was before my estrangement, which I'm thankful for, but I still that my dad would show me some of the affection he so openly shows his future son-in-law. "No Charlotte today?" mum asks. "Hope we get to see our god-grandchild before Christmas..." "I told you, that's not a real thing," I say, making my parents laugh. "And I think she just wants a day in, we've got party after party to prepare for next week..." "Ah yes," dad says. "We were watching last night, be sure to pass our congratulations onto Hannah! Amazing to think that two years ago, she was just another girl, having sleepovers under this very roof..." "I'll let her know," I giggle. "And speaking of parties," mum says, "your father hasn't stopped fidgeting at any point over the last three days, he's that excited about Tuesday!" "Bit of an exaggeration," dad says, clearly embarrassed by mum's teasing. "You've got to admit though, it IS exciting..." "Yeah, think you're trying to get blood from a stone there, Mark," Stuart chuckles. "I doubt Jamie's as excited by Star Wars as she would be by, say, a new Bridget Jones movie..." This time it's my turn to roll my eyes as the two men in my life have a chuckle at my expense. "I MIGHT like it," I retort, which only makes dad and Stuart chuckle even louder. "Oh, leave her alone," mum says, giving her husband a playful whack on the arm. "You know, Star Wars was the first film you ever went to see in the cinema. Your dad took you to see it when it was re-released when you were five." "Really?" I ask. "I don't remember that..." "Oh yeah, I remember that like it was yesterday," dad says. "I didn't take you to see any of the prequels because you didn't seem too interested by the original three films, but you definitely went to see them in 1997." Huh, so dad DID do things with me when I was younger, I think to myself. "Did you see the original trilogy when they originally came out, Mark?" Stuart asks. "Actually, one of our first dates was to see Return of the Jedi!" Dad laughs. "If you'd taken us to see Star Wars on our first date, we would NOT be engaged right now!" I say to Stuart, making the room chuckle. "...And if you insisted on dragging me to see a Bridget Jones film... Nah, I'd still have proposed," Stuart laughs. "The reason I'm asking about Tuesday," mum says, "Is because in the morning... I'm going to see your Aunt Sally." "...Ah," I say, bristling at the mention of the so-called relative who went out of her way to antagonise me earlier this year by calling the police on me just because I sent her daughters- my cousins- a message on Facebook. "I know, I know," mum says. "But she IS my sister... Before your grandmother's funeral, I hadn't seen her in ages. Admittedly, we didn't leave the funeral on speaking terms-" "Try shouting terms," I interrupt, earning a stern stare from my mother. "-But I called her, asking if she wants to meet up, and she said yes," mum says. "She did, um, say that she didn't want you to go along on Tuesday." "Of course she did," I sigh. "Which is why I want BOTH of you to come along," mum says proudly. "You're my daughter and future son-in-law. In my eyes. That means that you're a part of my family, and for better or worse, you're a part of her family as well... And she's part of yours. I've finally got a sister again, I want this relationship to work." "You realise that she's the one who's going to have to compromise, right?" I ask. "I can't very well just stop being a woman, same with Stuart, he can't stop being a man." "All of this will be made very clear to your aunt on Tuesday," mum says. "But don't you worry about that for now, your father and I will be there and we'll be on your side. You just concentrate on enjoying your million nightly parties! You've worked hard enough this year, you deserve to kick back and relax. Starting with a proper Sunday lunch!" "Sounds perfect," I say with a happy smile. "And smells delicious, too!" Mum smiles as she returns to the kitchen to continue preparing our lunch- which indeed tasted as good as it smelled- before Stuart and I return home just after 4pm to help Charlotte prepare for the party. Most of the decorations are the same as were used for my Strictly Come Dancing-themed birthday party three years ago, as is the 'costume' I wear- my fiery red tango dress, which still fits perfectly and, more importantly, makes Stuart's jaw drop almost to the floor once I've sealed myself in it, tied my hair, applied my ultra-thick make-up and slipped my feet into the dress's matching heels. "Oh. My. Fucking. God," Stuart mouths as I sashay towards him, seductively wiggling my hips and allowing all of my slender bronzed legs to show through the dress's high slits. "Seriously... You do know this is Hannah's night, right? I'm pretty sure you're going to show her up, dressed like that!" "You haven't see what she's wearing yet!" I giggle, wrapping my arms around Stuart's neck and giving him a long kiss. "Now get your costume on, the 'judges' await!" Stuart quickly pulls on his costume of tight- but not uncomfortably tight- black trousers and a hot red shirt that's open just enough to show off the top of his pectoral muscles, the part of his body we've nicknamed his 'anti-cleavage'. Once we're both ready, we head downstairs to find Charlotte dressed in the tiny turquoise cha- cha-cha dress she wore to my 21st birthday party, as well as Krystie and Mary, who are wearing their foxtrot and jive dresses respectively. "2012 flashbacks, anyone?" Mary giggles. "God, I haven't worn this in ages... Thank god I can still fit into it, baby weight or no baby weight!" "You can't complain, your baby's eighteen months old!" Charlotte jokes. "Unless you're telling me that you're pregnant again?" "HELL no," Mary giggles. "On a related note," Charlotte says, "be sure to pass on my love to Dan for babysitting tonight. And to you for making sure I won't be the only 'lone girl' at the party..." "Isn't your dance partner from three years ago coming?" Krystie asks. "If he can make it," Charlotte says. "If not, I'll just have to share Stuart!" I roll my eyes as Charlotte runs up to my fianc? and grabs his free arm. "Get in line," Mary says, grabbing the same arm as Charlotte and making Stuart look very uncomfortable, even as I giggle at the awkwardness of the situation. "Face it," I say as I wrap my arms around Stuart's waist, "you're a chick magnet!" The four of us giggle as Stuart sighs loudly, before we're interrupted by a knock at the door. "This'll be Nikki," I say. "I asked her to drop round to help set up." When I open the door, however, it's not my unofficial prot?g? who's stood in front of me, but Eilish, and her make-up and fancy blue party dress hints that she very much expects to be a part of the party. "Hi," the Irish girl says nervously. "I- I know I wasn't invited to the party, but-" "Come on in," Charlotte giggles. "How can I turn away my little boy's second most favourite woman?" The four of us giggle as Eilish takes off her coat, and I can't help but muse that with her beautiful flame- coloured hair, expertly-applied make-up and gorgeous dress, Eilish effortlessly fits in with us four professional models. Before long, the rest of the guests arrive- including Matt, Charlotte's dance partner from 2012- with the guest of honour herself being the last to arrive just after 8:30pm wearing a very low-cut sparkling white rumba dress that wows the crowd even as we serenade her (and her dance partner Robin) with Queen's 'We are the Champions'. "Oh my god, oh my god!" Hannah squeaks as she and Robin are greeted by hugs. "Thank you all so, so much!" "Especially for your votes!" Robin quips, making everyone laugh. "Show us the glitterball!" Krystie yells. "I don't have it!" Hannah laughs. "The BBC keep it, we get a replica but I won't get it until next year." "Good job that I had this made then, isn't it?" Charlotte asks as she produces a large- almost three feet wide- sparkling trophy in the shape of a glitterball, which Hannah and Robin eagerly raise above their heads. It's not long before all the partygoers are chatting and drinking, and of course, dancing, but after my third dance with Stuart, I catch a glimpse across the dancefloor of someone I'd hoped to avoid today. "Ah, damn it," I sigh, prompting a quizzical look from my fianc?. "Keith's here. Thought he'd duck out of tonight seeing as he was here yesterday AND he's coming on Tuesday..." "Reckon he's here with his new girlfriend?" Stuart asks. "I'm sure of it," I sigh. "I- I should tell Charlotte. Should've told her when I first heard about his new girlfriend..." "That sounds like a girls-only thing," Stuart says. "I'll leave you two to it." I sigh as Stuart heads off to dance with Mary, whilst I cautiously approach my BFF, who is, as always, sat at the bar entertaining her guests. "Oh, hey there, best BFF ever!" Charlotte giggles. "Hey, how about you and me show these BOYS how it's done? They reckon there'll be same-sex couples on Strictly in the next couple of years, why not give them a preview now?" "Umm, sure, but can we talk first?" I ask. "Umm, okay," Charlotte giggles. "Why so serious? Figures seeing as Stu's now dancing with Mary, you wanted someone to dance with... God knows Keith isn't dancing with me tonight." "That's what I need to talk to you about," I whisper, leading Charlotte into her kitchen. "Keith, he... I mean, I've heard rumours- I've been told- he- he-" "Spit it out, for god's sake!" Charlotte says, clearly worried by my increasing panic. "...He's got a new girlfriend," I say, wincing as Charlotte's face falls. "I'm sorry, I know this wasn't news you wanted to hear-" "No," Charlotte sighs. "I knew it'd happen sooner or later. Do you know who?" "No," I whisper. "All I know is that it hasn't been going on long. I don't even know if it's any of the girls, anyone we know... She may not even be here tonight." "God..." Charlotte sighs. "Do you need a minute?" I ask. "No," Charlotte whispers, shaking her head. "It's a party, I'm the host, better get back to it!" I smile sadly as Charlotte adopts her 'public' smile, the one she always flashes for paparazzi and for party guests, but which I know masks a deeply unhappy young woman. After we're back in the party, Charlotte and I share the dance she'd promised, much to the delight of the other partygoers (even if we both found it strange to dance with another girl). It's obvious that the Keith situation is playing on Charlotte's mind, though, as less than ten minutes later, she grabs my hand and starts to lead me back to the kitchen. "I- I need some air," Charlotte sighs as we walk through the other partygoers. "Sorry..." "No, if you're having trouble, it's fine," I say. "I'll take over 'host' duties, it's fine." Charlotte smiles as we open the door, but once we step into the kitchen, her face falls at the sight of what we find inside. "K-Keith?" Charlotte asks, aghast at the sight of her ex-boyfriend locked in a passionate embrace with another woman. When she sees the identity of the woman, however, Charlotte's face scrunches up in a look of pure fury. "Eilish!?" "Ch-Charlotte!" The Irish woman nervously splutters, rearranging her dress from where it had clearly been lowered by Keith. "What the hell are you doing!?" Charlotte screams, attracting the attention of the partygoers before I hastily close the kitchen door. "You! And you!?" "Charlotte, we've been broken up over a year," Keith says, but it's immediately obvious that he's not the target of Charlotte's fury. "How could you!?" Charlotte screams at Eilish, who recoils in fear. "Just hooking up with him without a care in the world after I trusted you, I took you into my home, gave you a job, even let you come to my party, just so you can jump down his throat!?" "Charlotte, please, I-" Eilish pleads, but with every word she only makes Charlotte angrier and angrier. "You're fired!" Charlotte shrieks. "Get the fuck out of my house! Both of you!" I shiver as Eilish's eyes fill with tears and she and Keith slowly back out of the room- I know only too well how intimidating Charlotte can be when she's enraged, and I also know the effect it usually has on Charlotte herself- as proved when she breaks down in tears the second Keith and Eilish are out of sight. "Oh god, Charlie..." I sigh as I sit the distraught girl down and give her a tight hug. "I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry, I shouldn't have told you..." "No, at least I had SOME warning," Charlotte blubs. "But- but Eilish! Of all people!" "I know, I know," I sigh. "Are- are you really going to fire her?" "I'm not going to pay that bitch to be my son's stepmother, am I?" Charlotte asks, and I'm forced to nod in agreement. "I- I really thought there was a chance me and Keith could... I mean, we've been getting on so well as friends, I know he still feels something for me..." "He's an idiot," I say. "Always has been." "I myself wasn't exactly super-smart in my relationship with him, though," Charlotte mumbles. "Or smart with my money, my career..." "But you ARE a super-smart mum," I say. "You've really, truly grown up over the last six months." "I think..." Charlotte muses. "That little boy may have saved my life, heh." I sigh sadly, before giving Charlotte another long, tight hug. "Want me to take over in there?" I ask. "Please," Charlotte sighs. "I- I'm going to head to bed. Thanks, Jamie." "That's what BFFs are for," I say, giving Charlotte another hug before exiting the kitchen to find an expectant crowd staring at me. "Charlotte's not feeling well," I announce. "She's going to head to bed now, but that doesn't mean we should stop partying!" I force a laugh out as I turn the music back up, but my smile soon fades as Krystie and Mary approach me with looks of concern on their faces. "Did- did I really see Keith in there with Eilish?" Mary asks. "'Fraid so," I sigh. "God almighty, poor Charlotte," Krystie moans. "Is she okay?" "I doubt it," I say. "She's gone to bed, she asked me to take over in here... I should be with her, though." "If she asked you to take over in here, then that's what you should do," Mary says. "I'll go and look after her." "I was going to ask if you could come and help me set up at my new studio tomorrow," Krystie sighs. "Think Charlie needs you more than me, though..." "Ugh, and I'm at work tomorrow too," I moan. "Agreed to do a TV spot, thought it'd be just a quick thing and I'd be done by 11am..." "I'll have a word with Mary," Krystie says. "I'm sure she wouldn't mind dropping round here early with the babies to cheer Charlie up. And before you say anything, I'll talk to Viks too, explain what's happening. Yes, it's her birthday tomorrow, but you know her, she'd do anything for any of her friends." "Thanks," I say with a smile, before putting on a brave face and yet again dancing around the room with my fianc?. The party lasts until 11pm, when the guest of honour and her partner- neither of whom I've had much of a chance to speak to tonight, what with all the drama- depart, closely followed by the rest of the partygoers, leaving myself and Stuart alone in the vast room. "Ugh, can't wait to take this dress off," I sigh as I gather up some of the glasses and take them through to the kitchen. "It's practically 'off' already," Stuart chuckles, earning a playful smack in the arm from me. "Can't believe Keith, though. I mean, Eilish!? Conflict of interest, much?" "Oh, definitely," I say. "I doubt that was the first thing on Charlie's mind when she fired her, though..." "Charlotte fired Eilish!?" Stuart exclaims. "Jeez... After all the trouble you two went to to find a nanny in the first place..." "Yep," I sigh. "Back to square one now, I guess. Come on, let's leave this to the cleaners, I've got an early start tomorrow." Stuart smiles as he takes my hand and leads me up to my bedroom, where we carefully remove and hang up our party clothes before climbing under the bed sheets and falling asleep in each other's arms. As I doze off, though, my thoughts are occupied by my BFF- it's been over a year since she slept in the warm embrace of a man, and tonight she undoubtedly needs that kind of love more than ever. My alarm wakes me at 7:30am, and after rubbing the tiredness out of my eyes, I get out of my bed (leaving Stuart still sleeping) and jump under the shower, cleansing my body before hastily applying a light layer of make-up (I trust that the make-up artists at the TV studio will do the rest) and pulling on a chic, short leather skirt, a tight black top and a pair of translucent tights. After pulling on my jewellery and touching up my nail polish, I hurry downstairs where I'm unsurprised to find that Charlotte hasn't yet got up (Keith junior having stayed overnight at Mary & Dan's place). I head straight into the kitchen, where I spring into action and prepare a breakfast of hot buttered croissants, three different types of jam, a fresh, chopped apple and rich Colombian coffee- all of which bring a smile to Charlotte's face as I enter her bedroom and place the breakfast tray down beside her on her bed. "Oh my god," Charlotte giggles upon seeing the feast. "Thank you so much!" "That's what BFFs are for," I say, giving Charlotte a tight hug. "Feeling any better this morning?" "A little," Charlotte sighs. "It's still sinking in that Keith has finally moved on... I'm still not giving Eilish her job back, though. That's- that's just too close for comfort, if you get what I mean..." "I do," I say. "I'd better get going, got work today, Nikki'll be here soon. Mary will be here in a bit with Keith junior, she's also bringing round Kristina-Leigh so the two of you can have a 'mummies united' morning or something, heh." "Kinda depressing that my seven month old son already has a girlfriend when I'm still single," Charlotte giggles. "You go, I'll be fine. I'll need to hit the gym after this breakfast, but I'll be fine!" I smile as Charlotte tucks into her breakfast, before heading downstairs to find Mary, Keith junior, Kristina-Leigh and Nikki (my 'assistant' for the day) waiting at the front door. "Come on, where is she?" Mary asks as she wheels the two children into the house in their buggies. "Upstairs," I say. "Just eating breakfast, but I'm sure she could use the company, especially of the cute young boy! I hope he didn't give you and Dan too much trouble last night?" "Sure, he was as good as gold," Mary laughs. "It was a job prying him away from Dan, I'm certain that guy's desperate to have a son." "Well, you know what to get him NEXT Christmas!" I giggle, playfully patting Mary's belly as the young Irishwoman laughs. "You'll have a job prying Keith junior away from his girlfriend too, won't she, Keithy?" Mary and I both giggle as the two infants excitedly laugh at my teasing. "He'll be going out with my baby sister when he's older!" Nikki says, making myself and Mary laugh. "You wish," Mary chuckles. "See yous two later, okay?" "See you later," I reply, giving Mary a quick hug before following Nikki to her car. "Mary filled me on what happened last night with Charlotte, Keith and your nanny," Nikki says. "I can't believe it... I hope she's okay." "She'll be okay now that Mary's there," I say. "HATE leaving her alone... And as if that wasn't bad enough, tomorrow I'm going to have a face-to- face with the dreaded Aunt Sally..." "What, the same woman who tried to have you arrested?" Nikki asks, sighing as I nod. "Why, exactly?" "Mum wants to catch up with her," I shrug. "She is her sister, after all, and they were estranged for a long time... And I was estranged from her for a long time, and that relationship healed, so maybe she hopes she can, after all, be one big, happy family, I dunno." "I'm happy to go with you if you want," Nikki offers. "Me AND Sarah. Maybe rubbing a legally engaged same-sex part-transgender couple in their face will take some wind out of her sails, I dunno." "I'd appreciate that," I say with a smile. "Actually, my cousins may be there too, the older one's about your age, the younger one's 14 so you never know, might be a fan!" "Heh, maybe," Nikki laughs. "Might be worth calling Steph as well if they're that age, they might be fans of Out of Heaven?" "No, the band's at work tomorrow," I say. "I dunno if Hannah's busy or not, though." "Does she normally stay with her family over Christmas?" Nikki asks. "I think she said she had brothers who lives elsewhere." "That's... That's kinda a sensitive subject," I grimace. "God, I wouldn't want to be Hannah knowing I'll have to field questions about that... I'll give her a call tomorrow, but you and Sarah coming along would be really appreciated." "After everything you've done for me this year, it's the least I can do," Nikki giggles as we head toward our 'workplace' for the day. Upon arrival, I'm escorted to my Nikki-approved dressing room where I swap my light tights for a dark pair with a funky pattern. Today's 'appearance' is an endorsement for a new brand of designer tights who've asked (and paid a lot of money for) me to be their spokeswoman, so it's only fair I 'fly the flag' (it's also wear I'm wearing a skirt much shorter than I'd usually wear in December). As I step out of the dressing room, I'm greeted by the other three models Joshua sent along, all of whom are wearing similar pairs of tights over plain black leotards. A smile creeps over my face as I recognise one of the models- or rather, as I recognise her incredible 41 inch long legs. "Hey Jamie!" Dannii squeaks as she gives me a friendly hug, much to the delight of the other girls. "Thanks SO much for getting me this gig today." "Hey, when you think 'tights' you think 'legs', and when you think 'legs' you think 'Dannii'!" I say, making the tall girl laugh. "Yeah, I've had more than one hosiery firm approach me since I turned eighteen," Dannii giggles, before the two of us are interrupted by a very familiar voice. "Hey there, gorgeous!" The voice of Paul Gould, my ex-boyfriend, calls. "And Jamie. Hi to you too." I watch with a stoic face as Paul gives Dannii (who is eight years his junior) a long, deep kiss before giving her nylon-covered buttock a playful squeeze. "Hey you!" Dannii giggles in a sickeningly sweet voice. "And hands off! Don't want to walk out on national TV with a ladder on my arse..." "You could always take the tights off," Paul shrugs, making Dannii giggle yet again. "Maybe later," the blonde girl says, giving Paul another kiss before following me to the backstage area. It was four years ago- almost to the day- that Paul and I became boyfriend and girlfriend, and not long afterward that I lost (or rather, willingly gave up) my virginity to him. If it hadn't been for his selfish actions when we broke up, I'd probably still be with him now, but as I see him and Dannii fooling around together, I feel a sense of pride as I realise that it stirs no feelings inside me whatsoever. No envy, no jealousy, nothing. If Dannii wants him, she's more than welcome to have him. As always, the TV spot goes well- I sing the praises of the tights as the models show them off (with Dannii in particular showing off her extra-long legs), and after the cameras have stopped rolling, I jump back into Nikki's car and head back home. "That's your last gig until after Christmas, isn't it?" My 'prot?g?' asks. "Yes," I say, letting out a light chuckle. "I notice you didn't talk to Dannii whilst you were in there... You two still not on speaking terms?" "'On speaking terms': yes, 'friends': not really," Nikki grimaces. "We- we've sort-of agreed to have a 'work relationship' only. Not that any of us are getting any modelling work now that the other girls are all at uni..." "They're broken up now, aren't they?" I ask. "God knows I've got all my work done for the first half of the year..." "Ooh yes, I did mean to ask," Nikki laughs. "Still averaging a 2:2?" "A high 2:2, yes," I giggle. "Might get a 2:1 if I'm lucky, though if I do get a 2:2, no prizes for guessing who's offered to organise my graduation party..." "Let me guess: would it also involve pointe shoes?" Nikki asks. "Good guess," I say, making us both giggle girlishly. "I'm guessing all your girls are averaging firsts?" "Yep!" Nikki says with pride. "Sarah's even on course for a distinction." "Given who her mother is, I'm not surprised," I laugh as I think of the counsellor who helped me through the first year of my transition. "Do you know if Beverly's free tomorrow? It couldn't hurt to have a professional along to ease the tension..." "I'll ask her tonight," Nikki says. "Though I did text Hannah at the studio, and she's up for tomorrow!" "Sweet!" I squeak. "Thank you so much for that, that's one less job for me to do." "Yep!" Nikki says. "Now all we have to do is get your house ready for its third party in as many days..." I laugh as we head back to my home, where- after spending a couple of minutes cooing over Kristina-Leigh and Keith junior- Nikki and I (and our regular band of helpers) set about packing away the 'Strictly Come Dancing' paraphernalia from last night and replacing it with pink and black decorations, the centrepiece of which are a pair of balloons in pink and black checks, one in the shape of the number '2' and one in the shape of the number '3'. Unlike the last two years, when Viks had the most elaborate birthday parties out of all of us, this year we're having no specific 'theme' other than 'Victoria Brooks is awesome'. All of the party guests, however, are required to wear black nail polish on their fingernails- even the boys, which makes me giggle when I see Stuart head into the room with his fingernails covered in the shiny black liquid. "For the record," my fianc? says after giving me a kiss, "I hated wearing this stuff ten years ago, I hate wearing it now, you'd better have the remover ready for after the party." "Also for the record," I retort, "if you WEREN'T post-op I'd have argued to give you a sort-of 'exemption', but as you're now 'endowed', that means you're no different from any of the other boys, so man up and wear your nail polish!" "...Fine," Stuart sighs, before laughing. "I suppose I could always do that trick where you stick your hand under your thigh so it looks like you're masturbating with someone else's hand..." "Don't you dare!" I laugh. "You're not doing anything to that, well, 'thing' until your doctors give you the green light. I want it to be nice and strong for our wedding night!" I smile as Stuart chuckles and nods. "On a happier and more 'family-friendly' note, how were Emma and her family?" "They're great, yeah," Stuart says with a smile. "You can tell they're looking forward to spoiling little Ray for his first Christmas, even though he's too young to remember it. Tried to persuade Emma to come back here to join Charlotte & Mary's 'mother's club'... This may sound weird, but, you know, it's kinda important to me that little Ray becomes friends with Keith junior and Kristina-Leigh..." "Doesn't sound weird at all," I say with a smile. "I think Nikki's the same way with her sister..." "'The Angels: The Next Generation', heh," Stuart chuckles. "Is- is Charlotte feeling better today?" "She's getting there," I say. "Now in addition to manning up and wearing your nail polish, you can put those pretty hands to work and help us decorate this room!" "Yes ma'am," Stuart laughs as he fetches the freshly-cleaned glassware from the kitchen. Less than four hours later, the main room is once again filled with partygoers, each of them wearing the same black nail polish that has quickly become a trademark of the guest of honour, who blushes and giggles with embarrassment as she's greeted with three cheers and a round of 'happy birthday'. "Oh my god, thank you all so much!" Viks squeaks. "I know you're all probably 'partied out', but it really means a lot to me that you're here today. Especially those pretty fingernails of yours!" "To Viks!" Hannah cheers. "The kindest, most beautiful and most talented woman I know." "To Viks!" Everyone cheers, before the music- and by extension, the party- restarts. "Thanks for agreeing to come with me tomorrow," I say to Hannah as we get a drink from the bar. "Thought you'd be too busy now being a major national celebrity, heh." "I'm never too busy for my friends," Hannah says. "If it wasn't for you guys, I wouldn't even be ANY type of celebrity." "And neither would Viks," I muse. "I remember when we met her, she was this shy, quiet student... Now look at her, with her celebrity parties, magazines clamouring for the rights to her wedding..." "If it wasn't for Viks I wouldn't even be any type of PERSON, let alone model or celebrity," Hannah muses. "But, speaking of weddings..." "I'm still deciding my bridesmaids," I giggle. "I don't know how many I'm going to have yet, and I really want Charlotte and Nikki..." "Okay, no rush, and no pressure either," Hannah giggles. "Speaking of Charlotte, where is she? Could've sworn I saw her a couple of minutes ago?" "She should be here, Keith's parents are looking after the little one again," I say as I scan the room looking for my BFF. Before I can spot her, however, I catch a glimpse of the likely reason she's no longer at the party- Keith is here, and so is his new girlfriend. "Ugh, excuse me..." I say to Hannah as I head toward the new couple. "Sure, I wish I didn't have such pale skin