Halloween For Life Chapter 19 (Timeline 1) free porn video

Chapter 19 - Halloween For Life (A Fan Fiction Continuation) Working Girl? The alarm clock blared out a loud and obnoxious buzz. Jordan fumbled with it, eventually finding the off switch. It had been a strange night. Jordan's surreal dreams had been filled with sex toys and images of Matt. The alarm was set for 6am and he was grateful to be awake so he could push away the disturbing images. Jordan shifted in bed. No matter what he did, he found it hard to get comfortable. His breast forms were still glued to his body and they made sleeping on his side awkward and sleeping on his stomach impossible. 'Did all women wear a bra to bed?' he wondered. It helped hold the breast forms in place, without it they would tug painfully at his skin. So much so that it was worth putting up with the straps that dug into his shoulders. The bras he bought at the department store were better (they had nice wide straps), but it was still uncomfortable. "Like it or not, I will just have to get used to it," Jordan mumbled, sitting up and putting his feet on the hardwood floor. He looked around at Angela's sparsely furnished spare bedroom. "The fire," Jordan said to himself. Just the fact that he was in this room was proof that it had happened. Jordan reassessed his losses from the fire, and had to grit his teeth to stop from crying. He was feeling emotional lately, what with all the tears and the fainting spell. But then, he and Anna had just lost everything in a fire so maybe it was to be expected? His keys, his phone, his computer, and all of his identity (it was critical that he start fixing that today), the solvent (wouldn't he like to remove the breast forms, even if just for a couple of hours!), his credit cards... "All that, and this feminine voice too," Jordan said out loud, testing his voice. It hadn't changed or gotten any deeper. Would it ever? Even now, he was still surprised by his much softer and girly voice. The clinic's treatment had certainly cleared up his fever and laryngitis, but the recovery back to normal was clearly going to take a lot longer than he had expected. Jordan got up and looked in the mirror. A sleepy young woman looked back at him. She had blonde tousled hair which cascaded in gentle waves down to his shoulders, delicate arched eyebrows, soft, inviting lips and expressive eyes wearing an 'I'm an Angel!' nightshirt. 'Is this what it feels like to wake up as a working woman?' he wondered to himself. He had grown up hearing his mother talk about 'working women' and 'career women' as if they were aspirational goals and not the normal state of affairs for the female sex. She herself had been a stay-at-home mom, at her husband's old-fashioned insistence. And now here was Jordan: a career woman, waking up with the alarm at 6am to start his work day as a manufacturing engineer, just like his mom had wanted for all her daughters. 'I wonder if this is what she had envisioned?' Jordan thought to himself, with a wry smile. Jordan was the only boy with three older sisters. He wondered what his father would say if he saw him? Jordan shuddered at the thought. "Jordan?" Angela called out from the kitchen, "coffee's ready. Also, there's a cup of yogurt for breakfast if you want it." Jordan slipped on a pair of pink terry-cloth slippers with rubber soles. Spying the pill bottles on the dresser, he fetched a white pill and a pink pill and padded out to the kitchen. Angela held out a cup of hot coffee which Jordan gratefully accepted. He washed the first pill down with coffee and then put the pink one under his tongue to dissolve. "Don't we look like a couple of floozy housewives," Angela laughed, passing a cup of low-fat yogurt and a spoon to Jordan. It was true. They both had messy "all over the place" hair and wore bedraggled expressions. "All we need to complete the picture is cigarettes," Jordan joked, slumping down into a kitchen chair. Jordan pealed open the foil cover on the yogurt and took out a spoonful, nodding a 'thanks' to Angela. "No smoking in the house," Angela reminded him. "But the sooner we get out of the house, the sooner we'll be able to have a smoke on the way to work. That's my incentive every morning." "Good idea," Jordan agreed. He finished the low-fat yogurt and started wondering if there was some more breakfast somewhere. Maybe some cereal? "I think you should get your shower first," said Angela. "Since you take longer to get ready in the morning. Does that make sense?" "Yes, makes sense," Jordan agreed. Angela only had a single bathroom, so they would have to share. He took another sip of coffee and then looked up, seeing Angela looking at him intently. "Oh!" Jordan said, suddenly realizing that Angela was hinting to get his butt in gear. "I'll get my shower right away!" The rest of breakfast would have to wait. * * * Jordan stepped into the bathroom and closed the door, stripping naked and leaving his "cheekini" underwear, gaff, and neon pink VS nightshirt on the floor. The gaff had an embarrassing stain in the crotch from his self-pleasuring the night before. Jordan blushed all over again thinking about how he had called out Matt's name as he orgasmed. It bothered him, but he was too busy right now to analyze why. He removed the bra last. The breast forms tugged uncomfortably at his skin, but as long as he didn't make any sudden motions with his body it was bearable. He had done some research the night before and came to realize that the adhesive was the same "skin glue" used to close surgical wounds, and that it could take as long as 3 weeks for them to come off naturally! Which made it all the more important for him to get the solvent as soon as possible. He would have to call Dr. Green when he got to work. Jordan turned on the shower and adjusted the temperature and stepped into the water spray and started into the skin care and hair care routines that Anna had taught him. "Hey Princess! Do you mind if I brush my teeth while you shower? We're running late." "Angela?" Jordan, squeaked. Fuck, fuck, fuck!!! 'She just walks right into the bathroom while I'm showering?' Jordan thought wildly, feeling exposed and panicky. 'Who does that? And what did she just call me? Princess?' Jordan's mind was going a mile a minute. His primary thought was: 'It's all over. She's going to see me, flat chested (with breast forms) and a penis (!!) and I'm busted. I'll be fired. I'll be blackballed from working in Phoenix. My new job will be gone. I'll be arrested for perversion with a minor. My life will be over!' The only thing which separated Jordan and discovery was a thin, fragile, translucent plastic shower curtain about the width of a human hair. "Thanks!" Angela said, not quite hearing Jordan over the shower, and having absolutely no idea how much he was panicking on the other side, and just assuming it was okay. Quivering, Jordan carefully peaked out from behind the shower curtain. Oh god. Angela was wearing just panties. She was bare breasted, leaning over the sink and brushing her teeth. Jordan pulled back and instinctively covered his male parts. What to do?? Jordan tried to figure something out while hurriedly finishing his shower, expecting Angela to peak into the shower and expose him at any second. But then what? Should he wait and pretend to keep on showering until she left? But then the hot water might run out, and that would be bad. Not only because he would be freezing (and then he'd have to turn it off anyway) but also it would mean Angela would have to shower in cold water. And what if she never left? Should he ask her to leave? But that felt awkward. After all, he was the guest. Should he try and make a break for it? Oh god, what to do? Jordan decided to chance it. He turned off the shower and took a few seconds to squeegee the water from his long hair and from his smooth body with his hands (stroking the water from his breast forms felt so strange and nice - it was like feeling up his own pair of tits - if he hadn't been so worried about Angela in the bathroom he might have enjoyed it more). Jordan peeked from behind the shower curtain and saw Angela washing her face with a special cleanser. "Angela?" Jordan asked, in a small voice, holding the shower curtain tightly so that it hid his body. "C-c-could you fetch me a towel?" Damn, his voice was shaking with fear. 'Get a grip, Jordan!' he scolded himself. "Sure thing, sweetheart!" She reached over and grasped the spare towel and tossed it to Jordan, her feet jostling the pile of night clothes Jordan had left on the bathroom floor. Jordan looked down and realized that Angela had accidentally uncovered the gaff! Quickly he dried off and then wrapped the towel around his body, tucking it in tight so it hugged his breasts. It was like a super-short terry-cloth mini-skirt and *just* wide enough to hide his crotch. For added safety, he tucked up his parts and just squeezed his legs together, praying he could exit quickly. Jordan took a few deep breaths to steady his nerves. It was now or never. He pulled the curtain aside and held the towel tight where it was tucked in at this chest to make sure it didn't come un-done. Of course, one step out of the bath and his parts just swung free! Crap! Jordan covered his crotch with his free hand and stepped fully out of the tub as quickly as he could. But now he didn't have any hands free to pick up his clothes from the floor, and the gaff was still visible! "Hey," Angela said. She finished rinsing off her face and turned towards Jordan, grinning at him. The two stood just inches apart in the small, steamy bathroom. Just then, Angela looked at Jordan weirdly. Her eyes glanced down and then back up. It was as if she was trying to decide what to say and whether or not to say it. 'I'm busted,' Jordan thought, immediately, his heart sinking. 'She saw the gaff. She sees me hiding my crotch. She knows I'm a man. Oh god, I am so busted.' Jordan's mind raced to the apologies he would have to tell her, how he would move out right away, perhaps move in with Jason, and how he would promise never to see her or her family again. And then what about work? And Johanson? And what about Matt? And could he give a message to Bella to tell her that he was sorry but he couldn't see her again? And would he get a new job in the same city after being fired from his first job? Would Johanson black ball him? "You have a zit," Angela said, interrupting Jordan's inner dialog. "A... a... a what?" Jordan asked, desperately trying to keep the tremor out of his voice. "A pimple. Oh, honey, it's not that bad! Just a little one. Here, let me get you something to dry it up." Angela opened up the medicine cabinet, extracted a tube of cream and dabbed it on Jordan's nose, just to the side. Jordan just stood there shaking, like a little girl being cared for by her mother. "There! That should take care of it, sweetie! Just cover it up with a little makeup and you'll be fine." "Th-thank you, Angela," Jordan said, clutching his towel just a little bit tighter. It was a pimple, he thought to himself, over and over. It was just a pimple. Oh thank god. Jordan looked up and saw Angela grinning at him. Suddenly their closeness in the steamy bathroom became a physical sensation - Angela in just panties and Jordan in just a towel - two women mostly naked, just inches apart, sharing a bathroom together. The closeness of their bodies radiating like an energy field. 'She loves this,' Jordan realized. 'She likes the fact that we're sharing a bathroom. For her, it's friendly 'girl-time'.' Jordan made an effort to look Angela directly in the eye, trying *not* to look at her naked (and deliciously curvy) body and trying to put a friendly smile on his face. "All done with the shower?" Angela asked "Oh! Yes. Of course." "Cool, thanks!" Angela stripped off her panties and tossed them aside, and then went to turn on the shower. "Oh! Okay, I'll uh... just gather up my things and, uh, leave you to it," Jordan said, trying desperately not to look at her naked bottom, now fully exposed as she leant over to adjust the water temperature. Jordan carefully squatted down and gathered up his night clothes. He fumbled with the door knob for a second and was finally able to exit the bathroom. Looking back as he closed the door he saw Angela, eyes closed, reaching behind her head to tie up her hair into a pony tail (to keep it dry during the shower, Jordan presumed), her entire front naked to him. 'Safe,' Jordan sighed with relief as he entered the guest bedroom and closed the door. 'How could she not see?' he wondered. 'Am I... do I really look that... much... like a woman? Even without wearing a dress? Even without makeup?' The thought floored him. Was he really that convincing? Except for his chest and crotch, of course. But everywhere else? Was there no other hint that he was a man? Or was Angela just not noticing? Jordan wondered briefly what he would look like with breast implants. Oh god, if he passed in front of Angela with just a towel and no makeup or hair, then with implants he'd basically pass everywhere... as long as he wore his gaff. What would Anna think? She hadn't seen his body in an intimate way since before the last visit to the clinic. Would she still want him? Such a feminine, girly figure? With this voice? (although he was still hoping it would change back) With no body hair at all? With these eyebrows? As Jordan picked out his underwear for the day he marveled at how Angela just popped into the bathroom as if it were nothing. Is this what women did when they roomed together? He wondered. They shared facilities like this? At the same time? They walked around naked in each other's presence? He supposed they did. If so, Jordan was going to have a hard time of it. But what could he do about it? He couldn't start locking the bathroom, that would look suspicious. Well at least he was going to start wearing a bathrobe! And being a lot more careful about the gaff. 'Oh god,' he thought to himself. 'And now what happens when Angela finds out that I'm a man? What will she think, sharing a bathroom with a man dressed as a woman??' Jordan had visions of the police banging on his door and arresting him for being a peeping Tom. "Maybe she'll never find out?" he hoped. * * * Jordan picked out a striped sweater dress for work and hung it up on the closet door. It had the advantage of covering him up with a high neckline, but the distinct disadvantage of being more form-fitting and clingy than a skirt & blouse combination. Jordan started by dressing in his new lingerie. He started with the gaff, then covered it with his new, favorite cheekini panties, and then slipped on a new rose-flower print bra from Victoria's Secret which he hooked up in back. This time, cognizant of the temperature of the filing room at work, Jordan decided to put on pantyhose. Sitting down on the bed, he tore open the package, rolled up a leg and slipped his leg into the nylon tube. "Ohhhh..." he gasped. This was his first time ever wearing pantyhose, and the stretchy nylon fabric slid up his smooth, hairless legs with a sensuous caress. He was glad that it came up to his waist. It was yet another layer of protection from un-feminine bulges. He put on the heels and took a few experimental steps. Oh gosh... that felt nice! The sheer, silky nylon slipped and tugged over his smooth, hairless legs making Jordan feel incredibly sexy. Was he going to be feeling this all day long? Next, Jordan went to do his makeup, standing and looking at a small table-top mirror propped up on his dresser drawers. He was just finishing it when Angela knocked and came in without asking. "Need help with the corset, Princess?" she asked. "Uh, sure," Jordan said. I need to wear the robe all the time, he realized, if she's going to be barging in like this! "Do you have to call me Princess?" Jordan asked, as Angela worked on the corset laces. "Well, I don't *have* to," Angela giggled, pulling the laces tighter and tighter, "but I want to. After all, we're best friends! We should have pet names for each other. And since your performance as sleeping beauty in the play was so perfect, well it just seems to fit, don't you think? Or would you prefer 'cupcake'? Or maybe 'pookie poodles'?" "No! Okay, Princess is fine." Jordan cringed at the thought of being called 'cupcake' by Angela. "But please, not at work, okay? Just between us, when we're alone?" "Oh, of course! I would never call you that at work, Ms. Jordan Ross. You have my word. Hey, what's your middle name?" "It's Nichol--" Jordan stopped short. He couldn't say 'Nicholas', obviously. What should he say? Unfortunately, Angela was way ahead of him. "Nicole?" Angela asked. "Jordan Nicole Ross? What a beautiful name!" "Thanks," Jordan said, blushing slightly. "Hey, you're not wearing those shoes, are you?" "Yes, why?" Jordan looked down at the flats he had picked out. "Because we just got you a perfect pair for that dress," Angela said, rolling her eyes. She went into Jordan's closet and fished out a dark- green pair of three inch heels. "Here you go!" "Do I have to?" Jordan whined. "Wearing heels all day... it will kill my feet." "Yes you have to because Angela says so and because you'll look awesome in them. You'll get used to it faster than you think." 'I doubt it,' Jordan groused to himself. Angela finished her work on the corset and tucked the laces away. Was it smaller than before? It certainly felt tighter. Jordan felt his waist, it was certainly quite compact. He felt packaged and 'put together'. In a weird way it felt nice, actually. Like armor. "Now don't you look like a real princess," Angela said, smiling. "I guess that makes me your ladies' maid!" * * * Jordan and Angela stepped out of the apartment and down the stairs to the sidewalk, Jordan being extra careful in his three-inch heels. The feeling of walking in pantyhose was new to him, and more a little bit distracting. As they got to the street, Jordan looked over at his apartment and the emergency tape covering the front door, feeling awful all over again for the fire and how careless he had been. "Come," Angela said, gently tugging at his arm. As they walked to work, Angela took out a cigarette, put it between her lips, lit it with a lighter, took a couple of puffs and then handed it to Jordan. Jordan looked at lipstick print on the cigarette filter. He hesitated for only a second before putting it to his lips, adding his own red lipstick to Angela's before inhaling the smoke, holding it, and then letting it slowly escape. They were just two friends, smoking together. Two working women walking to their jobs at the local manufacturing plant, having a smoke on the way to relax and release some tension before stepping in to work. The walked in silence for a while, their heels clicking on the sidewalk. Jordan held the cigarette between his delicate fingers with their manicured, French-tip nails, occasionally taking a puff and then blowing out the smoke it to the side. "Angela, something's been bothering me," Jordan said at last. Angela thought, of course, that it would be something to do with Jordan's sister Anna, or the fire or maybe something about her brother Matt. They walked past a construction worker sitting on some stairs eating a breakfast sandwich. He pointedly leered at them and made a wolf whistle. Angela flashed her middle finger at him, causing the worker to burst out laughing. "Angela!" Jordan whispered. "You're just encouraging him!" "I know," Angela giggled. "That's why I do it. Besides, it's just Don. He's harmless. I see him sometimes at the bar on the corner." "Do you know *everyone*, Angela?" "Well, everyone worth knowing, now that I've met you," Angela said, linking her arm with Jordan's. "Now what's been bothering you, Princess?" Jordan sighed, hearing Angela's pet name for him, but pressed forward. "It's the batch numbers. They don't add up. I know that we've got these really low failure rates, but it doesn't add up with the amount of raw materials we're using. Something doesn't smell right." "So... you think the spreadsheet might be wrong?" "Or the test reports are reporting the wrong data. Or someone is getting the wrong data from the test reports. Or the raw materials are not being recorded properly. Or... any number of things." "Wow, that would be bad, right? So what do we do?" Suddenly, Jordan had a brilliant idea. If he could make Angela look good to Ed Johanson, then it would be better when Jordan had to leave for his new job. Then Angela could step up as manager and everyone would think Angela was the perfect replacement. Everyone would be happy! "Let's..." Jordan put the cigarette to his lips and inhaled, thinking hard. "Let's not say anything about it until we know for sure, okay? I have a lot of other items on my to-do list, so could you take the lead on this? Start with the raw test reports and manually double check the numbers all the way through to the spreadsheet." "Will do, boss!" Angela said, happily as they walked up the stairs to the Johanson & Johanson main entrance. They stopped for a second to stub out the cigarettes in the ash tray at the front door, their delicate fingers pressing the stub into the sand. 'Jordan is so smart', Angela realized, for the first time seeing her boss's natural ability in manufacturing engineering. 'I am going to learn so much from her!' * * * As soon as Jordan stepped into the lobby of Johanson & Johanson, a young woman popped up. "Jordan Ross?" she asked. "Yes?" "I'm Tiffani!" She shook Jordan's hand with a little too much enthusiasm. "I'm Ed Johanson's executive assistant. He told me to meet you here so we could get you a new employee badge. He told me about the fire! That's so horrible!" "Thank you, Tiffani." Tiffani had big smile, round face and dirty blond hair. Her inquisitive hazel eyes peaked out from cute business-appropriate glasses. "Hey Jordan, I'll head to my office," Angela said. "See you later." Angela waved her badge at the electronic eye and was allowed in. "Tiffani, I can get my own badge," Jordan protested. "You don't need to help." "No, Mr. Johanson was very clear that I had to help. And I want to help! After all, you've been through such trauma." "Okay then," Jordan sighed. "Now first, we'll need to check in with security," Tiffani said, leading him over to the security guard. It was the same security guard who had checked Jordan in the first time. Jordan was lead to the photo area where he (again) fixed his hair and makeup in the mirror and then (again) stood in front of the blank screen to get his picture taken. This time it took three attempts before he had a big and friendly smile large enough to satisfy the security guard. "Here you go," said the guard, handing over the badge. His eyes drifted down to Jordan's chest and the back up again. 'Is he checking me out??' Jordan looked at him, shocked and feeling a little violated. Jordan looked at his picture on the badge. Wow. If his first picture had made him look like a woman, this one left absolutely no doubt. His makeup and hair (after a week's worth of practice) was flawless. He had a wide, toothy smile. His lips were plump and inviting. His eyebrows were feminine and expressive. And this was his new, permanent badge. "Try to make this one last longer than a week, okay?" the guard joked. "Yes, sir," Jordan replied, blushing slightly. Entering the building, Jordan's mind was already racing ahead to the work which needed to be done. He had been gone for three work days and from experience he knew that things would be piling up. "Now that you have your badge," Tiffani said, as the two of them walked to the elevators, "Mr. Johanson thought you might need some help recovering the rest of your identification. I've done this before, so I can help you get copies of your birth certificate and social security card. And then you can go to the DMV and get a new copy of your driver's license." "That would wonderful, Tiffani, thank you," Jordan said. His mind was still on the details his to-do list, so he didn't take the time to consider Tiffani's offer in any great depth. After all, he had been dreading having to navigate the bureaucracy necessary to recover his identity, so Tiffani's help was more than welcome. Oh Jordan, if only you had stop to consider Tiffani's help more carefully! The two parted ways and Jordan took the elevator down to the manufacturing level. * * * Dr. Green used a short break between appointments to look through his patient calendar, trying his best to find an opening. He had thought more and more about the American Cancer Society Gala and decided it would be perfect if Jordan could be there. He knew from Vanessa Crosby that Jordan was friends with Angela Coleman, and it was well known that the Coleman family was a big supporter of the ACS, so it was a good bet that Jordan would be there. And even if Jordan wasn't going to the ACS, well then Ryan Green would just have to find some other way to get her there. Perhaps he could convince Johanson to take Jordan to the ACS as his date! That would be even better! Regardless, the opportunity was just too good to pass up. So it was settled, then. Jordan would have to attend the ACS (some way or another) to show all of Dr. Ryan Green's stellar handiwork, to a host of (rich and well connected!) potential clients. The problem was that the ACS was just under three weeks away. This meant that Jordan would need to get breast implants quickly to be fully recovered if the plan was going to work at all. "When... when..." Dr. Green muttered, flipping through the calendar. Finally, he found a date. It would mean postponing a follow-up visit with Sally, the Victoria's Secret saleslady, but that would be okay. It was just a 3-month follow-up and she would be okay with it, he was sure. "So, Friday afternoon it is, then," Dr. Green said, writing a note for his assistant. * * * Jordan got to his desk and sat down, smoothing his dress underneath as he did so, just like Anna had taught him. He picked up his 'to do' list from last week, crossed off the 'Nov. Machinery Check' and added a few items to the bottom. It was a lot. Jordan had basically blown off his job last week with organizing, filing and reading binders of statistics and machine specifications, but now there was no way he could avoid getting some of these items done. It would be a long day. And worse, he would need help. Lots of help. Reports were overdue. Decisions needed to be made. Materials needed to be ordered. Maintenance plans needed to be approved. Jordan would need to learn more about his new job and how it operated in order to make those decisions, and that would mean meeting with everyone, including the three other supervisors (other than Angela) who now worked for him. Jordan turned on his computer and began arranging meetings. Jordan lost himself for a while, busy focused on the job of being a manufacturing engineer. The gentle sway of his breasts in the Victoria's secret bra, and the sliding of the sweater dress over his nylon stocking legs barely registered with his conscious mind. After all, dressing as a woman at Johanson & Johanson was all he had done since starting this new job. His subconscious mind was starting to put the two together. Working at Johanson & Johanson and dressing (and being) a woman was becoming synonymous. This was Jordan at Johanson & Johanson, his life at this company. It wasn't until he got up to go to the bathroom that he was snapped back to reality. "Woah! Wrong bathroom there, little missy!" "Sorry!" Jordan squeaked, jerking his hand off the bathroom door as if it were burning hot. Shit, it was the men's room! He had almost walked right into it! Jordan, embarrassed and ashamed, turned to the man walking up. It was the machinist from the manufacturing floor who had stooped down to return his pen cap. "Oh, Miss Ross!" The man said, suddenly apologetic. "I didn't realize it was you." Jordan looked at the man, curiously. Now that the man knew Jordan was in management, suddenly he was behaving politely. Why was that? "What's your name?" Jordan asked. "David. David Guertin." At 6 feet 1 inches tall, David towered over Jordan. He had sandy- colored hair, blue eyes, and was unshaven. "Well, okay, David. But you shouldn't be using words like 'little missy' when talking to women." "Yes, Ma'am. I understand. I apologize. Thank you, Ma'am. And I wanted to say, Ma'am, that I heard about the fire at your apartment? And I wanted to say that I was real sorry to hear about that. That's just terrible." "Thank you, David. I appreciate that." Jordan found the right bathroom and entered it, smiling to himself. It had taken him months to gain any sort of respect from the mechanics on the floor in is previous job. It had been nothing but surly sneering at the 'college boy' and his 'fancy statistics'. And now here he was, dressed as a woman and being called 'Ma'am' after only a week. Would wonders never cease? Maybe being a woman manufacturing engineer had its advantages. * * * When Jordan returned to his desk he decided it was time to call the clinic for some replacement solvent. "Is Dr. Green in?" he asked. Jordan was sufficiently embarrassed about his situation that he only wanted to talk to Dr. Green, if possible. "I'm afraid he's with a patient," the nurse's assistant answered. "Oh, okay. What's a good time to call him back?" "Let's see, he's pretty booked. But you can usually get him around 5 o'clock before he heads home for the day. Would you like me to have him call you?" "No thank you," Jordan didn't want to have Dr. Green calling him at work. "I'll call back, thanks." * * * "Hi Rebecca? It's Edward Johanson here." Johanson was calling Rebecca Guertin, the Best Western Heiress who was also the gatekeeper for the ACS gala tickets. "Eddy! Such a pleasure to hear your voice. How is Phoenix's most eligible bachelor doing these days?" "Rebecca, that was years ago," Ed said. Rebecca was referring to an article of 'most eligible' from Phoenix magazine five years ago that had featured him on the cover, dressed in a natty black tuxedo. "And are you still a bachelor?" she asked. "Well, yes." "And are you still eligible?" "Yes, of course," Ed sighed. His family and the Guertins had known each other for decades, so he was used to this gentle teasing from Rebecca, the Grand Dame of the Guertin clan. "Well then! If you were the most eligible bachelor then, you must be even *more* eligible now! Unless there's someone new in the picture? Hmmm?" "Well..." Johanson flushed, thinking of Jordan. "Oh Eddy! That is such wonderful news! Who is she?" Johanson sighed. "Her name is Jordan. But that's just it, Rebecca. She's one of my employees from work." "So?" "So?? I can't go around dating my employees. It's just not done." "Oh, pshaw. That never stopped your daddy. Or your granddaddy. Why, there wasn't a skirt in the building that escaped *his* attention. I could tell you stories! There was this one time when he got caught with the cleaning lady in the employee shower--" "Please, Rebecca! Stop! I'd... I'd prefer not to know." "Suit yourself. Oh! I have an idea. I'm holding a luncheon party this Sunday for the board of the ACS. Why don't you come and invite your Jordan?" "I just told you Rebecca, I can't go dating my employees." "It's not dating, Eddy. It's just a luncheon. You tell her that a large stockholder has invited you and that this stockholder wants to meet a 'rising young star' in the company." Ed thought it over. It wasn't such a bad idea, actually. "I'll think about it, Rebecca." "Good. You do that, Eddy." Rebecca grinned to herself. Ed Johanson, with his eye on a woman! Would wonders never cease? She had long ago given up on him ever finding someone. He was married to his job and worked his fingers to the bone trying to impress his father, a pugnacious bastard who never noticed the poor boy unless it was to criticize. And maybe worse (there were rumors). It would be good for Edward to have a woman to love him and take care of him, Rebecca felt, and it sounded like this Jordan was just the one. "Now, why was it that you called?" Rebecca asked. "Oh, right! I need an extra ticket to the ACS gala for a friend and his plus-one. Could you arrange that for me?" * * * Jordan spent the rest of the morning meeting with the other supervisors in his area and gathering the data he needed to do his job effectively. He still felt uncomfortable walking around the building in a dress. Probably for that reason, he was always ducking into the bathroom (the woman's bathroom this time!) to check his makeup and hair before every meeting. And then, just as he was about to step into someone's office, he would smooth the dress, do one last double-check of his makeup and hair with his compact mirror, take a deep breath, stand up straight (breasts forward!) and then put on a big wide smile and enter. And it worked. Everyone was cordial and polite and helpful, and they were all incredibly sorry about the fire. 'Does *everyone* know about the fire?' Jordan thought to himself. But he knew that gossip inside of companies moved fast, so he wasn't that surprised. * * * What he didn't know was that Angela, in addition to tracking down the raw test data Jordan wanted, was going around soliciting donations and gifts for Jordan's fundraiser. She had two thousand dollars already! Everyone she told was so concerned, that most handed her some cash or wrote a check right then and there. Others decided to gather their group together so they could pool their resources to get Jordan and her sister Anna something really nice. Angela went to tell Mr. Johanson the good news. "I've raised some money too," Mr. Johanson said. He had talked to everyone in the executive wing during the Monday morning status meeting. He was vague on purpose, since he would be adding a sizable donation himself and he didn't want the amount to become public. "What should we do with all of the money?" Angela asked. "Just give it to Jordan? Or should we purchase things which she will need?" "Maybe half and half?" Mr. Johanson offered. "After all, we know that she needs a new cell phone and computer and, I imagine, uh... some feminine things." "Ooh, shopping! I'd love to go shopping for Jordan," Angela enthused. "I'll get some of the other ladies from work to help." "When should we do the fundraising party?" Mr. Johanson asked. "Soon, I think. But I'll need the weekend to do the shopping. Maybe Monday at lunch?" "Oh, that's when I do my executive lunch. How about on Tuesday?" "Great!" "Perfect. I'll get Tiffani to get lunch catered for the company, with a cake. We'll make it a 'new life' celebration." "What a wonderful idea, Mr. Johanson!" Angela grinned. "I'll see if I can find some appropriate decorations at the party store." "You are such a sweetheart to be so supportive of Jordan," Mr. Johanson said. "Putting her up in your apartment. It must be a burden." Ed Johanson was carefully probing Angela about Jordan's living arrangements and expectations. He presumed that eventually Jordan was going to move back in with Anna Ross, but he was curious if there were other possibilities. Like maybe that luxury apartment complex near where Johanson lived? "Oh, it's no burden at all," Angela said. "I'm happy to do it. Jordan can live with me for as long as she wants. We're starting to become really good friends. Life-long, soul-mate friends." "What will her sister Anna do when she gets back from her business trip?" "I don't know," Angela thought about that for a minute. "But I would bet that she moves in with Jason. After all, they've been long-distance dating for, like, forever." 'So, Jason and Anna,' Johanson thought to himself after Angela had left. 'That's interesting.' * * * "Jordan?" "Anna!" Jordan exclaimed, feeling a flood of emotion. He clutched the phone tight to his ear. "I'm so sorry I was such a bitch to you. I..." Anna bit her lip. She was standing in a vestibule outside the training center. Should she tell him about her spending the night with her boss? She was just about to -- "Anna, I'm so sorry about the apartment," Jordan blurted out, his tears overwhelming him. He quickly fetched a tissue to dab at his eyes before the mascara ran. Jordan turned away from his office door, trying to hide his tears from anyone who might be walking by. "Oh, honey, it's okay," Anna said, soothingly. "I was mad, but I understand it was just an accident. It wasn't your fault." "But it *was* my fault," Jordan cried. "I was the one who left the curling iron on which caused the fire." "But I was the one who made you use the curling iron in the first place, don't you see? So we share responsibility." "Oh Anna, bless you," Jordan said, her words making him feel so much better. "It was... do you know what made me the most sad? It was losing my wedding dress," Anna said, tearing up. "Oh, Anna!" Jordan's heart nearly broke, hearing that. He had no idea the dress mattered to Anna that much. "I know it's stupid, it's just a dress. And what's most important is that you are safe, Jordan! Imagine what would have happened if you were asleep in bed when it happened? I'm just so thankful for that. You are my husband, I love you, and you are safe. That?s all that matters." "I love you too, Anna." "Listen, Jordan, I have decided to quit my job and come back to help." "What?? No!" Jordan was aghast. "Why?" Anna didn't want to say the real reason, which was because she had just spent the night with her boss (even though, technically, nothing had happened), and because she was afraid that if she stayed something more might happen. She wanted to get out of there before temptation and Ray Santos overwhelmed her reason and she broke her wedding vows. "Because I want to be there to help you recover from the fire," Anna lied. "You need me, and I want to be there." Please Jordan, please take the hint, Anna prayed. "Oh Anna!" Jordan felt his love for his wife coming back full force. Being forgiven by Anna was all that he really needed, and now that he had, he wanted to do something for her and he quickly decided that the best thing he could do was to convince her he'd be perfectly okay on his own in Phoenix so she could finish her training in Utah. "I love you so much, but please, you can't come back now." "Why not?" Jordan debated telling Anna about the upcoming job interview, but he didn't want to spoil the surprise until the interview was over and he actually had the job. "We need your job now, more than ever," Jordan reasoned, thinking about how the new job would pay less than his current one. "How else are we going to recover from the fire if we don't have your new income?" They argued back and forth, Anna almost desperate for Jordan to tell her to come home, and Jordan just as adamant that he would be perfectly fine dressing as a woman for the next few weeks and that she shouldn't worry. "I... I'm doing okay," Jordan admitted. "Angela's been helpful, far too helpful, as always, but actually she's really sweet. And I'm actually doing my job now. Of course it's weird walking around in a dress all day. And yes, I still need to get out of here as quickly as possible, but I promise: I'll be okay dressing as a woman until you're done with training." Or until I have a new job, Jordan thought to himself, crossing his fingers. "Well, you certainly sound the part," Anna said, finally resigned to staying in Utah. "I can't believe your voice! You sound like my ditzy college roommate." "I know. It's some weird side-effect of the laryngitis," Jordan sighed. "I'm sure it will return to normal at some point." "It better!" Anna joked. "After all, I need a big strong man..." Anna coughed. It was becoming harder and harder to seriously talk about Jordan, with this voice, as her big strong man. "A big strong *virile man*," she repeated, with as much emphasis and sexiness as she could, "to take care of my *needs*. And I know I've got one. A good one." "Oh, Anna, I can't wait. I *really* can't wait. Oh and hey, I've been talking to Jason, and I think you'll get a nice surprise soon." Of course, Jordan was thinking about his potential new job, which would be closer to Anna's new bank job, and would mean that they could put this whole mess behind them and move on with their lives as husband and wife. "A surprise?" Anna asked, curious. "What kind of surprise?" "A very nice surprise," Jordan said, not wanting to reveal too much. "I can't wait!" They said their goodbyes and hung up. "Jordan?" "Angela!" Jordan yelped, surprised. "Sorry! I should have knocked," Angela said, her eyes flashing with delight. Angela was holding a paper bag in one hand and a sheaf of papers in the other. "Is it true?" "Is what true?" "That Jason is going to propose to Anna when she gets back from Utah? Is that what I just overheard?" "What? No!" Jordan said. "Of course not!" "Oh Jordan, you don't have to hide it from me! I'm your best friend, I can keep a secret!" "Since when?" Jordan looked at her, gob smacked. "Oh my gosh, Jason and Anna - getting married! This is... perfect! And now it's obvious where Anna will stay when she gets back from Utah. With Jason, her fianc?! Oh, after that horrible fire, isn't it nice to have such wonderful news! Oh! And Jason was trying to tell me this at the mall yesterday, wasn't he? He wanted to 'get something nice for Anna' - and I told him to get lingerie, but what he really wanted was help to buy her an engagement ring! Oh my god, I am such an idiot sometimes!" Just sometimes? Jordan thought to himself, looking at Angela in astonishment. Her ability to make leaps of logic were second to none. "Angela, you can't say anything to anyone, okay? Please, you must keep this a secret!" "You bet, Princess!" Angela said, as she mimed zipping her lips shut, locking them and throwing away the key. "Oh, this is just so wonderful. And you!" "What, me?" "You're going to be the bridesmaid!" "Oh god," Jordan began to hyperventilate, experiencing a full-on panic attack for the very first time in his life. "A bridesmaid??" he gasped, "To Anna and Jason...!" Suddenly he was feeling lightheaded. Seeing his distress, Angela hurriedly dumped the contents of the paper bag (plastic containers, napkins and plastic ware) onto the desktop and gave it to him. Jordan held the bag to his face and breathed in and out, the paper expanding and contracting as he breathed. "Thanks, Angela," he said, handing it back. "The bridesmaid, the bridesmaid," Angela teased Jordan, singing the words. "Oh, oh!" Jordan started to hyperventilate again. He hurriedly snatched back the bag. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Angela hugged Jordan. "But don't you worry. I'll be with you every step of the way! We'll go shopping for bridesmaid dresses together, and I'll help you organize the bridal shower, and... oh my god, of course... the bachelorette party!!" "Bachelorette party!" Jordan was so stunned by the thought of having to organize and then *attend!!!* a bachelorette party (for Anna! his wife!) that he dissolved into a massive coughing fit, with Angela trying to be helpful by pounding on his back. "I can't wait!" Angela enthused. "This is going to be the most epic wedding ever! I mean, present company excepted, of course," Angela looked at Jordan, grinning. "Angela, please, stop!" Jordan pleaded. "Jason hasn't even asked her yet!" "So he *IS* going to propose!!" Angela crowed, taking Jordan's statement as confirmation. "Well of *course* she's going to say yes!" Anna was already trying to think up cute couple's names for them. Annason? Jasanna? "Nooooo..." Jordan moaned. "You should know by now, Jordan, that you can't hide anything from me!" Angela said, chortling. 'I must tell Jason as soon as I can to warn him,' Jordan thought, giving up on convincing Angela that the 'surprise' was something else. Could this get any worse? * * * 'I'll just have to be strong,' Anna thought to herself, as she hung up the phone after her conversation with Jordan. 'I just need to be strong and resist temptation. I need to be a good girl and stay away from my boss, Raymond Santos, no matter what. No matter the situation. No matter how good he looks without his shirt on. Damn him.' If only she didn't feel that delicious tingle when the image of his chest hair flashed into her brain. Unfortunately for Anna, Raymond Santos was just around the corner. He had come out to tell Anna that the training class was starting up again, but he stopped short when he heard her on the phone talking to (what he presumed was) her sister. He was just about to walk away to give her some privacy when he overheard Anna say "I need a big strong *virile man* to take care of my needs, and I know I've got one. A good one." 'Well, now that's interesting,' Santos thought to himself. Anna was a beautiful woman, after all. And now it was clear that she was lusting after him. 'Yes, very interesting indeed,' he grinned, wolfishly. * * * Angela had fetched salads for Jordan so they could have a working lunch together. Jordan was grateful for the food, and wolfed it down. After all, he had only eaten a low-fat cup of yogurt and two cups of coffee since waking up that morning. "So I checked the test data you wanted," Angela said, "and you were right! Our failure rates are much higher than reported. The wrong data was being pulled from the report and the spreadsheet itself had errors as well." "So what is the failure rate?" Jordan asked. "Almost 5%." "Oh my god," Jordan gasped. Five percent was an *enormous* failure rate for a needle manufacturer. Typical failure rates were about one tenth of one percent. "How long has this been going on?" "I don't know." "Well, we need to find that out, and fast. And then we need to figure out why the failure rate is so bad. This is very good work, Angela! Mr. Johanson is going to be so pleased with you for finding this and fixing it!" Angela beamed. First finding out about Anna & Jason and now this! It was turning out to be one of the best days of her life. She looked up and silently thanked God for bringing Jordan into her life. * * * "How'd it go with our poor apartment-fire refugee this morning?" Johanson asked his assistant, Tiffani. "Oh, fine," she said, nibbling on the end of a pen. "I offered to help recover her birth certificate and driver?s license, like you suggested, and she seemed very grateful for the help." "Good. Now there's something I should tell you..." Johanson hesitated. He knew he had promised Jason not to tell anyone about Jordan wanting to transition. But he trusted Tiffani with his secrets more than any other human being on the planet. They had been together for over eight years now. "Yes?" Tiffani asked. "This is very private information, you understand, Tiffani?" "Oh, of course, Mr. Johanson!" "Very good. As it turns out, Jordan is transgender and is transitioning from male to female." "No!" Tiffani put her hand over her mouth in shock. "It can't possibly be! She's so feminine!" "But it's true." Johanson grinned. It was the same reaction he had experienced. "Jason has been her friend since high school, and he told me." "Well, that explains one thing," Tiffani said. "I wondered why her middle name was 'Nicholas' when I pulled her information from the HR system." "Well there you go. What I was thinking is that we should take this opportunity to change Jordan's government IDs from male to female, as a favor to her. Could you look into that and report back to me?" "Absolutely, Mr. Johanson. I think this is the perfect time to correct Jordan's gender on her identity papers. You are so thoughtful!" "Excellent. Now I expect that you'll need a doctor's letter, so here's is the office number for Dr. Green - he's in charge of Jordan's transition and I'm sure he'll be happy to sign anything you might need. Just tell him that you're my assistant." * * * Jordan looked at the clock. Shit! It was 5:15pm already. Jordan quickly closed his office door for some privacy and picked up the phone. "Is Dr. Green in?" Jordan asked. "Oh, I'm sorry, you just missed him," the nurse's assistant answered. "Maybe I can help you?" Jordan thought about it. Did he want to ask for help from someone other than Dr. Green? Ultimately he decided he had no choice. "Well, I, uh, I'm using the breast forms that Dr. Green gave me..." "Uh huh. And?" "And, well, I need more of the solvent. I, uh... glued them on and now they won't come off." Jordan heard a noise from the other side of the phone. Was that a laugh? "Hem. Just sneezed," said the assistant. "Sorry about that! Okay, I'll go look for some more solvent. Please hold." A few minutes later, the nurse's assistant got back on the line. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid we're all out of solvent." "Seriously?" Damn, Jordan thought to himself. Will I ever catch a break? "When will you get some in?" "Not until sometime next week." Jordan's shoulders sagged. A whole week? Then he thought about his interview. He had to get the breast forms off before his interview! "Isn't there anything you can do? I really need to get them off." "What did you say your name was?" "Jordan Ross." "Please hold." Jordan waited on pins and needles. "Okay, Jordan, I have a note here from Dr. Ross. He says that you can have your appointment this Friday afternoon and we can take care of your breasts then. Would that be good for you?" "Yes!" Jordan said quickly. "Excellent. He said that you have an appointment at the clinic with Dr. Crosby at 1pm, and that you should just head directly to his office after that." Of course, Jordan had already decided he wasn't going to keep his appointment with Dr. Crosby, but Dr. Green didn't need to know that. "Okay, thanks." "Oh, and he wanted to know if you had any opinions about shape, material and placement." "Shape, material and placement?" Jordan asked, suddenly feeling a bit out of his element. "Right. There are many different shapes, round, teardrop, and a sort of rounded triangular. And there are several different materials, you know, although the doctor typically recommends silicone these days because it gives the most natural shape and feel with no wrinkling or ripples. And generally the placement depends on the shape and the material." "I... I have no idea," Jordan said. Wow, he thought to himself, he had no idea there were so many different types of breast forms and options! Now he understood why it required a visit to the clinic to make the right decision. "Should I just tell Dr. Green to do what he feels is best for your body?" The assistant suggested, carefully. "Yes," Jordan said, with evident relief. "That sounds perfect. Thanks." "Very good. And do you have an idea of what size?" "Oh, yes. I've decided on the 'D' size," Jordan said. He was *so* glad the nurse's assistant was asking this question so he could settle this. "Are you sure? Many of our customers ultimately wish they'd gone to a larger size." "I'm certain," Jordan said. "The Double-D is just too much. Thanks. I think a D will work better for my clothing." "Very good! Well, we'll see you on Friday afternoon then!" Jordan confirmed the appointment with the nurse's assistant and then hung up the phone. This Friday. He didn't want to be stuck with his breasts (literally!) for that long, but it seems he didn't have a choice. Well, at least he'd be rid of them before his interview for the new job. Yes, that was the *last* thing he wanted - to have to wear breast forms for his new interview! That would be the worst thing possible. Or so he thought. * * * Jordan looked at the clock. It was well past six and most people had gone home for the day. This would be the perfect time to go see Jason and face the music. "You WHAT??" Jason shouted, jumping out of his chair and stalking around the room. "Jason, it was an accident!" Jordan said. "An accident? How was it an accident? How could something like that ever be an accident??" "She overheard me talking to Anna, and I told Anna that you had a surprise for her - I was talking about the new job. But Angela took it to mean that you were going to propose to Anna. And then she remembered how you wanted to get her some jewelry at the mall and that just confirmed it for her, and there was no way I could talk her out of it!" "Jordan! This has GOT to STOP," Jason said, angry. "Things have gotten *WAY* out of hand. And now I need to pretend that I'm going to propose to Anna? What does that mean, anyway? Will I need to buy a ring?" "If you do, make sure it's returnable." "THIS IS NOT FUNNY, JORDAN!" Jason shouted, slamming a hand against his desk. Jordan shrank back. He had never seen his friend this angry before. Jordan felt weak and vulnerable and, for the first time, afraid of his friend. "You can't be going off and letting Angela jump to conclusions! You have to stop being so careless!!" Jason shouted, advancing on Jordan. Suddenly, Ed Johanson was between them. "JASON! What are you doing??" He shouted, blocking Jason's advance. Stunned, Jason stumbled back and quickly came to his senses. "Oh my god, Oh, Jordan! I am so sorry!" Jason backed off, realizing how he had just lost his temper. "Are you okay, Jordan?" Johanson asked, placing a comforting hand on Jordan's shoulder. "Yes, sir," Jordan replied in a small voice, shaking. "What's going on? What's this all about?" Jordan and Jason looked at each other. What should they say? "It was--" ; "I said--" ; "Angela--" ; "I--" Jordan and Jason talked over each other, trying to describe the problem to Johanson. "You first, Jordan," Johanson said. "Angela overheard my phone conversation," Jordan said. "And..." He paused. "He was talking to Anna on the phone," Jason jumped in, trying to help move along the explanation. "And..." "I was telling Anna that Jason... uh... had a surprise to tell her!" So far, everything they said was the absolute truth. Now what?? "So, what was the surprise? And why are you so upset about it, Jason?" Jason, like a fish on a hook, looked to Jordan who could only shrug his shoulders in response. They both knew that Johanson could (and probably would) ask Angela about the phone conversation. "I'm going to propose to Anna," Jason said, his shoulders slumping. Jordan looked at his friend, feeling sorry for him. Now that Johanson knew, there was no backing out. "Why that's wonderful!" Johanson said, delighted. "But why were you angry?" "Because Angela figured it out," Jordan explained, "and Jason was angry because he didn't want anyone else to know. And now I know, Angela knows, you know, and everyone, it seems, except for Anna. Jason just wanted it to be a surprise." "Okay, I understand. That doesn't seem like enough to fly off the handle like that, Jason," Johanson said. "That is so unlike you." "I'm sorry, sir. I... I don't know what came over me. I... I guess it's been a long day." "Well, we all lose our temper sometimes," Johanson said, philosophically. "I know I have. There are holes in my office walls which Tiffani has covered with pictures! But Jason, you should be happy! Are you worried that Anna won't accept you?" "I... I guess," Jason agreed. "Maybe that's it." "Well, I'm sure that you have nothing to worry about! It won't matter if it's a surprise or not, trust me. I would bet that she's been so anxious for you to ask for her hand that you could just do it via text message and she'd be overjoyed." "I suppose. Thank you, sir. I guess I just wanted... to make it special," Jason said, trying to add more to the explanation. "Well, maybe we can help with that? Jordan and me? I bet Tiffani would like to help, too!" "No!" Jason said, a bit too quickly and loudly. "I... I... uh... just want to do it on my own. It... ah... needs to come from me." "Suit yourself. Well I'm glad everything's settled. Jordan? I have some papers in my office for you to fill out. Could you come with me?" "Yes sir," Jordan said, following his boss out of the office. * * * Mr. Johanson left Jason's office and waited for Jordan to catch up. He placed his hand at the small of Jordan's back, encouraging Jordan down the hall. "Come with me Jordan, it will be quite alright," Johanson said, trying to contain his emotions. Jordan had just caught his breath and was still calming down, so he didn't really notice what Mr. Johanson was doing and where his hand was placed as they walked together down the hall. 'Is that a corset?' Johanson felt something firm and constricting under Jordan's tight, clingy sweater dress. 'Splendid,' Johanson thought to himself fighting a smile. After all he didn't want to make his intentions too obvious. But things were getting hot. Jason watched his friend walk down the empty hall with the CEO towards Johanson's dark executive office suite, Jordan's heels clicking on the linoleum floor with each step. He knew this was trouble, but he was tongue tied and couldn't seem to speak out. Besides, it was his boss, the CEO of the company. What could he do? Jordan was a grown... woman... and would have to fend for... herself, he decided. Only, Jason could have sworn he saw the hint of a mischievous smile on Johanson's face before he opened the door and ushered Jordan inside. "Oh Jordan, what are you getting yourself into now?" Jason wondered to himself aloud. End of Chapter 19