"Please all give a round of applause to our newest in-flight
supervisors," Alana announced to the assembled crowd of stewardesses.
"Miss Jessica Tyler!" Jessica blushed as she stepped out in front of the
cheering crowd, nervously fiddling with the brand-new gold buttons on
her blazer.
"And," Alana continued as Jessica anxiously bit her lip, "Miss Carly
Powell!" Jessica smiled as the blonde Englishwoman stood alongside her
and eagerly waved to the crowd. Jessica's smile faltered, however, as
she remembered that several of the other girls in the crowd had been
vying for the two positions that she and Carly had filled- not least the
black haired Scottish girl stood at the front of the group, whose blue
and green eyes seemed to bore into Jessica's skull like a laser beam.
"I promise to be firm, but fairly cruel," Jessica said, earning chuckles
from many of the faces in the crowd.
"Our new dynamic duo will be in training for the next two weeks to get
them up to speed on supervisor duties," Alana announced. "But rest
assured, they'll be bossing all of you about before too long...
Especially those of you who started earlier in the month!"
"Looking forward to it already," A familiar Mancunian accent called from
the crowd, earning chuckles from all present.
"Hush you," Jessica said to yet more giggles. "You're meant to be
setting a good example, anyway."
"We ALL are," Alana said. "So back to work, all of you!" Jessica smiles
as she and Carly followed their new line manager back to her office.
"Didn't realise that you were an Avengers fan," Carly said to the
American girl. "I would've made the 'prima nocta' joke, but let's face
it, I think we all know who's got a monopoly on THAT."
"I dunno," Jessica mused. "He's been behaving himself a lot more as of
late." Especially since he was videoed dancing around in a Little Bo
Peep costume, Jessica thought to herself.
"Ladies, keep the discussion work-appropriate, please," Alana said,
silencing the two blonde women as they sat down and began taking notes
on their many new responsibilities.
----------
"Unlucky, girl," Anna-Jade sighed as she gave Paige a gentle pat on the
shoulder. "Sure, there's always next time, you know how fast this place
goes through employees."
"AND we're supposedly going to be expanding services here soon," Abbey
interjected. "If this third runway gets built..."
"Thanks, guys," Paige said with a long, heavy sigh. Like many of her
colleagues, she'd applied for the two supervisor positions. She'd cited
multiple references in her application, her good relations with her
colleagues, her familiarity with every aspect of her duties and the fact
that she'd gone from barely conversational in French to fluent in the
space of under two years... But the fact that she had taken two days'
sick leave- while Jessica and Carly hadn't taken any in the course of
their employment- meant that Paige had been passed over.
The worst part for the Scottish girl, however, wasn't the fact that her
lover would now outrank her- it was that she was unable to control her
jealousy of Jessica. Like the American girl, Paige had only signed up
with Soixante-Trois as a short-term thing, a brief 'adventure' in the
world of femininity that she never imagined becoming a permanent thing.
And yet, unlike many of the colleagues she'd worked with over the
previous two and a half years who had moved on, she found herself
wanting more from her life- both in a personal sense and a professional
sense. The two years of hormone replacement therapy- which had made her
body unrecognisable to anyone who had known her as 'Paul'- had gone a
long way toward her personal change, but Paige couldn't help but think
of her rejection by the company as the beginning of the end of her
career- much like her rejection of Jessica's proposal nine months
earlier appeared to be the beginning of the end of her relationship.
Whilst Paige still adored the American girl, she'd found themselves
growing more and more distant. As much as she loved Jessica, Paige felt
that- at the age of 22- she simply wasn't ready to commit herself to a
permanent relationship in the way that Jessica wanted, and whilst
Jessica had kept her promise and not made a second proposal, Paige's
rejection coloured every second that the two spent together, hanging
over them like a black cloud.
Exactly two weeks prior to the announcement of Jessica's promotion had
been Valentine's Day, and the close group of friends- including those no
longer working for Soixante-Trois Airlines- had celebrated with a
'quadruple date' at a local Chinese restaurant. Jessica and Paige
celebrated their love alongside Natalie and Zoe, Anna-Jade and her
boyfriend Paul and Rachel and her boyfriend Danny. All throughout the
meal, however, Paige couldn't help but observe that whilst the other
couples were totally at ease with each other, she and Jessica seemed
tense throughout the night, even when they returned home and spent the
night wrapped in each other's arms.
Paige wanted to be with Jessica, and she was sure that Jessica wanted to
be with her- she just wished that that was enough...
"Well, we'd better get going," Abbey said, snapping Paige out of her
reverie. "Your sister isn't going to teach herself how to be a
stewardess, Nat!"
"Well let's face facts, neither is anyone else!" Natalie laughed, her
laughter intensifying as their group was approached by a petite brown-
haired woman, fidgeting in her brand-new blue pencil skirt and matching
high-heeled shoes.
"You can stop laughing," Ellen snorted at her sister.
"Never," Natalie giggled. "I'll be honest, when mum called to say that
my sister was applying to join the airline, I genuinely didn't think she
meant you!"
"Yes, you've said that EVERY DAY since I started!" Ellen sighed.
"Honestly, I don't get why you're so surprised? I DID say I was
attending interviews, keeping my options open, I have a degree, I speak
excellent French..."
"You have the work ethic of Dave Lister," Natalie countered.
"Look who's talking!" Ellen spat.
"I have a great work ethic," Natalie retorted. "I just hate stupid and
arbitrary rules, that's all. Now go on, get to your classroom, make sure
your pencils are all sharpened, listen to what Miss Watkins teaches
you!"
"Jerk," Ellen retorted, before snorting with genuine laughter as she and
Abbey headed toward the small conference room where she was learning all
about life as a Soixante-Trois Airlines stewardess.
"...Honestly," Anna-Jade sighed. "I'm glad I don't live in your house
because the words 'fucking nightmare' come immediately to mind. Almost
lucky that you didn't a supervisor position either..."
"That was never going to happen," Natalie sighed. "Not thanks to one
particularly stupid and arbitrary rule. And I wouldn't have been able to
supervise a flight for her anyway, like Jess can't supervise any of
Paige's flights." Paige bit her lip as she was reminded of Jessica's
promotion (and her own lack of one). "I really want to be on her first
flight, though..."
"Sure, you are just CRUEL," Anna-Jade snorted.
"I'm her big sister AND her big brother," Natalie said with a smug grin.
"That's a lot of cruelty for one person to keep up!" Natalie smirked as
Paige and Anna-Jade- both of whom had older siblings- giggled at her
joke, though she was troubled by the confused look on her other
companion's face. "...Something up, Annabelle?"
"Yeah," the American woman sighed. "Who's 'Dave Lister', honeys?"
A few hours later, the stewardesses of Soixante-Trois Airlines were hard
at work, either learning about their new responsibilities or carrying
out said responsibilities several thousand feet above the surface of the
Earth. However, as busy as they were, and as far apart as they were,
neither Jessica nor Paige stopped thinking about each other- though
their thoughts weren't just about how much they were looking forward to
seeing each other again.
As she took down page after page of notes about her new role, Jessica
found herself repeatedly staring over at Carly and wishing that it was
Paige sat next to her, as it had seemingly been since the very first
second they met. Every time Jessica thought about Paige she felt guilty
that she had earned the supervisor position when Paige hadn't. They may
have had the same amount of experience with the company, and Jessica may
have had more overall experience as a flight attendant, but she would
always lag behind Paige in the one area that Jessica cared about the
most- she would always have less experience as a woman. Paige began
transitioning before Jessica, and as far as the American girl was
concerned, that entitled Paige to the supervisor position before her.
Meanwhile, as she served the passengers on board the aeroplane en route
to and from Berlin, Paige couldn't tear her thoughts away from the
American girl she'd shared her life- all of her life as a woman- with
for the past two and a half years. Paige felt increasingly jealous of
Jessica, and the more jealous she felt, the more guilty Paige felt. It
wasn't Jessica's fault that Paige didn't get the supervisor job- there
were two to go for, after all, so it's not like they were going head-to-
head, and Jessica was more experienced in the job, she was the more
popular one with management, so in Paige's mind, she more than deserved
the promotion.
She just wished that subconsciously, she didn't resent Jessica so much
for 'beating' her...
----------
"Seriously, my head is about to explode," Carly laughed as she and
Jessica left the office where they had been studying and headed to the
locker room to change out of their blue uniforms. Even though she hadn't
been performing the tasks she was accustomed to doing whilst wearing her
uniform, Jessica was no less tired than usual, though for once, it was
more a case of mental and emotional tiredness than physical exhaustion.
"I think I'll actually be more nervous on my first supervisor flight
than I was on my first, you know, 'normal' flight!" Carly laughed.
"Yeah," Jessica chuckled as she unzipped her tight blue skirt, stepping
out of it with a long sigh.
"Jess... You okay?" Carly asked. "You're kinda distracted... Is- is it,
you know, Paige?"
"No," Jessica retorted, before letting out another long sigh. "Yes..."
"It's not like you're gonna be bossing her around," Carly said. "Alana
wouldn't put you in that position, no one in management would."
"They've never really approved of our relationship," Jessica said. "For
all their talk of equality..."
"There's nothing they can do about it, as long as you keep it outside
the airport," Carly shrugged.
"It's not them I'm really worried about, though," Jessica sighed as she
slithered into her tight black pencil dress and headed toward the
nearest tube station, ready for the long commute back to her- or rather,
her and Paige's- home.
----------
"I suppose the one good thing about skirts this tight," Natalie said as
she eased out of her uniform, "is that it makes it hard for the kind of
perverts we regularly deal with to get a hand up there. Though trust me,
that doesn't stop all of them from trying."
"Are you TRYING to make me quit?" Ellen asked her sister as she
exchanged her brand-new blue uniform for a smart white blouse and knee-
length black pencil skirt. "And why, exactly, do we have to be dressed
up on the way to and from work, again?"
"Because we're representing the company from the second we step out of
our front door to the second we step back through it," Natalie, Abbey
and Paige responded in a robotic monotone.
"And besides," Natalie said as she stepped into a slender pencil dress,
"it's not like we don't get a generous clothing and make-up budget for
exactly this reason. Ell, zip me up, please?"
"Gone from trying to scare me into quitting to trying to creep me into
quitting," Ellen mumbled as she fastened Natalie's zip. "I really doubt
I'll ever get used to this..."
"Hey!" Abbey protested. "Nat's as much one of the girls as any of us."
"Not for the first seventeen years of my life, she wasn't," Ellen
sighed. "But I guess you're right, she is now..."
"To be fair, the clues WERE there," Natalie laughed. "Remember Halloween
2010?"
"How can I forget?" Ellen snorted. "Thought Greg- our brother's- jaw was
going to fall off when you walked down the stairs dressed as a zombie
French Maid, clutching that feather duster in your hand..."
"I still have that costume," Natalie said proudly. "And that feather
duster, though most of the time I don't clutch it in my hand anymore..."
"And that's enough of THAT conversation," Ellen said, making Natalie and
Abbey giggle. "What we doing tonight? Night in, or heading to that pub
your friend runs?"
"Night in, probably," Abbey replied.
"Zoe's got her advanced class tonight," Natalie explained. "They usually
overrun a little and she's usually exhausted by the end of it. As bad as
pervy businessmen are I'll take them any day of the week over a room
filled with thirty-odd teenagers."
"Speaking of which," Abbey giggled. "When ARE we going to get young-
YOUNG Miss Briggs along to a Thursday morning lesson? As the potential
future sister-in-law of one of the teachers, she's bound to be welcomed
into the class, surely?"
"Hell will freeze over before you EVER see me in a skin-tight leotard,"
Ellen retorted, making her mentor and her sister giggle.
"And besides, Ellen doesn't really like the Angels anyway," Natalie
clarified. "That's the other sister, the younger, more sensible sister's
thing!"
"Not to mention OLD Miss Briggs!" Ellen said with a smug grin as Natalie
gasped in pretend shock.
"From my own sister..." Natalie spat. "Paige, we're heading off now, you
okay to get home by yourself? You've been kinda quiet..."
"Huh?" Paige asked. "Oh, um, aye, I'll be fine. Annabelle will be back
in a bit, I'll go home with her."
"You sure?" Natalie asked. "You've been really quiet today, I really
hope everything's okay..."
"I'm fine," Paige retorted. "I- just a little disappointed about the
supervisor thing, that's all. I'll be alright."
"If you're sure," Natalie mumbled. "See you tomorrow, Paige."
"See you, girls," Paige said, forcing a smile on her face that
evaporated the second the three women left.
Consciously, she knew that what everyone was telling her was right.
There was no reason whatsoever why the change in their professional
circumstances should affect her relationship with Jessica. Paige knew
she loved the American girl, and she knew that Jessica loved her.
And yet, as Paige stepped through the front door of her flat and was
greeted by a long, deep kiss from her lover, she didn't feel the 'spark'
she did the first time she kissed Jessica. It was like a black cloud had
descended over their relationship... And Paige was sure Jessica felt it
as well.
After an evening of relaxing in front of the television, the four flat
mates all headed to bed, where Jessica and Paige watched each other with
happy smiles as they took turns in front of their dresser removing their
jewellery and make-up and brushing their hair.
"So," Jessica asked as she brushed the knots out of her golden blonde
hair, "what d'you make of Natalie's sister, now you've had a chance to
get to know her better?"
"I like her," Paige mumbled. "She's just like another Natalie. For
better AND worse!"
"Yeah," Jessica laughed. "Alana literally went 'Oh god not another
Briggs' when she saw her for her interview. She's apparently really
bright, though, and very enthusiastic about the job."
"Just like another Natalie," Paige laughed. "Though as someone with two
older sisters, I feel REALLY sorry that she'll have to work with Nat..."
"Nat'll be professional whilst on a flight," Jessica said with a grin.
"Let me guess- you'll make sure of it?" Paige asked, making Jessica
frown despite the light-hearted tone of her voice. "Umm, you and, um,
all the other supervisors... Reckon- you know, d'you think your sister
will ever follow in your footsteps?"
"What, Hayley?" Jessica asked. "Doubt it, she's not the Europhile I am.
Besides, she's planning on going to college after high school."
"NYU, like your brother?" Paige asked.
"Umm, think she's got her heart set on University of Minnesota," Jessica
said. "They're one of the top colleges for law."
"And she doesn't fancy taking to the skies after uni?" Paige asked.
"Nah, she'll probably just go into practising law," Jessica mused. "By
the time she graduates I'll be thirty anyway, not like I'll get to boss
her around on a flight even if I wanted to. Not like I could do that
anyway, heh."
"Yep," Paige said in a dark voice that made Jessica wince.
"Oh- god, Paige," Jessica sighed as she climbed into bed and wrapped her
arms around the Scottish girl's slender waist. "I- I'm sorry..."
"Nothing for YOU to be sorry about," Paige sighed. "You're a better
stewardess than I am, that's all..."
"Bullshit," Jessica snorted.
"Umm, you WERE already a stewardess before you started work for 63,"
Paige retorted. "Well, not stewardess, but- ugh, you know what I
mean..."
"I do," Jessica said. "And trust me, working for Belman is LOADS
different from working for 63. So as far as I'm concerned, me and you
are equal. It's just that stupid sick leave you took..."
"Ugh," Paige spat.
"And it's not like there isn't a positive side," Jessica mused. "I mean,
without the commitment of being a supervisor, you can put in for your
SRS now- that's why Anna-Jade didn't apply, after all- and you can look
forward to getting that gender certificate too, you can apply for that
any day now..."
"Thanks, not really helping," Paige grumbled, before letting out a long,
tired sigh. "Get some sleep, babe. We've both got a long day tomorrow."
"Okay," Jessica sighed, admitting defeat. "Night, babe."
"Night," Paige whispered, exchanging a soft kiss with her lover before
quickly falling asleep in each other's arms.
Paige awoke the following morning to discover that Jessica was already
awake and in the middle of getting dressed. As she had done countless
times in the past, Paige watched with a dreamy smile as Jessica clipped
her dark, seamed stockings to her suspenders and arranged her small,
fledgling breasts within her lacy bra. As hard as Paige tried to
concentrate on the sight before her, though, the memory of the previous
night's discussion- and the stress it caused- wouldn't go away.
"Second day of dominating," Paige teased, chuckling as Jessica stuck her
tongue out at her.
"Don't laugh, I still have my Project Tutu quote-unquote uniform
somewhere," Jessica giggled as she tied her hair back into a tight
French pleat. "Jeez... I remember when this used to be a wig, heh."
"The wig was never as nice to run your fingers through," Paige chuckled.
"And are you mentioning the PT uniform because you secretly want to wear
it again?" It's the one way I wouldn't mind you being 'dominant', Paige
thought to herself.
"I doubt management would allow me to wear THAT on a flight, hehe!"
Jessica giggled, making Paige frown at the missed meaning behind her
words.
"Doesn't mean you can't wear it at other times," Paige said in a low,
sultry voice. "And besides, give Masson enough time and he'll probably
have us all wearing nothing but lingerie on flights. And even that's
only because most of us are still pre-op..."
"Don't say that in front of Alana, whatever you do!" Jessica laughed.
"Erm, yes, I do already know that, thank you," Paige laughed as she
slid her slender body out of bed and took headed toward the shower. "No
need to tell me how to do every tiny bit of my job, you know..." Jessica
bit her lip as Paige walked past her- she hadn't intended to come across
as bossy, and she knew all too well how badly Paige reacted to people
trying to assert authority over her. Instead of arguing further- and
inevitably making things worse- Jessica instead pulled on the long-
sleeved blouse and tight pencil skirt she'd chosen to wear for the day,
before sitting down on the edge of her bed, her knees pressed tightly
together, and waiting for her lover's return.
"...Sorry," Jessica mumbled as Paige returned from the shower with a
towel wrapped around her long, jet-black hair, and another wrapped
around her chest.
"...Maybe we oughta set up a safe word, for when you're getting a bit
TOO dominant!" Paige giggled, kissing Jessica on her lips before sitting
down to apply her make-up.
Jessica watched with a relaxed, satisfied smile on her face as Paige
transformed herself from the cute girl who had shared her bed the
previous night, into the sexy, glamorous stewardess she'd fallen in love
with two and a half years earlier. Together, the two women elegantly
sashayed toward the nearest tube stop, which ferried them to their
workplace.
"Paige..." Jessica mumbled as she changed into her tight blue uniform.
"I hope- ugh. I'm sorry if this- this whole promotion 'thing' is driving
us further apart. I know, I just know that no matter what, I do NOT want
to lose you. Not for anything or anyone else."
"I feel the same," Paige whispered. "And I'm sorry too, sorry I got so
jealous of those things." Jessica giggled as Paige fiddled with the
gold-coloured buttons on the front of her blazer.
"You'll get some of your own soon, I know you will," Jessica said in a
soft, caring voice. "Hell, you'll get a different kind of 'button' long
before I will..."
"We're seriously calling it THAT?" Paige giggled. "Would've thought
'buttonhole' would be more appropriate..."
"Depends on what you plan on putting in it," Jessica giggled, before
carefully looking around the small locker room. Once she was satisfied
that she and Paige were alone, she leaned forward and gave the Scottish
girl a brief, but still tender kiss on her lips that made both women
giggle like naughty schoolgirls.
"Shouldn't you tell yourself off for doing that?" Paige teased.
"Discipline yourself or something?"
"Cheeky," Jessica teased as she and her Scottish lover headed to their
respective workplaces for the day.
----------
"Hi Jessica," Alana said with a smile as she ushered the American girl
into her office. "Thanks for getting here early, the sooner we get
going, the longer lunch we can have!"
"Read my mind," Carly giggled. "There was SO much to take in yesterday."
"Don't worry, you'll have plenty of opportunity to consolidate what
you've learned before we turn you loose," Alana chuckled. "You'll be
shadowing supervisors on flights starting next week to get a feel of
what the role entails."
"Good," Jessica said. "Always preferred, you know, 'hands-on' stuff."
"Yeah, me too," Alana said. "Obviously the theory's still important to.
And when it comes to 'hands on', don't worry, we won't put you on any of
Paige's flights, even during consolidation."
"Thanks," Jessica chuckled. "THAT would've been awkwardness I don't need
right now!"
"The company really doesn't need it either," Alana said with a smile.
"Obviously, we can't tell you who to get together with, but it's no
trouble to keep you apart on flights. You might get called on to
supervise one of your flat mates though, I trust that won't be too
awkward?"
"Shouldn't be," Jessica said. "Anna-Jade and Annabelle are both cool."
"When Anna-Jade isn't swearing every other word, anyway," Carly
interjected, making the other two women giggle.
"She never does it on flights, though," Alana says. "So we can left her
off there."
"The relationship rule does make a lot of sense, though," Carly mused.
"Think it extends to ex-partners as well, doesn't it?"
"Where possible," Alana answered.
"Unless your name is Jacques Lacroix," Jessica said with a snort of
laughter. "Then it, like, isn't possible." Jessica let out a nervous
laugh, before biting her lip as Alana fixed her with a dark,
disapproving glare.
"That sort of talk needs to stop now," Alana said firmly. "It is
ENTIRELY unprofessional."
"Well- yes, out in public, sure," Jessica said, taken aback by Alana's
sudden hostility. "But- but behind closed doors...?"
"Jacques Lacroix is a kind and sensitive man," Alana said. "And he is
the great-nephew of the founder of this company. He is NOT to be spoken
of in those terms." But it's okay to say 'oh god not another Briggs'
when you saw Natalie's sister on the interview list? Jessica thought to
herself.
"Understood," Jessica whispered.
"Good," Alana said as both Jessica and Carly fidgeted awkwardly in their
seats. "Don't want you doing a 'Rachel Harrison' on only your second day
in the job now, do we?"
"No," Jessica said quietly as Alana prepared her and Carly's learning
for the day.
----------
"Feeling better today, then?" Natalie asked as she removed her hat and
blazer and began boiling the kettles in the aeroplane's cramped kitchen.
"Aye," Paige said with a grin. "Doing Dublin instead of Berlin also
really helps, heh. But to answer what your question inevitably was, yes,
me and Jessica have sat down, talked it over and sorted it out."
"GOOD," Natalie said. "You know, to the best of my knowledge, you and
Jess are the longest-lived relationship between any two Soixante-Trois
employees?"
"Only because Zoe quit," Paige retorted, making Natalie giggle. "You
know, I've heard that she's supposed to be a really strict teacher? But
she messed around at work, like ALL the time, and she's going out with
you..."
"Must be a French thing," Natalie shrugged. "And do NOT tell Zoe I said
that! Unless, of course, you want to bitch about something about America
that you don't like."
"Hardly a fair trade, I love everything about America," the Scottish
girl giggled. "Hoping to go back in the summer, maybe visit the west
coast, or Disney World, or Universal Studios. Or Hollywood. ESPECIALLY
Hollywood!"
"Okay, okay, I get it," Natalie laughed. "God bless America, heh. It's
not even like I hate France, I mean, Zoe's said her parents might even
be able to get us tickets to go and watch the Monaco Grand Prix in May."
"Umm... Aren't France and Monaco separate countries?" Paige asked.
"Good point," Natalie said, triggering a fit of giggles that was only
silenced by the kitchen's call light illuminating. "And it's good about
you and Jess. I want to be a bridesmaid someday soon!"
"...Yeah," Paige grimaced, making Natalie frown and sigh.
"...God," Natalie moaned. "S-sorry, Paige, I-"
"Don't want to keep the passenger waiting," Paige said, making Natalie
nod as she pushed her drinks trolley into the plane's aisle. "Or
Jessica..."
----------
"Again, mind- blown," Carly laughed as she and Jessica returned to the
locker room to change out of their blue uniforms. "I'm sure I'll get it
all once we're actually, you know, doing it, like you said."
"Yeah," Jessica mused, taking a deep breath as she loosened the laces on
her corset. "Ugh, SO much better..."
"Umm, you know I should report you for that?" Carly asked as she
slithered her own corseted body into the tight grey pencil dress she
wore to work. "I won't do, obviously, but- and I really don't want to
cause offence- but, umm..."
"Aren't we T-girls supposed to enjoy tight lingerie?" Jessica asked.
"When I'm wearing it to have sex with Paige, then yes, I guess, but not
during a long working day... You've surely got to agree with me?"
"Oh- 100%, yeah," Carly said with a snort of laughter. "But you heard
Alana, I don't want to end up 'doing a Rachel', I need this job too
much... Can't believe Rachel quit, anyway. You know what she's doing
now?"
"Umm, yeah, think she's managing a bar in the city centre," Jessica
said. "Don't think she's making as much but she definitely seems
happier. She doesn't have to wear a uniform, either..."
"Meh, I can live without the corset, but I DEFINITELY couldn't live
without the rest of the uniform!" Carly giggled, before a quizzical look
fell over her face. "Is- does that surprise you, Jess? That, you know, a
'from birth' woman could like wearing a sexy uniform?"
"...I dunno," Jessica laughed. "I guess in a way it does make some
sense, heh. I mean, I spent all my life wishing I was a beautiful woman,
soo..."
"Exactly," Carly said with a grin. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a
beautiful MAN waiting at home for me, hehe!"
"Enjoy," Jessica laughed with a wink as Carly sashayed out of the locker
room, leaving the American girl alone with her thoughts.
Jessica sighed as she checked the time on her phone- 4:45pm, a full two
and a half hours before Paige was due back from Ireland. With Alana's
words ringing in her ears, Jessica headed to the nearest tube stop, but
instead of heading home, she headed further into the city centre,
eventually finding herself stood outside the front entrance of a modern,
posh-looking bar. Jessica took a deep breath as she entered the
establishment- it wasn't the sort of English pub that she'd seen
examples of on TV, or heard about from her friends, but it was still a
bar, and she was still dressed in a tight skirt, seamed stockings and
stiletto heels, and she knew all too well how excited men could get at
such a sight.
Fortunately for Jessica, however, the first face she saw when she
entered the bar wasn't that of a lust-filled patron, but was instead the
friendly face of the young man stood behind the bar.
"Evenin' darlin'," Danny said in a London accent that was far stronger
than his natural speaking voice. "What can I get ya?"
"Your girlfriend," Jessica said with a snort of laughter that made Danny
chuckle.
"Doubt she'll fit in a pint glass," Danny laughed, before poking his
head through the door at the end of the bar. "Rach! You got a visitor!"
Jessica smiled as she heard the familiar sound of a person running down
a flight of stairs, and her smile only grew wider as she saw Rachel
emerge from the door wearing work clothes that were a far cry from the
smart apparel Jessica was wearing.
Rather than a pencil skirt- or any kind of skirt- Rachel was wearing a
pair of tatty dark blue jeans, and instead of a tight blouse or top,
Rachel wore a loose long-sleeved top that nonetheless managed to flatter
her slender figure. Aside from a touch of mascara, her face was make up-
free, and her hair had been tied into a very loose, casual ponytail.
"Hey, Jess!" Rachel giggled. "I understand congratulations are in
order?"
"Thanks," Jessica said with a bashful grin. "And you- you, umm, you
look, you know, nice?"
"Told you," Danny said, earning a playful eye roll from his girlfriend.
"I look- and feel- comfortable," Rachel said. "Have had more than enough
of being Antoine Masson's own personal Barbie doll."
"Seems strange hearing that from the woman who won a beauty pageant just
two years ago," Jessica teased, earning another longer eye roll from
Rachel.
"That should've been my first clue," the blonde Englishwoman snorted.
"Still, I'm in a place now where I can be happy. And, you know, nothing
lasts forever anyway..." I hope you're only thinking about work there,
Jessica thought to herself.
"My parents weren't exactly happy," Rachel continued. "Exchanging a
higher-paid job for a lower one, even if here, I actually get to be in
charge. Well, apart from when the bar's owner comes in and yells 'Sam
and Rebecca' at me in Danny in an accent that's half Nigeria, half jet
engine."
"Whatever 'Sam and Rebecca' means, anyway," Danny interjects.
"Cheers re-runs were all my mom watched when she was growing up,"
Jessica laughed.
"But anyway, that's enough about me," Rachel laughed as she stepped out
from behind the bar and gave her American friend a gentle hug. "You're
here for a reason, after all! Take a seat, Danny will bring over some
drinks in a bit."
"Thanks," Jessica laughed as she sat down, elegantly sweeping her skirt
underneath her before crossing one leg over the other, whilst Rachel
casually plopped down into the seat next to her.
"So let me guess- the whole supervisor 'thing' is a bit overwhelming, at
least to begin with?" Rachel asked.
"A little," Jessica shrugged. "I mean, I get the whole 'theory' thing,
the, you know, mechanical side of it, and obviously customer service I'm
good at..."
"But...?" Rachel asked.
"Ugh," Jessica spat. "It's- it's, you know, the whole 'bossy' bit. You
know, I nearly got my ass kicked by Alana today just for badmouthing 'le
connard'. In private."
"Ugh, Jess, trust me, you are preaching to the choir here," Rachel
sighed. "'Fraid that's going to be a big part of this job, it's 20%
customer service, 80% kissing the ass of anyone even remotely related to
the Masson dynasty. You don't mind it at first because of the money, and
the seniority, but they SERIOUSLY hate people who think for themselves.
They want good little worker drones, preferably ones with good looking
faces."
"Heh," Jessica chuckled. "If my dad was here, he'd probably accuse you
of being a communist. And he voted democrat the last seven elections in
a row!"
"Well, if wanting more respect and more rights for Soixante-Trois
employees makes me a communist, then just call me comrade Harrison,"
Rachel laughed. "You know, the other day, I actually called up Joshua-
the owner of the bar- and ran a few ideas by him? And not just that, but
Danny pitched in an idea he had as well, for a St Patrick's Day
celebration. Joshua LOVED the ideas, actually thanked us for our hard
work and gave us a free rein to put them into practice."
"Well..." Jessica said. "In fairness, you ARE the manager of this bar,
it's kinda your job to come up with ideas."
"It isn't Danny's job, and Joshua paid as much attention to him as he
did to me," Rachel shrugged. "Doubt any other employer would be happy
with me working on 'Project Tutu 2017' in quiet times at work, either.
Or gossiping with friends, heh!"
"How is the project going, anyway?" Jessica asked.
"SLOWLY," Rachel sighed. "Beginning to think the whole thing was a
stupid idea, anyway. I mean, yes, Zoe's contributed all she can to it,
but even that isn't much, and everyone else I know still works for the
company so has to be careful. Annabelle and Paige have only helped a
little, Anna-Jade doesn't want to jeopardise her three months' sick
leave for her operation, Natalie and Abbey don't want to drag Nat's
sister into it, Tanisha, Rhianna and Rosita haven't been working with
the company long enough to generate any scandal, and now you're 'the
authority'. And I've now got a good job with an employer I can respect
and who can respect me... Yeah."
"I always did think you were being overambitious," Jessica mumbled.
"Trying to take down Antoine Masson himself..."
"Remember you said that, next time you're sat there fidgeting in your
corset and your thong," Rachel retorted. "Anyway, I can't stick around,
I do have actual work to do, people are about to get off work... It was
good seeing, you, Jess. Give my love to Paige."
"I will," Jessica said, silently cursing the Englishwoman as her corset
and her thong suddenly became very uncomfortable.
On the tube ride back to her flat, Jessica found herself lost in thought
as she contemplated Alana and Rachel's advice to her. When she'd
received the promotion, she'd promised herself that it meant that
nothing would change. She'd still be the same old Jessica, she'd have
the same relationship with her friends- and most crucially of all, with
Paige- she'd just be better paid, that's all. However, Jessica couldn't
help but notice how much Rachel had changed. When she worked for
Soixante-Trois, she was one of the bossiest people Jessica had ever met,
both at work and in their home lives. The Rachel that Jessica spoke to
in the bar couldn't have been more different from the old, bossy Rachel,
the Rachel who reported Natalie and Zoe for the most trivial of
'offences', and wouldn't have hesitated to report Jessica and Paige for
the same. As she walked through the front door of her flat, Jessica
shuddered at the thought of having to report her friends to management,
especially as she knew that if she was faced with a colleague breaking
the rules, she'd have no choice but to report them...
"Hi, honey," Annabelle said in her quiet Southern accent as Jessica
dropped her handbag in her bedroom and slipped her tired, aching feet
out of her stilettos.
"Hey, Annabelle," Jessica replied. "Glad to see you're settling in
well."
"Thanks," Annabelle replied. "It helps that Anna-Jade spends most of her
time at her boyfriend's place, so I have the room to myself."
"I guess," Jessica shrugged.
"Good day at work, honey?" Annabelle asked. "You're back later than
yesterday..."
"I dropped in to see Rachel on the way back," Jessica explained.
"Getting some tips on how to boss everyone around?" Annabelle asked,
making Jessica grimace.
"Getting tips on how NOT to," Jessica sighed. "I mean, it's not like I
don't WANT the promotion, but, you know?"
"You don't to stop being 'plain ol' Jess'?" Annabelle asked, smiling as
Jessica sighed and nodded.
"I just want to go there and do my job," Jessica sighed. "It was so much
easier two years ago. It will almost like a game back then. Come to
work, do a job I had plenty of experience doing and could do in my sleep
with the added advantage that I'm getting paid to dress up as a woman."
"Ah-ah-ah," Annabelle said, wagging her finger at her fellow
countrywoman. "Not 'dress up as a woman', 'BE a woman'."
"I stand corrected," Jessica giggled, before sighing yet again. "Now,
though, you know, the whole 'novelty' of it has worn off. This damn
corset's more of a pain than a thrill, and now I'm not only expected to
whip people I work with- my FRIENDS- into shape, I'm expected to bow
down and worship anyone with the surname 'Masson'."
"I think everyone who works for the company is expected to do THAT,
honey," Annabelle said with a snort of laughter. "That's why I wish I
could help out Rachel's new Tutu Project more, but, well, I can't afford
anything being traced back to me..."
"Ugh, I- I'm sorry," Jessica sighed. "Don't mean to be such a bitch...
I- I'm just a little frustrated, being overloaded by info from work and
now Rachel... Just- just ignore me, okay?"
"How can I listen and help if I ignore you, honey?" Annabelle asked,
earning a genuine smile from Jessica. "Now if your corset's such a pain,
go and get changed! I'll get dinner on, Paige will be back in a bit.
Nurse Annabelle orders to spend the evening resting, relaxing and most
importantly of all, having fun!"
"'Nurse' Annabelle?" Jessica teased. "Does the job come with a
uniform...?"
"Maybe," Annabelle giggled. "And no, you may NOT borrow it!"
Jessica giggled as she headed into her bedroom, where- taking
inspiration from the friend she'd visited earlier in the afternoon- she
removed all of her tight, sexy lingerie, replacing it with a comfortable
cotton thong bodysuit, before pulling on a slouchy sky blue hoodie and a
pair of tight, tattered jeans, before removing all of her make-up and
letting her long blonde hair cascade messily over her shoulders.
When Paige returned to the apartment later in the evening- still wearing
her smart commuting attire- she nearly gasped with shock when she saw
the dressed-down Jessica, though her shock was soon replaced with a
warm, happy feeling when the American girl greeted her with a long, deep
kiss. Before long, Paige had also removed all of her make-up and
lingerie and changed into a very plain black denim skirt, a clingy grey
top and a pair of her favourite brand of thick black tights. The two
women spent the rest of the night cuddled together on the sofa, hardly
saying a word to each other, before heading to bed, where they spent the
second night in a row wrapped in each other's arms.
Jessica moaned softly as her alarm woke her the following morning,
before easing her slender body out of bed and staring at her dark-haired
lover, who was still asleep, with her covers wrapped tightly around her.
As Jessica stared closer at Paige, though, she began to see something
more in her face- the faint traces of a smile...
"You can stop looking so damned smug," Jessica snorted as Paige awoke
with a giggle. "One person goes off sick..."
"Wonder what'd happen if I called in sick?" Paige mused. "Has that ever
happened before? The person on sick call calls in sick themselves..."
"Umm... How would I know?" Jessica asked. "Just 'cause I'm a supervisor
now, doesn't mean I memorised everything about the company..."
"I- I was just, you know, making conversation... Ugh," Paige sighed.
"Hurry up and get showered and dressed, okay?"
"...Sorry," Jessica mumbled, before sighing and leaning in to give her
lover a slow, soft kiss. "No more fights, okay?"
"I'd hardly call this a 'fight'," Paige giggled. "But you've got a
deal."
"Good," Jessica said, eliciting a giggle from the Scottish girl as she
left the bedroom to shower.
As she always did, Paige watched enthralled as Jessica covered her face
and body in the thick make-up and tight, sexy clothing she wore to work,
before bidding her farewell with another gentle kiss. Once Jessica had
left, Paige rolled over in bed and tried to get back to sleep, but her
thoughts were occupied with the 'fight' she and Jessica had had. Paige
knew that she and Jessica needed to have a long, intimate talk about
their relationship, but she also knew that with Jessica busy at work
learning the responsibilities of her new role, such opportunities to
talk would be few and far between. Paige was able to reassure herself
with the fact that she at least was free from any added work
responsibilities- so when it eventually came time for the couple to
talk, she'd be able to work around Jessica without any problems.
Paige had just about drifted back off to sleep when her phone began
ringing, jerking her back to alertness and putting a grimace of pure
frustration on her face.
"Nooooo..." Paige moaned, her scowl only getting deeper when she checked
the caller ID to reveal that it was indeed work who was calling her.
Paige took a deep breath, before pushing the 'answer' button on her
phone. "Hello?"
"Hi Paige," Alana said. "'Fraid we're going to have to ask you to come
in today. How soon can you be here?"
"Umm... About an hour," Paige sighed, throwing her covers back and
shivering in the chilly March air. "Where am I headed today, then?"
"Oh, you're not needed on a flight," Alana replied, making Paige frown
in confusion. "Change into your blue uniform when you arrive, then come
and see me in my office."
"Umm... Okay..." Paige said with a grimace. Was she in trouble? Had
someone seen her kiss with Jessica earlier in the week? Was another
friend or relative of Jacques Lacroix causing trouble for her and her
friends?
Paige ran through every worst case scenario in her mind throughout her
journey to Heathrow airport, as she changed into her restrictive blue
uniform and as she walked the short distance from the locker room to
Alana's office, the clicking of her heels on the hard floor acting
almost like a metronome to her fearful thoughts. When Paige opened the
office door, she was unsurprised to see another blue-clad stewardess sat
opposite Alana- though she was surprised to learn that not only was it
not her lover, it was someone she'd never seen before, not even in the
most recent group of trainees.
"Paige, please sit down," Alana said, gesturing to the seat next to the
mousey-haired new stewardess. "I've called you in today as I need you to
act as a mentor to Amelie here. She'll be joining the airline as a
stewardess, effective immediately."
"Umm, okay..." Paige said with confusion in her voice. "Why- why didn't
she join the other trainees in their group?"
"Because she only passed the relevant tests a couple of days ago," Alana
explained. "Too late to join the rest of the group."
"So why didn't she wait until the May intake?" Paige asked, bristling as
Amelie rolled her eyes at her question. Much to Paige's surprise,
though, Alana didn't pay any attention to the young woman's petulance-
in fact, it was almost as though Alana were afraid of her...
"Because her full name is Amelie Masson," Alana explained, causing
Paige's eyes to go wider than they have ever done. "She is the second
youngest child of the owner and CEO of Soixante-Trois Industries. And as
such, you are to treat her like royalty. Understood?"
"Uh-understood," Paige stammered.
"You are to give her one on one instruction in this job," Alana
explained. "We want her to be fully skilled as a Soixante-Trois
stewardess by the start of May. Understood?"
"Understood," Paige whispered. "Why- why me, though?"
"You were our third choice for the supervisor job," Alana explained.
"That makes you the most senior among your grade of stewardess." Paige's
eyes once again widened at the news- it was bad enough to miss out on
the supervisor job, but to learn that she'd only just missed out...
"Umm, okay," Paige mumbled.
"I won't keep you any further," Alana said. "Thank you for choosing to
work with us, Mademoiselle Masson." Paige frowned in confusion as Amelie
snorted at Alana's simpering, before leading the young woman back to the
locker room.
"Umm, I- I'm Paige," the Scottish girl said in a nervous voice, feeling
as afraid of offending the young woman as Alana clearly was.
"I know," Amelie snorted in a refined Parisian accent. "I can read your
name badge."
"Umm, sorry..." Paige mumbled. "I- uh, um..."
"You have a question? Ask it," Amelie said in a clipped voice.
"I- I gotta know..." Paige mumbled.
"No, I did NOT used to be a boy," Amelie spat, interrupting Paige before
she could finish her sentence and making the Scottish girl grimace. "Why
my father insists on hiring pretend women, I have no idea."
"I'm fairly sure your father doesn't have a choice," Paige retorted,
trying her hardest to keep her anger in check. "The EU says that you
can't discriminate based on-"
"Ah, yes, the EU," Amelie snorted. "Well you Brits won't have to worry
about THAT anymore, will you?" Paige clenched her fists to try to keep
her in check- like most of her fellow Scots, she'd actually voted to
remain in the EU, though it was an insult she was willing to let slide,
especially considering who she was talking to.
"I guess not," Paige said in a cold, quiet voice. "The question I was
ACTUALLY going to ask is why you chose to work for us when your father's
one of the richest men in France?"
"And the answer is: that it's none of your business," Amelie retorted
with a smug grin. "Sticking your nose in where it doesn't belong, how
very, very..." Don't say it, Paige thought to herself. Do NOT say it...
"...English."
"Who the fuck are you calling English!?" Paige snapped, startling the
younger woman. "Actually, let me rephrase my earlier question: why did
you choose to work for us when your attitude stinks and you're probably
going to bankrupt your dad with your shitty customer service skills? And
before you say 'I'll have your job for this', I'll save you the bother-
if I have to babysit spoiled, obnoxious little brats like you as part of
my job, then you're fucking welcome to it!" Paige took several deep
breaths as the adrenaline surged through her veins, but as the
adrenaline began to thin, she found herself starting to shake. Nice
going, Paige, the Scottish girl thought to herself. Off to the dole
queue with you... Much to Paige's surprise, however, Amelie's reaction
changed from one of shock to a genuine smile.
"Bon," Amelie said, letting out a quick giggle that seemed to Paige to
be totally out of character with her earlier aloof attitude.
"Uhh... Uh?" Paige stammered.
"'Treat me like royalty'," Amelie scoffed. "I've spent my whole life
surrounded by brown-nosed assholes like Alana, too afraid of who my
father is to treat me like a real human being."
"Umm... Okay?" Paige mumbled, still struggling to believe the sudden
change in attitude of the young woman before her.
"You asked why I would want to work with you," Amelie said. "And it is a
good question. My father asked the same thing, heh. You see, I have two
older brothers and two sisters- one older, one younger- and my father
pays for all of our education. I went to the most expensive school in
Paris, so did my brothers and sisters, and next year I will go to the
most expensive university in France."
"Umm, okay?" Paige repeated. "I mean, no offence- unless you want me to
offend- gah, I don't even know WHAT to say now!"
"I am sorry," Amelie said softly. "I wanted to know whether- whether you
would bow down and lick my shoes if I asked, like some of the assholes
who work for my father. I am glad you didn't, I am glad you spoke
freely, and I hope you know you can speak freely to me."
"Alright then!" Paige laughed. "I wanted to say that your father's so
rich, paying for the best schools for his children would be the least he
can do, right?"
"Of course," Amelie said. "But he also wants a 'favour' from us. He
wants us to work for his company for a year to 'earn' our education,
just as he worked for his father when he was my age."
"Okay," Paige mused. "Doesn't sound TOO unreasonable..."
"It is probably the most reasonable about him," Amelie snorted, once
again confusing Paige. "My father is the biggest asshole of them all."
"Uhh- pretty sure I'm not allowed to agree with that," Paige said with a
chuckle of laughter.
"And that is why he is an asshole," Amelie said with a snort of
laughter. "He treats women like pets, he always has. He's been married
five times, my mother was his third wife. He was 32 when they married,
she was 21. Just a girl, no older than me. She was a model, a
supermodel. Then her looks went, and so did her marriage. Within six
months he'd married again, to a stewardess, of all things! Then he got
bored of her, and married again. Not to mention the affairs... If he
hadn't had a snip I'd probably have another four brothers and sisters by
now..."
"Speaking of- speaking of, umm, 'snip'," Paige said cautiously, "what
you- what you said about, you know, 'pretend women'..."
"It always offended me," Amelie spat. "I spent my whole life watching my
father treat my gender like second class citizens, treat his staff like
us like dollies he could dress up for his own amusement, throw my mother
to one side the second he found a younger woman... The thought that a
MAN could actually want this... It revolts me."
"Right..." Paige said, her face falling.
"Every time I think about a man pretending to be a woman, it makes me
angry," Amelie spat. "Makes me think of everything me and my mother went
through, like it was some kind of big joke. Like that MAN is saying
'look how we treated you, now we're going to pretend to be you',
prancing around in a skirt like it's all a big game to them."
"...It's not a big game to me," Paige mumbled, causing Amelie's eyes to
go as wide as dinner plates. "It may have been at first, but now, I- I
couldn't live my life any other way. I don't want to. I want to be free
to feel how I want to, free to express my emotions, to make myself
beautiful, to feel beautiful and have others tell me that I'm
beautiful..."
"Y- you?" Amelie gasped.
"Me," Paige said softly. "And to answer your next question, pretty much
my whole life. I'm 22 now, 23 in July, and I always, ALWAYS envied the
way women got to live their lives. I have two older sisters, and growing
up all I wanted to be was their sister. Well, that or a wizard,
anyway..."
"Ohh," Amelie giggled, her eyes lighting up. "Wingardium leviosa?"
"You said it!" Paige replied with a girlish giggle as Amelie let out a
sad sigh.
"I judged you too quick, did I not?" The French girl asked. "Trans
girls..."
"I see myself as 'girl' first, 'trans' second," Paige said. "Most of the
trans girls I know are the same way. We just want to be ordinary girls,
like- well, like you, if you weren't the daughter of a billionaire!"
"Even if it means being treated as a dolly by that billionaire?" Amelie
asked.
"...Gotta earn a living somehow," Paige shrugged. "Your father may have
his faults but he's generous when it comes to wages, at least."
"Does it make it worth wearing shit like this?" Amelie asked, before
letting out a snort of laughter. "For you, it probably does..."
"The uniform sucks," Paige said, making Amelie snort with laughter yet
again. "I mean yes, it was a fantasy to wear something like this when I
was growing up, but when you're actually trying to work, to serve
passengers... High heels, a corset and a skirt this tight are fine for
dressing up in, maybe going to a party, but when you're actually trying
to work... I swear whoever designed these uniforms only did it to get
their rocks off, heh."
"That's exactly what they were designed for," Amelie said with a smug
grin. "And exactly why my father was so angry when I said I wanted to do
my year of work as a stewardess."
"Because he only views us as brainless dollies who only serve drinks all
day," Paige snorted.
"And because he knows that you are ogled all day by his friends and by
his male staff," Amelie said. "I have a cousin called Jacques who would
boast to my brothers about how many stewardesses he slept with."
"Oh, god, yes, we know Jacques," Paige said with an exasperated laugh.
"The greasy asshole," Amelie spat. "I've heard he works out of London
now instead of Paris, that's why I came to work at this hub. Would love
to see him boast to my brothers about trying to seduce me..."
"You like the thought of Jacques getting his comeuppance, then?" Paige
asked, giggling as Amelie enthusiastically nodded. "I know someone who
has a video you might want to watch..."
"If you have one of my father as well, that'd make it perfect!" Amelie
giggled.
"...One step at a time," Paige said. "Though I know someone who used to
work for this company who you are DEFINITELY going to have to meet! In
the meantime, though, I still have a job to do. You sure you want to be
a stewardess?"
"Gotta earn a living somehow!" Amelie laughed. "And I will NOT accept
handouts from my father all my life. And it'll be good experience... I
always wanted to be a pilot. As in, a proper airline pilot."
"That's a good ambition," Paige said. "And there's no reason why you
can't."
"Tell that to my father," Amelie snorted. "No problem buying me a
helicopter for my birthday, but if I want to learn how to fly it..."
"...I'll try not to go TOO green with envy," Paige giggled as she led
her latest 'charge' to a nearby empty office, where she began
instructing the young woman in the skills she would need to be a
Soixante-Trois Airlines stewardess.
----------
"...And that's day three over!" Alana laughed as Carly and Jessica sat
back in their chairs and let out simultaneous, overdramatic sighs of
relief. "Yes, yes, very funny, girls. Again, I want to apologise that I
couldn't be here this morning, but something immediate and urgent came
up that I couldn't really delegate to someone else."
"It's alright," Carly shrugged. "It's kinda nice to know that you have
actual work to do as well as just bossing us around all day."
"I'll ignore that," Alana chuckled as she ushered the two women out of
her office. "Go on, go home and relax. Jess, before you go, can I have a
quick word?"
"Umm, okay," Jessica said hesitantly as Carly left her alone in the
office with their manager.
"Don't worry, you're not in trouble," Alana laughed. "It's actually
about why I was elsewhere all morning... We've taken on a new hire
today."
"Outside the usual hiring period?" Jessica asked.
"When you're Antoine Masson's daughter, there is no usual hiring
period," Alana sighed. "I've assigned Paige as her mentor. She's the
most senior member of staff who isn't a supervisor or already assigned a
trainee."
"Sensible choice," Jessica shrugged. "Paige has always done a good job
in the past."
"Well in this case 'good' has to be 'perfect', as if it isn't, we all
answer to Antoine Masson himself," Alana said.
"...Understood," Jessica whispered. "Where- where will she be staying?"
"In one of Monsieur Masson's apartments in the city centre," Alana
answered. "I'm glad you brought that up, as it brings me to why I want
to speak to you- she's a nineteen year old girl, so obviously she won't
want to rattle around a huge apartment by herself every evening. She'll
want to hang out with friends, which means Paige's friends, which means
you and your social group."
"If you want me to introduce her to the Angels, I'll try," Jessica said.
"We've not really been, you know, in their orbit for a while though..."
"It's more you, Anna-Jade, Annabelle etc. who I'm thinking of, the ones
who work for us." Alana said. "Or more specifically, the ones who worked
for us, past tense."
"Zoe and Rachel," Jessica whispered.
"Any employee will be on their best behaviour around Amelie," Alana
said. "Those two will go out of their way to be on their worst
behaviour. We can't have her reporting back to her father the kind of
things they're likely to say. And I'm sure Rachel's working on some kind
of project to dish the dirt or something. She's the absolute last person
I want talking to Amelie."
"Got it," Jessica said.
"I hope so," Alana sighed, "because if I find that Amelie's been talking
to Rachel, or Zoe, or anyone inappropriate, I'll hold you as responsible
as Paige."
"Okay," Jessica said- though imperceptibly, the American woman bristled
at Alana's threat. As much as Jessica loved Paige, she knew how flighty
the Scottish woman could be- and she was not about to let herself get
punished for something that wasn't her fault.
----------
"She sounds fucking COOL," Anna-Jade said as Paige poured her and
Annabelle a tall glass of wine.
"She is," Paige giggled. "I was expecting some sort of stuck-up,
snobbish cow... And that's exactly what I got, heh. Then again, if I was
nineteen and I'd spent my whole life being raised to think that I was a
princess, I'd probably go around giving people secret tests of character
too..."
"And being desperate to rebel against the 'king'," Anna-Jade said.
"I kinda get that it's more loyalty to the 'queen'. One of them,
anyway," Paige mused. "I would've invited her round for a drink but
she's busy unpacking tonight. Her flat's bigger than this place AND Nat
and Zoe's place put together."
"Ugh," Anna-Jade spat. "I mean, these two flats are also owned by
Masson! Well, his company anyway. AND we're being gouged for rent..."
"All hail the king," Paige snorted sarcastically. "Come on Annabelle,
you've got to have an opinion, right?"
"Huh? Sorry, honey," Annabelle mumbled. "She sounds nice. I don't like
what you said about what she said about us T-girls, though."
"I was gonna say," Anna-Jade sighed. "As cool as she sounds, that's not
something we can just ignore, especially if we're going to end up having
to, you know, entertain her, babysit her..."
"She'd probably never even met a transgendered person before me," Paige
shrugged. "Her only knowledge of TG issues will probably be from her
father complaining about having to hire quote-unquote pretend women."
"I thought you said she hates her father?" Annabelle asked, eliciting a
tired shrug from Paige.
"Maybe her only knowledge of TG issues is from her mother, I dunno,"
Paige sighed. "All I know is that all she needs is a little education to
adjust her attitude."
"By which you mean proper education," Anna-Jade said, "and not the way
we 'educated' le connard?" The Irishwoman smirked as her comment caused
Annabelle to snort into her wine in a very unladylike manner.
"Yes," Paige giggled. "But I am NOT dressing up in a cap, a gown, a pair
of thigh-high boots and swinging a cane around everywhere!"
"Not in public, anyway," Anna-Jade teased, giggling wickedly as Paige
stuck her tongue out at her. "Think that's the problem with a lot of
transphobes, all they need is a little education, just to meet a few of
us, then they'll see that we really are just ordinary girls."
"You said it, honey," Annabelle sighed. "I had a boyfriend back in the
States, he thought he'd 'learn' by reading a website full of forced
feminisation stories."
"Yikes!" Paige grimaced.
"Yeah," Annabelle sighed. "Thought the best way to turn me on would be
to make me walk around in a French Maid costume with a feather duster
sticking... Well, let's just say I wouldn't be holding it in my hands."
"Did he last hours or minutes before you dumped him?" Anna-Jade asked,
earning another snort of laughter from the tall American woman.
"SECONDS," Annabelle said confidently, earning a cheer from the other
two women. "If any MAN wants to be with me he needs to romance me
properly. Treat me like a true lady."
"Hear-fucking-hear!" Anna-Jade laughed as Paige poured the women a
second glass of wine.
The three women continued gossiping about their new 'colleague' for the
next fifteen minutes before they were joined by their remaining flat
mate, who as always greeted Paige with a long kiss before snuggling next
to her on the sofa.
"Have you heard the news?" Paige asked her American lover, who was
interrupted by Anna-Jade before she could respond.
"She's 'the management', of course she's fucking heard," Anna-Jade
laughed, making Jessica roll her eyes. "I am still allowed to say fuck
in your presence, right?"
"Fuck off, Anna-Jade," Jessica giggled, sticking a tongue out at the
laughing Irishwoman. "And if the 'news' you're talking about is Amelie
Masson, then yes, I have heard the news. Alana called me back to explain
the situation after our 'lesson' today, that's why I'm back late."
"I can wait to introduce you to her," Paige said with a grin. "I reckon
you two will get on GREAT."
"She's apparently a 'rebel princess'," Annabelle said quietly. "Resents
her father for the way he treated her mother."
"Ehh," Jessica grimaced. "Okay, if you say so... All I know is that we
are to treat her with a LOT of respect."
"Might want to dial that back," Paige mused. "She hates brown-nosers."
"Okay," Jessica said with a nod. "But still, make sure you're on your
best behaviour around her. We don't want her to report back to her
father and tell him that we're all a bunch of unprofessional jerks or
something."
"Umm, didn't you hear what I just said?" Paige retorted. "Amelie. Hates.
Brown-nosers. If we tiptoe around her and kiss her feet, THAT would be
more likely to get us reported to her dad! Honestly, Jess, when you meet
her, you'll see." Jessica bristled as Paige snorted at her- though she
wasn't sure whether her frustration was at Paige's disrespect, or
jealousy at how much Paige liked the French girl.
"Fucking hell, Jess," Anna-Jade said with a snort of laughter. "We only
just got rid of Rachel, last thing we need is another one!"
"On the subject of Rachel," Jessica said, ignoring her friends' slights,
"do NOT introduce Amelie to her. That's the last thing we need right
now."
"...Who exactly is 'we', Jess?" Paige asked, making Jessica frown.
"Please, PLEASE tell me this promotion hasn't gone to your head."
"No, of course it hasn't," Jessica said, trying her hardest not to snap
at her lover. "It's- ugh. You know what? Never mind. I- I'm going to go
change, need to get out of this damned corset..." Paige bit her lip as
Jessica stood up and headed into their bedroom, slamming the door behind
her.
"...I should probably go and talk to her..." Paige mumbled.
"Ya think?" Anna-Jade snorted as Paige followed Jessica into the
bedroom, where she grimaced at the sight of the American girl curled up
on their bed, softly crying into her pillow.
"J-Jess?" Paige mumbled hesitantly. "Are- are you- look, I- I'm sorry,
okay?"
"Okay," Jessica mumbled into her pillow. "Seems that all we do nowadays
is piss each other off and apologise to each other..."
"Don't say that," Paige sighed as she sat down next to Jessica and
gently cradled the distraught girl's head in her lap. "I LOVE you,
Jessica. I always have, you know I always have."
"I've always loved you too," Jessica whispered. "Ugh, I wish I'd never
been promoted... Some days I wish I'd never even come to work for
Soixante-Trois..."
"Even- even if it means that we'd never have met?" Paige asked.
"...We- you and me- we're the one thing I've never regretted," Jessica
said, smiling as Paige stroked her silky blonde hair.
"And if you'd never worked for Soixante-Trois, you wouldn