The Rocker-ette
Belladonna
[Author's Note: Based on an idea by Tuni]
The song playing on the radio made Vic come to a stop for a minute. He
paused and turned towards the radio, wanting nothing more at that moment
than to change the station that the manager had selected. Despite the
sickness he felt over the song, turning it off was not worth losing his
job.
Shaking his head, Vic tried to ignore the sounds as he picked up the
meals from the kitchen. While he wanted to forget about the song, the
song continued to play in his head, reminding him of his last
conversation with the young Pop Star.
Vic carried the plates towards the table and began to sing. It was the
gimmick that the restaurant had used for years to distinguish itself.
The tourist heavy crowd smiled at the sound of another voice singing
inoffensive Broadway lyrics that Vic felt cheapened to sing.
It was not long ago that he was singing on stage with his rock band.
The lyrics he used then were unsuited for his new position.
The three elderly couples at the table gave him applause. The men were
polite, while their wives clearly enjoyed it more.
Vic forced the same chipper smile to his face that he always sported
when he worked at the restaurant, knowing that it helped with getting
tips. Walking away from the table to get the group another bottle of
wine, the pop song kept playing in loop in his head.
He closed his eyes and could picture the young girl standing before him.
"You will fail." The last words he spoke to the girl rung out in his
mind.
He saw the determined look in her eyes that stayed in place despite his
declaration. He wondered what she would say to him if she could see him
at that moment, singing for tips.
Then, he was the one with the record deal. His metal band had signed
with a big label when he was 22. Initially, the label backed the band
while they went on tour and released their first album. The album
failed to chart in the Top 200. It was a huge disappointment for the
label, but the cult following the band built up on the road was enough
to convince the label to let the band release a second album.
The label's hopes were high for a follow up that would break the band
into at least the second tier of touring/recording acts. The recording,
however, was fraught with conflict. Through a mixture of members
quitting, as well as Vic maneuvering to fire the other remaining
members, Vic finished the album as the last original member of the band
and the sole owner of the band's name.
The album was finished with session players and Vic went on tour. The
new backup band was not as well received as the original touring act.
The album sold poorly and the band remained relegated to the sideshow of
the festival they were touring with that year.
At 26, Vic realized that his career was fading fast. In a last ditch
effort, he changed the focus of the band by hiring a female backup
singer, more for her looks than her voice. The looks and range she
showed at the performances caught the attention of the crowds. Vic
grated at the adulation that was being thrown at her for singing his
songs.
The irritation led to Vic belittling the girl's looks and talents.
While the young girl was upset about the criticism at first, she grew
more distant and more dismissive of him.
They both knew that it was only a matter of time before she quit. Vic
was happy to see her go as his band finished the tour without her, as
the band's cult following had dissipated to nothing with the change of
personnel and the band's focus.
Once the tour came to an end, the band was dropped by the label. Vic
finished the band's business by promptly firing the manager that had
been forced on him by the record label.
With his late 20's approaching, Vic found himself broke with no money
for a backup band and his name associated with failure in the industry.
Having nothing to his name, Vic took whatever employment he could find
to eat.
Having a slight frame unsuited for manual labor, Vic found a succession
of odd jobs that led him into the New York City restaurant that was
staffed by waiters and waitresses that were all trying break onto
Broadway. Vic was relieved that the young staff had no idea that he had
ever been in a band. It made it easier for them just to see him as
another struggling, aspiring Broadway singer rather than an abject
failure.
More than three years had passed since Christina had quit the band. She
was signed by another label associated with the same record company that
had signed his band.
As Vic sang another song while he poured the glasses of wine, he thought
back to the first time he heard Christina's name on the radio. His
stomach sunk as the song played. The same physical reaction happened
the next dozen times he heard the song.
Christina's follow up hit did not affect him as much. The reality of
her success was something he could not deny to himself any longer.
Coming across her on the television on a late night talk show, Vic
stopped to watch the girl. She came out before she sang and talked
about her past.
"A lot of people don't know that you started out in Metal," the host
said with a smile while the audience laughed at the semi-preposterous
claim about the budding Pop princess.
A roll of Christina's eyes greeted the words, "Yah...I was SO MISS
METAL," she said with evident sarcasm while she cupped her nylon-covered
knees.
"This really wasn't your thing...," the host replied with a laugh as he
put a picture of her from her days with Vic's band on the screen to the
side of them.
With the audience laughing, Christina replied, "Oh, yah...the PVC
outfits that the singer dressed me up in were SO MY Taste."
"Bondage," Christina then added before mock gagging herself and
continuing, "I should have hit him with the riding crop, but he probably
would have liked it!"
"Where is he these days?" The host asked while he glanced over at the
photograph from which Vic had been cropped.
"I don't think anyone cares anymore," Christina replied with a smile,
leaning over towards the host as she ran a hand along the side of her
silver, sequin covered leotard.
The words cut at Vic, even though he knew they were true. He was barely
a footnote to Christina's story now. Vic shut off the television before
he could hear another word the new star said before her performance.
Vic tried to put it all out of his mind while he continued his shift.
As he worked, Vic came over to a new table he was assigned to work. He
came over signing and came to a stop as he recognized the face of his
towering former manager.
A grin came upon Gwen's face as she saw the man who had been rude to her
every day of their professional relationship. She could barely contain
herself as she said with a smirk, "Vic, so nice to see you again."
"Hi, Gwen," Vic replied, barely able to keep from blushing while the
professionally dressed woman who had worked for him saw him in his
waiter uniform.
"Vic?" Another voice said, prompting Vic's head to jerk at the sole
celebrity at the table of fifteen.
"Christina, it's great to see you," Vic lied.
"Thanks, you too," Christina responded in kind, although Vic was sure
she was lying just as much as he was.
"So, what brings you to New York?" Vic asked, regretting asking the
question, knowing that it had to be something better than what he was
there to do.
"I just did a spot on MTV."
"Oh, that's great. Congratulations," Vic replied with his best-forced
smile and chipper tone.
"I hate to break this up, Christina, but we need to get a move on. Vic,
why don't you sing us the specials," Gwen interjected with a grin.
Vic winced before he forced a smile back onto his face while he sung the
group the specials before he took their drink orders. The fake smiled
faded from his face while he walked away to place the orders. Vic was
relieved to get away from them for a few moments, even though he knew
that his humiliation was just get starting that night.
After carrying the drinks to the table, Vic began to hand them out with
the assistance of a singing waitress.
Christina smirked at the girl's voice as she asked Vic, "So, would you
have picked this girl for the band?"
The waitress gave Vic a confused look before Vic shook his head and
said, "I don't see her as the type..."
"Neither do I," Christina said with a nod.
Christina then added, "But I didn't see you as the aspiring Broadway
type. Show tunes and dancing, I never would have guessed that was what
big, bad Vic was all about."
"It's a long story," Vic replied as he blushed at Christina's flapping
of her wrists while she described his situation.
"Humor me," Christina ordered as the waitress began to take her party's
food orders.
"A man needs to eat," Vic replied before taking an order.
"But a singing waiter," Christina said with a laugh shared by Gwen and
some of the strangers at the table.
"It's the best paying job I could get," Vic admitted.
"What happened to your money from the label?" Gwen interjected.
"I spent every dime I had on women, clothing and booze. I don't really
regret any of it," Vic said with a smile, gaining another stare from the
waitress.
"Isn't this demeaning for you, you know, all things considered?" Gwen
asked with a smirk while Vic took another order from party, knowing that
asking the question was only making him squirm more.
"I need to make a living," Vic answered, trying to not to let her
realize how humiliated he was to be serving them at the moment.
"But what about your dignity?" Christina asked.
"That's not something I can afford," Vic answered half-jokingly before
he left to place their orders.
"What was that about?" The waitress asked as they approached the back
of the restaurant to place the orders.
"I used to sing with a band."
"With them?"
"No. Just the blonde," Vic replied.
"She looks familiar," the waitress said.
"She used to be my backup singer," Vic admitted, not wanting to give the
waitress more.
"Is she on Broadway?"
"Her? No way," Vic replied, truthfully.
"I swear I've seen her before."
"I don't know where," Vic lied before he went to serve another table.
Serving the other tables was a welcome respite, even as he heard Gwen
and Christina laughing as he sung while he served the tables within
their earshot.
When it came time to serve Christina's table their dinner, Vic and the
waitress approached the table. They setup and began placing down the
meals as they sang.
Christina cut Vic's song short as she tugged on his apron and asked, "Do
you remember the last thing you said to me when I quit?"
Vic clenched his eyes, thinking, 'How could I forget?'
Christina gave him a steely gaze due to his silence. She asked the
question again.
"I said you'd fail."
"But, here, I am a Pop star," Christina exclaimed with a laugh as the
waitress head perked up, realizing that she had recognized the budding
star.
"I'm sorry for saying it. I was wrong," Vic replied, hating to admit
the truth to Christina's face.
Christina smiled at his apology as she accepted it. Vic then went back
to singing and placing down dishes before Christina inquired, "Do you
remember what you said before that?"
Vic paused. He remembered the conversation well. He shook his head,
squirming as he feigned having forgotten the words he spoke.
"Do we have to ask Gwen?" Christina inquired.
Vic shook his head before he said, "You said you'd break the top 40
first and I...."
"Said what?"
"If you did it, I'd be yours..."
"My bitch," Christina corrected Vic with a grin as she spoke the word
his employer would have reprimanded him for saying. Gwen nodded in
agreement with Christina's recollection.
Christina continued, "Now, I don't need a think I have the need for a
bitch, but I could use an assistant. You know, someone to fetch me this
and that. That sort of thing."
"Sort of like your bitch," Gwen added with a nod of her head before she
took a bite of her food.
Vic blushed at the idea. Christina read his reaction and inquired, "Is
it any more beneath your dignity than singing for your food?"
Christina words cut him. They felt belittling. He wondered if the
words he had used to hassle her on tour had felt as needling to her.
"What do you make?" Christina asked.
Vic shook his head without an answer before she pressed again. Vic
relented and told her his average weekly pay.
"I'll pay you 20 percent more, but you have to meet my look."
Vic gave her a curious look before she reminded him, "You got to dress
me when I worked for you. At least, I have some fashion sense."
Vic shook his head with a polite smile as he left her to eat with her
group. Christina called over to him, "Think it over."
Vic walked away wanting to forget the offer while he walked around the
restaurant continuing to sing. He sent the waitress to check on the
table as he focused on working other tables.
As he saw Gwen's group finishing eating, the busboys began to clear the
table. Vic walked over and asked if they wanted dessert. Hearing a
resounding no, Vic placed the bill on the table.
"Did you think it over?" Christina asked.
Vic shook his head, pretending he had not given any thought to it.
Christina shook her head and said, "You know there's only one answer."
"What's that?"
"Yes. Thank you, Christina. I'd love to do it. Thank you so, so
much."
Vic blushed at her words before she added, "Tell me you'll agree. What
else do you have?"
Vic thought about her words. He knew he had nothing to lose. He had
been weighing the offer since it was made.
The thought of meeting old record executives made Vic think that it
might put him back in their orbit. He might be able to convince them
that he cleaned up his act. He still had the talent. He felt that he
only needed one to take a chance on him.
With the plan in his mind, Vic repeated her words, "Yes. Thank you,
Christina."
"Glad to bring you onboard. Go pack your stuff, we're leaving after
tomorrow's show," Christina ordered as she gave Vic the address to meet
her touring group early the next morning.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The next morning, Vic arrived at the address that Christina had given
him. The tour bus was parked nearby as he entered the building.
Gwen was waiting up front for him. She smirked as she looked down at
him and said, "I didn't think you'd actually show up."
"I quit my job for this. I don't really have a choice," Vic answered.
"Desperation, a trait I like in men I work with."
Vic blushed at her words wanting to reach up and knock the smug look off
her face. Still, he knew that she was in a position to gloat given how
divergent their fortunes had been since she last worked for him.
Vic then asked, "Where's the boss?"
"She's just having breakfast."
"This late?"
"It was a late night. They usually are," Gwen responded.
Vic nodded, knowing that it was the truth. He walked beside Gwen before
she said, "You're lucky."
"Why's that?"
"Christina's in a good mood. This is the first night she hasn't spent
sleeping in the tour bus in three months."
"Yikes."
"Get used to it. That's your life going forward."
"Oh, I know," Vic replied, not eager to be spending his nights sleeping
on a bus again, however, it was better than sleeping in a van as he
often did while touring in the past.
"She's already moved her bags back onto the bus. We're moving out in a
few minutes. She wants to get her dancers some extra practice now that
she has the time."
Vic nodded as he waited for Christina in the lobby. Christina came down
fifteen minutes later and gave Vic a smile.
"I'm glad you came to your senses," Christina said as she approached
them.
"I'm eager to get started," Vic lied, hoping against hope that he would
meet up with a familiar record executive and get a second chance.
"Come along," Christina ordered.
Vic followed Christina with Gwen not far behind him. As Vic walked onto
Christina's tour bus, she pointed to the cubby that he was going to be
sleeping in. Vic was surprised by the arrangement and asked, "I'm
staying on your bus?"
"You're my personal assistant. I need you close at all times,"
Christina explained.
"Okay," Vic replied with a nod.
Christina looked him over and said, "Now, I'm going to advance you some
money to go shopping with Gwen to upgrade those rags you put on this
morning."
"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"
"You're now a reflection on me. I need you to look fashionable. So,
you're going to get some new clothes that fit my image and what my fans
expect of me."
"But..."
"I told her to keep your clothes cheap. We can't have you upstaging me
after all."
"Okay, but..."
"I'll see you in a little bit," Christina replied as she turned to walk
out of the bus, unwilling to hear him out.
Vic started to follow behind her, but he came to a stop as he saw Gwen.
Gwen tapped on her watch as she said, "Time is money, hurry up."
"What? Where are we going?" Vic asked while he hurried beside Gwen.
Despite her skirt shortened steps, Gwen's six additional inches of
height over his own allowed her a larger stride than he could muster.
Casting a glance down at Vic, Gwen told him the name of the store that
they were walking towards that morning. Vic shook his head and said, "I
never heard it."
"They specialize in discount clothing."
"Oh..."
"You can't afford anything too expensive on your salary," Gwen added,
enjoying reminding Vic of his precarious financial state while she
flaunted her tailored, designer skirt suit and pumps that exceeded the
entire value of his wardrobe.
Once they reached the store, Vic was turned off by the clothing that
they offered. He shook his head at the skinny jeans and asked, "Don't
they sell men's clothing here?"
"These are men's clothing," Gwen retorted while she showed Vic the male
sizing on the waist.
"I mean real men's clothing," Vic replied.
"This is all you're going to be wearing, so get used to it."
"What?"
"This isn't a metal act. You're working for a Pop star."
"Come on, she's had like two hits."
"Two more than you and, for your sake, you'd better hope the start of
many more."
"Sorry," Vic apologized.
"Now, Christina expects you to look like a fashionable young man and
that means everything is tight."
Vic nodded as Christina picked out article of clothing that struck Vic
as unisexual. Once she had picked enough items, she sent Vic to the
dressing room.
Vic felt odd as he modeled tight fitting outfit after outfit for Gwen.
Gwen selected what she liked and went back to replace what she did not.
The time Vic spent in the dressing room seemed longer than he had spent
in dressing rooms over the course of his entire life. Vic grew uneasy
as he began to model the sandals and unisexual shoes that Gwen selected
for him.
"I feel like kicking my own ass," Vic said as he looked at his outfit in
the mirror that he felt made him look unthreatening and asexual.
Shaking his head, he modeled the outfit for Gwen who gushed over it and
told him he had to get it. With a shake of his head, Vic retreated into
the dressing room to try on another outfit.
After a few more outfits were modeled, Gwen paid for the clothing and
handed him the bags. The bags weighed Vic down while he schlepped them
through the city streets before they stopped off at a fast food
restaurant for a meal.
"Do you think we bought enough?" Vic inquired while putting his bags
down as they stood on line.
"Don't worry we'll get you more clothing as the tour continues."
Vic gave a curious look before Gwen added, "We don't want to put you too
deep in the hole when you start."
"Right," Vic said, focusing on his hunger instead of her words.
After placing their orders and eating, they walked to the music venue
that was near the hotel that Christina had stayed at the night before.
They collected the bag that Vic had brought and replaced his old
clothing with the new shoes and clothes he bought before Gwen said,
"It's time to get changed, Vic."
"Do I have to start now?"
"You've started as her employee. Get changed," Gwen answered.
Vic nodded as she stripped out of his baggy jeans and replaced them with
his dark denim, high waist skinny jeans. His dark t-shirt was replaced
with a tight, grey long-sleeved, scoop necked t-shirt.
"God, this can't be a men's shirt," Vic muttered.
"What was that?" Gwen asked as tossed his sneakers in the trash.
"Nothing."
"No complaints, Vic, or I'll have you tossed out of here," Christina
chided as he put on his new black loafers.
Vic nodded as he put on the shoes. His opinion of them was no different
from the skintight jeans and shirt he was wearing. He hung his head and
thought, 'I look like a total tool.'
"Now, that's a proper young assistant for a Pop star," Gwen remarked,
smirking at his dejected expression.
'Pop Tart is more like it,' Vic thought, but he did not dare to say
before Gwen led him into the venue. Christina grinned as Vic walked
backstage in his new outfit. She moved towards him and said, "See, you
look more presentable already."
"I look like a fag," Vic retorted.
Christina glared at Vic and said, "That's no way to talk. A lot of my
dancers are gay."
"Sorry," Vic replied.
"Say it right," Christina retorted.
"I'm sorry," Vic replied.
"Better. Now, we got to work on his hair."
"What's wrong with my hair?" Vic replied as he clasped at his long
blonde tresses that rested on his shoulder.
"We can't have you upstaging me with that boy Farrah Fawcett look.
"Huh?" Vic replied
"You're to wear updos only," Christina replied before pausing to add,
"Ponytails or man buns only."
"Man buns?" Vic asked with a grimace.
"They're in style," Gwen replied for Christina while the starlet nodded
in accord with the statement.
"I don't even know how to do something like that," Vic replied, having
detested the fad from the start.
"I'll show you," Gwen said while she let Christina get back to
practicing for that night's performance.
Vic followed Gwen towards the dressing area that was off to the side of
the stage since only the headliner had the luxury of a formal dressing
room. Gwen smiled while she sat Vic down in front of one of the few
mirrors in the area and explained how to put his hair up in a bun.
"Here's your first gift. You're going to work in the styling cream.
This bottle is yours. After this, you're going to have buy your own,"
Gwen said as she worked the cream into his hair.
"Okay."
"Now, what did I just tell you?"
"Huh?"
"Repeat the first step."
"I work the styling cream into my hair."
"Good. Now, the second step is you rake your hair back and up with your
fingers."
"Okay."
"Repeat what I just told you," Gwen chided as she repeated the motion
with her hands in his hair.
"I'm going to rake my hair back and up with my fingers," Vic replied,
feeling childish for having to repeat what Gwen told him.
"Now, you're going to twist your hair into a rope..."
Vic noticed that she paused to let him repeat her words, "I'm going to
twist my hair into a rope."
"And then you're going to roll it into a circle at the crown of your
head."
"Then, I'm going to roll it into a circle at the crown of my head," Vic
replied, not missing his prompt this time.
"Good. Now, that you got that nice Samurai look, we're going to wrap a
black elastic band around the bun a few times to keep it in place,
right?"
"Yes, I'm going to wrap it in place with a black elastic band."
"You can keep the one I put in your hair."
"Thanks," Vic replied, trying not to sound sarcastic as he gave his
tight blonde bun a curious look. He shook his head and thought, 'This
looks so fucking stupid.'
As Gwen finished rinsing her hands, Vic reached for his head and clasped
at the tight bun. Gwen shook her head as she batted away his hand and
said, "Don't touch it. We don't want it to get loose.
Despite trying to get to his feet, Gwen's damp hands pushed his
shoulders down, pinning him to the chair in the process. Vic was
surprised by her strength. He shook his head and asked, "What now?"
"Your eyebrows are a little bushy."
"They're men eyebrows, so...you know...," Vic replied with a shake of
his head.
"They need to be cleaned up, just a little."
"I'm not doing that."
"I'm so glad you think that old Metal rejects have a choice," Gwen
replied while took hold of a pair of tweezers.
"This isn't funny," Vic said as he blushed at what he perceived to be an
accurate description of him.
"Stop squirming or you'll be painting your eyebrows on," Gwen retorted.
Vic's stomach sank at the thought while the large woman pinned him to
the chair and began to pluck stray hairs around his eyebrows. Vic
wished he could see what she was doing, but he was relieved that she did
not linger for long.
"There all done. Was that so bad?"
Vic lurched forward in his chair to look at his face. Vic breathed a
sigh of relief that his eyebrows had barely been shaped at all.
"That's not bad."
"Not bad. It's a huge improvement. I wanted to do it the entire time
you were touring with Deadly Valor."
Vic ignored her comment before she forced Vic out of his seat and walked
him to the side of the stage where Christina and her backup performers
were continuing to dance. The dancers finished their final routine and
walked towards the side of the stage beside Vic. Vic saw their amused
looks as they noticed the differences in his appearance from when they
first saw him that morning.
"Look the fag's got no bulge," one of the muscular gay dancers said to
another dancer who had heard Vic's earlier comment.
"Are you sure he's a man?" One of the female dancers inquired.
"Are you going to let them talk to me like that?" Vic asked Christina
in a near whisper.
"I heard you were small, but I didn't think it was that small,"
Christina replied with a shrug.
"It's not small," Vic said with blushing cheeks as an old self-
consciousness returned.
"Don't focus too much on it. They were just teasing you because they
overheard your little slur. It'll pass. You look nice. They'll
appreciate it," Christina replied.
The idea of men appreciating his new appearance made Vic uneasy.
Christina smiled at his squirming for a moment before she told him to
make sure that each of her demands had been met by the promoter.
Vic asked for the demands, prompting Christina to say, "Check with Gwen,
she makes them for me."
"Okay," Vic replied turning to Gwen who led him to Christina's dressing
room.
Vic was shocked as Gwen walked him through the room, inventorying each
peculiar request that she had made on Christina's behalf.
"Is all this necessary?" Vic asked, never having seen someone receive
star treatment in person before.
"Of course not, but that's the point. Christina doesn't even like half
this stuff."
"Then, why do you request it?"
"Her weird requests have made the papers. There are flame wars all
about what a spoiled little bitch she is."
"And you're okay with it?"
"Hell, yah. The publicity has been great!"
"But you're making her look like a diva?"
"And very successfully, I might add," Gwen confirmed before she had Vic
check on Christina's food. Once he finished, Christina came in and ate.
Vic's stomach grumbled while he watched her pick at her food as she
talked with Gwen. Vic felt like a dog whose silent eagerness to eat
some of their scraps was being ignored by the both of them.
After finishing eating, Christina left the leftovers for him and Gwen.
Vic went to grab some, but Gwen gave him a dirty look. Vic feared
making any more of an enemy of her than he already had. He backed away
from the food and listened to Gwen as she picked through the food. She
continued to tell him about the tasks that were expected of him in his
new role while she slowly ate, savoring each morsel of food that passed
her lips while Vic's stomach audibly rumbled.
After taking her last bite, Gwen got up and left the remaining scraps in
the dressing for Vic's consumption.
As the show drew closer to its start, Vic helped Christina get dressed
and assisted with her makeup and hair, fetching her hairspray, brush and
cosmetics. He enjoyed the closeness he had with her toned, smooth body
while he helped her shimmering pantyhose up her legs, as well as the
white knee socks that followed them.
As he pulled up the zipper of her skirt, he wanted to ask why she was
comfortable with having a man dress her, but he held his tongue, fearful
that he might endanger his job by bringing it to her attention.
Vic then partially buttoned her top before he placed the heels upon her
feet. Wit the shoes on her feet, Christina went out for the start of
the show and did her opening routine with her backup dancers. Once a
dance interlude followed a few songs later, Christina rushed off the
stage to get into her next costume with Vic's help.
Vic fumbled with her zippers and hosiery while Christina berated him,
"Hurry up."
"I'm going as fast I can," Vic whined.
"Go faster and don't you dare tear my hose," Christina barked as she
removed her tops and placed on another garment.
Vic helped her into the full costume and watched as she was carried onto
the stage by the male dancers for a solo number while the female backup
dancers left the stage to change into their next outfits.
A few more songs passed before she was off the stage again for another
costume change. Determined to do a better job this time, Vic worked his
fingers with better agility as he helped her simultaneously remove her
outfit and dress in her next.
Her pantyhose were replaced with black fishnets that led up to her body
hugging, pink camouflage romper. Vic helped her put on her raspberry
beret as she hurried back towards the stage in her knee high, pink, faux
leather boots.
One more costume change happened before the show came to an end and Vic
helped her into her post performance outfit. The sequined dress was
loud, but it was far more understated than any of the other costumes she
had worn on stage that day.
With the costume swapped for a mini-dress, Christina told Vic to wait
for her to return from the after party. Vic watched with wide eyes as
Christina and Gwen headed out together with some of the backup dancers
to go and celebrate the show with some celebrities, socialites and
industry personnel that were in the audience that night.
Vic felt a tinge of jealousy that they were experiencing the very thing
that he had worked and schemed for, but had fallen well short of
obtaining. He turned in for the evening and got into his cubby.
The sound of Gwen and Christina calling out to him woke him. He wiped
the sleep from his eyes and asked, "What's going on?"
"I need to get ready for bed," Christina ordered as Vic groaned while he
forced himself out of his cubby.
"Never go to sleep before Christina," Gwen ordered Vic.
"I won't," Vic replied while rubbing his eyes.
"See to it or I'll see to it that you'll be back singing Liza songs for
old women."
Vic nodded, not wanting to go back to his old job even if they would
welcome him back.
Vic followed Christina as she walked towards the front of bus to see
Gwen off as she went to go to her hotel room for the evening.
"Take good care of my girl," Gwen said as she glared down at Vic while
he stepped off the tour bus after her.
"I will," Vic replied.
"I'll see to it," Christina added before she hugged her manager goodbye
and got on her bus with Vic to start the trip to their next tour date.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The new reality of Vic's life set in shortly after the bus left New York
City. In addition to helping her change, Vic found that sharing her
tour bus gave Christina the opportunity to treat him as a 24 hour a day
servant.
Vic only slept when Christina did, he ate only when she permitted it and
he talked only when he was spoken to by Christina. While he had been
the alpha male on the last tour he took, there was no disguising that he
was held in the lowest esteem of any of Christina's touring members.
Being at Christina's disposal made Vic experience a number of things he
never dreamed about doing. Christina reveled in making him do her
menial tasks, showing everyone around her that Vic was firmly under her
thumb.
While no one but her knew that Vic had ever been a singer in his own
right, it was enough for Christina to be able to give him the same
treatment that he had given her. Every detail of Vic's life was
micromanaged and critiqued by Christina.
The rare praise he got from her felt elating to him. He could not
understand it. He became conditioned to being berated for his every
failing that the rare moments when he received something else made his
body react as if he had achieved something grand, no matter how menial
what he was praised for struck him later when he considered it with
detached objectivity.
The tasks increased by the day. He spent the start of the first morning
on the bus brushing her hair, counting each stroke. Christina closed
her eyes and moaned as he drew the brush through her long hair. The
sound that Christina made, her flowery scent and beauty made Vic
struggle to fight the compressed erection that he began to sport in his
tight pants while he brushed her hair.
Once he finished, Christina made him do the same to his long hair. Vic
cringed as he brushed out knot after knot that had accumulated.
Christina shook her head at his wincing before she said, "Stop wincing
like a little bitch. I didn't complain when you were brushing my hair."
"Your hair doesn't have this many knots," Vic replied as his erection
dissipated under Christina's condescending glare.
"That's because I keep my hair knot free. I expect you to do the same."
Vic nodded, wanting to do so anyway to avoid the painful feeling of
brushing out the knots in his hair.
The afternoon was followed by the first time he had ever applied makeup
on another person. While he had experimented with makeup early in his
career, it was only applied to his face. Christina was highly critical
of his efforts, but he improved by the day until she was no longer
having to touch up her own makeup.
"Enjoy doing my makeup while you can," Christina said in a sweet voice
as Vic prepared her for a show.
"Why's that?"
"Once I get a few more hits, I'm going to hire my own makeup artist and,
then, you'll never get so close to these lips again," Christina teased
before she pursed her lips and blew him a kiss.
Vic tried to hide the fact that her words dejected him slightly before
Christina added with a wink "Probably."
The wink made Vic's member twitch. He was excited by the possible
development of a relationship between them and impressed by how self-
assured Christina was of her career's upward trajectory.
From the makeup on her face, Vic proceeded to learning how to do her
nails. It was something he had never done, but buffing, filing and/or
panting her fingernails and toenails became a nearly daily job for him.
Christina could never sport nails that were anything less than perfect.
Any chip in the paint was cause for Vic to stop whatever he was doing to
fix her nails.
To make him refine his skills further, Christina had Vic doing his own
nails every three days. The first time he buffed, filed and applied
clear nail polish to his fingertips, Vic felt odd. The strangeness
dissipated by the day until giving himself pedicures and manicures was a
normal part of his week.
Christina also had him begin to do his hair in a different ways.
Sometimes Vic wore it in a ponytail of varying heights, while others she
made him experiment with a variety of different bun sizes. While Vic
felt that some of the hairstyles were girlish, no one said much about
his hair.
His hands also grew more intimate with her body as the weeks passed.
While he had started out helping her dress, he had now moved onto
moisturizing her body after every shower. His hands were constantly
around her moisturizer as they worked it into his her soft skin. His
own hands grew smoother and less coarse, which was something that
Christina praised him for once she noticed the effect that the
moisturizer was having on him.
As their familiarity grew, Christina began to occasionally flirt with
Vic while he moisturized her skin, brushed her hair and helped her
dress. Vic was confused by the flirting. It was just as often missing
when his hands were in contact with Christina's hair and skin, as she
was, more often than not, still berating him for failing to meet her
lofty expectations.
The alternating praise, criticism and flirts all kept Vic unbalanced,
just as Christina hoped it would. She enjoyed watching her former boss
sport an obvious erection in his tights jeans while he was massaging her
feet while she moaned.
Christina knew how frustrated he had to be being around her while she
was dressed in only her underwear. Anytime she thought she had taken
him too far, she followed it up with an insult that made his manhood
shrink. She wondered if he was beginning to equate erections with being
talked down to, as his embarrassment became clearly deeper when Vic
dealt with being talked down to while simultaneously erect.
After finishing dressing Christina after a show, Vic felt like she was
going to make a move on him as she brought him to his first after party
with her. The club was filled by young women and men who were dancing
while they were taken into a private room.
Vic smiled at the beautiful people that flocked around Christina. Vic
accepted drinks as he followed her, attending to her every need.
The chiseled face of a male celebrity broke up one of Christina's
conversations. Vic could see her knees get weak while the man chatted
her up with Vic a few feet away.
'Let's go, Christina,' Vic thought to himself, squirming as his boss
giggled at the man's words while she flirted with him.
Christina's hands were soon around the man's waist and vice versa. The
man glanced at Vic's intently gazing face and asked, "Who is this?"
"He's just my personal assistant."
"A male assistant?"
"It's the 21st Century," Christina replied before she said, "Don't pay
him any mind; he's here to make sure that I'm happy."
"Are you happy?" The star asked Vic's boss.
"I could be happier," Christina answered while she pushed herself on the
man.
It was not long before they were kissing. Vic stared dejectedly at the
two, holding their drinks while they fondled each other on the couch.
Vic wanted to die while he watched her embrace the man, which forced him
to realize how unmanly he was at that moment. Vic knew that from his
job title, appearance and actions, the male star likely assumed that he
was gay. He hated being thought of like that, but he realized that he
could do nothing to dissuade the man from thinking it.
Vic exited the club alone that night, knowing that Christina had gone
back to the man's place for a one-night stand. He hung his head
realizing that any fantasy he had about his flirting with Christina
going anywhere was delusional. At that moment, he knew that he was her
glorified servant and nothing more.
Once Christina got back to the tour bus, she had Vic help her change
into her pajamas. Vic saw the contended look in her face as she said,
"It's good to blow off stress every once in a while, isn't Vic?"
"Yes," Vic replied, trying to hide the fact that he was upset that she
had not done so with him.
"Goodnight," Christina said with a kiss on a cheek as she got into her
cubby. Vic was put off by the kiss. He followed soon after into his
cubby and went to sleep for the night.
After the bus came to a stop the next day at the following city on the
tour, Christina ordered Vic to go and buy her new packages of tampons
and maxi pads. Vic blushed at the request.
"Can't somebody else do it?" Vic asked with reddened cheeks.
"Nonsense. This is what I pay you to do," Christina replied, dismissing
his discomfort offhand.
Vic was upset about the order. Tampons and pads were something he felt
that a man was never supposed to buy. He went to the store in a taxi,
dreading complying with the order.
While he had purchased her a new toothbrush, toothpaste, some emergency
makeup and even replacement nylons, he was sure he was going to be
looked at even worse than he had been when he shopped before for her.
He could still remember the disapproving looks he got in the drug store
as he searched through the limited hosiery the store offered for
something to replace the pairs she had snagged. The cashier too seemed
to assume it was for him as Vic blushed and paid for the garment.
Getting out of the taxi, Vic headed into the drug store and walked
towards the feminine hygiene aisle that was marked by a sign hanging
over the aisle. Vic shook his head while he walked down the aisle that
had a woman standing in the middle.
Vic put his head down as he stared at the brand that his boss had
demanded for each product. The woman in aisle gave him an odd look as
she saw him scouring the tampon boxes for the brand Christina wanted.
The woman shook her head while Vic reached for the box. Vic gave the
woman a dirty look in return, letting her know that he did not
appreciate her staring.
The woman turned away from Vic, not wanting to get into a fight with a
man she considered a pervert. 'Have fun shoving them up your ass, gay
boy,' the woman thought while she looked at the tampon box in Vic's
well-manicured hands.
Vic felt that he could hear the woman's thoughts as he shopped for the
right tampons for his boss. 'She probably thinks they're for me,' Vic
thought with a shake of his head before he found the package he was
looking for.
Vic clutched the package and made a quick move out of the aisle. He
held the products close to his ballet neck, fitted, black sweater
covered chest, hoping to obscure the names of the products in his hands,
despite the baby blue coloring of the box.
The looks he got on the checkout line told him that his attempts were
futile. He stared up at the ceiling as the women behind him murmured to
each other. He was sure they were insulting him under their breath,
even though he had no evidence of back up his assumptions.
"Do you find everything you need, Miss?" The salesgirl asked as she
rang up his orders.
Vic gave her a curious look, trying to figure out if he heard her right.
Vic shook his head, almost relieved that the girl thought that he was
just a girl buying the products. Vic paid in cash to keep up the
illusion, not realizing that his use of wallet had already shattered it.
Vic walked out of the store feeling confused by his reaction to the
salesclerk's assumption that he was a girl. Vic did not feel that he
looked like a girl. His thoughts were preoccupied by the girl's
confusion the entire ride back to the venue.
After getting out and paying the taxi driver, Vic put the pads and
tampons away for his boss on the tour buss. As he walked through the
bus, he stopped in front of a mirror and gave his appearance a closer
inspection.
Vic gave his face a meticulous inspection. There was no hint of makeup
on his features. He wondered if they were slightly effeminate though.
A few girls had referred to him as a pretty boy in the past, but he
frequently put such thoughts out of mind. He figured that the well-
groomed eyebrows that were free of any stray hairs were not doing him
any favors either, nor was his lack of any visible facial hair.
'Maybe they were right?' Vic thought while his eyes veered upwards
towards the top of his head. He reached for his hair that was slicked
back into a tight bun that rested at the crown of his head, which was
being held in place by a black, elastic hair tie and a series of u-
shaped pins. While the style was different from the man bun he first
sported, it was not one that he had not worn in public before without
issue.
Vic's eyes moved from his head to his body. He cupped the slight man
boobs that were pushing out against his body hugging, black sweater. He
paused to ponder whether the presence of visible breasts on his slender
frame had thrown the girl off. Vic's hand withdrew from his breasts
that he blamed on being forced to share Christina's fruit, vegetable,
chicken and soy heavy diet. Still, he felt that they were too small for
a girl to think they were the chest of an adult woman.
His hands then proceeded down into the pockets of his tight jeans. He
gave them a hesitant look as he examined his noticeable lack of a bulge
because of the way that Christina insisted he situate his manhood in
tight pants to not cause any disruptions. Given the laughter that his
bulge brought in his first few days of touring with her, he had been
happy to comply with the rule.
The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed to him that it
was the pants that were the culprit. He twisted his body and stared
down at how large his rear looked in the tight pants.
"Shit," Vic exclaimed, feeling that he was seeing what the cashier had
seen in him.
Shaking his head, Vic walked off the tour bus and made his way inside
the venue, not wanting to continue thinking about looking too
effeminate. Christina saw the confused look on his face and asked,
"What's wrong, honey?"
"When I was buying your stuff..."
"My stuff?" Christina interjected.
"Yah...that stuff."
"Oh, my tampons. When you were buying my tampons," Christina replied to
remind the formerly haughty male of his new station in life as her
designated tampon fetcher.
"Yes," Vic acknowledged with blushing cheeks.
"Go on."
"When I was paying for it, the girl at the register thought I was a
girl."
"What? How do you know that?"
"She asked, 'Did you find everything you needed, MISS?'"
"Did she?" Christina asked with a smile.
Vic nodded before Christina hugged him. Vic was surprised by the
physical display of affection. She had not hugged him ever before,
despite the occasional kiss on the cheek she gave him.
He enjoyed the feeling of her soft, scantily clad body against his
before she said, "Don't worry about that. It's perfectly
understandable."
"What?" Vic asked before Christina released him.
"The clothes are so tight fitting, you're so thin and you're only 5'7".
When you add in the long hair and what you're buying, it was just a
matter of time before some mistook you for Hillary Swank," Christian
replied, struggling not to smirk as she did so.
"But I'm a guy."
Christina patted the ballet bun at the back of his head as she replied,
"I know that. Why are you so worked up about this?"
"Because I'm a guy."
"Is there something wrong with being a girl?" Christina asked as she
put her hands on her hips.
Knowing he was asked a loaded question, Vic shook his head while he
answered, "No."
"Then, why are you going on about this?"
Vic was speechless as Christina left him with his thoughts. Vic did not
have long to dwell on it as his cell phone rang.
Picking up the call, Vic coordinated Christina's schedule of media
events at the next city with Gwen. Vic had come to realize that the
call was not one of equals. He was being dictated to by Gwen to make
sure that Christina made each scheduled signing, interview and
appearance.
The condescension he got from Gwen was worse than anything he got from
Christina. While Christina tempered hers with occasional flirts and
praise, with Gwen, it was strictly business with only one simple rule.
Gwen was always right, and he was always wrong.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The release of Christina's first single to debut in the Top 10 was
reason enough for Gwen to fly in to celebrate with her touring starlet.
Gwen grinned as she walked onto the tour bus and saw Vic filing the
nails on Christina's left hand.
The Vic she had managed seemed to be a changed man, even if she found it
difficult to view him as a man any longer. Vic sat filing the nails of
the starlet with his blonde hair pulled back in a messy bun, thinned
eyebrows, a skintight graphic shirt that was partially covered by a
cardigan sweater, light blue, skinny jeans and beige thong sandals.
Christina grinned as she greeted her agent with a waive of her right
hand. Gwen embraced her meal ticket, deliberately ignoring Vic's
presence for a few minutes.
Gwen and Christina smirked at Vic's inability to make his presence
known. It was far from the demanding nature he demonstrated when he was
first touring with Christina years earlier.
Moving to sit down, Gwen slapped the open bottle of nail polish towards
Vic.
"Shit," Gwen said as she covered her mouth.
"Damn it," Vic shrieked as the nail polish covered his tops and pants.
"I'm sorry," Gwen replied as she got to her feet and helped Vic clean up
the nail polish from the tour bus seat and floors.
No matter how much they tried to clean it off Vic's clothes, however, it
would not come off.
Shaking her head as she threw away the bottle, Christina said, "Vic, I
need you to go get another bottle, now."
"Okay. Just let me get changed."
"Fine," Christina said with a dismissive gesture while Vic went to
retrieve his bag from a compartment under the bus.
Reaching into the compartment, Vic pulled out bag after bag of
Christina's belongings, but could not find the sole bag containing his
belongings. Vic shook his head as he gazed into the emptied out
compartment before he put Christina's bags back into the compartment and
headed back onto the bus.
Noticing the sick look on Vic's face, Gwen inquired, "What's wrong?"
"I can't find my bag."
"Are you sure you didn't miss it."
"How could I miss it? It's the only gray bag on the bus," Vic replied
out of frustration.
"Don't get pissy with me about it. I wasn't even here when you left the
last city," Gwen countered.
"What do I do now?" Vic asked.
"Go get me a new bottle of it," Christina replied.
"Like this?" Vic asked as he glanced down at the stains that
Christina's last bottle of nail polish had left on his shirt.
"No. Not like that. You represent me. I can't have you going out like
that."
"So, what I'm supposed to do?"
"You can wear something of mine. We're about the same size," Christina
replied with a dismissive waive of her hands.
"I can't wear your stuff."
"Why the hell not?" Christina asked while she stood up and put her
hands on her waist.
"They're girls clothing," Vic explained, struggling to understand how
Christina could not see the problem.
"What do you think you're wearing?" Gwen interjected.
"These aren't girls clothing."
"I've seen girls wearing the exact same outfit," Gwen replied as
Christina nodded her head in agreement.
Vic gave his clothing a wary look, not wanting to believe that he had
been wearing women's clothing for months. Vic shook his head at the
idea again.
Christina smiled as she said, "I'll give you the shirt right off my
back."
"What?" Vic asked before he watched Christina pull the wine colored
sweater dress off her body.
Vic's manhood began to swell as he saw Christina's curvy, young body
emerge from beneath the sweater dress. Christina tossed the sweater
dress at Vic and told him to put it on.
The warm knit dress felt comfortable in his hands, but he did not want
to be seen in it. He was sure that someone would call him out for being
a man in a dress.
"Don't get any of that nail polish on my dress either. Take it all off,
NOW!"
"But..."
"No, buts. I need you to do your job," Christina ordered.
"I can go out like this," Vic pleaded, in direct contradiction of his
earlier claim.
"Oh, no. You're my assistant and you reflect on me. I can't have you
going around looking anything but impeccable."
"I can't..."
"Either do your job or quit," Christina replied, giving Vic an ultimatum
she knew he could only respond to in one way given his financial
position.
The words had their intended effect as Vic placed the dress down and
began to strip. The two tops came off first before he turned his back
to the girls, removed his shoes and dropped his jeans to the floor.
Vic trembled as he reached for the dress. He could not believe that his
life had come to this. It had only been a few years earlier when he was
the promising performer. Now, he was a never was been dressing up like
a girl to buy makeup for his boss.
Vic pushed his arms through the sleeves of the fit and flare silhouette
dress before he pulled the skater skirt of the dress down over his boxer
shorts. The soft, ribbed knit dress felt strangely nice on his skin and
caused his manhood to stir again.
Blushing, Vic turned and faced the grinning women. Christina and Gwen
shook their heads at Vic, almost in disbelief that they had gotten Vic
to the point where he would willingly put on a dress to keep his job and
please Christina.
Christina shook her head at Vic as she said, "I'll give you my leggings
to wear out, but you've got to shave your legs first."
"Why? They go down to your ankles. Can't I just shave my ankles," Vic
pleaded, horrified to hear the begging tone of his voice as he beseeched
Christina to let him only shave part of his legs.
"I don't want your hair getting stuck in my leggings," Christina replied
with a shake of her head before she got up.
Vic's eyes fixated on her bust before she turned towards the full
bathroom on the bus. Vic walked behind her, staring at her swaying rear
that was covered only by her leggings.
Christina gave Vic her hair removal cream and told him not to come out
of the bathroom until every blonde hair on his legs was removed. Vic
was speechless as he was left alone in the bathroom holding the pink
container in his hand.
Vic moved the bottle up to his eyelevel to read the instructions that
were framed by the clear nail polish coated, self manicured nails and
the moisturized smoothened skin of his right hand.
Vic removed his dress and his boxer shorts as he followed the directions
on the label. Vic pumped the bottle and began to spread the cream over
his legs. The smell was unpleasant, but Vic tried to put it out of mind
as he covered every inch of his legs while he waited for the cream to
work.
As Vic waited to remove the cream, he felt it starting to burn on the
places where he first put on the cream. Vic started to tap his foot
nervously while he waited for the ten minutes to pass from the start of
his application. The pain grew more pronounced the longer he waited.
"Holy shit," Vic muttered to himself as he reached for the spatula that
Christina handed him to help remove the hair.
Vic could hear the girls laughing about something on the tour bus before
he hastily pushed the cream off the first spots on his legs that he
applied it to.
"Mother fucker," Vic exclaimed aloud to more laughter while he rushed to
remove the cream from the rest of his legs. The pain clouded Vic's mind
as he ignored the smooth legs that were emerging as a result of the
depilatory.
Once the cream was off his legs, Vic jumped into the shower, eager to
wash away the residue from his legs. He lathered his legs with the
strawberry scented body wash that Christina made him share with her.
Once he finished washing his legs, Vic turned off the shower and dried
himself. Vic then placed on his boxer shorts and dress and headed back
out to face Christina.
"That's much better," Christina said with a grin as she looked at the
smooth legs that peeked out from beneath the hem of her dress.
"I'm glad you think so, and you could have warned me about that cream,"
Vic said as his eyes veered from his smooth legs to Christina's eyes.
"Where would the fun be in that?" Christina inquired as Gwen laughed
beside her.
Vic gave her a pouting look before Christina added, "You need to get a
move on."
Christina got to her feet again and wiggled her hips as she rolled down
her leggings. Vic watched intently as Christina stripped to her black
thong. His eyes quickly moved back to her bust that remained
unconcealed.
Standing up, Christina tossed the leggings at Vic. Vic was stunned for
a moment. Her expectant look prompted him to get moving.
He rolled the leggings down as he had done for her from time to time.
Vic stepped into the black leggings and brought them up his legs. Vic
was surprised to feel his manhood stir from the feeling. He blushed as
he felt the residual warmth from Christina's body as he turned his back
towards the girls and wiggled his hips while he brought the top of the
leggings to his navel.
"Now, you just need a pair of shoes," Christina said as she looked at
Gwen and asked, "What size are you?"
"I'm a size 12," Gwen answered.
"I bet Vic could fit his feet into your shoes."
Gwen responded with a nod of her head before she reached for the bag
that she had carried onto the bus.
Vic watched with a knot in his stomach as Gwen unzipped the bag and
looked at the shoes she had packed with her before she reached for a
pair of black riding boots with a one-inch heel and said, "I think these
will go with her outfit."
"I don't know," Vic said as he adjusted the waistband of the leggings
that were sagging on his hips, missing Gwen's choice of pronoun for him.
"They're perfect. Put them on, Vic."
"Now, you got to get going, and I already called you a cab to take you
to the store."
Vic gave his boss a nervous look before he stared up at Gwen's face.
The tall woman seemed imperial to him as she handed him her boots to
wear.
Vic slipped his right foot into the buckle-adorned boot and noticed that
it was a little large on him. His complaint was met with only dismissal
from the girls who made him put on the other.
"Do you have any makeup for Vic?" Gwen asked.
"I'm sure I do," Christina said as he moved towards the bathroom with
Vic and Gwen in tow.
"Do you want to do it?" Christina asked Gwen.
"No. I think she should do it."
"Him?" Christina asked for clarification as she pointed at Vic.
"When the label signed him, his band had a little glam thing going. He
was always in a lot more than the eyeliner he was wearing when you first
met him."
"Really? So, you did have some training before you met me?" Christina
replied with a grin.
Vic blushed as he nodded in reply. Christina and Gwen smiled at each
other before they let him to put on the makeup while they watched.
Vic brought the dark eyeliner to his eyes and framed them before he
applied black eye shadow.
"Awfully Goth choices," Gwen remarked to Christina.
"Go with something bright on your lips for a little contrast," Christina
ordered.
Vic searched through his boss's extensive makeup collection that was
largely provided for free by the makeup companies. He stopped as he
came across a container of pink lip-gloss. Christina smirked as she
said, "That's perfect for you."
"So wet and kissable," Gwen added while Vic brought the applicator to
his lips to begin to paint them.
With his lips done, Vic put away the makeup. Christina stopped him as
she said, "What do you think you're doing?"
"Going to get the cab," Vic replied.
"Oh, no. First off, give me the lip-gloss. You're going to need to
carry it in your bag."
"Bag?"
"Didn't you realize that there's no pockets in your dress," Christina
said while she pointed to Vic's dress.
Vic blushed as he shook his head before Gwen went to get Vic a bag. She
returned with a purse and placed the lip-gloss and eyeliner in it before
Christina told him to put on mascara too.
Vic nodded, resigned to the fact that it was not going to make it any
worse than the situation already was. Vic looked in the mirror as he
curled up his eyelashes the way he did for Christina at least twice a
day.
With his mascara applied, Vic put the cosmetics in the purse he had been
leant and inquired, "Am I done now?"
"Come on, Vikki. We wouldn't send you out looking like this," Christina
answered with a smile.
Vic's breathed a sigh of relief before Christian turned and reached for
a necklace.
"Now, this will make you look believable."
"I wouldn't even know he was a guy," Gwen said with a shake of her head
as Vic took the necklace and began to place it on.
"I wish," Vic replied with a roll of his eyes while he felt sick to his
stomach about being seen dressed as he was at that moment.
"You wish you were a girl, Vikki?" Christina asked for clarification
while Vic fumbled with the necklace clasp.
"That answers a lot of questions," Gwen replied as Vic blushed and shook
his head.
"That's not what I meant," Vic replied, trying to explain himself and
hide his dislike of being called Vikki. It was a nickname that he had
fought hard to shake from his school days.
"You can't think you look like a guy?" Gwen asked while she hooked his
necklace for him.
"I'm totally a guy in girl's clothing," Vic replied as he adjusted the
pendant over the scoop neckline of his dress.
"Totes? You're the only one that sees that, Vic," Christina responded
before she sent him out to meet the cab that was pulling up a short
distance away from their tour bus.
Vic felt exposed while he briskly walked towards the cab. The purse
felt strange as the strap pressed down on his shoulder as well, even as
the loose sweater dress and tight leggings felt oddly comfortable on his
body.
Vic felt a sense of relief when he reached the cab and got inside. Even
though he was in close quarters with someone en femme, it was only with
one person.
"Good afternoon, Miss," the cabbie said to Vic's surprise and relief.
With a racing heart Vic confirmed the store that they were going to that
late afternoon.
The cabbie went to talking with his dispatch while Vic sat wondering how
the man did not realize what he was. Vic tapped on his knees, waiting
for the cab to come to a stop. He was sure that someone at the store
would realize he was a man.
After paying the cabbie, Vic got out of the taxi and headed into the
store. The cabbie waited out front, running a new fare for Vic while he
went inside to find the shade of nail polish that Christina had
demanded.
Vic walked over to the makeup area and sorted through the various nail
polishes until he came upon the brand that Christina was on the verge of
signing a deal to endorse. Vic then scoured the bottles until he came
upon the color.
Picking up three bottles, Vic headed for the register. He looked around
and noticed that no one gave him a second glance. He felt invisible
while he reached the self-service checkout counter.
After ringing up the three bottles, Vic fed the pre-paid credit card
that Christina got for him into the machine and signed his name. The
name felt unfitting for him at that moment. He also almost felt
undeserving of it while he stood there dressed from his neck to toe in
the clothing, shoes and makeup of women that he had tried his best to
dominate and subjugate a few years earlier.
Once the receipt was printed, Vic headed back out of the store. He went
to the taxi and got in, struggling to understand how he had passed
himself off as a girl without issue.
Vic was silent while he took the taxi back to the 5,000-seat theater
that Christina was booked to perform that evening. The "Sold Out"
marking on the marquee was something that was becoming a common sight at
her shows. It was becoming clear to everyone around her that she was
going to need to start playing bigger venues soon. It was only a few
more hits away. Christina's whole team was sure of it.
It was his dream to play arenas, but he knew that he was only going to
be able to watch from the side of the stage as Christina achieved what
he had never come close to obtaining. Vic tried to put aside his
jealousy as he paid the cabbie his fare and went inside the building
where Christina and her backup dancers were beginning to practice for
that night's show.
Gwen saw the bemused look on Vic's face as he approached her b