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Dusty Rose 4 CHAPTER 1 "I am so proud of all you girls," Margo's dad was saying to the band members, Allan Bennett, Willie, Mark and all the parents who had gathered for brunch in the lobby restaurant before the parents returned home after last night's soir?e. "And you, young man," he said to Chris who was wearing his hair the same as Terry was today, a high ponytail with a headband and a few wisps of hair hanging on either side of his face, "if I hadn't met you before all of this happened, I never would have known..." "Dad, dad, dad..." Margo pulled on his sleeve until he looked at her with an innocent 'what' spreading across his face. "Chrissie, daddy. Chrissie is just Chrissie. Always a 'she'" she whispered as he leaned in to her. "Oh, yes... of course... You, young lady," he continued, "I am so impressed with you! Where on earth was all that hiding all these years." "It's not 'me,' sir. It's 'us.' We do it together," Chris said. "Well, whatever... I really just expected to hear the kind of garage band noise that Margo and Terry made throughout high school. Allan, you're a miracle worker!" He said as he toasted Allan with a mimosa. Allan, who had dealt with family members giving his artists this kind of back-handed compliment for decades, smiled and said, "I'm afraid that Chrissie is right, Phil. The miracle is your daughter and her friends. I've been doing this a long time and this band is one of the best I have ever heard. That beautiful young woman that you raised so well, she's the miracle. Every one of you should be incredibly proud of your daughters. They didn't get this good on their own, so congratulations to the real miracle workers - you, the parents. Mark and I just push the buttons." There were hugs all around until Willie interrupted, "I think we need to get everyone headed to the airport at this point. It'll take about an hour to get there and you want to give yourselves plenty of time to check in." Everyone stood and embraced their children and parents. Lots of kisses and promises to call when the plane landed. In the lobby, Brenda hugged Terry tightly, "I love you, Theresa. Take good care of yourselves and watch out for Chris. I'm a little concerned about him. The more I thought about last night, the more I wonder if he'll be truly happy with this decision." "Ok, mommy. I'll take care of him. So will the others. It's like he's got four big sisters with him, and two father figures with Allan and Willy. He's in good hands." "I know he is, honey, but I'm his mom and I have a right to worry about him. Call me if you need anything." They hugged once more and kissed each other goodbye. When they separated, Chris came to his mom and hugged her tightly. "I'll miss you, mommy. Take care of yourself. Come see us again when you can. We'll pay for it." She laughed, "No, you won't. I don't even like you buying breakfast for all these people. You need to talk to someone about all this money before you spend it all." Chris laughed and hugged her again, "Don't worry, mommy. Mr Bennett has us talking to accountants and lawyers this week. We'll send everything to you to look at and sign. Thanks for worrying about us." "That's all I do, baby." Then thinking back to last night's introductions, she said, "You know that I love you both with all my heart, right?" "Of corse I do, mommy. Why?" she seemed anxious about something "Well, last night, when you introduced Terry, you said she was my favorite daughter. I hope you don't think that's true." His mom looked very concerned about this. Chris smiled and whispered, "Mommy, I'm not your daughter - or, at least I wasn't. Of course Terry was your favorite 'daughter.' She was your only daughter. I just meant it as a joke for you and Terry." She laughed and hugged him, again. "Oh - hahaha - I get it, little miss smart-ass. You're hilarious. I'm going to miss you. You'll always be my baby, you know - whether you're my daughter or my son. I love you both, so much." She kissed his cheek and squeezed him so he felt like he was going to break. When she released him, he had to catch his breath. "I have to go, now. Bye, bye, honey." Another kiss and a another hug for Terry and she turned to join Willy at the door. "Take care of her, Uncle Willy! Drive safely," Chris called to him. "Only way I know how, darling," Willy chuckled. When they got outside, Chris's mom turned to Willy and whispered, "Please, please, please look after them, Willy. Especially, Chris. I am so worried about that child." "No need, Mrs Walters. Uncle Willy and Uncle Allan are here to take care of both of them. They're in good hands." Chris and the girls waved as the town cars pulled away. When they went back into the lobby, Allan waved them back into the restaurant to talk. When they all were in the alcove where they'd had breakfast, Allan closed the privacy doors that shut off the space from the rest of the restaurant. Mark had already departed for the studio, so it was just Allan, Chris, Terry, Margo, Grace and Gina. Allan spoke in a low voice to ensure that so one outside of the alcove could hear, "I wasn't going to bring this up for a week or so, but I think Margo's father's little outburst puts a pretty fine point on an issue that needs addressing." They all had a pretty good idea as to what this issue was. "We don't live in a world where people can easily hide their secrets. We live in a world of TMZ and all kinds of click-bait journalism that is designed to expose celebrities most intimate secrets. So, we need to organize ourselves and present a plausible story. So, other than the other parents and Ellen, who else knows you're a boy?" Chris shrugged, "I mean, there was the woman from the theatrical makeup place that helped with the breast forms back in New Jersey. She'd know" "Ok. How do we track her down?" "I have her card in my purse, upstairs," Margo said. "Great. Take a photo of it and text it to me, ok?" Margo nodded. "Don't forget Evan. He signed us and he demanded that Chris become Chrissie, so, he'd know" said Grace. "So," Allan continued, "Let's make a list. Each of your parents... no siblings?" They all shook their heads. "Ellen, Evan and this prosthesis woman. Now, Terry and Chris, how about relatives?" Terry shook her head, "None. Both our parents were only children and our grandparents died before we were born." "No second cousins, or half-assed-relatives? Believe me, once you girls start bringing in money, these people will come crawling out of the woodwork." Terry and Chris looked at each other and shook their heads. "No," Terry said, "no one." Allan nodded and wrote something in his notebook, "Ok, how about friends and school?" Chris laughed, "No friends at school, but teachers would probably remember my name." Allan smiled, "Well, we've been toying with some scenarios regarding your school. They can't release your records to the press or anything, but, if it ever comes up, we may have to develop a story regarding a private school. We've had complicated backstories to develop before... I think we can handle the school stuff." Allan wrote down a few more notes and then said, "So, that's a start. I'll get people working on covering our asses on these fronts." Then he looked at all the girls and said, "Can anyone else think of anyone who might know our dirty, little secret?" Everyone shook their heads, except Gina who said, "Umm... I think John may know." Everyone got quiet and looked at her. "John who?" asked Allan. "John Holden. That night that Evan signed us, John was there. He saw Chris performing as a guy. I'm pretty sure that we introduced Chris to him." "Holy cow," Said Gracie, "You're right. Actually, I'm pretty sure that we introduced him as Terry's twin brother, too. He must know! Why didn't he say anything?" Allan leaned back and put his fingertips on his forehead and rubbed. "I'll bet he didn't say anything because he wants his shot at fame and doesn't want to screw things up for himself. You now, he was in the control room several times while you girls were recording and, like everyone else, he was blown away by y'all. My guess is that he's a kid who'll do what needs to be done to get ahead. That could work for us if his release goes well, but, if not... then it could definitely work against us. I guess I need to talk to him and make sure we're all in the same page." There was a bit of quiet while they all thought, then Terry said, "Look, Allan, since we're talking about John, can I talk to you about the video scripts for a moment?" Allan sat up straighter in the chair, "Ok, but before we get too far into this, just remember that the script is just to set up this romance between Chris and John. You will all be heavily featured in the performance sections." "Well, that's kinda the point, Allan," Gracie said. "You see," Terry said, not wanting to upset things, but needing to make her point, "Chris is really uncomfortable with the script." "Sissy," Chris said, "I'm willing to..." Margo cut him off, "And he made a really good point this morning. If this should ever go south on us, it could, possibly, destroy our careers, but if John's seen as Chris's lover... well, this is country music, right? There's not a whole lot of openly gay country singers. He'd go down with us. So..." Allan interrupted, "... so, we should, what? Pull this whole promotion we have developed to tie the two acts together? Jeez, girls, that's kind of a big thing. We've invested a lot of money and time into these parallel projects. I can't just throw it all away. I need to think about this a bit." "Can we offer an alternative?" Grace asked "Because Chris has a great idea," Margo said. "It was just a thought..." Chris said, feeling kind of stuck betwixt and between the girls and Mr Bennett. Terry rubbed his back for encouragement. "Go ahead, sissy. Tell him your idea." All eyes were on Chris who was searching for a diplomatic way to proceed. "Well?" Allan said, "Honest, honey, I'm open to any ideas." "Umm," Chris began slowly. "I was thinking that, instead of having me be the center of the videos, maybe someone else could be John's romantic interest." "Uh huh," Allan said. "Let me guess - we use Terry instead of you, right? I know you guys look alike, but how will that shield John if things go awry?" "No, no... I was thinking... well, you see, I don't know how to act at all and Terry, Gracie and Margo don't have any experience at it either... so, I'm suggesting that Gina be the one we feature." "Gina?" said Allan. "Me?" Said Gina. "Why not you?" asked Terry. "You told us you were in the theater program in high school and we've seen all the awards on your bedroom wall." Grace joined in, "You're the only one with any experience." "Alright, everyone, just hold on a moment. Chrissie," Allan interrupted, "YOU are the face of Dusty Rose. Gina is - and no offense, Gina, darling - Gina is as far away from the focus of the band as someone can be. It won't work." "No, wait, it will... it has!" "It has?" Allan's eye brows were nearly leaving his forehead. "When?" "1964 - the movie 'A Hard Day's Night' - and then again in 'Help!'" Chris said cautiously. "In both of those Beatles films, Ringo was the main character." "Chris, you keep coming back to The Beatles! You are not The Beatles. This is not 1964. This is the 21st Century and we need to market accordingly." "I know, I know, I know," Chris said as his brain started to think through what he had just mentioned in passing, "but what if... do you know that song 'Stop Dragging My Heart Around' by Tom Petty and Stevie Knicks?" Allan nodded. "What if, instead of building the video stories at the beginning of one relationship, we start it at the end of one and the start of another. I mean - what if we do a breakup song and one of us, we could us Terry if we want to protect John, breaks up with John and he sees Gina and falls for her. That way we could have Gina do the heavy acting and the rest of us just being supportive, or jealous, or just playing in concert sections. That would work, right?" Allan sighed, "Yes, I like it, it's different, but look - we have a completed album from Dusty Rose. The only breakup songs are 'Get Outta My Way' and 'Footsteps.' I'm not leading your career with one of those. We need a ballad first. So..." "... so we record a breakup ballad with John and release it on his album!" Margo said. "His album?" Allan said. "Well, that is interesting, but - first, he doesn't work as quickly as you girls do and second, what breakup ballad? You're not doing another cover song, so what do you have." Terry smiled, seeing that Allan was liking this idea, "We don't have one, but my little Sissy can write one that will break your heart!" "WE!" Interrupted Chris. "WE can write it. I'll need some time and some help." "How much time?" Allan asked. "How about a week?" Chris said. "How about a day?" Allan said. I'll hold off the video shoot for 24 hours to hear what you come up with and, if - and only IF - I like what I hear, I'll consider it." They all applauded, but Gina said, "Wait a minute. Does this mean I have to make out with John Holden?" "Possibly," Allan said. "Cool." Gina smiled. CHAPTER 2 Chris, Terry and Margo had been working since Denise had left this morning. They'd outlined three different songs, but nothing was coming together for them. Gina and Grace had been trying to contribute, but they just didn't have any talent for this kind of work. It was closing in on noon when Grace had asked if anyone would mind if she went to lunch with her tech-friend, Rick. They all agreed that it would be fine for her to go, so Gina and Grace went to Gracie's closet to pick out the right dress. Just as they returned to the common area of the suite, there was a knock on the door. "That'll be Rick!" Gracie giggled as she stared to the door. Gina stopped her and said, "No, no. You'll look to anxious. You wait here. I'll let him in." Gina disappeared towards the door and the others heard her speaking to someone - it wasn't Rick. After a moment or too, a very serious John Holden appeared with Gina. "Hi, girls," he said. "Umm, Christine, umm, can I talk to you for a few minutes?" Chris was a bit stunned by John's presence. He'd thought that Mr Bennett would deal with him. Terry stood, "Hi, John. Why don't you have a seat and talk to all of us. We all discussed this situation and we think it's in your best interest to do things the way we discussed with Allan." John rubbed the back of his neck, shrugged and sat on the end of the sectional sofa. After a few minutes of silence, John finally spoke, "Did I do something to offend you, Christine? I mean, when my producer suggested this boyfriend/girlfriend thing, I thought it was a great idea. Did I just spring it on you too suddenly the other night or something? What did I do? Whatever it was, I'm sorry." Margo looked at Terry and they silently exchanged the message, 'He doesn't know!' "Well, John," Chris started, "I'm sorry. You... well, you seem like a real nice guy and I liked what I heard at the Student Union, but... you see... it's just that..." "John," Grace jumped in, "how old are you?" "24. Why?" "Well, you see, our little girl here is only 17. Until a few weeks ago, she was a junior in high school. We were afraid that, if that were to come out, it would look a little weird for you." John looked at Chris and Terry, "17? Aren't you two twins? I saw one of you around the college, didn't I? I'm a little confused." Terry shrugged, "I skipped a grade and Chrissy stayed back once because she was in the hospital so much, but...yeah... I'm, well, we're, only 17." "Wow," John said as he nodded. "Wow. I guess you're right. That could be a problem, I guess. 17? Seriously? Ok. I get it. So, whose idea was this alternate script?" "Mine," said Chris. "I didn't mean to upset you." "You didn't," John smiled. "This is just all so new, you know what I mean? I don't really know where I stand with these people and I'm really scared that nothing's going to click with my album. All I hear from the big-wigs is criticism and Allan keeps telling me how great you guys are. Then, the other night, when I heard you guys play... I mean, Lord almighty! I can't compete with you. I figured that I might be able to, maybe, hitch my wagon to you and get a foot up, or something." The girls and Chris all looked at each other. Being told how great they are is great and all, but it was still a new and awkward experience. They all had the same thought, 'Are we really THAT good?' Just then, there was a knock on the door. Gina, again, went to get it. When she returned, Rick was with her. As he entered the room, his smile faded as he looked around at all the serious faces. "What's wrong? Did someone die?" He asked. Grace came over and gave him a welcoming hug. "No, just doing some business" Then she whispered, "Babe, would you mind if another couple joined us for lunch?" "No, of course not." Grace kissed his cheek, "Thank you." Then she turned to Gina and said, Gina, go put on something nice." She nodded in John's direction indicating why. Gina took the hint and nodded, then said to John, "Umm, John. Tell you what. Give me two seconds to change and then, why don't you and I join Grace and Rick for lunch, ok? That way, we can get to know each other better and we can leave the three of them to finish their work. What do you say?" John looked at her, the nodded. "Ok, Gina. I guess we're Nashville's newest couple, so... yeah, let's get some lunch." As Gina ran to her bedroom to change, John smiled at Chris. "Please come up with something great? I need your help." Chris nodded, "Ok. I'll do my best," and went back to work. CHAPTER 3 "Damn it all, Chris," Allan shouted in fake anger, "you can't keep doing this to me. I need a day off, for chrissake. Have you talked to John, yet?" Terry answered, while Chris organized the mess of paper and electronics on the coffee table. "He came by earlier, but ended up going out to lunch with Gina, Grace and that techie from the studio, Rick. We haven't seen them since around noon." Allan glanced at his watch. It was nearly 6:30. "Well, that's a good sign, I guess. He didn't take the change of plan very well when I spoke to him." Margo joined the conversation, "No, he was upset when he got here, too. Funny, though, he didn't seem to think that Chris was a guy. We kind of thought he knew." "Yeah, I got that impression, too," said Allan with a sigh. "So, there's one bullet dodged, I guess." "That student union performance was a weird night," Terry pointed out. "Just having Evan in the audience probably freaked him out to the point that he didn't realize what we'd said to him. Besides, how could anyone think that this pretty little thing is anything but 100% girl." Chris blushed and had an off color come back for her remark, but was too shy to say it in front of Mr. Bennett. "I'm glad you like the song, Mr Bennett. We really struggled with it. It was the sixth attempt and we rewrote it, like, fifteen times before we recorded it for you." "I do like the song, but I hate the title. Too long. 'Broken Promises Can't Break My Heart' is the kind of long-winded country music title that comedians love to make fun of. Maybe we'll go with 'Broken Promises' or use a subtitle. Who cares, the song kicks butt and we're gonna just keep getting richer and richer and richer." He pulled Chris into a hug, kissed him on the crown of his head and said, "My golden goose." As he sat with his arm around Chris's shoulders, he said, "Its getting late. Can I buy you girls supper downstairs?" Margo and Terry glanced at each other and nodded, then answered, "Sure," simultaneously. "I can't," said Chris. "I have a date for supper." Everyone stared in silence for a moment. "A date!?" Margo spate with a bit more vehemence than she'd expected. "With who!?" Chris smiled, "Uncle Willy. He's picking me up at 7:15. We're going to a graduation party for his daughter." Allan laughed, "Whew! I thought that there was trouble in paradise, already! Which daughter?" Chris shrugged, "I think her name is Jojo. I didn't know he had more than one daughter." "He has four daughters, one son and God knows how many nephews and nieces that he takes care of. Willie is quite a guy. He thrives on making order out of chaos. He pulled himself up from nothing then helped everyone else around him. I wouldn't be where I am with out Uncle Willy. Where' the party?" "His place, I think," Chris said as he zipped the guitar back into its case. Allan checked his watch, again, "Ok, then. Why don't you all get cleaned up and we'll all go downstairs together." The girls put on fresh dresses and make up, brushed out their hair and checked their look in the mirrors. Chris did the same, but his dress was a little prettier, a dark blue, silk, slip dress with small white flowers printed on the soft, smocked material that flowed daintily from the spaghetti straps and V-neck to the pretty hem that lingered on his upper thigh. His hair was, once again, done up like Terry's, but with a dark blue head band to match the dress. His shoes were pretty, white, strappy sandals with thin, little kitten heels that pushed his burgeoning rear-end and new breasts out just enough to enhance the relaxed hang of the dress. Terry looked at her twin brother and smiled. How could she have not seen this beautiful young woman who had been hiding inside her dorky little brother all these years. She came up behind him and hugged him around his waist, placed her head on his shoulder so she could see both of their faces in the mirror. "I have such a pretty sister." Chris grinned said, "Not as pretty as mine." "This is a pretty dress. When did you get this!" "The other night, Margo and I went shopping." Terry rubbed her hands over the soft silk of the dress, "It's very soft. I bet it feels nice, doesn't it?" "It does. I like to feel pretty, now. That's ok, isn't it?" "Well, of course it is, Sissy. Girls love to feel pretty." Chris smiled. "If I could suggest something, though..." "Sure," said Chris. "You're doing your eyes a little too dark. Sit on the bed for a moment." Chris did as instructed, tucking the silky, short dress under his rear- end as he sat. "I don't need to wear stockings with this dress, do I? It's kind of hot out and I don't want to be uncomfortable." Terry used a pre-moistened make-up-wipe to gently wipe away the work that Chris had done. "You look lovely, just the way you are. Besides, that dress is so soft, you wouldn't want to put anything between your skin and that fabric. Now, I'm going to lighten up a little on your eye lids and get a little more curl on your lashes using an eye-lash- curler." It took about three minutes and, when Chris looked into the mirror, his eyes looked perfect. Much more subtle than before. "Wow," he whispered, "I didn't think I could look more like you than I did, but... wow! Thanks, Sissy." "My pleasure, baby. Let's go." CHAPTER 4 Chris had seen some nice houses as he had ridden through wealthy neighborhoods in New Jersey, but Willy's house was something very special. Not a mansion, by any means, but a grand, old, white farm house with four columns out in front and surrounding fields with horses meandering behind beautifully maintained fences. Chris could see at lease three other houses that were obviously connected to the property and the long, semi-circular driveway was filled with limousines and town cars. His driver this evening was Willy's son, Eli, who had Willy's sweet smile and laugh, but was taller, broader, more slender, somewhat muscular and his dark skin and shaved head made him look like a movie star. He seemed to love music, too, although he did not have the encyclopedic knowledge of bands and singers that his father had. "Your house is gorgeous!" Chris gushed as Eli helped him from the 'shot-gun' seat. Eli had tried mightily to get Chris to sit in the back, but the precocious little girl would not hear of it. She sat up front and talked nonstop all the way to the farm - mostly about music, but also about the city and surrounding areas which were still new to her - and, of course, Eli's father. Eli smiled as he gently shut the car door. "It is isn't it? Actually, I just had a house built for my fianc?e and me out there beyond the red barn." He pointed towards the red, evening sky and, when he looked, Chris could see the outline of a moderately sized house. He congratulated Eli as they approached the door. Chris looked at the stately home and all the limousines and town cars and stopped before allowing Eli to open the door. "Umm, Eli, your dad said that this was just a nice family get together to celebrate your sister's graduation, but... this house is so pretty and there are all these limos... am I under dressed? Eli laughed, "Are you kidding? If any thing, you're over dressed - wait - I mean, no, you look beautiful. You know my dad owns several businesses - a car dealership, a couple of men's clothing stores and a movie theater, but he also owns a limousine company. Hence the limousines." Chris rolled his eyes, "Duh. I should have known. Sorry, I'm just not used to being around rich people, you know?" Eli laughed, not just because of the 'rich people' remark, but because, just for a moment when she rolled her eyes and said 'duh,' this woman on his arm had revealed herself to really be an insecure little teenaged girl. Just a little girl in grown up clothes - just like she was at the dinner the other night. It it seemed to make her more endearing, somehow. Chris, who'd grown up in a small family of quiet people, one that had had an fairly large, but quiet extended family of friends that had all disappeared after his dad had died. When they entered Willy's house, they entered a world of noise, food smells and love that he'd never experienced before. There were people of every imaginable age, body- shape and skin color all laughing, hugging, cooking, eating, pouring wine, kissing each other's cheeks, back slapping... it was amazing, joyous and overwhelming. Eli stopped for a moment to let Chris take it all in. There she was again, that little girl in the grown-up clothes. He spotted his dad across the room and waved to him to come and introduce Chris to everyone. Willy approached with a huge grin, "There's my favorite little songbird! Come give your Uncle Willy a hug." He pulled Chris into a huge, warm embrace, even more loving than his usual hugs. He gave Chris a soft kiss on the forehead and said, "Thank you for coming, baby girl. It means the world to me to have you meet my family." Chris's amazed smiled turned into a laugh, "This is just your family!? There's hundreds of people here." "Yup and they're all family and so are you, now, darling." "Thanks, Uncle Willy, and thank you for inviting me. I'm very happy to be here." "Everyone!!" Willy shouted over the noise and he waited for their attention. "I want to introduce you all to the newest member of our family. This is the amazing singer I've been telling you all about. Her name is Chrissie and she's going to be a huge star in a few weeks so get her autograph tonight while you can!" There was laughter all around. "I'm not kidding and y'all be sorry six weeks from now when she's a star." More laughter. "So, as I said, this is my newest little niece and I want y'all to make her feel welcome." Immediately, Chris was overwhelmed with hugs and kisses and so many introductions that he couldn't possible remember who was who. Everyone was gracious and smiling. Suddenly, from out of the chaos of affection, a beautifully tall and dark woman grabbed Chris and drew him to her for a hug. "Are you Chrissy," she mewed as she hugged him and swayed from side to side. "Oh, darling, my Willy has told me so much about you. Come join me in the kitchen and let me get to know you." Chris was whisked away into a huge kitchen, which, being an older house, was separated from the main rooms, but was very spacious and there were at least a dozen women in various colored and embroidered aprons working at three different stoves and all around the counter tops. The woman who had kidnapped Chris grabbed an apron from the back of a chair and, as she started speaking, she deftly pulled the garment over her head and pulled the broad pieces of cloth behind her back to tie it around her waist. "It is Chrissie, isn't it?" "Yes ma'am." Chris replied, looking around. "I'm Sophie," she had the warmest smile. "I'm Willy's wife." Having said that, Sophie dug her hands into a huge mixing bowl filled with chicken parts and began mixing them into a batter. Chris, who's mom was at work till 6:00 every night, had never seen the kind of effort that was going on around him at the moment and, stranger still, everyone seemed thrilled to be preparing the meal. Cooking was viewed as an inconvenient necessity at home and usually involve a microwave or a call to a restaurant that delivers. Chris shook his attention away from the food preparation and brought his eyes up to meet Sophie's. "Oh! Hi! Yes, I'm Chrissie. Oh, ma'am, thank you so much for having me tonight. You're home is just beautiful." Sophie laughed. "Why, thank you, sugar. Aren't you a polite little girl! No wonder Willy is so taken with you." Chris smiled. "Thank you, ma'am. I'm pretty taken with Uncle Willy, too." Sophie stopped mixing for a moment and placed a batter-covered hand on her aproned hip. "Uncle Willy!? Huh! I guess that makes me your Auntie Sophie, then, doesn't it." Some of the nearby woman laughed along with Sophie. "Ladies, this is my new little niece, Chrissie." "Hi, Chrissie." "Hi, darling." "Hi, baby." Etc came from all parts of the kitchen. The wonder at all of this activity was evident on Chris's face. One of the ladies asked, "Would you like to help, darling?" Chris shrugged, "I would love to, but I don't know how to cook." More remarks came from all corners, but each was said simultaneously and with laughter, so Chris could only make out what Sophie was saying. "What!? Your mama never taught you to cook!? Why on earth not!? You'll never get a GOOD man without being able to cook!" "No, ma'am. She works late, so she doesn't cook much." "Well, would you like to learn a little about making some chicken right now?" "Oh, yes! I'd love that!" "Well, alright, then! Judy," she yelled across the kitchen, "open that closet and throw us an apron for this angel, will you, please?" Before Chris had a chance to figure out who Judy was, a bid apron was launched towards Sophie. She caught it and, before he knew it, he was wearing a pale yellow apron with small flowers embroidered all around the bib and skirt. "Come here, now, baby, and watch how I do this. Now, I don't want you to get all covered in batter, so I'll take care of that tonight, but I'll show you how to fry it up, ok? We have to keep an eye on the temperature of the oil so it doesn't spoil. We use the tongs to place, never drop, the chicken into the pan and keep each piece separated..." The lesson went on from there and a half an hour later, when Willy entered into the kitchen with a young woman, who looked remarkably similar to Sophie, in tow, he was just in time to hear Chris call across the room, "Auntie Sophie, I'm ready for more chicken to be battered." Sophie came over to check the chicken that had already been through the frying pan. As she pursued the cooked pieces, she gently rubbed Chris's bare shoulders and smiled as she said, "Sugar, you have found your true talent. You need to come spend some time with your Auntie Sophie and learn how to really cook, so when you have your babies it'll be fun and easy, rather than a struggle." Chris smiled, genuinely happy to have done a good job. "Good God Almighty, woman! What are you doing!? I bring you the most talented child I have ever met and you have her working at the stove! I brought her here as a guest and you put her to work!" Sophie smiled at her husband's pretend shock. She did this with every girl that entered her kitchen and Willy knew it. "Oh, hush, you old grouch. You brought her here as a member of the family and this is what the women in our family do - we cook together." She hugged the young woman with Willy and said, "There's my graduate! Oh, my baby is all grown up and going to college in a couple of months. I can't believe it." She turned to Chris and said, "Christine, this is your new cousin, Josephine, but we just call her Jojo." The young woman smiled and extended her hand saying, "Or Jo, or Joey. Whatever you want. I'm so happy to meet you. Daddy just goes on and on about you." Chris shook Jo's hand saying, "Congratulations on your graduation, Jo. Your daddy goes on and on about you, too. Oh, just a second," Chris ran to his purse which he'd left on a nearby chair, opened it and pulled out an envelope which obviously contained a card. He handed it to Jo saying, "This is for you." "I told you that you shouldn't bring anything, remember?" Said Willy in a his fake-scolding voice. "Oh, my goodness!" Josephine let put. "This is a $500 Amazon gift card!" "I didn't know what you might need for college, so..." Willy smiled and shook his head. "Sophie, I'm telling you, we need to teach this child to handle money. She just gives it away to people. She has no idea what the value of a dollar is!" "Huh," Sophie joked, "she must really be related to you, then." She untied Chris's apron and gave him a somewhat shocking, but obviously meant to be familial, pat on his bottom. "Now, you go get to know Josephine and come back to visit me and I'll teach you to be a great cook, ok?" Chris kissed Sophie's cheek and smiled broadly. "Thank you, Auntie Sophie. I will if I can. I loved cooking with you." Jo took Chris out to a back deck where there were twenty or more teenagers sitting and drinking Cokes and laughing. The sky had gone dark and there were stars twinkling everywhere - something else he'd not seen a lot of, growing up in New Jersey. Chris had never done well in crowds of his peers, but he'd been having a great time this evening, so he'd continue keeping a good attitude and see where things went. The evening breeze was picking up a bit and Chris could feel it threatening to blow the lightweight silk dress up with each gentle gust. Jojo introduced Chris to cousins, friends and classmates. Everyone was smiling and laughing and Chris felt relaxed for the first time in weeks... maybe months or years. One groups of kids were laughing at pictures in Josephine's year book. "Joey, was that from the semi formal last year? Oh, my God, Jake Reynolds looks wasted!" Jojo went to look over the shoulder of the girl who'd asked the question. "No, that's from home coming and he'd been out in the sun all day. He wasn't wasted, just sunburned and tired." They all laughed. Jojo invited Chris over to sit on the bench behind this group. He and Jojo looked over their shoulders at the pictures and the comments left by friends. It was a very new experience for Chris. CHAPTER 5 The meal had been excellent. Allan had taken Terry and Margo to a little, three star, whole in the wall a block away from the hotel. Neither of the girls had ever had food this good before. "She really just uses us to bounce ideas off of. Usually lyrics," Margo was explaining. Terry said, "I think that she's just developing a style and she needs us to agree with her or shake our heads. It's just new to her and he's unsure of herself." "I think part of it is just fear of loneliness, too," Margo sipped her coffee. "There's definitely that, too," Terry agreed. "I guess I'd feel that way, too, if I spent as much time alone in hospitals when I was young. I wish I'd been more thoughtful back then. Part of me just thought that he was being sick just to get attention. What an ass, huh!?" Allan squeezed her hand on the table and said, "You were a kid, too. You take good care of her, now, though. I see how he idolizes you. And YOU," he said to Margo, "he's head over heals in love with you. That's going to be tricky later, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it." Margo looked at her coffee for a moment, deep inn thought, then said, "Allan... what if we don't make it?" "What do you mean?" "Well, haven't you ever been wrong before? About a band, I mean?" Allan shifted in his seat and thought for a moment. "I guess, I have, sure, but I see so much potential in you girls... it's going to happen. I'm sure of it." "Ok, I believe you," Margo put down her glass, "but, just in case, will you make me a promise?" Allan sat up tall and leaned onto the table. "Sure. Why not? I have nothing but good feelings about you girls." Margo smiled, very happy that he liked the band. "If things go badly for the album, I'd like you to consider firing all of us except for Chris." Terry sat up straighter, now. "What?" Allan asked. "We wouldn't even consider dropping a contract until a second album flopped, and, like I said..." "I know, but..." Margo searched for the right words. "... you said it yourself. Chris is miles ahead of us as a musician, so if we tank this, it's because we're holding him back. If that's the case, then fire us and keep Chris. It's the only way he'd ever go solo." "To tell you the truth," Allan said, "I think he'd quit if you and Terry weren't with him, anyway. I know he likes Gina and Grace, but, come on. You girls must see it. You two are his world!" He shook his head, "Her world, damn it. It's like there's two of her: the sad little boy willing to wear a dress just to be with his big sister and her friend and the amazing female musician on the brink of stardom. " "Wow," Terry sank back into her seat. "I'm not sure how I should feel about that. You don't need us tomorrow, do you Allan?" "Just Gina for four or five hours. Why?" "I think my little sister and I need a girls day out, tomorrow." Margo finished her coffee, "After that, do you think I might be able to steal her for a date? A real, dinner-and-a-movie kind of date?" "I think that would be perfect," Terry said and she thought about everything that they'd just discussed. Something was nagging at her. Had she forced this on her brother or was her brother really happier as her sister? She didn't know the answer. CHAPTER 6 Most of the guests had left. It was just Jo, Chris, a girl from Jo's school and a boy cousin left on the porch. Chris had had a wonderful evening just being a normal teenager with these kids. They treated him like any other girl. He loved it. He'd talked about music and clothing and even some chatting with and about boys. He really didn't feel attracted to boys, but his new found interest in beauty made him more aware of everything around him - even boys, but mostly girls. One of Willy's three grandchildren had come out onto the porch to join them earlier in the evening, too. Her name was Emma. Two and a half years old, dark skinned with her hair in tight braids along her scalp. Chris had told Emma how pretty her hair was. Emma, in turn had climbed onto the cushioned bench on which he sat to touch Chris's hair. At some point, while Chris was talking to a group of kids, Emma had crawled onto Chris's lap and, eventually, fell asleep in his arms with her head nestled on his shoulder and new, firm breasts. No child had even said hello to Chris before, let alone fallen asleep in his arms. He didn't know why, but it moved him and he didn't want it to end. He held the child close to him and cooed and sang softly as she slept. Chris wasn't sure what the boy-cousin's real name was, everyone just called him 'Bucky.' Bucky had gone inside to grab another Coke when Jo's friend, Lola, sat down next to Chris. She was very pretty and wore a very lacy top that allowed glimpses of her bra beneath. Chris didn't want to date her or anything, but he did find her beautiful. Chris had taken off his shoes hours ago and Lola picked up the left one and looked at it. "Chrissie, right?" Chris nodded and continued cooing to Emma. "What do your parents do for work? Doctors? Lawyers?" He spoke softly so as to not wake the child. "My dad passed away, but my mom works at an insurance company. She manages the payroll department. Why?" "Because these shoes cost like $300. How can your mom afford them." Jo joined them on the padded, porch bench. She sat to the other side of Chris putting him in the middle with the baby. He was pinned in and surrounded by girls and he felt comfortable and at home. Jo bent down and picked up Chris's right shoe. Chris looked at the girls. He was amused by their fascination with his shoes and a bit titillated by their proximity to him. "My mom can't afford them. I bought them, myself." "How?" Lola said, looking at him a bit sideways. "Lola," Josephine interrupted, "you know it's rude to ask a question like that, but, since you've asked... Chrissie, would you mind if I explained?" Chris smiled and shrugged a 'if you'd like to, go ahead' look at Jojo. Strangely, throughout the evening, Chris had grown very friendly with this feminine clone of Willy. She was smart as a whip and very funny. Like her parents, she embraced everything and everyone around her. No one ever felt left out. "You see, Lola," Jojo was being broad and expressive, but remaining quiet for the benefit of her niece, "these shoes belong to the next Taylor Swift." "Oh?" Lola giggled. "The next Taylor Swift?" "Or bigger, according to my dad. He says that she's a better song writer than Dolly Parton and has a bigger voice than Linda Runstat, whoever that is." Chris laughed quietly. "Linda Ronstadt. She's a singer." "Yeah, I figured," Jojo laughed. "Anyway, according to daddy, a year from now, this little girl will be worth millions." Jojo laughed at her own words, while Chris smiled and continued to hum to Emma, who chose that moment to snuggle deeper into his bosom. Lola, still inspecting the shoe, gave Chris another sideways glance. "Truth?" Chris shrugged, "Maybe. We recorded an album and everyone seems excited, but, now that it's done, I'm not so sure. Right now, I'm just a high school dropout." Jojo took off her right flip-flop and slipped her foot into Chris's shoe. She stood and looked at her foot. "They're pretty, alright, but $200? I don't know about that? My dad would kill me." Now, Lola laughed, "YOUR dad would buy you two pairs as long as you were happy." "Naw. He says that fancy shoes and stuff are a distraction. Family always comes first." Lola nodded and handed Jojo the other shoe. She tried that one on, too. Lola leaned back, "Sounds like my grandma. She's always saying 'family first,' too. I guess they're right." Jojo walked the length of the deck in Chris's shoes, swaying her hips like a runway model, causing Chris and Lola to laugh. As she was returning, the sliding glass door opened and Bucky came back to the porch. "Well, what do you think?" Jojo asked him. "About what?" asked Bucky, confused by the question. "About the shoes, doofus." Jojo gave him a playful slap on the shoulder. "Aren't they pretty?" Bucky shrugged, "Yeah, I guess." Chris and Lola giggled as Jojo made faces at her cousin. "Yeah, I guess!?!? Boys!" Bucky smiled, still confused. "Ok. Haha. Anyway, your mama told me to come get y'all. Uncle Willy says he'll drive Christine home now." Lola stood and helped Chris up. They were careful not to wake Emma, who, with the slight jostling, moved her thumb to her mouth. Chris slipped his feet into Jojo's flop-flops and headed to the house. "Wait," said Jojo as she bent to undo the straps. "No," Chris whispered, "you keep them, but don't let Uncle Willy find out." Jojo was shocked and she smiled and bounced while whispering, "Thank you!" They went into the house where there were just a few guests helping in the kitchen. Sophie looked up, seeing little Emma sleeping on Chris and smiled. "Oh, someone's all tuckered out. Here, darling, I'll take her from you." Reluctantly, Chris kissed the child on the head and handed her to her grandmother. Warmth and the feeling of longing that the child left behind was shocking to Chris. He'd become so attached to her in just a couple of hours. He'd never even held a child before and, now, he was enamored with the idea of caring for them. He wanted her back, but instead, he just rubbed her diapered rump as he grandmother took over the cooing and rocking. "Thank you so much for coming, baby," Sophie spoke quietly. "I hope you'll be back. I know that you'll be busy soon, but you can come back any time." Chris hugged Sophie, being careful of little Emma. "Thank you, Auntie. I had such a wonderful time. You're home is so wonderful. Thank you for everything." Sophie kissed his cheek. "You're welcome, angel, and you're always welcome here." They found Willy in the front room. He was dressed more casually than Chris had ever seen him. A white polo shirt and tan shorts. He looked so happy after an evening with family and friends. "Ready to go, darling?" He asked, his business persona gone and his drawl more obvious than ever. His smile made it clear that he had had a wonderful evening. "Uncle Willy," Chris said, "how about I call a Uber tonight?" "AN UBER!? Not on your life, little girl. Not on your life." Willy put his harm around Chris's shoulders protectively. "You'll be riding in style from here on out, baby doll. Let's get you home, though. It's getting late." CHAPTER 7 "Chrissie, sweetheart," Terry shook him gently awake. "Come on, honey. Denise will be here in a few minutes. Then, I have a day planned for us." Chris grumbled a bit as he sat up and threw his legs over the side of the bed, his knee length, silky nightie riding up to his upper thigh. It had been a short night. He got home around 1:00 that morning, but he had a hard time falling asleep. He had laid in bed and thought about everything that had happened the night before. The loving and accepting people. The cooking - he'd enjoyed that so very much. The teenagers - people his age who liked him. Nobody liked Chris, but they all seemed to like Chrissie. Was he that much different, now? Then there was Emma. He'd never held a baby before and it was so wonderful. He loved holding her so much. He'd never even thought about being a father before; now, more than almost anything, he wanted to me a mom. Up to last night, Chris had only really been thinking about the band. Now he saw what might be possible if they were successful enough to have homes and families. That's what he really wanted. That seemed so wonderful. Terry and the girls had done a good job of teaching him to be a girl, but, now, he wanted - no, he needed - to get back to Auntie Sophie to learn how to be a woman so he could have a happy family. He pulled off his nightie and panties. Put on a clean gaff and panties, a pair of light grey, yoga pants and an exercise top with a built in shelf - what an awful term for an ugly excuse for a bra. He pulled out his hair tie and ran a brush through his hair before joining the girls in the common area, just as Denise came in. The workout was brutal, but Chris had noticed that, lately, his shape was rounding out just a bit. Maybe it was the workouts or maybe it was the light dosage of hormones he was on, but he definitely had more of a rear end than he'd had a few months ago, When Denise left, Terry said, "Put on this sundress, Sissy. You and I are going out for a sisters' day of a message, a mani-pedi and some therapeutic shopping what do you say?" Chris smiled, "Sounds perfect!" As if by some strange coincidence, when Chris emerged from the bedroom in the pretty, blue sundress that Terry had given him, Terry was wearing an identical dress. Terry helped his with his hair and makeup and when Terry stepped out of the elevator in the lobby, she was followed by a nearly identical, just the tiniest bit smaller, twin. Rather than breakfast at the hotel, they crossed the street to a trendy, independent coffee shop where they sat down with their lattes and fruit salads to enjoy a relaxed breakfast, it was just 8:00am and they didn't need to be at the spa for an hour and a half. "So," Terry asked through a swallow of her latte, "did you have a good time last night?" Chris nodded as he wiped some sticky melon residue from his lips. "It was wonderful. Willy's house is beautiful and his family were all so nice to me!" He went on to give Terry a review of the events of the previous night. Concentrating on the cooking and the baby and just being accepted, rather than struggling to fit in. That gave Terry pause. She thought for a moment, then said, "Chris... I need to talk to you about some stuff. Can we be honest with each other?" He nodded, concerned and confused by the seriousness of her tone. "When we asked you to do this, had you ever thought about wearing a dress, or of being a girl?" He shook his head and played with his napkin a bit. "Why?" Terry grimaced and looked around the restaurant before continuing. Maybe she should have just kept her mouth shut, but, after their talk with Allan last night, she needed to say some things. "I don't know," she continued, "it's just that, well, it's just that, now that the recording sessions are pretty much done, I've been thinking and I wonder if you'll be happy this way. As a girl, I mean. Forever." Chris felt a wash of nervousness flood over him. He'd been so comfortable last night, but, now, it seemed like Terry was about to call him out for being a freak or something. "I guess..." he started. "Why? Do you think I'm doing something wrong? I mean, I originally did this just to play with you and Margo, but... I really like it, you know? I like the clothes. The warmth of being with you guys. The feeling of being pretty. I like being a girl." "You don't miss the old Chris?" "I HATE the old Chris. I was alone and sad all the time. I never want to be the old Chris again!" That broke Terry's heart. Had she been so insensitive to her brother? "I'm sorry Chris. I didn't know." He nodded and wiped a tear from his cheek. "What about girls - or boys. Will you... you know... go all the way, eventually, and have it... have the operation down below?" "No!" Chris said with alarm. "I like girls - Margo. I... I want to keep that, but... well, after last night with little Emma... I kind of want to be a mom, too. Weird, huh?" Terry shook her head and took both of Chris's hands in hers, "Oh, no, no, no, baby, I'm not saying that at all. Honestly, I understand, I do. The first time I baby-sat for someone, I felt the same way. It's different for a girl than it is for a guy and, I suppose, you're starting to think of yourself as a girl. That's probably a good thing, considering." Chris nodded his head and thought for a moment. "You know, when we were in classes together, we hung out and played together and I liked that. Later, though, when you skipped a grade... I missed you. Then, when I had to redo seventh grade... I never really had any friends after that. I've was lonely for a really long time..." "Oh, Chris. I'm so sorry. I didn't think..." "No, wait. I don't blame you or anything, but... I was lonely for so long that I was used to it, you know what I mean. It was the way things were. Now, I'm not. I think I found 'me' when I became Chrissie and I'm not lonely and I'm a lot happier." Now, Terry wiped a tear from her eye. "Last night, with Uncle Willy's family," that made Terry smile. She didn't have the same relationship with Willy as did Chris, but she loved that there was an 'uncle' in Chris's life. "I felt at ease and happy. I didn't feel like lonely old Chris and I didn't feel like the person in charge of the band. I felt... like me. I loved talking to the girls. I loved learning how to cook. I adored holding that baby. That's who I want to be. I want to be me and I want to be with you and the girls. Right now, without the band and without being Chrissie, I'm just a high-school-dropout with no friends." "Wow, that surely answered some concerns of mine," Terry smiled and leaned across to kiss her pretty, little brother's cheek. "We need to finish up and get to the spa. It's just a couple of blocks away. We can walk." The massage was glorious. They laid on the message tables, which were next to each other, and all the stress and tension of the recording sessions was rubbed away in the course of an hour and a half. Then, they donned robes and were escorted into reclining chairs for their mani/pedis. Neither had ever experienced a message before, so they were like limp rags in the recliners. Terry had had mani/pedis at the mall with her mom before and Chris had had a very hasty procedure done the day of his transformation, but this was different. This treatment was designed to be enjoyed. It was slow and luxurious and they felt like princesses as they were pampered and they loved it. At 1:30, they had a light salad in the spa's restaurant, then headed out to do some shopping. Terry had a date that evening with Mark and she wanted to get something pretty to wear for him. They hailed a cab and headed to a boutique that one of the girls who worked at the studio had told Terry about. It was a small, but elegant shop with very few items in the store. "Well, this is disappointing," Terry whispered as they entered. "We may need to go to the mall." Chris nodded in agreement. A well dressed, thirty-something woman with a plastered-on smile emerged from the back room. When she saw Terry and Chris, her smile wavered a bit. When she spoke, her tone was dismissive. "May I help you, girls?" "Hi," Terry smiled. "I'm looking for a dress and a coworker recommended your store." "Uh huh," the woman said slowly. "What, EXACTLY, are you looking for?" "Umm, well... I'm not sure. I have a date tonight and I..." "Do you have a price range?" The woman interrupted. "... well," Terry was a bit stunned by the interruption. "No. I hadn't considered a price range, but I'm looking for..." "Perhaps you should try the Aeropostale store at the mall, then, girls." She turned on her most smug expression and started to walk away. Chris, who had done more high end shopping than Terry, said, "Excuse me, ma'am, if you wouldn't mind, could you please run a credit check on this card for, say, $15,000.00 dollars to see if our money is good here?" He held the card out with a coquettish smile while she eyed it suspiciously. Finally, she took the card and ran it through the machine to check for an available balance. As the result of the credit check appeared on her screen, her sneer transformed to a thin, condescending smile, she said, "Thank you, miss. Now, what can I show you young ladies?" Chris put his card back into his purse and smiled at Terry. "Well, I'm not 100% sure what I'd like. I have a date at a nice restaurant tonight and I'm looking for something a bit more sophisticated than I usually wear without being stuffy, you know? I was thinking of a little black dress kind of thing. Do you have anything like that?" Terry said with new found confidence. "I'm sure we do, miss. What size?" "4 please." "I'll be right back." When she'd left, Terry and Chris giggled at her attitude. "Yes, miss. Yes, miss" she whispered an imitation of the saleswoman. "Aren't you the brave thing? I was ready to leave." Chris laughed. He'd already gone through a similar, although not quite as insulting, experience that night that he and Margo had gone shopping. "They only respect a platinum card," he whispered back. "Even if the first dress is perfect, make her work a little for the sale." At that moment, the woman returned with four black dresses on hangers. Terry and Chris smiled at her and took the seats the woman offered as she began her sales pitch. "Each of these are limited run, designer dresses. This first one is from a small company in Italy. The specialize in clothing for younger women such as yourself..." Two hours later, they emerged from the boutique with one dress bag, a shoe box with a new pair of open-toed pumps and a small bag of underthings. They were elated with the perfect little dress that Terry had chosen and the fun they'd had running the annoying saleswoman through her paces. All in all, it could not have been a more successful shopping excursion for the two sisters. CHAPTER 8 It was 4:45 when they entered the lobby of their hotel; Terry carrying the garment bag with the dress and Chris carrying the bag of undies and the box of new shoes. "Howdy, ladies" was called from the elevator banks and the twins looked up to see John holden and Rick, Grace's techie friend. Both were dressed in sharp suits and pricy cowboy hats. It was Rick who had called out to them. As they approached, both young men removed their hats, held them to their chests and bowed deeply. Terry giggled while Chris gave a bit of a curtesy in response. "Even'ing, fellas," Terry said using her best saloon-maid affectation. "You boys looking to rustle up some fillies tonight?" "We sure are ma'am," smiled John, who's cowboy accent still sounded more like New Jersey than anywhere in the south. "I take it, then, that the first video session went well?" John smirked. "Very well, ma'am. Very well. She's a great girl." Everyone smiled. "We're going country dancing if y'all'ed like to join us." Ricks drawl was sweet and natural. He wasn't a great looking guy, but he had a sincere and infectious smile. It was easy to understand why a girl like Gracie would fall for him. "Thanks for thinking of us, but I'm going to dinner with Mark." Terry said "And how about you, young Miss Christine?" Rick bowed deeply. "We would be honored if you you'd join us tonight." Chris smiled and curtsied again. "Why, thank you sir, but I believe that I will stay in this evening and recuperate from this long, hot and weary day." The bell rang and the elevator doors opened. "As you wish, ma'am," grinned Rick as both he and John gave one more deep bow and used their Stetsons to sweep low and indicate that the twins should enter the elevator car. They pushed the floor number and the car was soon headed up to their floor. "I love the twin look you two are cultivating today," John teased. "Almost too much beautiful for a man to stand." They laughed and blushed at his remark. "Today was a twin-sister-day. We had a great time." She threw her arm around Chris and hugged him. When they opened the door to the suite, Gina ran into John's arms and hugged him while planting a deep kiss on his lips. When the kiss broke, Gina smiled broadly, "Howdy, handsome." "Hi, beautiful." They kissed again and Gina grabbed her purse while yelling, in a most unladylike way, "Gracie! Rick and John are here! Move your arse!" Grace appeared with a huge grin, fastening an earring in her left ear. "Classy thing, isn't she?" She said to the boys, Terry and Chris. "You can take the girl out of the drum kit, but you can't take the drum kit out of the girl." Rick kissed Gracie's cheek. "Hi, darling. You look gorgeous." The kissed full on the lips. "All set, girls?" John asked. "Yup," said Gina, handing Grace her purse. "Let's go." Grace gave both Chris and Terry pecks on their cheeks and whispered to Terry, "Don't wait up. I think we'll be out for a long time." "Ok," Terry said with a giggle. "Be good. Love you." Chris called as the door was closing, "Where's Margo?" Gina leaned back in before the door closed and said, "Don't know. She's been gone most of the day. She said she had to run some errands." Then the door closed. Terry looked at the time on her phone and said, "Oops. I need to get ready. Mark will be here in an hour." She ran to her bedroom to start getting changed, while Chris flopped onto the couch, legs folded beneath him, and started flipping through channels on the tv. He was trying to enjoy a show about antiques pickers that he had enjoyed in the past, but he just couldn't. Home improvement shows seemed more interesting, but he was getting impatient. Something was nagging at him. Maybe it was connected to the idea of being alone tonight. He didn't like that idea, but he did need to get used to it. He had to grow up and be mature about this. He was going to have evenings by himself. That was inevitable. He took a breath and continued surfing channels till he found a rerun of 'Friends' and he settled on that. Terry was busy in the bedroom. He could hear her getting ready and smell the curling iron and hairspray. When she came into the common area, she looked stunning. Her hair was perfect and her makeup was just so, so pretty. Chris envied her ability to primp, to get her hair perfect, to pick just the right shade of lipstick, to be a girl. "Will you be ok here alone tonight?" Terry asked as her phone dinged indicating a text message. "Oops, I have to run. I told Mark to text me when he got here so that he didn't have to pay to park." She kissed Chris's cheek, then wiped off the residual lipstick. "Will you be ok?" Chris nodded and smiled. "Yeah, sure. I'm fine. Thanks for such a great day. I really had a good time." "Me too, Sissy. Gotta run," and she headed to the door, but, before she could open it, Margo burst in with half-a-dozen bags, garment bags and a big grin. "Hi!" She said breathlessly. "Ooh, you look nice! Got a date?" Terry kissed Margo's cheek and repeated the process of removing what was left behind. "Yeah. I gotta run." Then she whispered, "I'm glad you're here. I didn't say anything to Chrissie about your plans." Margo smiled. "Great. I've made plans. I'm taking him out for a night on the town." "Great! Gotta go. Love you!" "Love you, too! Have a good time." By the time Margo got to the couch to put down her burdens, Chris was up to help her. "Wow!" He laughed. "Did you set out to buy everything in Nashville?" "Nope. I just needed to do something non-band-related or I'd burst. So, I went shopping and I called Allan for some help. He got us reservations at a very exclusive dinner club for tonight." "Tonight!" Chris said with glee, "but what should I wear? Is the dress I wore to the party the other night ok?" "No, it is not ok, because, I bought you a present." Margo held out a garment bag while smiling broadly at he pretty boyfriend. Chris pulled the zipper down to reveal a beautiful summer dress. It was primarily green, but had a print of large, white flowers (hydrangeas, he would later learn) and leaves. "Wow. It's so pretty and so... festive!" I know, right?" Grinned Margo. "Try it on!!" Chris pulled his 'twin' dress over his head and, excitedly, stepped into Margo's gift. It fit perfectly. It had a fitted top with a smocked back that held the front, bustier-style bodice in place, as did the one-and-a-half-inch straps on his shoulders. The A-line skirt had many, casual pleats that allowed it to poof out from his natural hips. The hem had a ruffle that bounced and flounced with each exited step that he took. "Do you like it?" "I love it!" Chris shrieked girlishly. "It's so pretty." "Whew!" Margo's faked concern amused Chris and he gave her a thank you hug and kiss. "It's a Dolce and Gabbana designer dress. The moment I saw it, I wanted to see you in it. It costs a pretty penny, but my girl deserves the very best!" He leaned back in her hug and gave her a flirtatious grin, "Aww, you spoil me." Margo took his shoulders and turned him towards his room, gave him a soft slap on the rear and said, "Go get ready, woman. I need to get pretty, too. Willie will be here to pick us up in an hour." As he skipped to his room, enjoying the way his skirt moved, he smiled back to Margo, "Poor Uncle Willie. I feel bad having him just sitting and waiting whi