One of the Girls - Part 2 of 2
Belladonna
As the next morning came, Alec felt that his stomach was in knots.
Struggling to keep his food down, Alec finished eating half his meal
before he went to get dressed in the outfit that Kristine and Nadine
had left for him. It was not overly feminine. A passing eye would not
think twice about a man sporting it. Under any scrutiny, however, it
would be obvious that everything he was wearing was made for a woman's
body.
Alec pulled on his soft black pants over his panties. He was half-
surprised by the lack of pockets and decided to carry his keys and
wallet in his coat instead.
He put on the collared, button up blouse next. He struggled with the
inverted position of the buttons of the top as he fastened each before
he bent down to put on his loafers. He slipped his bare feet into the
shoes and felt the floor gliding below him with each step.
"Christ, I'm evening moving like a fairy," Alec complained to himself.
'What did I do to deserve this?' Alec thought while he headed out of
his home.
'You have no backbone,' he answered his self-pity.
Alec put his head down and fought back tears on the way to his car,
knowing that it was too true. He had been the master of his situation,
however, mundane it may have been.
The moment he surrendered control of his manhood, he had cast the dye
that had led to this moment. He did not have to do it. He did not
have to give in so easily to Kristine and the girls. He could have
fought it. He could have stopped it, but he did not. He was not sure
that he even wanted to stop it, but he was sure that he did not want
this. Having to come out as transgendered was the most mortifying
thing he could think of doing, but he alone had put himself in this
situation. Resigned to that fact, Alec got behind the wheel and
started towards the office.
Thoughts about veering his car into oncoming traffic crossed his mind.
While they lingered, he dismissed them, feeling that it would too
cowardly and too messy. It would also draw an innocent person into his
own descent. He could not take someone with him or burden some helpful
person with the image of his mangled corpse. He doubted that he could
even harm himself.
Those thoughts left Alec's head as he pulled up at his office. Alex
swallowed hard as he looked at the building. He knew what words would
soon be coming through his lips. He felt that there was no way out
without humiliating himself further by admitting what he had agreed to
with Kristine.
He put his head down as he got out of his car. He hurried into the
building and started towards his office door. The shoes sounded
different on the floor than his normal oxfords. The sound was softer.
Alec knew that whatever meager menace he had as a man was gone.
Alec walked into the office in disbelief that he was being forced to
admit to his boss that he was transsexual. Despite the girls'
assurances that there were protections for transgender people in the
state, as well as the company's progressive policies on the issue, he
was not sure how his boss would react.
Once his boss entered the office, Alec looked at the girls. Brianna
nodded to him. He understood that he had to go and confront his boss.
Not wanting to waste any time and linger on his tormenting thoughts a
second longer, Alec got to his feet and knocked on his boss's door.
Joel's eyes rose to meet Alec's as he asked what he could do for him.
Alec struggled to ask, "Joel, can we talk for a moment?"
"Sure," Joel replied while he took off his glasses.
Alec closed the door behind him while he approached Joel. Joel
squinted as he asked, "What's going on?"
"I have to tell you something."
"Okay," Joel answered Alec's pause.
"I'm transgendered."
Joel flinched before he pushed his back against the back of his chair.
He crossed his arms before he asked, "Are you sure?"
Alec was taken aback by the question. He wondered who would say such a
life-changing thing without being sure. He nodded before he forced
himself to reply again, "Yes."
Alec could tell that Joel was fighting off the urge to give him a look
of disgust. He knew that he would likely have done it if the situation
had been reversed.
Joel nodded his head before he said, "Okay. I guess I can see it."
"What?" Alec inquired.
"I've seen how you are with the girls. You've always been one of
them."
Alec blushed at the man's assessment of him before Joel continued, "I
wish you the best. I hope you stay on."
Alec sensed that Joel was toeing the company line on transgender
issues. Joel knew the policies better than he did.
Alec swallowed hard before he said, "Thank you."
Joel nodded before he looked down at Alec's clothing. He could tell
that he was wearing women's shoes. The pants had no pockets. The top
was likely a blouse as well.
Joel broke the silence as he said, "Do the girls know, Alec? Wait is
that what you want to be called?"
"Um...no," Alec lied before he continued, "I prefer Alexandra."
Joel was silent as he processed Alec's request. Alec then said, "The
girls know."
"Good. How did they take it?"
"Well."
Alec saw the relieved look on Joel's face. He breathed a sigh of
relief before he said, "That's great. Have you told anyone else?"
"No. I wanted to tell you first."
"Do you want me to send an announcement?"
"I don't think that's necessary," Alec hurried to reply.
"Well, you have to tell the rest of the staff."
"I will, but the mothership will find out when I change my personnel
file," Alec replied.
Joel nodded before Alec excused himself to let his boss get back to
work. Alec felt sick to his stomach that Joel had accepted his
statement as truth without even at least questioning him.
'Was I that transparent? Maybe it is what I am,' Alec fretted as the
girls gave him expectant looks. '
Alec answered their silent demands for information by disclosing how
the conversation went. The girls all hugged him as they welcomed him
as one of the girls in the office.
Alec blushed at the statements before he managed to joke, "Wasn't I one
of them already?"
The girls' laughter at his words gave Alex a momentary morale boost.
His spirits quickly dropped as he realized what he had to do next.
It took a few minutes before Alec worked up the courage to tell the
rest of his coworkers. As most of his coworker responded with little
to no surprise to his announcement, Alec became more convinced that the
girls had him pegged correctly.
It all seemed like confirmation of a central truth that he had hidden.
Alec s struggled not to become too emotional as more and more of his
coworkers told him how they always figured that he was a girl at heart.
Their responses were shocking. He expected disgust, but received
little more than he normally did from some of his coworkers. They had
apparently long ago concluded that his "coming out" was only a matter
of time. He had always had awkward relationships with these people,
and he knew that it would likely continue.
Most, however, were polite about it. They appeared to be struggling to
ensure that he was not upset by what they said to him. He guessed that
they feared punishment if they said anything offensive about him.
Still, they all acted unsurprised by the announcement and more
surprised by his timing.
'How could they all know?' Alec wondered as he belatedly got to work
beside the girls.
Once the workday ended, Brianna and Kristine made arrangements to meet
Alec the next day so they could take him out for a Saturday trip to the
salon that Brianna's sister worked at. While Alec was not sure that he
was ready for that step, telling his boss and coworkers that he would
be returning to work as a woman on Monday was not something they would
forget. While he felt forced to make that declaration, he knew that
the only way around going along with it was by quitting. He, however,
was all too sure that he could not bring himself to doing that.
With the plans made, Alec went home to his small apartment. He felt
small and weak as he made himself a light dinner, not feeling as if he
had much of an appetite.
"Why am I such a coward?" Alec wondered aloud as he rested on the couch
with tears coming to his eyes. He retired to his be early, hopeful
that a good nights sleep might make him feel better.
When he awoke, he felt well rested. Those feelings dissipated as he
began to worry about what was awaiting him that afternoon. After the
trip to the salon, Alec was certain that there would be no going back
for the near future. He was going to be a girl at work and at home.
Part of him wondered what it would be like. Given his size and lack of
male accomplishments, he had often felt he would make a better girl
than a guy, but it was not something he had ever gave serious thought
to trying until his coworkers had started pushing him to make the
transition.
The sound of a knock on his door made Alec's stomach sink. He knew who
was beyond the door as he drew it open dressed in the unisex clothing
he had put on that morning over his padded bra and matching white
panties.
Once the door was open, Kristine and Brianna stepped inside and kissed
Alec on his cheek as they said hello. Brianna struggled to hide her
distaste for his apartment before she told him he needed to wear
something more feminine.
"Why?" Alec inquired.
"I told the stylist that you're a girl."
"She's going to see right through me."
"She won't say anything about it. You'll be so comfortable with her."
"How do you know that?" Alec asked, uneasy with the idea of going out
in public as a girl.
"It's her nature," Brianna answered before she went into his bedroom.
Kristine and Brianna looked through his new wardrobe before they
selected an outfit they felt would be good for the salon.
Alec gave the outfit a resigned look. He knew it did not matter what
he wore to the salon. The situation had gotten too out of hand for any
concerns about presenting himself as a woman to make sense.
With the girls out of the room, Alec disrobed before he stepped into
the black miniskirt that was decorated with an all over, pale floral
print. He pulled the elastic waistband up before he straightened out
the flouncy, ruffled hem that rested midway down his thighs.
The fact that the soft skirt felt comfortable on him was not lost Alec.
He wondered what it meant about him as he reached for his black, tee
shirt. Alec brought the cotton-blend jersey top over his head and let
the torqued hemline come to a rest over his skirt. The lightweight top
felt good on him as well.
Alec sighed, accepting the truth that he was far more comfortable in
the skirt and top than a man should ever be. He then bent down to put
on the silver, thong sandals the girls selected. He slipped his feet
into the sandals that were decorated with glittering crystals on the
medallions resting over where the thong met the straps running down the
side of his feet before he headed to the bedroom door.
As he emerged, Brianna shook her head as she said, "I wish I had legs
like those."
"They go for miles," Kristine seconded.
Alec blushed as he thanked them before Brianna said, "You're going to
be batting guys away with a stick soon enough."
Alec was unsure how to respond. His silence went unchallenged before
Brianna helped whisk him out the door.
Alec was surprised by the heavy girl's strength as he leaned on her
arm. They went down to Kristine's car before she drove them to the
salon.
The girls made small talk on the drive. They tried to include Alec,
but he found it difficult to keep up with the topics he knew little
about until they reached the salon's parking lot. He was happy enough
for their conversation since it distracted him from his worrisome
thoughts about his situation.
Stepping out of the car, Alec walked towards the salon. As they
approached the door, Alec struggled to hide his nervousness. He shot
Kristine and Brianna a pleading look, hoping that they would reconsider
what they were pushing him to go through with since he was still unsure
if he wanted it.
"Don't be so nervous! All you have to do is show up and let yourself
be pampered. It's one of the best things about being a girl," Brianna
counseled in response to his glance.
Alec tried to give the girl a smile. He knew that she meant well, but
he was unable to believe that no one would be unable to tell what he
was once they started to work on him.
Alec walked into the salon and struggled not to blush as the girls in
the salon all said hello to Brianna. Brianna introduced him and
Kristine as friends from work before she told them, "Alexandra is a new
girl in the neighborhood."
'Understatement of the century,' Alec thought in response.
The girls welcomed him warmly before he was taken to get his hair
washed. Alec felt strangely good as the shampoo girl ran her delicate
fingers through his hair and massaged his scalp. The sensations
brought warm and tingly feelings throughout his body.
'A girl could get used to this,' Alec thought with a smile before he
was sat up.
While his hair was patted dry, the smile left his face as he realized
what he had thought. He did not have time to ponder the hidden meaning
of the thought as he was sent to a stylist's station. The stylist
greeted Alec with a kind word as Brianna and Kristine came over to
them.
The stylist exchanged kisses on the cheek with Brianna. The stylist
then asked Alec how he wanted his hair styled.
Alec hemmed for a moment before he said, "Brianna said she had some
ideas."
"Brianna knows her hair," the stylist noted.
The stylist gave Alec a few more positive words before Brianna told her
what she was thinking. With a clap of the hands, Reese said, "I love
it."
'Is she crazy?' Alec wondered about the husky voiced stylist's
enthusiasm.
Reese explained to Alec what was going to be done to his hair as his
hair was lifted to the side. As his hair was trimmed, Reese gave Alec
tips about how to style it going forward. Alec tried to remember each
of the pieces of advice, given what was in his foreseeable future.
As he watched his hair take on a new shape, he was surprised by how
good it looked. He felt that he almost looked like a girl. While not
overly attractive, he felt that he was not ugly. He was slightly
turned on by the girl in the mirror that looked far more professional
than he did with a ponytail.
With his hair finished, the girls brought him to get his nails done at
the neighboring nail salon. Given what he had acquiesced to already,
Alec saw little reason to protest as he walked towards the salon.
Alec's eyes widened as he walked into the nail salon. His eyes were
drawn to the wall containing a wide variety of nail polish shades. The
receptionist greeted Brianna warmly before she told them that they were
there for Alec.
"Oh, very nice to meet you, Miss," the girl said in a sweet tone.
Alec reciprocated in kind, hating the pretty girl referring to him as
miss. He wanted to protest it, but was too scared of the consequences
to do so.
The receptionist brought him to a station quickly before he exchanged
introductions with a manicurist. With their greetings over, the
manicurist asked through a heavy Korean accent, "What color would you
like?"
"Um...I'm not sure," Alec admitted.
"I can give you recommendation," the girl said with a voice that Alec
felt was sweet to his ears.
"Okay."
"For your skin color, I would go with blush pink. It's nice and light,
just like you."
Alec nodded before he lied, "That sounds nice."
"Are we doing your toenails too?"
Alec's eyes darted to Brianna and Kristine's nodding heads. Alec
responded with a smile as he told her he would be having a pedicure as
well.
The manicurist nodded before she put the fingertips of his right hand
into a bowl of water to soften his skin. The girl inspected his hands
and said, "Your nails are so short. We can't do much in way of
shaping."
"What would you recommend?"
"Grow you nails out a little and I can give them a nice round shape,
but I'll do best I can with this."
"Okay," Alec replied before the manicurist began to clean the underside
of the nails of Alec's right hand. She then pushed back his cuticles
by trimming the excess skin around the nails.
Alec grimaced as he felt the woman cut too deep. His eyes darted
towards the blood on his index finger before the manicurist applied a
green liquid to his cut.
"What is that?" Alec asked.
The woman gave him a curious glance as Alec had not disguised his
ordinary tone. She squinted before she answered, "It helps with the
bleeding."
"Okay," Alec replied, dropping back into his practiced higher pitch as
he saw the bleeding come to a sudden stop. The manicurist then went
back to preparing his nails before she repeated the process on his left
hand.
Once the manicurist finished with the nail preparation, she proceeded
to give him a hand and arm massage. Alec enjoyed the feeling of his
hand being manipulated about by the girl's small, soft hand. Alec
blushed as his member's swelling was soon aborted.
Alec felt humiliated by how good it felt. He struggled to avoid
looking at the manicurist, certain that he could not look her in the
eye at that moment.
When her hands left his to add blush pink to his nails, Alec felt
slightly downtrodden. He watched as the pale color was painted onto
his nails. He feared that he had made a bad choice as the color
settled onto his nails.
'That's not what I thought that would like,' Alec thought before the
girl added another coat to his nails. Alec felt more relieved by the
choice he had made to go along with the woman's recommendation as the
color settled onto his nails.
'That looks so cute,' Alec thought while he smiled at his nails.
'Wait! What?' Alec's mind soon fretted. He could not believe that he
was happy with the painting of his nails. He realized that he should
hate it, but somehow it seemed not that bad. He shook his head at that
realization before he was sent to have his nails dried at UV light
station.
Alec gave the UV light a pensive look as he thought, 'How sanitary can
this be?'
Reading his pensive look, Brianna said, "Good ahead, honey. It's
fine."
"It must be nice to have cheerleaders," the manicurist remarked with a
smile.
Alec blushed before the girl hurried to add, "I was just kidding."
Alec nodded with a forced smile before he moved his nails under the
lights. He felt the heat on his nails and waited for his nails to dry.
Alec talked with Brianna and Kristine before he overheard the woman
next to him talking on her cell phone. Alec's eyes darted towards
Brianna and Kristine as they listened to the girl complaining about her
boyfriend without any regard for who could overhear her.
'Is she kidding me?' Alec mouthed to Brianna and Kristine's laughter.
Brianna leaned in and said, "It comes with the territory, but she's
pretty obnoxious."
As the manicurist went to attend to the woman, the entitled patron
started complaining about the scent of the lotion used on her skin.
Alec bent down and smelt his own hands. He did not sense that it was
overpowering. If anything, it was a light scent to his mind.
Alec hoped that she would get over it quickly. Instead, she double
downed on her attitude.
Alec sunk in his hair while he listened to the woman talk down to the
staff. Alec gave Kristine and Brianna another glance.
'Total bitch,' Kristine mouthed back to Alec and Brianna's nodding
heads.
Alec was relieved when she paid and left. Alec felt a palpable sense
of relief that the anxiety that was filling the salon had passed.
After a few deep breaths, Alec remembered his own predicament. He was
not simply another of the girls put-off by a spoiled woman. He was a
man in a floral print, miniskirt getting a mani-pedi. He was almost
sure of it.
Alec did not have long to dawdle on those thoughts. The manicurist
came by and moved his fingers from underneath the lights and said, "So
pretty."
"Show me," Brianna said with a grin.
Alec flashed his nails at the girls with his limps wrist. Alec caught
his actions and thought, 'Fuck, why did I do it that way?'
Once the girls finished talking about his fingernails, Alec was turned
over to another worker to do his pedicure. Alec felt uncomfortable
while the woman began to remove rough skin by filing his heels.
'I can't believe this girl has to touch my feet. Christ, I hope they
don't smell,' Alec fretted while he watched the woman work, afraid that
that he would see her wince.
As the woman began to paint his toenails, her fingers touched the
bottom of his feet. Alec felt slightly tickled by the feeling and
struggled not to kick his feet in response to the sensation before his
toenails were put beneath a UV light.
Once his toes were dried, Alec paid for the salon's services and left
with Kristine and Brianna. As they reached his apartment, Kristine
opened her trunk and said, "We've got gifts for you."
"What?" Alec asked, though he had little doubt it was designed to help
him better look the new part they had cast for him in life.
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Alec's hands pulled away from his styled and shaped tresses as his eyes
tore away from his painted toenails and hairless legs. His eyes lifted
towards the closet that had been partly filled with hand me downs from
Kristine and "gifts" from the others girls in the office to help
facilitate his "transition."
He hated to think of the word. He knew that was what he was doing. He
was unsure, however, if it was what he wanted. The only thing he was
sure about was that the girls he worked with were certain that he was
born to be a girl.
Alec's eyes dropped and caught the pale, pink painted fingernails the
manicurist had given him. A smile came to his face while he thought
about how pretty they looked before he shook his head.
"You're not supposed to be pretty," Alec reminded himself before he
threw his back against the bed and stared at the ceiling.
'What's being ugly done for you?' A voice in his head retorted.
'Is this all I can be?' Alec wondered.
The girls who spent more time with him than anyone appeared certain
that he was better suited for womanhood than manhood. That alone made
Alec sense that he was a failure as a man.
Alec changed out of his skirt and into a pair of the leggings that
Kristine had left for him. The soft, clingy feelings of the leggings
felt like a second skin on his legs.
Alec enjoyed the feeling before realizing that he should hate it.
Despite that thought, there was no doubt his body was giving the
contrary response.
"This can't be me," Alec bemoaned as he looked down at his thin legs
that seemed alluring to him in the clingy spandex.
The only thing that turned his stomach though was the sight of his
cage-enhanced manhood. Alec ran his hands through this hair and
thought aloud, "How can this be me?"
After pausing, Alec asked, "Is this what I want?"
Silence greeted his self-question again.
Alec walked into the bathroom and gazed at his reflection. The
despairing girl staring back at him felt more real than the reflection
that had greeted him for years.
He struggled to keep from crying as he looked at the girl that his
coworkers had pushed him to become.
"I'm beautiful," Alec said through tears, feeling oddly better about
his appearance than he could ever recall.
He brushed the tears away and immediately regretted smudging his
makeup. The regret only made him more confused about his reaction to
his reflection. A moment of clarity came into his mind as Alec nodded
at the girl in the mirror while he composed himself.
"This is me," he said a few times to self-affirm before he went to turn
on the television.
With that affirmation in mind, Alec spent the rest of the weekend in
Kristine's hand-me-downs. He spent the time in solitude as a woman
while he tried to live in peace before Monday came and he would be
forced to return to work.
Once Monday came, Alec got ready for work in clothing that Kristine had
gifted him. The work clothing was nearly all familiar to him. He had
seen her in most of the outfits before. Some he had never seen before
and assumed were possibly from her friends.
The knowledge that everyone knew what was coming at work made his
return less concerning to him. The fears he had when he spoke to every
employee in his office were largely gone. He felt that he knew what he
was in for when it came to each coworker and boss in the office. He
sensed that he was well aware of what to expect.
Despite that, he was still concerned how the reality of the situation
would go over with his coworkers. They had all seen him in girls
clothing, but that outfit was little different from men's clothing.
Now, he was going to be work with false breasts and in unambiguously
feminine clothing and shoes. He was going to be presenting himself as
a woman from head to toe.
After styling his hair and doing his makeup, Alec went into his bedroom
to get dressed. As Alec disrobed, his eyes fixated on the outfit he
would sporting for his first day in the office as Alexandra. He wanted
everything to be perfect. While he and the girls had time to deal with
his transition, he knew that no one else in the office had been
afforded a similar meaningful opportunity.
Alec put on his panties first and soon followed it with a matching bra.
The image that struck him in the mirror in his bedroom was
disheartening to Alec.
The figure appeared to be nothing more than a scared, petite boy in a
matching bra and panty set. He was no more intimidating than a 3-year-
old girl and, yet, simultaneously, little more feminine than he was in
the nude.
Alec clenched his eyes while he turned away from the mirror. He
reached for his breast forms before he stuffed each of his cups. His
hands cupped his false breasts as he felt the familiar stirring between
his legs that occurred before the chastity device started to squash his
excitement.
The discomfort between Alec's legs made him shake his head before he
reached for his hosiery. Alec rolled the tights down as he was trained
before he brought them up his legs. The feelings made his stomach
tingle, even as the continued compression of his manhood brought
discomfort.
"When the fuck will she let me out of this," Alec muttered while he
stared up the ceiling.
After a few deep breaths, he pulled the tights over his chastity belt
until the top rest on his hips. With his tights on, Alec reached for
his dress next.
Alec pulled the princess seamed, wool-crepe dress up his body. He
pushed his hands through the three-quartered sleeves of the scarlet
colored dress that would draw attention to him, even if he had been
born a woman.
His hands adjusted the flounced hemline before they reached behind his
back to fasten the hidden rear zipper. As his hands moved towards his
hips, he looked at the mirror.
Alec hurried towards the mirror with quick, short steps and gazed at
his reflection. He smiled at the way his body looked before he noticed
that his bust was askew.
"Manly problems," Alec joked to himself while he adjusted the round
neckline of his dress and straightened out his false bust and bra. His
hands then moved to the matching belt that self-adjusted to cinch the
dress to his waist.
As his proportions sat the way they should on his lithe frame, the
figure in the mirror appeared to Alec to be much more like a woman than
a man. Alec struggled not to cry as he clasped his hands and took in
his appearance from the neck down.
"This is me," Alex said before his eyes locked on the pair of shoes he
was pairing with his outfit. Alec clasped the shoes before he stepped
into the pair of nude, rounded toe pumps.
Alec stepped into each shoe before adjusting the single, asymmetric
stretch straps that crossed over both of his feet. As he stood up and
started to walk, Alec felt that he was moving around with greater ease
in his heels than he could recall.
With a bounce in his step, Alec walked out of his bedroom to apply his
makeup. With each cosmetic he added to face, Alec felt that Alexandra
was becoming more real before his eyes.
By the time he applied his perfume, Alec felt that the male side of his
life was buried. He could only hope that it would stay that way.
Alec then walked back into his bedroom to put on his jewelry. He
slipped a few golden plated rings onto his fingers before he put on a
gold chain necklace and a pair of faux diamond earrings.
With outfit attended to, Alec grabbed his keys and pocketbook as he
headed out the door. He strolled out of the building to make his way
to his small car.
Alec got inside and shifted his feet. He swapped his heels for a pair
of flats as Kristine had suggested when they last spoke.
After slipping the shoe onto his right foot, Alec started the car.
Alec felt anxious while he drove to work. He feared that the reality
would not match the expectations that his coworkers had about his
transition. He wondered if he looked unconvincing to others or,
perhaps, too convincing. Maybe they expected him to look like a
linebacker in a dress, but he did not have the body for that to happen.
"Just maintain the smile," Alec told himself, hoping he could turn back
any ill will with niceness and a new sense of womanly confidence.
Alec pulled into the parking lot of his office building and stared at
its glass-fronted facade. Alec froze as he looked at the building. He
knew that he was in store for some abuse. It was unavoidable, but it
was not going to be too bad. The company could nearly guarantee that
when he was in the safety of the office suite.
He nodded to himself as he said, "I can do this!"
Alec uttered those words to try to convince himself, but deep inside he
already knew it was true. He had a buffer in the girls and an ally in
his employer.
"It's their problem not mine," Alec said while he thought about those
that were unhappy about his transition.
Alec's slender fingers tapped on his steering wheel for a moment before
he reached for his purse and opened the car door. Alec swung his legs
out the door together. It was not something any of the girls had told
him to do. The dress on his body made it seem like an instinctual
movement for him.
Alec stood up and closed the door behind him. He felt the breeze
blowing under the skirt of his dress and felt lighter on his feet, even
as the pitch of his heels was still unusual to him.
Walking through the parking lot, Alec saw workers from other businesses
in the building filing inside. He saw a few heads turn his way. None
of their eyes lingered on him for long as he was careful to maintain a
good distance from them.
"So far so good," Alec said with a chuckle under his breath as he
glanced at his reflection on the building's reflective walls.
Alec drew the door to the building open after putting his keycard
through the card reader. There was no one in the hallway, which was
not unusual. The public entrance was on the other side of the building
and the elevators he was heading for only served the employees of the
west side of the facility.
As he came around the corner to the elevators, he saw two women
standing next to each other. They were making light conversation when
Alec came to a stop a few feet from them to wait for the elevator.
They each gave Alec a quick glance. Alec stole looks at them and
noticed that neither had felt the need to give him a second look.
The lack of interest in his presence made Alec's heart flutter. He
felt more confident than ever as he joined the ladies on the elevator
and pressed the button for his floor, flashing his pink painted nails
in the process.
Alec ignored the conversation that the women were having about their
personal lives before he exited on his floor. Alec moved towards his
office, hearing the sound of his low heels slapping on the tiles of the
hallway that were announcing his presence as he moved. He wanted to
strut to make the sound louder and draw more attention, but he knew
that it was not right moment.
Alec pulled open the employee only door to his office after punching in
his personal code. Alec walked through the back of the office and saw
no one until he came around the corner to where he and most of the rest
of the administrative staff sat.
As Alec moved around, he heard none of their familiar voices chatting,
but he heard typing. Alec smiled as he looked over the half-wall and
saw Morgan. Morgan's eyes widened while she brought her hands over
mouth.
"Oh, my God. Look at you! You look beautiful," Morgan exclaimed as
she got to her feet and hugged Alec.
"Thanks, I try," Alec said with a shy smile, a little embarrassed by
Morgan's effusive and sincere sounding praise.
Morgan took in his appearance while Brianna straggled into the office,
followed in short order by Nadine and Erin. The girls were all
surprised by Alec's seeming ease in his dress.
"Nice dress," Kristine said with a smile while she took in Alec's
feminized appearance.
"I'd like to say that this was my fashion choice," Alec joked.
"You have to give us a twirl," Brianna insisted.
"A twirl?" Alec asked with a laugh.
"I like a little flourish," Brianna replied.
Alec shook his head before he gave the girls a twirl and felt his dress
billowing up as the girls stood up to inspect him from every angle.
The girls gave him more praise before Alec noticed that Erin was
wearing a new dress.
"I love that dress!"
"Thanks," Erin replied.
"That heart shaped neckline is so cute."
The specificity of the compliment took the girls aback for a moment.
After exchanging a few more compliments with the girls, Alec started to
work. He sat at his desk, crossed his nylon-covered legs at his ankles
and tried to focus on his responsibilities.
Alec felt eyes upon him as he worked. He noticed the stolen glances
from other employees that quickly darted away from him when he clearly
caught them. He sensed that they did not want to engage him, but were
curious about how he looked.
'Am I zoo animal to these people?' Alec wondered.
Alec also overhead a few comments that he looked surprisingly good.
The comments made him smile, even as most his coworkers and bosses
refused to say such things to his face.
In Alec's mind, the more obviously disgusted were making sure to keep
any of their comments to themselves or, at the least, out of his
earshot. It was something that Alec was uncomfortable with, but he
figured he could tolerate it.
As Alec typed on his machine, Alec listened to the conversation that
Kristine and Erin were having about their boyfriends. Brianna and
Nadine talked about their ex-boyfriends and ex-husbands, while Alec
stayed silent.
"Why are you silent?" Morgan asked Alec.
"I don't have a boyfriend to complain about," Alec answered with a
smile.
"Well, neither do I," she countered.
"You have a husband," Alec retorted.
"Whom I love, dearly," Morgan added.
"Jeesh, you're making me sick," Brianna replied.
"Love is not a terrible thing," Erin noted, always finding Morgan and
her husband's obvious affection for each other endearing and something
she wished to have.
"Not for some of us," Brianna countered.
"So, when are you going to get a boyfriend?" Erin asked Alec, hoping to
move the conversation in a less dark place than Brianna's bitterness
about relationships would allow for.
"I really haven't thought about it yet," Alec admitted.
"Seriously?" Morgan asked.
"Hey, I'm new at this," Alec said as with a smile while he pointed at
his faux breasts with both of his small hands.
"You don't think you're ready?" Morgan inquired.
"I need to get my bearings being me before I can be part of 'we,'" Alec
explained as he shifted his feet in his low heels.
"You got to help yourself before you can help somebody else," Kristine
seconded, understanding Alec's position.
The conversation continued for a while as Alec continued his data input
work that comprised much of his workdays. Alec paused only to get a
cup of coffee.
Alec got to his feet and swung his hips as he walked through the office
to the kitchenette. As he walked, he saw the staff in the kitchenette
running away while he approached.
'I don't have leprosy,' Alec thought with a shake of his head as his
ever present smile departed from his face.
Alec knew that not everyone would be comfortable with him, but that did
not mean they had to scatter when he approached as if his transexuality
was contagious. Alec made himself a cup of coffee in quiet solitude
before he returned to his desk and went back to working.
Alec was nervous when he had to make his first trip to the restroom.
He feared the reaction of his female coworkers when he entered it. He
had little choice though, since Nadine had made clear that he was to
only use the female bathroom given the change to his gender identity in
the company's records.
Alec put his head down as he walked into the women's room. He worried
about how the other women would feel if they saw him in there. He knew
that some would undoubtedly feel violated by his presence, while others
would just be uncomfortable.
Although his first few trips went without an issue, with some of the
girls being nice to him, one woman gave him a disgusted look as she saw
him exiting the bathroom stall. Alec's stomach fell as he saw the
anger in her eyes as she dried her hands.
She stormed out of the room while Alec went to the sink and washed his
hands. His heart raced as the look on the coworker's face weighed on
his mind. He clenched his eyes as he felt the angst in the pit of his
stomach. He hated how he made the woman feel, but he also felt that it
was her problem and not his.
He walked back into the office and heard the woman yelling at the Human
Resources representative. Alec's eyes went downcast as he tried to
ignore her complaints.
His spirits rose as the Human Resources representative explained the
situation calmly to the irate woman. The laws of the state said that
Alec had every legal right to be in that bathroom. That did little to
calm the woman who yelled about the state of the nation.
Alec laughed as the man noted, "You could always move to North
Carolina."
Soon thereafter, Alec finished his first day at the office. He went
home that evening hoping that that next day would be an improvement.
Outside of the girls, his first week at work was an awkward affair for
Alec. The second day brought more employees walking past his desk and
sneaking peeks at him. Alec struggled not to gaze at them as they did
so. He wondered if they thought that they were moving past him
undetected.
He felt like he was on display as he was gawked at without being
engaged. Alec sensed that everyone needed time to process his new
look. He realized that it had to be an awkward situation for them as
well.
To his relief, by late in the week, almost everyone was accepting and
open with Alec as the novelty of his feminine appearance wore off. To
most, he rescinded back into the background from which he had came. He
was surprised by it, but there were older employees that gave him dirty
looks to convey their disgust. Alec did his best to ignore them, but
he could not help but let it grate on him to some degree.
Several of his male coworkers ignored him. Alec had never been
particularly close with them. He had never been one of the guys. He
had always been an outsider, so he was not upset about becoming
invisible to them. Alec felt that their disgusted silence was
preferable to an express insult. It certainly made it easier for him
to ignore them.
Alternatively, many of his female coworkers made it a point to support
Alec. Alec had longer and more frequent interactions with these women
than he had ever had before. Alec could sense that they were trying to
make him feel safe around them, but he wondered if they were doing it,
at least in part, to dig at the men that were both shunning him and
dismissing their talents.
Those that engaged him were largely cordial and made a few name slip-
ups every once and a while. He did not let that bother him though. He
was too happy that they were treating him like a human to let something
like a gender pronoun get to him.
That management was supportive of him was not something that was lost
on Alec either. He was grateful for it, since he knew that if the laws
of his state were not on his side, management may have gotten rid of
him as a distraction.
The office manager, office boss and Human Resources representative
reached out to him regularly to ask how he was doing and how they could
make his transition easier. Alec was thankful for the outreach and
recommended that the company provide sensitivity training, despite
knowing how poorly it would go over with some of the more curmudgeonly
employees. To the contrary, sticking it to them was something that
brought a broad smile to his face.
The company arranged for a professional sensitivity trainer they had on
retainer to make a presentation a few weeks after he started to work as
Alexandra. The announcement produced audible whining and groans in the
office, but it made it clear to some of Alec's more intransigent
adversaries how much the company was on his side.
Soon thereafter, Alec noticed the begrudging tolerance of his existence
that was coming from some of those that had not hidden their dislike
for his transition before. The more disgusted, however, were
undeterred and did little to hide their continued revulsion of him,
while they simultaneously acted as if he was a non-entity.
Despite the in week improvements, the end of the workweek was a welcome
relief for Alec. He looked forward to getting some time away from the
conflicted and disgusted coworkers.
That Kristine and Erin had volunteered for a little "girl time" with
him on the weekend made him feel somewhat at ease.
When the weekend came, Erin and Kristine picked Alec up in Kristine's
car. Alec waved at them as he got in the backseat and smoothed out his
black and pink, floral printed pleated skirt in the process.
"This is your first trip as Alexandra, right?" Kristine inquired as she
pulled away from the sidewalk.
"Well, we went shopping before," Alec reminded Kristine.
"That was when you were still a guy," Kristine countered.
"If you say so," Alec joked.
"No. I'm being serious."
"So am I. I was still shopping for me," Alec rejoined.
"But not as you."
"No," Alec admitted as he kept his knees together.
"When did you get that bag?" Alec then asked after he saw the
pocketbook on Erin's lap.
"I got this a few weeks ago," she answered.
"And she was hiding it on us," Kristine added with eyes darting from
side to side.
"I just didn't think it goes well with my professional outfits."
"It's so pretty though."
"Yah, but I'm trying to look professional. I don't want the boss's
thinking I'm some young airhead."
"You're too self-conscious for your age," Alec retorted.
"I'm trying to move up in this company someday," Erin replied.
"You and me both," Alec responded with a smile.
"I didn't think you ever wanted to be promoted," Kristine noted.
"I didn't work my way through college to work as an administrative
assistant my whole life," Alec replied.
Kristine and Erin smiled at each other. They had never heard such a
forceful response from Alec before, nor any hint of ambition.
They continued to make small talk before they pulled up in front of the
mall. Alec looked around at the smattering of people in the parking
lot and paid them little attention.
He felt safe with Kristine and Erin as his buffer. He walked alongside
them while they entered the building.
As comfortable as Alec felt walking around with Kristine and Erin, he
was still waiting from someone to recognize him from his former life as
a man. The prospect was beyond mortifying for Alec. He hated that
such a moment could occur. It was something that women that were
raised as girls did not have to deal with and he envied them for that.
Not for the first time, Alec was relieved that he largely kept a low
profile as a man. Alec smiled to himself as he realized that all his
prior efforts to hide himself, which had held him back before, were
finally paying fruit.
'Win one for cowardice,' Alec thought with a shake of his head and a
smile before they entered a store.
Alec walked through the store and saw no one give them a second look,
other than few lusty glances given towards Erin by some of the younger
men in the establishment. Alec enjoyed the anonymity he felt before
they came to a stop in the professional clothing section of the ladies'
department.
Alec glanced around the ladies department and saw that no one was
giving him a dirty look anymore. He nodded to himself as he thought,
'I look good.'
Kristine caught a smile coming to his face and asked, "What are you
smiling at?"
"Nothing."
"Don't lie!"
"Just myself."
"Why?"
"I feel right."
"And that's funny to you?" Kristine pressed.
"I never thought I'd feel right," Alec answered.
Kristine gave him a sympathetic look before Erin gave him a hug and
said, "I like it when you're smiling."
"I like it too," Alec admitted before he started to look through the
clothing with the girls.
While his previous endeavor had humiliated him, he felt emboldened by
his obvious passing amongst other women to let himself enjoy the
moment. Rather than still being a passive participant, Kristine and
Erin saw that Alec was selecting what he thought would look good on
him.
"Oh, that's a pretty dress," Erin said as she looked over the sheath
dress with contrasting black, white and magenta stripes in Alec's hand.
Alec nodded as he said, "I love the etched pattern."
"That's a tropical pattern," Erin explained as she looked at the
magenta and white pattern overlaid on the black, mid-thigh length
dress.
Alec made a mental note of it before saying, "I didn't need to know
that to like it."
"Sassy," Kristine teased.
"She's been full of sass lately," Erin added.
"Get used to it, girls," Alec replied with a smile and a flick of his
hands.
"Oh, you're getting a little full of yourself," Kristine chided.
"You have only yourself to blame," Alec retorted.
"Is that right?" Kristine asked.
"Yep, you released the kraken!"
Lias laughed at the reference that went over Erin's head. Realizing
it, Alec explained the phrase to the young woman.
Erin shook her head while she joked, "I work with a bunch of dorks."
Kristine and Alec laughed at her response. Alec put up his hand as he
said "Guilty," while he held up another dress with his other hand.
"And fashionable," Erin noted, approving the sheath dress with a Bateau
neckline.
After perusing the racks for a few more minutes, Erin and Alec headed
for the fitting room. They talked on their way in before they parted
to try on their outfits.
"Alexandra, let me see you," Kristine called in as Alec tried on his
three-quarter sleeved dress.
Alec pulled at the ruching at the left waist as he emerged almost
simultaneously with Erin from the dressing stall. The two immediately
beamed about the way the other looked in their outfits.
* Ruching at the left waist
Kristine seconded both of their opinions before she turned to Alec and
said, "You look like a model in that!"
"Oh, please."
"No. I'm being serious," Kristine said with a shake of head, almost in
disbelief that Alec had made such a beautiful woman.
"I could just see Alexandra up on the catwalk," Erin joked.
"Yah, that would be something," Kristine seconded.
"Let me give you a preview," Alec responded before he began to take
long strides away from the girls. He peered over his shoulders and
shot the girls a fierce look before he slowly dropped and pursed his
lips as he blew the bemused girls a kiss.
"Way to work it," Kristine joked.
"You don't have to tell me, darling," Alec teased while he sauntered
back towards them with a more pronounced wiggle in his step.
"You're feeling good," Erin noted.
"I'm feeling better than ever," Alec admitted before he stepped back
into the stall to try on a few more outfits. He showed them off for
the girls and gave his opinions on the outfits that Erin and Kristine
were thinking about purchasing. Alec was amazed to see that the girls
were taking his opinions on fashion seriously.
'I really am one of them,' Alec thought with a smile once Erin decided
against a particular dress due to Alec's criticism of it.
Alec felt a slight attraction to Erin and Kristine as they preened in
the clothes they modeled beside him. He knew that they were pretty,
but he was bored by it. He was more jealous that they picked certain
outfits and dresses before he could.
Once they settled on their clothing, they paid for it and headed to a
discount shoe store in the mall. Alec walked in beside them and they
parted ways to find the pairs of shoes they wanted before the others
had a chance to get them first.
Alec tried on shoe after shoe beside the girls before they brought
their selections to the register. As the Alec and girls finished
paying the cashier for their purchases, Erin asked if they wanted to
get lunch.
"I can eat," Kristine responded.
"I'll go," Alec replied, feeling more comfortable in his new persona
than he could ever recall feeling about being a man.
Alec walked along with the girls to a chain establishment that was
connected to the mall. They walked inside and were seated by the
smiling hostess.
Alec and the girls chatted while they looked over the menus before
their waiter arrived. The waiter gave them all an inspecting look
while he took their menus.
The man made a joke as he talked with Alec. The girls laughed along
with Alec before Alec gave him the order while the waiter's eyes
focused on him.
"What was that about?" Alec asked while the waiter walked away.
"He was hitting on you," Erin answered.
"With you here?"
"I'm not every guys type," Erin reminded Alec.
"I noticed that you didn't say that about me," Kristine interjected.
"Well, you too," Alec hastily added.
"Too late, bitch. Too late," Kristine said with a shake of her head.
"Don't hate her because she's beautiful," Erin joked.
The joke brought a smile to all of their faces before the waiter
carried over their drinks. He lingered longer than necessary beside
Alec, leaving little doubt in his mind that Erin and Kristine's beliefs
were accurate.
Alec was at a loss for what to do. He had never been able to bring
himself to hit on a woman, let alone flirt with a man.
As the waiter walked away looking disappointed, Kristine asked, "Why
did you freeze up?"
"I didn't know what to do," Alec admitted.
"You have to flirt."
"I've never done that," Alec admitted.
Kristine and Erin gave him a sympathetic look before they started to
tell him how to flirt. Erin leaned across the table as she said, "The
first thing you've got to do when they engage is start talking. You've
got to keep the conversation moving."
"Talking isn't flirting," Alec rejoined.
"It is when you flash that pretty white smile of yours and laugh at his
jokes."
"What if they're not funny?"
"If he's cute, they're funny," Erin countered.
"If you don't laugh, you seem standoffish, and you've got to trick him
into thinking he's in control. Men like to think that," Kristine
noted.
"When the chance comes, touch him lightly," Erin added.
"Touch him?" Alec asked, shocked by the idea that it was appropriate.
"It's not him touching you. You have to do a light touch."
"Like what?"
"Like put a hand on his shoulder or on his hand, just a light touch,
don't let it linger," Erin explained.
"Always leave him wanting more," Kristine noted while she raised her
eyebrows.
"And draw attention to your body. Make him see more of what he wants."
"Like how?"
"Like leaning back so he can see your rack," Erin counseled.
"That's false advertising," Alec kidded.
"For now," Kristine rejoined.
Alec laughed a little, knowing it was true, before he inquired, "What
else?"
"You can play with your hair. Boys love long hair."
"Give him a compliment and definitely tease him," Kristine added.
"How do you compliment a guy?" Alec inquired.
"Tell him his hands are big. Big hands equal a big...," Kristine
answered, smiling as she trailed off.
"But what if his hands aren't big?"
"Tell them they are. They're going to be bigger than yours."
Alec nodded as he gazed down at his small, thin hands.
The waiter came back soon after and put the plates in front of each of
them. Alec smiled at the waiter as he asked, "Are those plates heavy?"
"Not for me," the waiter responded with a smile.
"Well, you've got such big hands."
The man laughed as he looked at his hands and said, "I suppose. I like
your pretty hands."
"These old things," Alec joked.
"Pretty hands for a pretty girl," the man replied as Alec's manhood
swelled only to be thwarted by the device that was encasing it.
The waiter's attention was soon drawn away from Alec as a woman asked
for a refill of her drink.
"I've got to go," the waiter noted.
Kristine and Erin laughed at Alec's first attempts at flirting. Erin
smiled while she said, "Not bad for a first timer."
"You did better than he did," Kristine added.
"Yah, he was little awkward," Erin noted.
"Do you think he knows?" Alec asked with some alarm.
"Not a chance. Guys are just stupid," Erin answered.
"If you keep that up, he's going to ask for your number," Kristine
noted.
"I can't do that."
"Why not?" Erin asked.
"I don't want to give him a nasty surprise."
"How do you know he doesn't like...," Erin.
"There's only so many that do," Alec retorted, cutting her off.
"You have to ask him to find out," Kristine pressed.
"No. I rather like my teeth," Alec replied as he tapped the white
teeth attached to his upper jaw.
"Don't be such a drama queen," Erin responded with a shake of her head.
"That's the one queen I haven't been," Alec retorted to the girls'
laughter.
"You can't spend the rest of your life alone," Erin noted.
"I've spent most of it alone already," Alec replied.
"That was then," Erin countered.
Alec nodded before he said, "I do hope to find the right guy someday."
Alec paused as he realized what he had said. It had been unforced in
his mind. He truly saw himself as being with only men in the future.
He had never had any luck with women and never pursued them like other
men. His sex drive was minimal as a man. He always pushed away the
gay fantasies that came into his mind. The idea of being the girl in a
relationship had long intrigued him. It was now more than intriguing,
it was all consuming. He wanted to find a man that loved him. He
wanted to be some man's girlfriend and wife.
It was not long after that realization that they finished their meal.
The waiter flirted with Alec again as he left the check.
"Last chance," Kristine kidded.
"No. I need to meet a man who knows what he's getting into," Alec
replied, feeling that it was the only safe way for someone like him to
date.
The girls did not push Alec further before the tip was left and they
made their way out the door. They went back to the car and drove back
to Alec's apartment.
Alec let them inside and they talked for a few minutes. After Erin
went to the bathroom, she and Kristine said goodbye to Alec.
They hugged and kissed Alec on the cheek before they started towards
the front. As Erin stepped out the apartment, Kristine started out
behind her. She paused before she turned on her heels and pivoted
towards Alec.
"There's one last gift I wanted to give you."
"What?" Alec asked.
"This," Kristine replied as she removed the key to his chastity belt
from her purse.
Alec took it with a smile. Kristine smiled back at him as she said, "I
don't think you need to go any further than you're willing to."
"Thanks," Alec replied as he felt relieved that he was regaining
control of his manhood.
"Have a good night," Kristine said with a smirk.
"Oh, I will," Alec responded with blushing cheeks.
As Alec closed the door behind Kristine he hurriedly pulled up his
skirt. He forced down his panties and reached for the lock. He pulled
it off and felt instant relief.
Alec worked the device off his member and pulled up his panties before
walking into the kitchen. He tossed the chastity device in the garbage
with a laugh.
Alec's eyes looked around his small kitchen. He nodded to himself and
started to walk towards his bedroom.
Alec removed his skirt and took hold of a pair of leggings to lounge
around in for the rest of the day. Alec paused as he took the leggings
in his hand.
He knew that he did not have to put them on, no matter how comfortable
they were for him to wear. The choice was now his. There was nothing
forcing him to go forward with anything. His arm was no longer being
twisted by the control he had surrendered to Kristine. He was free to
be his own man or woman. Alec grinned as tears ran down his cheeks.
He sensed that the choice was his, but the more he contemplated it, the
more he realized that there had never been any choice at all.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The following Monday morning, Alec roused himself from bed. After
showering and having breakfast, Alec pulled on his panties and stuffed
his bra.
Once his fingers stopped adjusting the straps, Alec pulled a bi-
stretch, crepe, black mini-dress over his head. His hands worked
through the dress's long sleeves before he adjusted the dress's
straight silhouette.
Alec smiled as he looked down at his false bust. He was relieved that
its artificialness was not able to be seen from beneath the dress's v-
neck.
After Alec placed a silver necklace around his neck, he put on
complementing silver rings and earrings. He then placed on his black,
patent leather pumps and headed out the door for his car. Alec did not
bother changing out of his heels before he started to drive to work,
feeling that he had to get used to it at some point.
While he thought he knew what he was in store for the Monday before,
now, there was no doubt. Alec was determined to keep his head up. He
was not going to let anyone walk all over him any longer. He was going
to be his own woman going forward in a way that he had never let
himself be as Alec.
Alec strolled into work with his held high. He greeted people as he
walked past them walking with his false chest out. He knew that he was
cutting an entirely different image than in the past, but that was the
point.
As Alec settled in, he looked at the girls in the neighboring desks and
said, "Girls, I've got an announcement."
"You went back and got the cute waiter's number," Morgan joked, having
already heard the story from Kristine.
"You wish!"
"Hey, I'm married. I have to live vicariously through you girls."
"You don't want that," Brianna noted.
"I wish I had what you have," Kristine replied.
"I got a good one," Morgan admitted.
"Well, hopefully one day we all will," Alec added.
The girls nodded before he said, "Now, as I was saying, MORGAN..."
"Oh, she's getting snippy," Morgan kidded.
"Must be on the rag," Erin joked to the girls' laughter.
Alec blushed in reply before he said, "As I was saying, I made my first
appointment with a gender therapist."
"What is that?" Morgan asked.
"That's the doctor I need to sign off on all my medical treatments to
complete my transition."
"Wow, that's great," Erin exclaimed before being seconded by the other
girls in the area.
"What treatments do you need?" Morgan inquired.
"I need to get cleared to take pills to stop my testosterone, whatever
small amount that is, and increase my estrogen."
"Can you just do that?"
"No. You need a doctor's supervision. It's a difficult process."
"Yeesh," Morgan interjected.
"It's not easy becoming a girl," Alec advised.
"It wasn't easy for me," Morgan said with a laugh before she added,
"For you, it's got to be even harder."
"We'll be here for you," Erin noted.
"That's right," Morgan seconded as Kristine and Brianna nodded.
Alec thanked the girls before they all got to work.
Alec smiled to himself as he then began to draft the email to his
coworkers for approval by his bosses. He had already cleared the idea
of sending the email to further explain himself to his coworkers before
they had sensitivity training.
Alec took a sip of coffee as he began to type:
Good morning:
I hope this email finds you all doing well.
I know that you are all aware of my changes that have been unavoidable
to notice. It's not everyday that one of your coworkers goes from
wearing oxfords to pumps, which is no doubt a relief to many of you.
Many of you are probably irritated about the upcoming sensitivity
training session you feel may be unnecessary or inappropriate. Still,
I would hope that you could spare a few moments to read this email to
explain to you why I am Alexandra.
By now, you all know that I'm transgender. This is a fact that I've
kept hidden. I was ashamed by my lack of masculinity and took refuge
in hiding myself. I spent a long time trying to deceive myself as I
remembered all the abuse my effeminacy had gotten me as child and
teenager.
It was not long ago that I decided that I can no longer continue to
live the lie. I am no longer ashamed of what I am. I am free.
I am sorry for deceiving you with my appearance before. I hope you can
forgive me for that. I will no longer pretend to be someone I am not.
What you see now is, and has always been, me.
In short, I am a woman. I've always had the feelings that I was born
to be a woman, that I should have been raised a girl and that I should
be living as a girl. I did everything I could to hide from those
thoughts and change them. No longer.
Today, I am a woman, and I hope that you can accept that. At the
least, I hope you can tolerate it. You may not like it, but please let
it be. It's my life not yours. Me living a lie may have been more
comfortable for you, but I lived with depression everyday of my life
that has finally lifted.
Please note that I'm not confused. I was, but I am no longer. I am
not sick, despite what some quacks may say. I'm not deluded. I am
still a human with feelings, just like all of you.
For those of you who call me Alexandra, even Alex, and who call me she,
her or group me in with "the girls," I thank you. I would ask that
everyone else do so as well. I know that this may be difficult and,
even the most well intentioned of you will make a slip-up now and
again. Some of that is my fault for deceiving you about who I was when
we met.
Despite my change in appearance, I am the same person I have always
been. I have the same hopes and same dreams. I hold the same values
and work ethic. Please do not treat me any differently than you did
before you knew the truth.
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedules to read this.
I will be happy to answer any questions you may have, but please, keep
it appropriate. We are, after all, all professionals here.
Sincerely,
Alexandra Prinz
Alexandra felt a weight come off her shoulders as she finished putting
her truth in writing for the first time in her life. She was concerned
about the reaction it would have, but felt she needed to do it. The
email was soon cleared by her bosses and sent out to the rest of the
office.
Alexandra expected the worst, but she got back uniformly positive
responses from those that responded. She figured that those that were
put-off by the email could be bothered to respond or were too smart to
know that no good could come of putting their narrow-minded views in
writing.
Alexandra's fellow administrative assistants were impressed by the
email. Kristine smiled as she asked her, "So, we were right?"
Alexandra