The Gift
Belladonna
Ari woke with the taste of his girlfriend's juices lingering in the back
of his mouth. He blinked his eyes a few times while he looked around
his bedroom.
With a groan that belied his youth, Ari pushed his body out of the bed.
His nostrils flared at the welcoming scent filling the room. A smile
came to his face as he followed the smell of pancakes into the warm
kitchen.
"Hey, baby," Ari said as he watched Penelope cooking in her red, silk
pajamas.
"Hey, you," Penelope replied with a smile while she continued to cook.
Ari walked around her and put his arms around Penelope's waist.
"Smells great," Ari whispered into his lover's ear.
"Me or the food?" Penelope asked.
"Both," Ari answered before placing a kiss on her right cheek.
"Yah. Yah," Penelope replied before adding, "I may smell good, but I'm
still not good enough to bring home for the Holidays!"
"Do we have to do this again?" Ari asked with a sigh.
Penelope shook her head while she put Ari's plate on the table and said,
"Merry Christmas."
"I should be saying that to you," Ari reminded his girlfriend.
"Then, why didn't you?" She countered.
"Merry Christmas," Ari replied with a smile before he planted a kiss
upon her lips.
Penelope smiled as their lips parted before she joined him for
breakfast. As they ate, Penelope said, "I can't wait for you to open my
gifts.
"That's going to be a weird one," Ari admitted.
"Why's that?"
"I've never gotten Christmas gifts before," Ari answered with a smile
"Well, then, don't think about them as Christmas gifts. Think about
them as Chanukah gifts, just eight crazy nights consolidated into one
manageable morning. It's so much more efficient that way."
"Yah, you Catholics are known for efficiency, what with the confession
as a cure all and all!"
"Hey, we don't get to atone and start over in one day without having to
leave our houses. That's efficiency," Penelope rejoined.
"It's all good, dear. I'm fine with a Merry Christmas right now," Ari
replied with a single nod of his head.
"You'd better be. I already agreed to your Christmas tradition, Chinese
food and a movie."
"That's because you didn't want to go home!"
"Well, my parents aren't particularly happy about me dating someone who
doesn't think Christ died for their sins, but at least they KNOW I've
got a Jewish boyfriend!"
"My mom thinks I have a girlfriend," Ari retorted as he stabbed another
piece of his pancakes.
"What?" Penelope asked with a laugh.
"I told her I have a girlfriend," Ari answered between bites.
"When did this happen?"
"I told her last week because she keeps trying to get me to move back
home so she can set me up with every single girl at her synagogue."
"So, she knows about me?" Penelope asked with a smile.
"Well...not exactly," Ari admitted with a grimace that caused the smile
to leave his girlfriend's face.
"WHAT?" Penelope asked while she put down her fork, peeved with her
boyfriend's continued cowardice in the face of his mother's anticipated
judgment.
"I told her you were Jewish," Ari explained in a low voice, staring at
the remaining food left on his plate because he could not meet his
girlfriend's angry eyes.
Penelope laughed as she shook her head and rejoined, "You know, it was
bad enough when you were just atoning for me, now, you're lying to your
mother about me too?"
"I'm never atoning for you. I just can't tell them. They aren't big on
the whole Shiksa thing."
"Oh, like Catholics are big on the whole sweet Catholic girl dating the
nice Jewish boy thing," Penelope replied while she finished the meal on
her plate.
"You haven't been to a Catholic mass in how long?" Ari countered.
"But my parents know about you," Penelope reminded her boyfriend with
crossed arms.
"I'll tell my family...when Mother's dead. I promise."
"But, for now, you want them to think I'm a nice Jewish girl?" Penelope
asked, incredulous.
"It will go over better..."
"My family accepted you."
"It's not the same thing, and you know that your family has a problem
with the fact that I'm Jewish."
"That's in your head."
"Well, my family's going to have problem with you!"
"Because I'm not Jewish?"
"That may or may not be the biggest thing for them," Ari admitted as he
got up to help his girlfriend do the dishes.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Penelope asked in a loud, high-pitched
tone.
"My mother doesn't like me dating girls she thinks are a threat to her."
Penelope shook her head at her boyfriend's explanation while she turned
on the water. As they washed the various soiled items, a smile crept
across Penelope's face as she asked, "Did you tell them my name?"
"No. The only thing I told them was that you were a nice Jewish girl."
"Such a liar," Penelope noted before she added with a shake of her head,
"telling them that I was nice! Such gall!"
"Oh, so, you're not?"
"Not after you lied to your mother about me, jackass."
"Can we not fight today?"
Penelope nodded before she smirked as she asked, "What would you do if
we somehow ran into them? You don't think they couldn't tell that I'm
not a Jew. I'd probably fail the first test they gave me."
"I thought of that and said you didn't practice."
"Thanks for that, but come on. Do I look like I could be Jewish?"
"Yes. There are Spanish Jews. They're Sephardic. You kind of got that
look down."
"So, what are you? You don't look Spanish at all."
"Ashkenazi."
"Ash...Ken...Nazi, there's probably a lot of jokes there."
"And they've all been told," Ari countered.
"Why would you tell your parents I was Jewish?" Penelope demanded to
know, finding Ari's alleged reasoning too suspect.
"It's just so much easier that way," Ari replied before he added with a
sheepish smile, "Besides, they don't know much about Sephardic Jews
other than that they exist."
"At least, I still get to pick my own fake name in case they ask. What
a nice accommodation," Penelope said with evident sarcasm as moved her
hands about.
"Well, as long as it's Sephardic!" Ari countered.
"All right, all right, let me take a look," Penelope replied while she
searched for famous Sephardic Jews on her cell phone as Ari finished
with the dishes.
As Ari put the last dish in the dish rack, Penelope blurted out, "Oh, I
got it. I'm Eva Spinoza!"
"Interesting name," Ari replied with a curious look.
"I was going for slutty philosopher," Penelope explained with wide-eyes.
"Mission accomplished," Ari responded to his smirking girlfriend while
he moved close to her.
As Ari kissed Penelope, his hands started to caress her body. Penelope
pushed off him and said, "Guess what you'll be doing tonight?"
"What?"
"Whatever I want," Penelope countered, enjoying the advantage she had
over Ari due to the favor she was going to grant him.
"What makes you think that?" Ari asked while Penelope began to walk
into the living room of their apartment.
"A little Christmas magic."
"I don't believe in any kind of magic. What are you getting at?" Ari
rejoined.
"You'll see when you open your gifts."
"Now, you've got me a little interested," Ari responded while they
neared the tree Penelope had setup.
Ari paused as he looked at the lights that Penelope had set to twinkle
on the wrapped boxes that were resting around the tree's red and green
stand. The care that Penelope had shown with every ornament she hung on
the fake branches was clear to him. He never saw the point of a
Christmas tree, but he thought that his girlfriend's handiwork had made
this one looked nice.
"Oh, you're going to be a little more than interested," Penelope said,
breaking her boyfriend's concentration.
Ari raised his eyebrows as he bent down and handed his girlfriend her
first gift. Penelope reciprocated as they both sat on the floor.
Penelope's fists clenched while she waited for her boyfriend to open the
first of his gifts. She tried to keep up a calm front, but she was
certain Ari was going to panic when he first saw what she got him.
It was something that she surmised from his past was all to true, but it
was something that he could never bring himself to admit. She knew that
she had to force it out of him, just as she was going to have to force
him to admit who she really was to his mother at some point.
Penelope smiled while she watched him to start to pull the wrapping
paper off his first gift. He paused as he noticed her lack of movement.
"Why aren't you opening your gift?" Ari inquired.
"I just want to see your reaction to mine," she answered.
"Why's that?" Ari asked as he inched closer to his girlfriend.
"You know I love you, right?"
"Why yes! You've said that from time to time," Ari gushed while he put
his arm around her.
"I just hope you can be honest with me."
The statement made Ari give his girlfriend an inquisitive look as he
finished unwrapping his gift. Ari asked her, "About what?"
"You'll see."
Ari gave his smiling girlfriend a strange look. His eyes moved away
from her as he opened the box and saw the black, lace dress staring back
at him.
"Is this a gift for you? It's pretty. I think it'd look good on you,"
Ari noted, confused by the gift.
"I think it'll be cuter on you, besides it's not my size," Penelope
responded with knots in her stomach about the fight to follow.
"Huh?" Ari asked as his stomach sank.
"I know you're a cross-dresser," Penelope explained.
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Ari retorted, getting defensive.
The accusation felt as if his masculinity was being stabbed at by his
girlfriend.
"You don't dress as a girl for nine Halloweens in a row unless you like
it!"
"They were just costumes," Ari countered, hoping that his brief
justification would be enough to satisfy Penelope.
"Well..."
"WELL, WHAT?" Ari exclaimed. His fingers clenched as he felt that he
was at risk of losing Penelope and everything that he had made of his
life.
"You were kind of convincing in them," Penelope answered with a shrug.
"Of what?" Ari demanded to know.
"I mean you looked so girly when you wore the..."
"That's what wearing a dress will do to a guy," Ari protested, cutting
his girlfriend's response off in the process
"But you were trying to look a little guy like, right?"
"That was part of the joke."
"But it wasn't all a joke. You wanted to wear it, and you knew how
you'd look if..."
"I was not going to look like a girl!"
"If you toned it down, I think you could really, you know...pass."
"As a girl..." Ari asked with raised eyebrows and a sinking stomach.
"What else?" Penelope asked, upset with her boyfriend's inability to be
truthful about his desires.
"Why would I want to...Wait! Are you gay?" Ari replied, feeling that
he had found a way out of the conversation he felt his girlfriend
clearly wanted.
"You're kidding me," Penelope inquired in disbelief about her
boyfriend's deflection.
"I'm kidding you! Why are you trying to make a girl out of me? If you
want pussy, go get yourself a girl," Ari countered. His heart continued
to race while he feared what Penelope would think if he actually put on
the dress.
"No. That's not what I want," Penelope replied, disgusted by the
thought of sleeping with a woman.
"And bring her back so I can watch," Ari joked.
Penelope shuddered before she said, "Perv! That's not what I'm getting
at!"
"So, what are you talking about?"
"I know that you want to do this, Ari! Why can't you just admit it?
I'm telling you I'm fine with it. HELL, I'M EVEN TRYING TO HELP YOU DO
THIS!"
Ari blushed at his girlfriend's forceful words. Penelope moved closer
to her boyfriend as she said, "It's okay. I love you, and I want to do
this for you. Why do you think I went to all this trouble? I'm okay
with this. I just want you to be truthful with me. That's all I'm
asking for."
"You really think I want to do this?" Ari inquired, feeling bad for how
much he was upsetting his girlfriend with his continued lies.
"I know you do," Penelope answered.
"Well, you seem to have put some thought into this," Ari responded with
a coy smile.
"Probably not as much as you," Penelope countered with a smirk before
she handed him a second package.
"There's more?" Ari inquired with surprise.
"I already told you! One gift for each crazy night we're going to cram
into one crazy day," Penelope answered.
Ari gave her a wide-eyed stare as he asked, "How much did you pay for
all this?"
"Shut up and open your gifts," Penelope retorted.
"Come on, we're saving for a house and a ..."
"Well, how much did you spend on my gifts?" Penelope countered.
Ari sucked his lips into his mouth while Penelope opened the box
containing the diamond bracelet he bought her. Penelope smiled while
she beamed over the gift and placed it on her right wrist.
She kissed his lips before she said, "I think you spent more."
Ari was nearly certain of it, but he expected as much as the man in the
relationship. Penelope then patted the wrapped box that was still on
her boyfriend's lap.
Ari's hands fiddled with the wrapper until his fingers pulled at the
edges. As the light pink box came into view, he confirmed that it was a
shoebox that was in his hands. He slowly lifted the lid and peered
inside.
"You've got to be kidding me?" Ari said with a mortified look.
"Come on try them on," Penelope pressed as Ari looked over the black,
Mary Jane pumps.
He reached into the box and removed the right shoe. His eyes examined
the 4 inch heel of the rounded toe shoe before he asked, "How do you
know I can walk in these?"
"That Halloween when you went as a hooker in neon pink fuck me pumps,"
Penelope answered before flashing Ari a knowing smile.
Ari blushed. He forgot that his friend from high school had shown
Penelope that photograph of the Halloween from a few years prior to when
they started dating.
Penelope laughed at Ari's discomfort. She shook her head before she
moved over to him and hugged him. She smiled as she said, "Relax, baby.
If I was upset about it, I wouldn't have stayed with you."
Ari smiled back at his girlfriend. Her words filled him with relief
before he pulled off the sock on his right foot. Penelope watched as he
slipped the shoe onto his foot and pressed closed the sparkling, crystal
button that ensured that the strap over his ankle stayed in place.
Ari was surprised to find that it was the right size. Penelope smiled
as she said, "That's look good on you, girly."
"Girly?" Ari asked as he crossed his arms as his heart started to race
again.
"Well, if the pump fits," Penelope replied before she kissed him and
moved back over to her gifts.
"I think I'll save these for later," Ari remarked as he took off the
shoe.
After he put his sock back on, he reached for the next gift. The thin
package felt light in his hands. He pulled open the wrapper and gave a
wide-eyed stare at the pair of black, opaque tights.
"I think you went a little overboard here," Ari remarked with a shake of
his head.
"It's winter. You can't be going around with bare legs, especially if
they're bear like."
"They're man legs," Ari retorted.
"So, we need to hide all that icky manliness."
"Icky?"
"I like my men to have a little less body hair."
"Are you telling me you want me to shave my legs?" Ari asked, not
opposed to the idea.
"No. I would have liked them to be a little less hairy is all..."
"You still have time to marry an Irishman. A lot of them are like
hairless cats," Ari joked to cover-up his disappointment.
"No. My type is you," Penelope replied.
"Lucky me," Ari said with a shake of his head.
"Damn right, lucky you," Penelope retorted.
"I do feel lucky," Ari admitted.
"That's damn right," Penelope added with repeated nods.
As Penelope opened another gift and thanked Ari, Ari opened up two light
boxes in matching wrapping paper containing a pair of panties and a
matching bra. Ari gave the bra's measurements a confused glance.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't know if I'm a C-Cup," Ari replied.
"With that frame, you have to be," Penelope rejoined before she added,
"Why don't you open this box next."
Ari took the box from his girlfriend and removed the wrapping. He
lifted the lid and saw the C-Cup inserts that his girlfriend had bought.
"Where did you even get these?"
"The internet is a wonderful thing, dear," Penelope answered while she
opened another gift from her boyfriend.
Ari's own hands were preoccupied with opening a small box. Ari peered
inside at the ring set. From the look of the set of silver rings, he
knew that they were costume jewelry. Still, Ari liked the way they
looked.
"I think these would look good on you," Ari remarked.
"They probably would, but, today, they're all yours."
Ari laughed as he put them down and grabbed the last box. It was
another small box. Ari opened the lid and glanced at the silver clip-on
earrings that complemented the rings he had been given.
"They complete the look," Penelope noted as Ari looked over at her.
"What look, exactly, were you going for?" Ari asked with a smirk.
"Classy, but sexy," Penelope answered.
Ari gave Penelope a kiss as he thanked her for the gifts while Penelope
opened the last few gifts he got for her. Penelope soon thanked her
boyfriend as she put her last gift to the side of her.
With the last gift opened, they collected the wrapping paper and tossed
it into a garbage bag. Penelope then put away her gifts while Ari
carried his into their bedroom.
Before he could walk out of the room, Penelope stood in the doorway as
Ari approached it. She raised an eyebrow as she asked, "Where do you
think you're going?"
"To see you," Ari answered slowly, confused by her inquiry.
"Dressed like that?" Penelope responded with a shake of her head.
"You're in your pajamas," Ari countered.
"Well, I didn't pay all that money to see you in yours."
"You want me to get dressed in this stuff," Ari asked as he pointed to
his gifts.
"That's the only reason I bought it."
"Now?"
"No time like the present."
"You did say it was for one crazy night."
"Oh, it will be, but you'll be wearing it all day, girlfriend."
Ari's member stiffened at his girlfriend's tone and promise. He could
not believe his luck.
"Strip for me," Penelope ordered with a tone that conveyed her half-
joking.
Ari was turned on by the order. He nodded before he removed his pajamas
before he was down to his underwear. Penelope glanced at him and said,
"Lose the boxers."
"Not until I have my panties," Ari protested while he reached for the
box.
"Come on, like it's something I haven't seen before."
Ari rolled his eyes before he pulled down his boxers and exposed his
hardened manhood. Penelope laughed at the sight and said, "You really
hide your turn ons well."
"Not so well that you couldn't find them," Ari joked with blushing
cheeks as he stepped into his boy short cut panties.
He pulled them up his legs and blushed as he felt his manhood surge from
the soft, silky feeling being dragged up his legs. Ari blushed as he
glimpsed Penelope's eyes focusing on his erection that was pushing his
panties away from his body. Penelope's eyes looked up and caught Ari's.
She grinned as she said, "Smile for me. Now, take your thumb and put it
in your mouth like a little schoolgirl."
"What the fuck?" Ari asked while he crossed his arms.
"It's just an old movie quote," Penelope remarked, to calm his nerves.
"You're making this harder than..."
"I'm not the one that's hard, babe," Penelope retorted.
Ari blushed before Penelope, "Just put on your bra, girly."
"Okay," Ari said, feeling weak at the moment.
Ari reached for the black bra and hooked it before he brought it over
his head and adjusted the straps over his chest, back and shoulders.
Penelope shook her head before she said, "It's so easy for men to be
girls."
"I'd say that's bull," Ari replied.
"I can't put on a bra like that."
"That's because you have something to fill it out."
"Well, so do you," Penelope countered as she picked up his forms before
she tossed them at him.
Ari caught the first form and stuffed his bra before he did the same
with form for his left cup. Ari cupped his hands over the cups of his
bra and muttered, "You couldn't have gone any bigger?"
"I was thinking you were the right size for a D," Penelope retorted.
"I was being sarcastic."
"I wasn't," Penelope retorted with a smirk.
Ari shook his head before he took hold of his black tights. Ari sat on
the edge of his bed before he rolled the tights down.
Penelope shook her head as she thought, 'He does that like an old pro.'
Ari's eyes focused on the fabric of the tights while he brought them up
his legs. Ari smiled at the feeling of the softness that was enveloping
his legs and hiding the evidence of his masculinity beneath their solid
coloring.
Ari stood up and shimmied from side to side as he brought them towards
his hips. Penelope could not help but laugh at the sight.
"What?" Ari asked.
"I didn't think that would be so funny."
"You know what it takes to put these on."
"I do. That's why I rarely wear them," Penelope countered.
"Well, you didn't give me much of a choice," Ari retorted as he
continued working the waistband up his body.
Once the tights reached his hips, Penelope handed Ari his black, lace
mini-dress with a shake of her head. Ari hesitated as he looked at the
short dress in his hands that was more ruffled than he first realized.
Penelope gave him an expectant look before he pulled the dress over his
head. Ari pushed his hands through the long sleeves of the dress before
they emerged through the dress's flounced ruffles at its bell cuffs.
"How does it look?" Ari asked his girlfriend as he glanced over at the
mirror.
"It looks pretty on you," Penelope said.
"It doesn't look right on me," Ari replied, never liking the contrast of
his male face with female clothing beneath it.
Ari then stepped into the rounded toe, Mary Jane pumps and fastened the
straps. Ari took a few steps before Penelope said, "And you thought you
wouldn't be able to walk in them."
"We both knew that was a lie," Ari countered while he put his hands on
his dress-covered hips.
"Because I know you so well," Penelope said as she told Ari to hold out
his hands. Ari complied with her request and watched as Penelope took
hold of the rings she bought him.
As she slid a silver ring onto his ring finger, Penelope smiled as she
said, "I never thought I'd be doing this to my boyfriend before he did
it to me."
Ari smirked while he responded, "All good things come to good girls who
wait."
"Oh, but you were not about waiting for sex!"
"Well, a girl has needs," Ari joked.
"Oh, I know. BELIEVE ME, I know," Penelope replied.
As Penelope put a second ring on one of his fingers, she remarked, "You
should really start using my moisturizer."
"Okay, now, you're really pushing it," Ari retorted.
"Hey, I'm just trying to make a better girl out of you," Penelope
countered.
"Oh, and I appreciate it."
"You could make that sound more sincere then," Penelope said with a
shake of her head.
"Sorry," Ari apologized as Penelope put another ring on his fingers.
She soon clipped on his dangling chandelier earrings before she said,
"Your look could use a little more!"
"Too bad there's only 8 nights to celebrate," Ari half-joked, half-
bemoaned with a shrug.
"I'll just have to loan you some stuff from my collection," Penelope
said while she went into her jewelry box.
Ari's eyes examined the silver charm bracelet and cubic zirconia
pendant, silver necklace in her hands. He bent his head as Penelope put
the necklace on him before she hooked it behind his neck. Once the
hooks were clasped, she clipped the bracelet on his right wrist.
With his outfit completed, Penelope turned her attention to doing his
makeup. Ari was nervous about wearing makeup. While he had done it on
Halloweens, he had never done it at another time of the year.
Penelope brought Ari into the bathroom and sat him down on the toilet
lid. Ari felt distracted as Penelope talked to him while she applied
foundation and highlighter to his face before she started to add red
color to his cheeks.
"What's with the blush?" Ari asked as Penelope finally fell silent.
"I want to make it look like you're going flush."
"Why?"
"It gives you that in intercourse look."
"Who am I trying to turn on?" Ari asked with a laugh.
"Me; and you're doing a damn good job of it," Penelope answered before
she took out her eyeshadow.
"You must be a one in a million girl," Ari remarked.
"And you'd do well to remember that," Penelope said with a shake of
finger in his face.
Ari nodded before he watched his girlfriend while she applied the dark
eyeshadow around his eyes. His eyes focused on the movements on her
hands as she worked on him and said, "This color really goes good with
your dress."
"You dressed me like I'm in mourning."
"Well, we're mourning your manhood, girly," Penelope joked.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ari asked, feeling nervous of her
motives for a moment.
"Learn to take a joke," Penelope said with a shake of her head at Ari's
defensive response.
Ari nodded as he let out a deep breath and asked, "Why am I all in
black?"
"Because it's sexy! Why do you think all women have a little black
dress?"
"Because men like that."
"Well, think of me as the man in your life."
"I'd really prefer not to," Ari replied in truth with a shake of his
head.
Penelope laughed while she told him to stay still as she finished
applying his eyeshadow. Penelope smiled at the smoky effect the
eyeshadow had on Ari before she began to curl his eyelashes with
mascara. Ari was nervous that she would poke him in the eye and was
relieved when she was finished.
"So pretty," Penelope said with a toothy smile while she put away her
mascara.
"Can I see?" Ari inquired.
"You don't unveil a masterpiece until it's finished, dear."
"I doubt I'm your best work."
"Well, I think I should be given extra credit, here, for my canvas,"
Penelope joked.
Ari shook his head before Penelope approached him with her lipstick.
She put a touch of red lipstick on his lips before she used eyebrow
makeup to cleanup his brows. She could not help shaking her head at him
while she admired her handiwork.
"Oh, you look so good. You should have let me do your makeup years
ago," Penelope cooed.
"I have," Ari reminded her.
"That was Halloween! I meant real makeup."
"It was real makeup."
"But not to make you look like a real girl."
"So, how do I look as a real girl?"
"Like a real girl," Penelope said with a shake of her head.
"My ass," Ari replied.
"Give me your aroused face."
Ari grinned before he gave her a fierce look with an under bite."
Penelope slapped his shoulder before she said, "Try to mimic the look on
my face when I get aroused."
Ari contorted his face the same way he had done moments earlier.
Penelope shook her head while she protested, "I do not look like that!"
"No. You look a lot better when you do it."
"Come on, give me a real look."
"Okay," Ari replied as he shook his head before he batted his eyelashes,
squinted and opened his mouth a little.
"That's better," Penelope said with a nod.
"Thanks," Ari replied slowly before licking his lips and giving her a
smile.
"Okay, now, you're just acting like a slut!"
"Sorry, lover," Ari replied as he stood and kissed her cheek.
"Ahhh," Penelope whined as she wiped her boyfriend's lipstick off her
cheek.
She shook her head before she complained, "Now, I have to touch up your
lips."
"Sorry."
"Just stay still," Penelope replied as she sat Ari back down and
repainted his lips. Once she put down the lipstick, she began to look
over his hair.
"You're going to do my hair too?" Ari asked.
"I've wanted to do it since the moment I met you," Penelope replied.
"What are you going to do?" Ari asked as Penelope ran her fingers
through his long hair.
"Well, instead of the man bun thing, I always wanted to see how you'd
look with a pretty ballerina bun."
"WHAT?"
"Oh, I'm just joking. I'm going to make you wear it down today. It's a
holiday, after all."
"Okay," Ari responded with a racing heart. He remained a little wary
before he realized that, given everything else he was wearing, it was
pointless to be concerned about how his hair looked.
"When was the last time you wore it down?" Penelope inquired.
"Other than to sleep?"
"Yah."
"Halloween, probably."
"So, you were due for a day to let your hair down," Penelope noted.
"I suppose," Ari replied while Penelope began to style his hair.
Ari watched as Penelope began to brush his hair. It felt good to have
the brush run through his hair as she brushed it straight before she
began to collect his hair.
As she tied it back into a ponytail, Ari said, "I thought you said you
weren't going to let my hair down?"
"I am," Penelope answered without any further details.
"Then, what are you doing?" Ari asked before he saw her remove her
curler.
"I am going to give you some nice beach waves," Penelope explained.
"Isn't that out of season?" Ari inquired, nervous about having his hair
curled.
"You don't need to be at the beach to wear them," Penelope advised her
feminized boyfriend.
"What are they then?"
"Waves in your hair that start about halfway down," Penelope explained
while she began to curl the hair in Ari's ponytail.
"Isn't..."
"Hush," Penelope said as she pushed down on his shoulders and said,
"This curler is very hot. You could get burned if you move. So, just
stay still."
"Okay," Ari replied feeling nervous about the curler that was reshaping
his hair. He continued to watch Penelope move around him until she put
the curler down and unplugged it.
"This will come out right," Ari asked as he reached behind his head to
see if he felt the waves that had been added to his hair.
"Basically, once you wash it," Penelope replied as she swatted away his
hand.
"Basically?" Ari asked with some alarm.
"You tie it back, no one will be able to tell," Penelope replied as she
shook her head and opened the bathroom door.
His girlfriend's rationalization did little to quell Ari's fears. He
did not have long to linger on them before Penelope beckoned him to
follow her. Ari got to his feet and started towards the door.
As he walked towards the door, Ari caught his reflection out of the side
of his eye. He wanted to hang back to examine it, but felt that he
could not hold up his girlfriend.
As he exited the bathroom, Ari inquired, "So, what do we know?"
"Why don't you show me your girl walk?" Penelope asked with a smile.
"My what?"
"Your girl walk. Your sashay. Your swinging hips."
"I don't think I have a girl alk."
"Give me a little strut then," Penelope replied.
Ari walked with usual steps. Penelope shook her head as she said, "Give
me the sexy. Swing those hips like a man never would."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ari asked.
"Stop thinking of yourself as a man."
"That's going to be hard because tomorrow..."
"Don't worry about tomorrow today. Today, you're all girl, all the
time, girlfriend. Got me, princess?"
Ari was aroused by his girlfriend's orders and choices of pronouns. He
nodded as have gave a mock curtsy and said, "Yes, girlfriend."
Penelope laughed before she said, "Now, give me your best, girly strut."
Ari nodded as he swayed his hips from side to side and pivoted on his
heels and repeated the movement. Penelope clapped as she said, "That
was much better, girly. A little over the top, but that's what makes it
fun to watch."
"I'm fine with that."
"Oh, that voice," Penelope said with a shake of her head and a grimace.
"Not girly enough for you?" Ari asked.
"No, you should go with a sexy voice for a sexy look."
"My voice isn't sexy enough for you?"
"Not for this look. Why don't you talk slow and low."
"What?"
"Well, high for you, but low for me."
Ari forced his voice higher as he spoke slowly, "Like this."
"A little less screechy."
Ari nodded as he tried to formulate a response, "Is this less screechy?"
Penelope grinned at his soft, slow words. She gave him an approving nod
before she added, "Now, I want you to add a pause in your speech and
give me a little breathy quality. I want to feel like I arouse you."
"Oh, you do," Ari replied, dropping back to his normal tone.
"Well, then, make me feel it!" Penelope said as she pointed to her
heart.
Ari forced his voice into a higher register while he slowly replied,
"You make feel so hot. I love looking into your eyes...They're
so....beautiful. The soft...ness of your lips and the way that
you...oh....it's just so..."
Ari finished his response with a smile as Penelope gave him an approving
nod. She laughed as she said, "Now, I think that you want to jump my
bones."
"You need me to say something to think that?" Ari asked with a laugh.
"No. You're an open book that way," Penelope answered with a laugh.
"I guess so."
"An open book with a dank, dust cover that conceals your real ballet
pink cover."
"Thanks," Ari said with a roll of his eyes.
"It's something I love about you," Penelope noted.
Ari shook his head before Penelope said, "Why don't you roll your
shoulders back?"
"For what?"
"To emphasize your chest. I want my eyes drawn to those C-Cups."
"You know that they're not real!"
"That's just between me and you," Penelope replied with a wink.
Ari shrugged before he rolled his shoulders back.
"Nice. Now, tighten those abs."
Ari sucked his stomach in his abs before Penelope joked, "I just want to
motorboat those babies."
Ari squinted at his girlfriend. A mischievous smile came across
Penelope's face as she said, "I guess that will have to wait till you
get implants."
"Then, you'll be waiting in vain," Ari retorted.
Penelope did not reply to his claim. Instead, she told him, "Show me
your neck."
"My neck, why?"
"I want to see that sexy swan like neck."
"I would say it's more like a duck's than a swan's," Ari countered.
"No, just lift your head up and away from me. Now, shoot your eyes at
me. Bring your chin over shoulder by turning your head and popping your
shoulder. That's it. Oh, no man could even resist that."
"Not exactly my goal," Ari replied, feeling uncomfortable by his
girlfriend's statement.
"Oh, don't worry. I would never share you with anyone."
"I'm all yours," Ari joked.
"You don't have to tell me. I mean what other girl would love a girly-
girl boy like you?" Penelope replied before she kissed him on the lips.
"Well, I think that's enough playtime for now," Penelope said as their
lips parted.
"Playtime? What are we five?"
"Well, this is your first day as a girl. I don't think you're even a
toddler yet."
"I'm walking heels."
"Okay, so you're like thirteen," Penelope replied while she tossed her
hands to the side as she walked towards the kitchen.
Ari followed behind her and helped her make lunch for them before they
brought it over to the table. Ari sat down at the table soon after
Penelope did.
"Smooth out your skirt when you sit," Penelope chastised her boyfriend
as he settled into his seat.
"Sorry," Ari replied as he stood up and smoothed out the lace skirt of
his mini-dress as he sat back down.
"Much better," Penelope responded with a smile before they started to
eat their lunch. As they chatted, Penelope's eyes darted below the
table.
Ari gave her a curious look before Penelope said, "I know you can't do
the leg twist because of that little accident of nature, but you have to
cross your legs or keep them together in that dress."
"It's just the two of us."
"I don't want you to get into bad habits."
"Fine," Ari replied as he crossed his legs.
"Now, I feel better," Penelope said with a smile.
"Yah," Ari replied with a disbelieving tone and a few nods.
"You should dangle your shoe."
"Why?"
"Aren't you trying to seduce me?"
"I think we're beyond that."
"I want my attention drawn to those lovely, silky, long legs."
Ari rolled his eyes before he reached down to release his ankle strap.
He let his left shoe dangle from his toes while he ate. Penelope nodded
at his continued submission to her requests. They continued to chat
while they ate before Penelope asked Ari if he could clean up while she
called her family.
"You're not going to help?"
"Well, it's women's work, and with those shoes, you're clearly the
better woman at the moment, girly," Penelope joked as she walked past
Ari still dressed in her slippers.
"And when can I take these shoes off?" Ari asked as he buckled his shoe
again.
"When I tell you to," Penelope answered over her shoulder while she
picked up her phone.
Ari shook his head as his girlfriend texted her friends Christmas'
wishes before she called her family while he cleaned the table. He
washed and dried the dishes, utensils and cups before he walked back
into the living room where Penelope was still talking with her family.
Ari picked up his kindle and started searching news stories and reading
them to pass the time. He half listened to Penelope's conversations
before he heard her say goodbye to her father.
After hanging up with her family, Penelope turned to Ari to inquire,
"When was the last time you called your family?"
"Jews don't call home for Christmas."
"What about for Chanukah?"
"It's a made up holiday to make little Jewish kids feel better," Ari
replied with a dismissive tone and wave of his hands.
"Then, why not call and wish her a happy Kwanza?"
"Yah, she wouldn't like that either."
"She'd still like a call. She's a woman!"
"Fine!"
Ari took a few deep breaths before he called his mother. He hoped that
she would not pick the phone up, but did so on the second ring. After
exchanging greetings, Ari started to talk with her. As he did so,
Penelope spoke with a friend on the phone for a few minutes.
"Is your girlfriend there?" Ari's mother asked, overhearing a woman's
voice in the background.
"Um, yah," Ari replied.
"Wonderful, can I speak with her," the woman inquired.
"Uh, let me check."
"Uh...Li...Eva, can I introduce you to my mother?"
"Sure," Penelope replied throwing her voice to a higher pitch before she
ended her call.
Ari furrowed his brow before he told his mother, "Here, she is, Mom.
This is my girlfriend. Eva, my Mother."
"Thanks," Penelope said while she took the phone from his hands.
"It's very nice to meet you, Eva," Ari's mother said with a smile and
warmth that Penelope could sense over the phone.
"You too, Mrs. Cohn."
"Please call me Barbara," she replied.
"Will do."
"I wish you could have come to meet us for Chanukah."
"What? Ari told me you guys didn't really celebrate it," Penelope
replied as she gave Ari a glare that caused him to sink in his chair.
"What?! We certainly do! Maybe he didn't want to put you on the spot.
I mean how do you people handle the holiday?"
"Pardon?" Penelope replied.
"Mom!" Ari interjected, overhearing her mother's line of questioning.
"It's a fair question, Ari. I want to know. It's not like you brought
home one of the girls from the Temple who we know..."
"Mom, this isn't the time," Ari yelled.
"I'm sorry, Eva. I don't mean to be rude. We've been trying to set him
up with some girls that we think would be perfect for him."
"Or you?" Penelope retorted.
Barbara furrowed her brow, not expecting to be challenged by her son's
girlfriend the first time they talked.
"Let's just be happy it's not a boy," Ari's grandmother interjected in
the background.
"We can all be happy about that," Penelope replied with a grin as she
gazed at her boyfriend's nylon-covered legs before she stroked them.
Barbara shook her head, displeased by her mother's willingness to
continue to broach a subject that she pushed to the back of her head
since she first caught her young son in her clothes.
Ari took back the phone and finished the call with his family. As he
hung up, Penelope said with a shake of her head, "Thank you."
"What did I tell you?" Ari inquired with a shake of her head.
"Most families are screwed up Ari. Yours is just fucked up," Penelope
replied.
"I told you," Ari said with a smile and a nod.
Penelope shrugged before Ari inquired, "Why did you throw your voice?"
"I plan on meeting her sometime. I'll save my REAL voice for when she
meets your REAL girlfriend, not your make believe Jewish girlfriend."
"Fair enough," Ari replied with another nod.
"Did they ever know about this?" Lias asked as she pointed at his
clothing.
"Are you kidding me? My mother would be dead and buried if she found
out that I still have this side of me. She'd have a heart attack right
after my Grandmother told her 'I knew it all along.'"
"She knows about this?"
"No, but she's not blind to the fact that I know quite a bit about what
women wear. My mother just ignores it."
"Is that why she thinks you're gay?"
"I think so, but it doesn't matter to me. The only thing I care about
is what you think?"
"That's so sweet," Penelope teased as she clasped her hands together and
tilted her head to the side.
"No. I'm being serious! You don't think I'm gay, do you?" Ari asked
as he started to sweat.
"Well, I'm not so sure..."
"WHAT?" Ari shrieked as he shook his head.
"I mean, if your own mother thinks..."
"PENELOPE!"
"Just teasing you, baby," Penelope replied with a smile before she
kissed him on the left cheek.
"You love torturing me."
"All girls love torturing their men. Men like it too. Taylor Swift
could have told you that."
"She's already last year's news."
"I wouldn't count her out yet."
"Every one of her songs seems to be about revenge and why everyone who
comes into her life sucks for some reason. At some point, everyone
realized that the problem had to be her," Ari explained.
"I'd hold off on the obituary," Penelope retorted before she turned on
the television. They chatted for a few moments before they settled on
watching some shows they enjoyed.
"Can I take off my shoes now," Ari asked as Penelope turned on the
program.
"Why not?" Penelope replied.
Ari pulled off his pumps before Penelope moved next to him. They
cuddled together as Ari put a blanket over their legs while they binge
watched the program.
As the credits of the last episode of the season rolled, Penelope turned
off the television and said, "What do you want for dinner tonight?"
Ari shrugged and inquired, "What were you thinking?"
"I already agreed that we should go out for a traditional Jewish
Christmas dinner."
"Go out?" Ari asked as his stomach sank.
"Well, you're all dressed. You have to have somewhere to go."
"I don't think so," Ari asked as his heart raced and his palms started
to sweat.
"Oh, so you're going to cook?"
"I'm fine with a Hot Pocket," Ari rushed to answer.
Penelope grimaced at the thought of eating one of the snacks that Ari
occasionally ate for lunch. She shook her head as she replied, "I
didn't get all these nice gifts just so that no one will ever see them."
"You're asking me to be seen by, however many people are in the place."
"All strangers, dear. I already made reservations with that little
restaurant down on Jackson Street. It's dimly lit. Who's going to
really see you?"
"Dimly lit, still means lit," Ari countered.
"Everyone looks better under dank lighting. That's what every owner of
every bar on planet earth knows."
"So, you think that'll help me pass?"
"Oh, I have no doubt about it!"
"Such confidence from the girl who's not putting herself on the line,"
Ari reminded her.
"Hey, I'm going with you!"
"Yah, but I'll take all the insults!"
"And I'll hurl them back at the haters."
"Haters?"
"Haters gonna hate, but nobody hates on my girl, babe," Penelope noted
with a laugh.
Ari shook his head at Penelope's playful tone before he said, "I really
don't want eat a Hot Pocket for dinner."
"Then, Chinese seems like the only option."
"Especially since you already made reservations."
"What other place is open? It's Chinese, Sushi, Fusion or Tai. Those
are your only choices today."
"You didn't want to let me choose?" Ari asked as he crossed his arms.
"I think I've done enough for you today, besides a restaurant should be
the ladies choice and I defer enough to you during the year."
"YOU DEFER TO ME! WHEN THE HELL WAS THAT? HOW DID I MISS IT?" Ari
demanded to know with exasperation.
Penelope smirked at Ari's response as she said, "Well, I don't want you
to get spoiled."
"That's a REAL concern," Ari replied with a laugh as he threw his hands
up.
"Come on, let me get you ready."
"Get me ready? I've been dressed to the nines all day, while you've
been wearing pajamas."
"We are both wearing it well though."
"You definitely, me not so much."
"You should have more faith in yourself."
"I know what I am," Ari countered.
"I think you're much prettier than you think."
"Sure," Ari replied as he rolled his eyes.
"Come along."
"Come along? What am I dog?"
"That's right. You're my bitch!"
Ari's member surged at his girlfriend's joke as he followed behind her
into the bathroom. He stole another glimpse of himself in the mirror
before he was sat back down on the toilet lid.
Penelope reached for her makeup and touched up his face before she
fiddled for a few second with his hair and said, "You're ready for a
night on the town."
"What about you?"
"Now, that's a work in progress," Penelope said before she pushed Ari
out of the bathroom.
Ari knew that he was going to have to wait on his girlfriend. It was a
common occurrence and one he had become conditioned to accept.
As the door closed, Ari realized that he had chance to finally get a
good look at himself. Ari moved into his bedroom with quick steps and
headed to his girlfriend's dressing mirror.
Ari came to a stop before the mirror to gaze at his reflection. He
could not help but smile as he adjusted his legs and watched as the
short hemline moved over his shapely, long, tights covered legs. The
ruffled panels at the hips added an extra layer of femininity to the
dress, while the matching ruffles at the cuffs of the loose sleeves
helped to hide the fact that his arms were larger than those possessed
by a normal woman his size.
Ari's fingers touched the silver necklace that was visible over the
rounded neckline. He laughed at his reflection as he kicked a leg out
before putting his hands on his hips.
"This is crazy," Ari told himself. The preening he was doing was hardly
a masculine endeavor. He doubted it was even as a girlish one. It was
childish in his mind. Still, he could not help himself from mock
pouting and laughing at the reflection in the mirror that struck him as
somewhat attractive.
His hands cupped together in front of him while he stuck his hip out.
He turned his head over his shoulder and mouthed, "Hey girl" at his
reflection.
The look made Ari laugh as he hoped that everyone that saw him that
evening would be as convinced by his appearance as he was. The more he
gazed at his reflection, however, the more passable he felt he was. He
examined every inch of himself and believed that Penelope had covered
every base when it came to concealing what he truly was.
Ari shook his head as he made a kissy face before he heard Penelope turn
on the hair drier. Ari's heart raced as he remembered that he was not
alone in the apartment. He clenched his fists before he stomped his
right foot, knowing that Penelope would be returning to the bedroom in
short order. While he wanted to linger longer, he did not want his
girlfriend to catch him in the act.
Tearing his eyes away from the mirror, Ari scurried into the living
room. He turned the television back on as he sat on the couch. Trying
not to mess up his hair, Ari brought his legs up onto the couch and put
them to the side of him while he watched the show with his body propped
up against the couch's armrest.
As Ari heard his girlfriend coming out of the bathroom, he turned and
caught a fleeting glimpse of her while she moved into their bedroom.
From experience, he knew it was best not to disturb her.
His eyes veered back at the television screen to one of the programs he
enjoyed, but Penelope had no interest in. Once he heard the bedroom
door open, Ari turned to watch Penelope emerge.
A smile came across his face as she saw her strolling towards him
wearing a pair of low heels, black pants and a ribbed, red sweater. He
loved the way she looked in it before he asked, "How come you get to
wear pants?"
"Because it's cold outside," she remarked.
"But not too cold for me?"
Penelope smiled as she said, "If you looked this good in pants, I'd say
okay, but then little Ari would have to go, and I really do want
children some day."
Ari cringed at the thought of losing his manhood as he swung his legs
off the couch. He stood up and said, "You look beautiful."
"Thanks. So do you," she replied.
"You don't have to lie to me," Ari countered with false modesty.
"Just take the compliment, bitch," Penelope said with a roll of her
eyes.
"Sorry," Ari replied.
"We've got to get going," Penelope noted while she glanced at the clock.
"Okay," Ari replied as he grabbed his keys before he remembered he had
no pockets for them.
Penelope grinned at the recognition of the situation on Ari's face. She
smiled as she said, "It's lucky for you that I've got just the bag for
that outfit."
Ari watched while Penelope produced a purse for him. Ari gave her a
begrudging thanks while he put his wallet and keys into the bag.
"Ready to go?" Penelope asked.
"No, but that's not going to change no matter what."
"Oh, keep your chin up. It'll be fine," Penelope remarked while she
gave Ari a short hug before she leant him a double-breasted peacoat and
started for the door.
She opened the door for him and Ari stepped outside. He finished
buttoning the jacket as they walked towards the parking lot. Ari then
paused as he reached his car.
"What's wrong?"
"How am I going to drive like this?"
"You drove dressed like a girl last year," Penelope reminded him.
"But that was Halloween. If a cop stopped me..."
"There's a cure that, it's called drive the speed limit," Penelope
reminded.
"Like an old woman," Ari remarked.
"Well, I want you to take it slow in those heels."
"Yeesh, it's been a long time since I drove in heels."
"Well, I guess that makes me feel better on two fronts," Penelope joked.
Ari gave her a stare before he got into the car and started it. He
pulled out of the parking lot, carefully shifting the weight in the
balls of his feet on the pedals.
They chatted on the way over to the Chinese food restaurant as Ari
reminded his girlfriend of the stories he had told her many times before
about his family. Penelope nodded, having heard it all before, knowing
that Ari was trying to avoid his nervousness by keeping his mind
occupied by memories.
The closer they got to the restaurant, the more nervous he grew about
his ability to pass himself off as a woman. Familiar fears that had run
through his head when he was young about his girlish desires returned.
'This is such a mistake,' Ari thought with a scowl while they pulled up
not far from the restaurant.
Penelope had none of her boyfriend's misgivings about his ability to
pull off the ruse. The only thing she feared was having to deal with
strangers that might not be open to his presence if his voice was not
convincing enough.
Ari parked the car and turned to his girlfriend. She did not say a word
before she got out of the car. Ari clenched his eyes before he stepped
out of the car and watched Penelope walk past him.
Ari followed behind her, feeling out of place as Penelope opened the
door to the restaurant and held it open for her boyfriend. Ari felt
panicked while he hurried into the dankly lit restaurant. Once he was
inside, he felt slightly more comfortable due to the surroundings and
the warmth of the restaurant.
The hostess smiled as she greeted them and took them to their table
without Ari having to say a word. Ari smiled at the woman's failure to
see anything off about him.
"Did you see her face?"
"Yah, she's cute," Penelope answered.
"No. Well, yah, but she didn't seem to notice anything off about me,"
Ari whispered.
"It's like Confucius says, baby, all white bitches look the same,"
Penelope joked.
Ari shook his head while he crossed his legs at his knees. They both
looked over the menus before a waitress came over to take their orders.
"Miss, miss...," the waitress asked as Ari assumed that she was taking
his girlfriend's order first.
"Ariel," Penelope said.
Ari's head jerked up before he saw the expectant look on the smiling
waitress's face. Ari forced his voice into a higher register as he gave
the order in the softest tone he could muster. The waitress jotted his
order down before she took Penelope's as well.
Ari breathed a sigh of relief as the waitress walked away without giving
any hint she noticed that anything was wrong about him. He took a sip
of his water before he looked at Penelope and asked, "Why did you call
me Ariel?"
"It's a pretty name and pretty close."
"I guess."
"And you're just like the Little Mermaid, if you think about it."
"What are you talking about?"
"Well, instead of trading a tail for legs and a pretty dress, you traded
an ugly third leg for a pretty dress," Penelope explained.
"That's one of way of thinking about it," Ari answered with blushing
cheeks.
"That is a pretty dress."
"Thanks. I'd like to say I've got good taste."
"You do if you let me take care of that," Penelope remarked.
"With pleasure," Ari replied while the waitress returned with their
drinks.
As the waitress walked away, Ari went back to talking with Penelope. He
struggled to keep up his higher, but yet low tone.
Penelope smiled at Ari's attempts at using the feminine "sexy voice" she
had drilled him on earlier in the day. She decided to tease him as they
ate. She made sure that his eyes were on her fingers as ran her fingers
up and down the handle of the fork in her hands.
She made his eyes veer in their conversation as licked and sucked on the
fork as she overly savored the taste of every bite. She struggled not
to smirk at the lusty look on Ari's makeup covered face.
Ari squirmed in his seat as his manhood struggled against the
constriction of his panties and tights. He was relieved that the
control top of his tights held him far more in place than the panties
had.
Ari shook his head as his wife licked the tip of her spoon. He leaned
over the table as he said, "You're killing me. You know that, right?"
"Me? How so?" Penelope asked, playing innocent.
"The way you're playing with your fork."
"I'm just eating, Ariel," Penelope replied, fighting the urge to smirk
at the contrast between his name at the moment and the decidedly
masculine urges he was complaining about experiencing en femme.
Once they finished eating, Penelope got the bill from the waitress. Ari
was relieved to have enough cash on hand to pay the bill without
disclosing his real name through the use of a credit card before they
got up and left the restaurant.
The hostess said goodbye to them while they strolled out the door. As
they reached the exit, Penelope inquired, "Do you still want to go see a
movie?"
Ari paused for a moment to consider the suggestion. Having already
passed without incident in one public place, Ari shrugged as he could
not think of any reason to not go to another.
"Sure," Ari replied. Penelope clutched at his arm while they walked to
his car before they made the short drive to the movie theater.
They went inside and Ari let his girlfriend select the movie, given
their discussion earlier that day. Penelope hugged Ari closely before
he forgot his appearance for a moment and planted a kiss on Penelope's
lips.
Penelope blushed for a second as she saw people looking at them.
Several men were giving them lusty glances, which less than thrilled
their wives and girlfriends.
The judgmental looks were something that Penelope had never experienced
in her life. She was taken aback by them.
Needing to collect herself, Penelope stammered as she excused herself to
go to the bathroom, while Ari went to get snacks for the movie. Ari
gave her a concerned look before he asked, "Are you okay?"
"Yah. I just really need to go," Penelope replied to Ari's slight
laughter.
Penelope hurried to the bathroom, while Ari waited on line in silence.
His eyes darted from side to side as he could sense that some of the men
were checking him out. The thought that they could be attracted to him
made him feel ill. He hoped that they would keep whatever dirty
comments and thoughts their minds were preoccupied with to themselves.
Trying to ensure it, Ari tried to give off a standoffish look to
discourage people from engaging him.
Penelope quickly went to the bathroom before she touched up the makeup
that Ari had unwittingly smeared on her lips. As she did so, she saw
one of the women that had been glaring at her and Ari after their
embrace exiting a stall.
'Oh, God,' Penelope thought as she hurried to finish with her makeup and
washed her hands before she exited the restroom. As she did so, a
younger girl came over to her and complimented her shoes.
Penelope thanked the girl before she reciprocated with a compliment of
her own. She tried to extricate herself from the conversation, but the
girl pressed forward with another compliment.
Penelope nodded with a smile while she waited for Ari to walk over with
the snacks. The girl then asked, "So, what did your family say when you
came out?"
"Pardon," Penelope replied, swallowing hard, unsure if she heard her
right.
"You're a lesbian, right," the girl asked.
"What makes you say that?" Penelope rejoined, prompting the girl to
retreat from her words, realizing that she over stepped her bounds.
"She isn't giving you too much trouble is she," Ari asked as he gave
Penelope a kiss on her cheek.
"No, she's really sweet," the girl said while Penelope blushed, knowing
that Ari had inadvertently confirmed the girl's suspicion.
"She can be sour too," Ari added.
"I'm real sour, now," Penelope retorted with a glare in response to his
words.
The girl felt awkward and moved away from them. Ari gave his girlfriend
a look as he asked, "What was that about?"
"She thinks I'm a lesbian."
"So, I'm not the only one?" Ari replied with a smirk.
"She's think you're one too," Penelope retorted.
Ari struggled not to blush as he thought about her words. He did find
it odd that no one said anything about him being a man in a dress.
While on the one hand, Ari felt that it was a relief to be convincing,
it was embarrassing for him to contemplate that he was so unmanly that
his masculinity could be easily hidden by makeup, padding and hair
styling. He sensed that most men would not have had the same outcome as
him.
Penelope broke his stupor while he led him into the movie. Ari tried to
forget his worries as the theater went dark. He crossed his legs
without prompting while he shared his snacks with his girlfriend.
Penelope gave his actions an approving glance. She loved the way he
looked. She had never expected it to this exciting for her. She knew
that the night was going to be a fun one once the movie ended.
She caught his eyes and got a kiss from Ari before she reached for her
soda. She brought the straw up and down in the cup as she moved her
fingers along its length without looking at it. She knew that it was
only a matter of time before Ari's eyes were drawn to her actions.
"You know you're still killing me with that," Ari said as he caught
sight of it and felt the stirring between his legs again.
"Oh, I know. I want my girl all hot and bothered when we get home,"
Penelope whispered before she kissed Ari on the lips.
Ari grinned as he turned his eyes back to the movie. He knew that this
was going to be his Christmas ever.