Anna
Prologue: Setting Goals
Ok, it's got to be here somewhere. I'm sure it's in the bottom desk
drawer. Maybe in the folder labeled "personal papers." Damn, no.
Ahh, found it! What's it doing in with my old tax returns? No matter,
at least I found it, my life goals check list.
Back in middle school, Ms. Becker assigned her class to write down
their goals for the coming school year, and for extra credit, what your
goals were for when you were twenty-five, a grownup. It was about that
time of your life when you were supposed to start thinking about your
future, what you wanted to do with your life. Most of the kids didn't
bother with the extra credit. Guess they were still harboring the idea
that they'd be professional athletes or some sort or princess. Serious
student that I was, I gave this assignment a lot of thought. I already
knew that I wanted to go to college and study literature (ok, probably
didn't know what literature was back then, but I did know I was really
interested in writing stories). Of course my parents were not thrilled
with this goal (I'm sure they were envisioning me living in their
basement as I struggled to write the great American novel while
gathering life experiences as a waiter). Ironically that actually was
one of the goals I listed. Not living in my parent's basement, but
writing a book. Not a specific book, I didn't expect to write the great
American novel on my first try (unlike my friend Marcus who listed
wining the Super Bowl in his rookie year as one of his goals).
I was searching for this remnant of my childhood because tomorrow was
my twenty-fifth birthday. Over the years, I would revisit my list.
There were a few items on it that were no longer realistic, like taking
Beth Skyler to the high school prom. Beth was my best friend in grade
school. But by middle school, she was, as they say, out of my league.
While she was busy maturing into a young woman, I was busy staying a
rather diminutive boy. A fact that her twin brother Blake often
reminded me. He took great pleasure in refining his bullying skills on
me. While he never physically tortured me, he was a master at social
humiliation. I didn't dare get within ten feet of his sister. While I
will occasionally check various social media sites to see what she's up
to, a prom date has been edited out of my goals list.
Surprisingly, last year I fulfilled my second to last goal. I had a
book published. I am not waiting for an early morning call from the
Nobel committee. However, I do have a respectable stream of cash coming
from sales of my book, not to mention a retainer for a second book (so
I only lived in my parent's basement for a couple of years and I never
worked as a waiter). According to several critics I am "a promising new
author and sure to be a favorite of romance fans everywhere." I am
writing under the pseudonym "A. Meyers" because "Athelstan Meyers"
sounded too bizarre to my publisher for a writer of romance novels
whose target audience was women. My mother somehow had it in her mind
that her family was descended from ancient English kings. The name
"Athelstan" was apparently the name of one of her great great
grandfathers. I always thought the genealogical web site she used was a
bit suspect. I insisted on just being called "Al." Unfortunately, I
once told Beth my real name, who told her brother, who in turn told
anyone who would listen (which turned out to be every student in
school).
There is one last goal on my list and only one day left until I am
twenty-five. It was the thing that got me sent to therapy and for not
getting the extra credit I definitely deserved.
"Goal #12: By the time I am twenty-five I will be a girl."
Chapter 1: Reflecting and Acting
That by itself might have slipped by as a practical joke by a student
somewhat known for his creative writing. Where I might have gone a bit
overboard was adding a detailed description of HRT, including drug
names and dosages and GCS. My description of penile inversion
vaginoplasty was, in retrospect, definitely too graphic for a middle
school paper. In my defense, I just cut and pasted it from an article I
found on the internet. Oh, wait, that's plagiarism, maybe that's why
everybody was so upset.
To their credit, my parents were the least upset. Anyone who would name
a child "Athelstan," would have to lean towards accepting most
anything. Since no other student read my paper (according to the school
principal only poor Ms. Becker, one year from retirement, was
traumatized), and since my parents had decided to consult a therapist,
the school ended up taking a wait and see approach.
Up until then, I hadn't experimented with wearing girl's clothes,
mostly because I really didn't have access to any. Mom's clothes didn't
appeal to me and I didn't have a sister or any girl cousins. No, that's
not quite accurate, I did experiment a couple of times in grade school,
with Beth. She dressed me in her things a number of times when I was
playing at her house. I don't remember exactly what started it although
I probably asked what it felt like to wear a dress or ballet flats. I
think that's when her twin brother started to be my nemesis. He saw me
once and then began teasing me.
After learning about my transgender inclination, my mom bought me a few
girl clothes in case I wanted to try wearing them around the house. One
Saturday, I did put on a dress and shoes she bought (I was a little
disappointed that she hadn't purchased any underwear), and came
downstairs for breakfast. Mom and dad both desperately tried to act as
if nothing was out of the ordinary. By the end of breakfast, the shock
was gone and we were talking the way we always had. Later that morning
I changed back into boy clothes to go outside and play. As I went out
the door, my dad told me I looked nice earlier. Then he told me that
mom and he would always love and support me. It was nice to hear but I
wondered why. After all, they are my parents and that's what parents
do. Unfortunately, as I learned about later in life that's not always
true. I was one of the lucky ones when it comes to parents.
The one thing my parents found a little confusing was that I wasn't gay
(in the conventional sense). In an awkward attempt to have a "birds and
bees" talk with me, they asked if there might be a special boy that I
liked. Once I figured out what they were trying to get at, I told them,
"No, I'm not attracted to boys, I like girls." I once overheard them
asking each other "is our son a lesbian"?
Because I had this goal, I assumed that eventually I'd reach it. I just
didn't have a specific plan. My underdeveloped male physique resulted
in me being misgendered from time to time. Which didn't bother me a
bit. And as I let my hair grow, the more I loved hearing things like
"Can I help you miss?" or when studying at the library with a friend,
"Would you girls mind if I sit here?" So I didn't feel the need to wear
frilly dresses and high heels to feel female. Not to say that I didn't
explore feminine fashion. Throughout high school and college, any
birthday or Christmas presents from parents and a few other relatives,
added to my closet (although no one would ever give me lingerie, had to
rely on Amazon for that).
I was more or less dressing full time while writing my romance novel in
my parent's basement. That is if you call pink t-shirts, yoga pants,
and flip flops (with a cute bow), "dressing." I did go out occasionally
a little more glammed up, with a little help from mom. I can't believe
I just admitted that! What self respecting twenty-something woman would
let her mother do her makeup? Once I moved into my own apartment, I
came to the realization that my haphazard, no specific plan was no plan
at all. My new bathroom had a full length mirror on the back of the
door. After showering one morning, I was really hit hard by dysphoria
when I glimpsed my naked body. After I calmed myself, I realized it was
almost my birthday. Then I remembered my middle school list of goals
had a deadline.
After I found the list, I sat there for several minutes, staring at the
one unchecked goal, number twelve, become a girl. I was starting to get
tears in my eyes because I thought I'd failed. Tomorrow I would be
twenty-five and I was not a girl. Sure, internally I knew I was a
woman, but that wasn't what my middle school self expected. Then I
reread it several times. First it said "be a girl." Hmm, "girl" or
"woman"? The writer in me decided that the word choice of a, (what was
I then twelve?), a twelve year old was a semantic problem. I didn't
know back then that I should have said, "Identify as a trans woman." So
I penciled in an edit. Next I realized that "twenty-five" when used to
mean an age, was not a singular point in time. It covered a full year,
365 days! It was not too late!
I've known for sometime that I could start HRT (letter from my
therapist or by informed consent). So, determined not to waste one more
minute, I looked up clinic locations and made an appointment for that
afternoon. Next I decided that I needed help and that I needed friends.
So I searched for transgender support groups. I was having trouble
figuring out what were really support groups and what weren't. So I
called mom. She never throws away anything. She'll have the number for
the therapist I went to.
I called the number that mom found, but my old therapist had moved, but
fortunately my records hadn't. I had a lovely conversation with a woman
who took the time to review them over the phone with me. She actually
appreciated my attempt to fully explain what I meant by "be a girl" by
graphically describing GCS. She gave me contact information for a local
transgender support group. She was so helpful that I asked if I could
see her if I found that I need some professional help.
The next morning, I woke up and opened a birthday card laying on my
nightstand. The envelope just said "Anna." Inside the birthday card was
a gift certificate that I bought online and printed the night before.
It was for a spa day and make over. On the bottom of the card I had
written, "To Anna on your special day, Love Athelstan." It was the last
time I ever used that name.
Chapter 2: Happy Birthday to Me
The therapist on the phone had given me the spa idea. She had suggested
doing something special to celebrate my birthday. "Think of it as your
re-birthday" she said. So I thought what better way to celebrate being
a woman than to pamper myself for the day. On the website of the spa I
selected, they very specifically mentioned that they welcomed women of
all types, the description of their facilities used politically correct
terms like gender neutral bathrooms, they welcomed walk-ins, and it was
nearby.
Right after I had my morning coffee and toast, I called the spa and
asked if 10 am would a good time for a new walk-in client. Being a
weekday morning, they immediately said said that was a perfect time. I
somewhat hesitatingly asked what I needed to do since this was the
first time ever going to a spa. "Simple instructions," she said, "wear
casual clothes, no makeup, bring flip flops." Then I asked if there
were any special instructions because I was trans. "Nope, same simple
instructions. See you at 10 am. Oh and ask for Jen."
Promptly at 10 am I walked into the spa, went to the reception desk and
asked for Jen. "Oh, you must be Anna, I'm the one you talked to
earlier. Welcome! Jen is getting ready for you. She'll be with you
shortly. Would you like any mineral water while you wait?"
"No, I'm fine, should I just sit over there?"
"Please, there are magazines if you want. Our wifi connection
information is on the table."
I sat down across from another customer, an older woman, maybe in her
60s, fiddling with her phone. She glanced at me as I took out my phone
and started to login to the spa wifi. The instructions were very cute.
They were in an ornate picture frame. It had a drawing of a vintage
lady (like from the 1930s) writing the wifi info with her lipstick.
"Can you help me?" she asked. "I never can get this thing connected.
You younger girls seem to be able to do it so easily."
"Sure, be happy to." I moved over and sat down next to her. She started
to hand me her phone, so I said, "You hold onto it. I'll walk you
through it so you can remember the next time."
"Thank you! My daughter is always so exasperated with me. She just
grabs it and never shows me what to do."
We went through the steps a couple of times until she had it down.
"That was so nice of you," she gushed, "I'm Elizabeth. Did I
accidentally overhear your name is Anna?"
"Yes, nice to meet you Elizabeth."
"Actually, just call me Lizzy, all my friends do."
"Ok, Lizzy, got it."
"So are you new here?"
"Yep, first time, first time to any spa."
"Really? Didn't your mom ever take you when you were a little girl, get
you toes painted?"
I laughed and said, "I wish," then decided that Lizzy didn't look like
the type to be phased by much other than new technology. "When I was a
little girl, I was a little boy."
It took her a few seconds before she got it and then roared with
laughter. "Well Anna, in that case I am going to make sure you get
extra special attention. Heaven knows I've spent enough money here. You
are with me!"
What a fun day I had with Lizzy. I was massaged, oiled, exfoliated,
moisturized, manicured, pedicured, waxed, buffed, and shined (well,
maybe not the last two). I got a referral to a friend of Lizzy's that
does facial hair removal (can't say that I'm looking forward to that
but Lizzy assured me that I would survive it). I still had my makeover
coming but it was time for Lizzy to leave. She gave me an enormous hug
and told me she hadn't had that much fun in years, it was like having
another daughter. We exchanged phone numbers (I showed her how to
manage her contact list), and she immediately texted me a smiley face
and a thumbs up emoji before she left.
I absolutely loved how my hair and makeup turned out. What a difference
a professional cut and coloring made. They kept telling me that I had
really nice, feminine features. I was pretty sure is was just customer
retention banter to make sure I came back and spend more money. But
after staring at myself in the mirror and seeing how different I
looked, I gave them the benefit of the doubt and gleefully accepted
every complement.
When I went pay, pulling out the gift certificate from my purse, they
told me save it for the next time, and handed me a small handwritten
card, "Happy twenty-fifth birthday, Lizzy."
Chapter 3: Revealing Identities
For the rest of the week, instead of working on my next book in my
apartment, I took my laptop and wrote in a nearby coffee shop, the
library, the park across the street, and for old times sake, my
parent's basement. Mom and dad needed someone to watch their dog for a
couple days while they were out of town for a wedding. They had not
seen me for several months, having spent the winter somewhere warmer.
After I rang their doorbell, small overnight bag and laptop in hand,
mom opened the door and asked, "Can I help you?"
"Mom? Are you going to let me in?"
"Oh my god! Bruce come here quick!"
"Why are you yelling?"
"It's your daughter! You have got to see this!"
It was like they'd never seen a woman in a sun dress and heeled sandals
before. Ok, granted they'd never seen me in a sun dress and heeled
sandals before. Or wearing bright red lipstick. Or with flowing hair
with highlights. Or with... Ok I guess their reaction was to be
expected.
"Anna! You look gorgeous!" When I was living in the basement in my t-
shirts and flip flops, mom would occasionally slip and use the wrong
name. I had the distinct feeling that that was unlikely to ever happen
again.
"Bruce, take a picture of Anna and me, I need to put in on my Facebook
page."
"Dad, please, you don't have to..."
Dad was not listening. I had to pose with him for his Facebook page.
And then I had to take several selfies, surrounded by the two of them
grinning. There are worse things in life to suffer through. Taking
pictures with proud parents is not even on the list.
They were planning on being on the road as soon as I got there, but the
three of us ended up talking for almost two hours. When they finally
left, I was feeling sorry for dad. For the next six hours, I was pretty
certain he was going to be listening to my mother planning my wedding,
and I don't even have a girlfriend yet. Mom probably has forgotten that
little detail. I could just see my dad getting out of the car after six
hours and saying, "By the way dear, you do realize it will be a lesbian
wedding and there will be two mothers of the bride."
So a week into my twenty-sixth year, I was pretty satisfied. I knew
there were likely rougher weeks ahead, but so far so good. On Sunday I
was going to my first transgender support group meeting at a local
junior college. Being a writer had its plusses and minuses. On the plus
side, I was my own boss. Transitioning at work would not be a problem.
I checked with myself and I was ok with it. On the minus side, working
alone left me, well, lonely. I hoped that the support group might give
me a chance to make a friend or two. I also wanted to have some friends
that were not trans (I did make a friend at the spa, but I didn't see
myself bar hopping and going to concerts with Lizzy). I had lost
contact with everybody I knew in high school and college. I hadn't
bothered to keep my Facebook or any social media site updated, so other
than family, no friends there either.
I thought I'd error on the dressier side and wear business attire. But
when I got there, I was the only one in a skirt and heels. Everyone
else was in jeans or slacks, and one was in "boy mode." The group
leader Andrea introduced two new members, myself and an attractive
young woman about my age sitting next to me named Samantha. I said hi
to her but for some reason she seemed preoccupied throughout the
meeting.
We were sitting in a circle and directly across from me another young
woman about my age kept staring at me. It was making me a bit
uncomfortable. Then I realized that she looked vaguely familiar. No,
really familiar. Then it came to me. I slipped my phone out of my purse
and looked for Beth's Facebook page. The last time I looked was two
years ago, but it was still there. The most recent pictures were from
last year, several of her and another girl at a bar, holding hands and
kissing. I recognized the bar name in the background, a local gay and
lesbian hangout. The pictures were a little dark, but clearly the woman
sitting across from me bore a striking resemblance, she was just a bit
more masculine looking. It hadn't occurred to me until now, but the
support group wasn't for just trans women. It was also for trans men.
Beth must be on male hormones and here in "girl mode"! I tried to peek
at her name tag, but most of it was covered by a scarf. But clearly the
first letter was a "B."
I put away my phone just as the group was taking a fifteen minute
break. I looked up and saw Beth coming towards me. Just before I was
about to say "Hi Beth" I saw her name tag, it said "Bianca." Whoever
this really was, smiled and said, "Long time no see. How are you," then
she leaned in and whispered in my ear, "Athelstan?"
Fuck, it wasn't Beth, it was Blake. Bianca was Blake. She giggled (ok,
my old nemesis giggling was really weirding me out), smiled nicely
(nicely?!) and said, "Let's go across the hall and get some coffee from
the vending machine. I need to apologize to you for quite a few
things." I couldn't believe it but I think she was about to cry.
"I'm so sorry for the way I treated you back then. Let's start with the
obvious, I am trans just like you. Unlike you, I knew we both were back
then."
"What?" I said.
"I'm trying to explain. When I caught you trying on one of Beth's
dresses in her room, I was angry because that was my favorite dress,
The one Beth always let me wear. But I didn't want anyone to know that.
If you kept coming over, eventually Beth would have told you. That's
why I was so mean to you, I was desperate to keep you away from Beth."
"I guess I understand. Forgive me if I'm having a hard time processing
all of this."
"Girl, I don't blame you at all. Take your time."
"Ok, what's with this 'I knew back then' and what time is it, shouldn't
we be heading back?"
"Oh, don't worry, it always takes Andrea an extra 15 minutes to round
everyone up. So, remember that kid you hung with, Mark, or was it
Marcus?"
"Marcus, yes."
"Well he saw your goals, right?"
"Not that I knew of, but I saw his so he maybe saw mine."
"Yeh, trust me, he saw them. And blabbed them."
"Everything? Even the, ahh, even the ahh..."
"No, just the wanting to be a girl. Although, there were rumors about
something that got you in trouble."
"You must mean the graphic description of pineal inversion
vaginoplasty?"
"What!! You are kidding! That is so much better than I even imagined!
Wow, I am impressed."
"You should be. I was quite proud of that paper. Too bad the school
wasn't."
"I am so mad at myself. You and I could have really been a force to
deal with. I'm so sorry."
"You know, forget about it, I think I am beginning to like you. I mean
Bianca, not certain about Blake yet."
"No problem, I never liked him either. Oh one more thing, I know there
was something about taking out my sister, is that right?"
"Yes, but I think I know why that was never going to happen regardless
of your interference. Beth is gay, right."
"Yes, how did you know?"
"For awhile there, I thought you were Beth. I looked at her Facebook
page, and before you say anything, I used to look at it because I
missed her. So I looked at her pictures with her girlfriend when I
noticed you staring at me. I thought you were..."
"Wait, wait, please tell me you thought Beth was a trans man!"
"Ok, yes I did, but only for a minute or two."
"Long enough honey."
"I'm sensing that Bianca has a bit of a mean streak too."
"No no, a playful streak, and only when it concerns my twin sister."
"Ok, one last question before we head back. How did you ever recognize
me? I don't look anything like I did when we were in school."
"I was stalking you. Just kidding, sort of. Andrea sends out a news
letter, you'll start getting them. It mentioned you, Anna Meyers. It
was just too close to your old name. Tried to see if you had a Facebook
or other social presence. Didn't see anything but just by chance saw
your mother's page with her beautiful daughter Anna."
After the group meeting, Bianca and I (I am going to have trouble for a
while with the idea that Bianca I are likely going to end up being
really good friends) went out for a drink or two (or three). Oddly
enough, besides being trans, we discovered that we were both English
literature majors. She is a big fan of Shakespeare, hence the origin
her picking "Bianca" for a new name.
I was saddened when I found out that Beth and her were basically thrown
out of their parent's home. They didn't know about either Beth being a
lesbian or Bianca being trans until the end of freshman year in
college.
Beth came home first. Her parents were screaming at her because they
found a picture of her girlfriend at the time and her kissing. Bianca
arrived home during the big fight. She had spent the entire school year
as Bianca without telling her parents, although Beth had known. Sadly,
their parents were not the supportive type. Beth and Bianca went back
to school and haven't been in contact with their parents since.
They were lucky however to each have a sizable trust fund from a
grandparent. They managed to graduate with a small nest egg left over.
They pooled their money and invested in a local gay and lesbian bar
(they own 67%). So, all in all, things are ok for them. In particular,
Bianca was feeling happy to have purged the last thing tormenting her
when she found me and apologized.
Needless to say I was feeling pretty good too. Especially after that
third drink I definitely should not have had. Bianca had gotten around
to asking, "so what are you doing to pay the bills?" Finding out that I
was the author of "Lust in the Library" (not my title, my publisher
came up with it) made me a minor celebrity in her mind and started
planning a "meet the author" book signing night at her bar.
Before calling it a night, we made a date for next Friday night. Beth
is always at the bar on Fridays taking her turn as manger. Bianca was
absolutely ecstatic thinking about seeing how long it would take her to
recognize me. I was ecstatic thinking about finally seeing Beth again.
Chapter 4: Recognitions
I made an appointment for Friday afternoon at the spa to have my makeup
done and for a blowout. I was getting pretty good with makeup, but for
this occasion I wanted to make sure it was perfect, something really
dramatic and sexy. Something to complement the incredibly expensive
dress and shoes I bought. I wasn't sure yet if I was trying help Bianca
fool Beth or if I was trying to attract Beth.
"Wow," Bianca exclaimed when she picked me up, "I might have to re-
evaluate my preference for men. Anna, you look so hot!"
"So, do you have a plan or are we just making things up as we go?" I
asked, getting into her car.
"Well, I had two ideas. Since I started taking hormones, we've both
noticed that I'm starting to look more and more like her. Sometimes I'm
mistaken for her."
"Like I did the at group the other day," I interjected.
"Exactly. While I am thrilled, Beth not so much. More than once a woman
at the bar has hit on me thinking I was Beth. Sometimes I can't resist
playing along and pretend I am Beth, like in that movie..."
"Parent Trap," I said.
"That's it."
"So, from her perspective, you might have messed up a possible
friendship or romantic partnership. How would you feel if she pretended
to be you and hit on men?"
"I never thought about it that way. You're so right. Forget idea one, I
was going pretend I was Beth and have you pretend to hit on me."
"Definitely a really bad idea," I said, "from now on, as your friend
who's known you for better and worse, mostly worse, please feel free to
ask my opinion about things like this."
"My therapist told me I sometimes have trouble with empathy, thanks. Be
prepared to offer a lot of opinions."
I just smiled and asked, "What was the other idea?"
"I tell Beth a woman saying that she's an old friend asked about her.
You just sit at table and stare at Beth, maybe wink and flirt a little
until she guesses who you are."
"Perfect."
I've been at the bar now for almost an hour. Bianca told Beth about the
old friend and then disappeared leaving Beth to constantly scan the bar
looking for someone she knows. I can see Bianca hiding behind a curtain
in the lounge. She's giggling every time Beth walks by my table, takes
a look, and moves on. For the last ten minutes I started staring at her
and occasionally batting my eye lashes. I'm having to stifle giggling
myself, watching Beth, standing behind the bar, stare at me trying to
figure out who I am.
Finally she walked over to my table, and asked, "Are you enjoying
yourself?" I nodded yes. "Mind if I join you?" I said, "No, please
sit." She looked at me carefully and asked if I wanted anything and I
said, "No."
Then she smiled and said, "Are you sure? Maybe you would like to try on
one of my dresses, or maybe my shoes."
I nodded yes and started crying uncontrollably, Bianca ran to me from
behind the curtain. Beth had her arms wrapped around me. Half the crowd
was looking at us, some clapping.
"Anna, Anna are you ok?" Bianca said when she reached me. Beth pulled
back and dabbed away some tears from my face with a napkin. "Do I call
you Anna now?" she asked. I managed a rather weak, "Please," after
getting control of my sobbing.
Bianca suggested we get a little privacy and use the manager's office.
As we passed the bar, Bianca motioned to the bartender who promptly
produced a bottle of champagne and three glasses.
"So how did you figure it out? In no way does she look anything
like..."
"Bianca, no," I interrupted, "do not say that name!"
"Anything like a little boy." Bianca looked at me. "That ok?"
"Other than it sounds weird, yes."
Beth laughed. "I cannot fathom this. When, how did you two get
together?"
"Anna joined my support group last Sunday. We sort of recognized each
other." Bianca looked to me and asked, "Can I?"
"Go ahead, she's your sister."
"Anna thought I looked familiar and checked your Facebook picture.
Sorry, but she thought I was you."
"Damn it Bianca. You have got to change your hair or something. You
were a marginally ok twin brother, but we're too old for this twin
sister shit."
"It wasn't her fault, she wasn't impersonating you, it was a simple
mistake."
"Wait a second," Beth turned to me, "you're defending the person who
tormented you for years?"
"Yeh," I shrugged my shoulders, "weird isn't it. I'm still trying to
figure out why I like her."
"I had her at hello," chimed in Bianca.
"Obviously it's not her sense of humor," I said.
Bianca pouted, then said, "Back to the original question."
"Yeh, well, given her sense of humor, I first thought you were a red
herring, some mysterious stranger to distract me while Bianca and maybe
an old girlfriend of mine were laughing their heads off. When I
couldn't spot anyone I recognized, I figured you might be someone from
high school or college under that glammed up makeup. By the way, did
you do that yourself?"
"No, got it done at this cute spa that I found."
"Can you give me the name? They did a great job on you."
"Focus Beth," said Bianca.
"Shush! Eventually I ran out of ideas. But as you kept batting your
eyes at me, it finally dawned on me. When you would put on one of my
dresses, you would strike a pose and bat your eyes."
"Wait! No fair, you gave her a hint!" Bianca tried to say this as if
she was offended, but clearly she was about to giggle.
"Of course I did! Beth was my first best friend," I said as I gave her
another hug.
I turned to Bianca. "And you deserve a hug too for fixing things."
"Well she did break them originally, but, yes, you've done a very nice
thing, thanks sis!"
Chapter 5: Getting to Know You
Unfortunately Beth did have a bar to run that night. Besides we were
getting a little claustrophobic in that tiny office. When the live
entertainment started, we got tired of shouting to be heard. Besides,
there was no reason we had to catch-up on several years of experiences
in one evening. I invited Beth and Bianca over to my place on Sunday
afternoon for tea (I think they knew I meant wine). Surprisingly,
Bianca decided to exercise her newly found empathy and suggested that
just Beth and I get together.
Bianca and I stayed at the bar for a couple of hours. The later it got,
the more crowded the bar got. I also became more and more aware that I
was attracting a lot of attention. In my designer dress and heels, I
was really over dressed for the venue. Bianca's advice was, "If you got
it, flaunt it." Interestingly, I thought this bordered on sage wisdom,
thanked Bianca and hit the dance floor with a young college girl who
thought I was exotic. I kind of lost count of the number of dances
after awhile. Besides neophyte lesbians, I was exotic to old dykes, a
few gays (I think they might be aspiring drag queens), and a straight
guy who even after I told him I was trans, tried to ask me out. I
introduced him to Bianca. The two of them were still going strong when
I ran out of gas. I gave her one last hug, whispered be careful in her
ear, and told her I was calling a cab.
I'm not exactly the neatest person in the world. I picked up several
bad habits living in my parent's basement. So I needed to spend my
entire Saturday cleaning. I briefly entertained the idea of calling
Lizzy to see if she could recommend a maid service. But in the end I
decided that cleaning up after myself was a good character builder.
I overslept Sunday morning. Didn't get up until 10 and Beth was coming
at noon. I had a really terrible time deciding what to wear. Beth had
seen the best I can possibly look Friday night. I was hoping seeing me
in daylight in jeans and a top, hair in a pony, and almost no makeup
would not be a disappointment. Then I remembered that this was about
two old friends catching up. It was not about trying to impress her so
that I could ask her out, even though that was something I've wanted to
do since middle school.
My buzzer sounded one minute before noon. She was in the lobby. I met
her at the elevator because the apartment numbering makes absolutely no
sense in this building. She had on a simple white dress and ballet
flats. It took me no time at all to pick up on her hint. The dress and
shoes were like the ones she used to let me try on.
We got ourselves comfy on my couch and settled in with our tea and a
plate of biscottis (actual tea, neither of us felt like drinking). We
chatted for a good four hours with several breaks, having gone through
two pots of tea and an unknown number of biscotti (we were both afraid
to know how many calories we'd consumed). We're breaking out the wine
and ordering takeout for delivery. So here is a recap of some of the
things I learned.
After Marcus blabbed about my desire to be a girl, Blake had put out
the word that I was "off limits," that only he could harass me. So in
effect, he likely protected me from worse. Also, since I'm not a sports
fan, I found out that Marcus did not win the Super Bowl. But he was
just promoted to principal dancer at the city ballet.
Beth thought I would not have wanted to take her out in high school if
I had known what "a bitch" she had become. She and her small clique of
friends were pretty nasty to everyone, hoping to deflect attention
because they were having sex with each other.
Once Bianca makes up her mind she goes all in. A month before leaving
for college, Blake who tried to hide his transgenderism for years,
asked Beth for help buying a complete new wardrobe suitable for a coed,
said to call her Bianca after the Shakespeare heroine, told her she
already talked to the college administration about changing her
registration information and made appointments with the school's health
clinic.
It was Bianca's idea to buy into a failing lesbian dive. They changed
the name (to the 101 Cafe) and advertised it as an upscale LGBTQ bistro
with entertainment on weekend nights. Beth confessed they are not just
doing "ok," they are doing very well.
While nibbling on our takeout, Beth bats her eyes at me and asks, "So,
when are you going to ask to try on my dress?"
I bat my eyes in return. "How about now, can I try on your dress?"
Beth stands up, turns her back to me and tells me to unzip her. She
faces me, puts her hands on the shoulders of the dress and slowly pulls
it off. She is not wearing anything underneath, no bra, no panties. She
kicks off her flats saying, "Here, try these on too."
Ok, in no way was I expecting that. Beth sees the startled look on my
face. "You were trying to attract me, wearing that sexy outfit and
perfect makeup weren't you? This is to let you know, it worked. I was
getting pretty jealous watching you on the dance floor."
She cradles my face in her hands and gives me the kiss I've been
dreaming of since middle school. She lifts off my top and unbuttons my
jeans. I'm standing in my bra and panties.
"Don't be nervous Anna, before we go any farther, you should know I've
been with a trans woman before, I make no distinction, if I'm
attracted, I'm attracted and I am very attracted to you."
I slowly remove my bra. I'm looking at Beth's breasts and I'm, well,
envious. Beth takes my bra and throws it to the floor. "Sorry, I took
my first hormones yesterday and I guess they don't work instantly," I
say shyly. Beth laughs, plays with my hair staying, "Give them time,
you'll have tits in no time. Look at Bianca's rack."
Now I'm really nervous. I grasp the waist band of my panties. I ask,
"Did that woman still have, ahh, you know...."
"No, she'd had the surgery, the penile..."
"She told you! Bianca told you!" I shrieked.
"Now that you're back in our lives, always remember to be careful what
you say around either of us," she winked, leaned in, pressing her tits
against me, grabbed my panties, whispered in my ear, "No more
stalling," and pulled them down, letting them fall to the floor.
"There now, much better, we're both naked and the world didn't end. You
know. I've watched you try on my clothes before. Let's just go to your
bedroom and have sex. That work for you?"
Chapter 6: Getting to Really Know You
It is definitely working for me!
At age twenty-five I am a rank amateur at sex. A couple of clumsy
trysts in college are all that are on my resume. Beth is a
professional. Oh wait, that sounds completely wrong. Beth is an
experienced lover. Still sounds wrong, but let's go with that.
That first kiss she gave me? That's nothing compared to what we did in
bed. "Just do what I do," she coached me. She slipped her tongue into
my mouth, then she parted her lips inviting in my tongue. She opened
her mouth widely, and I did the same, pressing them tightly together. I
guess we were pretty sloppy given how wet our face were, but I was so
turned on I hadn't even noticed that she was gently playing with my
penis.
She took my hand and guided it, down between her legs. I pressed
against her mound and applied pressure on her clit, massaging it with
the heel of my hand. We laid on my bed, kissing, entwined, giving each
other pleasure. I think I lost my amateur status when Beth climaxed,
yelling, "Fuck! Anna! That was so fucking great!"
We separated and laid next to each other. Beth chuckled when she
noticed a small amount of cum on my tummy. "I see I wasn't the only one
who really enjoyed that!" I grinned and stretched out across the bed.
"Mmm hmmm."
"Sit tight lover, be right back!" Beth ran out to the living room, tits
bouncing.
"Ok, not sure if this is something you like, but Bianca suggested
taking it along in case you do."
In her hand she was holding a vibrator.
"And don't give me that look. Who better to ask?"
"You mean my happy look?"
"So, want to let me, you know?"
"I've never put a vibrator in me, just a small dildo. But if Bianca
endorses it..."
Then I asked, "would you like me to put my ahh, something in you?"
"Do you want to?"
"Not really."
"That's ok dear, I really would prefer if you just put your fingers in
me, I'd like that a lot."
Then Beth moaned, "Shit, I forgot the lube."
"Top drawer of the dresser," I giggled.
Soon she was playing with my ass hole, slowly pushing the vibrator in.
It felt really good, just like my toy. Then she flipped on the switch.
OMG! Thank you Bianca!
"That trans woman I was with absolutely loved a vibrator in her vag. I
wonder if I should have tried it in her ass. Maybe I should try in my
ass," Beth said teasingly.
"I'm just hopping someday you'll be able to put it in my vagina."
I think Beth caught a glimpse of a tear in my eye. "That will be a
special time for both of us."
So speaking of vaginas (vagina monologues?), I was ready to explore
Beth's. She was really wet. She pulled her lips apart told, me to
insert two fingers, turn them over and try to locate her g-spot. When I
found it, she had her OMG moment, especially when I added sucking on
her clit.
"Mmmm, I love how you taste," I said looking up at her.
Beth shook her head, laughed, and said, "I'm glad. It's kind of a
prerequisite for a lesbian. And before you worry about it, you'll taste
pretty much the same."
After we kissed good bye and Beth headed home, I went to my desk and
pulled out my list of goals. I took a pencil and under the lined out
goal about Beth and prom I wrote, "Have sex with Beth Skyler." Took a
look at what I just wrote and inserted the word "amazing." Then I put a
check mark after it.
Chapter 7: New Stories
A little more than six months later I finished my second book and sent
the first draft to my publisher. The editor only had a few suggestions
to make, and suggested I come into his office to go over them and to
brainstorm possible titles and cover artwork.
Brandon had also worked on my first book, but we never met in person,
conducting all business via email. Of course back then I was still a
fledgling trans woman, pretty much hiding in her parent's basement. Now
I was over halfway through my year as a twenty-five year old, halfway
towards satisfying a twelve year old boy's dream.
Since the first book was published using "A. Meyers" as the author, we
decided not to change it for the second. However, Brandon asked me to
sit for some publicity photos because he thought we should put a bio on
the book jacket. From a public relations perspective he wanted readers
to learn I was trans from me and not some internet troll. Also the
uniqueness of a trans woman writing romance would give us more press.
For years, some romance writers were men writing under a female
pseudonym and it never affected their book sales. Good stories sell
regardless.
And Brandon really thought I had another good story. He especially
liked the secondary character who acts as a devious matchmaker to get
the central man and woman characters to fall in love. That character
was the brash, smart ass sister of the woman and the comic relief. The
character is revealed to be trans. Sort of a modern day take on a
Shakespeare comedy. When Bianca proofread the manuscript for me, she
was absolutely delighted. "That's me, that's me!" She actually asked me
to change the character's name to Bianca, but I left is as Breanna.
Since my first book was a surprise success, Brandon wanted to leverage
that and have me do book signings. When I mentioned that I had a friend
who owned a bistro/bar/cafe and had been begging me to do exactly that,
Brandon was all for it. Even more so when he found out which bistro,
because he thought it would be the perfect demographic for this book.
If I keep hanging around Brandon I'm afraid I'll start sounding like
him. If I drop the word "demographic" around Beth she might revoke my
"pussy eating privileges" for a week.
By the way, I am actively working towards making it so that I can give
her the same privileges. Pretty much have narrowed down my choice of a
surgeon. I'm still envious of the Skyler twins tits, but they both said
no to getting a boob job until until I've given the hormones more time.
A week before publication, I took Brandon to meet Beth and Bianca so
that they could negotiate the book signing event. About ten minutes
into the meeting, Brandon sat back in his chair, pointed at Bianca,
smiled and said, "It's you isn't it, you're Breanna, right?"
Brandon turned to me, saying, "You really captured her. I can see a
whole series, centered on this character!"
"Oh, oh no no no," Beth said looking at me, "she'll be absolutely
insufferable if you do that!"
"Now wait a minute sis, I've changed my hair color, makeup, stopped
copying your style, most people don't even know we're sisters now. I
could be famous without it affecting you one bit."
"You mean infamous don't you?" Beth retorted.
Brandon just sat there, mesmerized by the two of them. "You know, now
I'm envisioning a sitcom about you two!"
"Get to know them first, you might change your mind" I cautioned
Brandon.
"I'd love to," he said staring at Bianca, who was batting her eyes at
him. She's stealing my thing!
"Let me show you the place, I think our lounge will be the perfect
place for the book signing," Bianca stood up and grabbed Brandon's
hand, "it's this way. You two sit, you've already seen the lounge."
"Poor Brandon, he doesn't have a chance," sighed Beth, "she had him at
hello."
"He is definitely smitten. What is it with you Skyler women? I fall in
love with you in middle school, Brandon falls in love with Bianca at
first sight."
"Are you complaining my love?"
"Not in the least!"
"It is a two way street, we fall in love too. You are the one and only
woman I have ever fallen in love with. And if I read my sister, she is
about to fall in love too."
On the night of the book signing, Beth, Bianca, and I decided to go all
out. I wore that expensive dress and shoes again for anyone in the
crowd who might have been there that Friday night, recognizing me as
that exotic woman. The young college girl I danced with was in line
with her current girlfriend, proudly telling her how she had danced
with me, and then asked for a selfie with them, each kissing me on a
cheek.
Beth was standing near, managing the signing line. She had bought a
special dress, a red satin gown, and four inch pumps, looking like the
girl on the cover of my new book. She even took her hair out of her
signature pony and had the spa color it a dark blonde. I can't wait
until this night is over so that I can tell her how much I love her,
and ask if I can try on her dress.
About an hour into the signing, Beth brings the next person in line up
to the table. I ask my now well worn question before even looking up,
"Who can I make this out to?"
"Just make it out to your mom, dear."
So there was mom, dad, two of my grandparents, mom's sister along with
two of my cousins (my thirty something guy cousins in a gay bar waiting
in line to say hi to their transgender woman cousin!). They all
gathered around me and then Bianca and Brandon emerged from the crowd
and started taking photos. Mom even made sure to pull Beth into the
picture, calling her "my future daughter-in-law." I was about to tell
her to stop but Beth just batted her eyes at me and blew me a kiss.
Bianca looked at the photos Brandon took, gave Beth a thumbs up, and
the two disappeared back into the crowd, holding hands.
After the signing, my family stayed around for a good hour or so. Dad
was even enticed onto the dance floor by a "delightful young woman." I
don't have the heart to tell him she was part of the bar's drag act.
Beth and I were relaxing at a corner table. She had her heels off and
her aching feet in my lap being massaged. After a while, we noticed
that we hadn't see Bianca and Brandon for quite sometime. Beth asked me
to look around, maybe check the office. "Here, want to wear these?"
holding up her stilettos." I declined, for now.
I looked everywhere for them before checking the office. Before I
opened the door, I could hear a male voice mumbling, "Yes," over and
over. I had a good idea what I'd find behind the door, so I knocked,
waited ten seconds and peeked in.
Brandon was sitting sheepishly behind the desk, his pants clearly on
the floor, off to the side. Bianca was sitting nonchalantly on the
desk, her lipstick a little smeared.
"Oh, there you guys are. Sorry to interrupt but Beth and I are
exhausted and her feet are killing her. We're going to take off and
head for my apartment. She's just going crash there so don't worry.
Say, Brandon, you should just crash at the girl's place, keep Bianca
company. By the way Bianca tells her sister everything, trust me, I've
learned the hard way. And her sister tells me everything. The good
news, it just stays between the three of us. Well maybe now the four of
us."
Bianca is just shaking her head at me. "Thanks for covering that for us
Anna, but Brandon is going to need medical treatment if you don't give
me another two minutes with him," she looks at Brandon holding up a
hand, "make that five minutes."
"Did you find them?" Beth asks.
"Yeh, in the office, giving him a blowjob."
"Ok, did you tell her they can have the apartment and I'll go to your
place?"
"Yup, all taken care of."
"Thanks, I already called the Uber, be here in five minutes."
"Good timing. Hand me your shoes and purse, I'll carry them for you."
Chapter 8: Morning Afters
Poor Beth was almost sound asleep by the time I got her to bed. It was
quite a struggle getting her out of that gown. I was tempted to let her
sleep in the corset she wore underneath, but decided she would sleep
much better if her tits were freed. I slipped out of my dress and
removed my bra and freed mine too (Beth says they are getting perky).
Then I crawled into bed, cuddled next to Beth and fell asleep.
In the morning, I woke up to see Beth standing in her panties looking
out the bedroom window, coffee cup in hand.
"Morning sweetheart," she said, "I made a pot of coffee, I'm just
admiring the view."
"I'm enjoying the view from here!"
"Nice try, but we both have work to do today. Besides, my feet still
hurt, think I have a blister, and I'm sure they stink."
"You take a shower and I'll fix some breakfast."
"Thanks, love you."
"Love you too."
After her shower and after applying a bandaid to her heel, Beth
realized she only had a red gown to wear. She went through my closet
and found something to wear. However, my shoes were a little too tight
(I'm a half size smaller than Beth) for someone with a painful blister.
So she ended up with a well worn pair of flip flops.
"You should keep a few things here," I said.
"Good idea, what should I bring over?"
"How about everything?"
"Hmm, that sounds like a good solution. Think Bianca would mind living
by herself?"
"Pretty sure she won't mind, probably find someway to keep herself
occupied."
"So we're living together now?" I asked.
"Guess we are. You ready to see me in the morning every day?"
"You mean It gets worse than this morning?"
"It could."
"I'm up for the challenge." We kissed. For a long time.
We were interrupted by Beth's phone.
"Good morning Bianca, what's up?"
"Beth! Help! I don't know what to do."
"What's wrong, is the DVR screwed up again?"
"No! This is serious, I think I'm in love!"
Beth turns to me, "she thinks she's in love."
"We called that one," I said.
"Who is that? Is that Anna?"
"Who else would it be? I'm in her apartment. Actually now it's hers and
mine, but, never mind that. Let me put us on speakerphone."
"Hi Bianca."
"Oh, hi Anna."
"Ok sis, start from the beginning."
"Actually start from the blowjob in the office last night," I
interjected.
"Sure, why not. So Brandon had more staying power than we estimated, at
least double. Then he asked me if he could return the favor. No, no,
that's not how he phrased it. He was such a gentleman, he asked how he
could make me feel as good. No sense being coy, so we took your
suggestion and came here, to our place."
"Wait! Are you moving in with Anna? Is this just my place now? Can I
afford that?"
"Focus Bianca. You do the books. You can afford to buy the whole
building."
"Oh, right. What was I thinking? Oh and congratulations you two! This
is so exciting, we should have a moving party..."
"Focus again Bianca."
"Right, so we came here and instead of just running to the bedroom and
fucking, he asked me to sit down while he went to the kitchen and made
us some tea. We sat and talked for an hour. about literature, our
favorite plays, growing up (mostly my childhood struggles), all before
he suggested adjourning to the bedroom. He really said, "Let's adjourn
to your room." Then he shocked me by slowly helping me undress and then
asking where I kept my pajamas. He brought me a pair. He stripped down
to his underwear, pulled back the covers, got in bed and I laid next to
him. He kissed me and said that we both were tired and likely drank
more than we should have. Then he said, 'if in the morning you still
want me to make love to you, I will do so with all my heart.'"
"Wow," Beth and I said together.
"I know, Brandon doesn't just edit romance novels, he lives them.
Because when I woke up this morning, he was still there. He was awake
just looking at me. I looked at him just said, 'Yes.' We kissed, he
nibbled on on my earlobes, played with my nipples, and stroked my
penis. When I went to hold his cock, he chuckled and said, 'no no, this
is about you this time'. He asked what I wanted so I showed him my
vibrator. He slowly inserted into my ass and gave me repeated deep
thrusts. He knelt between my legs, spread open, turned the vibrator on,
continued to rhythmically thrust it in and out while stroking my penis.
When I was nearing an orgasm he took a condom from the top of my
nightstand, put it on. As soon as he pulled the vibrator out he pushed
his cock in."
"I have to tell you guys, that was the best sex I've ever had."
"So what is the crisis?" Beth asked.
"I'm afraid I'll fuck it up. Like I did to Anna, like with our
parents."
"Listen Bianca," Beth started, "you are not that person anymore. You
are an intelligent, successful woman, a confident, outgoing, funny,
trans woman. That's the person Brandon likes. He's the one who is
probably worrying about fucking it up!"
Chapter 9: Setting Goals
A little over a week ago, on my 350th day as a twenty-five year old, I
had my GCS. A couple of days ago, my crack team of nurses (Beth,
Bianca, and mom) brought me back to the hospital to have the bandages
removed. All in all, the pain as been manageable. I think my
overwhelming feeling of calm, at peace with my body, is helping with
that. I hope that continues as I use my dilators. Bianca threatened to
bring earplugs if I scream too loud.
After the bandages were off, they gave me a mirror to check myself out.
But at the last second I asked Beth to look first. She came around,
next to the doctor, took a long, contemplative look.
"What, what is it?" I said somewhat concerned.
"It's a vagina, silly! Also a clitoris, vulva, yep it's all there, a
little swollen, but looks pretty good to me."
"Can I see, can I see?" Bianca asked without waiting for an answer.
"Nice job doc, two thumbs up! Bet my sis here can't wait to try it
out."
"You had to say that, didn't you?" Beth said.
"Don't worry," the doctor laughed, "that's far from the first time I've
heard that one."
"Well I'm not going to be left out, I was there for the first reveal,"
mom said.
"Oh my," she looked at me, tears in her eyes, "it's a girl."
I took the mirror. It was my turn to start tearing up.
On the day before my birthday, Beth and I were alone in our apartment,
having a romantic dinner (it was the first time since surgery that I
felt like dressing up and celebrating). When I sat down at our table,
Beth handed me a glass of wine, gave me a kiss and then handed me three
envelopes.
"What are these?" I asked.
"You'll see, open the the one on top first."
Inside the first envelope was a birth certificate. My new one, with my
correct name, and correct sex, female.
"It came in the mail yesterday," Beth said smiling.
Inside the next envelope was my middle school list of goals.
"It took me forever to find it. Why do you keep it with your old tax
returns?"
I took it out. Item 12 now had a large black check mark next to it. At
the bottom of the page was an additional line saying "extra credit
awarded to Anna Meyers, witnessed on this date by," followed by Beth's,
Bianca's, and mom and dad's notarized signatures.
"I don't know what to say." And I really didn't.
In the last envelop was a new list, "Anna and Beth will complete the
following goals by the time we celebrate our twenty-fifth wedding
anniversary." Beth took the envelope and tipped it upside down, a ring
fell out.
"Will you marry me?" Beth asked.
I think I surprised her when I didn't immediately answer and instead
said, "One second..." ran over to my desk (make that walked gingerly,
still recovering) and took a small box from a drawer.
"Yes! And will you marry me?" opening the box and taking out a ring.
"Yes!"
As we exchanged rings, Beth asked, "Did Bianca tip you off?"
"No, but she did tell me how romantic it would be if we got engaged
before my birthday."
"She told me the same thing!"
We couldn't stop ourselves from laughing at the idea that Bianca was
was trying to play matchmaker, until we realized we both had taken her
hint.
As we kissed and hugged, Beth whispered in my ear, "Remember the little
impromptu farewell sex we had last month to say goodbye to your..."
"Yes..." I started, as Beth placed her finger on my lips, then pointed
to the first goal on the list.
"Have a baby."