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MINDING MY BUSINESS By Geneva A young man has been changed to a woman in a special government facility to divert him from a life of trouble. The new woman takes to a new life successfully, and helps a young businessman avoid a potential swindle. This story is set in England in the 1960's. The same government facility mentioned here also appears in my earlier stories, "A Dirty Night Out' and 'Subterfuge'. START A loud pounding and shouting at his door eventually penetrated into his semiconsciousness and the young man twisted over on his crumpled bed, groaning, shaking his head, trying to get his mind straight. "Police, open up!" he heard. A wave of dizziness took him when he tried to rise and he fell back. With more pounding he struggled to sit up again but his limbs felt heavy and sluggish. His forehead was throbbing and his stomach was cramping. Christ, he thought, I didn't think I had drunk as much as that, and he tried to let himself fall back to sleep but the shouts at his door, became louder and more insistent, too much to ignore and he finally crawled out of bed and stumbled over the littered floor, kicking aside the clothes and empty booze bottles, fish-and-chip wrappers and other food containers. Then he heard the pounding again and, "Police! Open up or we'll break down the door." "All right, all right, I'm coming!" he cried, and holding onto the wall for balance he staggered over to the entranceway, and fumbled at the lock on the outside door. It swung open and through two half closed eyes he saw two policemen looking at him in contempt. "Yes, what is it?" His mouth felt furry and his voice was slurred. "You are George Manners?" "Yes, what is it?" "As if you didn't know! You're under arrest!" said one. "What for?" he mumbled. "God, look at him," said the other. "Still drunk! And look at this place, it's a pig-pen." "Under arrest?" He was so confused by the words that he barely heard what they said next. In a sudden panic he turned to run out the back door but they easily caught him, wrestled him to the floor of the dingy flat and he felt handcuffs clamped on his wrists. He protested and tried to struggle but the two policemen were too strong and in minutes he was pushed into the back of the police car. .......... "I was walking along, minding my business......" and so on, as the old song goes, when this all started, at least for me. And well, I was walking, but I had finished what I wanted to do and the only business I still had at hand was to hurry out of the department store, then head home and relax. That beer waiting for me in the fridge was more appealing by the minute. The dry air in the store was making me thirsty. It was late afternoon and after work I had actually forced myself to go into the department store for some shopping. And I hate shopping! This came about because I had needed some new clothes for my new job after my promotion at the company I was employed by and, with a deadline of sorts approaching, I was forced to take the plunge, head to the shops and get it over with. With my new business responsibilities I needed a couple of new suits, along with some casual but reasonably dressy slacks and some underwear. That in turn led to me getting several new dress shirts with matching ties and socks and by then I had taken enough. No doubt the sales assistant would go home patting himself on the back if he was on commission. I dislike shopping, especially for clothes, but the company I was with, a small fine chemical manufacturing and processing set-up, had not yet relaxed its office dress codes. I often felt envious of the techies in our laboratories who had made it quite clear that if they were working at a bench or on the floor they preferred anything that didn't involve wearing a tie. Yes, I had now to show a proper company image and it was even conceivable that I would have to meet with bankers and lawyers and investors so I had to dress the part. I had been in the section of the store "Gentleman's Clothing and Accessories" as the fancy carved wooden sign above it said and, in fact, it was a bit upscale from some of the cheaper national ready-to-wear menswear chains in off the main thoroughfares that I had used in the past. The clothing department was in a side part of the first floor and I was on my way out when I saw her coming down its main aisle. I am a pretty normal male, I think, and any good-looking girl usually catches my eye and gets the blood stirring slightly. Well, sometimes more than slightly. This girl was walking at a normal pace, strolling, neither dawdling nor hurrying but, what immediately caught my notice, was how she was dressed, if that is the word. You see, she was only in her underwear, with stockings and high-heeled shoes. Another part of me began stirring at the erotic sight. Now, you might expect that most women dressed in only their underwear in a public situation would be embarrassed and scurrying to some place where they could shelter or hide but this girl did not appear to be overly concerned about her situation at all. Her almost minimal outfit was especially noticeable. And there was no white or blah beige outfit for her! Black with red accessories served her instead. She was wearing only a black open corselette, with sheer, black, nylon stockings, and a string of large beads, earrings, and high- heeled shoes, all in red. About two inches of each delightful pale bare thigh showed in the gaps between her stocking tops and the lower hem of her corselette. The swell of her nicely shaped breasts showed above its black lace cups. Adding some further enticement, the corselette was a made of a semi- sheer shiny fabric, letting me see the hint of black knickers underneath it so at least she was not in danger of an embarrassing exposure if she stumbled and fell. But there looked little likelihood of that. Her walk was unhurried, elegant and confident. She may not have completely finished her dressing, at least for her clothes, but her pretty face showed she had fully made herself up, with a bright red lipstick and a hint of blush on her cheeks and with eyeliner, eyeshadow and mascara at her eyes. Her dark brown hair was a bit shorter than the current fashion for young women, just cut in a short bob style but it was nicely set around her head and at just the right length to show her dangly earrings. What struck me was she showed no signs of embarrassment at all! Just the opposite, the wide smile on her pretty face suggested she was very pleased to be in public view and she was maybe even relishing the admiring looks she was getting from most men. I noticed that if she caught anyone's gaze to her left or right she gave them a half open smile showing white even teeth behind her red lips. She was so open in her manner too, with almost an innocent air about out her and as if she was not flaunting herself at all. You don't see pretty girls walking about in their underwear every day so I looked round, wondering if she was really a model involved in some photo shoot or advertising stunt for some manufacturer of women's underwear in the lingerie section of the store. But there was no one else with her. Also, her smile was too open, showing none of the dispassionate, neutral or cold expressions of runway models. At least the store was not too busy, so the girl didn't have to push her way through any shoppers. Most, in fact, got out of her way fairly quickly. I saw surprised looks and giggles from some children, even a few pointing fingers. Any women who saw her must have been taken aback and I saw a range of reactions, from furrowed brows, puzzled amusement, some open disapproval, and maybe even some horror. The men who were looking at her were mostly like me, some grinning, and enjoying and taking advantage of the sight of a slim, attractive girl in her underwear. A few men made valiant attempts to ignore her or pretend not to see her but these were the ones with women companions. I was taken with her dark hair and her lovely face with her full red lips and dark eyes. Her figure was nice too, slim enough that she probably did not really need any shaping by her girdle, but it did fit her very smoothly with neither creases nor wrinkles in the garment at her slim waist and no bulges of flesh above her bust or at her thighs. Its dark fabric showed up nicely against her pale skin. Then, as she moved just ahead of me, I was treated to the sight of her lovely hips and rear moving and swaying from side to side, but constrained just enough by the seat of her girdle. I enjoy the sight of young women's curvy rears when they are in shorts or bathing suits, but there is something attractive too about the twitch and sway of a woman's rear in a tight skirt or girdle like this woman was wearing. Her stockings were just the right length and fit too, shaped into little curves where their dark tops were drawn up by her six taut suspenders. She had to make a little diversion to pass a group of staring shoppers and as she turned to face me I got an open smile. I tried to smile back and hide my surprise and not to gape at her so I just kept walking on as if I was unaffected by her eroticism and really didn't notice her undress. The beginnings of an erection in my trousers told me I wasn't completely successful! Finally, with a little pirouette, a saucy bow and a big open smile to her watchers, the girl disappeared through a door leading to the car park. I saw a store functionary belatedly heading across the floor towards her but she was well gone before he reached the door. I kept thinking about the girl on the way home. She had been very pretty and her slim figure filled her outfit quite nicely, of course, but it was also her manner, carefree and proud. And she had smiled at me. I am a sucker for pretty girls that way although I was still feeling the residual pangs of a breakup with Margot, my girlfriend of the last few months. It was the expression on her lovely face that stayed with me the rest of that evening, an open smile as if she was totally aware and proud of her beauty and the eroticism of her outfit, although I wondered what her motivation had been to show herself off in such a fashion. I hoped she would have reached her car without any fuss and get home or wherever she was going without any trouble. She must have been going to a vehicle. I could not see her using the London transportation system in that outfit. Even in a car, unless she had other clothes to cover herself with, she would give anybody in a passing car or lorry a surprise. I grinned at the thought of what would happen if she were stopped by any police. But I supposed her lovely body was well enough covered that she could not be charged with any indecent exposure. Back home I looked over my new purchases again and hung them up or put them away neatly in the drawers. I had plenty of room now. Margot's departure had left a lot of empty drawer and shelf space. After that, I heated up a simple evening meal, a precooked one that I had bought at the local Tesco and poured a beer. Ruefully, I realized that it had become normal for me now to sit at home and drink. I needed to stir myself and get out again. Still, I had some urgent homework to do and, after putting the few dishes away, I sat down with another beer and began going through the sheaf of stuff I had brought home with me the previous day. With my promotion just a few days before, I needed to be really familiar with my new position and its responsibilities before I got around to making changes. The company was doing well but I was beginning to think that its organization could be improved. When I was one of the lower ladder employees I had just kept my tongue still, other than making quiet suggestions and making sure my own performance was beyond criticism. Now, with my promotion, I had more clout. It was no use. Eventually I sighed and laid the stuff down. I could not concentrate at all on my company's organization, nor its financial projections nor its marketing or anything about it. The thought of the pretty girl still intruded into my mind. Her proud, confident and happy appearance had brought light into a grey winter day, and got me thinking again about getting female company. That night I eventually I got to sleep, after mulling about stirring myself and getting into dating girls again but when I finally nodded off I had not come to any decision. The next day was my first official one in my new position and I spent much of the morning meeting with those employees who would report to me. Two of them were former colleagues and I wondered if there would be some resentment, but our small chemical manufacturing company had encouraged a relaxed air and I did not detect any ill-feeling. In fact, after our meeting, Milos Hajek, a former co-worker, and drinking friend, stayed behind. Milos was the son of a Czech pilot who had remained in England after the war. "Look, Tom," he grinned. "I just wanted to say it will be strange reporting to you but I'm happy with it. You're the best person for the job and I'm glad they didn't bring in any outsider. I only hope you'll still feel all right about coming out for a beer with us as we usually did." I clapped him on the shoulder. "Thanks, Milos." In fact, a week later, when I was out at a bar with Milos and Don Patterson, who was on the technical side, from our laboratories, we got talking to a group of girls. The girl I was mainly directing my attention to, Trish was her name, was pretty and we seemed to get on well and it made me realize what I had been missing. So when we left and she gave me her phone number, I took the plunge to get back into the dating scene and I called her the very next night. It worked out well at first, but after a few dates we decided were not suited and I was on my own again, but this time I was going to make sure I did not hide myself away and I dated another couple of girls after that but, like Trish, we were not really suited. Our company was doing well and I like to think it was partly due to my own drive and organization that it was beginning to show the effects so I was gratified when my immediate supervisor, Byron Gladwin, called me in for some 'talk', as he phrased it. "So, Tom, how are you getting on? Happy in your new job?" I couldn't very well say I wasn't, but I spoke honestly, well, reasonably honestly, saying that I was happy, but I thought that even more reorganization would be in our best interests. "And," I added, "we need to be bigger. This is a good company, a great place to work but I don't want it to be swallowed up." "You've been giving it some thought, I see. But you would be safe in any reorganization." He emphasized the 'you'. "That is, If you were thinking about your own job. You're talented." That was a lot of praise from my senior, but I just shrugged with the right amount of modesty. "Yes, I think I could be fine, but I like this company and I feel a responsibility to it. It's a good place to work but if it was taken over, you never know, the style might change. And then I might not like it." I waited for some more comments but there were none. Instead he looked at me directly as if about to challenge me or sizing me up. "Look, there is a small company we have been negotiating with. It's a little ways out of a starting-up situation but I've been investigating them. They have good ideas and some really good people with them but they are undercapitalized too. Their product line would complement ours. So, I've been having some talks with them on the quiet and I think they'd actually be amenable to some cooperation, maybe we might even think about a merger with them. That would give us more clout in the marketplace and hopefully attract more investment. So, Tom, I've scheduled some talks with them. I know you've been looking at our own set-up so you know our company's strength and weaknesses, probably better than most here. I'd like you to be in on the negotiations." I sat back. That was a big responsibility for a newcomer to the management. "All right, anything I should know?" I was trying to exude a confidence I didn't really feel. "We've been looking at that company's past performance and its potential. Morley Jones, over in accounts, has been in charge of that and you can get the data and analyses from him." To cut a long story short we eventually decided to merge the two companies. I had put in a lot of work arranging the merger and, to my relief, I was kept on, and even given more responsibility. But that led to another problem. We had the talents we needed to expand further and even diversify a bit but now we had to try to attract some investment money. That job fell to Byron and in after a bit of to-and-froing he seemed to think we were in a good position to attract an investor. He had contacted a Vernon Simmonds, a financier, and arranged for me to talk to him at his office in Mayfair. His chief financial officer, Bill Meldrum, was with Simmonds at the first meeting and they both asked a lot of penetrating questions so it took a lot of time for me to go over our company's potential. However, I thought I did a good job of presenting our case and at last, by the late afternoon, Vernon must have had enough of forecasts and graphs and projections and he leaned back in his chair and grinned at me. "Well, Tom, I'm beginning to think you've convinced me about your company. I think I can set this in motion and Bill here," he nodded to his companion, "is impressed too. But I will let him thrash out the details of our investment with your people when we come do a final decision." He looked at his watch. "Now, I'm getting hungry and I'm sure you are too. So why don't we all get out for dinner?" He smiled. "Actually I've already anticipated this and I've made a reservation for us at my club. Hope that's fine with you? It will be more casual and relaxed. It's just that I like to get to know the actual people in a company I'm going to invest in, not just the financial figures on their ledgers." "Sorry, Vern," said Bill. "I have another appointment I can't miss but thanks anyway. Have a good dinner though." He held out his hand for me to shake. "Nice meeting you, Tom." "But..." I began too and Simmonds looked at me. "Oh, I'm sorry, Tom. Do you have other plans or someone you'd prefer meeting? Oh another thing, call me Vern." "No, no other plans, and that's very generous but you know, I'd really like to freshen up." "Tom, maybe you're thinking you have to change but that's not necessary. You're dressed just fine." He must have looked at my face. "All right, why don't you go home and do what you have to. But look, I've just thought of someone I want to take out. I promised her that the last time I was here. So, why don't you get home and freshen up and I'll have my company driver pick you up at seven. What's your address?" I gave him my address and we parted, with the promise that he would send someone to pick me up. I usually took the Tube or buses for getting about round the city but if he wanted to treat me like a business bigwig I was not going to object. I thought I could get used to the idea of having a limousine and a driver manouevre me through the streets of London but I would have to rise well within my company and it would have to be very successful indeed. But, feeling a bit important I decided to splurge on a taxi to get home as I was carrying quite a bit of the stuff I had used for my presentation and holding onto a pole or support in the crowded Tube at rush hour and clutching a briefcase did not seem the best idea. We were a small company making research grade chemicals, specialized enough to have carved out a small niche in the general scheme of things, but not big enough to be a threat to the big companies. And certainly not big enough to have our own limo and driver. I hadn't forgotten that Vernon had stressed casual but maybe my idea casual clothing would not be his so I decided to have a quick shower and shave again and change into one of my new casual suits. I hadn't worn it much and it brought back the memory of the pretty girl I had seen in her startling underwear some months back. I was down at the front of my apartment building at seven, feeling a little apprehensive, but pleased too. It looked like Vernon and I had got on well and, if we got the financing set up, it would be another feather in my cap. Besides, I'd heard that the club he suggested was the place where many business deals in the city were initiated or consummated and the food was good. Still, I had to be careful too. I'd watch my alcohol intake and not let my guard down. I had a good idea he would be judging me. I was doing well, it seemed, but maybe this was meant as a test too. I'm not sure what I was expecting, maybe a taxi for me, or even a limousine, but in fact it was a black BMW that drove up and I saw the driver beckon to me. So I opened the front passenger door and looked in at the driver. To my surprise, although the car interior was fairly dim, I recognized that it was a woman driver. "You waved at me. I presume this is my ride? Arranged by Mr. Simmonds?" "Yes, at least if you are Tom Alston." It was a young woman's voice and a pleasant one. "Yes, that's me!" She turned to face me but it was fairly dark and I could not really see her features even in the dim car lighting. "Then I'm glad to meet you, Mr. Alston. My name is Stephanie Blundell, but you can call me Steph." She drew away smoothly into the traffic. "You were expecting the driver to be a man?" Her voice was low pitched, but still pleasant and feminine. "Well, uh. No, I'm not sure what I was expecting. But I'm glad to meet you, Steph." As my eyes got more accustomed to the dim light I saw the girl had a pretty face. Her hair looked as if it was stuffed under a chauffeur's cap but from what I could see it looked as if she was a brunette. Some dark strands strayed over her pale neck. Actually, I could not help from keeping turning round to look at the girl. She was quite pretty from what I could see of her but I mostly only got her profile while she kept her eyes intently on the road and traffic ahead and only occasionally and briefly turned to face me. Besides, the interior of the car was only lit by the dashboard lights and flashes of light from the street lights or the headlights of oncoming cars. "Yes, Mr. Simmonds asked me to call for you. Now Mr. Alston, I have one more call. It's for Mr. Simmond's niece. We shouldn't be too long, her flat is just a little off the Bayswater Road." We made some small talk about the traffic and the weather until stopped in front of a posh block of flats and Steph got out of the car and headed to the entrance. Just at the foyer of the block I saw her joined by another young woman. That gave me a chance to see Steph better, and I decided she was very pretty. I saw she was dressed in a tan trench type coat over a grey, skirted type of uniform with only moderately heeled shoes, suitable dress for a female chauffeur, I supposed. As her coat flapped open I saw her skirt was shortish, to about three inches above her knees and I thought these were pretty too. But I put mildly erotic thoughts from my mind and, thinking of my manners, I got out of the limo and opened the door for the other young woman. She too had a very pretty face, but I could not decide on her figure, hidden as it was by a heavy coat. The elaborate styling of her blonde hair made it look as if she had just stepped out of a salon. She wore dangling earrings, and a pink lipstick with dark shadows round her eyes, all made up as if for a night on the town but, incongruously, she was wearing flat shoes and a calf-length coat. She was carrying a small case. "Holding doors open is supposed to be my job, Mr. Alston," Steph said as I followed the new young woman back into the limo. But she smiled at me. However, I was taken with the sudden change in expression on her face when she turned to the new girl. Her eyes had narrowed and her mouth tightened. This new girl gave me a flashing smile and held out her hand. "Hello, Mr. Alston. My name is Emma, Emma Porter. My uncle, that's Vernon Simmonds, said we are going to have dinner together and invited me. He'd promised to take me out for dinner the next time he was in town so that's the reason you've got my company tonight. I hope you don't mind? And I hope you don't talk business all the time!" "Oh, you're the relative he was going to call." The girl was very attractive so I gave her my own best smile. "But I certainly don't mind your joining us, Emma. It's your uncle's, I mean Mr. Simmonds' invitation any way and he can invite whoever he wants. And," I tried another more rueful smile, "just for you I will try to avoid talking about any business. And please, call me Tom." Steph would have heard all we said but she made no reaction and she kept firmly looking ahead, driving smoothly and efficiently and in a few minutes she drove into the car park of a building that I assumed was the club, as it had a doorman in a braided tailed coat and a top hat and he even rushed to open the car doors for us. Emma lifted her small case from the back seat. "I'll need this," she offered. "My uncle's call didn't give me much time." Vernon Simmons was actually waiting for us just inside the door and came out to greet us. He held out his hand to me. "Tom, glad you came and I didn't think you'd mind that my lovely niece is joining us. Emma, my dear, how are you!" Emma kissed him lightly on the cheek then gave an apologetic smile. "Yes, I'm well, but I'm hungry and I'm looking forward to a nice dinner but if you'll excuse me for a few minutes, Uncle Vern, I wasn't able to get off work as early as I had hoped so I need to go and change my clothes and check my face but you both go ahead and get seated." Vern looked vaguely annoyed but he gave a bright smile as Emma turned quickly and scurried off in the direction of the ladies washroom while I turned my attention back to Steph. I had the impression I had seen the girl before and I was racking my brain as to where. "So, Mr. Simmonds, can you give me and idea how long you will be, sir?" she asked. Vern looked at his watch. "We should be about two hours, Steph. So why don't you be back here at nine?" She gave a slight nod of her head. "As you wish, sir." And she waited until we had gone into the club. When I looked back through the glass door I saw her heading to a nearby caf?. She had pretty ankles. Vern beckoned me into the club. "Maybe you think it's unusual to have a girl as a driver, Tom, but it was a whim of mine and she is very good at it. It's a part time job for her as she's studying at some or other college. Pretty, and smart too, which gives a good impression to clients." I had to agree with him, at least about Steph's good looks, and I dutifully followed him to the restaurant section of the club where the ma?tre-d' greeted him effusively but gave me a quick look up and down, as if slightly dismissive of hoi polloi like me entering his sacred grounds. "Ah, Mr. Simmonds, glad to see you again, sir. I have a table for four. But the other members of your party?" He raised his eyebrows. "Yes, Harold, one of us couldn't make it but there is a young lady who will be joining us very soon. In the meantime we'll get seated." "Very good, sir. If you'll come this way?" He led us to a seat in a corner that overlooked the square. I was relieved to see that most diners were fairly casually dressed, although not to the extent of open shirts. They were mostly men, I suppose reflecting that the club had started as a men's only organization. The few women there were dressed mainly in skirted suits or dresses except for a couple in trouser suits. Vern's manner was affable. "So Tom, how about a pre-dinner drink? I'm going to have a Bloody Mary." He beckoned a waiter over. If he was paying I would get something a bit more classy and stylish. "I'll have a Scotch. A Glenfiddich malt if you have it." I said, trying to sound knowledgeable and sophisticated. I had only just read about Scotch single malts and I wanted to show off. The waiter did not bat an eyelid. He did not bat an eyelid. "Yes, sir, we have an eighteen year old one, aged in a Port wine cask. Will that be suitable?" I pretended a knowledgeable smile and nodded my approval. I was pleased when Vernon gave me a look as if he was impressed. "I think I'll change my mind," he said suddenly. "I'll have a GlenFiddich too." "I'm impressed. Are you becoming a Scotch connoisseur?" asked Vernon, when the waiter went off. "I'd thought of a cocktail, but you've made me change my mind. It's a night to savour a Scotch." We chatted for a bit then the waiter brought our drinks along with two small crystal decanters of water. "Would you come back in a minute or so?" asked Vernon. "A lady will be joining us soon and I expect she will like a drink too." I diluted my whisky as I had read some people do and we toasted each other and we were talking about the relative merits of diluting our whiskies when I saw Emma at the entrance looking into the dining room and after exchanging a few words with the ma?tre d' she walked straight towards us. She must have changed completely. She was now wearing a short dark red dress that came to about four inches above her knees, along with dark hosiery and black shoes, with three inch heels this time. The neckline of her dress showed a tantalizing amount of cleavage and allowed enough room for a double string of pearls to match her pearl earrings. She had touched up her make-up too and now her lips were deep red. Her eyes were dark rimmed and she had blue eye shadow, it made her look very exotic. I could not help but admire the way her dress clung to her and showed off her figure without appearing excessively tight. With her changed appearance I had enough presence of mind to remember my manners and stand up when she approached the table but Vernon did not bother. He did comment favorably on her appearance though, and she smiled prettily." Well, I like getting glammed up, but this dress isn't so practical for my work. I work at a law office." She smoothed her dress over her waist and thighs. "Where's the rest of your clothing and stuff?" asked Vernon. "In a small case that I gave them to look after at the desk. I'll get it when we leave." Emma ordered some type of pink cocktail but I concentrated on my whisky. With my apparent success with Vern I had been feeling confident but the sight and closeness of this attractive girl and her faint but exotic perfume disconcerted me and made me a bit tongue-tied until I the scotch took effect and I relaxed. After that it was a bit easier and the rest of the evening, through starters, main courses and dessert went well. The girl easily held her end of the conversation up although, at one point, Vernon got a bit expansive telling us about his financial rise and Emma gave me a tolerant smile when Vern's attention was elsewhere. He said he had started with a partner but when the partner suddenly died he had taken the reins all by himself. He had made it into one of the most successful in the city, so he said. I had hoped to impress Emma too and it seemed to be working. "You said you were with a small new company, I gather?" she asked. "What does it do?" While I talked about the company and my own career she kept her attention on me, flashing me smiles, and showing her perfect white teeth behind her red lips. At one point she put her hand over mine as I was making a point and I felt a nice frisson at her touch. Vernon appeared very interested in what I had to say about the company too so I hoped I was selling it well. We finished a nice meal, one of the best I had eaten, and I watched enviously as Vern casually ordered the waiter to put it on his account, wondering if my own career would ever lead me to such financial heights. As we were going out, Vernon shook my hand. "That was a nice evening, Thomas. Good luck in your job. I think you'll be a credit to your company." Emma and I had got our coats and were standing at the entrance to the club when Steph drove up, nine pm. on the dot. She gave us all an expectant look and opened the doors to the BMW. "Oh, Steph?" said Vern, "I've decided to stay here at the club tonight so, you'll only l have to take Emma and Thomas home." Steph nodded. "Yes sir, and what about tomorrow, sir? When do you want me to call for you?" "Let's see, I have to catch a plane at Heathrow mid morning, so-" He thought for a few seconds. "Can you come for me about nine? That will give me enough time. I have what I need in my luggage here." "Certainly, sir." I helped Emma with her coat then she kissed her uncle on the cheek while I put on my own coat. I shook his hand and we said our goodbyes and Emma, Steph and I headed to the car. Steph put the key in the ignition and checked her rearview mirror and, as she pulled out into the stream of traffic, I felt Emma nudge me. "My uncle goes on a bit, about his success, I mean," she said. "Well, he is a successful man," I said cautiously. "But maybe I got a few pointers from him." "Oh, looking forward to making your way up the corporate ladder, are you?" Her voice had taken a flirty tone. "I think you'll do well." "Well, uh, yes, I'd like to get ahead, but it was my boss wanted me to act as the liaison with your uncle." "So Tom, what do you do apart from work? For entertainment, I mean." She had me there, and when I listed meeting friends and going to the occasional cinema I began to feel my life was a bit narrow. "You mean you don't get out to dinner, say with girls?" Her voice was teasing and inviting, but before I could summon a reply we were at her block of flats. Steph got out to open the car door and Emma eased herself out, restricted a little by her the skirt of her tight dress. It rode up to expose another inch or two of her nyloned thighs, even a hint of the darker welt at the top of her stockings but she made no move to pull it down. "It was nice meeting you, Mr. Alston, Tom, I hope we meet again." Her hand touched mine and I felt her pass something to me. "Good night, Emma," I said and I watched as she disappeared into her block of flats. "So, home now, Mr. Alston?" asked Steph. "Yes, please." "Successful day, sir?" I suppressed a yawn. "A different day from my usual, Steph. Actually I'm a bit tired after the negotiations we had. It was nice eating out in a fancy place like that but I need to relax." "And Mr. Simmond's niece, the well decorated Miss Blundell. Did you enjoy her company?" I thought this was just a bit cheeky. It was not appropriate for her to make comments like that, but, "yes, I did," I replied. "Yes, she's an attractive and vivacious woman. Mr. Simmonds has had her meet many of his male clients. Ah, here were are at your place." I saw her move to get out of the car but I had already opened the door. "Thank you, Steph." "Glad to help you, Mr. Alston, and it was nice to see you again," she said as she rolled up her window and in a few seconds had wheeled out of the parking lot. Up in my flat I thought of the events of the day, and Steph's two cryptic comments. Then I sat back and whistled. I suddenly realized what she had meant by her second remark. She was the girl I had seen parading in her underwear in the store just a few months back. So she must have recognized me too. I hoped I had not been leering at her. Her first comment gave me more thought, until it came to me that she was telling me that Vernon Simmonds was in the habit of introducing his attractive niece to many of his clients. So, I was not alone and maybe Emma's forwardness was an act of sorts and his so-called last minute invitation to her might not have been genuine. He could be using her to soften up clients. I remembered the paper she had passed to me. I uncrumpled it and saw it had a telephone number on it and a terse 'call me' written on it, but followed by a heart. Still, Emma really was quite attractive and I wondered if I was being too suspicious. I decided I would call her in a day or so. Meeting and starting a relationship with a pretty girl, with its promise for the future should make men feel on top of the world but for me it was spoiled by these lingering suspicions about Emma. I should have felt as if I was floating on air, but I was not and I was still thinking about it until I fell asleep. Still, two nights later I called the number and heard Emma's bright voice. "Oh, nice to hear from you, Tom. That was a lovely evening." "Ah yes, it was," I added and after a bit of chit chat we arranged to meet again but this time I arranged to pick her up using my old MG. So, when I picked her up, "How nice to see you again, Tom," she said and she even gave me a peck on the cheek. "Uh, have you eaten?" I asked. "Well, I had a snack when I came home from work." "Well, why don't we go to a pub and have a bite and a drink then we can catch a film?" "Lovely!" Emma was very bright and a good conversationalist and I actually had a good evening, and it felt even better when she took my hand in hers as we walked out of the cinema. My doubts began to leave me and when I dropped her off at her flat, she kissed me and we arranged to meet again. I actually felt on top of the world. The next day day Milos and I had gone out for a drink after work and decided to take in a pub near the embankment. We were talking about work and the world in general when I suddenly stiffened. "What is it?" asked Milos. He had seen my reaction. "Uh, let's just change places. There's someone over there and I want to watch but I don't want to be seen." "All very mysterious," Milos grinned, "but I'll let you do your spy stuff." I had seen Emma at the other end of the pub. She was facing away from me and I wanted to keep out of her sight. She was with another man and there appeared to be little doubt that they had some relationship. They were holding hands across a table and, although I could not see her eyes, the man's eyes were on her. Then I saw her stroke his hand with her long fingers, with their crimson tinted nails. She was either a very good actress with him or I was seeing a woman who was in love. I remembered what Steph had told me so it was possible Emma was doing her act and using her wiles on another possible client, or this was the real thing. We had finished our drinks and I got out without her seeing me, but I was thinking about her. Milos was mystified by my sudden departure but when he asked I just said there was a woman that I wanted to avoid and he made a comment about my complicated romantic life and hinted I should see if she had a friend. All that night I thought more about it, whether to play along with Emma or just drop her. It made me suspicious of Vern too, and curious as to what his motive was. Two days later later I had another call from Vern saying that he wanted to go over some more things with me so, armed again with the information, I called at his office and spent another two intensive business-like hours with him and Bill Meldrum. Once again we had dinner but fortunately without Emma and again Vern had Steph drive me home. He was going to stay at his club again so climbed into the front seat beside her. It seemed less formal that way and I was not used to sitting in the back. "Thanks for the ride, Steph. It's saved me taking the Tube or the bus," I said. "And it's nice seeing you. How are things with you?" "Things are going well, and it's nice seeing you again too, Mr. Alston." That reminded me. "Oh, Steph, the other night you said that, that it was nice seeing me again? What did you mean by 'again'? Had we met before?" Her eyes twinkled. "Oh, don't hide it." Her voice became more flirty. "Surely you remember? We didn't exactly meet, but didn't I see you in that big department store on Oxford Street some months back, that time I did my little parade? You certainly saw me!" She gave a small laugh. "I have a good memory for faces but I have to say, if you had forgotten me and my show, it would have made this girl a bit disappointed." She gave a small moue. It made her look very pretty and appealing. "Well, uh, oh yes, I don't think I would forget that. It's just that I didn't recognize you at first. And why don't you call me Tom?" "Well, Tom, aren't you going to ask me about what I was doing in that store, dressed only in my unmentionables in public?" "Unmentionables? But you've just done that, mentioned them I mean." She made a pretty face at me. "Touch?! Ha bloody Ha!" she said sarcastically. "I can see you're on your toes." But she gave me a warm smile. "Steph, I appreciated the view of you in your lingerie, and you are a very pretty girl and it suited you very well, but maybe your reason for doing that was none of my business!" "Oh, so discreet! A real gentleman! Or are you just embarrassed to ask me?" "Well, I must say I thought about you a lot. You made my day, that day," I said, feeling bolder. "Thanks, now you make a girl feel better." By this time we had arrived at my block of flats and she actually leaned over and gave me a little kiss on the cheek. "Here you are, and it was lovely to see you again, Tom." She had emphasized the 'again'. I took a deep breath. I liked this girl. "Uh, Steph, I enjoyed meeting you again too. Would you like to go out for dinner?" My heart lifted when she smiled at me. "I'd love to." "Then how about two days from now, I mean Thursday, at seven? I 'd love to see you sooner," I apologized, "but I have standing date with my mother. I'd break it but she's in a nursing home and getting on a bit and she doesn't like her routine broken." "Oh, a dutiful son, aren't you!" She was suddenly contrite. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to make fun of you. I hope your mother is well. All right, Thursday it is." "And I'll come and get you. About seven? I'll drive then. I hope you don't mind being in my old MG. It's not as fancy as this." I nodded to the big BMW. "Lovely! I live at the Greystone block of flats on Howard Street. I'll be waiting for you at its entrance." Back in my flat I had a look again at the crumpled piece of paper with Emma's telephone number. So now I had two girls in my life and interested in me, maybe! And whose interest was genuine? I sat and thought for a bit and eventually decided to have a shower and turn in, but my thoughts were mainly about Steph. However, next day was a working day, and as soon as I could I set up a meeting with Byron. Fortunately he had an opening in his schedule and I gave him a summary of my latest dealings with Vernon and my suspicions about his niece. I told him about Steph's comments too but something about my manner had obviously given him a clue. It was no use denying it and I told him I was going to take her out. He looked at me with his head slightly tilted. He had that mannerism when something intrigued him. "So I take it this Emma caught your attention but you're not sure. I agree it could be suspicious, but you may be reading too much into it." He shook his head. "Still, ah, maybe you're right. I'll let you be the judge of that. Just be careful and keep me informed too." He grinned. "So now, with this Steph,you have two women in your life! A bit of a change from a few months back after your break-up with Margot! I wondered if you were going to apply to a monastery! Anyway, this Steph, how beholden is she to her employer? I mean, he's thinking about financing us, so he's in a powerful position. So, maybe, if we want to keep in his good graces, we need to be careful. That brings me to you. Do you see any problem with divided loyalties, if you and this girl, any of these girls, establish a relationship?" "That depends on how loyal Steph is to him. I get the impression there is some tension with her and Emma and even with Vern. Steph's just too polite to him and I think Emma is really playing me, acting for her uncle. But I'll be careful." I thought too about Steph's expressions and even her body language. I got a strong feeling Steph did not like Emma. I wondered the rest of that day about the situation and back home I poured myself a drink and sat with it in my darkened room, staring out at, but hardly seeing, the lights of the city. I kept going over the various scenarios, wondering what they meant for my company and for me. Life was getting complicated. On Thursday I was still thinking about Vern and the two women. It even distracted me on my visit to my mother, which is saying something. Her dementia was now getting very obvious and invariably on my visits I felt frustrated and saddened by her decline and this was no exception. I began to think of Steph. I had begun to feel a real attraction to the girl, her prettiness, her sparkling personality and yes, her boldness and I wondered if this could be the start of something important in my life. Of course, on Thursday I began to feel my stomach tightening in anticipation of our date, and suddenly realizing that I had to make a decision on where I would take her for dinner, and that in turn decided how casually I would dress and with a sudden realization I knew she would be wondering too. I decided on a smart but casual outfit and that I would wait and see how she was dressed and choose the place accordingly. When I picked her up I was pleasantly surprised to see her wearing a simple black crepe dress, one that could have served for just about any place or occasion. It really flattered her slim figure too. I was wearing one of my new sports jackets and tan trousers but with an open neck shirt so after a kiss on the cheek I suggested we try an upscale fish-and-chips restaurant over on the South Bank by the river. "Good! I like seafood." The evening went very well. She was great company and it makes a man feel on top of the world when he feels he is with the prettiest and most charming girl in the place. When she asked I told her all about myself and when I asked about her own life she said she worked part time with Vern, but was also a part time student, taking business at one of the local colleges. She had no close relatives and lived in a small flat by herself. Eventually we got on to talking about her work and joking and at one point she placed her hand over mine. When I tried the same, with a small squeeze, she did not object. We had just finished our dessert, a chocolate mousse for her and a piece of cake with ice cream for me when she leaned forward in her seat. She spoke conspiratorially. "Tom, look at me. I've been on edge all night waiting for you to ask." "Ask what?" "So now, on our first date, aren't you going to ask why I was in that shopping centre in only my underwear?" She had said 'our first date'! So she was expecting to see me again and my heart gave a little bit of a flutter. "Well, uh, yes, I was curious but I figured it was your business." I looked at her sheepishly. "You want to tell me? Actually I'm very intrigued." She looked round, as if to check in case other diners were listening. "It was a dare. Some other girls and I are in a kind of club. Let's call it that, anyway. I'll just say that all of the girls in this club have gone through great changes and trials in our lives, all of the same type. You might call it a trauma, and that involved spending about six months with each other, in fairly close contact so we have developed a kind of bond." "Six months together? An army camp?" "Let's leave that for now. Well, part of what I did was a kind of rite of passage among us girls, to show how well we have gone through the changes, and how much we accepted or I should say, we have now welcomed it, and we decided on that, showing ourselves off in public. It's a way of showing that we are proud of the way we have endured, that we are proud of ourselves as women and ready to face the world. So just about all of us have done it." Her voice lowered conspiratorially. "We dress in uncompromisingly female underwear or a bathing suit, maybe provocative too and walk in a public place." "Whoa, this sounds heavy, serious. What was this mysterious 'great change', and 'great ordeal'?" "I've said enough for just now, but I'll tell you more sometime, Tom.There is more behind it and I don't want the evening to get too serious. We're having great time." That was true, I was more and more glad I had met this girl and asked her out. "So, Steph, what now, want to come to my place?" "Sorry Tom, I'll have to call off. I'd like to, but Simmonds has some business for me early tomorrow and I want to be fresh for that. Saturday is clear. Why don't we meet in the afternoon and go for a walk in the park?" I took her home and dutifully saw her to the door of her block of flats. She took my hand in hers, tilted her face to me and gave me a big warm kiss then a hug. "All right, Tom. See you on Saturday. That was a lovely evening. Thank you!" She had referred to Vernon as Simmonds, and again I detected just a hint of hostility. Yet, he was her employer. I wondered what was going on. So, I called for her on Saturday afternoon and we went for a stroll in the park, getting ice cream cones despite the chill wind and generally just watching the world go and talking easily about serious and trivial things. She was wearing a dark red fitted dress with a wine coloured coat over it. She looked very fetching. At last we had had enough of the walk and went for coffee. Looking at her I knew I had had a good time and none of us had dominated the conversation or bored the other so I looked at her. "So, do you want something to eat? What do you fancy?" "Well, Tom, I've been thinking, and planning. Why don't you come to my place and I'll make us something? You'll get to check my cooking skills." I am not sure what I was expecting at her flat. There was the usual type of furniture and kitchen stuff, but it all had a warm feminine feel. It was not as much ornamented as some women's spaces I had been in but it was still a lot tidier than mine. I made a mental note to tidy my place up before I invited her round. She was a good cook too. A chicken stew cooked in wine with pasta and she even had a bottle of wine and a dessert. "Not mine!" she said when I complimented her. "The local pastry shop's best, though!" We sat on her sofa in front of a window looking over the city below, and she did not object when I took her hand. She even squeezed back so it was natural that we started kissing and she made no objection either when I drew her to me and rubbed my hand up and down her back, feeling the ridges of her bra below her dress. I slid my hand over her thigh, feeling the slight ridge of the top of her stockings, then the harder ridges of her suspenders and their straps. But she held my hand. "So are you checking my underwear again? I'm not wearing my corselette this time." "I can feel that or, I should say, I can feel that you aren't." "Let's just kiss tonight, Tom." But she took my hand and placed it over her chest and so I could feel her bra beneath her dress and even the little bulge of a nipple in it. She put her hand at the back of my neck to pull me closer. "Tom, I think we could get really serious but I have to think about it." With that enigmatic statement we kissed again and she saw me to the door of her block of flats, with a promise that we should see each other again in another three days. This time I took her to a pub for dinner then afterwards I had splurged and bought theatre tickets. It was a musical with lots of hummable tunes and we both had a good time. Her face was laughing and open. "So, Tom, do you want to come to my place, for a nightcap?" she asked. But her manner was slightly nervous. I wondered what was ahead but in her flat she poured a small glass of wine for us both and led me to the sofa. She took both my hands. "Tom, I think we are going some place, so it's time I was honest with you. I think I should tell you a bit about myself. It's a longish story too but I have to tell you." She took a deep breath. You see, Tom, I was a bit of a handful growing up. I don't know why. I was born with the proverbial silver spoon in my mouth. I wanted for nothing. Maybe it was because I was spoiled that my behaviour was so bad." I stared at her. "You have to be joking. I can't believe that of you! You look so controlled, and nice." "Nice? That's 'nice' of you to say, but I hope it's now true. I like to think, I hope, my behaviour has changed quite a bit from these days. Maybe I thought too that the world owed me a living. My mother died when I was very young and my father never married again. I had a series of tutors but I never took to any of them and my father became too busy with his businesses. I was sent to a boarding school but eventually I was asked to leave. Anyway, when I was in my teens I began to get into scrapes and eventually it started to get the attention of the law. My father was fairly well off and knew the right people so, with paying off witnesses, using his many contacts and influence, even with the chiefs of police, I was able to get off. "My father had closed his ears everything that people said about me at first. He just said they were lies by other children whose parents were jealous of his power and money. Then, when I was in my teens he had to make excuses for me. Finally, as he began to see the light, he tried to reason with me and finally it got to him giving me stern warnings. Nothing worked." 'You sound like a handful," I said. "I hope you've quietened down." "Yeah, I now know I was a handful and I hope I am much better now. Anyway, finally, uh, lets just say I was accused of some dangerous driving and they said my car ran through a shop window and I had left the scene of the accident. For some reason I can't remember anything about it and I think I know the reason why." She shook her head as if with a bad memory. "But that's another story." "Fortunately no one was killed or even seriously injured and it was then I was arrested and my father wouldn't even pay bail for me. He said he had finally had enough of me and he was washing his hands of me. So there I was, stuck in a dirty holding cell until my trial came up. I thought my father was going to leave me there but he actually had another tactic in mind. "A day or so later I had a visit from what I thought was a rather officious little man. He was called Henry Lanchester. He had a dossier on me and went over my life and bad behaviour, minor scrapes and then more serious stuff. They were all listed in it! I wondered where he had got it all, the information I mean, as a lot of it had never had police attention or at least led to any charges. So I think it must have been my father keeping track of my misdeeds and he had passed the information to Henry. They were friends from away back. Actually I was shocked at the length of the list. Maybe that was what started me thinking I should grow up! "Henry told me I was in serious trouble and he then made what I thought was a crazy offer. In fact I thought he was mad and told him so, but he wasn't fazed at all. He just remarked that it did seem crazy but then he looked me straight in the eye. I remember his words and he assured me that it did work. He was quite serious. "You've lost me. What was this that worked?" I asked. Steph shook her head. "I'm coming to that. The offer he made sounded just impossible, incredible, in this day and age, yet he offered it genuinely and completely seriously. Apparently he was the director of a treatment facility, as he called it, away somewhere up in the Yorkshire moors. He said it 'treated' young men so that they could avoid a life of crime and almost certainly some stretches in prison." "That doesn't sound incredible. There must be a lot of places like that. But wait, you said 'young men'. You're a girl. Was there a section for women too?" "Tom, you'd better let me finish! This is complicated enough and it's hard for me. This was a special place, one of a kind. You see, I was born male." "What?" I sat back in shock but Steph went on. "And the procedure was going to make me into a young woman. She'd be the same age as me and pretty! Yes, a young woman. They would change my sex and all criminal charges against me would disappear." I stared at her. "This is incredible!" "Yes, I know, Tom. I immediately thought of homosexual men and or surgery to give me breasts and take away what I had between my legs, and of course I was having none of it." Steph smiled. "Yes, I made quite a fuss. But I assure you Tom, I am now identical to anyone who was born a girl and I have no surgical scars at all. Henry told me something that just flabbergasted me. "They were not going to use surgery or drugs or anything so rational. They were going to use an old book of magic that had come into their hands! Yes, hard to believe, isn't it." She squeezed my hands. "Please don't think I am off my head. And apparently I would be by no means the first. They had used some incantation from this book almost about every two weeks on some young male delinquents who they thought had potential to turn their lives around. He said it had had been in operation over six years and was quite successful." I had to sit back again and I just stared at the lovely girl making an incredible admission. "Magic?" She nodded. "Yes, hard to believe, isn't it! But making me into a woman and then having my crimes waived? I certainly wanted all charges against me dropped but what he said sounded just unbelievable or just plain insanity and I certainly had no wish to become a woman, by whatever means. So I just told him to get lost! "But then the very next day I had a visit from my father's main solicitor, the main one, Edmund Morley. My father was rich enough to have a bevy of lawyers at his beck and call. Morley warned me that my father had lost patience and was threatening to abandon me, and that I was looking at prison for about a two year stretch. "Of course, I panicked. Being in that dirty, depressing holding place was bad enough but then to be left to my own devices and maybe spending two or more years in a real prison, that just overwhelmed me. I actually broke down. I remember him passing a warning from my father that I had made my bed and I would have to lie on it!" "Rather drastic!" I said, but my mind was still reeling from what she had said. "Yes, it certainly was. I was completely devastated as I'd never had to face up to things before. That was quite a shock. Now, later on, I see why he said that. Of course, I wanted to see if there was any way I could wiggle out of it and he reminded me about the offer from Henry Lanchester and suggested I should think about it again and he asked if I wanted another visit from him. "I was so distraught that I agreed and Henry Lanchester came to see me the very next day. And, I remember his first words. I will never forget them. They were the biggest shock of all. You see, he gave me his condolences." Steph had to pause a minute and I took her in my arms and she pressed herself to me. "Thanks, Tom. He told me my father had died the night before of a massive heart attack. Worse, all his money was going to be tied up. He knew my father had cut me off anyway and now I was definitely, totally on my own. Too late to change his mind. But then he told me that there was the one saving thing, if you can call it that. Apparently my father had discussed with Henry the idea of getting me into his treatment. He had even donated some money a day or so before to the facility to provide for my expenses if I decided to take the treatment but there was the proviso that my treatment was all it could be used for. "I was so confused by the mess I was in that I asked to see Henry again about his treatment, maybe hoping I had heard him wrong. But I had heard properly the first time. "Henry said that his facility would normally take in a fresh patient every two weeks. That would make twelve at any one time, as the patients graduate in six months but they could sneak me in as a special case as a favour to my father. "So, if I took the treatment I would avoid prison. That helped me think about it more seriously. I like to think my father would still have wanted to save me from prison but now he was gone. I had no brothers or sisters and my mother had died when I was very young. I was all alone. "I was devastated but still had doubts, but then there was the funeral. Being in custody I even had to get permission to go to it and that was with a guard to take me back to the holding place as soon as the funeral was over. I was humiliated and desolated and since it looked as if I was now destitute, I finally agreed to the treatment. I was driven up to Yorkshire the very next day and two days after that they administered the magic at Henry's facility." She gave a short laugh. "You might imagine magic would be done in something like a witch's cottage, with toads and bats and cobwebs, but there was absolutely none of that." "What do they do in the facility?" "Its purpose is what they had in mind for the likes of me, to make me into a person indistinguishable from someone who was born a woman. The treatment makes female bodies but they follow that with a lot of training, psychological stuff too, conditioning, while they continually immerse the new women in a female way of life. There are lessons on behaviour, clothes, grooming, deportment, housekeeping, and cooking and even sex and relationships too, how to relate to and behave around others and boys, how to handle sex demands. They wanted us to pass completely as women. "There's a bonus too. The spell would make me, like all of the others, into a very attractive young woman, and we would be almost certain to get a lot of attention from men." She gave a wry smile. "Yes, most of us knew sex from the other side, you might say, so we certainly knew what men were after from girls and we were pretty familiar with what things men liked! But what we didn't have was that experience of a girl's life right from infancy, starting from little girls in pretty clothes and the likes of having dolls or playing houses, then of going through puberty and seeing our bodies change, being giggly female teenagers and experimenting with relationships, and with boys. Awkwardness in little things like that could make us noticeable when we graduated. Henry and his staff had discovered that and soon after the programme was started they actually hired a qualified female psychologist for the facility to advise us." "But what was all this for?" "The reason for all this? Apparently young women are far less likely to get into serious criminal trouble than men. There are statistics to prove it. And maybe it is also the shock of the change. Out of over seventy men who had been treated in the facility, only two had got into any further trouble as women. That makes it a very effective treatment!" "What does the place look like where they do this?" "It's like a big old farmhouse, a bit out of the way, up on some moors, but they've put in all sorts of new additions, so it's maybe like a small sanatorium or barracks. All totally modern inside. There was a fence, but only to keep people out. I mean, where would any of us run to, and why? We needed all the help we could get." I saw a tear at the corner of her eye then she began to cry and I held her, bewildered, marveling, or maybe not quite believing. If what she said was true, she had once been a man, yet in my arms was a young slim, desirable, feminine woman. She felt like a woman, she had that lovely smell of a woman and she was wearing a pretty woman's blouse and skirt and I had felt the ridges of a bra beneath the thin fabric of her blouse. "Sorry, Tom, talking about it brings back some of the stress." "I can hardly believe all this. You are just so like a girl in everything." I said. She sniffed, blew her nose and wiped her eyes. "Thank you. Yes, sorry for all the female weeping. It's just the memories and thinking of my first days as a woman and the great shock. Even though they had warned me, it was still a shock. So the treatment certainly worked for me." "How did they actually do it?" "The day of my treatment I was put in a room with only a light hospital type smock on. It was like any treatment room in a clinic. Medical supplies, a hospital bed, stuff like that. All the woman who treated me did was to give me a jab for a sedative, she called it. After it had taken effect she was going to read the magic spell to me but I didn't see that, as the sedative had effectively knocked me out. I don't remember anything. "Then I woke up a day and a half later. I felt like someone had beaten me." She grimaced. "That apparently was normal, but in an hour or so I was feeling much better, except for when I looked down on my chest I now had breasts sticking out and further down there was nothing. I mean, my penis and scrotum were gone and I had the genitals of a woman. I had male hair but all that fell out after a day." "The new body must have taken a lot of getting used to." She gave me a glare, but one that held no malice. "You don't say! Yes, it certainly did, to wake up and find that all that made you a man was gone. Then there was getting used to all the new stuff, having wider hips and a bigger arse, having breasts that seemed to catch on things and swung about when you moved, having much bigger and more tender nipples. There were the female clothes and, oh yes, they made it compulsory for us to wear skirts and dresses. Trousers and jeans and even shorts were only allowed after a few months and only for activities where skirts would not be practical. "After that they gave us an enormous amount and practice in getting us to use female mannerisms, sitting, walking, eating and so on, speaking like women. They had several female instructors, and tons of diagrams, films and so on. It was like being brainwashed. "But it looked as if I was stuck so I just had to try my hardest to accept it and adapt. Then there were the other girls. They were superb. They had all been through the adaptation earlier and were wonderful at offering help, advice, and sympathy too. I hardly saw anything in the way of cliques and catty behaviour." She laughed, " In that way we were probably not like most groups of girls! "We all had had to adapt. I never found out if there were any of us who had ever cross-dressed before the treatment or even wanted to. I remember f my own reaction when they first gave me a bra and knickers to put on. I felt guilty and embarrassed and I that if I looked round, I'd see somebody snickering at me. But nobody did. They had a staff member to advise us on clothing, her name was Mabel and she helped us with our first women's clothing. She was absolutely matter-of-fact, as if it was no great deal, and encouraging and helpful too. Two days after that I was introduced to the rest of the girls. I could hardly believe they all had been men. They were good looking girls too. Of course, we were all criminals, or we had been, as Henry put it, but we were not encouraged to talk about our past lives. "The staff were great, firm or sympathetic when needed, even Henry. I thought he was a bit officious at first but I soon saw a kind side to him. "Even though I had all that help, it took about six weeks before I began to do female things automatically without even thinking about it, you know, like when I had to pee, lifting my skirt, and pulling my knickers down and sitting down. Or hooking up my bra behind my back without fumbling. And it was about three months before I began to feel confident and assured enough to get some clothes sense and start to use makeup but by another month I was actually feeling glad I was a girl, that I was able to have pretty clothes and enjoy them. I could enjoy making myself up and try out different styles with my hair, and I was looking forward to getting out and meeting other people, yes, and young men. I also found myself helping and encouraging the newcomers, just as had been done with me. So I guess my mind had finally adapted." She pulled her skirt down and smoothed it. "I now like how a skirt feels, its freedom and airiness. I like the softer and smoother fabrics I can wear, things like satin. They feel so pleasant on my skin. I like being able to wear nylons. They have such a wonderful feel on my legs when I pull them up and fasten them. I like heeled shoes and the way I have to walk in them, yes and how my bum rolls. I like that I can make myself up and use perfume." She squeezed my hand. "Yes, and I like that I can attract men, and I like how I notice certain men too." That seemed like a good time to kiss her. "That was quite a transformation, then. " I should have been absolutely shocked, but what was before me was a pretty young woman, and a totally desirable one. "I know. Remember what the spell was for? We were supposed to become new people, and women, and hopefully any crime or bad behaviour would have lost its appeal. We would become assets to society instead. That was certainly true for me. It didn't take me long before thinking back on my own past life. I just felt thoroughly ashamed of myself. I could hardly believe I had been so self?centred and obnoxious. And there was the distress I must have caused to my father. I am determined to do well from now on." Her voice tailed away and I had to hold her again until she composed herself. " Sorry, I seem to be more weepy too since I've become a woman. I'd been given all chances and had just thrown them away. Maybe it had put too much stress on my father and contributed to his death." I gave her a tissue to wipe her eyes with. "That's a big pile of guilt to carry!" "Thanks, Tom, for being sympathetic. Oh, maybe I'm too down on myself. There was a history of heart problems in my family." "So the other new women there, they all adapted too?" "Yes, it's a very quick and effective spell, at least physically. Unfortunately, like I said, the mental adjustment takes more time, so there is awkwardness and embarrassment at the start but these can't be avoided and we all just had to work through our feelings. "I remember one girl who took more time than the rest of us. She started just after me. She complained right from the start. In fact, I 'm not sure why she even agreed to the procedure anyway but I suppose at some point she must have given her permission. Henry and his staff are quite thorough in checking that there is total agreement before the spell is administered. "This girl, when she woke up, became totally upset with her new body and she let us know! Patients are allowed two days away from the others so they can get a bit used to the changes, but she screamed a lot in the room so they gave her an extra couple of days to herself after the spell. We could even hear her in the dorm where the rest of us all slept. She was still upset when she joined the rest of us, moody and crying a lot. "She resented having breasts, saying they always got in her way. She resented having to sit down on the toilet, the way she walked and how her body was not as strong and she'd lost too much height. She complained about her hips and bum being too big, but I think that was her imagination. Yes, I suppose they would be proportionally bigger than men's arses, but none of the girls are hippy. Or do you think I am too big over the rear?" She gave me a mischievous look. "Not at all! It's just a nice size!" I stroked her hips and rear to reassure her. "She didn't want anything to do with women's clothes at all. That first week she refused to put anything, All she had was women's stuff, obviously. Finally, the staff, to get her out of her room, allowed her to wear pyjamas. The other girls were annoyed at this as they had made efforts to dress up, but she must have become fed up with her breasts swinging around and she finally agreed to put on a bra. She took to knickers about the same time. Maybe she thought she was too exposed and conspicuous with wearing only pyjamas. "There was a tradition at the Centre was that the girls would smarten themselves up for dinner, with makeup and nice dresses to show themselves off so nightwear was definitely out of place. Henry and his staff were very tolerant of her but they must have been beginning to think they had made a big mistake with her. We heard rumours about them changing her back but then some of the girls who had been there a bit longer persuaded Henry to have more patience and they promised to work with her. "That was a nice camaraderie," I said, still trying to understand the changed life Steph had undergone. "It was about the time when she had her first period, and I have to tell you, that meant a lot of tears, that we finally persuaded her to wear a skirt and even then she wore only a loose sweater on top at first. Even when we got her into more women's clothes she did not want makeup, and she kept her hair just combed straight back and when it got longer she just kept it in a simple ponytail type. And it was much too short, "At first, she only would choose only very plain clothes, same with her bras and knickers. They were all plain white cotton, not a hint of lace or satin at all! "But maybe it was part of finally accepting it, maybe too it was when the female hormones finally started circulating in her blood, maybe it was finally deciding she could be interested in men, that she began to pay more attention to her clothing, then started accepting fancier lingerie. "Finally, with all of us working on her continually, she began using lipstick, just a trace at first, and then it was as if the dam broke. She started paying attention to how she dressed and made herself up. She began using polish on her nails, and even on her toenails. Then, rather than socks she began to use nylon stockings and that of course meant she had to have suspenders. She complained a bit about the fuss, as she described it, about fixing her stockings but it was only half-hearted and her complaints dropped off. It had taken all of four month, fairly intensive stuff, but then over her last two months at the facility she was like the rest of us. "I really think that none of us now show what we once were. You couldn't pick us out in a group from the ones who were born female." She grinned. "Well, maybe we could be noticeable in one way. We are all good looking, if I can be so vain. On the whole we are better looking than average women, I mean those who were born girls, as they have not had a spell cast on them. "It's the best thing happened to me. I have been unbelievably lucky." I shook my head. "I can hardly believe all of that in this day and age, but there is one thing, you still haven't explained how you came to be parading in your corselette in a shop?" Steph laughed. "So you haven't forgotten that! Oh, it's like a lot of things, or a combination of things, maybe. The girls who graduated from the facility, we all had been though quite a demanding six months together. You can think of army basic training camps or the like as a kind of analogy. So you develop a kind of 'camaraderie' as you described it a minute ago. "Maybe you've seen things like girls in groups showing off some skin, you know, like in wedding pictures when the bridesmaids all lift their dresses and show off their legs. " She grinned. "Maybe it's like some girls at wilder occasions like in parades when they lift their tops and show their bras, or even their breasts. It must be a kind of pride in being female and knowing you have a body that can attract men, yes, to titillate or provoke them. The girls know they can show off with complete freedom but they are safe in the crowd. "Our their first night after they woke up from their change, all the new women got pretty nightdresses as a present from the staff but some of the girls had the idea of setting up a graduation ritual for new girls after their six months, a kind of rite of passage, but it only really only developed when we had left the Centre and were out in the working world. Some girls had tried to set up something like it at the Centre but Henry had put his foot down. I think he was cautious about any initiation rites or such like things as he didn't want pressuring or bullying or anything that could get out of hand. Maybe it was to emphasize our future -he hoped- ordinary lives and most of us didn't feel the need to show off. "A lot of the graduates took up work in the Yorkshire area or the North but some who moved to the London area arranged to keep in contact and got into the habit of having some girls' get-togethers. They all knew they were absolutely thrilled with their new bodies and lives so they set up a kind of risqu? celebration, actually a dare. They would get together and the newest graduate would have to show off her new body in some public place. No nudity, but it involved suggestive noticeable clothing, like underwear or bathing suits. So Tom, that's why, when it came my turn, I was walking through that department store in just my underwear." "Well, you did have shoes and beads on too." She gave me a playful slap on my thigh. "But I bet it wasn't my beads you were looking at! After my parade, the other girls were waiting for me just outside and we all went out for drinks and dinner. Of course, they had my dress ready for me. A good thing! Then we all had a laugh about it and good time, like a girl's night out, and we'd talk about our jobs and clothes and boys, yes, girls' stuff. "So Tom, that's my story but, enough of me." She was suddenly a bit more serious. "Tom, this is a bit awkward but, have you told Vern much about your company's manufacturing? I don't mean what you think its prospects are, but more like the technical stuff behind the processes." I was a bit taken aback by the switch from her own story, to my business dealings but her manner was very serious. "Uh, no, but I had been getting some together for him. He had requested it before making the final decision about investing in us." "So he hasn't actually given any money yet?" "No, but I get the impression it will be very soon. What's going on?" "Yes, he'll be quite good at giving that impression." I was beginning to get some strong indications that something was not quite right. "What do you mean?" "I mean that Vern is probably trying to swindle you, or at least your company. Tom, I think we are moving ahead in our relationship and I do not want to see you or your company hurt or taken advantage of. I gather from what you say that it is a good place to work, and anyway, it probably is a swindle. I want no part of it. I may have had a criminal background, but after all, I am a changed person, I hope. "Also, I have some more problems with Vern, but I'll tell you later. "How do I know this? I drive him and, the other day, in fact several times recently, I've driven him to the headquarters of Filgrove International Limited. He spent several hours there." She now had my full attention. The Filgrove company was a big concern with international interests. They did some work like us but we had thought we were small enough to escape their attention. "Maybe he's invested with them too. They produce lots of things." "Maybe, but, the other day, Vern had one of their higher-ups with him in the car. They were discussing your business. I only caught snippets of what they were saying, but they are interested in any new processes your company has developed. Tell me, do you have these patented?" I began to feel uncomfortable. "Not yet, and a lot of our stuff, we'd have difficulty patenting it as it's just a series of minor improvements on old processes. But there is one real innovation and the patent lawyer we hired is still hashing out the details on it before we apply. We may even just keep it as trade secret as if we took out a patent it would give clues to our rivals." "Well, you see, I think that is what Simmonds really wants from you, more details of your processes, then Filgrove could have their lawyers on anything patentable pretty fast and try to scoop your company or at least tie things up for a long time. "And that niece of his, Emma, she's in on it too. She supplies a little bit of female charm to get men in a good mood. I think she's tried that with you already. Don't trust her!" "You warned me before and I'd come to that conclusion." I told Steph about seeing Emma with another man. "So, need I tell you, don't trust her and I doubt if you will see a penny of Simmond's money." "What?" I sat back devastated, thinking of what she had told me. If I went along any further with Vern, our company could suffer and then, if we did not get investment, we could be severely held back anyway. But it was better being limited rather than having our work stolen. If the details of our processes were leaked the whole affair would give Filgrove a big advantage and my own company could lose business. It would be a future takeover target and I didn't want to see that. By now my evening was totally spoiled and Steph sensed it. "Tom, I'm sorry to have broken that to you. I know it's a great shock for you. What now?" "I'm not sure. I need to talk about this with my boss Byron urgently. It will spoil things for him too." "You're going to do it right now?" "Yes, Steph, I'm sorry, but it's my responsibility to get moving on your information as soon as I can." "I'm disappointed, but I agree with you." She leaned over and kissed my cheek. "So I'll see you again?" "Yes, Steph, Certainly." I took her in my arms. "This has been quite a night. But Steph, as for you, you've told me a lot about yourself but I'm happy with that." We kissed long and hard. I called Byron and, while I am sure he did not like being disturbed, he agreed with me and suggested I come over to his house later that night. We sat in his study and I outlined Steph's information about Vernon. "I'm glad you found this out, so, to summarize, it's probable that over the past weeks he's been negotiating with Filgrove, maybe about how much they'll pay him if he can pass on our company secrets. Now what?" "Well, Byron, I wish I knew. I suppose we could simply call off negotiations or, we could play along with him and actually see if we could wiggle some money out of him. On the other hand, if we're convinced he is passing on information, if we want to be nasty, we could feed him the wrong information so that when he passes it on to the Filgrove Company and they actually try these ideas they will get a bit of a setback and waste some of their resources. That could cause a lot of trouble between Simmonds and Filgrove." "What about your source? This Stephanie? You trust her?" "Yes, I trust her fully. If he suspects that she leaked the information she'll be looking for another job. But I think she's ready to move on anyway." He rubbed his chin. "Tom, I rather like that last idea of yours. It might teach them a lesson, and it could work to our advantage. Why don't we have a talk with the production people and see if we can cook up something?" The very next day we called in Don Patterson in from the laboratory. Don had been with our company almost since it started and we often went out to the pub together. He had once been offered a directorship but had refused, saying he was happy with working in the technical side. "I like doing real work, not like you bigwigs who sit on your arses all day!" he had said, grinning. I am not sure if he was entirely joking! His eyes took on a predatory gleam when we gave him the background. "So you want a lovely big red herring, or maybe a whole barrel of them to teach these buggers a lesson? I love it!" "Wait a minute, Don, it has to be something that looks plausible, but doesn't work out. And something that they can't solve either!" Don gave a rueful smile. "Yes, we have a lot of these! But finding the ones that do work is part of the challenge and the fun. You know, a test of our creativity?" He raised his eyebrows. Again, I was not sure whether he was serious or playing with me. He rubbed his chin." So, maybe you remember, but there was an idea we struggled with on the production side for months before we gave it up. It looked fine on paper and even worked on the lab scale, but for full scale production it just didn't work out. I think we couldn't get the mix and the temperature control right. It looked nifty, but," he shook his head. "It was a dead loss and we eventually used a different scheme entirely." "That sounds ideal," said Byron. "Why don't you cook up something based on that?" "All right, I'll work on it. I'll get the boys in the lab to make up a series of spurious procedures about it. There will be no problem there. We spent enough time on it." I shook my head. "You know, Don, we only need a little more than an outline. We want to set out some bait, not feed them and I'm sure your lads on the floor have better things to do." "Oh, I'll put my assistant Dave on it. He'll love the challenge. You know, maybe you could even have a little more information. Then, if you let Simmonds think you had a lot more details on the stuff, I wonder if he would even be tempted to steal or copy them. You want to try that?" "I don't know. That would be verging on the criminal side. I'm not sure if he would go as far as to steal some of the papers." "We have nothing to lose," said Byron. I got the stuff a week later. I must say it looked impressive when I flipped through it, full of technical jargon and formulae and even some calculations and complicated schematics of the equipment. Too bad it was a hoax! I checked with Don. "You're absolutely sure they won't get it to work?" "Tom, you worry too much! No doubt at all! We couldn't, and we're the best!" I had not heard from Vernon for a bit but he finally called me for a meeting two days later at his office in Mayfair. We soon got down to discussing my firm's prospects again. I was into my presentation when he held up his hand. "All right, Tom. I'm close to being convinced." "But you're totally convinced yet?" "Not quite, I have to be careful, Tom. It's a lot of money for me so you have to tell me what is it that gives you the edge over your competition? You seem very confident about it." I gave him a grin as if he had outsmarted me. "You're a tough negotiator, but I wondered when you would ask." I pulled some papers from my briefcase and riffled through them. I pretended to be searching for something, but it was really to let him see I had a lot more information. I put on an annoyed expression and sighed. "The tech people must have put this stuff for reference as well. I'm sure it's far more than I need. It's not as if I understand much anyway. "Ah! Here we are!" and I pulled out a couple of sheets." I don't understand the science or technology behind it, and the lab people knew that so they've summarized it here for me. Forget the rest of the stuff. It's just the fine details but I don't understand much of it and I don't want to bore you either." I laid it down dismissively. He was interested. "Well, just for background, could you let me see the other stuff?" I shook my head. "I'm really sorry Vern. I think our staff made a real slip up. The rest of that stuff is more confidential. In fact I'm not sure how it got in with the rest of the stuff. My boss would have my hide if he knew I had shown it to you." "That's all right. I perfectly understand. In fact I admire your attention to security. It shows me your company is well run." I made a show of putting that file under the table and I opened the other section and read it out. I made a slight show of looking round as if I was afraid someone would overhear. I lowered my voice. "So you see here. This is an outline of what we were working on and have developed. The techie lads tell me that's what gives us a competitive advantage. So does that help?" "Yes, I must say I am very impressed. Thank you for trusting me with the information." "So can we be sure of your investment?" Vern nodded. "What you have given me is very impressive and I think we can do business, but I still should clear some last details with my accountant. I'll get back to you as soon as I can." I looked at my watch. "Look Vern, I have to be getting home and try and beat the traffic. So let me know about this." I grimaced. "I think nature calls and I 'd better do something about it before I get heading home. Where's your toilet about?" I deliberately took my time, and actually went to a spot where I could see Vern's desk. I was hoping he would try to open my briefcase and take something but all he did was eye it with a calculating look, so I was disappointed. Or maybe he was honest after all. Rubbing my eyes as if I was tired, I returned to the table. I did not sit down but just leaned under the table and picked up the briefcase. "All right, Vern, I'll be hearing from you," and I shook his hand. "It will be a pleasure doing business with you," he said. "But look, why don't you take your time, and let the traffic thin out a bit. There's a good pub round the corner and we can have a beer. Oh, how did you get here, Tom?" "I took a bus and then walked. It wasn't far." "I'm staying at a hotel tonight, just the other side of the park, but I tell you, why don't I call Emma to give you a ride back home." "Oh please, I don't think that will be necessary. I don't want to put her out." He gave a sheepish smile. "Well, I actually have an ulterior motive. Emma really likes you so I'd be doing her a favour." "I hadn't heard from Emma for a bit." "She'd been out of town, I think. Now she wants to catch up on things." "Well, if it won't put her out." "All right, give me a minute and I'll call her." He was away for a couple of minutes then grinned sheepishly as he sat back down. "Yes, she's looking forward to seeing you again. She'll meet us at the pub." So this was the way he was planning it. Once again he'd called on the lovely but devious Emma to help him. He was offering her as bait for me. Or maybe she was the hunter. Still, I wondered how the details would work out. "Oh that's nice, I'd been meaning to call her." We got our coats and headed outside. I made a show of holding firmly onto my case. He pointed. "Over that way, the pub's just about a couple of streets away." The beer was good and we had a tasty snack too but eventually I stood up and stretched. "Patience, Tom, Emma shouldn't be long," and as he said it Emma came through the pub door. "Oh Emma," said Vern, "Sorry to put you out like this! Thank's for doing it!" "That's all right," said Emma. "I'd just been out with some other girls and I 'd just got home. Hello, Tom, it's lovely to see you again." She came up to me and gave me a kiss and a squeeze. I made a move to get my things together. "Thanks for the beer, Vern, but I'd better be on my way. Good to see you again," and we shook hands. "Yes, nice to see you too." "I'm grateful for this, Emma, I've got this case and it's probably a bad idea to be carrying it around in the Tube or on a bus." "I'm glad to do it, no problem at all, Tom. So I'll see you again, Uncle Vern," and Emma actually hooked her arm in mine. "Nice to see you again, Tom." She pulled me closer as we left the pub. My car's just round the corner. Her car was a black Audi. "I really appreciate this," I said. "Glad to do it, Tom!" She was a great conversationalist, light and bubbly at first and I almost relaxed, but I knew she couldn't be trusted I hoped I made no sign of that. Then her tone became more flirty and as we drove through the dark streets I felt her hand on my thigh, then inching a bit further up and despite myself and my suspicions I felt stirrings. She felt my stirrings too. "Mmm," she said. "I see we could have something here." When we arrived at my flat she leaned over and gave me a passionate kiss. "Well," she said. "Aren't you going to invite me up?" "Uh, yes." I had expected something like that but her forwardness actually took me aback. We were in my door and she pressed herself to me again. I held her close. "I've missed you, Emma." It seemed appropriate to say things like that. "I've missed you too." I wondered how she was going to get me out of the way but it became clearer when she asked. "So Tom, why don't you make me a drink?" I decided on a martini, mixed them up as if I were an expert and set them down by her. "Excuse me for a minute, Emma. I want to put this in my bedroom, get it out of the way." And I took the case to my bedroom. "There now, where were we?" And I sat down by her and we clinked glasses. We had downed most of our drinks when I began to feel dizzy. I tried to speak but it became too much effort and I allowed myself to fall on my sofa. The sun was shining through the windows when I woke up again. I felt sluggish and stiff and I was still on the sofa. It looked like I had spent the whole night there and I was still in my clothes. There was no sign of Emma, but there was a note on the coffee table. 'Sorry Tom, you must have been too tired and you fell asleep. I let myself out, Love, Emma.' Her name was followed with a string of crosses. So she had drugged me! I had not been expecting that and I felt like hell and I needed two strong cups of coffee and two aspirin before I felt even close to normal. Then I had a look at my brief case. As I expected, the little hair I had put in the closure was gone. So the conniving Emma must have been in it. When I reported to Byron the next day about what had happened he grinned. "She drugged you! So, how are you feeling? Have you recovered enough? So our trap is set?" "Yes, I bet Emma photographed or even filched some stuff and I suppose Vern has it now. I wonder if he will pass the stuff on." "Almost certainly. In fact I imagine it will be on its way to Filgrove by now." "But look, Byron, we still have a problem. We'll still need investment if we want to get our production expanding." "Yes, we will have to see who else might be interested. But we should wait until we hear from Vern about having second thoughts." In fact, we didn't have to wait long. There was a call from Vern that very afternoon. He even sounded apologetic. "Tom, that was an enjoyable night, and it was nice seeing Emma again too but I'm truly sorry. I 'm going to have to call off our negotiations. We've just found out, less than an hour ago, we are substantially cash strapped. One of my other investments hasn't panned out. It was a venture in a third world country and there has been some sudden political unrest so I doubt if I can get any returns there." He sighed. "So we have a cash flow problem. I was counting on the returns so I could invest in your company but things will have to be on hold." He even sounded very contrite. "You know how it goes. I'm truly sorry about this, Tom. I wish your company all the best for the future." I managed to sound very disappointed too. "I appreciate that, Vern," I sighed, not quite theatrically. "So it's back to the drawing board for us to find another investor. Anyway, I appreciate the meals. I hope things pan out with your investment. Oh yes, please, can you destroy that sheet I gave you about our company." I sat for a few minutes and stared out the window. I had mixed feelings, anger that he and Emma had tried to take advantage of us, that she had drugged me, a grim satisfaction that we had countered their duplicity, and relief too, that Steph's warnings had been borne out, and gratitude to her. When I called her up and told her about it she was concerned I was feeling well. "You think she drugged you?" "Yes, probably." "Yes, you have to be careful of Emma. But you are well rid of her. Look, Tom, I will tell you more about Emma's doings, but another time." "That's interesting, what do you know?" But she changed topics quickly and we arranged another date. In fact. Byron and I identified another investor fairly quickly, although the negotiations took a bit longer. They were careful and so were we, almost having been nearly burned the first time but in about six weeks we had the new investment guaranteed. We all breathed easier and with the investment we were able to set plans in motion to expand our production. I got some interesting information too. When we ordered some specialized equipment the salesman of the equipment company commented that the Filgrove Company had ordered some equipment and after a couple of beers he let slip what it was. He may have been making a sale's pitch too, trying to persuade us we could be left behind in the technology. I later checked with Don and he just chuckled. "Well, well, well, that's what they would need if they were using the procedure that we gave them. So it looks as if they swallowed the bait." As I expected too I had no further calls from Emma and, feeling mischievous, I even called her up but she gave an apology. "Look, Tom, I'm sorry, I've started seeing someone else. We should break it off, I want to be honest with you. But I had a good time. Good luck for the future!" I managed to sound regretful and wished her happiness in her new relationship and I continued to see Steph and our relationship deepened even more. Then about a month later, she called me up. "Tom, I should let you know, I'm out of a job. Vernon came in one day in a bad mood. He had been meeting with someone, a Filgrove rep, I think, and I gather there was a big argument. Well, the result was he fired me. He says his company can't afford me." "Oh, I'm so sorry, Steph. What now?" "Well it was a part time job and I'm about finished my courses at the college. I should get my diploma fairly soon and then I can look for a permanent job. No more chauffeuring for me." "Look, why don't you come over to my place and we can talk about it." She did not take long and I hugged her when she was inside. "How are you feeling?" "Oh, not so bad. It's a relief too. Now Tom, a short time ago you told me you had played a trick on Vernon and Emma. You want to tell me the details?" I told her about Emma's deceit and what I had done. "I just love it!" she exclaimed, and clapped her hands. Then she sat back and looked as if she was thinking. "So Emma used a drug on you, to set you to sleep." Some mischief came into her eyes. "So Tom, if she hadn't drugged you, what would have happened in your flat with the lovely Emma? It looked as if she was willing. Would you have had your lustful way with her?" She stuck out her tongue at me. "You make it sound like a Victorian melodrama. Well, I wanted her to think she was in charge. I actually thought she would try something to take or look in my case. If she hadn't tried anything I would have maybe had to pretend I was too tired!. I would remain true to you after all!" I wiggled my eyebrows at her. "I'd better not ask any more questions." "So you're out of a job? "Have you something in mind, and where you want to be?" She looked at me as if I should have something for her, but a bit warily too and the light finally dawned. "Look, Steph, I think, uh, we're a getting serious with each other .. and I'd like you near at hand. " I cursed myself internally for my awkwardness. "I mean, Steph, I want to be with you always. Please, would you marry me?" He lovely blue eyes sparkled. "Yes, Tom, I'd be very glad to be your wife. I accept." She leaned over for a kiss and it did not take very long before we were holding each other tightly, then not quite so tightly as we eased other's outer clothes off, and I picked her up and carried her to my bed. I was slightly nervous. This was the first time we would have made love but I need not have worried. We kissed for a minute, delicately at first, then fiercer as our desire took hold and I felt her tongue force its way into my mouth and press against my own. "I want you, Tom." She was wearing a white slip but through the translucent material I could see her bra and girdle and her dark stocking tops. I ran my hands slowly up her thighs and stroked the smooth skin between her stocking tops and her girdle. Her skin had goose bumps. I could smell her perfume, but it blended with another more earthy, female smell. She was very desirable. I eased the slip over her head and kissed the swells of her breasts above her bra. "My turn now." And she slowly unbuttoned my shirt and undid the belt and zipper of my trousers. "I wondered what kind of underwear you would have but white, ah, so virginal. Let's see what we can do to fix that." After another kiss it was time to get on with the business and I unfastened her front suspenders and she gave a slight roll onto her front so I could undo the back ones too, then she played with the hair on my chest while I eased one stocking down her smooth leg and repeated with the other. As she pressed to me I felt the cups of her bra against me and I slid the straps off her shoulders, folded down the tops of the cups and kissed the tops of her breasts. "You can undo me too," she whispered and turned around for me to unfasten the hooks. The garment slid down her arms. Her breasts were firm and shapely, with barely trace of sagging. "They are very pretty," I said. "That was a wonderful spell they gave you." She wiggled her hips and shook her breasts. They moved nicely too. "I think the spell has designed the rest of me pretty well too so now we both can get a chance to try it out. Make sure everything is working properly." I put my hands under her breasts and lifted then up slightly. Her nipples and were full and slightly stiff and when I ran my finger round them I found her areolas were stiff too, with tiny bumps. When I pinched her nipples she turned in my arms and pushed her lips to mine. "My breasts, I'm having a lot of fun with them and I'm glad you like them too so you can kiss each one to show how much." So I kissed and gently sucked them while she made little gasping sounds. Then finally I put my fingers in the waist of her girdle and eased it over her hips and down her legs. She took hold of my underwear and pulled them off too. "You are beautiful, Steph." I ran my hands down her lovely smooth body and kissed her breasts again. She opened her legs and when I felt between them she was moist. She drew in her breath and gave a little moan. "Now, Tom," she said. "I'm ready." But I was already moving on top of her. She raised her legs, took hold of my penis and guided it between her legs. I pushed and with only a slight resistance and her sharp indrawn breath, I was in her. I began to move, gently to begin with and she was giving little short breaths. Then, my need driving me on, I moved faster and stronger and I felt a climax approaching. She began making little kissing sounds, changing to incoherent grunts. Her upper body was bent back yet her arms were at my back and I felt her nails digging into me pulling me to her. I felt the tension starting at my belly and rising to suffuse my whole body. She cried out and arched her back even more, but I was not done. I wanted her first time to be memorable for her and I continued my thrusts getting faster and faster until she was continually crying out in little whimpers. Finally I reached my own climax too, and felt her inner contractions as I burst inside her. She was gasping and shuddering, clutching at me. Some time later I withdrew from her. "Wow," I heard softly. "At the facility we had been told about how women might experience it, all part of our preparation, but words can't do it justice. I would never have imagined. Did you like it?" "Of course. It was wonderful." "Well, I had experienced sex as a man before I was changed but now I can tell you that women have it away much better." She toyed with my nipple. "I'm just sorry that you can't experience what I felt. But I'm glad you're a man so you can make me feel such joy. That was a wonderful change I took." We chatted a bit between kisses and she snuggled into me. At length her hand strayed between my legs and I felt another quickening. She had noticed too. "My, my, recovery so soon. So I hope you are not going to waste it." And we didn't. That next afternoon I called for her with two things in mind. The first took about an hour, and then we visited my mother. Steph was happily sporting the result of our first errand, an engagement ring, a lovely deep red ruby surrounded by diamonds that we had just bought. My mother smiled at Steph and gave us her congratulations then kissed us both. We talked for a bit and when she asked about our plans. That did not take very long as I had only started to think of the momentous step I was taking. My mother looked happy but there was something wrong too. She seemed listless and she had lost her usual spark. "Are you well Mum?" I asked, but she just smiled sweetly. At work a day or so after I was looking at some accounts when there was a knock at my office door. It was Don Patterson. "Yes, Don?" "I heard you got engaged. So who is the unfortunate young woman? Anyway, congratulations." I told him briefly about Steph and how we'd met but then his face took on a gleeful expression, maybe slightly malicious too. "You heard the news? There was an explosion at the Filgrove Company site. Luckily no one was seriously hurt, but it appears the main research lab was virtually gutted." He looked at me meaningfully. 'What do you mean?" I asked. "Well, we had our share of minor explosions and fires when we were trying out a certain process. Maybe you remember the one? We could never get that particular scheme to work and that was the one I gave you so that you could leak it to that financier who was trying to snoop on us. You know, the information that probably went to the Filgrove Company. So do you suppose they were trying the process out?" He wiggled his bushy eyebrows. "And they got the same result as we did! Yes, uncontrolled reaction and explosion." I leaned back in my chair." That would be justice for their attempts at snooping, but now I wonder if anything will get back to Simmonds, repercussions, I mean." "If it does, serve the bugger right!" Byron's reaction was of satisfied laughter. "That will be an expensive lesson for Filgrove!" When I told Steph about how we had double crossed Emma and Vern and the Filmore explosion her hand went to her mouth. "Was anybody hurt?" "No, it looks like no one was, at least seriously." "Oh, I am relieved. They tried to cheat you, but I didn't want anyone hurt. So now Filgrove will be wondering what happened, and they will be questioning Vernon Simmonds, and I think, in turn, that dear Emma will be coming in for a lot of questioning." "Dear Emma? That's a strange way of putting it. Did you once have a run- in with her?" I saw her tense a bit, as if she was getting up her courage for another relevation. "Tom, did you ever wonder about how you felt when Emma stole the stuff from you?" "Well, I felt a bit disappointed in her but a kind of satisfaction that my suspicions about her were justified." "No, I mean how you felt physically." "Oh that, yes, I wondered, but I told you it looked as if she had drugged me. That was why I felt so terrible when I woke up." "Tom, I should tell you something. It definitely was a drug. I know what it was like. You see, I'm sure Emma must have once used it on me too." "When? How could that happen?" "I told you once that in my past life I'd been accused of crashing a car and the police came for me and how it led to me taking Henry Lanchester's spa treatment. "I've been thinking about that car crash ever since. I'd often had a bit to drink, but actually I'd always been careful to stay in my limits. So waking up, feeling rotten, supposedly after being totally drunk, was a surprise and something didn't make sense. You see, I'd been out with Emma. She is Simmond's niece, true enough, but my father was his former partner." I nodded. "Ah, that makes sense now." "Yes, I needed to do a bit of growing up and I was wild. My father had encouraged me to go out with her. Emma may be dishonest, but to give her credit, she's bright and organized and single minded. Maybe he hoped she would be a steady influence on me. I think Vernon tried to get us together too. She's attractive, but the spark wasn't there and maybe I saw how devious she could be. Maybe I got a hint of her ruthless nature too. so Vernon, maybe Emma was in on it too, must have decided getting me out of the way was their best plan. "So. I think, like she did to you, Emma spiked my drink one time when we were out so that when I got home I passed out. Then she or some accomplice must have taken my car and deliberately rammed it through a shop window and took off but of course left the car there. And of course the police found me easily. "I told you that I was accused of dangerous driving, leaving the scene of an accident and all the rest. Well, I bet Vern Simmonds, with Emma's help, had framed me. But I was charged and, given my record, it would have been all too easy to assume I was guilty. Of course, I couldn't remember any of it. Even if I could, who would have believed me? It's not as if my previous behaviour was stellar. "If someone had suspected what was going on they might have been able to prove I had been drugged and framed but my record wasn't too good, to be charitable about myself." "Then it was a huge bonus for Simmonds when my father died suddenly and even more, when I simply disappeared too. The same process that improved me made me a new person and wiped out my past had cut me off completely from all my former life. I must say that the system behind Henry's treatment is very effective. "I've had a complete identity change, like witness protection so, of course, Vernon couldn't find me. I'm not sure if he ever looked but as I had been cut out of my father's will maybe he hoped I was gone for good. The authorities actually keep information about Henry's facility well buried. After all, it's incredible to think that magic like that exists. If word of it got out well..." She shrugged. "The upshot was that Vernon was left with complete charge of the investment organization. He got total control of the whole company and all its resources. He already had all the contacts so he was in a good position to carry it on successfully. He could be good at choosing investments too but it's just a pity there's too much money to be made with shady deals or investments and Vernon was too easily tempted. My father once had to help him out of a scrape where he had been just skirting the law. "Still, I resented that he manouevred me out of my father's money. I'm supposed to be a better person now. I've long since given up hope of getting any financial restitution so it's just pure revenge! Maybe I could say removing him will be for the good of society. I think Vernon will have financial problems after this episode with Filgrove. "I was looking for some way I could get my own back and after I had spent my time at the facility, I was pretty well disguised, don't you think?" She got up, held her hands above her head and pirouetted as she had done that first time I saw her. "So I thought of getting a part time job at Vern's company, maybe as office help to keep a close eye on him and look for any opportunity to get my own back. "Then I had a great piece of luck. I heard through an acquaintance in the organization that they were looking for a limousine driver. That sounded better and I went and interviewed for the job. I had a new identity, courtesy of Henry's organization and I was able to get a driving license. Well, Vern had fancy ideas about having a glamourous, good looking young woman for a chauffeur and so I got it." Steph gave a pose, sticking out her chest and pouting her lips, like a pin-up. "He didn't recognise me of course. Maybe he wanted me to soften up clients, like dear Emma. Anyway, as a driver, I was in an excellent position to be able to spy on him and find all his contacts. Then I met you and I'm glad that the little bit of suspicion I planted in your mind has eventually led to serious problems for Vernon. "Tom, to be honest, I wanted revenge, and I have to say I'm very satisfied the way this has turned out. My first intention had been to warn you, but I'm glad that the warning helped save your company too and gave Vernon a lot of trouble." "I'm very glad you did, Steph and I think we've been successful. Word will get around that Vernon supplied costly and inaccurate, and dangerous information so he will probably lose a lot of clients. He could lose a lot of business. I wonder if Filgrove will realize they were double crossed. But I'm not sure they can do anything about it legally. And Emma will be in Vernon's bad books too." She put her arms round my neck. "But Tom, lets put all this in the past. I'm in love with you and that's all that matters now. You've given me enough revenge so now I just want an ordinary life with you. I have no more axes to grind. You have my complete story now, I think, but why don't you reassure me, in bed, I mean." I took her in my arms again. EPILOGUE We were soon married, and at a registry office. Apart from my mother, who was too incapacitated to attend, neither of us had any close family and arranging a white wedding, church and all the rest seemed unnecessary. She told me that some of her friends from her girl's club of 'graduates' had expressed a bit of disappointment but were otherwise fine. Actually she introduced me to the friends in her 'club'. All were stunning women and happy with their lives. Two girls, Carol and Betty made quite an impression on Milos and Don too and we may have a budding romance or two. There was one sad event. My mother died about two weeks after our wedding. I had a call in the middle of the night that she was in distress, and by the time I got there it was too late. It was a sparely attended funeral too. She had only some distant cousins in Ireland who were not interested in attending so it was a brief service, a cremation as she had wanted. Steph was with me, and Milos and Don. Afterwards Steph embraced me. "How are you, Tom?" "Oh, a bit upset, but it's not as if it was unexpected. Still, I'm glad she had a chance to meet you." "I'm glad I met her too. I'll be able to tell our children how I met her." "Our children?" "Well, at least we have a start." She pressed her hand to the front of her skirt. We eventually heard that Vernon's organization had gone bankrupt and was folded into another investment company. My own company prospered and eventually I was invited into senior management. I occasionally wondered about Emma and I was amused when I saw a notice in a society paper, that she had married a rising politician, although he was not the same man I had once seen her holding hands with. She was personable, bright, devious and ruthlress, all the right qualities to successfully advise an ambitious politician. I thought. END