The Dress Shop

by Margaret Jeanette

 

Sarah Watson was having a great day. She was selling like a house afire. Every customer left with something to spruce up their wardrobe. She was on a roll. It made her feel superb and vibrant.

That night at supper she told Tom, her husband, about how her day went. She was so enthused that Tom caught it and it made him happy to see his wife so animated. He had been skeptical when she wanted to buy into a partnership with Marjorie Lane to buy the shop but they had gotten that back and then some. He loved his wife deeply and wanted her to have whatever she wanted. Fortunately her tastes were not expensive but were traditionally conservative.

The next night Tom had bad news. Due to downsizing he was going to be laid-off at the end of the week. Sarah told him they weren't bad off and she was sure he would be able to find something. The lay-off came and he put his application in six different places. All had told him they weren't hiring at this time but would keep his application for future reference.

The first week he kept busy fixing little things around the house that he had put off. The second week he lounged around for the most part. By the end of the week he was bored and needed something to do.

Saturday night he was telling Sarah that he needed something to do. He was getting sick of being house bound. He had cleaned the house for which Sarah was grateful.

Sarah thought and then said, "I know what you can do. We need some help at the store. You can put together racks for the dresses. You can be a big help to us by stocking the racks!"

He thought that would at least give him some time out and a chance to do some constructive work. He looked forward to being able to use some of his skills.

Monday morning he rode with his wife to the store. He started putting racks together. He got four racks together when Sarah came and got him for lunch. They ate in a family restaurant just down the street. He told her it felt good to be doing something again.

After lunch Sarah showed him where the dresses for the racks were kept. He was busy all afternoon putting price tags and putting merchandise on the racks. He had three of the racks just about fully stocked when Sarah got him to go home.

At supper he told her how good it felt to be able to help. Later that evening Sarah was doing laundry when she noticed many of his under shorts had small holes in them. She showed them to Tom and tossed them into the garbage. When she was putting away his clothes she noticed he only had one pair of under shorts in his drawer and they had holes. She tossed them also.

The next morning when he went to get some under shorts there were none there. He asked Sarah where they were. She told him they all had holes in them and weren't wearable. He was wondering what to do when Sarah handed him a pair of her panties. He didn't want to put them on but ended up wearing them. They were blue nylon and he liked the feel of them and their lightness.

At work he was finishing the third rack when a woman approached him and asked about long flowing skirts. He told her he would show her where some were. He explained he had just put them out yesterday.

She pulled a skirt out and held it I front of her. He said it wasn't her color but there was another one with the same pattern in a different color. She took it and went to the dressing room. Soon she was back wearing it. He told her it made her look ten years younger. She took it and a blouse to go with it.

At lunch Sarah told him the woman was Mrs. Morgan and that she had raved about him and his service. Sarah said maybe they should make him a salesperson. After lunch he finished the fourth rack of clothes a half hour before closing. Sarah told him to pick two packs of panties. He went and picked a pack of pastel nylon briefs and a pack of bright colored nylon briefs. Each pack had a generous edge of lace around the leg openings. He gave them to Sarah who put them in a bag and handed it to him.

At home Sarah said to him she didn't think he would pick such feminine panties. He told her nothing but the best for her. He was shocked when Sarah said they were for him to wear. When he asked why they didn't get him some men's underwear Sarah said it was silly to pay retail when they can get some for cost.

The next morning he put on the pastel blue pair. The inch and a half lace trim he could have done without. At work he assembled the last two racks. He was filling the first rack when Mrs. Morgan came up to him.

She said, "I want to thank you. You were right. I got all kinds of compliments on that skirt. At a lot of people told me I looked younger. You can pick out whatever I am looking for from now on."

He said, "Why thank you. I just happened to notice that that particular skirt seemed to bring out your eyes more and make you look better. I was just following instincts, I guess. I am not really a salesperson here; I only put the racks together and stock them. But it is nice of you to let me know I helped you."

She said, "You are so sweet. I am going to tell Marjorie that if she wants me to do business here she will make you a salesperson!"

He said, "Whatever, if you come in and I am here I'll be glad to help you but I must tell you I don't know a lot about current fashion."

She said, "You know enough for me. I'll see you." She left him standing and he saw her talking to Marjorie. He knew what she was saying and he smiled at her brass. Moments later she was back.

She said, "I talked to Marjorie and she says you can be my personal salesperson. Now, I have a banquet to go to tonight. What would you suggest?"

He showed her several different dresses. One that he had pulled was an orange one with flowers printed on it. He decided it wasn't for her. She told him it looked like it would look good on him. He blushed deep red. They finally selected one that both liked. She was happy with him again.

He continued filling the rack when Marjorie came up to him. She said, "You are such a big help. I really appreciate everything you have done. When Sarah and I started the store we decided that all employees would wear clothes we sell. For you we have made an exception, as you are not directly involved with customers, except Mrs. Morgan. She is different. She buys something then all of her friends come in to get something like it. She is our best walking advertisement. Sarah tells me you are wearing some clothes from here, so that makes you qualify somewhat. I agree with Mrs. Morgan that you have a certain sense of style that you can relate to the customer. If you keep that up we'll have to make you a full-fledged salesperson."

He blushed at her comment about wearing clothes from there. He didn't even notice that he had the panties on. He continued to fill the rack. Then a tragedy occurred. He hit the edge of the rack with his body and a small hook on the rack caught his slacks and tore them from the pocket to the knee exposing his groin.

Marjorie had noticed the commotion and came right over. When she saw his slacks she told him he couldn't walk around the store exposed. He said he could run home and change. Marjorie said nonsense that the store was full of clothes. She hustled him into a dressing room and told him to strip down to his panties.

He caught the reference to panties but did as she said. She returned with a black padded girdle and had him pull it up. She pulled the garters down and handed him a pair of black nylons to put on. As he was putting them on she went and got a black bra and black slip. She helped him into the bra and hooked it in back. She slid some foam breast forms into the bra cups, and then helped him put the slip on.

She asked, "Did you see any dresses out there that caught your eye?"

He said, "Mrs. Morgan said that orange number on the rack next to the one that fell would look good on me. I don't know about all of this. What is Sarah going to say? Where is she?"

Marjorie said, "She is out for coffee with a seller and she should like what we are doing. I am sure she will understand that accidents happen."

He wondered if this was right but was in no position to argue with Marjorie. She came on pretty strong. She returned with the dress and helped him by zipping up the back. It fit like it was made for him. She had thought about getting a size smaller but now knew she had gotten the right size. She led him by the hand out to the three mirrors. He looked at himself and except for the face and hair it looked like a woman checking her appearance. Marjorie told him to relax for a couple of minutes. She came back with a pair of yellow and green sandals with real thin straps. They had a short inch and a half heel that he could walk in without any problem. Marjorie excused herself telling him not to go anywhere.

When she came back she told him she had arranged to make him look even better. He didn't know w hat she was talking about until she told him to go two doors down and ask for Agnes. He didn't know what was two doors down but when he got there he saw it was Agnes's Beauty Spot. He went in and didn't have to ask for Agnes. She met him as soon as he stepped in the door.

Agnes said, "Welcome, I am Agnes I am glad to meet you. Marjorie told me all about you. You have nothing to worry about. I am good at what I do and I have everything you need to be made beautiful. Now, come over here and sit in this chair."

He sat in the chair and she put a floral cape around his neck. Then she led him over to a sink to shampoo his hair. He told her he was going to get his hair cut a couple of weeks ago but just didn't as he had higher priorities at the time. She told him she would have to do very little trimming for what she had in mind. She had him hold his fingers in a bowl of liquid as she trimmed his hair. He wondered why he had to do this but was afraid to ask. She didn't take long to trim before she was putting small rollers in his hair. Then she put some foul smelling lotion on the rollers. She put a bonnet over the hair and soon he felt warm air blowing over his head. She took his right hand and started cleaning and shaping his fingernails. She wasn't happy with them so soon she was gluing some false nails on him. Then she started painting them. When she was done with them he had light pink nails with a dark red rose on each one and they extended a good half-inch beyond his fingers.

Then she told him that they were at the part that may hurt a little. She started to pluck his eyebrows. He got tears in his eyes at first but soon it wasn't so bad. He wondered why she had to do his eyebrows. Hen she worked on his eyes putting long false eyelashes on and doing eye shadow. Then came foundation and some blush on his cheeks. She told him he was lucky to have high cheekbones. Then she outlined his lips and did the lipstick.

It was time to take the bonnet off. She worked on his hair for a good ten minutes getting it just he way she wanted. As she was working on it she told him she opened the shop just after the dress shop opened and one helped the other. She said someone comes in for a makeover or perm and then has to have a new outfit for it or someone gets a new outfit and has to have their hair done to go with the new outfit. He could see their reasoning. She said she gives discounts to employees of the store and the store gives her a discount on what she buys.

When she removed the cape and swung him around so he could see himself in he mirror he was amazed.

He saw a good-looking woman, not a beauty queen but someone who looked nice and had a look of gracefulness. He couldn't believe it was him. He didn't see anything that said man.

Agnes told him he looked beautiful and he had to agree. She gave him a case with all the cosmetics she had used. He wanted to get back to the shop but on the other hand he didn't want to have to go back there. Finally he plucked up the courage to go back. He was surprised at how much noise his heels made on he sidewalk. He thought about when it is quiet the smallest noise sounds loud.

He entered the store and saw Sarah checking out a customer. She glanced at him with no sign of recognition. Marjorie came up to him and led him toward the back of the store.

She said, "I did some calculating and with what you have all ready if we were paying you, you still have two hundred fifty-two dollars coming. Why don't you pick out some more dresses to wear?"

He said, "Why do I need some more dresses? I can change tonight when I get home."

She said, " Everything you are now wearing comes from the store. You can now be a salesperson. We get nametags just down he street and they make them right there. Here is your nametag."

She pinned it on him and he saw it read 'Tomi'. He was slightly embarrassed by everything. Marjorie then called Sarah over.

Marjorie said to Sarah, "You were busy with Mrs. Adams since you got back so I couldn't tell you this. Wait, I'll let you figure it out. This is Tomi our new salesperson. Why don't you help pick out some dresses? Oh my gosh, I forgot about the commission from Mrs. Morgan. Tomi you have three hundred and twelve dollars to spend. Have fun picking out dresses!"

Sarah said, "Hi Tomi, I'm Sarah. Glad to meet you. Oh, God, is that you Thomas?"

He said yes as she looked shocked. She got over her shock and told him that Marjorie had said she would get him in a dress but she didn't believe it. He asked if he could go home to change and she said it wasn't necessary, as he looked good to her. She took him over to a rack of dresses he hadn't noticed before. The dresses were much like office wear. She helped him select three from there. Then she said he would need more bras and slips. They selected him some and then she led him over to the shoe area. They didn't have a real large selection as they had just gotten into carrying shoes but Sarah found him two more pair that would go with many of the outfits they had selected. Sarah removed all of the tags and told him to put the clothes I the car.

He returned to the store and was shocked to see Mrs. Morgan back. She headed right for him and told him she discovered she needed a neck scarf to go with her outfit for the banquet that night. As he was going through the scarves she was talking to him.

She said, "I am so glad you took my advice on that dress. It really looks nice on you. You and I have similar coloring but yours looks much younger. I am glad they made you a full-time salesperson. I love your hair. Who did it?"

He told her about Agnes and she said she was going to see if Agnes had time for her. They made a selection and Mrs. Morgan left a happy woman. He was straightening out some clothes on a rack and thinking that this wasn't right. He was a man in a dress. How is Sarah going to take him? How did he let himself get into this predicament? How was he going to get out of it? What about all of the things Agnes did to him at the beauty shop? He was churning with emotion.

He had two more sales before quitting time. He asked Marjorie what had happened to his pants as he had his wallet in them. She handed him a purse and told him everything that was in his pants was in the purse. All the way home he wanted to ask Sarah what she thought about what had happened to him. He just couldn't muster the courage to ask her.

Finally, at supper he thought he had better broach the subject before he went crazy with emotions that were out of control.

He asked Sarah, "How do you feel about all that has happened to me? Do you find it disgusting seeing your husband in a dress?"

Sarah replied, "Marjorie told me she would get you into a dress. I didn't believe her but now it has happened. I think she is pleased with everything. First, I do not think you are disgusting. You are my husband and I love you dearly no matter what you are wearing if you enjoy it, fine. You tell me, how did you feel when you looked in the mirror and saw yourself?"

He said, "I felt pretty. I don't know how to describe how I felt but I had a good feeling inside. I know it isn't right for a man to feel that way but that is how I felt. When I was walking back to the store I heard the heels on the sidewalk and felt like I was walking on a golden pathway. When Mrs. Morgan told me I looked nice in this dress I felt proud and I don't know what you would call the feelings I felt. Don't you expect me to be more of a man?"

Sarah told him, "You are enough of a man for me. I like that we can talk about how we feel about things. This is not something you have ever talked to me about before. I am glad you want to talk about it. There are a lot of plus's to wearing a dress that you know looks good on you. You will find you walk different and see the world different. Not one of thee customers has said anything about you being a man. They take you as a woman and believe you are a woman. Enjoy it, go with the flow. Do you really want to wear slacks and a shirt tomorrow?"

He said, "I am all mixed up. I don't know and that is what is bothering me. As a man I should be storming about wearing a dress but I don't feel that way. I kind of like the feel of the dress swirling when I turn and the feel of the soft material against my skin."

Sarah said, "Then it's settled. Tomorrow you wear a dress and are a salesperson. The longer you wear a dress the more confident you will feel in it. Besides you get by without the lousy part of womanhood. You don't get your period or the cramps that go with it."

Sarah was laughing and all he could think about was how he loved her. She was making it so easy on him that he had to stop and think about how great she really was.

Later she helped him get the hair off of his body. He thought the lotion stung but she told him it was either that or body wax. She surprised him with two baby doll outfits for bed.

The next day he finished stocking a last rack and was browsing the merchandise when he got his first customer. Customers kept him busy until one o'clock when he went for lunch. When he returned he found himself busy until closing time. When Marjorie totaled the receipts for the day he was the top salesperson. This made him feel good about the job he was doing.

That night Sarah told him that Thursday's always seemed busy because those women who had something special for the weekend liked to get their wardrobe in order early. She told him tomorrow being Friday would probably be just as busy with those who weren't as fussy about what they wore or knew exactly what they were looking for.

Friday was so busy he worked straight through lunch. Mrs. Morgan came in and bought two outfits for the weekend. She invited him for Saturday night for a supper she was giving for about twenty people. He accepted and she told him she was glad that her best advisor was going to be there.

When he told Sarah she said he would need an evening gown for the occasion. They looked at the evening gown selection. None of the m appealed to him. Sarah liked a rose colored one with stringy fringe but he didn't think it was him. He remembered seeing some in back. They went back to look. There they found a half dozen that hadn't been processed yet. He found the one he liked. It was a crème colored with dark green trim. Something told him this was the gown for him.

He tried it on and even Sarah had to say it was the gown for him. It hugged the curves of his body and seemed alive the way he wore it. Sarah was impressed with his taste in clothes. She never knew he had such a good sense of style. She thought that she should ask his opinion when she bought clothes for herself.

He was busy that day making sales and helping customers. At the end of the day he was top salesperson again. Marjorie said he was since she made him a full time salesperson. She said she knew he would do good as she could tell a good salesperson right off as opposed to a non-committal salesperson.

On the way home Sarah told him she was jealous of him. She said she was never invited to any of Mrs. Morgan's parties. She told him Mrs. Morgan's parties make the newspapers. She is the leading socialite in town and controls many different things. He was impressed and wondered why she invited him and not Marjorie or Sarah.

On Saturday he and Sarah took separate cars as he was going to leave early to get ready for the party. He was extremely busy all morning and had made quite a few good-sized sales. By the time he left at three he was tired. When he got home he laid down for a half hour nap.

He was putting the gown on when Sarah came home. She told him he was the top seller that day even with leaving early. She marveled at how nice he looked in the gown. She was even a bit envious that she wouldn't look so good in a gown like that. Before he left he had Sarah check everything that it was all right. She assured him that he was beautiful and told him not to worry. He left with a sense of doom knowing that he had never been to a party like this before.

He arrived at the Morgan's and as he approached the door it opened and a uniformed butler asked him his name. He said Tomi Watson. The butler said his name wasn't on the list. Tomi's jaw fell and he didn't know what to do. He turned to leave when he heard a voice call out for him to stop. It was Mrs. Morgan. She apologized at not having added his name to the list. She took him by the arm and escorted him to a large room where there were many people. Mrs. Morgan got everyone's attention. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Mrs. Morgan said, "This is Tomi. She is he best clothing advisor you will ever find. So I ask you to welcome her as I know you can."

Three ladies immediately came over and took him aside and asked him to assess their clothing they had on. He told one lady that she looked like she should be wearing clothes a little brighter. She was all smiles hearing that. To another he told her she looked fine but maybe could use a bright scarf to set off her face a little more. She told him she used to wear scarves but got out of the habit. The other lady he told her he wouldn't change a thing. He told her she looked like a model in a catalogue. When they asked him where he did his consulting he told them he where he worked. They all said they would see him next week.

He had many conversations with other women and they all seemed to accept him. At supper he was between a lady attorney and the owner of the town's newspaper. They were both interested in his sense of style. They told him they were impressed with his outfit and wanted to know who made it for him. When he told them he got it where he worked and told them where they both said they would definitely be in to see him the next week.

After supper Mrs. Morgan came up to him and told him his outfit was gorgeous. He told her he found it in back of the store waiting to be processed. He promised her that if they didn't find exactly the right dress when she comes in that he would take her back there to see if they could find just the right one. She gave him a hug and told him she was glad he could make it. She told him all of he guests were talking about him and his sense of style. She said she hadn't had this much fun since high school when they used to discuss styles at parties. He asked her why they stopped having such parties and she laughed and said she might just start having ones like that. She told him he was full of ideas. He laughed with her.

Finally three hours after eating he said Good-bye to Mrs. Morgan and thanked her for a wonderful time. She hugged him and gave him a kiss on the cheek and thanked him for coming. When he got home Sarah wanted to know all about it. Enthusiastically he told her all about it. He told her he was surprised at how all the women accepted him. Sarah was happy for him.

On the following Monday he was stocking a rack when Mrs. Morgan came up to him. She told him again how happy she was that he had come. She told him he was the hit of the party. He told her he was surprised he didn't meet her husband.

Mrs. Morgan said, "You did meet him! You told him he needed a scarf to set off his face more. I am here to pick one up for him."

Tomi said, "That was your husband!"

She replied, "Yes that was him. He likes to dress and all the women accept him. He is a great husband and he isn't hurting anyone so I feel what the heck let him have his fun."

Tomi asked, "Why doesn't he come and pick one out himself?"

She said, "He tried one dress shop in town and it wasn't a good experience so he does all of his buying through a catalogue. It doesn't always work for sizes but he finds enough to keep him happy."

Tomi told her, "You have him come and see me. I am sure we can work something out so he can shop without feeling embarrassed."

Mrs. Morgan said, "Thank you for that. I'll tell him. Better yet I'll let him pick out his own scarf. His taste in clothes is not my taste in clothes."

She left and he went back to stocking the rack. He only got two items on the rack when two women who were at the party came up to him. He helped them and made a very good sale to both of them. Over the course of the day he helped five more women from the party.

At the end of the day he told Sarah and Marjorie about all the women from the party that he had helped. Marjorie said more women were coming in looking for him than were willing to be helped by them. They all laughed.

The next morning right after they opened a man came up to him and introduced himself saying, "I am Mike Morgan. My wife said I should see you for some help in picking out a scarf."

He took him over by a selection of scarves. When they wee done he had picked out three scarves that he couldn't decide which one was just right so he took all three. He told Tomi that he belonged to a group of cross-dressers and none of them went to any women's clothing store in town.

Tomi excused himself for a couple of minutes and sought out Sarah. He asked her if he could have the store unofficially open one night a week for a couple of hours to give private shopping for a special group of people. She told him it would be no problem.

He went back to Mr. Morgan and told him of his idea. Mr. Morgan was excited about the idea. He said he would contact everyone and if possible they would be there tomorrow night at seven. Mr. Morgan left a very happy man.

When Tomi told Sarah and Marjorie about the special opening they were both very excited about it. They both said that would be there to help in any way possible. Tomi was very happy about how easy it was accepted.

The next day was rather slow except for one of Tomi's customers. She was the lawyer that he had met at the party. She ended up buying over eight hundred dollars worth of clothes. She couldn't thank Tomi enough for his help. She told him she was going to send everyone she knew to see him for advice. She wore one new outfit out of the store and he noticed she had more bounce to her step.

That night at ten minutes before seven Tomi noticed someone at the door. He went to tell the woman that the store was closed. He was surprised to find out it was one of the special customers. He let him in. At seven he unlocked the doors. By ten after they had about a dozen people in the store and were very busy. Sarah was helping someone pick an evening gown. Tomi was busy with Mr. Morgan helping him select a clingy dress with embroidered trim. He was surprised at how well everything was going.

By the time they had taken care of everyone there was everyone standing around talking. Tomi announced it was time to close for the night. One man asked loudly if this was going to continue. Tomi asked when they should be open again for them. It was suggested one evening every two weeks. It was set up for two weeks ahead they would repeat the opening. Everyone left happy.

When they totaled the receipts Sarah And Marjorie were surprised that they had sold over two thousand dollars worth of clothes. The two women were ecstatic. They had never thought about something like this. They had all sorts of praise for Tomi. Marjorie said she would take them for a snack, her treat.

On Thursday, Mrs. Morgan was back. She invited Tomi to an old-fashioned pajama party, like when they were in high school. He said he didn't like to leave his wife. She said to bring her along. He called Sarah over and introduced her to Mrs. Morgan. Mrs. Morgan didn't know that was his wife. The two women talked about past parties in high school times. Mrs. Morgan left saying she would see them Saturday night.

Sarah said, "You are going to need better breast forms than those foam ones. We don't have anything like you will need. Let me do some checking and I'll see what I can find."

A short time later she came back and said, "I found you some. Agnes has some and said she can take care of you right away. Go over there right now."

He left and when Agnes was done you couldn't tell where the forms ended and his skin began. He returned to the store and his breasts were jiggling realistically. Sarah smiled as she saw his breasts jiggling. She told him that if he wanted them to not jiggle so much he would need a different bra.

He said, "I don't know. These sure are heavy enough. I am not sure if I like the jiggling or not. It makes me feel different in a way I can't describe. It's like my chest is alive yet it feels like something else I just don't know how to describe it."

Sarah said she knew exactly what he was trying to say. She left him smiling to herself. A half hour before closing time she came and told him he was going to have to pick out some nightgowns as now his pajamas probably wouldn't fit and he would need one anyway for the pajama party.

He picked out three nightgowns that were extremely feminine. He also picked out four baby doll outfits, each with lots of lace and ruffles. Sarah was surprised at how feminine his selections were. She thought each one of them would say 'make love to me tonight'

On Friday Sarah returned from lunch carrying a bag. She told Tomi she wanted him in the dressing room. When they were there she pulled something out of the bag. He didn't have any idea what it was.

Sarah said, "This is a gaff. It will hide your male parts. You can't be in pajamas in a room full of women and have something swinging around between your legs."

She helped him get it on. She told him he now would have to sit to go to the toilet. She reminded him that he would have to wipe himself afterward. He felt strange in it but didn't say anything to Sarah. The full impact of it didn't hit him until he had to go to the bathroom. This was something different indeed.

Saturday night they arrived at the Morgan's and were warmly greeted. They both got into the swing of things very fast, laughing and giggling with the other women. When Tomi didn't see Mike there he asked Mrs. Morgan where he was. She told him he was on a Canadian fishing trip with some buddies of his.

The women were up until midnight before going to bed. He and Sarah shared a double bed. They both exclaimed at how much fun it was. They enjoyed a great night's sleep. They were surprised when they were called at nine-thirty the next morning for breakfast. They had never slept that late before.

The women all chatted at breakfast. As at the previous party Tomi was the center of attention. Mrs. Morgan lavished all sorts of praise on him. After they had finished eating Mrs. Morgan took Tomi aside and thanked him for helping her husband with the special hours. She said her husband told her that was the most fun he had had in years. She said her husband said Tomi was really a hero in how he treated everyone in their shopping group. He humbly thanked her for her kind words and told her she was a special person herself. He told her she gave him the fortitude to go on with her support of him. He told her it meant a lot to him. She kissed him on the cheek and told him if he ever needed anything to let her know. They parted and she headed for Sarah.

She told Sarah that she thought Tomi was a special person and she was glad he had someone like her to guide him. She told Sarah to hang on to him and that she thought Sarah could never find someone as caring as Tomi. Sarah agreed.

Back at home all Sarah could talk about was how nice Mrs. Morgan was and how much she enjoyed the party. She said it brought back so many memories for her.

On Monday at quitting time Marjorie said she had an important announcement. Marjorie was the business manager and handled most of the financial matters. She told them the empty store between them and Agnes's was going to be part of their store. She said she talked to and agreed to lease the space to expand. She said the owner was going to open the wall in between the two stores and had agreed to remodel the empty store to their motif. She said they would call it Tomi's Room and that he would be responsible to pick out the merchandise to be sold there.

Sarah and Tomi were super surprised and happy. Marjorie said it was the least they could do as he had increased their business so much. Marjorie handed him a lot of supplier's catalogues to go through for selecting merchandise. He said he had a couple of ideas to expand what was carried. Marjorie told him to do whatever he wanted. It was his empire and he was the emperor.

All three of them went to a steak house for supper to celebrate. As they were eating Sarah said, "Marjorie, I never officially thanked you for getting him into a dress. I want to thank you! Your doing that has made us closer together and we have found a vibrant, exciting love that we wouldn't have found if you had never done that."

Marjorie said, "I was afraid I would anger you but I knew he would make a good salesperson. I just never expected him to be such a natural. He has a list of customers who are loyal to him and his opinion. I am glad everything worked out so well. It boosted my self-esteem to see such a happy time being enjoyed by both of you."

Tomi joined in saying, "Marjorie, I never thought about wearing women's clothes before you put me in them. I was in shock until I returned from Agnes's and by then it was too late. I told myself I would be back in men's clothes quicker than you can say Jack Robinson but the longer I wore these clothes the more natural it became. Maybe I am lucky in that the only men I encounter are cross dressers who enjoy the feeling of soft clothes. I have forgotten how men's clothes feel now. I don't know if I could go back to wearing men's clothes. I guess I should be the one to thank you so from the bottom of my heart I thank you."

Sarah and Marjorie both had tears in their eyes as he finished. They knew he had come a long way and felt that maybe they shouldn't have pushed him down that path. Now, they both realized he held no grudges against either of them.

That night at home Tomi asked Sarah if she was really truly happy with him in dresses. She told him she was happy as things were because she had him as a husband and as a girlfriend. She said he should not worry about them as a couple. She told him she was proud of him and all that he has accomplished.

Tomi still didn't know about all this wearing dresses and make-up. He still questioned his masculinity. It was put to the test the next day. Joe Simons, one of his old co-workers came in the dress shop.

He came right up to Tomi and said, "My wife was in yesterday and said she thought it was you in a dress. What gives? Why are you wearing a dress?"

Tomi replied, "I am working here. The dress is part of the job. Last week I had over $600.00 in commissions alone besides my salary. How much did you make last week?"

Joe said, "Well, you know, unemployment isn't much. I haven't found anything yet but I am looking. I can't believe you would wear a dress for anything."

Tomi told him, "It isn't so bad. Dresses are light and airy. I thought I would hate it but it isn't so bad. I get to help women dress and the job isn't demanding physically. I don't think most of the women know I am a man and those that do don't seem to care. They all treat me nice and I give them good service. I never thought I was into sales but this is going so good I don't know why I never tried it before."

Joe said, "Do they have any openings? I wouldn't mind helping women get dressed."

Tomi said, "No, I don't think you are cut out to sell dresses. But I'll tell you what if something opens up to put something together or for maintenance I'll put in a good word for you. How does that sound?"

Joe said, "That sounds good. I can't see myself coming to work in a dress anyway. It takes more guts than I have. I just never thought I would see you in a dress. My wife said she had to look close to see who you were. She knew she knew you from somewhere and it wasn't until she was home that she realized it was you. If you can fool my Alice that long you can fool just about anyone. I guess I want to tell you good luck in anything you do. You are doing better than I am that's for sure."

He felt a little better about himself now that Joe seemed to accept him as he was. He knew that fellow workers hold a strong influence on how people see themselves. His attention was drawn to the two men removing part of the wall between the two stores. He tried to picture them in dresses. He had to laugh at the thought of the sight of those two in dresses. He avoided them just to be on the safe side.

Saturday night after the register check and bank bag was done Marjorie announced that they had just had their best week ever. She told them they were going to the best steak house in town to celebrate. Sarah and Tomi caught her spirit and soon they were celebrating.

As they ate Marjorie asked Tomi what he had found in the catalogues of interest. He told the women that he was going to expand the swimsuit selection and the evening dress area. He said he would like to set up an area devoted exclusively to bras and foundations. He said a couple of customers had asked about waist slimmers and bust enhancers. Marjorie said the swimsuit enlargement could go in the original store as some of the merchandise was going into the new area. That sounded good to all involved. Marjorie told Tomi to order whatever swim suits he thought would sell.

Marjorie said their bra and foundation area wasn't doing a great business but she would trust his judgment. He knew that they could build up the business in that area and he had ideas that might work. He reminded Marjorie that they ere leaving for a weeks vacation in ht morning. She asked where they were going and he told her that they were going to a resort that they had stayed at before. He said he was looking forward to going fishing again. Marjorie wished them a good time on vacation because they deserved it.

On the way home they stopped for him to get his fishing license. The attendant asked him for his driver's license to prove residency. The attendant wrote the drivers license number on the license and when he finished Tomi paid him and left. He never noticed that the attendant had marked the female box on the license.

The next morning they left for vacation. Sarah had packed all of their clothes and convinced him to wear a pair of Capri pants and a white blouse with lace trim and bell sleeves. When they got to the resort Sarah checked them in and they went to their cottage. Tomi asked her to remove his breasts so he could change into jeans and shirt. She told him she had not packed any men's clothes as she had thought he would want to continue wearing what clothes had become second nature to him. He looked at her and didn't want to argue with her.

They went swimming. He wore a one-piece blue suit with a broad red stripe in front. He came out of the water and laid down on a blanket. A young man came over and asked f he could share the blanket. Tomi told him that there was another person that was sharing the blanket. The young man left.

Later, after swimming they went to the small bar for a drink. They were enjoying a drink when two young men came in. Tomi recognized one of them as the young man that had asked about sharing the blanket. Tomi guessed him to be a couple of years younger than he was. The two young men played pool. Tomi and Sarah had another drink and chatted. The young men finished their pool game and one put some money in the jukebox.

A slow song started and before he knew it the young man came and asked him for a dance. Before he could say anything the young man lifted him from his stool and as dancing with him. As they danced the young man introduced himself and asked Tomi his name. The young man held Tomi tightly against himself.

When the dance ended Tomi went and quickly finished his drink. He told Sarah they should leave. Sarah jokingly asked why. They left with Sarah laughing uproariously. Tomi didn't think it was funny.

Sarah kidded Tomi saying. "You should dance some more with him. Maybe by the end of the week he'll propose to you. You two make a nice looking couple."

Tomi retorted, "That isn't funny. He had me in his grips and I couldn't escape. He is stronger than a gorilla. What could I do?"

Sarah laughed and said, "You could have given him a kiss at the end of the dance." She was laughing so hard she got tears in her eyes.

They got to their cottage and decided to go to the little supper club a couple of miles down the road. They were eating and the young man who was their waiter watched to take care of all their needs. He didn't get many pretty young women to serve. They left him a generous tip.

They returned to their cottage and played Scrabble until it was time to go to bed. They made deep passionate love and when they finally fell asleep they slept deep. The next day they went to an amusement park. They were really enjoying each other's company and love.

As they were going back to the cottage they made a wrong turn. They drove for quite a while before they realized they were lost. Suddenly they came to Silver Lake Road, which is where the resort was on. Tomi turned toward where he thought the resort was. They drove past a supper club they had never seen before. Five miles later they were at the resort. Tomi said they took the scenic route back.

The next night they decided to try the new supper club they had seen. They pulled into the parking lot where a half dozen cars were parked. They entered the supper club and were surprised to hear Tomi's name called out. It was Mrs. Morgan.

She asked, "What are you doing way up here? Who's minding the store?"

Tomi filled her in and asked what they were doing there. Mrs. Morgan explained they had a summer home about six miles away and were up for two weeks enjoying nature and the fresh air. Mrs. Morgan insisted they join them for supper. She told them this supper club was known for its bar-b-qued ribs. They all ordered the ribs and when they were shown to their table they were laughing and enjoying themselves.

When the ribs came Tomi and Sarah didn't think they would be able to eat them all. The ribs wee so delicious that they did finish them but had to decline on dessert. Mr. Morgan was the only one to have some banana crème pie. The Morgan's invited them to their place after supper and they accepted.

They followed the Morgan's back to their place and as they entered the ornate entryway Tomi and Sarah wee both impressed. The huge log house was a vision to behold. Once they were inside Mr. Morgan excused himself to change clothes. The three of them sat and chatted.

Mr. Morgan returned wearing a dress with a flowing skirt that swirled as he walked. He had light make-up on and looked like a woman if you didn't look real close. The four of them sat talking about the store and the improvements going on. Tomi explained about his new section and what he was going to improve. Mrs. Morgan was enthusiastic about the improvements. Mr. Morgan asked if his group of friends would be able to shop there during their special hours. When Tomi told him of course he was ecstatic.

Before they left Mrs. Morgan invited them to go shopping with her tomorrow. She told them about a woman who had a very small store where she sold dresses she made. They agreed to be back at ten the following morning.

The following morning they were there to go shopping. Mrs. Morgan drove and the four of them chatted about styles as they were riding. They arrived at the small country dress shop. When they were inside Mrs. Morgan introduced them to Lydia Simpson who owned the store.

As they were looking around Tomi and Sarah noticed that all of he clothes were well sewn and expertly made. They both marveled at the low prices. Tomi thought about talking to Mrs. Simpson about their store selling some dresses for her. Then Tomi noticed a rack full of aprons. He looked at them closely. They were all very feminine with ruffles and lace. He decided he had to talk to her about them selling her products.

He approached Mrs. Simpson and asked, "Could I talk to you for a minute?"

She said of course and he continued, "We run a women's clothing store and I believe we can sell just about anything I have seen here. Do you suppose we can come up with some sort of arrangement for us to sell your products?"

Mrs. Simpson said, "I try to make what I think will sell but sometimes business gets slow. I am sure we can come up with something."

Just then Mike came out of the dressing room in a dress loaded with a ton of ruffles. Mrs. Morgan said, "Michele, you don't need another dress. Do you have any without ruffles? Oh, I suppose you deserve a new dress. Go ahead we'll buy it." He left smiling.

Tomi picked a cute sundress and an apron with a full bib and skirt. He wanted to show Marjorie how well everything was made. He thought how good the sundress would look on him.

By the time they had left it was time for lunch. Mrs. Morgan took them to a small family restaurant where they had lunch. She told them there was a souvenir shop they had to see after lunch. When they had finished they headed for the souvenir shop. There Tomi found a pair of long dangly earrings he liked and a tee-shirt with a mermaid on it. They went across the street to a shop that specialized in moccasins. Tomi ended up with a pair of white ones decorated with bead trim.

As they headed back to the Morgan's place Tomi was excited about the new dress contact. He knew he would be able to sell any of the dresses Mrs. Simpson would be sending. He was very pleased with how the day had gone.

When they arrived back at the cottage, they were both tired. They laid down but soon were making love. After they had napped they got up and ate a light supper. Tomi couldn't contain his happiness over the new dresses that would be coming in. Sarah shared his happiness and noted how enthusiastic he was. She was happy for him.

That evening he was sitting on the porch looking at the lake. He decided to go fishing. He was fishing and thinking. He thought about the fact he was a man in a dress. He wondered again if it was the right thing to be doing. He thought about how Sarah was taking it and how their relationship was better now than it ever was. He thought about how wonderful the dress he was wearing felt. He knew he enjoyed the feeling of wearing dresses. He knew he had to have a talk with Sarah about it and dreaded what may come of it.

He got a strong bite and set the hook. When he got the fish in the boat he saw it was a good-sized walleye .He knew it would be big enough for a meal for him and Sarah. He pulled up the anchor and headed for shore. He had it cleaned and wrapped and showed it to Sarah. He told her it was lunch tomorrow.

He poured both of them a lemonade and sat down at the table with Sarah. He said, "While I was fishing I did a lot of thinking. I need your input on something."

Sarah knew him well enough to know this was gong to be a real serious talk. She knew he was bothered with something but didn't know what it was. She told him to continue.

He said, "I am wondering how you would feel if I continued wearing dresses. I have come to enjoy the feelings they give me. I know you married a man, not a man in a dress but I really would like to continue wearing dresses. Do you think you could continue living with someone like me if I did continue wearing dresses?"

Sarah told him to wait minute. She went into the bedroom and came out with a red slinky silk dress with a slit up the side of the skirt. She said, "In answer to your questions it is yes, I can continue to live with you and love you if you stay in dresses. You have given me a present I hoped for so here is a present for you. This dress is perfect for you and you can wear it tomorrow evening and we can go get some more of those ribs."

He got up and took her in his arms. They kissed and both of them felt closer than they had ever felt before. They both knew the future was gong to be bright and idyllic.

  

  

  

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