Exquisite Excursion                    by: Virginia Kane

 

Part 1: Education

Finally! Graduation Day. What a relief! Not that I hated school; I truly enjoyed the four years I spent in high school, but enough is enough. Of course, mother was very disappointed that I didn’t want to continue my education by attending college. She hoped I’d be eager to pursue a professional career in medicine, law or business management. Me, I wanted to continue working as a retail sales clerk for a while. I enjoyed helping average people make good merchandise selections best suited to their personal needs. Perhaps I could continue a formal education in a year or so, once I decided what I’d really like to do for the rest of my life.

After all, I wasn’t in any hurry, I didn’t feel any urgent need to acquire advanced knowledge in any particular field, I was quite satisfied with my high school education, and quite frankly, hadn’t the slightest idea of any career niche which appealed to me more than any other. I decided to adopt a wait and see attitude, which troubled mom.

She also wasn’t too pleased when I accepted the department store’s offer to upgrade my status to full-time employee as the school year came to a close. My manager told me he was very impressed with my pleasant selling style. He told me customers often asked for the "polite young boy who always tries to be so helpful". I know he was referring to women customers. I guess you could say that I knew how to be helpful to women. After eighteen years of my mother’s smothering, I knew how to detect their motives and carefully influence them without my seeming too persuasive. I preferred helping the women customers to helping men. Most men acted crude, vulgar, unpredictable and uninterested in any help to make purchases wisely. Men always seem to think they know everything, and are offended by anyone’s suggestion that their infallible judgement may not result in wisest decisions.

Yes, it was because of mom’s overbearing nature that I was keen on how to advise women, without their thinking that I had anything but best interests at heart. Mom was certainly a very important influence in the development of my skill in guiding buyers, make that the sole important influence. As a calculating single parent of an only child, she consistently did her best to coerce me into her way of thinking. Over a lifetime, I learned how to accept and adapt to mom’s constant meddling into every little detail of my daily life. By letting mom feel that I was agreeing with her, and accepting her guidance, I was able to get my way in most cases with her complete support, while she thought that she was getting her way with me. I had adopted her attitudes about a lot of unimportant issues, enough by being totally agreeable with her to get away with it.

Take my not going to college yet, for example. I followed her suggestions; got all of the booklets and pamphlets from all the schools she recommended, and used attitudes she repeatedly expressed to discount each school’s merits. When you make the effort to understand someone very well, you can mirror things they like to enhance your own point of view. It isn’t difficult. However, to be effective, I had to suppress my own basic preferences with her, as she might detect when they conflicted with hers.

She soon accepted my working at the department store for the summer due to the way I described the opportunity to her. She accepted my explanation that the job would only be temporary, and provide extra money for college. I didn’t expound on how temporary I expected to work. By the end of summer, I planned to have told her that my school selection wasn’t complete. Depending on her response, I’d continue to use one of my favorite ploys. She hates anything chauvinistic! Mom is a devout feminist. All I need do is embrace her contrary attitude toward a male dominated world.

Let me cite an example. We visited a few colleges during the Spring break. When I hinted that few women were deans at one college, she nearly went ballistic over the school’s lack of insight. She accused the school of "living in the dark ages". I let the idea sink in for a few days. Then, I pointed out that most faculties of the schools that we checked out were similarly deficient in feminine influence in the upper management. She agreed that it was wise of me to take more time selecting a field of study, and a school that embraced equal rights for women. The woman’s place was no longer limited to jobs of low responsibility. Of course, she didn’t go to college, and didn’t know how the deans were selected. I felt colleges are run like a "good old boy" clique.

When I informed her I would be working under a new, woman manager, and I stressed the word, "under", in my new full-time summer position that clinched it. She was thrilled to learn that I would learn proper work habits under a woman’s influence. Since I was so effective with selling to the ladies, the store’s general manager assigned me to work at the jewelry counter. The department had a woman manager, naturally. I’m not the athletic type, so I was content with the assignment, as the merchandise didn’t include things that would require heavy lugging, like the hardware, appliance, or men’s clothing departments did. Neat! Clean and easy work helping pretty ladies, to boot!

I soon found working full-time on my feet all day was more than I had bargained for. Unlike working part-time, after eight hours, with only lunch and two short breaks for respite, being on my feet all day was fatiguing. As summer progressed, my back was starting to give out. As the only male in the department, my supervisor kept me humping. She even loaned me out to adjacent women’s departments to lug stuff around. How could I refuse? They were all women. When I got home one day complaining of my sore back, mom offered to give me a rubdown. While she massaged my back, she announced that she was being transferred to a new position herself, with a substantial increase in pay. Her new job, in the main office, was downtown, close to the store where I worked, so she suggested driving me to and from work every day instead of my taking a bus. She implied that the long, bumpy bus rides home didn’t help my aching back, so it should heal better if I rode in the relative comfort of her car.

The daily commute in her car offered us more time alone together, and gave mom more opportunities to drill me about how I liked my job, constantly surrounded by women. I tried to be as non-committal as possible, but the subject came up often enough to be annoying. When at home, I tried to keep to myself so she wouldn’t bug me. I tried to avoid any confrontations, as she had this driving need to run my life. In the car, it was difficult to avoid her questioning. I’d just tell her I liked it fine, and it was only temporary, so it didn’t matter a whole lot. She didn’t buy that, and kept pressing for my reasons for helping liking to help ladies select their jewelry. At least she stopped working the long hours in able to drive me home. She was always getting home late before.

"But, Danny. Being of service to women is a noble task. You should be proud that the store wants you to work there. Not many men would be as willing, though."

What made her think that? The department needed a man around. Women often asked me for a man’s point of view regarding their selections. Full cases of watches and jewelry were heavy for a girl to lift. Security is another reason to have a man around. Why wouldn’t any guy want to be surrounded by pretty women? I kept all that to myself.

"I like it, mom. It’s easy work. My boss is sweet, and easy to get along with. She reminds me of you. Maybe that’s why I like her so much."

"Really? I’d like to meet her someday. What’s her name?"

"You’re office is so close, why not stop by during lunch. I’ll introduce you two. You may find some attractive things while you’re there and use my employee discount"

"I’d love to Danny, but I’m still fairly new at my job and it’s hectic. Perhaps I can manage it in a few weeks. I’ll let you know ahead of time. My boss started to take me to lunch every day and uses the time to plan appointments so I don’t need to stay late and can drive you home. She’s a real prize; tall, elegant with a darling figure. It’s hard for me to refuse. She buys the lunches, and doesn’t take advantage of my eagerness to please."

"Oh, mom. Not again."

"Whatever do you mean, Danny?"

"Sounds like you’re getting involved with someone, again. That last one was a real loser. Do you feel it’s wise to get so close with a boss? " Mom previously had a girl friend from work that moved in with us for over a year. She sponged off of mom and then changed jobs. She left suddenly leaving mom in tears for weeks. She was very mean to me, causing friction between mom and me at every turn. I would spend all my spare time at the mall or library to avoid the constant conflict over her abuse of mom’s hospitality.

"This is different. Laura is kind and thoughtful, not like Maria at all. I don’t think you’ll have any difficulty getting along with her. She’s a very nice person and everyone in the office feels exactly like I do. She’s a pleasure to work with."

"But, she’s still your boss, mom. I don’t want to see you get hurt again or have her jeopardize your career." Maybe mom would act less domineering if she interests were divided. I didn’t push it. It could be better for me if mom had another relationship to fill her time. Knowing mom had a few lesbian affairs didn’t bother me. I was raised with the belief that women were caring and nurturing and shared the instinct, while men were lone savages who "used" women and had little or no concern for sharing a home life.

Even grandpa would go on the road selling for weeks at a time, and was often home just long enough to push mom and grandma around, pick up clean laundry and take off again. Mom told me she got pregnant after being raped by a son of his company’s president, while they were in town to attend a local trade show. Grandpa convinced mom and grandma not to threaten his boss’s son with a paternity suit out of fear of losing his job. No one ever told me that part explicitly, but I figured out that mom had to continue being nice to the boss and his son so grandpa wouldn’t get fired. After mom got pregnant, she said the president sent other men from the company to visit regularly and they spent their nights at the house rather than at a hotel. As her pregnancy progressed into the third trimester, the visits stopped. Then grandpa was granted a generous early retirement. The company must have had a list of men that could testify that grandpa’s adopted daughter slept with numerous men from the company.

With hatred and disgust, mom told me that my father never tried to get custody of me or provide for me, even though he had sufficient means, or even visit us. Mom was so young she had to lean on grandma and grandpa in order to provide me a home. I remember little of living with them. We still visit grandma, but grandpa didn’t abide with mom’s hatred toward men, so we moved away as soon as I started grade school and she got a decent job. I can’t blame mom, seeing as her total experience with mature men centered on her rape that brought me into the world and led to her subsequent sexual abuse. She reminds me that I’m her little exception to the rule that all men are rotten beasts who can’t be trusted. After my dad took advantage of her, he abandoned us. Then, mom’s stepfather: grandpa told her not to seek justice or they’d only expose her as a cheap tart that seduced his boss’s son. He ignored her claims of innocence. As I was growing up, she told me stories about waking up many times with vague memories of being molested. She suspected grandpa or the visiting men put stuff in her food to cloud her memory and make her crave sex with them. She vowed she would raise me with a proper respect for women.

The way the guys talked about girls in school reinforced my acceptance of mom’s caustic attitude. You’d think all men thought about was getting into as many girls’ panties as possible, by any means possible, without concern for the girls’ reputations or futures. From what I had seen, mom’s appraisal of men wasn’t far from the real truth. If I ever behaved that way, I think mom would die. The guys bragged about their conquests with pride, as if taking advantage of girls was an achievement worthy of praise. Mom made sure I learned that men should venerate women. I didn’t want any woman to feel I was like all the rest. I always tried my best to be extra polite and show women the highest respect. My approach worked well, as my department manager kept telling me to "keep up the good work" and "you handled that woman very nicely, Danny."

What bothered me was the way that many women tried hard to look attractive and sexually appealing to men and how most men took their efforts for granted, responding to them with their machismo condescension and lust. Men rarely knew how to appreciate women and their willingness to be caring and considerate.

I wanted to believe that if mom found a man with proper regard and respect toward women, she would change her attitude and eventually find happiness with such a man instead of getting involved in her lesbian relationships. Unfortunately, I’ve yet to meet the man who could stand up to mom’s standards for appropriate behavior.

Meanwhile, my back got better, but was still tender from the rigors of my job. One evening, mom asked if I felt we should see our doctor about it. I declined. Not that I didn’t want to see her; she was a good doctor, but I was still hoping I’d get used to being on my feet so much, and the pain would ebb. Over the following week, mom wouldn’t give up, and our daily commutes included her persistent entreaties to see our doctor. During that week, mom’s boss joined our carpool to save fuel. In return, mom got to use her company provided parking space. I could see why mom liked her. She was quite beautiful. Compared to Maria she was super. She expressed herself with an air of authority that mom often lacked, though. She was definitely a take charge sort of woman.

One day, Laura, mom’s boss, called me a typical male for refusing to heed my mother’s advise and see our doctor about my back. My explanation about the pain’s lessening was ignored. She suggested that I was like all self-centered males, too foolish to seek the professional opinion of a woman, even if it may be more accurate and founded on better information and training than my male egotistism.

That did it! She got to me by calling me egotistic so I agreed to call for an appointment from work that very day. No way could I accept her classifying me as having the average male’s lack of good judgement. I was biding my time that’s all. I didn’t want to be hasty and waste mom’s money. I called the doctor and arranged to see her right after work. Mom drove and she and Laura waited for me at the doctor’s office.

Sure enough, the doctor detected inflammation around two discs in my spine. She gave me some pills to relive stress and recommended a brace. She wore one herself, due to her grueling schedule and suggested I get one like she wore rather than an expensive, prescription orthodic support to save money. When I mentioned it was a feminine garment, she laughed and told me it would be effective, regardless of the gender of the user, so in my case, it would be a masculine garment and I should ignore any other implication of its purpose. After all, I wasn’t going to wear it to "attract any men!"

After I agreed to wear one, she recommended one with a high-rise waist, and open bottom, so my male appendage would not be overly confined and I could still use a urinal for bladder relief. That reminded her to check my groin for any remnant of a groin injury I sustained. It didn’t embarrass me. I got over that the first time she treated it She hinted that my hefting up a high-rise panty girdle while in the men’s room stall at work might attract the wrong kind of attention.

I surmised she was referring to homosexuals who hung out in bathrooms of major department stores to elicit sex with other men. The kids in school joked about them, but I never saw any. I voice my concern for wearing such a garment. It might be detected and result in my embarrassment. The last thing I wanted was to be labeled a homosexual because I wore a girdle to work. Hell, I didn’t like men much to begin with. That’s the last thing I wanted to be called, but I didn’t say anything about that to our doctor.

She pondered, then suggested I shouldn’t be such a baby. Most men wouldn’t ever notice it, unless I was heard huffing and puffing while getting it back on in a men’s room. Women, on the other hand, might detect it. "If any women gives clue to recognizing your wearing a brace, explain its purpose. All women understand the benefits of wearing a support. Since they can’t see it unless you expose it, they’ll assume it’s one of the expensive ones that I can prescribe for you, if you prefer. They’re heavier, sweaty, and not as comfortable nor easy to hide as the kind you can find in any good department store." She rose, signaling the conclusion of my visit and accompanied me to the door.

When she saw mom and Laura waiting, she asked mom if her insurance provided for orthodics. When mom said yes, she went back into her office and returned with a prescription describing the type of back brace I needed. That killed any notion I had about keeping my need for a woman’s undergarment a secret from mom or her friend.

Then Dr. Samuel explained to mom the inexpensive alternative to a prescription orthodic in detail, to my mortification. Mom’s face showed her amusement plainly, as our doctor made specific recommendations as to style and rigidity. I didn’t have the nerve to look to see the expression on Laura’s face. In order to provide adequate support, I was to wear a smaller size than would be indicated by my waist size due to differences in hip sizes of men and women in relation to their waist sizes. Since the support was needed most in my lower back, she recommended a smaller size to insure my proper posture, without slumping. If necessary, one with drawstrings to accommodate my male waistline was preferable. Over the course of a year the savings could exceed hundreds of dollars.

On the way home, I sat in silence. My mood was glum, whereas the two of them could barely hide their glee. They had the chance of a lifetime, for first hand experience of a man being subjected to a rigid body restraint in a device intended to enhance a woman’s curves. At first, they tried to hide it, but finally they both bust out laughing.

"Okay, have your fun." I said. "Dr. Samuel told me my using a brace made it a man’s brace, not a woman’s corset. "Laugh all you want. It’s still a man’s brace, no matter what the two of you think it will be." Some joke, I thought.

"We can’t help it Danny." Guffawed Laura. "How can you deny us the pleasure of observing a brave "macho" man intimidated by the same torture smart women all go through. Tell you what. It’s late. Let me take the two of you to dinner tonight, my treat. It’ll be worth it to watch you squirm while the two of us discuss buying corsets for you."

Mom countered. "Laura, shame on you. This isn’t funny. I raised Danny to be more considerate of women than to make fun of what they have to wear. He doesn’t look down on us like most men. Rather, he looks up to us with admiration, don’t you Danny."

I mumbled something unintelligible from the back seat, deeply engrossed in my own misery. Mom put me on the spot. I didn’t want to express any resentment or she could twist my unwillingness to wear a girdle to make me succumb to her wishes and quit work to go back to school. I bided my time with as much bravado I could muster and decided to make fun of the issue as well. "Fine, but only if I can choose the restaurant. If I have to listen to the two of you gloat over this, I want to enjoy the best food in town."

"Heavens, what makes you think I would embarrass you in public. I was thinking of taking you to ‘Del Bianco’s’ for a nice quiet dinner in a private booth. Of course, if there is a better place you know of, please fill us in and we’ll go there, instead."

Del Bianco’s is one of the best restaurants in town. Mom could never afford to take us there. Laura must be loaded. "No, that’ll be just fine. You’re paying, so I accept, as long as I can order anything on the menu. If I have to suffer being made fun of by you two, I want a thick juicy steak, or maybe a lobster." I turn this joke into my own, soon.

"Lobster it is, Danny. Only the best is good enough for you. Once we get you in a corset, you won’t be eating lobster again for a long, long time, heh, heh."

"Is there something I should know that you aren’t telling me?"

The two of them burst out in another fit of laughter.

"What? What’s so funny!"

"You are, Danny. A tight girdle makes a hearty meal impossible. You’ll see."

"Well, how would I know that?"

That triggered another round of laughter. "Sorry, Danny. We sound terrible, I know, but we can’t help it. Men have no idea how most women feel while men gorge themselves with food and we women sit by watching them, eating like birds to maintain our figures. However, you will soon find out. Just you wait and see. Ha, ha, ha, ha."

"Come on, it can’t be that bad." I had to admit that Laura’s laugh was contagious. Her apology seemed sincere. She wasn’t spitefully trying to make fun of me; she was only having innocent fun at my expense while explaining what I was in for experiencing.

"I’ll make a little wager with you. I’ll bet you won’t be able to spend an entire week in a corset, like I do, although you should do it for your own sake. Men are such whussies! If you can’t wear one 24-7, you’ll take us out next Saturday night, and you’ll pay the bill. Same place and we’ll have the same entrées we’ll have tonight."

I leaned forward against the front seat. "You’re on! It’s a bet. You’re my witness mom. Laura doesn’t know I had to wear a brace before. Remember? It was back when I slipped and fell a few years ago. I wore that heavy thing for over a month. No problemo! It’s a cinch." I’d show her for making fun of me. Laura’s hand was on mom’s thigh.

"Danny, I hate to say this, but that was a truss, son. It wasn’t nearly as uncomfortable as this will be. You’re in for a surprise. Laura knows what she’s talking about. She wears almost one all the time." Mom slipped and gave another clue.

"If it’s so bad, why does she do it, mom? She doesn’t have to impress men with her figure if she’s a les.., oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. Please, Laura. Forgive me. That was so dumb. I barely know you. How could I have said such a cruel thing?" The look I got from my mother was as cold as ice. Laura moved her hand from mom’s thigh.

"It’s alright, Danny. You’re not the first person to accuse me of being a lesbian. If you must know, and now I feel you must, I’m very fond of your mother, but I wasn’t always a lesbian. I’ve had a number of relationships with men, as well. I even was married. I consider myself a bisexual. If that means I’m a lower life form in your eyes, than you have a problem, not I. Our sexual preference is our business; no one else’s. Got that?" I didn’t respond and we rode on in silence. I sat back and kept my mouth shut.

Laura finally broke the ice. "Danny, we’re almost there. If you want to continue this conversation, we can do so inside. If you’d rather not, I’ll understand. Your mom can drop me off at my place and we can forget the entire incident. What do you say?"

"No, let’s go inside. My pride was hurt. I was just lashing out, stupidly. "

"Good! I was hoping you would honor my challenge and not wimp out."

Mom didn’t say a word as we left the car with the parking attendant and entered the restaurant. It was obvious that she was the less dominant of the two gorgeous women, but could still be dominant when she wanted to be, like with me. Laura was in command and led our small party into the lobby. Me, I was a mere pawn compared to these two powerful women. The maitre’d greeted Laura by surname calling her mademoiselle and escorted us to a private alcove. The number of busboys and waiters was foreign to my humble experience. People bustled about taking our cocktail order and presenting the menus and tableware with flourish. When they all receded, Laura resumed speaking.

"Danny, There is another matter your mother and I want to propose this evening. If you are prejudiced against lesbians, it won’t be necessary to go into the matter further. It’s about time we tell you what your mother and I have known for a long time. We love each other. I’d like for us all to live together. She would not accept my offer while you were in high school. Now that you are out of school, I insisted that the three of us get together tonight to see how strongly you feel about my having a relationship with your mother and if we can expect derision or support from you. As you will eventually seek your own destiny, you should want for your mother to be happy.

"Either you can accept us as we are, two people extremely fond of one another, or you can’t. I would appreciate a frank and honest reply. Whatever you choose to say, we will respect your wishes, Danny. I don’t want to come between you and your mom."

At least she was considerate. "Let me start by telling you both that I do understand how mom feels about men, and why. If I were in her place, I’d feel exactly as she does, Laura. Her life must have been very lonely when I was small and I feel I contributed to her loneliness. Her stepdad didn’t support her when things went bad, and grandma was so timid, she could never defy him about anything. Mom brought me up to be more considerate of other people’s feelings due to the way she was treated back then. I’ll do anything for her because my mom put her needs aside to see to mine.

"Her betrayal by men, especially grandpa, led mom to teach me to be different from most men. I would like to make some girl happy some day, but most girls expect men to be forceful and dominant in ways that aren’t easy for me. I can accept mom wanting someone who loves her to share life with her and if that someone is another woman, that’s for the two people in love to decide, and no one else. I won’t interfere."

"How long have you known that your mother felt this way about other women."

"For some years now, I suppose. I can’t be sure. When I learned about women who prefer sex with other women and what people called them, I realized that mom never dated men, although she could have, so she must fit into the category. I hate talking about this. I don’t care what other people think. Anyone should be free to love whoever they please." I did care, but I lied so they would let their guard down.

Laura placed her hand on mine and said: "Thank you, Danny. We don’t need to say another word about it right now. Let’s enjoy our dinner."

Mom remained silent for the longest time. I wasn’t used to her not being in charge. Eventually, her solemn pose melted and she began to smile, gradually. I could sense that another burden was lifted from her mind. I smiled back, and reached under the table to squeeze her hand. She was trembling as her damp palm accepted my touch.

I mouthed a silent "I love you" to her. Her smile widened.

I turned my attention back to Laura. "So, when do you want to move in with us?"

"I beg your pardon? I have no intention of leaving my high-rise condo to move to your cramped apartment, Danny. I was hoping you two would consider accepting my invitation to your mother for the both of you to move in with me. I have four bedrooms; a sauna, sunroom, den and you could have your own music studio if you’re into rock and roll. Personally I can’t stand heavy metal music or whatever you call that noise. I have a personal maid and all of the housekeeping is done professionally. I can offer a luxurious life to the both of you if you don’t mind living so close to the downtown area.

"If you prefer, you can keep your place for a while. I’ll help with the rent until you go back to school. If I left out anything that would help you decide, ask for it. "

"Can you afford two rents and servants? Surely a job doesn’t pay that well?"

"My involvement at the office enables me to stay abreast of market trends. My income is mainly from investments I inherited that my husbands didn’t squander, Danny. I hope you can believe in my sincerity. I can provide for your mother very well. If she would rather be a homemaker, she doesn’t even have to work. I’ll provide for her well."

"And you want me to come to live with the two of you, too?"

"Or you can go away to attend any college you choose. You can quit your backbreaking job at the department store, too. I’ll give you an allowance to live on. "

"Then why did you make up all that malarkey about the bet that I couldn’t wear a girdle for a week. If I quit my job, I won’t need to wear one."

"Not so fast. The damage is already done. You can injure yourself worse if you’re not careful. The bet is still on, since you should wear one until the doctor says otherwise. Besides, I want to see the look on your face when we lace you into a good foundation. The best part of being a man-hater is seeing the look of failure in a man’s eyes."

"If you’re really a man-hater, how will I fit in? I’m still one of the enemy."

"Not necessarily. Your mother calls you her exception. She doesn’t think you fit the image at all. I won’t either. You don’t have a mean bone in your body. How could anyone dislike you? I’d like you to think my offer over and let your mother know when you come to a decision. No, don’t answer now. Let’s enjoy the food and think of the pleasant things life has to offer here. May I suggest a wine to accompany our dinner?"

"Mom replied. "Please do. We don’t know very much about fine wines."

"One must learn all the niceties of life. Someday we’ll all have to attend a wine tasting party together so you both will learn about the best wines from experience."

"Sure. That’s a joke. A month ago my drinking wine was illegal. Now I’m being invited to wine tasting parties. What next?"

"I’ll leave that to your imagination. If you never partake in the pleasures of life from every perspective, how will you know what is best for you. It won’t hurt you to be a little inquisitive." She waived a hand and a waiter appeared. She instructed him to bring a wine by a name I never heard before, and he disappeared as quickly as he came. He return quickly poured the wine and disappeared again. Laura pointed to him, smiling.

"I love being doted over by a man that acts like an obedient puppy. Don’t you?"

Laura’s comment was directed toward mom, who was still a bit sullen and lost in thought. She distracted mom by talking about office matters that came to Laura’s mind and then changed the subject to the corsetry I was expected to start wearing. She talked in what sounded like a foreign tongue to me.

Some terms were in French, but others were in plain English, but were words I never heard of before. A decision to procure a few Victorian corsets; whatever they were, I detected, but the other terms may well have been in French. The two of them looked at me appraisingly, and nodded. Then they’d resume their huddle and ignored me again. By the time we were through eating our salads, I felt like the obedient puppy of a waiter, here only to satisfy Laura’s wants at the least sign. After a while, they again included me in the conversation and Laura steered our discussion to my work.

How could this powerful woman be so at ease with discussing the daily routine of a mere retail clerk, and appear so engrossed with every response I made? Surely her level of responsibility was far above my lowly station. Yet, she leaned toward me, as women often do, and hung on every word I said. I mirrored her action, carefully, to detect any resistance or acknowledgement from her that I was trying to engage in a mental tryst with her. She subtly let on that she recognized the ploy, but countered it by taking my hand and giving it a squeeze. She signaled her appreciation for my unspoken volley of bantering without using words. We were testing each other, or, perhaps she was testing me. From her reactions, I detected her enjoyment and perhaps a degree of arousal from my subtle gestures. She was an expert at unspoken communication. God, this was fun.

When the main course was served, our senses took over and we directed our attention to the olfactory delights before us. The combination of smells were so divine, I was mesmerized. This was the finest meal of my life. To Laura, it appeared to be commonplace. She knew the good life well and was tempting mom and me with it. All we had to do was accept her hospitality.

When I bit into my first forkful of lobster, I thought I’d die. It was that scrumptious. My head was spinning from the fragrant bouquet of the wine and the other delightful food smells wafting before me. Unable to concentrate on talking, I let my mom and Laura do it all. By the end of our meal, I realized they detected my preoccupation with the digestion of our meal, and smiled at me.

"Well, do you think we’ll be sharing another wonderful meal like this next week, at your expense, or are you man enough to stick to our bargain and wear what the doctor prescribed for you for a solid week? I’ll try to make it as easy as I can for you."

"I can’t afford such a fabulous dinner. I’ll have to do what the doctor ordered."

"We’ll see, darling. We’ll see. You’ll have to let me help without complaining, or you’ll lose the bet. Okay?" Her confident look made me shiver. I was in for it. She was letting me know that in advance that I was overconfident. She had me in the palm of her hand and wasn’t about to let me go."

She looked to mom. "Let me propose a plan. Danny isn’t familiar with corsetry. He will take more time getting into his corsets each morning than he ever spent getting ready for work before. Since my place is closer to our jobs, you should both stay over tonight and remain at my place for the next week or so, before Danny makes any commitment to move permanently. Anyone opposed to a week long trial visit with me?"

Mother shook her head negatively. They both looked directly at me, and I shrugged. "I guess that’ll be okay. I’d like to see your apartment before I agree to move there, anyway. If it’s as nice as you say it is, how can I refuse?"

"Great! That will give Danny a chance to try on different styles and get used to wearing a back support. I have an appropriately light ‘teddy’ that I just bought and haven’t had a chance to wear. It’s designed to be worn as sleepwear. It would be the ideal first experience for Danny to spend tonight in a soft light corset."

Mom finally spoke more than a full sentence to distract me. "You’ll love Laura’s place, Danny. I helped her redecorate a room for you last Saturday while you were at work. It is so much nicer than our place, you won’t ever want to go back there again."

"So, the two of you had this visit all planned. Fine. When shall we come over?"

"Right now, if you’d like, son. Laura and I can go back for some of your things while you’re at work tomorrow. That will leave tomorrow evening and all day Sunday for you to spend looking over the city. It takes hours to get used to the view. Wait until you see how lovely the city looks at night from atop a high-rise."

The ride took less than ten minutes. Mom drove right into the building and parked the car within a private alcove that required a remote control to enter. We walked to the elevator within the secure alcove and Laura stuck a key-card into a slot under the letter "P" at the top of the row of buttons. I wasn’t expecting a penthouse. The silent ride was swift. The elevator door opened right into the apartment. The entry hall was bigger than any room in our apartment, and the living room was as big as our entire apartment. Curtains drew open at Laura’s touch of a button and the silent, eerie city lay beyond in magnificent splendor. I rushed to the windows, not hearing her words.

"Ahem!" I spun around. "I said the view is better from the veranda, Danny, but I guess you didn’t hear me. Let’s go outside and enjoy the evening’s breeze. Would you care for something to drink before we go out?"

"No, thanks just the same. I had plenty during dinner." We walked the perimeter of the veranda checking the view in every direction and the streets below. It was breathtaking. Laura put her arm around mom’s waist and I noticed how mom didn’t pull away, but snuggled against her, instead. "Maybe I had better go inside and give you two some privacy for a while. I’m not used to seeing someone else cuddle with mom."

"You’ll have to get used to seeing us cuddle sooner or later, Danny. Why not now? Don’t you want to see your mom happy with someone she likes besides you?"

"Sure. Just let me get used to the idea a little at a time. Where’s the bathroom?"

"Each bedroom has its own. Let me show you where you’ll be staying."

I followed Laura back inside through the living room to a hallway. My room was the first on the right. She showed me the room across from it first. "This room belongs to Amanda. She’s seldom here. She’s usually away at school. She’s studying cosmetology and beauty care at her private finishing school this summer."

"During the summer?"

"Yes, it’s a condensed course for busy young coeds. Many of the attendees are college students on summer break." Her room looked like a movie set. Everything was perfect right down to the lace-covered canopy over the bed. The furniture was an off white with gold trim, very feminine, very pristine. I asked if the room prepared for me across the hall was similarly appointed.

"This furniture is all rented. You may go through this catalog and choose your own furniture yourself, if you dislike what your mom picked out for you. She felt you’d prefer something less feminine than Amanda’s. Of course, if you like French Provincial, there are several variations available that are similar to Amanda’s décor."

"No, I’m sure whatever mom picked out for me will be fine. Better than the early junk style stuff I have now. This room is lovely for a girl. A girl must feel like a princess sleeping in a room like this. It’s so elegant!"

"Are you jealous, Danny?’

"Jeez, no! I meant it reminds me of furniture I saw in movies, that’s all."

"Well, moods and styles change. Why buy something that won’t suit you in a short time, when you can rent furniture and change the décor as your tastes change. Men don’t give much thought to such things. That’s why it is smarter to leave such things to women to decide." We walked across the hall and Laura led me into the room they set up for me. "TA DA! What do you think, Danny? Does the he-man décor suit you?"

My mouth fell open. The rich mahogany with glossy finish was a stark contrast to the soft, delicate mood created in Amanda’s room. The walls were lined with mirrors. No matter where you looked, you stared back at your own reflection. The huge four-poster bed was covered with silk sheets in a deep red wine color. The ceiling mirror over the bed was too much. It was very suggestive of a satyr’s lair or a posh bordello. I would have chosen something less bold. It didn’t even look like it fitted mom’s tastes.

"This is too much. Am I supposed to get in touch with my masculinity in here or something? I can just see myself walking around in here in a corset. I’d feel as if I was visiting a house of ill repute. I’m sorry. I should be more appreciative. Mom surely had my best interests at heart, but it’s way too macho. This isn’t me at all."

"I was joking. There’s been a delay in the arrival of the furniture she picked out. This décor was from a recent visit by the east-coast branch manager. I’ll tell you about him sometime. I may not like macho men, but that doesn’t mean I don’t cater to their preferences when I am their hostess. Your mom wanted to delay your visit until the furniture she picked out arrived. I convinced her that your visit was not to be delayed any longer while you were talking to Dr. Samuel. If you’d rather not sleep in this den of iniquity, you can spend the night in Amanda’s room. She won’t mind. I wanted you to see for yourself what a difference a woman’s choices make. The bathroom is through that door. The closets are still empty. We’ll fix that tomorrow if you want to sleep here."

"Thank you. If you’ll excuse me now, I’ll be back in a few moments." I walked into the bathroom and was stunned again. Like Amanda’s it resembled a Grecian bath. The entire room was tiled in white, with pale blue trim. Gold fixtures adorned the sinks and bath. The shower had ten heads to encase the body in streams of water. The tub was sunken into the floor and the spigots around the perimeter indicated it was a whirlpool.

I used the john without delay, relieving the built-up pressure in my bladder. After cleansing my hands, I returned to the bedroom. Laura was holding a brochure with the furniture mom selected in view. She indicated that she normally would raise hell with the agency for not taking this furniture out, but since she wanted me to see some options before of selecting my own décor, she didn’t bother. I thumbed through the brochure. Several options caught my eye. All the furniture looked finely crafted. I couldn’t decide.

"Just like a man. Take my word for it. After a week in corsets, Amanda’s room won’t seem so foreign to you. Don’t make a selection, yet. You may use her room until you decide if you’d like. Many men find wearing corsets strangely enticing. Let your spirits soar. Experience every perspective. Discount nothing. Wait, you’ll see."

That was an odd rebuke. Laura was almost defying me to wear a corset without my becoming attracted to feminine things from the experience. What did she know about men wearing what was normally reserved for the ladies to wear? Yet this room’s décor was vulgar and made me uncomfortable. Only the bathroom seemed appropriate for a young gentleman. The bedroom décor was for a lecher, not me.

"If I have to choose between the two, I agree. Amanda’s room is nicer. This one could give me nightmares. I won’t mind the frills, as long as you don’t make fun of me because I prefer Amanda’s room to the vulgarity of this room." Once again, mom’s influence on my life was becoming decidedly clearer. I was gentler than I had given myself credit for being. She was very perceptive. What the heck! Amanda’s room was more befitting a corset wearer, and I was about to become one.

"Your mother is laying out something for you to wear to bed tonight. Since you will have to wear a tight waist cincher until I can arrange a proper fitting garment, you should become familiar with a lighter ‘sleep’ cinch. Let’s go join her, now."

We walked back across the hall. My uneasiness was mounting. I was to be indoctrinated to corsets before I expected to be. At this point, Laura’s challenge kept me from hightailing it out of there. We both were aware that she was in complete control of the situation. I had agreed to submit to her assistance.

"Take off all your clothes and put them in the hamper in the bathroom. Put this on to cover your nudity." She handed me silken black panties. "Coarse jockey shorts under a firm control garment wouldn’t be wise. You will severely chafe your body from the elastic. This will feel more comfortable." In the bathroom, I inspected the tag. It read: "Warner’s not so innocent nudes, size 7, unisex. "

I undressed and put on the panties without delay. As the nylon slid across my legs, I shivered in delight. The fit was so much more sensuous than jockey shorts. I posed in the mirror. The lined panel that covered my groin was wider that I expected. It held my male appendage adequately, but the bulge was more revealing than I was used to seeing in my cotton briefs with the criss-cross fly.

I turned and looked over my shoulder. The crease of my butt was plainly visible through the near transparent nylon, too. Only the inch-wide waistband was opaque. I faced the mirror again and slid one hand into the panties to secure my growing penis between my legs to hide it. I wasn’t ashamed of it, but didn’t want to offend the women by sporting a raging "woodie" in front of them. It looked better, tucked back, so I decided not to wear the black silk robe I noticed hanging on the back of the closed bathroom door.

I returned to the bedroom. Laura stood waiting for me. Her eyes were fixed on my groin. "I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to wear the robe I saw hanging on the door."

"No matter. It wouldn’t hide what you’re apparently trying to hide anyway. If those panties create such a reaction, the teddy will force you to sleep on your back."

"You promised not to make fun of me, Laura."

"I’m not poking fun at you, Danny, but it looks like you are trying to poke some fun of your own. How else can I help you solve your back problem? I’ll have to see you nearly naked to help you put on your support. Don’t worry about your perfectly normal masculine reaction. I was married. I’ve seen excited men before. Relax. Try to ignore what Mother Nature is telling you, if you can. It will take some time to get used to the sensations finery can cause. I’d also like you to get used to seeing your mother and I wearing our delicate unmentionables, as well. We’re all mature people, now. Considering your need for a restricting foundation, we will occasionally see your most of your body. As long as we can see yours, there’ll be no need hiding our bodies from you, either.

"Your current need for support is an ideal opportunity to find out why women prefer to wear delicate clothing. Most men aren’t capable of expressing sensuality without engaging in sexual activity. Women revel in it. You will have to learn to curb your latent male eagerness when wearing lounging wear. Since an outlet for your sexual expression isn’t going to be available to you, be content with the sensations provided by the lovely clothing itself, like women do. I promise you that you’ll learn to enjoy it."

"Laura, I know I agreed to follow the doctor’s orders to get rid of the gnawing pain in my back. I’m not about to give in and renege on our bet so you can gloat over my foolish male pride. If I have to put on corsets, I’ll do it, but I don’t understand why you are so eager to watch me do it. . Please don’t misunderstand, but if you are willing to put up with me in order to be close to my mom, why not offer to buy me the prescription braces Dr. Samuel talked about instead of having me wear the cheaper women’s corsets? They can’t be that expensive. Then I won’t have to be feel like the brunt of a joke."

"Good point, Danny. Wearing prescription corsets won’t be much fun. Wearing women’s can make it far more bearable. They’re easier to maintain, offer variety of style, and more comfortable once you become accustomed to them. Besides, wearing things that women wear at home will help you to become familiar with a mature woman’s lounging habits. You’ll be wearing things around the house similar to what we wear to learn to appreciate our tastes without being frustrated by your male predilection to arousal. After a week or so in corsets, you’ll feel relaxed in our midst. Won’t you feel better if we don’t have to hide form you when we want to feel comfy and cosy? If my seeing your near nakedness now while I’m fully dressed makes you nervous, I’ll take off this business suit. Then, we’ll both be equally scantily clad.

"No! Don’t! That’s the problem! These panties are making it hard for me to retain self-control. Please! Don’t get undressed! It’ll only make it worse. I’ve never seen a beautiful woman partially undressed. I might have an accident!"

"Well, thank you, Daniel. I’ll take that as a compliment. Surely you knew that your mom and Maria were lovers. Didn’t you get used to seeing Maria lounging in dainty attire? Or your mother? I thought Maria lived in your apartment for well over a year."

"Maria wasn’t pretty like you are. She never wore dainty things. I never had to repress any urges around her. She was plain and; well, masculine. I didn’t like her at all."

"Well, thank you, again. I’m very glad that you like me and my femininity."

"Laura, I’ve got a problem. Ever since you started car-pooling with us, I’ve been in a trance. You’re my idea of a perfect woman. You’re a goddess! Every thing you say and do makes me want to drop down on my knees to beg you to let me be near you. Sure, I know you don’t feel like that about me. What should I do? I’d do anything you ask. You love my mom! How would she react if she knew how I feel? Now that I admitted it, and you know how you make me feel, I’ll have to leave. I’ll have to stay at our apartment or go away to college. I can’t stay here. I can’t help getting excited. No man could!"

"Danny, that’s wonderful. You certainly don’t waste any time making yourself clear. I know that my personality can make men melt like butter. It’s supposed to. I’m a powerful woman by my own intent. I want to make men grovel at my feet. It pleases me. You won’t have to stay at the apartment or go away to college, just to keep your mom from finding out how you feel. She knows. You already told her so yourself after the first time we met. Your mother was pleased how you feel about me; as pleased as I am. As long as you remember your place and adhere to some very lenient terms, I’ll try to see to making sure you won’t have any embarrassing ‘accidents’. There are perfectly safe ways to prevent them and remain chaste. Now, please listen carefully. I must speak maturely.

"I don’t know if you are still a virgin Danny, but at your age you must have attended to your basic urges by yourself before. This isn’t the dark ages. Masturbation doesn’t have to be whispered about any more. I don’t want you to go around in a state of sexual urgency when you see us in scanty attire. If you are sincere about wanting to comply with my wishes, don’t feel that we are so innocent that we don’t know that men can satisfy their sexual urges regularly without assistance. Certainly you can’t insist on leaving us merely to avoid these urges. You’ll have them anyway, knowing that we are together here. Your doctor can give you medication that can safely quell your ardor until you become accustomed to our living together. In the meantime, you can go into the bathroom and take a cold shower or whatever unless you can control yourself."

"One of your mom’s concerns about you both moving here was how you and Maria were constantly at each other’s throats when she lived with you. Your mom doesn’t want that to happen here. You and I are going to have to become friends or your mom won’t feel comfortable. Wearing corsets like I do can help you to understand how we women feel. We use lovely clothing to express our emotions. We don’t have to engage in sexual activity with men to achieve personal satisfaction. Under my tutelage, your mom will learn to become an equally appealing goddess. You want her to be more assertive and in control of her destiny. Don’t you? I assure you she will change for the better and be much happier here with me than all alone once you go away to school."

This was unreal! This magnificent woman just told me it was okay if I wanted to grovel before her and told me I should go into to the privacy of the bathroom to whack off if I had to. I know she didn’t mean for me to take a cold shower. I already did, and she knew that. "I’ll be alright, now. Thanks for letting me get that off my chest. I hope you understand how I feel. I’m not sure what I should do about it."

"Very perceptive of you. You also knew very well how I would respond and what I would tell you that you could do about it. Now that we understand each other better, let’s go across the hall and get you into a your evening attire before your mother finishes her shower and changes into what she will wear for the balance of the evening. She understands a young man’s uneasiness with being half naked in front of adult women too, you know. You’ll become accustomed to it before you know it."

"I hope she won’t be wearing anything provocative. If you could tell her to wear something like the flowing blue lounge set she has at home, I’d appreciate it."

"Let’s go. We’ll see what she has on. First go put on the robe."

When we entered Amanda’s bedroom mom was waiting for us wearing a floor length heavy robe. Seeing me in a silk robe and panties startled her. "You were right, Laura. You two took so long; I was beginning to wonder if he refused to wear what you provided. Evidently he is enamored by your charm. I’ll take over now. Go take your shower. Take your time. I’ve wanted to do this for years. I never got the chance before."

"You have? Why mom? Why do you want me to wear frilly stuff?" Laura left us as mom grabbed me by the shoulders and twisted me around, examining me.

"Never mind, Danny. Take off the robe."

"I can put that on by myself, mom. It doesn’t have any laces."

"I’m your mother. You don’t have to feign modesty with me. You’ve never worn a body slimmer before. It’s tight and I’ll show you how to pull it up over you’re hips, or you might twist the shape right out of it. It is supposed to hold in your torso gently while you sleep. If you stretch it out of shape it won’t do you any good."

She rolled the garment from the top down until it resembled a panty with a roll waist. I stepped into it and she drew it up my legs and tugged at the sides until my panties showed beneath the hem at each leg. Keeping it taut, she unrolled it over my chest, and showed me how to slip my arms under the shoulder straps. Then she tugged again until my entire chest was covered. As the material stretched, I could see the reinforcement panels that pulled at the sides of my waist and firmly covered my tummy. (Tummy?)

The cloth at my chest was looser, but still followed the contour of my body. My waist appeared smaller than normal, but not much. The straps dug into my shoulders, but mom pulled up on them until they were seated firmly but didn’t dig in. She spread the wide straps out flat to spread the tension across my shoulders. The outfit was smooth. I half expected lace trim or ruffles to make me feel silly. This looked very similar to a sleeveless tee shirt, but extended all the way under my groin.

"The groin unsnaps to use the bathroom, but you can slip it and the panty to one side if you’d rather not learn how to gyrate to get the snaps redone. How does it feel?"

"Fine! I was expecting some sort of torture thing. This is simple. It hugs my waist and I can feel it pulling against my back. It really does provide support."

"This is a diamondback sport design. The spine has more support than any other part to promote keeping your back straight while you sleep. More women live with back pain from the differences in body structure than men do. A light support like this won’t do much to correct a sore back. It’s for learning to recognize good posture. Since it’s your first time, we’re being considerate. You need your sleep. Putting you in a more confining corrective corset right now and you’d be up all night."

"It feels good." As mom ran her fingers over the smooth, nylon on my back, I drew my shoulders back. "Lower, mom. That feels great."

"Some macho dude you are. Ten minutes in a sleek body slimmer, and you want to play. Nylon makes the body feel very sleek. Something men don’t understand."

"Weight lifters wear these all the time."

"Those crude outfits are made of a combination of polyester materials and cotton to absorb perspiration. They don’t look or feel as sleek as this. What do you know? You never wore one before."

"I saw guys wearing them while working out in the gym. They look the same."

"Maybe from a distance they look the same, but this one has a silky sheen to it. The support panels have tiny scalloped edges to look pretty, and it feels comfortable."

"Is it necessary for me to look pretty as well? Wearing corsets will be bad enough without giving me a swishy look. What if someone detects a corset under my clothes?"

"Part of our agreement with Laura is to let you learn how women feel. You’ll understand the girl who marries you someday better and be able to cater to her emotional needs instead of subjecting her to male indifference and suppression. Men make women feel inferior by interpreting their emotional needs as a weakness. By experiencing feminine emotions you will be able to recognize the strength in them as women do and be able to respond appropriately. Your need of back support will serve double duty by allowing you to empathize with women to make you a better man. Put the robe back on."

When I donned the nylon robe, the cloth glided over the body slimmer and emphasized the sleekness of the material. It felt real good to me. "Feels good."

"Want to have some fun?"

"What do you mean?"

"The type of corrective corset that Dr. Samuel recommended, with an open bottom has a tendency to ride up during the course of the day. To avoid pulling it down constantly, women wear stockings to hold it in place. If you like the sensations of this body slimmer, lets see how you react to the feeling of nylon stockings. Sleeping in them allows the satin sheets caress your legs. I think you’ll enjoy it immensely. Interested?"

"No way, mom. Aren’t we jumping the gun? Laura said I should learn gradually."

"Stockings will enhance your enjoyment. Laura was referring to the gradually learning to cope with the restriction of a tight foundation not the feel of sexy nylons."

"What if I like it too much?"

"Then, go with the flow. Enjoy it. It won’t hurt you. At your age, a little innocent exploration into feminine things will expand your character. I wouldn’t even criticize you if you decided that you like it and become an accomplished transvestite. It’s the rage. Lots of women appreciate men who understand and enjoy wearing delicate fabrics and sexy undies. Personally, I think it will be fun to teach you all about fashion and style. It would be like having a secret friend to compare tastes and share my romps in fashion selection. At least you’ll know the gifts you buy for a woman will fit and be in style if you try it out for a while and become more familiar with women’s things."

"I heard about transvestites. They dress up like sexy, loose women to lure straight men into having deviant sex with them."

"Schoolyard rumors. A majority of transvestites lead otherwise normal lives. Those who pursue men for gay sex are gay to begin with and would pursue other gay men for sex with or without wearing feminine clothes. Most gay men are not interested in feminine things. They prefer masculine things. By wearing feminine clothes some men can entice other men; ones who are either straight or bisexual into trying kinky sex. Bisexual guys are more likely to accept male lovers who at least resemble a woman. Gays use the term: drag queens or shemales for those who dress as women, not transvestites. They often dress up in gaudy clothes to appear as obvious imitations of women. It’s not necessarily the same fetish if the intention is seduction of a mate, male or female.

"So, if I wear some women’s clothes, it won’t necessarily mean that I’m gay.

"Many transvestites are married men with families who merely enjoy the feel of women’s clothes. Some do it to spice up the heterosexual marital sex with their wives. Once a man learns how nice it feels to wear sexy things they simply ignore all the seedy overgeneralizations made about crossdressing and enjoy themselves. Women who dress in men’s clothes to be practical are more commonplace. Fifty years ago a woman who wore men’s clothes was automatically thought to be a lesbian. Attitudes change. Women who dress as men are transvestites, too; but no one labels them as such, because most women do it. The ones who do it to dominate other women are called butches or dykes or bull dykes. You can’t make generalizations. There are too many different reasons for crossdressing. Don’t worry about it. Relax and enjoy it."

"Okay, I give up. I always wondered what it would feel like. But I don’t think I can ever look like a real girl. I’d need a wig, make-up and, well I’d have to use something to imitate breasts, too. I don’t want to be thought of as one of those drag queens. I saw pictures of them on the cover of magazines at the newsstand near school. Some of them looked like clowns. If guys do it to spice up their sex life with girls, it must be okay."

"Those are gay drag queens who appear on stage in drag shows. They’re supposed to look silly. They parody the feminine image to make fun of it, just like some comedians make fun of drunks. You know, like Red Skelton and Sid Caesar used to do."

"Wow mom, you’ve been watching too many re-runs. I haven’t seen them in years. Making fun of drunks isn’t funny anymore. Not since they changed the DUI laws."

"Exactly. Like I said before, attitudes change. In another fifty years men maybe as many men as women will wear earrings. Many boys wear them already. I often wondered why you didn’t want to, yourself, Danny."

"I do, but I didn’t figure out the best way to approach you about the subject, yet. I know it’s the latest rage. Girls think coolest guys wear earrings but I don’t fit the ‘cool guy’ image and didn’t think you’d want me to. Some guys wear more than one earring on each ear. The latest style is a row of small gold rings from top to bottom of the rim of the ear that start out tiny, and get bigger. I saw one guy with six earrings in one ear and four in the other. Wild! I prefer to watch others create the new trends. Now that I work in a jewelry department, I’ll give more thought to getting one."

"Only one?"

"If I knew you wouldn’t mind, I would have asked you already.

"Danny, I don’t mind. I want you to have some freedom to express yourself in any way you see fit, as long as we can discuss it first. I wouldn’t want you to do anything dangerous or permanent, like tattoos. I bet Laura would approve of earrings, too. Why not ask her for her opinion." Laura was entering the room at that moment.

"Ask me what?" She was wearing a see-through floor length gown that exposed her lovely legs as she walked. Her feet were perched on open-toed heels that looked six inches high. Her toenails were painted to match her fingernails and made her feet stand out as she strode into the room. Her torso was encased in a corset that forced her breasts to stand out and nipped in her waist to a fraction of what it appeared to be earlier and clearly less than half of the width of her rounded thighs. My eyes almost popped out of my head. Her proportions were that dramatic. "See something you like?"

"Wow! You look better than a pin-up girl, Laura. I thought the pictures in the glamour magazines were touched up to make the girls’ figures look provocative. I didn’t think it was possible to really have such a magnificent body."

"You are just full of compliments, aren’t you, Danny. A girl could get used to having you around, as long as you keep it up. Did I say that? I mean as long as you keep giving me such flattering compliments. What were you going to ask me?"

"Earrings. We were talking about guys getting their ears pierced. It’s the rage."

"Hadn’t you better try wearing clip-on earrings before you elect to make a permanent commitment like piercing your ears? I have some you could try on .Let me look at you first. Then, I’ll go find them for you."

She circled around me slowly as I stood motionless next to my mom. I could sense that she examined every inch of my smoothly encased body. "That slimmer looks nice on you. Is it too tight?"

"No, surprisingly, it feels good. The firm grip at my waist relieves the pressure on my back. I don’t feel any pain at all, and it seems I don’t have to be careful how I move."

"You’d look better with stockings and a pair of black mules. Stand up on your tip- toes. Yes, like that. Stretching your thigh and calf muscles will keep you from slouching. The best way to insure good posture is to coordinate major muscle movement with controlled grace. Your arms must flow with the movement of your hips with every step to match your graceful stride. It isn’t enough to wear a posture control garment. You must learn to feel at ease with the intent of the garment and move in such a way to stress elegance and control. You seemed awed by my appearance when I entered the room. Would you have felt the same if I came trouncing in flat-footed, swaying my arms like some truck driver? I think not. It isn’t difficult to do. I’m sure you can master it quickly.

"Are you embarrassed by the fact that men can practice poise and grace as well as a woman to improve their image? Some men are. They fear the loss of their masculinity. The fact is; they can reinforce their fragile egos by practicing poise. It takes guts."

"You must have overheard us, Laura. I let mom talk me into agreeing to experiment with some crossdressing here in private, as long as you don’t expect me to venture outside. There’s no way I’ll leave the apartment to be exposed to ridicule."

"You’re familiar with the term? I see. I agree. I won’t ask you to wear anything outside of this apartment unless you are confident that it will not cause you to be embarrassed. If anyone comes into the apartment besides the three of us, I’ll also expect you to have the decency to not attract an undue suggestion of impropriety. Therefore, you should either restrict your optional attire to your room, or appear totally acceptable as a woman or as a man. I’ll not tolerate aberrations or ribald displays of gauche parodies."

"Sounds fair to me."

Mom added: "Danny doesn’t want to go too far, too fast, Laura. He’s merely intrigued because of his need to wear firm support."

"Fine, but you know I don’t like half-measures. I expect him to comport himself as one or the other; completely: male or female. I do not flaunt the diversity of our lifestyle. That’s why I chose an apartment with a secure entryway. Only our friends and guests will see who enters or leaves the apartment until Amanda returns. The tinted windows of your car will afford sufficient privacy from any outsider’s prying eyes.

"Our household staff is aware of my insistence on discretion. I pay them adequately to not disclose our private matters and they are loyal to my wishes. None of them are offend or ridicule our eccentricities in any way.

"It won’t hurt him to explore a bit. Teach Danny the proper way to put on a pair of nylons Susan, while I find a suitable pair of clip-on earrings for him. I’ll get a brush and comb at the same time. We must do something with his hair."

A few minutes later, I was wearing black nylons and a pair of black slippers with a low heel. The sensation caused by the nylons as my legs brushed up against one another as I tried walking in the unfamiliar shoes gave me thrills that created tension at my aroused groin. Fortunately the confines of the body slimmer hid any sign of the growth of my hardening member. I kept my gaze lowered and chose not to look at any mirrors, so as not to break the spell by seeing my plain male face and hair. I wondered what Laura thought she could do about my hair. I closed my eyes and envisioned a pair of lovely breasts on my chest and a long wig to complete my transformation. Laura’s voice broke the magic of the moment.

"Sit down at the make-up table facing away from the mirror, Danny. I want to try something." I did as she requested. "Close your eyes." I complied.

She pulled the soft straps away from my shoulders and inserted something into the front of the body slimmer. I didn’t need to be told what she was doing, but tried to take a furtive peek, anyway. "Keep your eyes closed."

I could feel the brush and a comb work on my longish blond hair, pulling it straight back, then parting it at the middle and brushing it over my ears. Then she pulled some hair forward. A few clips from a pair of scissors startled me. "Don’t move." She pulled my chin from side to side, clipped a bit of hair from my brows and set the scissors down. She rubbed my cheeks with some sort of pad, and then pulled out some stray hairs from my scant brows with tweezers. Finally, she put an earring on each of my lobes. "Okay, Danielle. Turn around and take a look."

I spun in the chair and glanced into the mirror. A girl with soft rosy cheeks, in a pageboy hair-do stared back. The earrings were large, but did not dominate my face. Rather, my high rosy cheekbones were the prominent features. Then, I glanced down. The pads gave my outfit another new prominence. I appeared to have breasts within the sleek outfit. They weren’t large, but they weren’t masculine by any stretch of the imagination. I was amazed at the ease of the transformation. It was so sudden and complete.

"Well?"

"Amazing!"

"Susan? What do you think?"

"She’s adorable. The daughter I only dreamed of having someday. Finally! She’s here." Mom leaned over and hugged me. It was apparent that the enjoyed seeing me dressed as a girl. "Don’t you just love the way you look, Dani?"

"I’m in shock, mom. Laura, you are gifted. It was so easy for you to do. Am I imagining things, or do I look like a real girl to you two?"

"Hold on, Danny. The light in here and your imagination are making you see things that aren’t there. It’s a good start. It will help you to feel more like a girl, but you have a long way to go before you can start going out in public as a woman."

"But it is possible, isn’t it, Laura? I will be able to look like a girl, someday."

"If that is what you want. Probably soon. Now that you know that the image is possible, there’ll be no holding you back. We’ve created a monster, Susan. I won’t have to feel uncomfortable if Dani sees me embrace you. He’s swiftly become one of us girls. I doubt if he’ll resist being laced in now. It will do a world of good for his back."

"It’s been a long day. You can watch television or listen to music in here if you’d like to, Dani. The set is hidden in the wall behind the curtain. No loud acid rock, please! I can’t understand how kids can like that junk. Hop into bed and find out what it feels like to sleep or lounge in a satin covered bed. It will give you wet dreams, I’m sure."

"Laura! You’ll embarrass the boy!"

"Really? I think not, Susan. Dani has grown up quite a bit this evening. You were young once. Do you remember your first slumber party, the first time another girl did your hair for you, other than your mother? Dani will have sweet dreams tonight. Let’s not keep him from them." They dimmed the lights as they left me. I could hear their voices as they walked down the hallway together.

I pulled back the quilted satin spread on an angle and slid my feet under it. I propped up the pillows against the headboard behind me and squinted in the dim light to see the markings on the remote that I picked up from the nightstand beside the bed. By trial and error, I was able to bring the hidden big-screen TV to life, recalling the joke about the similarity of a remote control and a man’s penis. Only men are allowed to have one, and once they figure out what it is for, they can’t stop playing with it.

I rummaged through the channels. Laura’s cable service included all the premium channels and some adult channels as well. We had none of it back at home. I decided to watch an "R" rated movie on a premium channel. I didn’t want them to find me tuned to a porn channel if I fell asleep with the set on. Well, not yet, anyway.

Seeing a pretty girl’s bare breasts was affecting the cramped confines of my panties. I had to adjust the bottom for comfort. I soon was asleep. It was a long day. Laura was right.

I dreamed of having big breasts like the girl that I saw in the movie. The feminine nightwear must have an effect on what a guy can be dreaming about. My memory of the dreams was vivid when my mom’s shaking me awakened me.

"Rise and shine little girl. You have to change, shower and be ready to wear your first daytime back support. There’s a half-slip to put on after you shower. Use this bathroom, not the one across the hall.

"Before you put on the slip, shake some talcum powder onto your torso. Not a lot, but enough so the slip won’t cling to you. Otherwise, the waist cincher will bind and annoy you all day."

"Okay." Once in the privacy of the bathroom, I slipped off the body slimmer and picked up the soft latex breast pads that fell to the floor. In the mirror, I noticed the marks they left on my chest. My hair was a mess. I’d have to have Laura get it back to looking like a man’s hair before I left for work. I let the spray from the ten shower heads cascade down my body for longer than was needed, just to spoil myself. There was no way I would decline Laura’s offer to live here. Living lavishly is addictive.

As I combed my hair, I noticed I was not wearing the earrings. They must have fallen off during the night. I was unable to shave. There weren’t any disposable men’s razors. I tried one of mom’s pink ones once. I’ll never do that again. Afterward, my face looked like I fought with a mountain lion and lost.

Mom was waiting for me when I came out of the bathroom wearing the half-slip. She reached around me and fitted my waist with a wide elastic band that was joined together by tiny hooks and eyes at the front. It was made of a heavy white elastic material with a design of flowers sewn into the shiny cloth. I was surprised that it was to be worn over the silk half-slip. She then handed me a tee shirt to hide the rest. Next, she hand me a new pair of slacks and a plain short-sleeved dress shirt, and a pair of socks.

"Where did these come from."

"I needed a few things, so I went to Walmart last night, after you fell asleep."

"Did you get me a razor?"

"You can pick up some disposable razors at work today. You shaved yesterday. No one will notice. You don’t have a heavy beard. The less often you shave the better."

"Right. Good thing you didn’t get any razors, those pink ones of yours tore up my face the last time I borrowed one when I ran out of mine."

"No wonder. Those pink razors of mine are for shaving legs, not facial beards, Danny. Get yourself a package of pink ones, too. If you enjoy the feel of nylons on your legs, you should wear them properly by shaving your legs regularly."

I sat down on the stool by the makeup mirror and looked down at my legs and thought about it. I stretched them out to see the muscles tighten. They would look more like girl’s legs if I shaved them. "What if someone notices?"

"If someone asks, tell them you participate in bicycle racing or swimming competition. Many enthusiasts of both sports shave their legs for it. Or, you can try to blush and let them wonder about your pastime. Give them something to think about. Few will come outright and say what’s on their minds.

"You’ve been so solitary since we moved to the city. It wouldn’t hurt to open a little and give people reasons to make friends with you. You should try harder to develop some friendships with kids your own age. You won’t have many friends if you keep to yourself. When you were much younger, you weren’t as lonely. What happened?"

"I miss the kids from Cedar Glen. We were close. The kids I met here in the city don’t act the same. They’re more distant. I had a hard time adjusting to living here. It seems as if the kids didn’t want to get to know me because I was different from them, so I didn’t bother to make close friends only to lose them if we have to move again because of another job transfer."

"Well, we had to move here for me accept the offer to work in the company’s payroll department. I didn’t want to remain a secretary for the rest of my life, and the opening was too good of an offer to refuse. I’m glad I accepted. It led to my job in Human Resources, where I can be near Laura. I’m in charge of employee review, now. I love the challenge. She’s quite affluent. She owns most of the company’s stock, I think; and most of the stock of some other companies, as well."

"It figures. She’s the boss. What happens to your career if she changes her mind about our living with her? Did you think of that, mom? What will we do if you two get into a spat and you lose your job? Where will we live? This place is grand, but Laura doesn’t seem to be the kind of person to remain in a long-term commitment unless she gets her way all of the time. I doubt if she’d want you to stay in your job if you two don’t get along, socially. She must have lots of friends with money and influence. We don’t fit in with those people. Are you sure you want to do this? "

"I know what you are thinking, Dani. You feel Laura is using me. I was afraid of that. I might as well tell you more about our arrangement, so you don’t harbor any ill feelings to her. You don’t need to know all of the details, but Laura is very generous. She offered to set up a tuition fund to guarantee your college education so I wouldn’t have to worry about the cost. She will transfer stocks into a trust fund in your name that will give you enough income to live comfortably without needing to work while in college, and she already set up another trust fund for me. We have been seeing each other for over a year, and she never threatened me about my job, once. All she has done is help us.

"She even offered to arrange for me to work at another company in the same position if I didn’t want to be with her day and night. I refused because I do want to be with her and I didn’t want to relocate again because of you. I’ve postponed moving in with her since Christmas because I didn’t want to interfere with your last year in high school. You want to keep working as a sales clerk now until you select a college to attend. I can’t ask her to wait another year for you go to school.

"It would be too unfair. She’s done everything she possibly could to please me. She even let me decorate this apartment. I wanted you to pick your own bedroom décor. She left that very masculine furniture in your room stay at my request to see if you liked it. If you liked it, it would have stayed. Even though she hates it more than you do.

"Sure, she was disappointed when you spurned all of the colleges I suggested. Wouldn’t you be? We agreed that I wouldn’t move in with her until you went away to school. She accepted that. Now, you don’t want to continue in school. That’s obvious. I couldn’t expect her to wait forever, Dani. I love Laura, and I want to live with her. She’s overjoyed that you like her too, and that you accepted our moving now. She likes you a lot, and wants you to live here with us. What more can we ask of her?

"Since yesterday when you discovered that you need back support, she has put everything else aside, things which demand her attention. Your accepting the move is that important to her. Her initial reaction to your interest in exploring things feminine was to suggest encouraging you if you think it will help you to feel comfortable living with us. She knew you might feel as if you are imposing by living in the same apartment with your mother and her lover, unless you had a something to occupy you. Your newfound interest in exploring your feminine side may turn out to be an ideal solution. It will teach you how women feel and enable you appreciate our insights and perspective.

"Please don’t resent the fact that Laura and I, two women, love one another. Someday you will find someone that you love. When you do, I’ll have to accept that person as the principal interest in your life and step aside. Put yourself in my place. If you fell in love with another man, how should I react? Will you want me to extract myself from your life completely so you and your lover will be able to pursue your future together without my interference? Well, I don’t expect you to extract yourself, either, and Laura agrees. I know that we are different, but you are the only male in my life that hasn’t hurt me deeply. She has been deeply hurt by the men in her life, too. Please don’t add to our torment. Try to be considerate and help us to seek our own happiness."

"I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you, mom. I’m glad you brought your relationship with her out into the open. Laura’s a really nice person. She’s so thoughtful, and very intelligent. I think I love her, too. Not as you do, but as an aunt or a big sister. I wish I could find someone like her for myself someday. Not because she has lots of money, or because she is so glamorous, but because she is a wonderful person. I believe she loves you, too. I hope she likes me enough not to worry about my interfering. I don’t want her to feel that I think she will come between us.

"Then you should tell her so. It will probably make her very happy. She is interested in your welfare. But, if you don’t want to pursue identifying with how women feel, be honest about that, too. Tell her you were only being mildly inquisitive. If you aren’t sure you want to experiment further, tell us. You don’t have to do anything just to maintain harmony around here. Do it only if you enjoy it. We’ll understand if you don’t like it. Yet, you were always so gentle. It shouldn’t be too hard to give it a whirl. Have some fun for a change. You’ve been too glum since we left Cedar Ridge.

"You can’t try to see observe our point of view successfully unless your interest is genuine, so don’t go along with our suggestions just to make us happy unless you are being honest about how it makes you feel. Otherwise, your reactions will eventually show that you weren’t being sincere. Be honest with yourself and us.

"But I am inquisitive. I do want to learn how women feel about life. I agree with Laura. I have a perfect excuse to wear women’s corsets. I don’t even have to worry about being detected, and I’m going to take advantage of it. Let’s go tell her now."

"Are you sure?"

"As sure as I can be. The feel of those satin sheets against my nylon-covered body and legs was thrilling, and I don’t mean arousing. I dreamed about girl things least night and woke up remembering a soft, warm inner contentment. I never experienced feelings like that before, but I liked it a lot and want to try more. Is that sure enough?" We walked out of Amanda’s room together and into the breakfast nook as we talked.

"I guess so. This is all new to me too, Dani. I tried to let you grow up like other boys. Maybe I was wrong and should have led you down this path sooner."

"I thought you two would never come out. Breakfast is getting cold. Dig in."

"You cooked breakfast for us, Laura?"

"Get serious, Dani. We have a staff for that. It’s getting late. I took the honor of selecting for you and told the cook what to prepare. I hope you like sausage and eggs, pancakes and coffee. Juice is served every morning. You may have orange, grapefruit, apple or cranberry today. The cook will bring your preference out fresh when you’re ready for it. If you’re not hungry or want something else, the cook will prepare it if it’s in the pantry, but we have to get going if you want to get to work on time.

"Some pancakes and sausage will be fine. Would you like me to serve, mom?"

"No, I’ll help myself. Thank you Laura. We still have enough time to eat without rushing. Dani and I had a nice long talk while I helped him get ready for work."

"I’m dying to hear all the details. Do you mind, Dani?"

"No, I was going to mention some of it myself. First, I won’t go to college just to get out of your hair. Second, I appreciate what you are willing to do for me. Mom told me about the trust fund. That was nice of you but not necessary. I’m willing to work my way through and not take advantage of your graciousness.

"With our savings and help from student aid, we should be able to handle the tuition at a state college. I can work part-time to cover most of my living expenses. It is nice to know that the money you offered will be there to fall back on if things get tight.

"Third, I surprised myself by enjoying how I felt about wearing the body slimmer to bed last night and would like to delve further into discovering what it’s like to wear more feminine clothes. I hope that’s what you wanted to hear.

"Did you sleep well? Was the bed and your new nightwear comfortable or did you find it too confining?"

"I never slept better. I had the nicest dreams. I can sense you are wondering about my reaction to the frills. I loved it, and I want to explore some more. I don’t know how far I will want to go; but, well, let’s just take one day at a time and see what happens."

"I don’t want you to think I am pushing you into this, Dani. If you think I am pushing you much, let me or your mom know."

"I promise. One thing, I want to wait a couple of days before we start to time the bet we made last night. I’d like a few days of trial and error to see first. I may have been too hasty and overconfident. If these daytime waist nippers are too stringent, I may concede before any damage is done. I’d also like to check it out with Dr. Samuel. Wearing ladies’ corsets instead of expensive orthodics was her idea. She should be the one to say what kind I should wear. What do you think?"

"I’ll put in a call to her, first thing. Does she have office hours on Saturdays?"

She spent the balance of breakfast discussing other interesting facets of the art of dressing up. I wasn’t too sure about going all the way and wearing skirts or dresses, but she took my earlier remarks as my acceptance of her terms regarding half measures. She reminded me that she wouldn’t tolerate any parodies. If I were sincere, I would have to keep my promise to not present myself in a combination of male and female garb, or I’d have to stay within my room if I did.

They dropped me off at work, and I started looking at earrings as soon as I got to my department. My department manager asked me why I was squaring of the display. It was done by someone else, yesterday and didn’t need further attention. She sent me to help check in a shipment form the warehouse in the women’s shoe department. By the time I stacked away all of the shoes that wouldn’t fit on the displays in the storage area, I was covered with perspiration. Working in the waist cincher was harder than I expected.

"I see you what are wearing, Daniel. A wise move on your part, unless you prefer the ugly black external ones provided by the store. To look at us, a casual observer would never suspect how hard we work." I turned to see Alice, another sales clerk standing over me as I crouched to put the last box of shoes away.

"I could have used some help, Alice. How long have you been standing there?"

"Just long enough to see your girdle showing in back. Better straighten it out before a floor manager or a customer sees it. Tuck your shirt tail back in"

"It’s not a girdle. It’s a back brace." Damn, I got caught, right off.

"I know what I saw, I have more than one, just like it. It is a girdle or a waist cincher, if you prefer. How long have you been wearing them? Does your girlfriend know? Did she buy it for you or do you use your own employee discount? Let me see your hands. I’ll bet you use a clear gloss."

"No I don’t, but if I did, what business is it of yours?"

"Don’t panic, kiddo. Just passing the time. Speaking of passing, are you still in the closet? If you are, maybe I’ll help out and buy your pretty duds for you so none of the bosses give you any heat. They don’t allow employees to practice perversity."

"They don’t permit employees to blackmail each other for wearing something to help fix a backache, either. Truce. Let’s be friends, Alice. You forget about it and I won’t have to say you threatened me with exposure. What I wear is none of your business."

"You’re right. It’s none of my business. I should have let you get caught. It would serve you right. You didn’t deny my closet comment, so you must like to wear girls’ undies. Do you only wear your own, or do you prefer your girlfriend’s soiled panties?"

"Look, Alice," I paused to subdue my mounting anger. "I don’t have a girlfriend, and I’m only wearing this thing to ease my backache. You work on your feet all day, don’t you get backaches from it?"

"I have a boyfriend who rubs my back at night. Maybe you have one, too. You must since you like working in the jewelry department. They give all the sweet assignments to the ‘sweeties’ around here. You don’t have to bend over too far over to fit someone with a pair of earrings, do you? You want to find out about backaches, you should spend a few hours trying to squeeze a size seven shoe onto a size nine foot. You don’t know how good you have it. Don’t screw it up by carelessly showing your dainties." She turned around and walked away in a huff.

I stood there staring at her. It would be my luck that she’d report what I was wearing on the chance that she’d get my spot in the jewelry department when they gave me my walking papers. I quickly looked for the department head to tell her I was done putting the stock away, so I could get over to the men’s room and discard my waist cincher before I was confronted by someone from personnel and fired.

I returned to my department after a quick stop to remove the waist cincher. My boss was holding up a black, insurance-regulation required lumbar support. "Danny, you were lifting heavy cartons without one of these. We don’t usually need to tell our people in jewelry to use them, but you better get one form the storeroom whenever you help out in other departments. You could have gotten me into trouble. It’s my fault. I should have instructed you.

"Fortunately, your friend Alice came and told me. I don’t care if you wear your own back brace, when you lift cartons over twenty-five pounds you must wear this thing. How long has your back been bothering you?

"Just for the past week. It isn’t from lifting heavy cartons. I’m just not used to being on my feet all day. It should clear up after I get accustomed to standing all day."

"Nonsense. None of us get used to standing all day. After a few years, your legs will swell and you’ll get varicose veins, unless you wear support hose. Your feet will feel like stones and your back will feel like someone is sticking needles into your spine, unless you use good posture at all times and learn how do exercises to relieve the strain."

Then she whispered to me. "Now go put your girdle back on. See Mr. Thompson, over there. He wears one, and so do half of the other men. The ones who aren’t smart enough to heed the initial signs of a weak back aren’t here anymore. They quit rather than sacrifice their male ego. When you work retail as long as I have, you know who the smart ones are. Alice was only having some fun. She did you a favor. You owe her one."

"Thanks, Mrs. Taylor. My doctor prescribed it. Said the same thing. The prescription girdles are so expensive, she suggested wearing an ordinary waist cincher. Today is the first time I tried one. I didn’t know it would show when I stooped down."

"You’ll thank her for the advice someday. Eventually, good posture will replace the need for a support for many floor personnel, but some need the support as long as they work on their feet all day. Get into a good exercise program. It may help."

"Thanks for the tip. I’ll put it back on during my break." I forgot to do it on my break, as I was asked to put on the store-provided back support and go help out with rearranging the women’s wear for a pre-fall special on sweaters. It was about eleven-fifteen while moving a display rack. I heard a click, and felt the sharp pain. "Owwww!"

The customer traffic was brisk, so with as little commotion as possible I was put into a wheelchair and whisked discreetly to the nurse’s office. I told her about the visit to Dr. Samuel and her advice to me. The nurse shook her head side-to-side and sneered. "Men! Stupid!" She turned around and put in a call in to Dr. Samuel.

The doctor arrived with another in tow. "This is my friend: Dr. Stevens, D.O. She’s an expert on back injuries. She’ll examine you and find out how bad it is. Luckily we were about to go to a seminar together. If nothing is seriously wrong, we may still make it. The doctor had me lie on an examining table, face down. She ran her hands over my spine softly and slowly, and then with increased the pressure as she kept asking if what she did to me hurt. She found the spot that stung from her probing.

"Here it is. You’re lucky." She did some more manipulating. "The damage is slight. You’ll be good as new in a few days. She continued to work on the spot, using her knuckles and open hands as if she was trying to push something back into place.

"Is it a slipped disc, Dorothy?" I saw her shake her head negatively to Dr. Samuel.

"No, just pulled muscles. It has been neglected for some time, and was slowly getting worse. Must have happened long ago. Did you say you prescribed a back brace?"

"Yes, only yesterday. I recommended an off-the-shelf model, as usual."

"Were you wearing it when this happened, Daniel?"

"No, I was wearing the store-provided lumbar support."

"If you have no injury, you use a support designed to prevent one. Once you have an injury, you need additional support to the store-provided brace. A good boot will protect an ankle but only a cast will restrain a broken ankle so it mends properly. What made you remove the back support your doctor recommended?"

"I thought the other one was enough."

They looked at each other and spoke in unison. "Men! Stupid!"

Mom and Laura burst into the nurse’s station. "What happened? We came by to take you to lunch, Daniel. They told us downstairs that you hurt your back again."

"Pulled muscles, mom. I’m okay. Right, Dr. Stevens?"

"I don’t know how many times men need to be told that their bodies are not indestructible. He has a pulled muscle, and he’s not ‘all right’. He needs a few days in a good, rigid back brace. He stays off his feet until I examine him again. If he can’t stay off his feet, and let his back heal we’ll have to put him into the hospital. If he resists, and exacerbates his condition, he’ll have to wear a cast for a few weeks, maybe a month. I’ve seen ignored muscle strains develop into permanent disabilities from neglect."

"What will it take to get it through you’re thick skull? I didn’t suggest a brace for my health, Danny. Do you want to spend the rest of the summer in a hospital?"

"I’m sorry, Dr. Samuel. I was able to move around alright after the last time I got hurt. All I had to do was wear the brace you prescribed."

"Men! Stupid! I thought I made myself clear to you yesterday, Susan. Rigid support, until he no longer felt pain from standing on his feet all day was prescribed. Then, lighter support, not the other way around. Lighter support was to be used to stimulate his posture while sleeping only and in the daytime after he recovered. Now his injury is more extensive. If he doesn’t follow instructions, his use of a back support may be permanently required. What will it take to get the message through his thick head. You told me Daniel was smart."

"I’m afraid that I may be at fault, Dr. Samuel. When you suggested less expensive alternatives, I assumed he could be introduced to them gradually as young girls are acclimated to wearing increasingly restrictive foundations over a period of time. I was afraid he’d bolt if we forced him into a Victorian styled corset immediately."

"You must be Laura. I should have been more explicit yesterday. Regretfully, our assumptions resulted in some additional muscle damage."

"Women! Stupid!" I couldn’t resist the opportunity after they aired their feminine superiority over me three times. We all laughed, but mom and Laura were shocked until the nurse told them that I had been already called stupid twice before they arrived.

Then the doctors huddled with Laura and my mom out of earshot. They giggled some, and made some gestures. Then the doctors went into a huddle with the nurse. More giggles and gestures. Dr. Samuel got on the phone and talked to someone, nodding her head as she spoke into the phone. The nurse was sent down to the store’s pharmacy with a prescription and the four other women continued to ignore me while they huddled in one corner avidly discussing some plan. "Hey! Mom! What’s going on."

She waived at me, shushing me while she listened intently to Dr. Samuel’s whispering. What were they up to?

They broke the huddle. Mom spoke first. "Laura and I decided to take Dr. Samuel and her friend into our confidence. Dr. Samuel has an idea that will cure your back problems quicker and give you a chance to get used to Laura’s apartment and staff as we step up your new hobby. We’re going to get a hospital bed for your room. Dr. Samuel will give you a shot to ease your pain. We’ll go do some shopping while you rest here. Your room is being prepared. By the time we get you home, it will be ready."

Laura hung up the phone. "The furniture rental people have what we need. They promised to have it installed by this evening. I took the liberty of having the rest of the furniture exchanged for something more appropriate. Something close to Amanda’s."

Mom’s turn to talk. "We decided that you need a rest. The store nurse approves. You can’t be up and about to hurt your back any further. Dr. Stevens would like to track your recovery. You are going to get your wish to explore what we talked about this morning before breakfast. With their help, you will be able to progress more rapidly."

"But, mom. I said I was pretty sure, not positive! Can’t we discuss this, alone?"

"Not so long as you can hurt yourself and need rigid support. The timing is ideal. You have to remain in bed for at least a few days, and what we have planned will take about the same amount of time. In a week, you’ll know enough to decide for yourself whether you are sure if you want to proceed further. We’ll find out quickly whether you are trying to be diplomatic and con us into believing you approve of our move.

"Don’t you trust me, mom?"

"Certainly I trust you. But I don’t think you know what you want. In a week, you will, and we’ll have some fun as you find out."

"What are you going to do?"

"We’re going to give you a complete makeover and teach you to act like a girl so you can’t be detected. All you have to do is stay in bed and enjoy the transformation. In a week, your back will recover and you’ll be able to see if you enjoy your temporary status. You’ll get as much apparent femininity as is possible without any permanent changes. Doesn’t it sound exciting?"

"Whoa! Hold on! Don’t I have anything to say about it? What if I don’t want to go that far? What if I don’t like feeling like a girl?"

Dr. Samuel’s turn: "After a week, you can go back to being a boy again. All you have to do is put up with all the changes we suggest for a week. A tough guy like you should be able to handle what girls go through all the time. What’s the problem?"

"The problem is I may like it too much, once you’re done! This is all happening too fast. I gotta think this over."

Mom’s turn: "You have an entire week to think it over. At the end of the week, we’ll know if you were sincere about finding a school with modern social morays. I think the only colleges that you would have approved are the all-girl schools. They have plenty of women on the board of regents, and select the deans from their own ‘good old gal’ clique. So you will be able to select from one that meets your standards, as you’ll be able to attend as a girl. If you refuse, you will go to a state college that I select for you!

"I’ve given you a lot of leeway to select a good college, and you tried to pull a fast one on me. You weren’t totally honest with me when we examined those schools in the spring. So I decided to take the initiative now to show you that you aren’t as smart as you think you are. Men! Stupid!" Hoisted on my own petard.

"Aw, mom. Give me a break. This isn’t necessary. I’ll go back to school if you want me to that bad. I didn’t think I meant so little to you that you’d force me to go against my will. How can I study in a school I don’t like on subjects that don’t interest me? I have to select a school I’ll like and the program first."

"We’re going to help you select a program, darling; a program that fits your new image. You can go to cosmetology school for the summer with Amanda. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it so much, you want to continue at a girl’s college in the fall. You’ll fit right in. Nighty-night, now."

Dr. Samuel injected me in the hip with a syringe.

 

(continued)

 

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