Fire

by Abby Rhodes

Part Two

 

It's not that far to Las Vegas from Barstow. Judy kept the car just over the limit and it was still light by the time we were driving down the Strip. I'd been here before but never as a girl and I was quite excited, and relieved not to be in Barstow.

"Any preferences?" asked Judy. "I like the Luxor myself, but if you know a better hotel, I'm game to try it."

"No, take me to the Luxor, driver," I replied.

"Your wish is my command, Cleopatra."

We abandoned the car to a valet and sashayed up to the desk.

"Ladies?"

"A double please. Huge bed, air conditioning."

"Certainly. Please fill out this card."

Moments later: "Here's your key cards and please have a great stay, Miss Brightman, and Miss?"

"Bower-Trump," I said.

"Wonderful. Welcome to Las Vegas."

The room seemed to be a suite with a huge bed and separate kitchen and bathroom facilities as well as a living room. It was all Egyptian, as you would expect, and we had a view over towards the desert on the other side of the city.

I didn't waste any time. I shucked off my suit and hung it up and put on a dark red skirt with a white top. I found the flats and I was ready to explore. Judy on the other hand looked tired.

"Hey, babe, do you mind if I have a nap first? It's been a long day and I've just driven from Barstow. What I'd like to do is get an hour of sleep, go downstairs to eat and then explore the Strip. I don't know if you're aware of it or not, but this town never closes.'

"It doesn't? I'm sorry, Judy, I thought it closed at eleven every night. Well,

what a surprise."

"Shut the fuck up, Ange and just lie here beside me." She patted the bed and I lay down. I feel asleep instantly and an hour later I woke to find it was dark outside and Judy was still asleep. I snuck to the bathroom and when I got back she was awake and yawning. She patted the bed again.

"Don't rush, honey. Lie down and tell me your hopes, fears and dreams. Let me get to know you better."

"Okay," I said. "I was born at a very early age and I was desperate to get the frilly dress my sister was wearing off of her. Sorry, I just turned three or thereabouts. She was, is, a year older than me and had this adorable dress made from organza I think, which had layer upon layer of frilly petticoats underneath. It was a pale pink color and I can still see it clearly now. She had ankle socks with a frill and white Mary-Janes. There was a matching pale pink bow in her hair and when she fell over, after I pushed her, she had these frilly pale pink panties on with rows of lace. Throw in a pair of little lace gloves and a necklace made from tiny white beads and you have the first object of my affection. I wanted that dress. I needed that dress. I waited until she took it off and left her room and I snuck in and tried it on, in her closet with the door open

just a crack. It was only a tiny bit too big for me and I snuck out of her closet and looked at myself in her mirror. I only got a short look because I heard someone coming up the stairs and dived back in the wardrobe.

"Somehow I knew that was my destiny. I saw only a little girl during that brief glimpse in the mirror. The boy called Felix ceased to exist while I had the dress on."

"Was that a hope, a fear or a dream?"

"I suppose it was a dream."

"And your hopes?"

"I hope I get a dress just like that one day."

"Fears?"

"I'm scared of unfashionable lingerie. Panties with stretched elastic and bras that don't match my panties."

She was laughing now.

"We needed to get away from Barstow, Ange. It was getting too claustrophobic. I feel better already. Tell me, babe, do you like sex?"

"Do I like sex? Are my panties and bra color-coordinated?"

"I believe so. I ask because I like sex too and I wouldn't mind some sex with

you, if you felt up to it."

"Felt up? Sex? Wow, I'm excited. Only last night I escaped from a fire and tonight there's a fire in my panties." It was true. There was a definite stirring that would be putting my panties seriously out of shape. I'd already briefly considered the implications of sharing a bed with Judy and wondered if there would be consequences. I suppose it was inevitable.

As I took my clothes off, Judy took off her top and slid out of her jeans. Her new bra and panties joined mine on the floor as our two naked bodies met halfway across the bed. Her fabulous body seemed to be dancing to a tune as we hungrily kissed and tried to swallow each other in a frenzy of sexual connection.

I'd never before experienced the pure lust that hit me that night. I was like an animal and so was Judy. I think it was part of the release of tension and stress after the fire, but we made frantic love for hours and I came time after time as Judy sucked the life out of me as if she wanted to absorb whole parts of my body. For my part I wanted to drill her as far down as I could, get right inside her and push myself further and further in. When we finished we were both covered with body fluids and feeling a little raw in some very private parts.

We finally collapsed back on the bed and just lay panting.

"That was extraordinary, Angie. I felt like I was going through you and coming out the other side, and vice versa. Was that the fire? Was it the result of some kind of trauma? Can we do it again sometime?"

"Give me time to recover, Jude. Maybe in a week."

"Mmmm." She smiled. "I could do with a lot more of that." She leaned over and kissed me and I liked that as well. It was a gentle, loving kiss.

"I'm ready to eat, Jude. I mean food this time. In fact, I'm starving. Are you ready to eat? Please?"

"As soon as I shower. Oh look, I think you've got some little drops of come in your hair. I've never seen that before. Must have been the somersaults and back bends. I wouldn't be surprised if my back took a day to recover."

We showered and I changed my wig for the shorter version. It was now nearly ten at night and I put on a white silk top and a short red satin skirt. With my black high heels and a new coat of paint I looked like a million bucks again.

While Judy showered I gave some thought to what I was going to do. There wasn't an endless supply of money and if Judy got the job she'd come to Las Vegas to talk about, I would be sitting around all day. That wasn't what I wanted to do.

This was tricky. I'd committed myself to being Angie for a month but the money would run out before the month. Would it be possible for me to find a job? What was I good at? Sales, definitely. Anything else? Mmm. I needed to think harder.

We ate at a restaurant downstairs at the Luxor. The halibut was brilliant and so was the cold beer. I asked Judy what she thought about me working and she was quite positive there would be something somewhere.

"You've got the looks, Ange. Someone must want a good-looking girl. What about a job in a shop while you decide what you want to do? We're talking a month."

"I though of that, Jude. What about social security numbers and stuff? What about ID? I have nothing to say who I am."

"Have you forgotten the Internet, Angie? You can get an ID that would fool anyone, plus a driver's license and a degree. How would a nice business degree sound, or something in the arts? We need to get to a cyber café or the hotel probably has a business facility with computers. If I understand the process, you have to get a picture taken, scan it in and send it to these people along with some credit card details. Want to try it out?"

"Yes I do. When we've finished eating, let's find a photo place and a computer and get this going."

I couldn't believe how easy it was. I had some pictures taken at various places and picked out the best two. We found a cyber café and quickly located a whole bunch of websites offering fake IDs. One was based in Las Vegas. I scanned the pictures through and ordered one Louisiana Drivers License and a Maryland

photo ID. I asked for a courier delivery to the hotel and the promise was that the package would be there by noon the next day. Judy added in her card details and we went out to paint the town, not quite red, but certainly a deep pink.

We started out New York, New York. I'd been to Las Vegas before and I'd played the slots before. I had some of Jayson's money and I managed to get a few wins that put me ahead. Judy headed for a roulette wheel and we met up an

hour later at the front entrance to compare notes. I'd made three hundred dollars and had twelve passes made at me. Judy had close to eight hundred dollars and said she'd only been approached three times.

I didn't know why, because Judy was wearing a sexy black skirt in a crinkled silk that came to just above her knee. It flared out and had a black net underskirt peeking out from underneath and she'd matched that with a white silk tank top. Her high heels made her into a very attractive package and I wondered if she just hadn't heard guys talking to her. She'd already admitted that when she played roulette she got immersed to the point where she wasn't aware of people around her.

Looking at her I felt an urge, but I fought it and won. Temporarily.

 

We moved on to Pluto's. I got distracted by the shops and Judy pushed me along, eager to get to the roulette table. There was a really sexy dress in one of the windows, a sequined evening gown in a pale, pale green that just sparkled in the lights the window dresser had trained on it. I coveted that dress but I was still buzzing from winning some cash and let her prod me along. At the door to the big room she headed for her game and I headed for mine.

I tried the big machine that would win me a gazillion dollars if it came up and of course it didn't. I tried another one that was only going to pay a mere million and that didn't work either. A third machine did though.

I had my three hundred. I was hyped up and excited about it. I found a machine that would take big bets. I slid in a hundred dollar bill and bet twenty. Zero. I bet another twenty. Zero. I thought, the hell with this, and bet fifty. Bingo, or more accurately, Jackpot!!.

Lights flashed and sirens whooped and I wondered what in hell happened. It sounded like someone had won a big one and I looked either side of me and they didn't seem to have winning lines showing. I looked one over again, past my immediate neighbors and still nothing there. Someone grabbed me around the

shoulders and screamed, "You won, you won" in my ear and sure enough there was a row of icons across my screen and the machine wouldn't work when I pressed 'Play'. A sure sign of a win in Las Vegas.

How much? A little over a quarter million. A lady in a business suit turned up, accompanied by a couple of big guys in suits who would have to be security. The woman was all smiles and had to fight her way through a crowd of well-wishers who shook my hand, hugged and kissed me and just wanted to touch me for luck.

"Wow, congratulations," she said. "That's a great win." She looked at one of the big guys and told him to go get a bottle of the best champagne.

At this point I was still in a daze. I registered I'd had a win but I hadn't taken in just how big a win. I had a big stupid grin on my face, and I know that because I later saw a couple of pictures of me with a big stupid grin on my face.

The lights and sirens continued as the woman wrote up the win and I heard a pop as the champagne was opened. A large hand passed me a glass and I threw it down and got a refill, just as Judy arrived. She'd decided to try another game and drifted by the machines to see how much some lucky winner had collected and was naturally surprised to find me drinking champagne and grinning stupidly. She pointed her finger at me and mouthed "You?"

I nodded and she screamed. I asked the guy with the big hand if we could have another glass and in no time Judy was helping me get through the bottle.

They took me and Judy to the office and had a talk with me about Nevada State Taxes and asked who I was and all that stuff.

Whoops!

I lifted my head up high and told her I was Angela Victoria Madeleine Bower-Trump and a check would be fine. No, just a minute, a check for everything but three thousand in cash. There was a dress nearby I needed to buy.

"That's cool," said the woman, whose name was Labelle. "No way was I going to let you walk out of here all that in cash. Where you girls from?"

Whoops again.

"I'm from San Diego," said Judy. "Angie is from Maryland." She remembered I had a Maryland driver's license due the next day, bless her. I'd forgotten in the excitement.

"It's wonderful to see you both here in Vegas and I'll just bet you're glad you came. Are you here on vacation?"

"No," said Judy. "Or yes. We came up to get away from all the fuss in Barstow. We were caught in the hotel fire there the other day and it just got to a point where we had to get away. I was coming to see about a job here in Las Vegas anyway, but I guess Ange will be looking for a job once she settles down."

"I'll wait and see," I said. "This win has given me a chance to think about where I'm going, but I could be interested in staying."

"What do you do, Miss Bower-Trump?"

"Please call me Angie, or Ange, Labelle. I've been running a big sales and marketing team but I'm thinking maybe a change could be good."

"Can you handle a crowd?"

"Sure can," I said. "I've done major sales conventions, motivational stuff, training, marketing and organizational admin. I can get a crowd eating out of my hand and people sometimes threw money at me. That's how good I am. I'm sorry, Labelle, I'm showing off. The answer to your question is yes. Why?"

"Never apologise for bragging in Las Vegas, Angie. It would be unnatural. I asked because you have an air about you that tells me you could do well here, at Pluto's ,or anywhere else probably. Somehow you don't quite fit the mould of the organisers we have, and we have a lot of them. I have a vacancy for someone to set up and run conventions. It's a big job and needs a pro to take it on. I have no idea why I'm talking to you about this job. I just feel an empathy with you that's kind of weird. Tell me, do you own a suit? Did you bring one up from Barstow? I heard about that fire, by the way. I have a friend who's a fire fighter. I was talking to him a couple of hours back and he said it was one scary fire. He was surprised how nearly everyone got out. Bad news about the one guy though. He said they found a few charred human remains in the basement."

They did?

"They did?" I asked.

"Yes. They assume it's the guy from Denver. No chance of an identification."

"Oh. That's sad. Yes, I do have a suit."

"Okay, Angie. Tell you what. Think about it and if you think you could be interested, give me a call and I'll do a formal interview and introduce you to some of the people who work here. Right now you probably want to go back to wherever you're staying and sleep. It's after two in the morning. Not late for Vegas, but take my advice and get a cab. Don't walk around with that much money on your person."

She stood up and shook my hand and then Judy's.

"I mean this, Angie. Talk to me as soon as you can. Tell me yes or no. Here's my card. I'm working the night shift, eight to four, all this week. She showed us to the door and we said goodnight.

"Ready for bed, Ange, or do you want to try some more machines?" asked Judy.

"I'm ready to try on that dress, I said. "Lead me to the shops."

I tried on the pale green evening dress with the sequins and it was obviously made for me, and me alone. It was so sexy I started to get an erection and had to keep myself in the changing room facing the mirror until it went down. While I

waited I told Judy to pick out anything she liked in the shop and I'd pay for it.

When I was back in a better condition I took the dress off (reluctantly) and asked the girl at the sales counter to wrap it up. I didn't know where I would get to wear it but it had to be soon. It had spaghetti straps but wasn't cut too low. I tried a couple of shoe places and found a pair of pale gold high-heeled evening sandals. They were really only a series of straps and there wasn't much substance to them at all, but by God they were beautiful.

Judy had fallen in love with a black leather handbag. It was so expensive that she was having second thoughts about letting me buy it for her but I snatched it from her and paid for it. Judy had been wonderful to me. She'd taken me to a place I hadn't been before mentally or emotionally and here I was in a high fashion shop in Las Vegas trying on sexy clothes and shoes. Without her that wouldn't have happened.

We headed back to the Luxor and bed, but before I hit the sack I had to try on my new dress with my new shoes. After a suitable period of narcissistic staring in the mirror I stripped off and put on the baby-doll I'd bought back in Barstow. About that time Judy attacked me and threw me on the bed, taking advantage of my aroused state to gratify her sexual urges. I don't think I had the baby-doll panties on for more than ten seconds before she tore them off.

It wasn't frantic, heated sex like it was earlier that night. It was gentle, protracted love-making that was just as satisfying, no, more satisfying. We satisfied each other and drifted satisfyingly into a satisfied sleep cuddled together in the traditional spoon position.

 

I woke up to the sound of the telephone ringing and was surprised to see it was noon already. Nothing like a good sleep after a big night out! Judy reached over and picked up the receiver and from what I could hear I figured it was a call for me and she passed it over.

"Hello?"

"Miss Bower? Detective Stevens here. I'm calling to inform you that we have no information at all about Mr Aaronson and also to ask one question. I was afraid you might hear stories about remains found in the basement of the hotel but we think that the remains, which include a belt buckle, may only be some clothing. I want to confirm what you said earlier, that Mr Aaronson wasn't wearing anything other than pajama bottoms Is that correct?"

Yes it is," I confirmed. "We keep hearing rumors about human remains being found, so it's good to hear they're only rumors. I'd still like to know what happened to Felix, Mr Stevens. I'm having a hard time adjusting to his disappearance (well, not that hard a time, I thought) and also his engagement to that other girl. Is she all right, Mr Stevens?"

"She's very disturbed, Miss Bower. Can I just say that your decision not to add

to her problems by confronting her is a fine gesture on your part? I think it's a very noble thing to do and I still intend to keep your involvement in this a secret between you and me unless circumstances intervene.

"Forensic teams are still working on the site and will be for another day or two. I have an impression that Mr Aaronson is somewhere else, perhaps wandering around in a daze or in a shelter somewhere. I promise that if there is any concrete news I'll be in touch. In the meantime is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Not that I can think of, detective. Thank you very much for calling."

I passed the telephone back to Judy and burst into tears. Guilt.

Judy hugged me as I cried and whispered calming words I couldn't quite hear, but she comforted me. When I stopped she reminded me that I could go back whenever I liked.

The telephone rang again and reception advised that a courier package had just arrived for me. I asked them to send it up.

The package was the ID and driver's license and once I had a look at them my guilt faded slightly. They were good quality and looked absolutely authentic. And I looked authentic as well. Remember that the photos we took for this ID was the first I'd ever had taken of me as Angie and I was really pleased that I looked so good.

"Feeling better?" asked Judy.

I nodded. "What plans, if any, do we have for today, Judy?"

"Well, I have an appointment at 4 pm with a lady who might give me a job, but that's several hours away yet. Before then I may well eat an enormous amount of food and play the wheel a little. What about you?"

"I have to get this check to a bank and I have to think about this offer Labelle made. I have to think about where I go from here. What I might do is join you for visit to, ah, what about Treasure Island? I've always wanted to se the pirates fighting. There's a few shops open as well. So, how about food, bank, casino and I'll hang around while you get interviewed and we can take it from there?"

"Great." She put her arms around me and kissed me. "I can't say this often enough, Ange. I want what you want and I'm on your side no matter what. I'd also like to say that I'm enjoying your company tremendously; I haven't felt so good in a long time."

"Thanks, Judy. I need to think about everything. Let me have a day or two. I think that I probably tend towards the Angie side of the dilemma. I was just talking about maybe working at Pluto's . That says to me I want to carry on as Angie, not Felix. My head may say something different from my heart but my heart just moved into the changing room at Victoria's Secret. That reminds me, they have several stores in Las Vegas."

"Maybe a trip to one would take your mind off your troubles. What say we go after my interview?"

"Deal. I'm starving, Judy. What say we eat?"

"Just let me shower and I'll be ready. Do you want first shower?"

"I'm easy. Go for it."

"Okay, Angie. I'll be in there spreading soap all over my body and rubbing my nipples with my slippery, slippery fingers and placing those fingers between my legs and gently caressing my pussy, maybe even touching my clit and making myself come. Say, do you want to share the shower? Las Vegas wants us to save water, you know."

We emerged clean but drained thirty minutes later and I got on with make-up and clothes. I looked at my lingerie and decided Victoria definitely warranted a visit as soon as I could manage it, In the meantime I slid my new panties up my legs and settled everything in place. The matching bra made me feel co-coordinated and I decided the white silk roll-neck top would go best with the suit. I wore my suit because I wanted to make a good impression at the bank. I wore

my short wig because that was what I was wearing in the ID and license pictures. My highest heels and dark stockings completed the outfit. I grabbed my one and only purse and I was ready.

Judy was wearing a beige skirt and a white top similar to mine with just high-heeled sandals in the same beige color. She looked sexy as hell and she was a living example of simple clothes looking fabulous when the wearer was poised and confident.

 

Breakfast was a leisurely affair and I realized I should have left dressing up until later so it didn't matter if I spilled food down my front. It didn't happen, but it could have. We headed down to the bank on the corner and I told a cute guy I wanted to open an account. He was helpful and friendly and flirted outrageously, especially with Judy, who led him on in a blatant fashion. I had the driver's license for ID and used that for the account. I told the guy I was staying at the Luxor while I found a place to stay. Wow, what an address – C/o Luxor Hotel, The Strip, Las Vegas. He was satisfied the check was genuine so it was put in the account and he said he'd courier a credit card over to me the next morning. I still had a wodge of cash from the previous night and had no fear of being arrested for having no means of support.

What with the long lunch and the time it took at the bank it was getting on toward four in the afternoon already. We walked to the Tropicana Casino and looked at the posters for the Folies Bergere. Presumably that was the show that needed someone to work on costumes. Judy found the woman she wanted and I

moved to a bank of machines to play while she was gone. By the time she got back I had another hundred bucks and was feeling quite cheerful. On top of that, I was getting attention from guys and loving it!

Judy reported that the interview went well and she'd hear the next day if she had the job. The only catch was she would have to start immediately if she got it. She'd be doing the costumes for the Folies, who were just setting up a new production. Feathers! Beads! Sequins! I could do with some of those.

In the meantime, we planned to go see Victoria and examine some of her Secrets. Talk about girly heaven! I tried on a lot of things, so did Judy. I walked out nearly seven hundred dollars lighter. It was one of those times when they seemed to have a lot of new things in and it was just too tempting for a cross-

dresser with cash.

It was too early to eat so we trawled the rest of the stores in the Fashion Show Mall and to be honest I don't think I've seen a better mall anywhere.

I bought some tops and skirts at Saks and a dress or two at Nordstrom's. I'd never bought any dresses until then and as I tried them on I enjoyed that feeling of a hem drifting around my thighs. There were a couple of satin bias-cut dresses that just kissed my knees as well. Great for an evening out, or possibly an evening in. Either way, sexy as hell.

We drifted back to Treasure Island next door to catch the pirates. I love that kind of stuff. We ate a snack and caught a cab back to the Luxor to dump a pile of shopping bags. We booked for the Blue Man Group at the Luxor and tried to score a seat for the Folies that night but they were sold out.

All this shopping was bliss of the best kind. A few nights ago I was being self-indulgent in an anonymous hotel room and today I was in Victoria's Secret trying on things that represented a dream I'd had for a long time. Best of all, I was dressed as a girl and no-one was reading me.

But I still needed to think, just rationalize for a while about me, my ambitions and my future. It was intoxicating being Angie full time but I knew that the longer I stayed as Angie, the more complicated life would become.

"Judy, would you mind if I just went out tonight by myself for a while after we've eaten? I'm sorry, doll, but I need to do all this thinking and I need to do it alone. Would it upset you?"

Judy came over and gave me a hug. "Think away, Ange. Of course I don't mind. You must be in a state of confusion by now. You've been in Las Vegas for about a day. You've become rich, sort of, and you've even been offered a job. That's pretty good going even for a real girl. I can see that you have to make a big decision because jobs make a short stay a long stay and it would be impossible, or at least tricky, to take the job Labelle has in mind and walk out a few weeks later. You could of course but I suspect that isn't your style. You seem

to be too straightforward for that kind of thing. Think, baby, think. Where are you going to go to think?"

"Mmmm. Maybe I'll go back to Pluto's. It's certainly been good to me so far."

I looked her right in the eye and saw something there I hadn't seen in any girl's eye, ever. This girl really cared about me. It was written on her face, a look that said, 'whatever you want, but please want me'. I hugged her and kissed her and told her she had become incredibly important to me in the last few days. I meant it too.

I tried on the dresses I'd bought and decided the mushroom colored mid-thigh-length one was what I wanted to wear that night. It was in a lightweight satin fabric, possibly man-made in China, and it hung and moved like a living thing as I walked around in it. I trotted out my longer wig to see how it went and decided it was a great combination. I would wear the high-heeled sandals I bought to go with my new green dress and knock Las Vegas dead.

Judy was watching me and declared that I was in danger of being arrested for some kind of moving sexual violation just by walking down the strip. God I loved all that sort of talk. I said 'Ribs?' she said 'Yes', and I said, 'House of Blues, my treat.' She said, 'Fucking brilliant.' Talk about a symbiotic relationship.

The House of Blues is in Mandalay Bay, right next door to the Luxor. The ribs are very, very good. I tried a few machines afterwards. Nada.

It was getting on for ten by the time we'd eaten and strolled along to the Excalibur.

"See you, babe," I said. "Where will I find you later?"

"I'll head for the MGM. Come and find me, babe."

I kissed her again and headed off down the strip to Pluto's.

I could tell she was nervous, a little apprehensive about what I might decide, but I had to do this, I had to think what was best for me.

Pluto's was the usual bustling place it always is. I sat down in front of a dime machine and slid a twenty in the slot and hit play. Past experience had taught me that I think best when my eyes are occupied with something where I don't have to pay attention to what I'm doing. Slot machines are good, but eating and drinking will do it just as well.

After a few plays I caught the eye of a cute redhead serving drinks and I ordered a beer. I sipped it while I played and ordered another. And another. I drifted into a sort of trance while the wheels turned and the lights blinked around me. Machines made their hopeful noises and I got into the zone where I could think clearly.

Holy shit!

Problem - a fiancée who thought I was possibly dead and at the very least missing. My parents and sisters, ditto.

Another problem – another girl who had empowered me to become the Angie

I'd always wanted to be.

I was uncomfortable because all those people cared about me and didn't deserve to be grieving because of my untimely death. I was uncomfortable because I was enjoying a sensual awakening as Angie and enjoying the easy sexual relationship I now had with Judy, even though that relationship was very new. That relationship was only uncomfortable because of the first discomfort.

I was at that very moment sitting in front of a slot machine dressed in a satin dress that came to mid-thigh, my legs were bare and shaved and I was wearing only high-heeled evening sandals. But underneath that brilliant dress I had on a matched set of a stretch satin and lace bra and panties in a neat lolly pink, and a chemise that matched. I was stoked on the sensation of being a sexy and neatly dressed girl, not a guy with common old jeans or pants and a shirt that had seen better days. No tattered boxers or old sneakers. My toenails were polished and so were my fingernails. That reminded me, I needed some decorations for my ears neck and wrists. I needed to get my ears pierced as well.

You see? I was thinking about what Angie wanted to do next. I found it hard to stay focused on what Felix needed. Then again, Angie was what Felix needed, and apparently very badly.

I tried to stay focused on Nicole because she deserved that much attention, but all I could see was a drab girl who didn't come up to my personal standard of femininity. No, that wasn't fair. She might lack a taste for seriously decadent lingerie but she had more than that going for her. She was smart and she was pretty and she thought Felix was the answer to a girl's prayer. Maybe he was, but was Nicole the answer to Felix's prayer? I was confused. No, I was mixed up but starting to wonder if I should just go with the flow and launch Angie into the world, write Nicole a note and never look back.

But that wasn't fair on my parents either, or my sisters. They deserved to know I was okay and just sorting myself out. Thinking I was dead would cause grief for everyone and I simply had to get word home, even if I refused to give out my whereabouts and plans.

Decision one, tell my folks I was okay and ask them to tell Nicole.

It followed therefore that Angie was here to stay. If she wasn't I might as well go home and claim I had amnesia.

Decision two, take a bow, Angie.

If I was going to be Angie I had to find a job. I had a bunch of cash but that wouldn't last forever. I liked Las Vegas and wouldn't mind staying on for a while.

Decision three, get a job. Try out Las Vegas.

"Hello, Angie. Back again? It's nice to see you."

I looked round to see Labelle standing behind me with a big, genuine smile.

"Where's your friend Judy? Have you lost her?"

"Hi, Labelle. No, she's around. I just came in to have a think. Life has been sort of hectic lately and I've been trying to decide whether to stay in Vegas and leave some complications behind me or go the other way."

"Okay, I'll leave you in peace, Angie. I've probably interrupted your thought processes."

"No, it's cool, Labelle. I've more or less made up my mind. It seems that Las Vegas has pulled me in and I'll stay for a while."

"Great! Now how about that job? You want to talk about it?"

Decision four.

"Sure thing, Labelle. When?"

"Is right now good? I can give you some detail and you can think about it."

"Okay, just let me cash up." I turned back to the machine to see I had eighty dollars showing. I must have hit something while I was thinking and not noticed. I hit the pay button and nothing happened. Labelle spoke a few words into her walkie-talkie and there were three people there in seconds.

"Thanks, guys," she said. "Dale, can you sort that out and cash it into notes and bring it up to my office please. Twenties, Angie?"

"Fine," I answered.

"Follow me, Angie."

"Should I go home and put my suit on?" I asked

The office wasn't the one we'd been in the previous night. It was a proper office and a big one, with an enormous desk and a pair of leather couches and two easy chairs in one corner. Labelle told me to grab a seat and pointed to

the couch nearest to her.

"Would you like a drink, Angie? I'm on duty, but you aren't. There's some nice champagne in my cooler I've been saving for a special event."

"That would be nice, Labelle." I was sitting bolt upright with my legs crossed, trying to project a ladylike attitude. I found out my dress was a little shorter than it needed to be for this particular couch, but how could I have anticipated this?

Labelle passed me a large glass of champagne. I saw the bottle as it went back into the cooler. Perrier Jouet. Yum.

"Let me tell you what the job is, then you can ask questions and later we'll cover your back ground. Okay?"

I nodded.

"I mentioned last night that we need someone to organize and run conventions and do special promotions. This person has to have a strong personality, be afraid of nothing and no-one, and have impressive leadership skills. We want someone who can take the job by the throat and take it to the next level. We have some great people here but we have new competition and every other resort and casino is out hustling their butts off.

"The convention trade is a huge moneymaker for us, as it is for every casino and hotel on the Strip, because they gamble, they eat and they drink while they're here, but I'm sure you know that. Perhaps I should make it clear that this job is Vice-President in charge of Marketing and Presentation. It's not a job, it's the job. Are you still interested?"

'Fuck, yes,' I wanted to say, but instead I said, "Yes, it sounds very interesting. Please tell me more."

We were interrupted by Dale bringing my winnings.

Labelle laid out the present organisation in chart form for me and then she showed me another chart, the one the casino had in drawn up with a view to being first choice for visitors over the next five years.

"Labelle," I said, "I have this feeling that your position here is quite senior, that you aren't just a Vice-President and you're a long way from the Chief Accountant."

"Damn right," she said. "My father has a large stake in the place and I'm not quite the boss' daughter, but close. It means I can sidestep some of the procedures and make my own judgment calls when a fast decision is warranted. Let me read out a list of the things we have coming up in the next three months."

The list was incredibly long for such a short period of time and I could see the logistics of having that many people in a constant state of coming and going

would be a nightmare unless the planning was tight.

"On top of seeing that everyone has a good time, you would look after the usual guest crises such as missing husbands or wives, drunken outbursts by people who think slot machines are their friends and cutting any hint of scandal off at source. I'll personally see that you have the team you want to let you do the job properly. Now ask me questions. I assume you have questions?"

"Only about a thousand," I said. I asked away and at the end of a half hour I knew what it was all about and what their real expectations were. It would be a tough one and probably stressful as hell, but I wanted to give it a try and I said so. I'd also put forward a few theories based on assumptions I'd already made and that impressed her as swell.

"Now," said Labelle. "Now tell me about your background."

I took a deep breath and gave out my work experience - names, dates successes, achievements and everything I could think of that would enhance my job opportunities. And then that one little thing – who could Labelle call to get a reference?

It had to happen and I was ready for it. I'd already decided as we talked to tell her the truth. I didn't want to go on living a lie to Labelle, partly because Labelle was so nice and because I was sure that sooner or later it would come out and Labelle would be embarrassed. I didn't want that to happen to someone who may have a huge hand in my future.

"Can I ask you a question, Labelle?" I started. "Before we go any further, does all that stuff stack up to make me employable in this job? Should I be asking about opportunities as a cocktail waitress? I believe the tips are good."

"The tips can be staggering on a busy night, but to answer your question, you have a lot of the attributes that would make you a success in this position. If I didn't think so, I'd have thrown you out a while back. It's not just your skills, it's the general air of competence you have and the can-do attitude I keep hearing."

"Can I have another champagne, please?"

Labelle looked surprised but got up and poured another glass and a coffee for herself.

I took a sip and used it to drown the taste of the bullet I was biting.

"Labelle, I'm not the girl you think I am. In fact I'm a guy. I know I look like a girl, and as far as possible I act like a girl, and I intend to go on acting like a girl

even if you decide you don't want to know me. I've made a couple of hard calls in the last few days and one of those calls was to abandon my guy past and go out into the world as Angie.

"Do you remember the hotel fire in Barstow? Judy and I were certainly in that fire and it had a dramatic effect on both of us, but more on me. I was dressed as a girl when I escaped and I took the opportunity to stay as a girl, with some encouragement from Judy. My real name is Felix Aaronson and, as you can see, I didn't perish in the hotel basement. The human remains have been identified now as merely some old clothes and I'm still officially missing.

"One thing these last few days have taught me is that staying Felix would be a mistake, from the point of view that I would be forever wondering if I could make it as Angie. I knew the impulse was strong, but I had no idea how strong until I was faced, in a shop in Barstow, with a choice between a dark grey pin-striped skirt suit and a pair of jeans for Felix.

"I was engaged until three days ago to a great girl and I can imagine she's distraught about me but I can't help but thinking that my leaving her at a later date because I wanted to be Angie would be an even bigger mistake. I intend to contact my parents tomorrow morning to tell them I won't be home for a long time."

I paused for breath and another sip of champagne.

Labelle's mouth was open. "Thank you for being honest, Angie. I find it hard to take seriously but I appreciate you confiding in me. Oh my! Are you sure you're a guy? I'm sorry, you look too much like a girl. Have you had surgery or something?"

"No, and it's not something I've thought about. Thanks for the compliment Labelle, but how does it affect what we've been talking about?"

She paused for thought. "Possibly not at all. Can I make a suggestion, Angie? I just need to think this through to see if there's something I haven't thought of that might influence me, but if you look as good in a skirt suit as you do in that dress I can't see a problem. Why don't you look like a guy, Angie? We see pictures of guys dressed as girls all over the place these days and there are a lot of them in Vegas, but you don't fit that mould."

"I know what you mean," I said. "I honestly couldn't have gone out the door unless I looked a hell of a lot more feminine that some of them. It's something about facial shape and the lines of your chin and how full your lips are. I have a

sort of plumpish face, almost a baby face and I'm sure that's the difference. I have a narrow waist and but not much backside and, if I say so myself, a nice pair of legs."

"True enough. I think you're right about the face shape." She stood up and I did too. "I have a plan. Whatever else may be the case, I must check out your qualifications because I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't. Who would be the best person to talk to back in Denver?"

I gave her the name and his private line number.

"Tomorrow I'll call him up and tell him I'm a reporter doing a piece for the Barstow Register and get his views on your personality, attributes and skills and ask him where he thinks you would have ended up in the food chain. I will be incredibly sympathetic and get what I need to know in the process." She looked me up and down again. "You're absolutely dead set on this story about being a guy? Wow! Call me tomorrow around three, in the afternoon that is, and we'll talk some more. Thanks for talking to me, Angie."

She led me back downstairs and shook my hand firmly. As a parting shot she looked me in the eye again and said, "You're quite brave, Angie. I'm impressed that you've made a decision to tell your folks that you're at least alive. It says to me that you have character as well as qualifications. Don't forget, ring me tomorrow at three."

I said goodbye and promised to ring. I headed for the MGM Grand to see if I could find Judy. I tried the roulette tables and there was no sign of her, so I carried out a methodical search of all the other table games and then I went up and down rows of machines. Finally I found her sitting in front of Wheel of Fortune game with her screen showing that an attendant was required for a payout.

"How much?" I asked.

Judy turned towards my voice and broke into a beaming smile.

"Angie! Thank God; I was starting to worry about you. Four hundred and

twenty-eight dollars. Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm okay. Sorry that took so long. I've been talking to Labelle and she's a good talker. I also made a decision or two and I'm exhausted."

She hugged me. "Oh, my poor baby. Would you like a drink while I'm waiting for the money?"

"I've been drinking champagne with Labelle, Jude. I wouldn't mind some

more, though. Let me get it."

"No way, Ange. You've bought the last seventeen rounds. Just stand there and be quiet. I'll get one of the girls to get it.'

She waved to a passing hostess and slipped a wad of notes into her hand and told her what she wanted. As the girl left an attendant turned up to deal with Judy's win. Once the transaction was complete we hung around for two more minutes until the girl came back with the champagne. Judy checked the brand and gave her a big tip.

"Let's find a seat, hon, and you can tell me about it.

We found an alcove with some spare seats and I told Judy about my talk with Labelle and the decisions I'd made. I was dreading calling home, but the more I thought about it the more I knew it was the right thing to do. And I had to do it before three the next afternoon. Ten in the morning, I thought. I'll ring my folks at ten in the morning. Get it over with and then concentrate on the job with Labelle.

"Reassure me one more time, Judy. Am I doing the right thing? I'm I just being a total, selfish prick by doing this? Should I just forget it?"

"I'm sorry, honey, I just can't make that decision for you. It's up to you what happens, but look at both sides of the story. I've watched you groove on being Angie and over the last few days you've blossomed into a girl with style and attitude. You need to compare that with the idea of going back to being Felix. How does that appeal? Would you spend the rest of your life wondering how you would have got on? Labelle has offered you a job as a girl. Hear that? G..i..r..l."

"I'd have to stop wearing panties," I said. "I'd never get to wear my skirt suit. I'd never get to ... to ... to see you again." I burst into tears.

She hugged me. "Poor baby. It's awful for you. You know, I never knew you as Felix so I can't compare the two of you, but it seems to me that Angie is a very natural, unforced, intrinsically feminine girl who must have suffered terribly inside Felix. I can't imagine what it must have been like having to be a guy and act like a guy while Angie kept crying out from inside, wanting to come out and shout to the world, here I am, get out of my way, I'm coming through.

"Fuck it, Angie, I want you to stay a girl, I want to love you and look after you and let you make love to me while we're both wearing stockings and high heels. I want you to fuck me until I can't speak, I want to take that pretty cock out of your black silk panties and suck it until your brains come tumbling down.

"Oh, Jesus Christ! That was subtle wasn't it? I said you should make your own

decision, and here I am putting pressure on you to stay as Angie and satisfy my own evil needs. I'm sorry, Angie. I didn't mean to do that, but I can't stand the thought of losing you to someone who can't see that you might have needs of your own that need satisfying. Look, I'll leave you be, Ange. I'll go and stay the night at another hotel and you can have time to yourself to think about it."

Judy stood up and hitched her bag over her shoulder.

"Don't you dare move an inch, Judy," I said. "You're coming with me and we're going to go back to the hotel and try some of that cosmic loving you were talking about.'

I stood up.

"Thanks for your insight, Judy. It really summarized how I've been feeling and I'm going to go with my original plan to stay as Angie, at least for the time being, on the basis that unless I try it I'll never rest easy."

I kissed her gently and several people nearby went, "Ahh." It hadn't occurred to me for a moment or two that we were still in public in the middle of a busy casino. And we looked like two girls kissing on the lips.

We went back to the Luxor and Judy took my cock out of my pink (not black!) silk panties and showed me how good she was at sex. I did my bit as well. We forgot we'd booked into a show, but the show would never have been as good as the sex.

 

The next day the phone rang at nine and I couldn't come up out of the deep sleep I was in. Fortunately Judy could. She spoke to someone and I heard her say, "Really? Oh, thank you so much. Yes I can be there at ten. Thank you, Elley, I'll see you then.'

"Ange, are you awake? Ange! Ange! I got the job, I start this morning. Yee-hah!"

She dived on me and covered me with kisses. Her hand headed for my cock and she said, "Have we got time for one more, Ange? One more fuck before I have to hit the shower and go to work?"

She was still wearing the garter belt, high heels and stockings she had on the night before while we explored the sensation of stocking on stocking and stocking on flesh. I was still wearing mine as well and once more the gentle susurration of nylon was music to my ears. I suspected the high heels may have had a bad effect on the sheets.

There's something quite erotic about watching a girl sashay her way to the bathroom dressed like that and I followed her and took her in the shower. (Sorry about the waste of water, Las Vegas.)

What a morning! But it wasn't all fun, as they say. I had a call to make. I dressed in black lingerie and my suit with new stockings and black high heels. I did my make-up as well as I knew how and took a look in the mirror. I was pale, but, by God, I was a girl. In fact, I was gorgeous and I had a brief unpleasant vision of pulling on a pair of y-fronts and that confirmed my present course.

I put in a call to the Plaza in Barstow and asked if my parents were still staying there. They were and I was put through to their room.

"Hello? Kristin Aaronson speaking."

I gulped. "Mom? This is Felix."

"Felix? My Felix? I hope this isn't a hoax call, because it isn't very funny."

"No, Mom, it's really me."

"Felix? You're alive? Are you all right? Where are you?"

"I'm fine, Mom. Mom, I have some things to say that will upset you and I can't think how to say them without hurting you. I want you to know that I love you and Pop and all my sisters. I had a bad experience with the fire, Mom. I got out alive but I was, how can I put this, deeply shocked by the experience. I had a sort of revelation. It was traumatic and deep-seated and I have to deal with it now before I can move on."

"I don't understand, Felix. Are you saying you aren't coming home?"

"Yes, that's what I'm saying, Mom."

"But what about your job? What about Nicole? She's devastated by this whole fire thing. She thinks you're dead, Felix. What about her?"

"This is hard for me, Mom. I love Nicole but I have to work through this until I'm sure I can cope with things again. I'm sorry I can't be more specific, but it's completely and totally personal to me. It's something inside me I need to sort out."

I could hear Mom crying.

"Felix, honey, I'm sure we can talk this through. I'm sure we can help. Come home and we'll get you any help you need. There's nothing that can't be cured. You're young and healthy and I just want you home, Felix."

I was starting to cry now.

"I'm sorry, Mom. I'm not going to change my mind." I sobbed out loud. "Please tell Nicole I love her and I'll miss her but I must do this and if I need you or Nicole to help I promise to call. Goodbye, Mom"

A loud cry of 'Felix!' came over the telephone as I hung up. I collapsed in tears face down into the bed and I cried for a long time.

 

Two hours later I repaired my face and went out for a bite. I was relieved and anxious all at the same time. I'd had to make the call and I'd done it, but, holy shit, it wasn't easy. My conscience was a little clearer and that was important, but I knew it would niggle at me somewhere in my head for a while.

A cold beer and a chicken sandwich can cheer a girl up a little. I had a couple of hours to kill before I had to ring Labelle, so I drifted into the MGM again and played the machines. I wasn't feeling exactly buoyant and the machines were about the level of interaction I needed. There were no big wins today but I broke even and got back to the Luxor just in time to call Labelle at three.

"Hi, Angie," came Labelle's cheerful tones. "Hey, your boss thinks you're a saint. Literally. Did you make the call to your folks?"

"I did," I replied.

"Well done, Angie. It convinces me you have high moral values and that's important in his business. Seriously, your boss gave you a glowing reference, although he probably thought of it as an obituary. I'd like to talk turkey now, Angie. When can you come over and see me?"

"Right now is good, Labelle, or any time from now to midnight or even tomorrow. I'll fit in with you."

"Why don't you come on over now, Angie. We'll talk terms and see if we can make a deal. Ask for me at the front counter."

"Okay, Labelle. See you in about fifteen minutes."

Yikes. I redid my face and brushed imaginary lint off my jacket and skirt, smoothed my stockings, and I was ready to roll.

 

I was quite relaxed about the negotiations. I wasn't in desperate need of a job because I had a stash of cash, and I could hold out for a good deal. What actually happened was that Labelle offered me a deal that was beyond what I would ever have asked for. It seems my old boss really had given me a wonderful reference and was very unhappy about losing me.

The contract was explained and signed within an hour and I had agreed to start in five days time. Pluto's had only one last condition.

I figured I needed at least five days to find a place for Judy and me to live. Obviously we couldn't go on living at the Luxor although I kind of liked the idea.

Labelle opened champagne and proposed a toast to the future. The last hurdle would be an interview with the executive board at ten the next morning but Labelle said I should ace that one easily. She showed me where my office would be and it was something quite different from my desk in Denver. That was an old desk in a tiny cubicle but this one looked like a Hollywood desk and it was in a Hollywood sized room.

"Wow," I said. "Look at that office."

"Yeah, I'm sorry, Angie. It needs refurbishing. We'll chuck out the furniture and get some new stuff in. In fact, you can decide what you want; choose it yourself. My only advice is to get a lot of filing cabinets. Speaking of filing, Crystal here will be your assistant. Crystal, meet Angie Bower-Trump. Angie, this is Crystal McCall."

"Delighted to meet you, Miss Bower-Trump," said the rather gorgeous blonde. She was about thirty, and as tall as I was. Her figure was something else.

"For heaven's sake call me Angie," I said. "It's nice to meet you too, Crystal. I'm sure we'll enjoy working together."

"Crystal used to be the star of the Folies," said Labelle. "We're rather pleased she came over to join us because she has organizational skills to burn."

Crystal dimpled prettily. "Thanks, Labelle. You sure know how to make a girl feel special." (That's for sure, I thought.)

Labelle moved to the desk in the corner of the room. "And this is Emma Cheng. Emma, this is Angie and she'll be your new boss if the board says yes tomorrow morning and I'm sure they will."

Emma stood up and shook my hand. "I'm very pleased to meet you, Angie, although probably not as pleased as Crystal, who's been run off her feet trying to keep up."

Emma was, as her name implied, at least part Chinese, and she was slim and elegant. Her dark hair cascaded straight down nearly to her waist and she was just as gorgeous as Crystal, who said, "It was bad enough already but now that there's going to be three gorgeous women here, the men will be impossible to keep away. Can we requisition a stun gun, Labelle?"

Labelle laughed. "I hadn't thought of that, Crystal, but you're right of course. Maybe you'll need to keep the door locked. Come on, Angie. I'll introduce you to the Chairman."

As I left the room, I thought, I need to be well dressed. Emma and Crystal were both wearing dark suits and heels and I'd want to be at least as fashionable as they were. Would wearing fashionable suits and heels, having to be gorgeous all the time, be tolerable to a good-looking cross-dresser who was rapidly forming a suit fetish. I guessed I could live with it, or to put it another way, yee-hah!

"Montgomery Burns," was how the Chairman introduced himself. "Yes, it's my real name and anyone who cracks Simpson's jokes where I can hear them will not be getting a Christmas bonus. Sit down girls. Tell me about yourself, Angie."

Labelle and I sat down in the big easy chairs across the table from Burns. I told him things I'd done and I few of the ideas I'd already had. He broke out champagne and glasses.

"Duty, pah," he said. "Drink up, Labelle, you have my permission. I'm impressed with you already, Angie. I also trust Labelle's judgment and I can assure you that the meeting tomorrow morning, which I will preside over, will not withdraw your employment offer. Consider the job yours."

I wanted to jump up and kiss him, but controlled myself.

"Thank you, Mr Burns, I appreciate that and I promise to make lots of money for Pluto's."

"That's an attitude we like." He raised his glass. "To our newest Vice-President. God bless her and all who sail in her."

I tried not to laugh but I couldn't help grinning. Monty Burns would turn out to be a great friend, as he already was with Labelle, and he had a wonderful sense of humor. He was about sixty, I suppose, and had a full head of thick grey hair. He was quite good looking and his three thousand dollar suit looked like it was made for him, which it probably was.

By the time I drifted out of Pluto's, walking on a little cloud, it was nearly six. I went back to the Luxor, as excited as a girl could be, to tell Judy I had the job. She wasn't there, so I changed into something less formal by way of a black skirt and a red top and went out to look for her.

It took a while but I found her just coming out of the Tropicana, looking tired after a days work.

"I hope they aren't all like that," she said. "I'm so tired I can hardly walk."

"So you won't want food, drink or sex?" I asked.

"Don't be silly, Ange. Get me back to the hotel then get me to a casino. I'll survive. It was just the culture shock of working at full speed, non-stop for a whole day. Never mind me, how did you get on?"

"Meet the new Vice-President in charge of Marketing and Conventions at Pluto's. I am officially a legend. My references are brilliant, especially for a dead guy, and I start in five days time."

Judy grabbed me and hugged me. "That's brilliant, babe. God, we're a pair of hot properties. Is it time to leave the hotel?"

"That's why I said I'd start in five days, to give us time to find a place. First thing tomorrow I'll start looking for a place. Let's get a drink while we talk about location, size and rent. House? Condo? I need alcohol, Judy, and it's on me."

We moved back inside the Tropicana and found a couple of stools at a bar where we talked and talked. Judy didn't mind where she lived except it should be nice. The rent wasn't going to be a problem with our new jobs, so we could go reasonably up-market. We tended toward the apartment/condo scenario because they would be low maintenance.

A couple of drinks later, we headed to a restaurant for a bite or three, and I played a few machines while Judy attacked the roulette wheel. We both came up empty but broke even.

 

The next day was the first time we'd had to set the alarm for a while. Judy raced out the door to the Tropicana and I spent a lot of time getting ready for my 10 o'clock. I groomed myself like a teenager going out on her first date and by 9.30 I was as polished as I was ever going to be. Without wishing to boast, I looked fantastic. I had The Suit on, of course, and my best panties and bra underneath. Stockings were mandatory, I felt, and a business-like pair of pumps. A simple white knitted silk top finished the picture and all I had to do after that was behave myself impeccably. I strolled to Pluto's and at 9.55 announced my arrival.

Labelle met me and took me along to the boardroom, where a group of ten men and three women were waiting expectantly to give me the third degree. Monty was at the far end and he winked at me before he announced who I was and why I was there. That was about as formal as it got. He invited me to sit down and invited the board to ask questions.

Which they did. They asked about sixty questions that convinced me,

They were quite clever people and

They were nice people and although the bottom line was paramount, they wanted Pluto's to be seen as a caring and supportive employer .

I really deserved the job, because I had an answer for everything. I promised them I would make Pluto's a force to be reckoned with.

 

Once the interrogation was over, and Monty asked them if they had any last questions, he asked for a show of hands as to whether I was going to be hired or not. I was gratified that they were unanimous. Monty thanked me for coming in and said he'd come and see me when I started work. I left, glowing with pleasure, after another pat on the back from Labelle.

 

So what does a girl do when she's just been given a fantastic job at a seriously good salary and she needs some more suits, tops and heels? She goes shopping, of course.

At three I stopped to have a drink and a bite and then went back to the Luxor. I carefully unpacked my new clothes and, wearing just stockings and a bra and panties (a fabulous black tulle set with exquisite embroidery in the form of black leaves) I sat down to find a real estate agent.

There were listings in the directory for about a million agents but I couldn't see one I liked the look of, so I rang Labelle and asked if she knew someone who could help. She did, and soon I was talking to Shawna Love.

Shawna worked for herself and, yes, Shawna Love was her real name and it was a distinct asset in Las Vegas. I already knew that many locals felt the need to enhance their career prospects, and impress others, by sporting completely bogus names (Randy Cowpoke, Desire O'Mine).

She picked me up from the Luxor the next morning and she impressed me from the first moment. She was blonde, slim and tanned. She was six feet tall and her green eyes and white teeth, along with the usual impeccable make-up they wear around here, made for a fairly spectacular girl. Her beige linen suit was perfect and as far as I could tell she wasn't wearing anything under her jacket.

She smiled and shook my hand and opened the door of her Mustang convertible for me. She slid into the diver's seat and those long legs got longer as her skirt hiked up a little.

"Can you give me some idea of what you want to pay, Angie?" she asked. "It will save me a lot of time. Also tell me how many bedrooms you'd like. Pool? Gym? Granite bathroom? Two granite bathrooms? You said there're two of you. Is that another girl or a guy? Guys have all these special needs you know."

I laughed. "No, just me and a good friend, a girl named Judy. One bathroom will be enough, although granite sounds good, and a gym would be okay but not essential. Two bedrooms, one for visitors and one for us. Tons of closet space would be good. No, that's an essential. Maybe a big walk-in?" I told her what we were prepared to pay. She did a sharp turn to the right immediately and said, "Have I got the place for you."

The place for us was one of a group of four single level apartments. There was a lot of glass and inside there was a granite bathroom. The two bedrooms were big and there was a walk-in closet the size of South Fork. The back opened out, in common with the other three apartments, to a courtyard with a beautiful deep blue pool set among pebble gardens, yucca palms, a large boulder and other no-maintenance decorative garden stuff.

I was impressed by the place and I wandered through it several times. It was quite close to the Strip as the crow flies and seemed to be what I'd just described to Shawna when I set out our requirements. It only needed furniture. It was quite new and had wooden louvers throughout and some clever movable screens for privacy. It was sleek and sexy, something I never thought I'd say about a house.

"I like it," I said. "I'd like Judy to see it before I say a definite 'yes'. Can we take her through after she finishes tonight? She gets back about six, six-thirty."

"Sure thing, Angie. I'll drop you back at the Luxor and pick you up at, say, seven?"

"Cool," I said.

 

To cut a long story short, Judy loved it too, and we signed up to move in two days later.

I'd come a long way in a short time and sometimes my head reeled with the speed of everything.

 

This is really where this story ends, because once I found some furniture for our new place and we moved from the Luxor, we became a pretty much a normal couple in every respect, apart from the fact I was a guy who morphed into a girl. I loved my job, and the girls I worked with, Crystal and Emma, were fabulous. I loved being in Las Vegas and being successful. Judy and I are very happy and I suspect we'll get married some day, sooner rather than later.

I still feel guilty about Nicole, but I've started ringing my Mom once every three weeks or so to catch up with my family. I may have to invite her to Las Vegas sometime soon to break my news. She still doesn't know where I am or what I'm doing.

There is one last thing I know you'll enjoy hearing about. Judy brought home a showgirl costume for me on my birthday. She'd made it from red satin and lycra, with recycled beads, diamantes, sequins and many feathers. It was completely over the top and included a big feathered headdress that framed my face. I wouldn't take it off all day, experimenting with the occasional high kick. I need hardly add that I spent a lot of time looking in mirrors. Judy did the whole showgirl face thing too, with very heavy make-up and those enormous eyelashes all the showgirls wear.

 

It's good to be a girl.

  

  

  

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