This story may not be altered or reposted without the express written permission of the author. If you haven't done so, please read 'Rescue Me' first. Thank you all for your kind words of encouragement. Comments are always welcome.

 

Rescue Me

by Lindsay Hart

Part 2

 

"Hello?"

"Hi, Beth. This is your little sister."

"Kelly!! Oh, wow, sweetie, I was just thinking about you. I've been trying to call your apartment for a couple of days but your phone has been out of order. I've been so worried about you. Is everything alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine, …, now. The last few days have been a little crazy, though. I'm sorry, I should have called you earlier, but with everything that happened, it kind of slipped my mind. I didn't mean to worry you."

"I know you didn't, but you know sisters have a connection. Let me guess. Something happened Wednesday night, didn't it?"

"Yes. That's when everything started."

"I knew it! I had this bad feeling that something was wrong. But, you say you're OK now?"

"Yes, I'm OK. I'm just thankful that Sabrina has been so understanding."

"Sabrina your boss?"

"Yes. She has been so wonderful through this whole thing. She could have made my life hell if she had wanted to. Beth, she found out about my crossdressing."

"Oh no! I'm here for you, Babygirl. Tell your big sister all about it."

So, for the next hour and a half I related the events of the last few days to Beth, my best friend and sister. I told her about Sabrina finding me wearing my camisole when I blew up her battery. About me dressing for her and Sabrina cooking for me, and all the candles. About the fire, John the fireman, and the police officer, and the reports, and everybody thinking I was a woman. Then I explained why I had to go to work the next day dressed as a woman. I told her how Sabina stood up for me in front of everybody at work and laid down the law about teasing me. I told her about how just about everybody at work had been so accepting and kind. I told her about John wanting to take me out. I even told her about Sabrina and I making love. I told her about kissing Jack on the cheek and making him run away. I explained about Sabrina buying the rest of the company and about my new promotion to Office Manager. Just like a big sister should be, she was very supportive and comforting. She always knows exactly what to say to make me feel better about any situation.

After relating all the traumatic events we settled down into just casual conversation like any two sisters. Beth lives about 150 miles away and had married Thomas Clark who she met in college. Beth had actually asked me to be one of her Bridesmaids, but I wasn't ready to be so bold and I quietly declined. Thomas is a lawyer and they have one four year old daughter, Elizabeth, Beth's real name, but unlike Beth they had shortened Elizabeth's name to Liz. She is a beautiful child, like her mother and it is easy to see where Liz gets her looks. I asked how she, Liz and Thomas were, and she told me they were all doing well. Liz has met her Aunt Kelly and thinks it's cool. Thomas knows about my dressing but I have never dressed in front of him. Thomas has always been kind of noncommittal about it.

Beth finally told me that she had better go so she could put Liz to bed. There was a long pause and then she asked, "Kelly, …, is this what you really want? To live as a woman?"

"I don't know, Beth. I think so. I know not everybody is going to be as accepting as the people at work. Sabrina can't lay down the law to the whole world. But, I feel like this is who I was meant to be. I love how I feel, I'm more relaxed, and I've been having the time of my life. I never really had much fun as a boy."

"I'm just saying don't do anything drastic until you've had plenty of time to think everything through. Take your time and make sure this is want you want. You know how much I love my little sister. I just want her to be happy."

"All grown up with a family of your own and still looking after me. I love you, too, sis. Don't worry, I'm not making anything permanent, yet. I can still change my mind. That's a girl's prerogative, isn't it? Now go take care of that precious daughter of yours. Give her a kiss from her Aunt Kelly. Oh, and how is Mom?"

"What can I say? Mom is Mom. She stays busy and she is doing well. You should call her. And, tell Sabrina I appreciate her looking out for my baby sister. Good night, Babygirl."

I always loved hearing her call me 'Babygirl'. It was her pet name for me since technically I was the baby of the family. As I hung up the phone Sabrina came into the room. She stood before me as I sat on the couch. She raised her skirt to her waist and sat down on my lap facing me with her legs on either side of me. She brushed a strand of hair out of my face and wrapped her hands around the back of my neck and kissed me tenderly.

"So, how's Beth?"

"She's fine. She said to thank you for her, for taking such good care of me."

"The pleasure is mine." Then she raised up enough to pull my skirt to my waist and began to stroke my crotch while giving me a deep passionate kiss. The fire was building, but, this time we would forego the Fire Department. We went to bed early.

 

The next day I was trying to organize my new office and give it a personal touch, without a whole lot of success on either count, I might add. It was so wonderful. I have never had an office of my own. Sabrina had moved into old man Kline's old office and I moved into Sabrina's old office. Cindy moved down the hall with Sabrina. I had asked Emily to be my new assistant. Sabrina had given me a pretty free hand and I could offer Emily about the same money as my assistant that she was making as a junior accountant so she agreed.

Emily buzzed me, "Ms. Hart, there's a John Parker on line two, for you."

'Ms. Hart! Wow!' "Thank you, Emily."

"Hello, this is Kelly Hart."

"Kelly, hi. This is John Parker. How are you?"

"I'm fine John, how are you? Is anything wrong?"

"No, everything is fine. I just wanted to talk to you. Actually, I wanted to talk to you and Ms. Roberts. I was wondering if I could buy you and Ms. Roberts lunch tomorrow?"

"Both of us? Ah, let me check, …, yes, I'm free for lunch but I would have to check with Ms. Roberts."

"Please convince her to come."

"John, what's this all about? What is going on?"

"We'll talk tomorrow, Kelly. I'd rather not discuss it on the phone. How about 12:30 at Trudeau's Bistro?"

"Ok, John I'll see you then."

As I hung up the phone I couldn't help but be a little worried. Had John found out about my deception? I had to talk to Sabrina. A client was just leaving her office when I got there. Sabrina saw the concerned look on my face and guided me into her office.

"What's the matter, Kelly? Is somebody giving you a hard time? Just tell me who it is and I will …"

"No, Sabrina. It's nothing like that. I just got a call from John Parker. He wants to meet with us, both of us, tomorrow for lunch. He was very evasive. Do you think he knows? Sabrina, what am I going to do?"

"Oh, don't fret about it, sweetheart. If he knew your secret, why would he want to meet for lunch? And why meet with both of us, why not just you, or why wouldn't he just turn you in? No, something else is going on."

"Well, the one thing that comes to mind that fits all those things is he is going to blackmail us. I don't have anything but he knows you're the head of the company. Oh, Sabrina, I'm sorry I got you into this."

Sabrina put her arms around me and rubbed my back, maybe not purposely giving more attention to the area around the back of my bra and the straps, but oh, what an incredible feeling. Does she know the effect that she has on me? I almost forgot why I was there. Then she gave me a gentle kiss on the lips. "Don't play the 'What If' game. Calm down and what ever happens tomorrow, we'll handle it together, ok?"

"Ok, if you say so. I can't promise that I'm not going to worry, but I'll try."

"That's my girl. I'll see you at quitting time."

We kissed again and I went back to my office. My office! My head was still spinning from everything that had happened over the last week. My love for feminine things had been discovered. My apartment had burned down. I had unwittingly committed two criminal acts. I had been outed at work. A handsome man, John, my rescuer, had asked me out on a date. I had found the love of my life, and she loved my feminine side, too. I had been promoted, given my own office and a pretty nice boost in pay. I found acceptance as a woman by my peers. And now John had something he wanted to discuss with Sabrina and I, and I was afraid that all the bad things that had happened to me recently would soon heavily out weigh the good things with tomorrow's meeting.

Sabrina knew I was nervous and when we got home she fixed us a nice pasta dish while I talked to Gwen. Gwen's a good listener but not much of a conversationalist. We had dinner, without candles, God, no candles! After dinner Sabrina and I cuddled on the couch watching some movie, I think it had Johnny Depp in it, but I'm not sure. I couldn't really concentrate. We didn't talk. We just held each other. Gwen had pretty well worn me out conversation wise. She really shouldn't let me monopolize the conversation like that.

 

I had a restless night, tossing and turning. In the morning I showered and began to do my makeup. It wasn't going well. I was a nervous wreck and Sabrina noticed. She ended up doing my makeup for me, and curling my hair. I picked out a short navy skirt and a very frilly white blouse to wear. If John didn't know the truth, I wanted my attire to shout FEMALE. If he did, well, let's just say I wanted to die looking my feminine best. Sabrina wore a mid calf length silk shirt dress in a black print. Casual, but still business like. She looked great. She was starting to take me seriously about loosening up around the office and the staff. I felt good that she was taking my advice.

A little after noon Sabrina came and collected me, and we set off for the bistro. Sabrina had to hold onto my arm as we entered the restaurant to keep me from running for the hills. The hostess greeted us and Sabrina asked for John Parker's table. As we approached I saw that John was not alone. He was with a big football player type, about John's height but more stout. Not that John was a wimp or anything. Far from it. John had carried me down a ladder without any problem. John and this other guy were both about 6'2" tall. John was about 220 pounds, slim and lean, short brown hair and brown eyes. The other guy out weighed John by about 50 pounds and was very muscled, with short blond hair and green eyes. Neither one of them was a dog, if you like guys. I wasn't sure. I'd never been with a guy, but I certainly had butterflies in my stomach. Nah. Must be just this nervousness I've had since John called yesterday.

John greeted us. "Kelly, Ms. Roberts. You made it. Frankly, I wasn't sure you would come."

I said, "Frankly, I wasn't sure myself."

"Ladies, this is a friend of mine, Zack Burton. Zack and I work together at the fire station. Zack, this is Kelly Hart and Ms. Roberts."

Sabrina replied, "Please, call me Sabrina. We're all friends here aren't we?" Her voice was friendly, but the look she gave John was stern and questioning.

The conversation was casual and a little strained until after we ordered our food. Sabrina and I ordered chef salads and the guys ordered some house specialty sandwiches. Sabrina, always the business person, was the first to bring it up.

"John, let's cut to the chase. At the risk of ruining some appetites, why have you asked us here?"

"Sabrina, I'm not out to hurt anybody, I promise. I just thought that we might be in similar situations and might be able to help each other out."

Sabrina said, "We're listening. Please continue."

"Well, Zack and I are both single, and we have this Fireman's Ball coming up that we don't have dates for."

I said, "So, all you wanted was to ask us, complete strangers, to be your dates for this Ball?"

Zack answered, "Well, yes, but there is more to it than that."

John cut back in, turning back to me, "You see, last week at the fire I could tell that you were a very attractive lady. But, the next day I was taken with your beauty. You're both very beautiful, by the way."

Sabrina smiled and said, "Nice save."

John continued, "Anyway, I noticed how you two kept looking at each other, and when you said that you thought that you had found somebody, I put two and two together."

Sabrina got stern again, "Here it comes!"

"No, wait. Let me finish. I figured out that you two are a couple. That's cool, because actually, …, Zack and I are a couple, too."

That perked Sabrina up, then she turned to me and said, "Close your mouth, sweetheart."

Zack said, "John and I are both bi-sexual. We like both girls and guys. And even though we date other people occasionally, we are committed to each other. We thought that maybe the four of us could enjoy each others company and appear to be dating for public functions. Sabrina and I, and John and Kelly. You know, for appearances."

Sabrina spoke up with a smile, "That's great, because I am 'Bi', and Kelly is OWW!"

My heel caught Sabrina square on the shin. I spoke up, "She was going to say intrigued. I'm intrigued by the proposal."

"I was going to say 'open minded'." she said as she rubbed her shin and gave me a dirty look. "When is this 'Ball'?"

"Two weeks from Saturday. So, what do you say, ladies?" asked John.

Sabrina answered, "We'll think about it. Right now, Kelly, why don't we go to the ladies room? Excuse us, gentlemen, I think my leg is bleeding."

I followed Sabrina into the ladies room and checked to make sure we were alone. "Sabrina, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to kick you so hard. Are you ok?"

"Oh, I'm fine, dear. It's not really bleeding, and it doesn't hurt as much as you not trusting me. Did you really think I was going to tell them your secret? That's not my place. If you want them to know then you should be the one to tell them."

"I'm sorry. I really don't know what I thought. You're right, I should have trusted you. It seems all I ever do is tell you I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?"

"Of course, sweetheart. I forgive you. Now, what do you think about their proposal?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure I want to date a guy. Do you think this is a good idea?"

"You told me you dated a guy before. And, yes I think it's a good idea. It could let us get out more and have some fun."

"I went out with one guy once when I was a teenager, and nothing happened. This is different."

"Look, you wouldn't have to do anything you don't want to. And, didn't you say you thought John was cute?"

"Did I say that?"

"Yes, you did. And, I think Zack is pretty cute as well. It would give you more experiences as a woman."

"You think Zack is cute?"

"Yes, don't you? But it is your decision. If you don't want to do it, then we'll tell them no."

"No, I guess it would be alright, and it might be fun. We can tell them yes. But, we have to be the one's to set the boundaries."

"Great, sweetheart. Give me a hug and a kiss."

We broke our kiss and were repairing our makeup when two young women came in talking to each other.

One of the ladies said, "Did you see those two hunks over at the back left table? I wouldn't mind having some of that for dessert."

Now, I knew that I had absolutely no right to be possessive, here. And, I tried really hard to bite my tongue, but that just irritated the hell out me for some reason. "Keep your panties on ladies. Those two hunks out there are our boyfriends, thank you very much. You'll just have to find your dessert someplace else. You all have a nice day. Ok? Ta Ta, now." The ladies just stared at me red faced and wide eyed.

Sabrina couldn't believe I did that. I couldn't believe I did that. But, this time she was the one with the shocked look and the gaping mouth. I turned to Sabrina and just said, "Close your mouth, sweetheart." We walked out of the restroom and I was beet red as I turned back to Sabrina. "Oh,my God! Where did that come from? And, who was that girl that told those ladies off!?"

Sabrina said, "That girl was you, my dear! You go girl!" Then she gave me a high five.

By the time we got back to the table Sabrina and I were still laughing hysterically. The guys pulled our chairs out for us, and asked what was so funny.

Sabrina said, "Oh, Kelly's just being a little catty."

Our food came and as we ate I finally said, "Sabrina and I have decided to accept your offer, on two conditions. The first is you guys pay for everything, including new dresses if we decide that we need them. IF? Who am I kidding? We need them!" Might as well get a pretty dress out of the deal anyway. "Secondly, Sabrina and I don't have to do anything that we don't want to do. Got it?"

Both guys answered in unison, "Sure, ok, we got it."

We finished our meal, laughed and enjoyed ourselves and got to know each other a little better. I have to admit the meeting and meal went a lot better than I originally thought that it would. John and Zack were both great company, and I also had to admit they were both cute. John thought that it would be a good idea to get to know each other a little more before the Ball and suggested a movie and drinks afterwards on Saturday. Nothing fancy, just very casual. We agreed and Sabrina gave Zack our phone number and address and we went our separate ways.

Sabrina held my hand as we drove back to the office. "See, you had nothing to worry about. I knew something else was going on."

"Oh, please. You can't tell me you weren't a little worried, too."

"Well, maybe just a little. But, if you're going to be such a worry wort, you'll get wrinkles before you're 30."

"I think I'd rather worry just a little bit longer. After all, I just agreed to date a guy that has no idea who I really am. Besides, a little worry is health, I think."

"There's a difference between worry and caution. Use caution to keep yourself out of trouble. But, there is no reason that you can't have fun with this."

"What caution could we have used the day that you called me to help you with your car, and everything that happened after that?"

"Don't be tacky. I think everything happens for a reason. We may not always know what the reason is when it happens, or recognize it as the opportunity that it is, but things have a way of working themselves out. If I hadn't had car trouble that day, we may have worked together for the rest of our lives, not finding each other. Relax, and enjoy yourself."

"I know, you're right. Thank you." I then raise our embraced hands and gently kissed the back of hers.

 

About mid morning on Friday I was just gathering some reports to take to Sabrina when I heard a woman talking to Emily. I could barely hear them and was around the corner, so I could not see her.

The woman said, "I'd like to see Kelly Hart, please."

"Of course. Can I tell Ms. Hart your name, please?"

"Tell him it's his, …, Ms. Hart?"

I stepped to the door and looked at the woman. "Mother! Oh, my god! Mother, I can explain. You see, it really is quite funny, you see, …, oh, dear."

My mother stood there looking me up and down for a few seconds and to her credit didn't bat an eye, but I could see a small smile creep over her.

"Well, Ms. Hart. Is that any way to treat your mother? Don't I get a hug?"

I quickly crossed the few feet between us and hugged my mother. "Emily, would you buzz Ms. Roberts and tell her I'll be a bit late."

"Yes, Ms. Hart." I could tell Emily was about to bust a gut trying to keep from laughing.

"Dear, if there is something you have to do, …."

"Oh, don't be silly, mother, I always have time for you. Please, come in and sit down. You look wonderful, as always."

"I can see you're taking after me more and more, these days. But what I want to know, young man, …, young lady, …, is why I have to hear about your apartment burning down from your sister?"

"I'm sorry, mother. I really did intend to call. I just didn't know how to tell you about all of this." I gestured to my clothing.

"You could have at least called to tell me you were ok."

"Didn't Beth tell you I was ok when she told you about the fire?"

"Yes, she did, but that's not the point, young lady, …!"

Just then Sabrina appeared in the doorway and knocked. 'Saved by the bell, ah, …, knock!' I thought.

Sabrina said, "Sorry, should I come back. Emily told me that your mother was here.

I wanted to meet her."

"Sabrina, please come in. Mother, this is my boss, Sabrina Roberts. Sabrina, this is my mother Gail Hart."

"It's nice to meet you Mrs. Hart."

"Please, call me Gail. I've wanted to meet you, too. My other daughter, Beth, tells me that you helped Kelly out when her apartment burned. Thank you. I would have been more than happy to help her out had I known about it."

"Kelly's so sweet, and she's been a trooper through this whole thing. We've become very close."

"Well, ladies, I don't mean to keep you from your work. I just wanted to see if Kelly needed anything, since the fire. If you can find some time for your mother, I think I'll stay in town for a couple of days, and maybe, get to know my daughter. Is there a hotel nearby that you can recommend?"

"Hotel!? I wouldn't dream of it. You'll stay with us. There is plenty of room, and that will give you and Kelly more time together. Kelly, take your mother out to the house. The other bedrooms are clean, she can have her pick. In fact, take the rest of the day off so you two can have some time to yourselves. The things we were going to go over can wait until Monday. I'm sure you have a lot of catching up to do. This evening when I get off, we'll go out to eat, my treat."

"What a kind offer. Thank you. Are you sure I wouldn't be a bother?" responded mother.

"Of course not. You two go on. I'll see you about 5:30."

Since Sabrina and I had been living together and worked at the same place, it just made sense for us to ride together each day instead of taking two cars. Come to think of it, I guess my car is still at the apartments. I had forgotten all about it since I really hadn't needed it. I rode with mother and showed her how to get to the house. Once we left the parking lot and got onto the main road, I noticed mother stealing glances at me.

"Mother, I know this must be somewhat of a shock to you, or did Beth tell you about all of this?"

"Beth didn't say a thing about this, and she should have. You know you're not supposed to keep secrets from your mother. But I do understand loyalty between sisters. I think you look lovely, by the way."

"You're not surprised to see your son dressed as a woman?"

"Well, yes and no. I always felt dresses would be a bigger part of your life sooner or later. I just didn't know when, or how. Honestly, I'm surprised it took this long."

"How did you know?"

"As much as you used to dress up with Beth, it was a logical progression."

"You knew about me dressing with Beth? Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"I didn't want to influence you. This was something that you had to decide on your own. A sister's influence certainly has an effect on a young impressionable boy, but a mother's influence can make a boy do things he wouldn't do even with his sister. I didn't want to push you into it, or destroy your enthusiasm by making you stop. I wanted nature to take its' course and guide you. So have you made a choice? Is this permanent?"

"I don't know yet. I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do. Oh, turn here. This is Sabrina's place. We can talk more after we get your stuff inside."

We set mother up in the bedroom next to Sabrina's room, which on hindsight may not have been the best move. Sabrina and I would have to keep the noise down now that we had company. I showed mother around the house and set about making us some tea. Gwen came into the kitchen to see what we were doing.

Mother picked her up and said, "This must be the evil arsonist."

"Yes, that's Gwen"

"She does kind of resemble that cat owned by the bad guy in that James Bond movie. So, where do you sleep?"

Good ol' mom. Right to the point. "Sabrina and I sleep together in her room."

"I thought as much. She seems like a very sweet girl. How serious are you two?"

"I think I love her, mother. And, I think she loves me. But not for what I wear, or what I have between my legs. It doesn't matter to her. She cares for me as a person. The person that I am inside. We think sooo much alike. Kind of like Beth and I, but still different. We have a connection that's hard to explain. And when she's close to me, I get light headed. And when she touches me, I melt."

"Ohh! You've got it bad, girl. I was the same way with your father, so I know what you mean. And how's the sex?"

"MOTHER!"

"Ah, don't 'mother' me. I just want to know if I should expect a new grandbaby anytime soon. It would be nice."

"We haven't even talked about marriage yet, not to mention kids."

"That would be nice, too, you know."

"What?"

"A wedding. I would so love to go wedding dress shopping with you."

"Mother, I told you, I'm still trying to decide if this is what I want. I'm just not sure."

"No, I have a feeling that you've already made up your mind. You just haven't acknowledged it to yourself, yet. I can tell you are having a great deal of fun with this and you seem very comfortable. You're natural as a woman. You have a feminine grace."

I blushed at her words. "Thanks, mother. I am having some wonderful experiences that I never thought that I would have. And, it's all coming at me so fast that it is almost overwhelming. Oh! You'll love this. Sabrina and I went to lunch with two cute firemen. And when Sabrina and I went to the restroom, there were two girls that came in talking about the guys we were with, and it pissed me off, …"

"Don't say 'pissed off', dear. A lady doesn't talk that way."

"Sorry, mother, but they were talking about getting some of 'that' for dessert. I don't know why it upset me but I let the women have it. I told them that those guys they were talking about were our boyfriends and they would have to find their desserts some other place. It was so funny."

"Oh, that is precious. I wish I had been there. So, cute firemen, boyfriends? Is there something else I should know about?"

"Oh, no! The guys! I completely forgot. Sabrina and I have dates tomorrow night."

"You mean you and Sabrina are going out together with men as your dates? How did that happen?"

"Mother, it's not what you think. Let me start at the beginning, …"

A couple of hours later and Mother and I were still talking. Just a very wonderful chat.

I had never been this close to my mother my entire life. I really am a very lucky girl.

Sabrina arrived home and we went to a nice Sea Food restaurant. While I was eating my shrimp I told Sabrina that I had forgotten about our dates with Zack and John.

Sabrina said, "I figured you would. I didn't forget. Gail, can you stay the weekend with us? If you wouldn't mind us going out on our dates tomorrow night I'll make it up to you on Sunday. In fact, I have a couple of surprises for us tomorrow and Sunday."

"My curiosity is peeked. Count me in. I could use some "me" time tomorrow while you two are out." Mother replied.

My curiosity was also peeked, "What kind of surprises?"

Sabrina just cocked her head to the side, gave me a funny look and asked, "Now, what is the definition of surprise?"

"Oh, ok! You're no fun."

"I doubt you'll be saying that Sunday afternoon."

We finished a great meal then headed back to the house. Mother was a little tired from her drive up so we called it an early night and went to bed. Sabrina and I were feeling frisky but held it in check because of Mother. Even though I'm a grown man, …, woman, …, person, …, there's still something about not wanting to make love when your mother is right next door. I'm not a prude, really, I'm not. But, there are still some things that mother and I haven't broached yet.

 

I could tell that it was morning from the sunlight spilling through the curtain, right in my face, of course. The clock said 9am but I wasn't ready to surrender my pillow, just yet. I turned my back to the sun-drenched window and pulled the covers up over my head. I reached for Sabrina, but she was already up. I was just on the edge of conscientiousness and sleep when in a matter of seconds, I was startled wide awake.

"GERONIMO!"

"NO, BETH!" I yelled.

Beth came running into the room, flew through the air and landed in the middle of the bed so hard that I was almost knocked onto the floor. Then, with the quickness of Bruce Lee, she attacked me both through and under the covers, tickling me until I lost all control of my breathing. I never was a morning person and this had been a favorite game that Beth and I shared since we were little kids. Sometimes I was the attacker, but mostly Beth attacked me. And we always had to have the traditional 'Geronimo' shout. It just wasn't fair unless you gave that split second of warning. I was squealing like an eleven year old girl on a roller coaster. It's a good thing Sabrina doesn't have close neighbors.

"What are you doing, still in bed on a beautiful Saturday morning, sis? Get your butt out of bed, sleepy-head. Times a wastin', Babygirl."

Beth finally let up enough that I could catch my breath. I sat up in bed still amazed that my sister had surprised me like this. I started to cry and just hugged Beth as tight as I could. After a long hug I looked over and saw Sabrina and Mother standing in the doorway, laughing hysterically. And Mother had a camera taking pictures of the whole thing. Great! First thing in the morning, haven't even gotten out of bed yet, no make-up. I must look like crap! Gota get that camera later.

"Beth, what are you doing here?"

Beth feigned being hurt, "Oh, I get up at 6am, drive 150 miles to see my sister and that's the welcome I get?"

"Come on, you know what I mean."

"Blame it on Sabrina. It was her idea. When Mom came in yesterday, Sabrina got my number off your personnel file and called me to see if we could make it a foursome for the weekend. Well, except for your hot date tonight. Mom and I might just go out trolling while you two are on your dates."

"Ah, don't forget about that rock on your finger, dear. You're a married woman"

"I can look, can't I?"

I got off the bed and went to Sabrina, "You did surprise me. What a wonderful thing to do. Thank you." I wrapped my arms around Sabrina and gave her a long kiss.

Beth spoke up, "Ahem, get a room, you two."

I replied, "We have a room, and you're in it."

Sabrina told me, "Hold that thought, sweetie. Coffee's on, girls, and breakfast will be ready shortly."

I put my robe on, Sabrina and Mother were still in their night clothes, too. "Beth, did you bring Liz?"

"No, sis. This weekend is just for grown ups. Providing we all decide to act our age. Thomas agreed it would be good for us to have this weekend, so he's keeping Liz.. He said to tell you he's sorry about the fire and if you want to sue anybody, he's your man."

"Oh, yeah, the only one I can sue is Gwen, and I can see that headline. 'Law Suit Settled For Hairballs'. Thanks anyway."

We ate a good breakfast and Gwen was the happy beneficiary of a few uneaten eggs and sausages. Sabrina suggested that we dress casual. The other girls all wore jeans and sweaters or blouses. I, on the other hand, wore a skirt. I hadn't wanted pants at all when Sabrina and I had shopped. I was a newborn girl. Why would I want pants? Now, though, I was beginning to rethink that 'No Pants' clause in my self-imposed Girl Contract. Maybe there was a place for them in my blossoming wardrobe after all. I have to admit, I have admired the way a tight pair of jeans can hug and show off a well shaped female butt. I did, however, conform to the denim theme of the day by choosing a cute little denim skirt, paired with a button up peach colored gauze blouse with a tie back at the peplum waist and low heeled sandals.

We all piled into Sabrina's car and she drove us to a small strip mall near downtown and directed us to the Fabulous Finishes Salon. Inside Sabrina introduced us to Stacy, the owner of the Salon, saying that Stacy was one of our clients. When I was introduced, Stacy came out from behind the counter and gave me a hug saying, "Oh, you poor dear. Sabrina told me about the fire. How awful!" Then addressing all of us she added, "Ladies, make use of any and all of our services. Everything is on me. Just don't tell my accountant. She may not approve of me giving favors to my friends. But, this is my Salon and I can do what I want." Then she turned back to Sabrina and gave her a wink.

Stacy turned back to me, "You're right Sabrina, Kelly is very pretty. We can do great things with her. We'll take you first dear, since you will take the longest. Sabrina had some very specific suggestions for you. Nothing too dramatic, though." With that Stacy took my hand and gently guided me past other ladies in various stages of becoming more gorgeous.

This was the first time that I had ventured into a Salon, one of the last bastions of feminine mystic. I had seen over the years that sometimes an ordinary, frumpy looking housewife type person could walk into one of these places, and a few short hours later emerge looking like a starlet. I never understood how that was possible, or thought about what all had to transpire for such an exhilarating metamorphosis to take place. The sights, sounds and mostly the smells were both intoxicating and assaulting. I felt a little light headed and my heart was pounding but I was determined to be the proverbial sponge, soaking up as much of this femininity as I could, and enjoy myself in the process. Stacy showed me to a changing room in the back and told me to strip down to my panties and bra and put on the pink satin robe she handed me. When I had changed I opened the door to find Stacy waiting for me. She took my hand once again and asked, "Ready, dear?" I nodded my agreement and we were off again.

We entered another room and Stacy closed the door behind us. The room resembled a doctor's office more than a Salon, with an examination table in the center of the room. Stacy patted the table and said, "Loosen your robe and sit up here." I did as asked and Stacy slipped the robe down over my shoulders exposing my bra. She gently undid my bra and slid it off me. I instinctively tried to cover my breasts with my hands. Her voice was soothing. "Don't be shy. I see girls every day. Even girls like you. Lay back. We need to remove these forms so your skin can breathe for a while." Stacy worked with a solution that smelled like fingernail polish remover, and slowly but surely she was able to remove my breast forms. When she was done she handed me a pair of foam inserts and told me to put my bra back on and to use the inserts for now. With things properly adjusted and my robe back on we went back out front to a wash station and Stacy began to wash my hair. I noticed that Beth and Mother were being worked on by other stylists. Sabrina was still waiting and watching me intently, smiling all the while.

A young girl, I would guess about my age, came to us and addressed Stacy, "Stacy, I'm free now. Is this Kelly?"

Stacy replied, "Yes, and she's ready when you are. Kelly, this is Annie. She will be working on your nails."

"Hi, Kelly. Nice to meet you." She gave me the once over and added. "You look familiar."

I thought 'Oh, God! She knows me.'

Then Annie said, "Oh, wow! You're that girl whose apartment burned down a while back. I saw your picture from the night of the fire. It was in the paper the next day with the article. No offense, but you looked like you had been put through the ringer. I'm glad you're ok."

Picture … paper?! I hadn't noticed any reporters that night, but then again, I had been a little pre-occupied. "Yes, it was an awful night. I bet we did look pretty bad. Sabrina and I fought the flames ourselves for a while. We were probably a little scorched."

Annie said, "I'll get my equipment and we'll talk some more while I work on your nails."

Annie left us for the moment. I was thankful she didn't know me from some place other than the fire. I looked at Stacy and asked, "Does she …?"

Stacy said, "Relax. I'm the only one here that knows." That certainly helped to ease my mind.

Annie returned with a portable nail station and settled in filing my nails. "That was such a cute top you were wearing when you came in, where did you get it?"

"It's one that Sabrina, my boss, bought me after the fire. It's from Neiman Marcus."

"I wish my boss would buy me something from Neiman Marcus," Annie said, giving Stacy a wry smile and a look out of the corner of her eye.

Stacy smiled and said, "Your boss is right here listening. You haven't had a fire. And it doesn't count if you go home and intentionally burn all your ugly clothes."

While Annie worked on my nails Stacy continued with my hair. She was wrapping small sections of my hair on rods. I had seen this a few times from the outside of a salon looking in but here I was up close and personal.

I don't know why, but for some reason I felt very comfortable sitting there, even in just my panties, bra, and a thin satin robe, and casually talking with the girls about everyday things we all discuss, work, shopping, fashion, men. I was so relaxed that time seemed to go by very quickly. Before I knew it they were finished with me. I was the proud owner of half inch nail tips finished in French tip fashion, matching toes, real diamond stud earrings in my newly pierced ears, compliments of Mother, movie star make-up, and my usually straight mousy blond hair was now a beautiful honey blond with lighter blond highlights with a wavy body and cute bangs.

"Just one more thing and you'll be ready for your date tonight." Taking me by the hand once more Stacy led me back to the clinically laid out room and I lay down on the table and opened my robe again thinking I knew what was coming. But, instead of Stacy producing my old, cheap excuses for breast forms, she showed me a set of amazingly real looking breast forms complete with areolas and nipples.

I said, "My word! What poor woman did you steal those from?"

Stacy laughed. As she fitted me with the new breast forms she explained, "These are the latest and very best prosthetics on the market today. With the special make-up included, the seams will be blended so well nobody will be able to see them, even with an up close and personal inspection." Stacy gave me a wicked smile as she emphasized the words 'up close and personal'. "They're a gift from Sabrina. You can go back to the dressing room and put your clothes back on. We'll see you out front when you're ready."

I went back to the room that my clothes were in and closing the door behind me I let my robe and bra slip to the floor. I stared at the reflection in the mirror, knowing full well that it was me, but at the same time trying to study and memorize the details of every curve and feature of a beautiful woman that I was just meeting for the first time. I touched and caressed my new breasts, and I swear I could actually feel my nipples tingle as my fingers glided over them. Light flashed from my earlobes like fire. The makeup was flawless, even better than Sabrina had done. My hair was so bouncy and bright. My new french tipped nails so brilliantly shiny were set off against the white of my skin. The taste of my lipstick and the smell of the makeup and perfume. All of my senses were in overdrive and I felt intoxicated by life. I didn't want to move because I was afraid that I would never look or feel this good again.

I don't know how long I was there, sometimes staring, sometimes with my eyes closed just feeling. Stacy broke my self admiration stupor with a knock on the door. "Hey, you ok in there?"

"Um, yeah, I'll be right out. Sorry."

With the new hair style, makeup, and new breast, I was feeling good, and, …, a little devilish. I slipped my bra into my purse and finished dressing. As I looked in the mirror you could faintly see my nipples through my blouse. I smiled, took a deep breath and walked out, jiggling as I went. Sabrina, Beth, and Mom were all waiting for me and smiling until I got closer. Then, I could see on Mom's face that she could see my new assets. She went ballistic.

"Young lady, if you think you're going anywhere like that, you've got another think coming. I will not have a daughter of mine running around dressed like a hussy. You go back in there and get dressed properly. I'm still your mother and I can still tan your hide."

Sabrina and Beth stared wide eyed with that look that said, 'I'm glad it's you and not me'. Some of the older ladies in the salon actually applauded Mother. The younger one's seemed to be sympathetic to me as I made my way back to the dressing room with my face beet red.

I quickly dressed 'properly' and went back out front. All the employees and clients watched me as I walked through the shop. Then it happened. The employees and clients began applauding me. But, I knew for the first time in my 'femme' life people weren't staring because anybody suspected that I might be a man. Right then I was the most beautiful woman in the world and I felt like it, too.

Mother said, "Much better, dear, thank you."

"Sorry, Mother, I got carried away."

She just smiled and said, "Uh, huh."

I walked up to Sabrina and although I wanted to do more, I gave her a quick kiss on the lips and a big hug. She looked stunning after her turn in the stylist's chair.

"Thank you for everything. Remind me to thank you properly at home later." I told Sabrina.

Sabrina said, "Oh, don't worry. I won't forget to remind you."

Then Mom and Beth joined in and kept going on about how great I looked. Mom and Beth also looked great, better than I had seen either of them look in years.

"I love the earrings, mother. Thank you, so much."

Mother said, "You're very welcome, dear. I love you."

"I love you, too." Then we hugged.

I turned and hugged Stacy and said, "Thank you so much. If I come back sometime next week can you show me how you worked your magic?"

Stacy replied, "Well, I'll show you some makeup tricks, but that's all. You have to leave that gorgeous hair to my hands. Besides, if I showed you everything, you wouldn't have an excuse to come back and see me."

"It's a deal. My hair is yours. But, I won't need an excuse to come back to see you. I have a feeling we're going to be good friends."

We hugged again and we all said our goodbyes. I never realized how much hugging women do. Must be around the top of the list just after shopping and making love, I mused.

As we left the shop I said, "Sabrina, there's a police supply store over on Jefferson. That should probably be our next stop."

Sabrina asked, "Why would we go there?"

I said, "Well, as hot as the four of us look right now, we may need some pepper spray to keep the guys off of us."

Everybody laughed and Mom surprised us by saying, "Now, why in the world would we want to do that." We all laughed again.

We all piled into Sabrina's car again and headed to Neiman Marcus, The same store that Sabrina had tried to buy out for me the day after the fire. Yes, they had had time to restock, although I'm sure it probably took them the whole next day. When Sabrina and I had been there after the fire we hadn't been looking for formal gowns. I never would have thought at the time that I would have had the opportunity to wear one some place. Now we were on a mission. Four women with a single thought. Find that perfect gown that makes us look like fairy tale princesses. Well, I guess Mom and Beth weren't really looking for themselves, but they sure got into the spirit of things helping Sabrina and I look. We had each tried on several gowns when I heard Mom call.

"Kelly, look at this gown. Try this on. I think it would look darling on you."

Simple words. And yet, words I had wanted to hear my whole life. The wave of satisfaction that swept over me was indescribable. I had been living as a woman for less than two weeks, my mother had only known about my female life for one day. But, she was treating me like I had always been her daughter. I was proudly displaying the diamond studs in my newly pierced ears that Mother bought me and now she had picked out a dress she wanted me to try on. Emotions flooded through my veins and I began to cry. Mother seemed to know the reason for the outburst and held me close as we sat on the bench outside the dressing rooms.

"Oh, it's ok sweetheart. I know this must be overwhelming for you. We'll make it work. And, if you decide this is what you want, then we can have many more fun mother daughter times as often as you like."

"Mother, did you ever wish I was a girl?"

"Oh, Kelly no! I've loved every minute of watching you grow up. We have some wonderful memories that I wouldn't trade for the world. Memories that we probably wouldn't have if you had been born a girl. Remember the time that you brought your pet frog Herman to the Christmas dinner table and hid him under your cousin Connie's napkin. She knocked the mash potatoes on the floor trying to get away, and we had to move her to a different seat because she was so afraid of getting warts. I thought I was going to die laughing."

"Wow! I had forgotten about that. You didn't seem to think it was very funny at the time."

"I thought it was hysterical. I just couldn't tell you at the time. Your Aunt was upset enough as it was. And what about the time you were six and you painted racing stripes on my car with my nail polish because you wanted your friends to think you had a cool mother?"

"Oh, …yeah, sorry about that. I guess I was a handful, wasn't I?"

"You had your moments. But, all those experiences made you unique and helped to mold you into a wonderful, caring man, who is now becoming a wonderful caring woman right before my very eyes. And, I love the fact that you've been able to be both of those people and the same person all at the same time. I've cherished the time that we had with you as my son, and I can't wait for all the wonderful times that we'll have with you as my daughter."

Clean up in 'Ladies Better Dresses', Gail Hart just turned on the 'Water Works'.

Sabrina and Beth had come out of the dressing room in time to hear Mom's last comments and realized that my tears were tears of joy. Beth handed me a tissue.

"Babygirl, you're going to mess up all of Stacy's work and I don't think she'll be happy to have to redo it. You better get happy or do I have to give you a 'Geronimo' right here in the middle of the store?"

"You wouldn't dare!" I replied.

Beth raised an eyebrow, smiled and simply said, "Try me!"

We both burst out laughing. One of the sales lady's came over asking if everything was alright, and Sabrina, Beth and Mom turned and looked at me.

I answered the sales lady's question by smiling and saying, "Oh, yes, I don't know how it could get any better."

I showed Sabrina the dress Mom had picked out for me and went to try it on. Mom has always been very fashionable and elegant and her pick for me was the same. She had found an emerald green halter gown with rhinestone accents. It was quite striking with deep cleavage and a daring back. I was a little surprised that Mom would pick something like that for me. It was definitely sexy but covered just enough that I wouldn't look like a tramp. Of course I bought it. Sabrina found a wonderful white gown with a choker style halter neck that really set off her exotic looks and showed curves that even I didn't know she had. Wow! Beth ended up finding a knee length dress and Mom bought a tailored suit. I even broke down and bought a pair of jeans. Tight and low slung, I had to admit that for pants, they did make my butt look good. I wouldn't wear them tonight, but soon.

**

We took our purchases and headed back to the house to get ready for our dates. Both Sabrina and I chose casual skirt blouse combinations. I wanted to look nice for John but at the same time I didn't want to encourage him. I didn't want him to get the wrong idea about me and think I was really interested in him. John and Zack arrived right on time, both looking, …, well, hot! Zack wore a tight gray turtle neck that show just about every one of his muscles. John was casual chic, with a red pullover shirt and a black leather sport jacket. Mom and Beth hovered around the living room trying to get glances at our dates but we ushered them out to the car without introductions. I mean really, we weren't fifteen any more. The guys escorted us to the car. Zack was driving and he opened the passenger door for Sabrina as John did the same for me. I was only trying to be nice as I slid in to the center of the back seat so that John could slide in as well and not have to go all the way around to the other side. When John got in I realized that put me a lot closer to John than I had wanted at the time. John closed the door and I started to slide further across the seat to put some room between us, but he grabbed my hand, brought it to his lips and kissed it.

"You look lovely, tonight."

"Thank you, John. I like your jacket. You look good in leather."

"Thanks, Zack thinks so, too."

Ah, move in another direction, Kelly. "So, did you have to work today?"

"Nah, today started our days off this week. With this new schedule we're on every other week we get four days off in a row. In three weeks Zack and I are planning a white water rafting trip. You and Sabrina should go with us. It's going to Rock!"

"I don't know, that doesn't sound like much fun to me, getting almost drowned in an icy cold river. What else do you guys do?"

"We like to go to the beach, we surf a little bit."

"I love the beach. Maybe you and Zack could teach Sabrina and I how to surf."

"Could be a plan. Sabrina, have you ever surfed?"

"No, but, I've always wanted to try", Sabrina replied.

"What do you say, Zack? The ladies would like to learn to surf. Think we can teach them?"

"No problem, ladies. Just set a date and bring your suit, …, or not! We know of a nice little clothing optional beach."

Sabrina punched Zack in the arm, and it was almost like he felt it. She smiled and said, "So, this is how it's going to be! We're going to have to watch these two, Kelly!"

We went to a little sports bar for some burgers. It was a little on the loud side with the occasional cheer when the local favorite team made a good play. It also gave the guys the excuse to move a little closer to us so we didn't have to shout to be heard. I found the evening quite interesting. John was so obvious in his attempts to get closer to me at every opportunity. His hand lingering a bit longer than necessary on mine when passing the salt at dinner. Steering us into the middle of the crowd as we stood waiting for the movie to let us inside, so we had to be virtually in each other's pocket. Pushing a stray strand of hair away from my face. Holding my hand as we maneuvered through the crowd 'so we don't get separated from each other', he said. Putting his arm around me in the movie when I happened to mention I was a little chilly. Was I that blatant when I was a guy? Ohhh! That sounded so past tense, didn't it? I didn't even realize that I had leaned into John and put my head on his shoulder while watching the movie, until Sabrina pointed it out to me later.

I really don't know how she had the time to be watching John and I. She and Zack seemed to hit it off quite well. When I would occasionally glance over at Sabrina and Zack, I felt a swell of jealousy. I so wanted to be the one holding Sabrina. But, then, John would squeeze my hand, or plant a single tender kiss on my neck, and I was overwhelmingly content. Before I knew it, the lights had come on in the theater and people were getting up to leave. Our two supposed couples, or was it supposed, left the theater arms tightly wrapped around each other.

We stopped at a little night club for a drink and settled into a booth. There was live music, a quartet, playing mostly easy listening, and sounded pretty good. I was caught off guard as John's hand found my knee. Well, I knew it was going to happen. That's what I would have done. I just didn't expect it quite so soon after sitting down. It wasn't so bad. At least I knew where his hand was and I wouldn't be getting any surprises. I allowed him his slight encroachment. After the second drink his hand began to move ever so slightly, caressing the inside of my leg. Sabrina told me later that she was getting worried. She knew something was happening. She said I closed my eyes, my breathing increased and I sort of went limp. She said I do the same thing when she touches me. Damn this! What is going on? I am not easy! Really, I'm not! Fortunately, I came to my senses when John's hand started to move further up my leg. It took all my concentration to slap his hand and move it to his own leg.

I wasn't paying much attention to the band that was playing. I mean it was good music, but I guess I had zoned out there for a while. Apparently John heard something that he liked because he was up in a shot and pulling me to the dance floor. The oaf didn't even bother to ask me. When we got to the middle of the floor I realized that the band was playing a slow song. As John took me in his arms he explained.

"You're probably too young to remember this song. It's a love song by the Righteous Brother's called 'Unchained Melody', and it's one of my all time favorites. Every time I hear it I just want to hold the beautiful person that I'm with. That would be you, my beautiful lady."

How could I be mad at him? We began to move to the music and noticed Zack and Sabrina join us on the dance floor. As we danced John's strong arms moved from around my waist to one on my ass and one caressing my back and shoulders. I felt so wonderful in his arms and found myself wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him into me. John moved my hair to the side and began to assault my neck and shoulders with tiny little kisses. My breathing became labored and I was lost. The next thing I knew, we were locked in a passionate kiss, our tongues dancing as much as our bodies. Realization hit and I pulled away, chastising him.

"Don't do that again without asking first!"

John looked surprised and said, "Kelly, …, you kissed me!"

"I …, I … did? Oh, god! Look, just shut up and dance."

The next two songs were a little tentative. By the third song we had loosened up again. My head lay on his shoulder. I listened to the music and found myself humming to the ones I knew. A small shiver ran through me as John's fingers teased my ass. As our bodies moved against each other I realized that John was sporting a raging hard-on. Inwardly, I smiled at myself, thinking that I was sexy enough to turn on this beautiful man. Somewhere in this haze I heard the question.

"May I kiss you, my beautiful lady?"

And I heard the answer, "Oh, yes, John."

We kissed, and kissed. It was a ballet of lips and tongues. And even though I realized exactly what was happening, I could not bring myself to pull away from this handsome man. Our reverie was broken when we accidentally bumped into another couple on the dance floor. Then Sabrina and Zack danced by us with smiles and raised eyebrows.

With my red face lighting the way like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, we walked back to our table with our arms around each other. We sat in silence for several moments just holding hands. Well, we were silent on the outside. On the inside I was having a heated conversation with a mad man. ME! 'What the hell do you think you're doing? You can't do this.' 'Why not? We're consenting adults. And he is very handsome.' 'But, he thinks you're a woman! It's wrong.' 'Don't be a hypocrite. Here you are, a man pretending to be a woman, wearing a dress, and being accepted. And you can't accept two men kissing.' 'I'm not a hypocrite. Two guys kissing doesn't bother me, …, as long as I'm not one of them.' 'We're just two friends enjoying each others company.'

'Friends don't deceive each other.'

Even though I was arguing with myself, I knew this was an argument I could never win. It was then that I made the decision.

"John, I have something to tell you. I haven't exactly been honest with you." I spoke mostly looking at my hands in my lap, but glancing up once to see a small grin on John's face.

"You're not going to tell me you're really an alien, are you? Because, I have this rule about dating girls from other planets."

"I'm not an alien, but I'm not exactly what I appear to be either. John, I'm not a woman, I'm a man."

John's grin didn't change but, his eyes squinted a bit, questioning what I was saying.

"I didn't mean to deceive you. Things kind of got out of hand. Sabrina said I should tell you, and she was right. You're a nice guy and you deserve to know the truth." John's eyes began searching our booth, then the room. But, the grin was still there.

"John, what are you doing? I'm trying to talk to you. What are you looking for?"

"The camera. This has got to be a set up. Did Zack put you up to this?"

"John, I'm serious, damn it. I was born a boy. If you don't believe me you can ask Sabrina."

"Oh, so Sabrina's in on this joke, too? Look Kelly, I've been around. I actually know some crossdressers and T-girls, and you're nothing like them. Maybe if you were a little more masculine I might buy it, but, I'm not buying it. All I see is woman." Then John lost his smile. "Oh, I think I see what's going on here. If you didn't want to be with me all you had to do was say so. You didn't have to make up this lame story."

Well, I may be blonde, but I do like to be taken seriously. He pissed me off. How could I make a believer out of him? In the darkness of the booth I reached under my skirt and pulled my panties down and freed my cock. I stared coldly into his eyes, my nostrils flaring. I grabbed his hand and pulled it under my skirt to my waiting cock and watched John's reaction.

"HOLY SHIT!"

Everybody in the bar stopped what they were doing and turned to look in our direction.

I was praying that the booth was dark enough that they couldn't see what was going on because John had not recoiled. In fact he had tenderly grasped my manhood and was gently stroking it. I pushed John's hand away and straightened my panties and skirt.

Sabrina and Zack came to the table and asked if everything was ok. I slid out of the booth on the other side and stood up.

"John seems to think I'm a joke. It's time to go home," and I headed for the door with Sabrina close behind me. I heard Zack ask John, "What the hell did you do?" The guys hastily left money for our bill and met us at the car. Sabrina and I sat in the back and she held me all the way home as a tear rolled down my cheek. Not a word was spoken until I started to get out of the car at the house.

"Kelly, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to upset you," John said.

I didn't look back. I guess Sabrina stayed for a minute to say good night to the guys, and probably try to find out what happened.

As I burst through the front door I saw Mom and Beth in the living room but said nothing as I went straight to my room. They both realized that something was wrong and Mom started to follow me. Beth called her back. I lay on our bed crying and trying to make sense of what just happened. I could hear Sabrina talking to Beth and Mom but I couldn't hear what they were saying. After about ten minutes I heard a soft knock at the door. I didn't answer. Then the door opened slowly.

"Hey, baby girl. Can I come in?" It was Beth. I still didn't answer but I sat up in the bed. Beth came over and sat next to me on the bed. "I made you some hot chocolate."

"Beth, I'm not a little girl anymore, I'm a grown woman, and hot chocolate can't fix everything!"

"What did you just say?"

I wiped my eyes with a tissue. I was confused. "What? Hot chocolate can't fix everything?"

"No, the other part."

"I'm not a kid anymore."

"That's not what you said. You said that you weren't a little girl anymore, you were a grown woman."

"…no …, no I didn't," now even more confused.

"Yes you did, Babygirl."

"Well, hell! Why wouldn't I start to think like a woman? I haven't even seen any of my men's clothes in so long. I mean …, what difference does it make anyway? It's only words!"

"It doesn't make any difference to me, but it's not just words and I think you know that. Do you want your old men's clothes back?"

"…no, …I don't think I would miss them if I never saw them again."

"And how have you felt emotionally since the fire and all this new Kelly started?"

"Well, I guess the best way to describe it is, …, comfortable. You know how I used to always be uptight and jittery? That's not me anymore. I'm more relaxed, more calm. Things just don't seem to bother me like they used to. Even tonight, I had some butterflies before the date, but a couple of months ago I would have totally freaked out even thinking about going out with a guy on a date."

"Ok, let's talk about that. Sabrina told us some of what happened. What was it that John did that made you so mad?"

"Well, I was trying to have this serious conversation with him. I was trying to be honest and tell him the truth about me. He thought I was joking and thought it was funny."

"He thought it was funny before or after he knew the truth?"

"Before."

"So, at least part of the problem was that he didn't take you seriously when he thought you were a woman?"

"Yes."

"Honey, that's just part of life as a woman. That's reality. There are some men that will always think they're better than us. We have to constantly prove ourselves worthy of being taken seriously. Maybe John is one of those men."

"But, it's not fair! We're, …, I mean women are just as smart as they are."

"I know it's not fair. But, that's just the way it is, and apparently that's just something that you're going to have to get used to. So, I take it that another problem was that John didn't believe you when you told him you were a man?"

"Yes, he thought I was playing some huge joke on him."

"Sweetie, why would he think you were a man? Just look at yourself, you're beautiful.

He thought you were a real woman. How is that a bad thing? Take it as the compliment that it is. He was around you all night and not once did he ever suspect that you were anything except a charming, beautiful lady. Isn't that what you want?"

"…, yeah, …, I guess I owe him an apology, huh?"

"Yeah think?"

"But, how is he going to feel about me now that he knows the truth?"

"I think he'll be ok with it. Mom said he was gay, right …?"

"Bisexual, actually."

"Why wouldn't he like you, you have everything he likes?"

"Well, not everything."

"Well, don't assume anything. Talk to him, I'll bet it can be worked out."

"Ok, I'll call him tomorrow and apologize."

"Not tomorrow. Wait until Monday. You don't want him to think you're too anxious."

"Ok. Thank you, Beth. You always know what to say to make me feel better." We embraced and held each other tightly for some time. Without breaking the hug I spoke again.

"Sis, can I ask you one more favor?"

"Just name it, Babygirl."

"Would you reheat my hot chocolate for me?"

We both started laughing.

"Sure. Why don't you clean your face a little and meet us in the kitchen."

"Ok, sis. Thanks."

As I fixed my makeup I watched myself in the mirror. Why was I being so silly. When I was a man I never would have let the little things like what had happened with John tonight bother me in the least. Well, what happened with John tonight wouldn't have happened if I had been a man, but you know what I mean. It was trivial and stupid and yet tonight I had gotten all emotional about it. Women are the ones that get all emotional. Men are strong. Men don't let the little things bother them. Silly things. I was being silly. Maybe I'm more woman than I realized.

Face restored, I joined Beth, Sabrina and Mom in the kitchen for hot chocolate. Sabrina and I told Mom and Beth about our date. We stayed up late laughing and talking just having wonderful girl time. We had planned to sleep-in in the morning, but I had other plans.

 

"GERONIMO!!!" I said as I jumped in the middle of Beth's bed and started tickling her.

Beth is pretty spry when she first wakes up and she gave as good as she got. I got the upper hand and was sitting on top of her tickling her ribs when Mom and Sabrina came in to see what the commotion was about.

"I'm winning! I'm winning!" I shouted. Then Beth hit me with a pillow and knocked me off of her. I grabbed the other pillow and began to fight back. Mom went and got her camera, and Sabrina came with a pillow of her own and joined the fight. My pillow broke when I hit Beth and feathers started flying everywhere. I stopped swinging, worried that Sabrina would be upset, and said, "Oh, Sabrina, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to …" WHACK! Sabrina hit me in the head with her pillow.

"You think I'm going to go easy on you just because your pillow sprung a leak! No way," Sabrina said. So, I started swinging again, albeit, with a somewhat diminished weapon.

We were a sight, three grown women in night gowns jumping up and down on the bed, hitting each other with compromised pillows and feathers flying like a snow storm. After Mom had taken several pictures she finally gave in herself.

"Oh, hell! I haven't been in a good pillow fight since I was a teen," I heard Mom say. Then, Whack! Mom blind-sided me with a pillow of her own. I fought valiantly. Then I remembered the camera. Oh, this is too good to pass up. My mother in a pillow fight! I jumped off the bed and found the camera on the dresser where Mom had left it and I started clicking away. It was beautiful. The three women I love and admire the most right here and acting like children and having so much fun. Talk about a Kodak moment.

I set the self timer, set the camera on the dresser, pointed it towards the action, pushed the button and rejoined the fight. The girls ganged up on me and I soon had to admit my defeat. Sabrina collapsed beside me, snuggling close and spitting feathers from her mouth. Beth snuggled on my opposite side as Mom caught her breath at the foot of the bed. We all lay quietly for several minutes. I found myself drifting back towards sleep and Sabrina kissed me gently on the lips.

Sabrina said, "Can't go back to sleep, sweetheart. Ladies, we have to be downtown by eleven. Casual and comfortable are the orders of the day. We have time for breakfast but it should be light."

I asked where we were going and the only response I got was, "You'll find out when we get there."

**

At about five minutes to eleven we were pulling into the parking lot of a very modern loking chrome and glass building. Mother noted the sign above the door that read simply "Time For You".

"Oh, I've heard about this place," I said. "It's a Day Spa. I never thought that I might go here. Sabrina, what about me? Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Relax. Jackie, the owner, is an old college friend, and I happen to know that she has at least two transgendered ladies working for her. They're very accepting here."

As we approached the front door, it opened and we were greeted by a beautiful woman of about 25 years old. The only way to do justice to a description of her would be to say 'Cover Girl Model Gorgeous'. She and Sabrina greeted each other with a quick kiss on the lips and a hug. I found myself feeling just a slight bit jealous. There was that jealousy thing again. Why am I so jealous? Sabrina introduced the rest of us to Jackie.

Jackie said, "Ladies, welcome to my little piece of heaven. All of our services are available to you. I have taken the liberty of planning the day. If, however, you would like to make changes to the schedule, please feel free to do so. I thought that we would start out with an aromatherapy full body massage, followed by some time in the Jacuzzi. After that we'll break for lunch. After lunch we have an aloe vera and herbal body wrap available and then manicures and pedicures and makeovers with our all natural mineral makeup."

Beth said, "That all sounds wonderful, but we didn't bring any swim suits with us."

Jackie replied, "Not a problem. We are full service. We carry a fair selection of new suits in different styles and sizes. At the end of the day they are yours to keep. Or, if you're adventurous, go buff. It's up to you."

Mom spoke up trying to save me embarrassment when she saw the shock on my face, "Oh, Jackie, I don't think that would be a good idea. This tired old body would scare the hell out of your other guests."

Jackie said, "There are no other guests. On Sunday we are open only by appointment to our very special friends and clients. We are here only for you four today. And I assure you that my girls and I have seen EVERYTHING, and discretion is guaranteed."

Oh, god! Sabrina must have told her about me since she was looking right at me and smiling as she said that. Mom's attempt at saving me embarrassment didn't work. But Jackie did seem sincere.

Then Jackie took my hand and asked us, "Are you ready for the massage of your life?"

Oh, why not. We all answered enthusiastically, and Jackie led us down the hall to separate changing rooms. I was thankful that I wouldn't have to change in front of Mother. Once appropriately attired in spa robes we met in the hall and were led to the massage room. It was a big room with numerous tables and we each had our own masseuse, all lovely ladies in their own rights. We had started our respective massages and I almost missed Jackie come into the room also wearing a spa robe.

Jackie said, "Do you ladies mind if I join you? I like to pamper myself, too."

We all agreed that the company would be nice. Then Jackie dropped her robe, with nothing underneath. It was a race to see which hit the floor first, Jackie's robe or my jaw. I was definitely having some very unladylike stirrings. I quickly turned my head and faced the other direction. And, there was Sabrina. Sabrina on one side of me, Jackie on the other. This was certainly going to be a long day.

I had never had a full body massage before. I didn't know that something could hurt so much and yet feel so great. My masseuse, Vicki, had the hands of an angel. She commented on how tense my muscles were. She suggested yoga to help me relax more. I guess I didn't realize how stressed I had been these last weeks, and how it had affected my body. I could hear the other girls casually talking, but I was in my own little world of bliss.

After about an hour long massage Jackie asked if we were ready to move on. I was feeling great right where I was, but I knew Jackie had promised more wonderful things during the rest of the afternoon. We went back to the changing rooms & found closet doors had been left open for us that displayed extra spa robes and several racks of swim wear. Jackie was right, the selection was impressive. I found a one piece halter top suit in a yellow and blue tropical print in my size and tried it on. I don't care what Jackie said, there was absolutely no way I was going buff. The suit fit pretty well and looking at myself in the mirror, the suit actually made me feel pretty good about myself. I put on the spa robe as a cover-up and went to meet the other girls. This was going to be a new experience as well. I had never worn a ladies swim suit before and I certainly had never been swimming as a woman. I was a little self conscientious. But, then again it was just family, … and Jackie, … and Sabrina. Funny, Sabrina and I had grown so close I had begun to think of her as family, too. We got to the Jacuzzi and started taking our robes off. Beth, Sabrina, and I stopped and looked at each other, or more precisely, our suits and we just started laughing. With all the suits Jackie had for us to choose from Beth had chosen the same suit as me, except in a red and blue print. Sabrina had chosen a bikini in the same tropical print and color as my one piece. Mom just shook her head and smiled. Her suit was a black and white one piece. I half expected Jackie to come out in the buff, but she was wearing something, SMALL as it was. Her suit was a tiny solid white bikini that hid almost nothing. There were those stirrings again. I had to hurry into the water to keep from embarrassing myself. We all relaxed in the Jacuzzi and told each other dirty jokes. And I thought men's dirty jokes were bad. Mom's were some of the more, … colorful. I thought I knew Mom pretty well but she continues to surprise me. I had never known that my mother was so much fun. We began to get a little hungry and decided it was time for lunch.

Jackie guided us to a center courtyard that rivaled a Hawaiian paradise with lush plants and beautiful flowers. There was even a Blue Macaw perched in a small tree. There were a couple of large round tables and on the side, both hot and cold buffet setups. We were treated to things like Pork Tenderloin, and Swedish Meatballs. On the cold side there were low fat selections and a wonderful seafood salad. When we had eaten all we could, Mom said something about so much food left over and going to waist, … (Freudian slip), … waste.

Jackie said, "It won't go to waste. When my guest have had all they want I allow my staff to come in and eat, and you'd be surprised at how much those girls can eat. I don't know how they stay so trim. Although it might be our facilities here. I also allow them to practice our services on each other after hours and when we're slow. I believe in keeping my employees happy. I consider it an investment and it also helps ensure the confidentiality of our guests."

"Wow, do you have any openings?" I said jokingly.

Sabrina gave me a, "Hey!"

Jackie said, "Oh, I haven't had any turnover here in about two years, and that was only because Mary had to take maternity leave."

Beth said, "I can understand your staff's loyalty."

Then Jackie said, "Well, now that we're all full, how about we battle some of those new fat cell with a nice body wrap?"

You didn't need to ask us twice. Body wraps! Another new experience. How to describe it. It just felt weird to me, and I just couldn't get into it. Oh, well. Still it was interesting. Then we went on to manicures and pedicures. Mine was still good from the day before at the salon, but the other girls got theirs done. Jackie suggested that I might like a facial instead. Now, the facial and the massage I could quickly get used to. Then it was makeovers with the spa's own line of 'back to the earth' mineral makeup. I liked that it had no chemicals or dyes. We changed back into our own clothes, tucked our new suits into a tote bag with the spa's logo on it, along with some samples of the makeup they used on us and we headed for the door. When we got to the front entrance we were surprised to see the entire staff there to bid us farewell.

My masseuse, Vicki, spoke up to Jackie, "Ms. Jackie, may I?"

Jackie answered, "You may."

Vicki came over to me and handed me one of the spa's business cards. "On the back is my name and number. If you ever need someone to talk to, about, … things, give me a call. We have more in common than you might think."

I thanked her and gave her a hug then went to Jackie to thank her. She opened her arms so I gave her a hug, too. We all thanked the staff and Sabrina and Jackie gave each other a hug and light kiss on the lips.

On the way back to the house we thanked Sabrina for the wonderful day. I had been trying all day to figure out which of the staff at the spa had not been born a girl as Sabrina had suggested when we arrived. Vicki would not have made my first five or six guesses. She was beautiful. The best part was she wanted to be my friend, and she could really understand what I've been going through. That meant so much to me. I would definitely have to get to know her better.

When we got back to the house there were three messages on the answering machine from John. When we were alone I asked Sabrina just how many peoples she had told

about me.

"Sweetheart, I only told those people that I know for sure wouldn't have a problem with

you and that I thought might be in a position to help you in some way. Please, forgive me."

"I understand. You're forgiven, and thank you."

Mom and Beth had to get ready to leave. Mom had a house to show on Monday and Tom would have to go to work, so Beth would need to be there to stay with Liz. Sabrina invited everybody back for Thanksgiving, but Mom suggested we all go to her house and she would cook the turkey. We all agreed and Beth said she would bring Liz and Tom. We all thanked Sabrina for such a wonderful weekend, and promised to get together more often. Sabrina told Mom and Beth they were welcome back anytime. We said our goodbyes and watched Mom and Beth drive off, then, Sabrina and I both grinned at each other.

Sabrina said, "You told me to remind you to thank me properly."

I smiled and said, "Thank you, properly."

Sabrina laughed and said, "Oh, no! It's going to cost you more than words, Missy."

I smiled and pulled her towards the bedroom, but she wasn't exactly kicking and screaming the whole way.

 

On Monday morning when we arrived at work Emily had already accepted a delivery of flowers from John to me. The card read, "Whatever I did, I'm an idiot. Please forgive me." The flowers were variegated red roses. They were beautiful. I called him.

"Hi, John, thank you for the flowers. They are very beautiful, but I don't deserve them. I'm sorry that I got upset with you."

"Kelly, could we have dinner, tonight? I think we need to talk."

"Sure, I think that would be a good idea."

"About 6:30?"

"Ok, I'll see you then."

I called Sabrina and told her, …, no, asked her if it was ok to go to dinner with John.

She of course said that it was.

**

I wore my new jeans, a tank top and sandals. John took me back to the bistro where we first had lunch. After we ordered we began to talk.

"Kelly, I'm sorry I made you mad, and at the risk of doing so again, what did I do?"

"John, I'm sorry, too. My emotions have really been on a roller coaster lately. I blew things out of proportion. I was trying to be serious. I was trying to tell you something very personal about myself. You thought I was joking around. John it's not easy for me to talk about this side of myself, especially to someone I've only known for a few days. If I'm going to open up to you about this, I want to be taken seriously. I'm an intelligent, college educated woman and I can hold a conversation about most topics as well as anyone. I'm not the proverbial 'dumb blonde'. I just want to be treated as an equal. I shouldn't have reacted like that and I had no right to do what I did. I apologize for that."

"Oh, don't apologize. I enjoyed THAT part." We both smiled and I blushed some, too.

"Kelly, I'm sorry that I didn't take you seriously. I certainly didn't mean to disrespect you and I assure you I wasn't trying to make fun of you. I do think of you as an equal and in the short time that I've known you I can tell that you are an intelligent woman.

I was shocked to learn that you weren't born a woman, but that just excites me even more. You know, you could be my ideal partner."

I blushed again and said, "Careful, Zack will get jealous."

John continued, "Anyway, I hope that we can continue to have a friendly relationship. Are we still on for the 'Fireman's Ball' Saturday?"

"I think we're ok. Sabrina and I found dresses last weekend. They are so sexy. Wait till you see them."

John took my hand in his and said, "You and Sabrina could wear potato sacks and make them look like Versace. You'll be the sexiest ladies at the Ball."

We finished our meal and John took me home. We sat in the car in the driveway talking and kissing like teenagers. When we finally said goodnight, I walked into the bedroom where Sabrina was sitting up in bed reading a book.

Sabrina smiled at me and said, "Well, I don't have to ask how it went. I can see by the state of your lipstick that you two made up, …, or is it made out?"

I started to throw my sandal at her and thought better of it. I crawled up on the bed next to her and gave her a kiss. "Let me go put on a night gown and fix my lipstick and you can help me mess it up again, if you like."

Sabrina answered, "I like."

 

Not much happened over the next week except I got a settlement check from the insurance company. It was way more than I had expected. I decided it was time to have my car again, but with my new raise in pay and my insurance settlement firmly in the bank, I traded in my old clunker and bought a Caddi like Sabrina's, only in a feminine white color. I felt like a princess in a new carriage.

 

Saturday morning rolled around, the morning of the 'Fireman's Ball'. Sabrina and I visited Stacy at the salon again and she performed her magic on me again. While she worked on me she asked about our big dates last week and I told her everything. She laughed hard when I told her how I finally made John realize my true gender. Annie and the other girls were wondering what we were laughing so hard about. I didn't share. I gave Stacy a hug and a big tip when we left.

Getting ready for the 'Ball' sealed the deal. Every time I looked at myself in the mirror wearing the dress my mother had picked out for me, her daughter, my confidence grew and grew. I realized that night that the old Kelly was definitely gone and he wouldn't be coming back, ever, and I wouldn't miss him. I was a lady, now, and I couldn't believe how lucky I was.

John and Zack looked fantastic in their crisp tuxedos. I thought their eyes were going to pop out when they saw us in our new dresses. We got another surprise when we went out to the car. Zack and John obviously wanted this to be a special night. They had gone all out and rented a limo complete with champagne and everything. We had finished the first bottle by the time we got to the 'Ball'. Everyone was dressed very elegantly, although there were a couple of times Sabrina and I looked at each other with raised eyebrows as if to say 'can you believe she wore that'? The night was truly magical, just like a fairy tale, and I'm sure that's what Zack and John were hoping for. The Prime Rib was the best I've ever had, the band was great, and the company was just right. Before the night was over I had kicked off my heels and John and I danced with me in my stocking feet. We stole kisses occasionally throughout the night and I noticed Zack and Sabrina doing the same.

Towards the close of the evening John and I were locked in a passionate embrace and when we broke, he asked me to come back to his house with him, and I quickly agreed. As I was gathering my heels and purse I stopped to think what I was doing. I caught Sabrina's eye and she seemed to instinctively know what I was thinking. She smiled at me and waved her hand to say 'go on' and she mouthed the words 'have fun'. I smiled back at her and blew her a kiss and John and I left holding hands. We left the limo for Zack and Sabrina and we took a cab to John's place. John was tender and gentle and made love to Kelly, the woman that night, …, several times.

Sunday morning John took me home and we had brunch with Zach and Sabrina before John and Zach left. Once we were alone Sabrina smiled and simply asked, "Well?"

I said, "Well, what? We made love, ok. No big deal. I don't want to talk about it."

Sabrina was disappointed that I wouldn't 'kiss and tell', but she left me alone.

I think she knew I had a lot to think about. We finished the rest of the day like nothing had happened, cuddling on the couch with a glass of wine, and later making love before falling asleep in each others arms. Monday morning I was up before Sabrina and she found me in the kitchen drinking coffee still in my night gown.

"Kelly, are you alright?"

"Yes, I'll be ok. Would you mind if I take the day off? I don't think I could get much done today. I still have a lot to think about."

"Sure, sweetie. We can manage without you for one day. You stay home and relax."

Sabrina got ready and left for work and left me to my thoughts. I kept thinking back to my night of passion with John. How sweet he was and how he treated me as his girlfriend, his real girlfriend, and a real woman. He made love to me as he would a woman. And it was wonderful. And yet, there was Sabrina. I felt like I was cheating on both of them at the same time. I learned by example and Mother was always monogamous and I felt that I should be, too. But, I was torn between two lovers. Which one is my one true love? I knew I would have to make a choice. I knew that I would never be comfortable dating more than one person at a time. I am a traditional girl with traditional values. It's my core, and I don't think that will change anytime soon. I agonized over my dilemma most of the day, even forgetting to eat lunch. By early afternoon I had made my decision. I knew what I must do.

I went in and turned on Sabrina's computer. I wanted to organize my thoughts, I wanted to choose my words very carefully. How do I tell my lover we cannot be together sexually without destroying the great friendship that we have built. I didn't want to hurt anyone.

Dearest Lover,

I know that I can never repay you for the wonderful experiences that you have given me. You have helped me understand what I truly want in life more than anything else in the world. To be a woman. You have treated me as the woman that I am, and given me experiences that I never dreamed were possible for me. You have helped me become the woman that I am now, and I will always be grateful to you for that and for the love that you have shown to me. So, it is with a sad heart that I must tell you that although I hope that we can continue a friendship, we can no longer be lovers. My heart belongs to only one person, and I feel that I must be faithful to my one true love.

I took a break trying to collect my thoughts. I went and took a nice long bubble bath and made sure my body was silky smooth. After drying off I dusted with a perfumed talc. I chose the sexiest lingerie, a matching set of black satin and lace panties, bra, garter belt, and slip. I wanted to exude femininity since I would later present myself to my one true love. I did my makeup feminine but subtle, the way Stacy had taught me. I put on a very light silk dress in red, very flowing with short flutter sleeves. I slipped into my black patent four inch heels. My jewelry included my new diamond earrings that Mom had bought me, of course. A little perfume, and I grabbed my purse and left the house in my new car.

When I returned about an hour later Sabrina's car was in the garage. I found her sitting on our favorite place in the house, besides the bed, the couch in the den that we always cuddle on. Her eyes were red and her face was streaked with tears.

"Sabrina, what's wrong, sweetheart? Why are you crying?"

"Kelly, …, what, …, what are you doing here?"

"Well, last time I checked I lived here." I sat down beside her and took one of her hands. She was holding a small box in the other hand but I didn't pay any attention to it.

"But, …, I thought you left me."

"Sweetie, why would you think that?"

"I saw the message you left me on the computer."

"Oh, my god!! Sabrina, I am so sorry about that. I forgot that I left that up. Sweetheart, that message wasn't for you. I was trying to organize my thoughts for what I wanted to tell John. I told John this afternoon that we could not be lovers any more, because you are the one that I truly love, you are my one and only true love, you are my soul mate and the one I want to spend the rest of my life with."

"Really, …?"

"Really!"

We threw our arms around each other and kissed and hugged.

"Oh, Kelly, I was so upset. I thought I had lost you to John. I love you so much. In fact I bought this for you last week but I wasn't sure when I should give it to you. I didn't want you to feel pressured." Sabrina showed me the small box she had been holding and handed it to me.

"What is it?"

"Open it and find out."

I slowly opened the box and my eyes beheld an exquisite diamond engagement ring that had to be at least three quarters of a carat. My hand went to my open mouth and my eyes began to mist. Sabrina took the box from me, took the ring out and placed it on my finger.

"Kelly, will you be my wife?"

"OH, YES! YES! YES!" I threw myself into her arms and we kissed with renewed passion. I stopped and looked deep into her eyes and asked, "But, you will be my wife, too, right?"

"Absolutely, I wouldn't have it any other way, Sweetheart."

After several long passionate kisses Sabrina asked what John had said.

"John understood. He is still committed to Zack and he doesn't want a wife, so we agreed to stay friends and we can continue to be a couple in public, but no sex."

"That's wonderful. I'll make the same arrangement with Zack. I think it's great that we can all still be friends. I love you, Kelly."

"And, I love you, Sabrina. Thank you for making me the happiest girl in the world."

 

Conference call later that night.

"Hi, Mother, Beth. There's no big hurry just yet, but I was wondering when we could get together to shop for a wedding dress. Sabrina and I are getting married."

The joyful squeals on the other end of the phone almost deafened me.

 

The End

  

  

  

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