Stand in for Irene

Janet L. Stickney

JanetLynn17@Hotmail.com

 

When she asked me I was dumbfounded, and struck dumb as she quickly explained what she wanted me to do, then as I listened to her, I had a fleeting thought. I was wondering if I could do what she wanted. But that idea quickly faded away as I realized just how stupid it was.

"You owe me! You can't say no! Besides, you and I both know that you'll be a woman some day! Think of it as your best challenge ever!"

"Yeah" I told her, "and I get to be the prize at the end! I can just imagine how that'll turn out!"

Well, I let her explain it to me again without interrupting, still thinking she was out of her mind. When she was done, she left, telling me to think about it. Standing up I straightened out my skirt and walked to the hall mirror and looked at myself. Brown hair going blond, blue eyes, about 5'10" in heels, a fair figure courtesy of the waist cincher and the breast forms, and a clearly feminine face. I had been born with a face that was more feminine than not, lacking the hard jaw line most guys have, a button nose and with lipstick, a cupids bow mouth. My breasts weren't too large or small for my frame, an adequately full A cup, half mine, half breast form. What my sister wanted of me seemed crazy, yet the more I thought of it, the more I wondered if I could do it. She had been right about one thing, it would be the challenge of my life. If it went badly, the worst event in my life.

After a few moments I grabbed my purse and went to dinner. Expecting to enjoy my dinner out I was disheartened by the thoughts that simply would not let go of my mind, so I quickly finished my dinner and left. I drove the few miles to my sister's, rang the bell, and was admitted by her boyfriend Wally.

"Hi Wally".

"Yeah, whatever. You better come in I guess."

When Shelly saw me, she ran over and gave me a hug, then the two of us went outside to talk.

"You really have to get rid of him Shelly, he's an asshole first class."

"He's still angry because of that time he hit on you. He didn't find out who you really were until later, and he's been angry about it ever since."

"Shelly, didn't we all go to high school together? The guy is just plain stupid, and you know it!"

"Yeah, I know that now, but the sad part is that he doesn't know it. I was planning on telling him it was over pretty soon anyway, but now that you're here…"

"Oh no! You wait until I'm gone, or he'll think I talked you into it!"

"Have you thought about what I asked?"

"I'll let you know tomorrow. Why don't you come over about ten? We'll have a small brunch."

I left by the sidewalk to the street and went home, hoping that my sister would get rid of Wally. He was a bully, and to stupid to comment on to boot. Our mutual dislike went all the way back to the time he cornered me at a party and tried to hit on me. I refused his offer of course, but later when Shelly told him who I really was, he got really angry and stomped off. Later, somehow he and Shelly got together, and ever since then I've been trying to break them up. I've been dressing as a girl since I was a little kid, only going out after Shelly found out and started helping me. I was 15 at the time, and with each outing I became more and more convinced that being a girl was right for me, which is why, after some cajoling from Shelly, that I bravely went to several parties as a girl. Still in high school, Shelly helped me get ready, then I went as her guest. The first time was really scary for me, but nobody seemed to recognized me, so I went to other parties with her and became known among her friends. Thankfully nobody ever put it together and decided I was a guy, someone they already knew. It wasn't until I was ready to leave for the second party that our mom saw me. I was wearing a very nice mini dress with tasteful heels and modest makeup, my hair in a bun when mom demanded to know what was going on, so we all had a sit down and talked about my being dressed up.

Mom was shocked at the way I looked of course, but did admit that I looked just as good as Shelly, and let me go to the party without a lot of hassle. The next morning however mom wanted to know exactly what was going on, and why, in a whole lot more detail. My hair was down, I wore jeans and a tee, and I didn't have any makeup on. Only the bra with my breast forms in it to signal my desires. I was 17 at the time, all of 5'7" tall, about 120 pounds with long dark brown hair. The differences between my sister and I were slight since she was almost the same size. She stood 5'6" and weighed about 110. I had been certain that mom knew about my dressing up, which is why I couldn't help but wonder why she wanted to know what was going on, so I asked her.

"Mom! How couldn't you know!? I mean, Shelly and I have been going out together for…two years now! I thought you knew but didn't care!"

"Claire" Shelly said, "mom never saw us together."

"Claire? That's what you call yourself?"

"Yeah" I said, "Claire Michelle to be more accurate."

"So, you've been going out like that for two years?! I knew that you used to like playing dress up, but I never thought…I didn't realize…." Mom sighed, then, "I guess I can't stop you now, can I? I mean, if you're going out, even to parties, a lot of your…friends only know you as a girl?"

"Some" I said, "not all."

After that short talk, mom told me to get dressed, so I went to my room, put on some makeup, and changed my studs for hoop earrings and added the padding on my hips. I put my hair in a ponytail, put on some lipstick and went back to the kitchen dressed virtually the same way, changing just a bit. Mom was thoroughly stunned, but told me not to bother changing clothes, so I remained dressed as Claire. Shelly and I helped her with the housework just like always, then flopped on the couch, ready for a shower. But mom had other ideas, telling Shelly and I that she just had to see for herself how I managed in public, telling us that the three of us were going to dinner together, a woman and her two daughters. Shelly wore a very nice skirt and blouse while I wore a tea length skirt with a blouse and jacket. Watching me, I knew that mom could see for herself that I was accepted for what I appeared to be, her daughter, and saw the unfamiliar look of resignation on her face. After that night out mom never said another word about my dressing up, although I didn't mash it into her face either. Shelly and I graduated in June, then she took a job in a law office while I found work at an advertising agency. They called me an "administrative assistant" but what it really meant was that I was a glorified gofer with a title.

Still living at home, Shelly and I would go out together often, but I kept my dressing up away from work, unwilling to take the chance of being fired, which worked until Shelly and I were in a small dress shop and my boss Janice walked in. She took one look at me, saw my eyes go wide I guess, or I did something else that gave her a clue; whatever it was, she figured out who I was. Since I was wearing a short skirt and a thin top, there couldn't have been any doubt that I wanted to dress as a woman, but she never said a word, until I was called into her office on Monday.

"You looked quite stunning, beautiful to say the least, the other day at the dress shop. But the reason I asked to see you, I'm wondering if you might like to work for me in a situation that's a bit higher on the organization chart."

I ignored her comment about seeing me, since I didn't want to know how she recognized me, especially after I went through high school without anyone knowing. "Doing what?"

"Did you know that my last three secretaries all quit because they got pregnant? Frankly, I'm getting tired of training a new girl all the time, and now that Marcie is pregnant and has told me she's leaving, I have an opening to fill. What I really need is a girl that isn't going to get pregnant on me, someone that is planning on staying, and someone that can run this office when I'm gone."

"You want me? But you just said…" Then the light came on. I'll admit I'm not the brightest bulb in the pack, but I get there eventually. She wanted me to work for her, but as a girl!

"I see you understand" she said sitting down. "It will mean a hefty raise of course, and as things go along and you become accustomed to how I do things, bonuses as well."

"Why can't I do it the way I am now?" It was a good question, so I asked.

"I know" she said softly, "that it is politically correct to set aside gender and base all decisions on ability, however, having a female secretary is virtually mandatory for me. I handle all of what we call the "feminine accounts" which includes things like sanitary pads, body lotions, some swimwear and so on. Since we have so many models coming in here, some of whom will partially undress, having an extra male around just makes them edgy and tense, which doesn't do them or us any good. From long experience we know that, so we never have men, except for the photographer, in or around the office when they are here. But at the same time, I always need a secretary with me, ergo, the need for a female." She smiled at me and waved her hand at a chair, so I sat down. "I'm assuming of course that dressing as a woman full time wouldn't be a problem for you, and also that you can keep things under control."

I knew what she meant by that. I was after all a guy, and she wanted to make sure that seeing a mostly naked girl wouldn't cause me to embarrass myself. The thought of being able to dress full time was tempting since I had dreamed of it for as long as I could remember, yet I had never tried it, and didn't know if I could do it. The longest stretch I ever had as a girl was that week we were off just after mom found out. I looked at her trying to find signs of deceit on her face.

"What shall I call you?"

It was my moment of truth. If I told her, I would be agreeing to her job offer. "Claire" I told her.

"Okay! I want you to take the rest of the day off, then report to me in the morning. I'll expect proper office wear of course. I'll take care of the paperwork, and tomorrow you'll start here as Claire…"

"Michelle. Claire Michelle" I told her, and she nodded her head.

That night I told mom what had happened, how big the raise was, then told that if she said no, I wouldn't do it. She didn't even hesitate when she told me that I might as well take the job, seeing as how I was always coming home and changing into a skirt anyway! Over dinner I told Shelly, who simply grinned at me, telling me that she knew it would happen some day anyway. Then Shelly told mom and I that she had found an apartment and planned on moving within a week. Mom took that news well enough I guess, and that night Shelly gave me a lot of her clothes, most fit me and not her, and I set out what I was going to wear the next day. I looked as good as I ever did when I walked into the office, wearing the hunter plaid skirt and jacket with a plain blouse and low heels, my hair done in a basic flip.

Marcie wasn't at her desk, so I knocked on the door and went in. Janice saw me and smiled, then paged Marcie, telling her to show me the ropes. Marcie was leaving that Friday, so I had to learn everything I could in just five short days. Marcie was very pregnant, as in her delivery date was only ten days away, so she made a serious effort to show me everything she could. That was a very exciting day for me, but the next day turned out to be eventful when I saw an old friend of Shelly's walk by. He only knew me as Claire, so I wasn't worried, not even when he said hello. That drew some remarks from Marcie, but nothing I couldn't handle. Then he came back and asked me out to lunch. I hesitated, and drew an elbow from Marcie, so I said yes, and went on my first date, such as it was. I had not let myself be drawn into dating when I was in school for fear that my secret would get out, but a lunch seemed innocent enough, and that's why I said yes.

Doug was single, a year older than I was, and just starting his career as an ad salesman. That's why he was in our office. He was looking for a job. I might have been able to help him, maybe, but I didn't say anything, unwilling to test my new relationship with Janice. That night when I got home I found a note from Shelly. She had moved out. I had her address and new phone number. Going to my room to change I found mom.

"I was just straightening up. Shelly left quite a bit of stuff for you."

I said "Thanks mom", then slipped off my jacket and skirt, grabbing a pair of jeans to put on.

"Shelly's boyfriend Wally moved in with her. Did you know that?"

"No! She didn't say a word to me mom!"

"I don't like him Claire; he has a mean streak that I don't think Shelly sees."

"I'll talk to her mom."

I called Shelly at work the next day, told her how mom and I felt, but she didn't see it our way and hung up on me, angry that we couldn't see what she called "his inner light". Marcie left on Friday and I took over her job, comfortable in my new position as both a female, and a secretary. Whatever Janice did with the paperwork, when I got my first check it was made out to Claire, which I couldn't cash, since that wasn't the name on my checking account. Mom fixed that when she suggested that I add "Claire's" name to the account, joint with myself! It was so easy that I wondered why I didn't think of it! At the bank the next morning, with mom standing next to me, I did just that, ordering new checks in just "Claire's" name at the same time.

As the weeks rolled by I became very comfortable as a woman, spending four hours a week having my beard removed plus having my nails done once a week. Typing was hard on my nails it seemed. Almost all of my male clothes had been first relegated to the back of my closet, then as my wardrobe began to grow, into Shelly's old room. Mom, while still wondering why I wanted to be a girl, never said much, but once in a while I would catch her staring at me, which told me she was still confused about it. But we managed to find a way to cope with those little irritants that pop up, like the time she saw me wearing just panties. I had been taking birth control pills since high school, and while they didn't do a lot at the time, I had eventually filled out in the bottom, developed a small breast, and no longer had any body hair. Since I was only lightly padding myself, you can imagine what mom said when she saw the way I filled out the panties and had breasts. I quickly covered up, but the damage was done, although she and I never spoke of it. Later I went to see a doctor and was prescribed the right medication to help me grow a bit faster.

Just after that Shelly called and told me what she wanted. I went to dinner, then to her apartment, which is when Wally and I came face to face again, and I later told her what and asshole he was. Agreeing with me, then telling me she was going to toss him out, she told me about Irene.

"Irene made all of those arrangements, then she went and broke her leg in four places, and she'll be in a cast, then a brace, for almost a year, so now she can't go! She asked me to help her find someone to fill in for her, and the first person I thought of was my baby sister!"

"Tell me again" I asked, "just what this is all about. It's some kind of dinner dance?"

"Well, yeah!"

"You're hiding something Shelly, I could always tell, remember?"

"Okay, okay! It's just like I told you. That singles club she belongs to is having a huge dinner party, fancy gowns, tuxedos and all that. It's just that Irene doesn't know who her escort will be. That was done by a blind draw! That means that the guy hasn't seen her either!"

"I'm not going anywhere as that ditzy broad Irene, that's for sure Shelly! She hasn't had all of her oars in the water since high school! Say I did agree to go, and I'm not mind you, why can't I just be myself?"

"That's the idea! You won't be going as Irene, you'll go as yourself, only…"

"Only what?"

"She went out and bought this fantastic dress, and wants you to wear it."

"And?"

"She is also one of the girls that volunteered to help get the guys in the mood so to speak."

"Yeah" I told her, "and I get to be the prize at the end! I can just imagine how that'll turn out!"

"I told her I didn't think you would do that, but if you want to fill in for her anyway…"

"Why don't you do it?"

"I can't Claire, I'll be out of town that weekend, or I would! It's supposed to be one of the biggest and best parties in town!"

"When is it, and what if her dress doesn't fit me?"

"Don't worry about that, you have almost six months to get ready, and we can have the dress altered to fit if we have to. Besides, you will have filled out more by then, and the dress will look even more spectacular!"

The next day Shelly and I went to see Irene, and I got my first look at her dress. It was gorgeous, no doubt about it! Like a wedding dress, it was all white, with a low cut sweetheart neckline, a fitted bodice and a full, flowing skirt that needed at least six petticoats to hold it up! Lace and satin, the dress was sleeveless with a vee cut back. It looked small to me, but Shelly helped me try it on, and managed to get it zipped up. Shelly and I both knew that with a little dieting and a corset I could fit into the dress a little better, the only question was, would I fill in for Irene. With the sponsor being a singles club, the sole focus was letting people meet for the purpose of dating, maybe more, like marriage. I didn't think I would mind dating, but there wasn't any way that I could get married, since I wasn't really a woman. But, it did seem like it would be a fun night, so I finally said that I would do it, and went home with the dress in the backseat of my car.

Mom helped me get the dress on so she could see it, then helped me get it off. Once I was dressed again…

"You know of course that is a wedding dress don't you? Are you sure they told you everything?"

"Just how could they possibly think they could marry me off to some guy I don't know, especially since…"

"You're not really a woman, not yet anyway, right?"

"Right!"

In the next two months my beard was completely removed, and my breast size had swelled to almost a B cup, which is when I went shopping with Shelly and mom for just the right lingerie to wear with the dress. It had to be white of course, lacy with satin, and certainly sexy, plus it had to hold me in so the dress would fit better. We went to Vicky's Closet where I picked out what I thought I wanted, then had to endure trying them on with my mom and Shelly watching! When we left the store I had a pair of white satin panties, a white garterbelt, and a white corselet. I also had bought three new bras because I had grown so much. We dropped Shelly off, then went home where I went to my room, shut, then locked the door. Essentially, I had the body of a girl my age, only one thing stood in the way of making it true. While I had always tucked things away, and I never had any trouble, once in a while I would experience severe pain if I sat down at just the wrong time or the wrong way. If I was alone it was okay because I could fix it, but at work, that wasn't always possible, which is why I decided to finally do something about it. If I was going to wear that beautiful dress and all that sexy lingerie, I wanted to look as much like a girl as possible, even if nobody was going to see that I was a male, or what I did to hide that fact. Once I was naked I took out the small box of things that I had collected, plus the instruction sheet I had downloaded from a site on the Internet.

Working with a mirror was very tough until I figured out what I was doing. As I tried everything first I realized just how hard it would be to do it myself, and understood why the instructions suggested having someone else do it for you. I could make myself look okay, but I couldn't hold everything in place and use the glue at the same time. Realizing that I would have to have help I wondered if mom would help me, then, if I could let her. I certainly wasn't going to ask Shelly, but the doctor would cost money I didn't have, which left mom. Rather than ask her right then I decided to approach her first, then, if she said yes, I would show her what I had. I got dressed, not saying a word.

At work things were going very nicely, and Janice never said a word about my true status, not even to me. I found out that Doug had been hired, and saw him a few times, just to say hi and nothing else, but the other girls all thought he was sweet on me, and wanted to know all the gory details, of which there weren't any. Of course, they didn't believe my wide eyed denials. As the day of the party grew closer, I gathered up the nerve to ask mom to help me, explaining what I wanted her to do, showed her the instruction sheet and almost told her why, but she told me she already knew why. The only question was would she do it. Mom read the instruction sheet and without a word stood up and motioned for me to follow her. In my room I stripped and lay down, then mom went to work, It took her about half an hour, then she told me to stand up. The familiar stress that I usually felt was gone, replaced by a flatness covered by a tuft of hair that made me look like a girl all over.

"You'll have to try the bath to make sure everything works right honey. If it doesn't I have the solvent and we can redo it. I'll be downstairs."

Everything worked just like it was supposed to, and for the first time in my life I looked like a girl, even when I was naked. As I got dressed a thrill fell over me like I had never experienced before, and just knowing that I could go and do anything any other girl could do, was like having a tremendous weight lifted from my shoulders. Mom and I never talked about what she had done for me, but our relationship had taken another turn, one that made us closer than ever before. I had become her daughter rather than being her son wearing a dress and looking like a girl. Two days later we had a bunch of models in for poses and try outs when I was asked to join them.

"Claire" Janice said softly, "one of the girls didn't show up and we need someone to fill in. Would you mind?" In a whisper only I could hear…"Can you do this? Without…problems?" In her hand was a tiny little red and white striped bikini that had stars on the bra cups. "It's just for the blocking and so on, so the photographer can get a sense of what the client wants."

"I'll do my best" I said to Janice, then took the bikini from her.

With the bikini in hand, I went behind the curtain and slipped in on, then walked out barefoot. Since there wasn't any sign that I was a male, I heard Janice suck in her breath, then the photographer posed me the way he wanted and began to shoot a series of pictures. Just at the end of the shoot Janice asked him to do several of just me, which he did, then I put my own clothes back on and he took a few more. Janice and I walked back to her office, each of us silent in our own thoughts. I was ecstatic that I was able to wear the bikini, but I knew that Janice wondered if I hadn't been pulling her leg all along. I never said a word and went back to my office, prepared to continue my work. The photographer called and said he would drop off the pictures, adding that he would make copies for me. I got them the next morning about ten. As I flipped through them I was surprised to see that I didn't look to bad, a lot better than I thought I would anyway.

I showed mom the pictures which caused her to sigh, but she did say I was just as pretty as the other girls. She didn't hand me back the pictures I noticed. I think she started an album. I had one week before the big event that I was filling in for Irene. Mom had made some minor alterations to the dress to make it fit better, I had an appointment at the salon for the morning of the event, and felt really good about how I looked in the dress. Shelly and I had dinner with mom that night which is when she told us that Wally was history. Then mom showed her the pictures of me in that bikini.

"Holy cow! Damn girl! You look fantastic! But…is there something I should know?"

"Like what?"

"Like…I don't see any bulges where girls don't have them, so…"

"Well yes" mom said, "something was done, but not what you think, and obviously, it worked out just fine for Claire."

"I'll say! Damn girl, you have a great figure! What have you been doing to get a figure like that? I think I'll have to try it too!"

"I watch what I eat, I go to the gym on Tuesday's and I walk a lot."

I had become a girl in every way but one, and that was no longer a problem. My weight had dropped to a svelte 115, and I didn't look like the old me in any way. I had virtually become a woman, and no longer worried about any discovery, and having Shelly comment on the way I looked made me feel as if I were just as much a woman as she and mom were. We had a nice dinner, then Shelly went home.

"Claire?"

"What is it mom?"

"Have you thought about completing your…transition?"

"It's expensive mom. I've thought about it, but in order to have my medical pay for most of it, I need to be on the payroll for at least a year."

"Shouldn't you be thinking about changing your name? I mean, why not?"

"Yeah, I thought about it, I just haven't got around to it yet."

"I'll call Charley tomorrow and let him get things in motion. You'll have to appear in court I would imagine, but it shouldn't take long, and I'm thinking that you want this done before you attend that big party. I mean, what if you meet someone?"

"Yeah! But what do I have to offer some guy? A hug?"

"That's a very narrow minded view and you know it Claire! You are a wonderful girl, and I'm sure that you'll meet someone, if not at the party, but someday, and if I remember right, courtships can last several years, right? And if I'm not mistaken, that's more time than you need to become a complete woman!"

Meeting someone, dating, intimacy, all part of becoming a couple, were not on my list of things to do. I'll admit that I have a fantasy about meeting someone then becoming a wife, but it was a fantasy, nothing that I felt I could pursue. But when I went to bed that night I ran my hands over my body, feeling my breasts, narrow waist and swelling hips, then the flatness in my groin. I was desperate to find relief, but had yet to try manual stimulation, certain that it was a lost cause. As my finger traced through the tuft of hair it hit something, the tip of my manhood. Not having touched it for weeks, that one touch sent waves of mind bending exhilaration through me. I tried it again and got the same results, which led me to find that relief I needed. Unsure why it happened like that, I planned on asking the doctor on my next visit, but in the mean time, I would simply enjoy the pleasures I had discovered.

Janice didn't say much about my being able to wear that bikini, her only comment was that I looked outstanding in it. About two that afternoon our attorney Charles called and told me to be in court at eleven the next day, so made arrangements to be away at that time. It didn't take long at all, especially after the judge asked me to stand up. He took one look at me and signed the paper legally changing my name, and within the hour I had four legal copies in my hand. When I got back to work I gave one to Janice who said that she would take care of it. On Friday after work I changed into all of my new lingerie, then mom helped me get the dress on for one last final fit. It was the first time I wore everything, and I have to say that I felt like a Princess. The tiny baby blue bows attached to the chiffon overlay skirt gave me a sort of fairy tale look, but the corselet made me feel like a woman.

"This came for you today."

I opened the letter and found the invitation, and a letter that told me the name of my escort and his picture. It was Doug! I showed mom his picture, then she helped me get undressed. In the morning I left for the salon early, knowing that it would take them several hours to make me beautiful, and I was right. I had asked for waxing, so that's what came first. As the strips were yanked away and my skin became hairless, I lay back and smiled to myself. This was the treat that I had always promised myself, and I was going to enjoy it no matter how much it hurt! My arms and legs were done first, then my eyebrows, and finally, when I opened my gown, my groin was trimmed in what they delicately called a bikini trim. That hurt like hell! My hair was trimmed then done in a bun with tendrils of hair falling down between the ringlets. It's called a Gibson, and made my neck look long, smooth, and very feminine. My makeup and nails were done, the makeup so tasteful that it didn't look like I had very much on, yet made me look wonderful. My nails were lengthened and done in a soft pink metallic with several coats of clear over that. It cost a fortune, but it was worth it.

I had a small lunch, then took a long bubblebath, using the lotion to help my skin recover from the waxing. It was almost four in the afternoon before I started to get ready. The high cut satin panties lay on the bed as I wrapped the corselet around myself, fastened the hooks then tightened the laces, making my waist a very nice 24 inches. The hose were next, then the panties. I settled my boobs so they sat higher in the bra cups, then mom and I once again got the dress on me. It was a heavy dress, but I loved it! Then came the petticoats, and finally my shoes, which were a soft blue to match the tiny bows on the skirt. My only jewelry were a pair of small pearl earrings surrounded by rhinestones and a matching single stone droop necklace. The stone was centered between my breasts, just below the notch of my throat. Perfume and soft red lipstick completed my getting dressed. Mom handed me the small clutch bag, then opened the door for me. I was very careful when I walked down the stairs, not wanting to fall down and end up like Irene. I went in the familyroom expecting to wait there, but…

"God you're gorgeous!"

Right there in front of me stood Irene and Shelly, both dressed in ball gowns like I was! "Irene? I thought that you had a broken leg! I saw the cast myself! What's going on here?"

"Claire" Shelly said, "this was all my idea. We…I, set you up. If I didn't, you would never have just agreed to go, so I had to do something, didn't I? Anyway, Doug has had a crush on you since he first met you when we were at Carolyn's for that party; but being as shy as he is, and since he didn't think he was good enough for you, he never called you. But he told Freddy, Irene's brother, and she told me. When Irene told me about this party, I knew it was the perfect opportunity for you and Doug to get together, so…"

"But a broken leg?"

"That was to get you to take the dress dummy! I told mom what was going on, then she and I went out and bought the dress ourselves! It was always your dress, but we couldn't tell you that, could we? That's when Beth, Irene's friend from the club, came up with the idea of a cast. With a broken leg, she couldn't go, and we were all positive that you wouldn't turn down the chance to wear it, and we were right!"

"So…this is all to get Doug and I together?"

"Something like that, yeah." Shelly sounded confused by the question.

"Is Doug in on this? If he is, I'll…"

"Doug was set up just like you were Claire! Freddy took care of that end of things. He only knows your address, not your name or anything else."

"But I got a letter with his picture and everything!"

"I sent that Claire" Irene was grinning. "One of you had to know, and we couldn't tell Doug, so…"

Just the doorbell rang, mom opened the door, and in walked Doug. Impressive was the first word to come to my mind, dashing the second, sexy the third. He looked right at me, his eyes going wide, then he saw Irene and Shelly standing there.

"Mom" Shelly said, "this is Doug. Doug, this is our mother, Claire, and you know Irene."

"But I thought…I"

"Douglas" mom said softly, "you and Claire stand over here so I can get some pictures."

When she was done, mom managed to get us outside and into the limo. Doug looked at me and grinned.

"We have been set up it seems."

"They must think we make a good couple Doug. You're not mad are you? I almost told them I wouldn't go."

"I'm glad you didn't Claire, I…I've wanted to ask you out for a long time. I never managed to get up the nerve I guess, but now…" He took my hand in his. "You're absolutely stunning Claire, and I'm overwhelmed to be your escort tonight."

Every word, each nuance of his mannerisms made me feel not only safe, but like he really wanted to be with me, which was a totally new experience for me. At the party he and I danced every dance, held each other tightly, and neither of us could eat very much. Those soft brown eyes of his almost never stopped looking at me, and I found that was very exciting. His touch was so gentle, and his voice soft, like a whisper when we talked, that I not only looked like a Princess, I felt like one. He never made one move on me that was in any way rude, which was fine, but I had thought that maybe he might try to kiss me anyway. When the party was over and we were in the limo, he didn't hesitate to pull me close to him and place his lips against mine, pulling me closer as I slumped against him. His tongue found mine and my arms went around his neck, then his hand found my breast. With that one touch I felt shivers run down my back, but didn't stop him as he massaged my breast. Panting hard he finally pulled back a little and grinned.

"I think we waited to long Claire."

"Maybe not long enough! I think you just checked out my tonsils!"

"I'm not sure Claire, but I'll bet I'm pretty good at anatomy too!"

"If you're not good at it, you're learning really fast!"

"Only with you Claire! Can I come over tomorrow? Maybe we can go someplace?"

When he and I stood at the front door he swept me into his arms and kissed me again, leaving me quivering in delight as I went inside. It had been a truly fairy tale night, my Prince someone that I had known almost from the time I started school. He didn't know who I really was, but that didn't matter any more because I was a woman, and he was a man. I had to wake mom to help me get the dress off, then I went to bed dreaming of the way Doug smelled, tasted, and looked. In the morning when I got up I slipped on some shorts and a top and went to get some coffee. I could smell the aroma all the way to my room, so I knew that mom was already up.

"Have a nice time dear?"

"It was wonderful mom! Doug is…he's…we had a good time."

"Doug is a very handsome man and you two make a lovely couple."

"You and Shelly set me up mother, why?"

"You are a lovely girl Claire, yet you didn't seem to believe in yourself. It seemed like you needed a gentle shove in order to start dating, and this was the perfect opportunity for us to help you find out what it's like to have a man holding you, maybe even more, but that didn't look like it was going to happen unless we helped you, so we did!"

"Thanks mom; I guess your right. It's only that after hiding what I felt for so long, even when I got good enough to go places with Shelly, it became second nature for me. Now that I'm as much like a girl as I'll get for a while, heck I even work as a girl now, I guess you and Shelly were both right. It was time for me to get out."

"Did we choose well?"

"Did you ever! Mom, he's…wonderful!"

I helped her clean up then went to change. I let my hair out of the bun and brushed it all back into a ponytail then slipped on the same shorts and a top and some gym shoes. I went outside and ran about two miles, enjoying the late morning sun, just thinking about Doug. I couldn't get him out of my mind. When I turned the last corner I saw that his car was in the driveway, and he and mom were on the front porch. Sweaty, I knew that I didn't look very good, but Doug sat there smiling at me anyway. I said hi, then went in and took a quick shower and put on clean clothes before I returned. I didn't even bother with makeup, just lipstick and perfume. We all talked for a bit, then Doug and I went for a drive.

"I hear that you look really hot in a bikini Claire."

"Not really, I just filled in so they could do the blocking, that's all. The regular girl couldn't be there."

"I saw the pictures Claire, so you can't fool me, I know that you looked really hot!"

He stopped and we had a small lunch, then we drove around, stopping at a small park that had a little lake just on the South side of the park. Walking to the water he first held my hand, then he put his arm around me. Just his touch made me feel mushy inside, and while I wanted him to do more than he did the night before, I was also afraid. I had not been this close to a guy in my entire life, yet every sense I had was telling me it was okay. We sat, then kissed and caressed each other until he began to touch me in just the right spot. He was one huge throbbing hunk of guy, while I was a quivering mass of nerve endings as his hand went between my legs then cupped me. His other hand was busy in my bra. I lay there and let him led the way, and like a conductor of an orchestra, he had me purring rather quickly. He tried, but I stopped him when he wanted to take my shorts off, knowing full well that he wanted to take my virginity. I moved to face him, unwilling to let him go any further, until his hand found my right nipple that is. He wanted more than I could give or was willing to do, and I heard him grunt in agony. Then he calmed down and lay back, still smiling at me.

He took me home as the sun started setting, and as I sat there next to him I knew that I had overcome the last obstacle in my quest to become a woman; my mental block about guys. I had quit hiding from myself and admitted that I liked the way Doug looked at me, and more, the way he touched me, both inside my heart and outside, on my body. Better than that though, I was myself and not just a stand in for Irene.

 

 

 

*********************************************
© 2001 by Janet Stickney. All Rights Reserved. These documents (including, without limitation, all articles, text, images, logos, compilation design) may printed for personal use only. No portion of these documents may be stored electronically, distributed electronically, or otherwise made available without express written consent of the copyright holder.
JanetLynn17@Hotmail.com