The Unofficial Biography Of Kimmay

Book 4: The Nature Of The Matriarchy

by G L Hudson

 

INTRODUCTION:

Do not pretend to feel with your heart

When you refuse to see with your eyes

Kimmay

 

CHAPTER 1

 

For Melissa Ann May, 2035 was a very good year. It had started out looking very bleak indeed. The future of Earth and mankind had hung in the balance of an extra-terrestrial power struggle that was totally outside the control of anyone on Earth. Outside the control of anyone except Melissa's daughter, that is. Even Melissa had to now acknowledge that her daughter's correct name, the name that she would be known by for the rest of recorded history, was Kimmay. As much as she hated the name, Melissa's daughter Kim had become Kimmay, the savior of Earth.

Kimmay's extraordinary talents and achievements had been acclaimed by another extra-terrestrial; a being with tremendous knowledge and powers. The Keeper had recorded the last conversation with Kimmay before she had once again left Earth. Melissa now knew the true genius and talent of her daughter, as did the entire world. In fact, the Keeper had all but proclaimed Kimmay a god; a proclamation that Kimmay would deny and fight for all of eternity. Kimmay wished no one to ever kneel before her. Kimmay detested the ideas inherent in man's religions. Religion in the hands of man was a recipe for disaster. Ginger Winch was testimony to that sad fact.

Melissa had no idea where or even when Kimmay was now located. As Kimmay's mother, Melissa was of course concerned for her daughter, but she had no fears. She was certain that Kimmay would return to her mother and her home.

In the mean time, Kimmay's mother was exceptionally happy with the direction that her life was now progressing. Her first daughter was engaged and soon to be married. Valerie was blissfully immersed in preparing to marry Gary Upton in a December ceremony. Mr. Upton was gainfully employed in the Sales and Promotions Department for the Milwaukee Civic Center. He was well thought of and was already under consideration for promotions and a very promising future with the organization. And Valerie May was part owner of 'Lissa's Beauty Salon which was one of the premier salon's in the Midwest.

Gary was a quick learner, and he understood how important it was for a bride and her mother to organize the 'perfect wedding'. With that knowledge, Gary was happy to step back from the activities and let Valerie have full control of the preparations. Melissa had already helped Valerie pick out the perfect dress. It was the same dress that Melissa had worn to her wedding. It looked a bit dated, and even had a bit of yellow on the lower hem, but Valerie never for a moment considered a different dress. Valerie loved her mother and was thrilled that she was able to fit into Melissa's wedding dress.

Valerie's only wedding concern was the absence of her younger sister. Both Valerie and Melissa hoped that Kimmay would return in time for the wedding. It would have been easier to wait for Kimmay's return and then set the wedding date, but there were two very good reasons not to wait. Both women knew that Kimmay could go missing for years. Her first off-world trip had lasted fifteen years for Kimmay, but due to the wonders of technology, and the vagaries of extra-terrestrial technology, Kimmay had returned to Earth after only nine months of Earth time. But more pressing was the need for Valerie to move out of her mother's house and into her own. As much as Valerie and Melissa loved one another, they were starting to get on each other's nerves.

The irritation was the result of the greatest gift Melissa had ever received. In fact, it was the greatest gift she could have even conceived. Before her departure, Kimmay had asked the Keeper to grant her a wish. Kimmay had asked that Melissa be made a complete woman. The Keeper had not only obliged, but she had granted Melissa an additional thirty years of life and fertility. Melissa was no longer a fifty-one year male-to-female transsexual, but was instead an authentic, twenty-one year old female. The transaction had arrived totally unannounced and had startled her at first, but her best friend called her immediately with the news and explained everything to her. President Kristal Horn had a recording of Kimmay's last conversation before she had left Earth, and she had quickly delivered it to Melissa so that she could understand the circumstances behind her wondrous transformation.

Best of all, Melissa and her best friend Kristal were able to share this great experience together. The Keeper had also performed her magic on Kristal. Kristal was now the world's most beautiful eighteen year-old woman, as well as the President of the United States.

For both women it was an exhilarating time in their lives. Not only had their youth been returned to them, but their greatest wish had been fulfilled. Imagine being beautiful and wise beyond your years. Melissa almost had it all. What she did not have was the experience of being a woman. Her daughter Valerie had to reverse roles with her new mother, and explain the joys and pains of being a complete woman. Valerie had to guide Melissa through her first period and explain the wonderful and frightening feelings that she was enduring.

Valerie also helped Melissa step into the world of dating, and there lied the rub. Since the loss of Cynthia, Melissa had withdrawn into herself. She lived for her daughters and her work, but little else. She especially neglected Melissa. While Cynthia was still with them, she and Melissa had gone out for dinner or dancing almost every Saturday evening. Cynthia took Melissa and the girls to her parents, Valerie and Kimmay's grandparents, almost every Sunday, and often then went to the zoo or amusement park. Melissa had never been an extrovert, but neither had she ever been the introvert that Cynthia's death had transformed her into. Melissa's in-laws were thrilled to see Melissa renew her interest in life. She opened up to the world and began venturing out with male friends. Grandma and grandpa May encouraged her. Even Valerie encouraged her; at first.

Melissa embraced her second life. She reveled in her new femininity and womanly body. And her body yearned for companionship. It yearned with lust and desire. Her body was only twenty-one years old and it was a virgin; untested and eager. She began to date and quickly began bringing guests home for the evening.

"For crying out loud mother, he's younger than I am."

To which Melissa would retort, "Physically I am too."

"He's a baby and you're a grown woman!"

"He's not a baby and I'm only twenty-one."

"You're arguing technicalities. You're a mature fifty year old woman."

To which Melissa would smile and stick out her tongue. "Look familiar?" she asked as she reminded Valerie that she used to stick her tongue out at her mother when they argued. "And be careful how you use that word. I'm sure you are saying mature with the proper respect, daughter."

Calling Valerie 'daughter' during these arguments usually meant that Melissa was through discussing the topic. Thus the second reason for Valerie to keep the wedding on schedule. It would be wonderful if Kimmay returned in time for the wedding, but it was time for Valerie to leave the nest. She loved and revered her mother, but the strain on their relationship was more than she wanted.

Melissa's first date was with a regular customer of Gabrielle's. Cheryl made an appointment about once per month. She had shoulder length hair, and would have Melissa wash and set it before she went out for the evening. Sometimes she also asked Melissa to give her a make-over or a manicure. While rolling Cheryl's hair during one such appointment, Melissa asked her what her plans for the evening were.

Cheryl was going to a cross-dresser friendly restaurant for dinner and then to a local nightclub that had a drag show. Cheryl always went alone because she was worried about sharing her hobby with someone who might out her.

"It sounds interesting, but it must be lonely going by your self all the time," Melissa commiserated.

One thing led to another and Cheryl asked Melissa to join her for the evening. After some further discussion Melissa decided to go. After finishing with Cheryl, Melissa returned to her residence on the third floor and changed into an evening gown. Both girls were dressed a bit over the top, but that was part of the fun of dressing.

Cheryl took Melissa to dinner and paid for everything. They had a nice meal and a nice conversation. Cheryl was well educated and knew about Kimmay and her exploits. She was even aware of Melissa's transition to a real woman. She told Melissa that never in a thousand years would she have guessed that Melissa was not a genetic girl, but now she was green with envy. She asked Melissa all kinds of questions about her feelings and emotions and wanted to know all about her transition.

After dinner, Cheryl drove them to the nightclub. There was a cover charge and ID check at the door. Cheryl paid the coverage charge, handed her ID to the bouncer and then proceeded into the club. Melissa fished her federal ID from her purse and handed it to the bouncer, and that was when the fun began. Obviously the young man didn't keep up on current affairs and knew nothing about Kimmay or Melissa.

"Stop right there," he said. "This is a fake."

Melissa was caught by total surprise. "No it's not!"

The bouncer looked her up and down and saw a beautiful, young girl who was over dressed for the evening. Even though it was a gay bar and a popular destination for the male cross-dressers, that idea never entered his mind. She was too pretty to be one of the boys, but she was also too young to be fifty-one years old. "Listen, if you're going to get a fake ID, at least make it believable. Fifty-one? Yea, and my real name is Krysallis."

"It's real," Melissa insisted. "I'm Melissa May and my daughter is Kimmay. Certainly you've read about me. The Keeper reduced my age by thirty years. I'm really fifty-one but I look like I'm twenty-one."

The bouncer laughed so hard he had to catch his breath. Cheryl stood on one side and Melissa on his other and they continued to argue with him, but he would not give in. Melissa was not entering the club. "Then give me my ID back," she demanded.

"No way. These get destroyed so no one else can get their hands on them."

"No!" she yelled. "That's my real ID and I need it back. You can't destroy it," she pleaded.

"Oh, I understand now. It is real, isn't it?"

"Of course it is!" she answered.

"It's just not yours, is it? Does it belong to your mother? Did you swipe it from her?"

Melissa was totally frustrated and glared at the man.

"Tell you what I'm going to do. I'll give it to the manager and tomorrow your mommy can come get it. Now shoo little girl!" He dismissed her with a wave of his hand and inspected the next ID handed to him.

After Melissa's anger died down, Cheryl took her to a movie and then out for a cup of coffee. Eventually she laughed over the ID incident, and ended up asking Cheryl to spend the night with her. At home she borrowed one of Valerie's short negligees and loaned it to Cheryl. Cheryl kept her legs and chest shaved smooth, and with her curly hair she made a soft and agreeable partner. But most important, Cheryl still had the correct equipment and desire to totally please Melissa, as she surrendered her virginity in a frenzy of young hormones.

It was Melissa's first ever one-night stand and she regretted absolutely nothing. Valerie, on the other hand, was shocked the next morning when she saw Melissa's paramour coming out of Melissa's bedroom while wearing Valerie's very own negligee.

The next day Melissa had to return to the nightclub and request her ID be returned. Fortunately, the owner was better read than his bouncer, and he knew all about Melissa. He apologized and gave her ten free passes to his club.

Melissa decided that she would have to do something about the ID situation or it was bound to happen again. That afternoon she called Jennifer and explained the incident. Jennifer found the story hilarious, but promised to get her a secondary ID. The new ID arrived a week later with a raunchy birthday card for her twenty-first birthday. Both Jennifer and Kristal had signed the card.

 

Melissa first met Luke when he came to Gabrielle's Beauty Salon. Melissa had given Valerie part ownership in her most successful salon, 'Lissa's, but Melissa kept full ownership and control of Gabrielle's and Melissa's Glamour Photography Studio. Gabrielle's had been the brainchild of Valerie's namesake – Valerie Anderson. Valerie Anderson had been Cynthia's lifelong best friend and had come up with the idea of splitting the first floor of their home into two separate beauty salons. 'Lissa's would be the finest up-scale salon in the Midwest, and Gabrielle's would be a small salon with a rear entrance that would serve the cross-dressing and transvestite community.

Gabrielle's was advertised almost exclusively through communication venues used for the gay community. But Gabrielle's also had a tiny listing under 'Beauty Salons' in the yellow pages. That is where Luke found the telephone number. When he called and made an appointment to have his hair cut, he had no idea about Gabrielle's typical clientele. He was merely looking for a little extra hair styling than the usual corner barbershop.

Gabrielle's customers were handled almost exclusively by Melissa. Valerie helped when extra hands were needed, but Melissa preferred to serve the customers by herself. She was one of them, and she understood their peculiar anxieties and needs. Valerie was sympathetic to their needs, but only someone who had actually walked in their heels could truly relate. It was one of Melissa's small joys in life. Melissa always looked forward to meeting a new customer.

Luke arrived a few minutes early and set off the door-buzzer when he entered the shop. Melissa was sitting in her office when she heard the buzzer. Her office was located in 'Lissa's salon, so it took a few moments to reach Gabrielle's. Luke was walking around the room admiring the pictures on the wall when she arrived. "Hi, I'm Melissa. Are you Luke?"

Luke saw a beautiful young girl enter the room. She was wearing a short leather skirt that ended at least two inches above her knees. She had black stockings and black two-inch pump heels. Up above, the girl was wearing a frilly white blouse with the top three buttons open, and the top of her bra visible. The sleeves were rolled up almost to her elbows. Her light brown hair was curled and hung to the top of her shoulders. She had a bit of eye make-up and bright pink lipstick. She carried a pink smock over her shoulder, which she shook in front of her and began to slip on. The girl was not what Luke had been expecting; she was really attractive.

"Are you Luke?" she asked again.

Luke closed his gaping mouth before answering, "Yea."

"Great, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Melissa," and she offered him her hand. He gently took her hand and they shook. "Do you see anything you like?" He gave her a blank look. "The pictures on the wall. I noticed that you were looking at them. They are all very pretty, aren't they?" Melissa was referring to the pictures of very famous, and very beautiful female impersonators. Some of the pictures had come from the Baton Nightclub in Chicago. Many years ago during a certain bachelorette party, Krysallis had traded some autographs for these pictures.

"Oh, yea … ahhh … I see a lot that I like." Luke had no idea that all the pictures were beautiful men. Melissa still assumed he was there to change his appearance to look like one of the 'girls'.

"Well that's good. It gives us a starting place. Which girl do you like the best?"

"Huh?" Luke was totally confused. But he was also smitten with Melissa's beauty. He was happy just to be talking and looking at her.

"Look around and pick out the girl you like the best. It makes a great starting point. Then we can discuss options that fit you."

"Huh?" Now he was totally confused. This must be some sort of new-fangled salon procedure he decided. Luke walked around the room looking at the pictures trying to decide which girl he liked the best. Melissa watched him as he strolled around the room. She liked what she saw. Luke was a great canvass for her talents. He was short and on the thin side. His facial features were small, almost delicate. And he was young, probably just out of high school. He looked like he hadn't reached puberty yet, since there was no hair on his face or arms. She gave him a pleasant smile when he turned to face her. His heart gave out a little whimper when he saw her smile.

"I like her," he said as he pointed at a picture.

"Mimi Marks," Melissa said. "A classic beauty if ever there was one. Tell me Luke, what specifically about Mimi do you like?"

He studied the black and white picture for a moment and said, "I guess it's her eyes. Her eyes are very dark and beautiful. And I guess it's her face. I mean … her complexion is perfect, but … I guess I like the shape of her face." He paused for a second. "Yea, I guess that's it. I like pretty girls with a face that is a bit wide, not thin or oval."

"You have a perceptive eye Luke. I don't know if we can do too much about your facial structure, but I can hi-light you jawbone to make your face look a bit wider. And your eyes will be no problem. You have very pretty eyes Luke. I'll use a rather heavy amount of shadow and mascara and I can give you those beautiful eyes."

"What?" he called out. "Make-up?" Luke was confused. "You want to put make-up on me?"

Melissa's lips spread into a huge smile. She flashed the most beautiful pearly whites at Luke. She had made an incorrect assumption and it now dawned on her that she had totally misread Luke. "I'm sorry Luke, what did you want today?"

"I just came in for a hair cut … ahhh … a hair style."

"I'm totally sorry, Luke. I had you confused with another customer. A hair-style, of course." 'What a pity,' she thought. I could make this boy into a beautiful girl. "Come this way, Luke and we can get you started."

She led him over to the sink and had him sit down. She pulled a pink cape from the shelf and wrapped it over him. She turned on the water taps and began adjusting the temperature. "So where did you hear about Gabrielle's?"

He had recovered most of his composure, "The yellow pages."

"Why did you pick us?"

"Mostly because you were close, and you could get me in this afternoon."

Melissa gently pushed Luke back into the chair and laid his head back against the neck rest. "I'm going to wash your hair first, then we'll go over to my styling chair and discuss your new look. So what do you do Luke?"

"I go to school."

"Which school?"

"Milwaukee LaFollette."

"High school?"

"I'm a senior."

"That's great Luke. Do you do any sports or extra-curricular activities?"

"No sports, I'm too small. I'm on the yearbook staff, I'm the photographer."

"Really? So am I."

"Neat." He was like most young men, unsure of himself and painfully shy. Melissa liked him. She washed and rinsed his hair twice, and gave him extra attention. He had nice hair, rather thick and a bit longer than the current male styles.

Luke enjoyed the shampoo and especially the scalp massage. Even more, he liked the smell of Melissa. She had a wonderful fragrance.

Melissa finished the shampoo. She took a towel and soaked up some of the excess water, "Come over here please."

On the way to her chair she decided to have a bit of fun, "Did you like the girls on the wall?" She was referring to all of the female impersonators on the wall.

"Yea, sure. They're all very pretty."

Melissa grinned and looked him in the eye, "They're all men. Every one of them."

Luke's eyes opened wide, "Really?" 'Amazing,' he thought to himself. He wondered what they looked like as men.

"Every one of them," Melissa continued. "They are the best and the brightest. The greatest female impersonators in history." Luke said nothing as he sat down in Melissa's chair. "Could you tell?"

"Ahhh … no." Luke was feeling awkward.

Melissa enjoyed seeing him squirm a bit in the chair. "Do you know what we do here?" she asked suspiciously.

"Beauty salon? Style and cut hair?"

"Absolutely, and we're very good at it. We also turn young men into beautiful women."

Luke jumped up in the chair, "What?"

Melissa stood in front of him and smiled, "Relax, Luke. I'm teasing you. Now, how would you like your hair styled?"

Luke was shaken, and not sure how to answer. He was also intrigued, 'Was she telling the truth?' he wondered. He stumbled around for an answer and Melissa could tell he wasn't sure how to answer her. "Luke, do you have anything specific in mind?"

"No … I was hoping you …"

"I understand. Leave it to me, I'll trim the ends and give you the latest style. It will look very nice. You have very beautiful hair, Luke. You will look great when I'm done."

"Beautiful?" he asked carefully.

"Don't worry, I won't make you look like a girl. Unless of course that's what you want," Melissa teased.

He stalled just a microsecond too long before he complained, "No!"

His slight hesitation sealed her decision. She was going to leave his hair as long as possible and prepare it for future styles – longer styles. Luke reminded Melissa of someone from long ago and far away. She thought he was cute. And as young and naive as he was, she remembered that she wasn't that much older than he was.

"What kind of camera do you have?" She started a conversation with Luke as she combed out his hair and began to cut it.

They had a nice chat, and Luke actually opened up a bit. When she had finished she handed Luke a mirror and spun the chair so he could see the back. "What do you think?"

He shrugged his shoulders and said, "It looks nice."

Melissa smiled. "I can make it look much better next time. I had to cut off more than I wanted because of split ends. But if you let it grow out, and take care of it, I can make it look really nice. The girls will love it."

"Ok," he muttered.

"Let's make your next appointment. I'd say in three weeks your hair should be ready. Is that ok?"

"That's kind of soon isn't it?"

Melissa sealed the deal, "Well yea it is a bit soon. But I'd like to see you again."

Luke melted. A smile began to break out across his face. "You would?"

"Sure. Is that ok?"

"Great," he said. She filled out an appointment card and signed Melissa. As she handed it to him she made sure to touch his hand. "Luke, one other thing. Can I suggest a crθme rinse for your hair? It will keep it from tangling and then you won't have to pull and tear a comb through it. That's what causes split-ends."

"How much is it?"

"I'll just give it you. You won't have to pay anything."

"Are you sure? What if your boss finds out?"

"Don't worry, she won't know." Melissa handed him the bottle and waved as he left the store. "Hot damn," she whispered to herself. That night Melissa pulled out her old scrap books and diary. She even began reading Cynthia's diary. It brought more than one tear to her eye, but it also raised the joy and hope in her heart.

 

Melissa was sitting in her styling chair and flipping through LadyLike magazine as she waited for Luke. The door buzzer began making its obnoxious noise and she looked up to see Luke enter the shop. She tossed the magazine on the counter behind her and stood to greet him. "Hi Luke. How are you?" she asked sweetly.

"Pretty good," he said with a slightly lilting voice. He was in a good mood. Or was it an expectant mood?

"It's beautiful out isn't it?" Melissa asked. "I think we're going to have an early spring. What do you think?"

"Yea, maybe so. It would beat the heck out of snow."

"I agree entirely. Can I hang up your coat?" Melissa batted her mascara-coated lashes as she took Luke's light coat and hung it from one of the hooks behind the door. She was wearing eye shadow and a dark pink lipstick with matching lip liner. She had curled her hair and she flipped it over her shoulder as she looked at Luke. She was wearing a tight, pink cashmere sweater and a short linen skirt. She pushed her chest out to emphasize her breasts. The fifty-one year old woman was dressing and acting just like a teenage girl in heat, which is exactly what Melissa was. And Melissa was horny.

Her efforts weren't missed on Luke. His eyes almost popped out as he stared at her breasts. Melissa loved his look and his lost-puppy eyes. She took him to the sink and carefully laid the cape over him. "You're hair looks very nice, Luke. Have you been using that crθme rinse?"

"Yes. Every time I wash my hair."

"It really shows," she exaggerated. "Make sure to keep it up, it makes a wonderful difference." Melissa wetted his hair and massaged in the shampoo. She built up a large lather as she subtly (or maybe not so subtly) stimulated his senses. She had switched to a fragrant lilac shampoo for this very reason. "So what have you been doing recently?" she asked.

"Not much. Just going to school and studying."

"So what kind of interests do you have? Any hobbies?"

"Nothing much. I go to the basketball and hockey games and take pictures for the yearbook." A look flashed across his face, as if he had thought of something that he wanted to verbalize. But he kept silent.

"So you must be a pretty good photographer," Melissa said.

"I'm ok. Nothing special. It's something to do."

"The owner has a real photography studio upstairs. She's gone for the day. When we're done with your style, I could show it to you. We could sneak up there and no one would ever know."

"Yea, that might be neat."

"Ok," Melissa said enthusiastically. She blotted his hair with a towel then left it draped over his head as she led him to her styling chair. She combed out his hair and handed out compliment after compliment on how nice his hair was. She styled his hair a bit, cutting off just bits here and there, and then used her hand-held dryer to blow it dry. It looked very becoming on him, but Melissa knew that another inch or so and she could style it in a much different look. She was looking forward to that day.

Luke walked over to the counter and offered to pay. "Don't worry about that Luke, the boss is no where around today. I'll handle it for you. Come on, let's go up to the photo studio."

She led him over to the inside door that connected with 'Lissa's. Melissa opened the door and peaked in the direction of her office. Valerie was standing in the office doorway, leaning against the door with her arms folded. She was talking with George. Melissa gave them a wink and opened the door all the way. She grabbed Luke by the hand and pulled him along. "Come on, the coast is clear."

She pulled him into the hall and he looked directly at Valerie and George. They stared back. "Come on," Melissa said and she pulled him in the opposite direction. As they turned the corner and headed towards the back steps, Valerie moaned and George began laughing uproariously. Valerie made a fist and slugged him on the chest, "Don't you say a word to anyone," she threatened.

"Of course not," he lied, as he walked away laughing.

Melissa led Luke up to the studio and opened the door. The room was dark and she led Luke across the room before she flipped a switch. "Want to see the dark room?"

Luke almost wet his pants. This girl was fast! And she was pretty. "Sure," he answered enthusiastically. They had barely entered the room before Melissa threw herself on Luke and began kissing him passionately. At least it was as passionate as a lusty teen-ager can get.

By the time Luke's appointment was over, he had a date for Friday night. He wasn't sure if he had asked Melissa or if Melissa had asked him, but it didn't matter much to Luke. He had a date. But there was one problem. "I don't have a car," he said.

"Don't worry, I can get my mother's car. I'll drive."

"Where should we meet?"

"I have to work most of Friday. Why don't you meet me here and we can leave when I'm done."

"Great, it's a date."

Luke left and Melissa returned to her office. Valerie was sitting in her chair, scowling as Melissa entered. "Hi dear," Melissa offered cheerfully. Valerie sipped her coffee and said nothing. "Guess what? I've got a date Friday night. Isn't that great?"

"With a boy? A little high school boy?" Valerie asked incredulously.

"Yes dear. I need some advice from you. Since he is still in high school I don't want to look too much older than him. What kind of fashions are the girls wearing these days?"

"Mother you can't go out with a boy in high school. It's ridiculous."

"Why is it ridiculous?"

Valerie couldn't believe her ears. Her arms flew up in total frustration, "Because he is a little boy and you are a fifty year old woman. A mother! My mother for crying-out-loud!"

Melissa sat down across from Valerie and quietly explained, "And I have the body of a young girl. Valerie, never in my life have I had the opportunity to be a young girl and see what it is like to grow up. I grew up as a clumsy boy with an abusive father. I never had any friends or socialized with the opposite sex. My childhood was miserable.

"This is a second opportunity that is never given to people. I am so lucky to have this happen and I want to take advantage of it. You have all kinds of wonderful memories from your childhood and teen years. You dated how many boys before you settled on Gary? You experienced your body as you grew into a beautiful and mature woman. I only want what other girls take for granted. Can you understand that?"

"But … yea, I can understand it. It just looks so weird. I feel like I'm living in some stupid Disney body-swapping movie."

Melissa smiled and said, "It is kind of neat, isn't it? Now, will you help me dress for my dream date with Luke?" and she rolled her eyes like teenage girls always do.

"Mom!"

"He's so cute! How does Mrs. Melissa Luke sound to you?" and she started laughing.

 

Melissa was waiting in Gabrielle's for Luke. She was wearing a tight pair of jeans, pink running shoes and a powder-blue cashmere sweater with a V-neck. Her hair was curled and pushed behind her ears. She was wearing large gold hoop earrings and a tiny pendant necklace. Valerie did her make-up, and she kept it very minimal. Melissa added some mascara and a darker lipstick after Valerie left.

"Hey, Luke," she said as she gave him a little peck on the cheek. "Shall we go? I've got my car right outside." Melissa's car was a large black Mercedes sedan.

"Holy cow," Luke exclaimed as he checked it out. "This is awesome! It must have cost you a fortune."

"Don't be silly, Luke. How can a girl on my salary afford a car like this? I borrowed it from my mother. Do you like it?"

"It's grand. Uhhh … do you want me to drive?"

"How sweet of you to offer. Sure you can drive, but just be careful. No hot-rodding. Shall we go?"

They climbed into the car and Luke was very careful to adjust the seat and mirrors and check out the console and shift. "I'll handle the radio. What station do you like?" Melissa asked.

"Melissa, is your mom rich?"

Melissa laughed, "No. Why do you ask?"

"Because this is a really expensive car. What does your mom do for a living?"

Melissa had to think fast, "She's an independent business owner."

"What kind of business does she run?"

"She's in the service industry." That seemed to work because Luke dropped the subject.

Luke drove about five miles per hour under the speed limit all the way to the high school. He slowed down to a crawl as they drove past the entrance to the gymnasium so that everyone milling around outside could see who was driving. He parked the Mercedes as far as possible away from the other cars, and as they started walking to the gym Melissa took his hand. She knew this was a big entrance for him, so she wanted to help as much as possible. All eyes were on the pair as they walked past the outside groups and entered the building. Melissa kicked in a little extra hip wiggle as they slipped past the group. Luke paid for two tickets and they walked inside to even more stares. Luke was trying very hard to keep from breaking into a huge smile when he walked past the stares.

He took Melissa to the far end of the gym and they sat in the lowest row behind the basket. "If you want you can sit higher. These aren't very good seats, but during the game I sit on the floor over there and take pictures."

"That's not a problem, Luke. This is fine, I'm not actually all that interested in the game anyway. I'm more into people watching. Say, while we're waiting for the game to start can I borrow your camera?"

Luke handed over the camera and asked, "Do you know how to use it?"

"Don't worry, I'm a pro. Sit right there," and she backed out onto the basketball court where everyone could see her. "Smile," and she snapped a picture of Luke. Then she knelt down on the floor, tossed her curly hair over her shoulder with one shake of her head, and brought the camera up for another shot. "Lean back," she instructed. "Look to your left." She took another couple of shots then took the camera back to Luke. Every eye in the gym watched her. With a sly grin she asked, "Was anyone watching?"

Luke guffawed and shook his head. "I'll have a lot of explaining to do on Monday."

"Don't you dare!" Melissa said.

"Why not?"

"Because, you always keep them guessing. Never shoot your mouth off in false bravado or in an attempt to impress someone. A little smile and tight lips will accomplish more than you can imagine. If someone insists, just tell them we are very good friends," and she put her arm around his shoulders and pecked him on the cheek.

The game was amateurish and boring, but Melissa enjoyed checking out all the other girls. She was collecting fashion ideas for her next date. And since she was the center of attention she decided to enjoy herself. She deliberately caught other girls looking at her just so she could watch them quickly look away and pretend they were watching the game. Luke spent about half the game on the floor and the other half sitting next to his girl friend.

Only two people even said hello to Luke during the entire game. Obviously he wasn't one of the popular kids. That was fine with Melissa. She remembered some of the things Cynthia had written in her diary, and she knew a lonely boy would be much easier to manipulate.

She used Saturday afternoon for additional manipulation. She asked him to join her on a shopping spree. They spent a couple of hours at the mall shopping for her new clothes, and she made sure to take him through all of the lingerie departments. Late in the afternoon she led him into the juniors department of a national chain store. They were looking for a new pair of jeans when Melissa asked, "Having fun yet?"

"Sort of."

"Only sort of? That's all?"

"Well watching you try on clothes is kind of boring."

"Of course it is. That's why you need to buy something too." She took a pair of women's jeans and held them up to the front of Luke. "You could use a new pair of jeans. Those baggy things that you're wearing might be ok for hanging out on the street corner with your buddies, but they don't quite make it on a date. Here, go try these on," and she handed him the jeans.

"These are girls jeans," he complained.

"It don't matter a twaddle," she said as she pushed him towards the girls changing room. "I'm going to be standing right here, show me how they fit when you get them on." She waited and listened to him changing behind the curtain. Melissa glanced around to make sure there was no one else in sight.

When he stepped out, Melissa could quickly see that he had baggy boxer shorts wadded up under the jeans. She lifted his shirt and could see the elastic on the shorts above his jeans. "That's not going to work. Go back in there and take off the jeans and boxers. Give me about five minutes to get you some suitable under shorts." She walked away as he started to complain about being left behind.

Melissa quickly walked over to the lingerie department and bought a pair of size six panties. It was the same size as she wore so if they didn't work for Luke she could always keep them for herself. "Luke, here put these on first and then the jeans," as she reached through the curtain and gave him the bag.

Luke opened the bag and said, "These are girls panties, I can't wear these!"

"Shhh! Do you want everyone to hear you? The girls department was the closest. Don't worry, no one is going to see them. Now put them on and let me see how everything fits."

He stepped out to show her the jeans. She had picked a pair of hip-huggers with a slight taper to the legs. The jeans had no back pockets and fit snuggly around his waist. Even though they rode lower than normal jeans, Luke's panties weren't visible. "Those look really nice on you," she said in a soothing voice. "How do they fit?"

"Weird. They're much tighter than my jeans, and they sit too low."

"How can they possibly sit any lower than what you were wearing? They look really good on you. I think you should get them."

"But they're girl's jeans."

"It's just a stupid label. We'll cut it off and no one will ever know. You look much nicer with these than those ratty old things that you were wearing. Get them."

"I'm not sure."

"Get them! Go change back and we can take these up to the cashier."

As they paid for the jeans, Melissa asked the sales girl to cut off the tags and the Liz Claiborne patch. She took Luke's hand and they walked back into the center of the mall. "Now isn't that more fun when you're buying things."

"I guess so," he said. He was secretly thrilled about buying girl's jeans. It was kind of … sexy!

They stopped in front of the rest rooms. "Luke, I want you to go in there and change into your new jeans. And don't forget your panties too."

"Here?"

"Yes, here. Those things you're wearing are embarrassing. Please, for me? Go change into your new clothes?" He reluctantly went inside and changed. When he returned she gave him a kiss on the lips. "Trust me, you look much better."

The following Saturday they went shopping again. This time Melissa bought him a nice sweater to go with his jeans. She bought two identical sweaters; one pink and one powder blue. She gave Luke the blue sweater and insisted that they both go to the restrooms and switch into their new sweaters. "We're twins. That looks really nice on you, Luke. It goes much better with your jeans than an over sized lumberjack shirt."

"I guess so."

"And sometime we can switch sweaters. I'd like to try your blue sweater." And by inference that meant Luke would wear the pink sweater. He decided that it was better to say nothing than argue with Melissa. She was a head-strong girl. But it sounded kind of fun. Luke had never had a girl friend. He knew almost nothing about the opposite sex, and all of these clothes were rather titillating to Luke.

 

One week later, Melissa took Luke shopping for a third straight Saturday. She convinced Luke to buy a nice pair of black sneakers. His high top sneakers were not only dirty, but they didn't go very well with his new image. The sneakers were from the men's department and looked much dressier. Luke was starting to look better and better to Melissa.

She had him return to Gabrielle's every three weeks and she styled his hair for him. She made an elaborate production of washing and shampooing his hair each time. Luke would lean back in his chair and close his eyes while he enjoyed Melissa's fingers sliding through the lather and his hair as she massaged his scalp. Each time she shaped his hair a bit longer. It fell straight down when it was dry and had a slightly androgynous look to it. Melissa was preparing him for a very cute and feminine hairstyle when the time was right.

Several weeks after Melissa first met Luke, Gabrielle's received a call from a new customer. Betsy Culver wanted to have her hair cut and styled. As usual, Melissa was sitting in her chair and waiting for her newest customer. The door opened and a middle-aged woman entered. "Hi, I'm Betsy Culver and I have an appointment for a hair cut."

Melissa stood to greet her. "Hi, Betsy. My name is Melissa and I'll be happy to help you." This was obviously a misplaced patron, and Melissa would ask her to try 'Lissa's next time. Melissa had no aversion to explaining her reasoning to the women, but she tried to convince them to change without giving away Gabrielle's secret. She usually brought up the subject towards the end of the appointment. But today that wasn't necessary.

Melissa led Betsy to the sink and began washing her hair. "I've heard a great deal about you Melissa."

"Really?"

"Oh yes! I can see why my son likes you so much, you're very pretty."

Melissa was at a loss for words. "Thanks," was all she could muster.

"Luke talks about you all the time."

"Luke? You're Luke's mother?" Melissa's heart jumped a beat. Why was Luke's mother here? Was this going to get ugly?

"Yes. He thinks the world of you, and since he is always talking about you, I thought it would be nice if we met."

"That's very thoughtful Mrs. Culver."

"Call me Betsy please. I've never seen Luke any happier. He's doing better in school, and he isn't moping around like he used to. You've had a very positive influence on him."

"Thanks, I'm glad to hear that."

"I'm sorry if I'm prying but I have to ask, do you like Luke?"

"Yes I do," Melissa answered cautiously. Betsy remained silent as Melissa finished washing her hair. Melissa took Betsy to the styling chair and tied a cape around. "What do you want us to do today?"

Betsy described what she wanted, then let Melissa begin combing out her tangles. "How long have you worked here, Melissa?"

Melissa had to think fast. She decided to maintain her twenty-one year old age. "A little over a year."

"Did you start right out of high school?"

Betsy was trying to gauge Melissa's age. "Not exactly. I graduated a year early from high school, then I spent a year going to cosmetology school. I spent a couple of months working part time at another salon and then I came here." Parts of the story were actually correct. That would make it easier to repeat the story later. Melissa could almost see Betsy doing the math. Her age must have been satisfactory because Betsy changed the subject.

"You're a very petite girl Melissa. I'd guess about five foot three or four?"

"That's about right."

"And you can't be much more than 110 or 115 pounds."

"You're very good Betsy. That's almost exactly what I weigh."

"Size six?"

"Usually. Some clothes I'm a seven."

"I see. That explains something I think."

"You think? What?"

"I was doing the laundry the other day and I found a new pair of jeans in the dirty clothes hamper. The outside tag was cut off, so I looked inside where they print the size. It said Liz Claiborne and size six. Since it's only Luke and me at home, and since I knew I hadn't bought them, I figured Luke had tossed them in the hamper. He must have borrowed them from you I guess."

Melissa understood immediately. It was time for damage control. "Yes, they are mine."

"I thought so. Too bad," she said wistfully.

Melissa had to pry, "Too bad? Why do you say that?"

"I was hoping they were his."

"Why?"

"Have you seen those ugly baggy jeans that he wears? They're hideous. Anything would look better than that."

Melissa gave a sigh of relief. "I know what you mean. Actually, that's why I loaned them to him. We were going out and I wanted him to wear something more appropriate."

"So how did they look on him?"

"I think they looked very good. But I'm rather partial."

"So am I," Betsy said. "I was asking because I was wondering if I should buy him another pair and then accidentally destroy those baggy jeans."

Melissa grinned, "I think that would be an excellent idea, Betsy." When Betsy was finished she made another appointment. Melissa decided to keep her as a Gabrielle customer.

 

After some thought, Melissa thought it better not to tell Luke that she had met his mother. Part of the reason was because Betsy had asked her to keep it their little secret. Melissa managed to keep their dating to weekends. She told him that she was busy during the week and her career was important to her now. Sound familiar? Isn't that what Cynthia had told Matt Kaufmann? 'How deliciously ironic,' thought Melissa. She had read both Cynthia's and her diary twice. There was some wisdom in those pages and she also relished the memories. For the first time in many years, she could finally lay Cynthia's memory to rest. Oh how she had loved Cynthia. And oh how she loved the fruit of their union. But finally, after years of anguish, she could finally bid Cynthia a cheerful and loving adieu.

Melissa found herself slowly and gently shifting her energies to Gabrielle's Beauty Salon and Melissa's Glamour Photography Studio. Valerie was doing just fine with the day-to-day business of 'Lissa's. And of course, Valerie had terrific help; Simon, George and Rose were world-class artisans. Even the term 'world-class' was insufficient to describe the energies and abilities they owned. If 'Lissa's had been located in New York or Paris or Rome, it would be universally declared as one of the premier salons in the entire world. But in Milwaukee – that was another story.

Still, Melissa was proud of their, and her, achievements. She had no regrets as she let go of her baby. She was making more time for the creative part of her life. The photographer and artist in her had played second fiddle for a long time. She was now emotionally free and financially secure. She had been given an immense gift. A gift of a new life filled with flesh and emotions. Melissa had no regrets and no insecurities.

She and Luke went to a movie on the following Friday. Melissa insisted on a chick flick. They went to a pizza parlor afterwards and Melissa lectured Luke the entire evening. Luke was as clueless as another naοve boy over thirty years ago. Melissa was teaching Luke about fashion, about gender, about flare and femininity and about discrimination; discrimination as in taste and fashion. Melissa was convinced that there must be a clear, unobstructed tunnel from Luke's left ear, through his head and out his right ear. In fact, it was probably genetic in all males. That had to be the reason that he heard nothing about what she was teaching him. But Melissa was not totally cynical. Another young man had eventually learned to listen to his feminine side – his 'softer-side'. Luke would also.

After the pizza had sated their appetites, Luke turned his attention from his stomach to his brain, or was it his heart? "Melissa, can I ask you something?"

"Certainly."

As most males, he had no subtlety built into his genetic molecules. Those molecules could twist or turn or squirm as much as they liked, but the message never reached the brain. He struggled to come up with a poetic or quixotic way of asking his question. He quickly gave up. Head down, horns up, he bulled ahead, "Melissa, would you go to prom with me?"

"Yes."

"Uhh … great!"

"Luke?"

"Yes?"

"When?"

"When what?"

"When is it?"

"I'm not sure. A couple of weeks, I think. Saturday."

As silly and immature as Luke appeared, Melissa loved him. 'This is what puppy love is all about,' she thought. 'How much more fun can there be?' She loved her new life.

 

Melissa was wearing her negligee and curled up in a barrel chair watching cartoons when Valerie arrived home. "Mom? What are you doing up?"

"I'm waiting for you … and watching cartoons."

"Why? Mom I'm a grown-up girl now. You don't have to wait up for me." She was worried that the mother was coming out in Melissa.

"Valerie, come here and sit down." Melissa pointed the remote at the television and turned it off. "I have wonderful news. Thrilling news. I had to tell someone."

"Really?" Valerie asked sardonically.

Melissa jumped on her knees and leaned forward in her chair. "Valerie, I've been asked to prom!" Melissa expelled. She fell over backwards in a silent feint.

Valerie rolled her eyes and did nothing to hide her disgust. "Prom? Oh wow," she said as unenthusiastically as she could.

Valerie's disgust did not affect Melissa in the slightest. "It's the best thing that has happened to me in my new life. This IS great!"

Valerie wasn't so sure. "Did 'Boy Wonder' ask you?"

Melissa sat up right and gave Valerie a stern glare. "I like him! He is young and immature … no I didn't mean to say that. He is young and fresh! And I like him!"

Valerie rolled her eyes, "Mom! He's a baby! He's only nineteen! Give me a break, please!"

"Listen little lady, I've given you my entire life. I changed your diapers and I wiped your snotty little nose! I held your hand when you first walked to school and I held your hand when your first boy friend dumped you. I watched you grow into a beautiful and competent woman. I spent my adult life making 'Lissa's a success and I have given that success to you. I believe in you and I know you will take care of my baby – my business life till now. I have given my life to you and I love you." She paused for a moment. "I have nothing but the greatest respect for you, Valerie.

"And now I ask for a little respect in return. I'm not stupid! I now how I'm acting. And I know it's probably even embarrassing to you. But I haven't been this happy in many, many years. Come on sweetheart, give me a break. I'm in puppy love. I didn't begrudge you your first love. Consider this my first love. Kimmay made me young. That means hormones and stupidity – I admit it. But I love this opportunity in my life and I want it."

Valerie acted contrite.

"And besides, all I want him for is his body. I just want the sex!"

"Mom! Knock it off. You're grossing me out! Come-on, I have pajamas older than Luke."

"No you don't. I do, but you don't."

"As if that makes it any better."

"Valerie please?" she pleaded. "I want to live this life. I want what you and every other girl has had. But I need your help."

"What exactly is it that you need, mom?"

"I need you to take me shopping for my prom dress."

 

Melissa celebrated her prom date like most every other girl would – she went shopping. The only difference was that she took Luke with her. The very next day she insisted that Luke go to the mall with her. Melissa wasn't looking for a prom dress, she would use Valerie for that. Today was different. She was shopping for Luke. Today was step two in Luke's sartorial evolution.

Melissa insisted that he wear his new sweater, jeans and shoes. He gladly complied. Their first stop was the lingerie department. Melissa pretended to be shopping for a new bra, but then switched to camisoles. "Luke, this is what you need," she said as she held a pink camisole up against his sweater.

"I don't think so," he said with all the self-confidence of a man on death-row.

"Sure you do. Do you like the sweater you're wearing?"

Even for a teenage boy that question was a no-brainer. Melissa had bought it for him, "Of course I like it."

"Well you have no idea how nice it will feel if you wear a silk cami underneath it. Hold this one up to your shoulders and let me look at it." Luke knew he was defeated. He did as he was told. Melissa handed him four or five other camisoles before she picked the best one. "Buy this one," she told him as she sent him to the cashier.

She took his hand and walked him out to the mall promenade. When they reached the restrooms she handed the bag with the camisole to him and never said a word. He knew what he was supposed to do. When he returned Melissa asked, "How does it feel?"

"Silky. Smooth. Kind of cool," he smiled.

Melissa grabbed his sweater and swished it back and forth across his chest. "It feels great, admit it!" she squealed.

Stop number two was the juniors department. "It's finally starting to turn into spring. I love this time of year. Do you wear shorts in the summer?"

Luke was afraid he knew where this conversation was leading. His guard was up, "Sometimes."

"Me too. I want to buy identical shorts for us. What do you think of these?" She held up a pair of beige shorts; they were very short, had a little cuff around the leg and no back pockets. They were designed to tightly hug the cheeks and show off a round and shapely derriere.

"I'm not sure …" he began. Melissa quickly cut off his whining.

"These are so cute!" she sputtered. "Here, you go put these on and I'll try these. I'll meet you in my changing booth."

All of Luke's defense mechanisms melted. "Ok," he sighed. They walked into adjacent changing booths – in the women's department. Luke found this all exciting. He pulled on his shorts – they were tight – then slipped into Melissa's booth.

"Do you like?" she asked as she spun around.

"Yes," he whispered.

Melissa twirled her finger, indicating that it was his turn to spin around and show off his shorts. He followed her instructions. "So?" he asked.

"Dynamite," she smiled. "What are you wearing for underwear?"

"Those panties that you bought for me."

"Excellent! You know what though? You're going to need a few more pairs."

 

Two weeks later, Melissa was again washing and setting Betsy's hair. "You're going to prom with Luke?" she asked.

"Yes!" Melissa said. "I'm so excited!"

"Do you have your dress picked out yet?"

"Almost. I have it narrowed down to four dresses." Melissa started laughing, "Yea, only four dresses. My … ahh … my sister is helping me pick out the perfect dress."

"That is so wonderful, Melissa. Going to prom and picking out a beautiful dress is such a wonderful time, isn't it?"

"Oh Betsy, I'm having the greatest time. I just love this."

"Melissa, I'm really happy for you. And I'm really happy for Luke." Betsy changed her voice and became more serious. "It was really difficult raising Luke. I had to do it myself."

"Really?" Melissa asked sympathetically.

"I tried, but it was really difficult. Luke's father died when he was only four years old."

"I'm sorry," Melissa said. And in a very far away voice she added, "I know what it is like to lose someone that you love."

Betsy looked into the mirror to watch Melissa wrap a curler around her hair. Betsy could tell that Melissa was very serious and very sorry. She was just a bit surprised. "Yes, it was very difficult for both of us. But what really bothered me was that he died of prostrate cancer. He was only twenty-five years old. One year less than his father."

"No!"

"Luke's father died at twenty-five and his grandfather at twenty-six. They both died of prostrate cancer."

"That's too much of a coincidence."

"I agree. But the doctor said no. I insisted on a full genetic analysis on Luke, and the doctor said, 'No problem, there is no genetic connection.' "

"Really?"

"That's what he claimed, but I never bought it. I wasn't about to sit around and do nothing. I looked around and discovered some natural herbs that can prevent prostate cancer. Ever since he was five, Luke has been taking saw palmetto, chaste berry or black cohosh. I believe in holistic medicine and I wasn't about to sit back and wait for the inevitable."

Melissa said nothing. She knew that those herbs contained small amounts of anti-androgens. That explained a little about Luke; especially his lack of facial hair.

"I'm sorry," said Betsy. "I love Luke and would do almost anything for him. But I thought you should at least know."

Again, Melissa said nothing. Melissa finished rolling Betsy's hair and she moved her over to the hair dryers. It took about forty-five minutes to finish drying Betsy's hair. Melissa brought her back to the styling chair and began removing the curlers.

"Melissa, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Did you loan Luke a pair of your shorts." Betsy was of course referring to the shorts that Melissa had asked Luke to buy. "I found them in the dirty clothes hamper."

"Yes, I think I did," Melissa said.

"I thought so. How did they look on him?"

"Nice."

"I'll bet they did."

Betsy said little until they reached the register. She reached in her purse and pulled out an inexpensive camera. "Melissa, would you do me a favor?"

"Sure."

"The next time Luke wears those shorts would you take a picture of him? For me?"

Melissa was a little surprised by the request but quickly agreed.

Betsy paid for her wash and set. "This is for the set," as she handed forty five dollars to Melissa. "This is for you," and she gave Melissa another twenty. "Melissa," she interrupted. "I really enjoy talking with you. You are so mature. Mature beyond your years. Thanks for listening to me. Let's talk next time. After your prom I want to come back and hear everything. Is that ok?"

"Sure," Melissa answered demurely.

 

The seriousness of Luke's predicament was finally working its way through his brain. He had no idea what to do about prom. Other guys double dated and shared costs and ideas, but he was on his own. Everyone else was renting a limousine and taking their dates to very upscale and expensive restaurants. He would have to rent a tuxedo and buy Melissa a corsage. The planning was starting to overwhelm him, and he had to talk with someone.

That someone was Melissa, and Melissa had all the answers. "We can use my mom's car, no problem. I'll drive to your house and you can take over from there. And let me make the reservation for dinner. I know a good restaurant."

The day of the prom, 'Lissa's was packed. Three high schools in Milwaukee had picked that Saturday for their prom, and the girls with taste and money had reservations at 'Lissa's. And to make matters worse, 'Lissa's was one beautician short. Melissa was one of the girls getting her hair styled for prom.

Simon was smiling and humming as he curled Melissa's hair and sculpted it into a beautiful shape atop her head. Simon was the most understanding man in the world. He understood exactly how Melissa felt, and though he teased her, he respected her decisions and supported her all the way. Besides being one of the best beauticians in the world, he was also one of the smartest and kindest. Melissa was very lucky to have found him so many years ago.

When he was finished, he sent her off to see Sandy. Sandy gave Melissa a manicure, and then she handed Melissa to George. George was much like Simon; gifted and perceptive. He also fully supported Melissa's new lifestyle. George handled Melissa's make-up. They decided to go for the most glamorous look George could concoct. Simon and George were true artists and Melissa looked beautiful and glamorous when they finished.

Then it was time for Valerie's help. Valerie followed Melissa back to their third floor residence. Melissa applied glue to some push-up forms and glued them to the underneath of her breasts. When the glue was set, the forms held her breasts up in a perky shape. Next she put on a very expensive pair of thigh-high nylons. Melissa had found her old corset and pulled it as tight as she could around her waist. Her normally thin waist was now tiny. She was ready for her gown.

Her gown was a low-cut, strapless design. With Melissa's push-up forms, she filled out the dress and created a full cleavage. Luke's eyes would pop out when he saw her. The dress had a very tight waist and then opened up into a cascade of taffeta that swirled around her legs and ended just inches above her ankles. And in the back of the waist was a large bow.

Melissa sat down at her vanity and pulled her jewelry box in front of her. She held it in both hands and thought back to a time long past. It was a time when she had been as happy as she was this day. It had been thirty-two years ago, September 2003, when Cynthia had given Melissa these heirlooms. It was the night that Cynthia had proposed to Melissa. Melissa opened the box and took out the earrings. The silver earrings dangled about three inches and ended in small diamond clusters. She put them on, and admired herself in the mirror. Next she removed the necklace from its resting place. It was silver and had a pendant hanging from it. When she had first seen the necklace, she had thought the crystal in the pendant was glass. It was so large that it couldn't possibly be a diamond, she thought. Now she laid the diamond at the top of her cleavage and thought of Cynthia.

Melissa walked down to 'Lissa's to show everyone the final result. It had been a long day and the crew was still finishing up with a couple of girls. Her grand entrance was met with applause and cat-calls. Simon gave her a hug and blew her a kiss. "I do some mighty fine work," George bragged.

"Yes you do," Melissa agreed. Finally she stopped in front of Valerie and gave her dress a twirl. "You picked out a beautiful dress Valerie, thanks."

Valerie smiled and hugged her mother. Have a good time mom. Don't do anything I wouldn't do." Melissa felt even better now. Valerie had wished her well.

 

As expected, Luke's eyes popped out when he saw Melissa. Betsy was favorably impressed also, "You look beautiful and graceful beyond your years, Melissa." Luke gave Melissa her corsage, and then Betsy took pictures of the two of them. Before they left, Betsy handed the disposable camera to Melissa, "Take lots of pictures, dear."

Melissa handed the car keys to Luke and then directed him to downtown Milwaukee. They dined in a four star restaurant overlooking Lake Michigan. Melissa even ordered a glass of wine for them. The waiter asked to see her ID and she handed him the new ID that Jennifer had sent.

Before they left the restaurant Melissa asked, "Luke, when do you have to take back your tuxedo?"

"Monday or Tuesday."

"Good. Do you have any plans for tomorrow?" He shook his head no. "I have an idea. Tomorrow bring your tux and shoes to Gabrielle's. I'll meet you there at one o'clock. Ok?"

"Why? Aren't they closed on Sunday?"

"Yes, but I have a key. We'll have the place all to ourselves."

"Why should I bring my tuxedo? What are we going to do?"

Melissa crossed her fingers, "I want to switch with you. I want to put on your tux, and I want you to put on my dress. We're almost the same size so everything should fit. It will be fun, I promise. Will you do it?"

Luke's mind raced, trying to grasp the opportunity in front of him. What boy didn't want to see the secret rituals that girls had. What nineteen-year old boy wasn't interested in learning about a girl's intimate clothing; even trying on a brassiere to see how it felt when it was clasped tight around his chest. Luke did want to do it, but he couldn't show any enthusiasm. He was worried that too much resistance would convince Melissa to drop the idea. That was the last thing he wanted.

Luke tried to act hesitant. "I'm not sure I want to wear a dress. I'd look ridiculous."

"No worse than me in a tux. Come on Luke, please say yes. No one else will know. Please?" Melissa was not about to drop the idea. She wanted it more than Luke did.

"Can I think about it?"

She was winning. "How much time do you need?" she pleaded. "What else have you got to do tomorrow?"

"Nothing really."

"Great, then it's settled. One o'clock I'll meet you in the parking lot. You'll love it, I promise."

Luke was relieved.

 

Melissa and Luke had a pleasant time at the prom. Once again there were essentially ignored by most of the couples. A few boys talked with Luke, and their dates said hi, but that was the extent of their socialization. The dance ended at midnight and Luke drove them back to his house. They both exited the car and stood behind a bush where they thought no one could see them. They embraced and Melissa gave Luke a long lingering kiss. "See you tomorrow," she whispered.

 

At 1:00 P.M. Melissa was sitting in her mother's black Mercedes waiting for Luke to arrive. When he came walking into the parking lot he was carrying his tuxedo in a clear plastic bag. The shoes were in a small bag in his other hand. Melissa jumped out of the car and met him with a hug and kiss. "Hi sweetie! I've already put my stuff inside. Come on let's go in."

As they walked inside Luke said, "This is a kind of weird Melissa …" He had to keep up his masculine aversion to anything feminine.

Melissa interrupted him and said, "Hang your tux there and then come over to the wash basin."

He hung up his tux and dropped the shoes on the floor. "So what do you want to do?" he asked.

"I'm going to wash and set your hair."

He stepped back and said, "I'm not sure …"

Melissa stepped up to him, threw her arms around his neck and gave him a long lingering kiss. She played her tongue across his closed lips, then pushed his lips apart and penetrated his mouth with her tongue. When she finally pulled away she looked in his eyes and said, "Now hush and do as you're told. We're going to have a fun day and no one else is going to know or even care. Sit."

She wrapped the cape around his neck, adjusted the water temperature and began to shampoo his hair. As usual, she gave him a long sensuous massage as she built up a thick lather. She rinsed his hair and added a crθme rinse. "You do still use a crθme rinse at home, right?"

"Yes, all the time." Luke was secretly in love with the routine of having his hair washed and massaged. He looked forward to his appointments, and he tried to make the appointments as close together as possible without raising suspicion. Like most boys, anything soft or feminine had to be vocally and vehemently denied or denigrated. But deep inside, like most boys, he was curious about these feminine rituals. It tingled his senses.

"Good. Your hair is really nice, but you have to continually take care of it." After rinsing him a final time, she wrapped a towel around his head and led him to her styling chair. She spun him around so he could face the mirror as she pulled over a cart loaded with hair curlers of every size and color. Melissa ran her comb through his hair and said, "I'm going to roll your hair and curl it. This will give your hair lots of body and plenty of curls to style when it's dry. You're going to look really cute when I'm through."

"Ugh," he said. 'Wonderful,' he thought. This was one of those feminine rituals that he secretly wanted to experience.

Melissa combed the tangles out of his hair and then sectioned it. She used clips to hold his hair out of her way as she began to roll each section. After thirty years of experience, it took Melissa no time at all to roll up all of the curlers. She placed a net over his head and proclaimed him done. "Normally I'd put you under the dryer, but next I'm going to apply your make-up, so you can sit here while I do that."

"Make-up?" he asked resignedly. This was getting better and better he thought. He had been hoping that Melissa was going to make him wear make-up also. He especially wanted to have lipstick applied to his lips.

"Yes. Don't worry, you're going to look really pretty when I'm through. Relax and enjoy." Melissa started with a medicated wipe and cleaned his face. Then she rubbed a fragrant moisturizer into his face and neck. She pushed the curler cart off to the side and pulled up the make-up cart. It was covered with hundreds of jars and tubes. Luke watched as Melissa opened a drawer, took out a handful of small sponges and handed them to him. "Hold these until I need them, please." She chose a jar of foundation and held it next to his face. "Nope," she announced and replaced it before she took out another jar. "Better," and she popped off the lid.

"Sponge, please." Luke handed her a sponge. She dipped it in the foundation and began blending it over his face. "This is foundation, it covers blemishes and gives your complexion a clean and uniform appearance. The key to a beautiful face isn't the eyes or lips, it's the complexion. You have a nice complexion to begin with, so I don't need to add much foundation." When she was finished she tossed the sponge in the wastebasket. She picked up a large brush and a container of powder. "This is translucent powder. I use just a bit of this to help set your foundation." Luke said nothing, as he followed the operation in the mirror.

"Now for a bit of color in your cheeks." Melissa picked up another brush and a jar of pinkish powder. "We're going to go to use light pink tones for your make-up today. This blush will make your cheekbones look higher and give your face some definition." After the blush she took a darker tone of powder and framed under his jaw line and added a bit on the side of his nose.

"Eyes are next. Remember the picture of Mimi Marks over there?" she asked.

"Yea?"

"You liked her picture, so I'm trying to copy her look. I'm going to give you very dramatic eyes. I'll have to tweeze your brows a little. Don't panic, I'm just getting the long stray hairs." Melissa began tweezing Luke's eyebrows, but she plucked more than just a few stray hairs. She plucked all of the longer hairs and also arched his brows slightly.

"Looking good, darling. I'm going to give your brows some color with this brow pencil." She colored and shaped his brows even more. "Eye shadow next. First a little base …" and she found another small jar on the over-crowded cart. "Sponge." Luke handed her another sponge and she used it to apply a small amount of the base over his eyelids. She tossed the sponge and picked up a small brush and a plastic case of eye shadow. "We shall make your eyes very dark and dramatic," she said as she applied the first of three different shades of color. When she was done, she stepped back and pointed to the mirror. "What do you think? Dark enough."

"More than dark enough," Luke answered. His eyes looked large and very beautiful. Luke was thrilled with the look.

"And we're only getting started. A black eyeliner next." She found the correct color and ran the thin brush around his eyelashes. She completed outlining his eyes and then took the line up the outside corner of his eye, towards the crease. It was more dramatic than normal, but she was trying to copy Mimi's dramatic look.

"Let that dry and I'll start on your lips. What kind of lipstick do you like the best?"

"I don't care." He really didn't care, just as long as she applied some.

"Sure you do, everyone has an opinion about lipstick. I'm going to use a pink shade, but I can make it very light or quite dark. Normally with your eyes I would go with a darker, saturated pink, but this is your fantasy. Tell me what you want."

"I like the darker shades also."

"I knew that about you, Luke. You have a good eye when it comes to make-up." She chose an appropriate liner and outlined his lips, then colored them in with a brush. "Oh my!" she exclaimed. "You have gorgeous lips. Very kissable," she exclaimed.

Luke looked in the mirror and pursed his lips. They looked very bold and noticeable. The lipstick made a huge difference in his appearance. He was really beginning to look like a girl now. The curlers in his hair made him look even sexier he thought.

"Now we have to finish your eyes. I'm going to curl your eye lashes so you have to remain very still and don't blink." She slipped the curler around his upper lashes and gave it several tight squeezes. She viewed the lashes and decided they needed more curl, so she applied the curler again. "That eye looks ok. Now let me get the other one."

When she had finished, she returned the curler to its drawer and picked up her mascara. She stroked it over his upper lashes and teased it onto his lower lashes. She moved from eye to eye and applied three coats. Finally she picked up a small comb and unclumped some of the lashes.

"And voila, you're done. You have really pretty eyes Luke. You look much better than I had imagined. What do you think?"

Luke was surprised. Melissa could tell by the way he turned his head and looked into the mirror. "It looks better than I would have thought possible. You're pretty good at this."

"Thanks for the compliment, but your face made my job easy. You have a very pretty face. You really, really look good Luke. Now, let me check your hair." Melissa patted his hair and lifted a couple of rollers to check. "Your hair is still damp. Let me put you under the dryer for a few minutes."

She took him to the dryer and sat him down. "Here's a magazine you can read while you're drying." She handed him a Mademoiselle and then began adjusting the dryer. When everything was set to her satisfaction Melissa said, "Now you just sit there and relax. I'm going to change my clothes."

Luke felt the warm air circulating around his head and down his neck. The feeling was wonderful. He opened the magazine and studied the make-up on the models.

Melissa took Luke's tux and shoes and stepped into one of the waxing rooms where she would have some privacy. She glanced in the mirror and whispered to herself, "He's as pretty as I thought he would be. He'll make a beautiful woman."

Melissa stripped down to her panties and bra. She put on a pair of socks and camisole, and then put on the pants and shirt from Luke's tuxedo. The pants used a pair of suspenders and she added those. She tightened the suspenders so they would pull tight against the sides of her breasts. When she took off her coat, it would be evident that she had a shapely form. She brushed her hair back into a ponytail, and slid a black band over her hair. Now her hair looked like a typical boy's style. Without earrings or make-up she still looked pretty, but she also could pass for a pretty boy.

She stepped into the shoes and found them much bigger than she wanted. She would have to shuffle along to keep them from falling off. Melissa took some Kleenex and stuffed them into the toes of the shoes, and then tied the shoestrings as tight as she could. The last step was putting on the coat and she was finished. She opened the door and walked over to Luke. Posing in front of him, she spun around. First she held her thumb up and then turned it down. She repeated the gesture a couple of times as her eyes asked Luke for his opinion. Luke gave her a thumbs up.

She smiled and turned off his dryer. To test his hair she unrolled a curler and checked it for bounce. Luke's hair was dry. "Back to the styling chair, gorgeous." She sat him down and pulled over the roller cart. As she unrolled each curler, she dropped it in the correct bucket. When all of the curlers were out she asked, "What do you think? Do you like curly?"

Luke was amazed. With his hair curled and his face made-up, he looked like a girl. A very pretty looking girl. "I have to admit, it's very believable. I mean … I do look like a girl."

"You look like a very pretty girl, let's get that straight. I'm going to brush out your curls and give you a nice wavy style. It's called a pageboy, but I'm going to leave more curl and swirl than normal."

When she was finished, she removed his cape and said, "Admit it, that was more fun than any boy deserves, wasn't it?"

"I guess it was," he admitted.

"I knew you would like it. Getting a make-over and dressing up is fun. Every girl in the world knows how much fun it is, and now you do too. And we're only half way done. Now we have to put you in my dress. Walk this way," she instructed.

Melissa took Luke to the waxing room and handed him a pair of thigh-hi nylons. "Do you know how to put these on?"

"I'm not sure," he said. Of course he knew how to put them on. He had seen it done dozens of times in movies and on television.

"I'm sure you've seen your mom do it. Or maybe on movies, but you roll them up like this and then gently pull them up your leg." She tossed the nylons on the waxing bed. Then she picked up a box. "These are your breast forms. We're going to glue them to your chest so you have something to fill out the dress. I've already applied the glue to the back of them."

"Melissa, how can I possibly fill out that dress? You showed bare cleavage."

Melissa smiled, "Yes I did, didn't I? Did you like what you saw?"

Luke grinned, "Very much!"

"I'm glad. I was hoping you would. But not to worry, this dress has a little extra fabric around the front. We can fold it up and it will cover the area where your bosom normally shows. It's a rather clever design. Shall we get started?"

Melissa stepped back to give Luke more room. He stared at her, expecting her to leave the room. "Are you staying?"

"If you want I can help you with your under garments. Girls usually get help when dressing in such elaborate dresses. Or if you want I can step out while you get started. It's your choice."

"I'd feel better if I was by myself." He didn't want to be embarrassed when she saw the bulge in his panties.

"Fine," Melissa answered. She was confident that she understood what his concern was about. She had been in his exact same predicament many years ago. She reached behind the door and took a wrap-around off the hook. "After you put on your nylons, strip down to your panties and then wrap this around your waist. Did you wear panties today, or do you need some?"

"No, I wore the panties that you bought for me. I'm all set."

"Super. Yell when you're ready."

Melissa waited for several minutes before Luke called her back in. He was wearing the nylons and had the rest of his clothes off. The terrycloth wrap was around his waist. Melissa could see a slight bulge.

"You have really nice legs, Luke. They're a bit hairy, but the long hem will cover them. Let's start with your boobs. You'll need to put on your bra so I know where to place the breast forms." Melissa wrapped the bra around his chest and fastened it behind his back. "You're just like me, a 34. Now I want you to hold the top of the bra out and away from your chest." Luke opened the bra and Melissa carefully placed the breast forms in the right position. "Hold them tight for a couple of minutes while they set-up."

With Luke holding his boobs in place, Melissa wrapped her corset around his waist.

"What's this?" Luke asked. He had never seen a corset before.

"It's a corset. It pulls in tight like a girdle and gives you a thinner waist. I wore the same thing last night."

"You did?"

"I had to, and so do you. The waist on this dress is tiny." Standing behind Luke, she reached around him and clasped the hooks in front. Then she grabbed the strings in the back. "Now I'm going to pull these very tight. You have to exhale and pull in your stomach when I say go. Ready?"

"Ready."

"Go." Luke exhaled and Melissa pulled as hard as she could. Then she pulled some more and tied the strings. "How's that?"

"I can barely breathe."

"It takes some getting used to. Take shallow breaths and you'll be ok. You can let go of your boobs now, the glue should be tight. How do they feel?"

"Heavy. Will they stay on?" He bounced up and down on his toes to feel the way they pulled against his chest. He liked they way they moved and the weight they applied.

"Sure, no problem. It's time for your dress." Melissa helped Luke put on the dress, then she zipped him up in the back.

"This really is tight around the waist, isn't it?"

"I told you. So how do you like it?"

"It's not exactly what I expected." It was better than he had expected.

"What do you mean?"

"Well … it's heavier than I expected. And its noisy, the skirt rustles a lot. But the weirdest part is the top. I feel bare … exposed."

"Vulnerable, maybe?"

"I guess that kind of describes it. And the top doesn't feel that secure, like it could slip down or a boob could flop out."

"Welcome to the world of girls. We always have to think about these things, especially making sure that something doesn't flop out. But you will get used to it. And, I expect, you will like it. I know I do."

Melissa stepped back and gave Luke some room. "You look beautiful, Luke. Take a look in the mirror. You make a really pretty girl. You're very attractive, don't you think?"

"I'm not so sure that I would go that far …"

"I would. And so would you. I can see it in your eyes. Don't deny it. You're very pretty and you know it. Say it. Agree with me," she smiled and rubbed his arm.

"Ok, you're right. I am pretty," he admitted. And he liked what he saw.

"You bet your boobs you are. Come out to the salon, you're not done yet."

"There's more?"

"There sure is. Sit down in that chair and I'll help you put on your heels. I know you can barely bend over, so I'll put them on for you. I brought some of my big sister's shoes. I didn't think my shoes would fit you, and when I tried on your shoes I knew that I was right. I have to shuffle my feet to keep these clod hoppers of yours on my feet."

Melissa slipped a pair of Valerie's three-inch heels on Luke's feet. "Now sit right there, I have one more thing for you." Melissa took a small box off the counter and handed it to Luke. "Go ahead, open it up."

Luke opened the small jewelry case. "Wow, those look nice. Are they real?"

"They sure are. Those are the earrings and necklace that I wore last night. They're real diamonds."

"Are they valuable?"

"Probably somewhere in the neighborhood fifty thousand dollars or more." Actually, the price tag was about double Melissa's estimate.

"You're kidding me, right?"

"Not at all. Here, let me help you put them on." Melissa removed Luke's little studs and slipped in the large drop earrings. Then she fastened the necklace around his neck. "There you go. You're complete except for finger nail polish. Would you like me to do your nails?"

Luke surprised Melissa with his answer. "I suppose since we've gone this far we should be complete." It was easier to say yes now that he was dressed. He didn't have to pretend he was reluctant anymore.

Melissa gave him a large smile, "This is turning out to be more fun than you ever imagined, am I right?"

Luke smiled but said nothing. Melissa took him to a small desk and seated Luke on one side while she sat on the other. She took some pink polish form the drawer and painted his nails. "Don't touch anything for at least fifteen minutes. Got it?"

"Yep."

"All you need now is your purse. Come on, stand up and walk over to the mirror with me." They stood in front of the mirror and admired themselves. "Don't we make a pretty prom couple?"

"We do look cute. Especially you, Melissa."

"Wait, we can't call each other Melissa and Luke. We have to have new names. You call me Melvin, and you can be Louise. How does that sound, Louise?"

"Very good, Melvin."

Melissa turned and looked in Luke's eyes, "Is this ok with you? Are you having a good time?"

"Yea, this is fun. I'm having a nice time." At last he could be honest with both Melissa and himself.

"That's good to hear. I thought you would enjoy it once you got over your initial concerns. Playing dress-up is fun. And it is fun dressing up as a girl, isn't it? I know it's difficult for a male to admit that, but it really is, right?"

"I have to admit, I didn't want to do this originally. But I'm glad I did it."

"Great. Now follow me."

"Where are we going?"

"We're going up to the photo studio so Melvin and Louise can have their prom pictures taken."

"Are you allowed to use the studio?"

"Sure I am. I brought my camera and I already took it upstairs. I know how to use the lights and we can take some really good pictures. Professional quality even."

"I'm not sure that I want my picture taken, Melissa." Luke was afraid that someone else might see him dressed as a girl. That would ruin his reputation.

"My name is Melvin and yes you do. You are really pretty and you'll want to look back at the pictures later. I guarantee that you will. Come on, here's your purse. Follow me."

Luke tried a different tactic, "Should you even be doing this? What if the owner catches us?"

"She's on vacation. And besides, she really doesn't care. I've used the photo studio before, it'll be alright."

Luke reluctantly followed Melissa out the door, into the hallway and up the stairs. Walking in heels was difficult, and Luke had to move carefully to make sure he didn't twist an ankle. When they reached the studio, Melissa quickly moved around, turning on lights, adjusting her camera and directing Luke. She placed Luke in several poses including sitting and standing. She took close-ups and full figure pictures. She even had Luke turn sideways to show off his flat tummy and shapely breasts. After a few pictures, Luke's inhibitions broke down and he started enjoying the posing. He even tried to look sexy for a couple shots.

Then Melissa joined him in several more pictures. She used a timer to allow her to join Luke in their couples-photo. They spent almost an hour taking pictures. Luke was having a good time and didn't realize how fast time was flying by. By the time they were done it was six o'clock.

Melissa put everything back in its rightful place and then pointed at the clock. "We've been at this all afternoon. Did you enjoy it?"

"Contrary to my expectations, yes I did."

"That's nice. Are you hungry?"

"I'm starving."

"I know just the place to go. Come on." Melissa led him down the stairs and back to the salon. Her purse was sitting on the counter and she opened it. She took out her wallet and car keys. "I'm the boy so I get to drive."

Luke's eyes opened as wide as his mouth. "Like this? We can't go out dressed like this."

"You're right Louise. I need to freshen your lipstick." Melissa stepped over to the make-up cart and picked up the lipstick. She returned to Luke and said, "Pucker up." He pursed his lips and Melissa applied the lipstick directly from the tube. "Smack your lips together." She handed Luke the lipstick and said, "Put this in your purse, you will need it later. Now you're ready. Let's go."

"No."

"Yes."

"No, I can't go out like this! I'm dressed like a girl."

"You are dressed like a very beautiful and pretty girl. You look just fine. And if you think anyone will notice, they won't. Take my word for it. No one will think for even a second that you're not a girl. The one that people are going to look at is me. That is why I have picked a restaurant where no one cares."

"What kind of restaurant is that?"

"It's French. I was there once before and it has really good food. Come on, I'm buying."

"But Melissa, please. I'm not sure that I should be going out like this."

"Are you afraid that you will like it?"

"Of course not. But for one thing, this is a prom dress. No one wears a prom dress to dinner."

"I did last night."

"But that was prom night. Sundays aren't prom night!"

"So? We're dressed for the opera, my dear." Melissa tried to sound serious and sweet at the same time, "Luke, did you have a nice time today?"

"Yes."

"And you didn't expect it did you?"

"No."

"Then trust me one more time. Let me take my prom date to dinner. Believe me, you're going to enjoy going out dressed as a pretty girl. People are going to be really nice to you. You will get more attention than you have ever had before. People are going to like you and treat you really nice. They'll hold doors open for you and smile at you and go out of their way to speak to you. You will love it. Try it. Just this once. Ok?"

Luke acquiesced and gave a reluctant ok. Melissa opened the front door and held it for Luke, "Shall we go my dear?" Luke walked out the door and over to the car. Melissa checked to make sure the salon door was closed tight, and then opened the car door for Luke. "Be careful with your dress, smooth it out under you when you sit."

Melissa climbed behind the wheel and drove to the restaurant that Cheryl had taken her to on their one-night stand. Melissa parked the car, then walked around to the passenger side and opened the door for Luke. She offered her hand to him and said, "You might need help standing on this gravel. Be careful." Once Luke was upright, Melissa offered him her arm. "Take my arm, if you feel like your going to slip or fall I can help you."

They walked halfway to the door and Melissa stopped. "Look around Luke. People are walking by and driving by and nothing is happening. No one cares what we are dressed like. Can you feel the breeze blowing over your bare shoulders?"

"Yes."

"It's nice, isn't? And can you feel the breeze around your ankles?" He nodded. "Boys don't get to enjoy these pleasures. It's fun isn't?" she smiled.

"You're right, Melissa. This is nice. Scary, but it is nice." Melissa squeezed his arm and the two walked into the restaurant.

"Table for two?" the host asked.

"Yes, the reservation is under Melvin May."

"Very good, right this way."

"When did you make a reservation?" Luke whispered.

"Yesterday, Louise," and she gave Luke a mischievous grin.

There were only a few people in the restaurant, so service was prompt. A busboy filled their water glasses and smiled at Luke. "That's a nice dress," he said. A waiter arrived as soon as the busboy left. "Would you like something from the bar?" Melissa ordered two wines. The waiter never asked for an ID. Another busboy brought over bread and butter. He also grinned at Luke.

After they had left Melissa asked, "How are you doing? Ok?"

"So far," he answered. He had noticed the boys smiling at him.

The waiter brought their wine and set it in front of them. "You two look very nice tonight. Is there a special occasion?" He was making small talk. But he was also being a bit condescending.

Melissa decided to have some fun. "We went to prom last night and we haven't had a chance to change yet," and she winked at the waiter.

The waiter had a bit of French snob in him. He turned to Luke and said, "That is exquisite jewelry that you are wearing. It almost looks real," he said with a trace of sarcasm.

Luke flashed him a pretty smile and said, "They are real. They're family heirlooms."

The waiter seemed to change his tune a bit, "And you make them look even better." He handed a menu to each of them and then recited the specials. "I'll give you a minute to decide," and he walked away.

"He's a typical snob," Melissa said. "Don't mind him."

Luke didn't mind him a bit. He had complimented Luke on his looks.

As they waited to place their order, Luke looked around the room and caught a couple of people looking at him. They would quickly look away when their eyes met. "People seem to be looking at me," Luke complained.

"People always look at the prettiest girl in the house."

"Do you think the dress has something to do with it?"

"Of course; the dress, the hair, the figure and everything else. Do you feel self conscious?"

"Sort of, but I also feel more confident. They're looking at a pretty girl, not at a boy dressed as a girl, right?"

"Right you are," and Melissa gave him a reassuring smile.

The enjoyed their meal and Luke became more confident as the evening wore on. At the end of the meal, Melissa suggested that Luke go to the little girl's room and freshen his lipstick. With a flutter in his stomach he asked the bus boy for the directions to the rest rooms. As he walked across the dining room, he thought everyone was watching him. Upon reaching the restroom he was relieved to find it empty. He slipped into one of the toilets and realized his skirt filled the stall. He pulled up the dress and tried to hold it out of the way while he pulled down his panties and sat on the seat. Sitting left less room for a mistake or splash. This was more difficult than he had expected.

When he had finished his business, he washed his hands and noticed how beautiful they were with his nails painted. This was fun he decided. Louise opened his purse and took out the lipstick. He took off the cap and watched the color glide up as he twisted the base. He applied the lipstick to his lips, and then used his tongue to taste the fresh flavor. The taste made him feel very feminine and sexy. Louise had a bit more bounce in his step when he returned to Melvin.

As he reached the table, a busboy came out of nowhere and held his chair for him. He thanked the boy and gave him a nice smile. "Having fun?" Melissa asked.

"Yes, I am. I admit it, I'm glad you made me go out with you."

"Is it what you expected?"

"Some things are. I didn't think I would have so much trouble going to the bathroom. My dress filled up the stall and I was terrified that I might drop my skirt in the toilet."

Melissa laughed. "And that has happened before, believe me. I've paid the bill, would you like to go for a walk?"

"Sure."

"The sun will be setting soon, and it might be pretty. There is a small park behind the restaurant, let's go there."

Melissa took Luke's hand and led him to a bench in the park. They sat and watched the locals walk by. Melissa slid close against Luke and put her arm around his shoulders. "Am I moving too fast young lady?"

"Well I must protect my reputation," Luke said in a falsetto voice.

"May I kiss my lady?"

"You may," responded Luke. They kissed and Melissa pulled Luke tight against her.

When they broke apart Melissa asked, "Do I have lipstick all over me?"

"Yes. You look very cute young man."

Melissa grinned, "Well there is only one thing a proper gentleman can do. Please hand me your purse." Melissa opened Luke's purse and took out his lipstick. She applied the lipstick to her lips, and then returned everything to Luke. "There, now no one will know."

Luke giggled and leaned in for another kiss.

 

(continued)

  

  

  

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