The Women in Luke's Life

by Girlscot

 

Luke saw the shop window as he approached along the pavement and was ready to take what he hoped would look like a casual glance inside, just as he always did whenever he passed by this or any similar establishment. He didn't know any other boy who would be remotely interested in seeing what went on through this shop window. They may stop at the sports stores or spend ages looking at the new models in the garage forecourts, but this shop would definitely not get a second look.

Despite not wishing to miss anything which may have been going on inside the shop, on this occasion his eyes were diverted from the scene inside when a woman in the shop stepped up to the window and stuck a home-made, computer generated, poster on the glass beside the shop front door. He managed to catch a couple of words at the top of the poster, which were in bold print, but he had passed by before he could complete it all, so he continued on to the next shop and casually inspected the shoes that the shop sold, before he retraced his steps to finish reading the poster. He walked over to a small pedestrian area where there was a couple of benches, and took a seat.

He read the poster over in his mind and as he did so a knot began to form in his stomach. The poster had read,

"Wanted. Full-time, temporary help during busy summer period. Would suit school student. Apply within."

It would be absolutely perfect for him, but could he find the nerve to walk in and ask a complete stranger about the job right now. He couldn't think of a better way to spend the summer and he could do with the extra money, but it still wasn't easy for a fifteen year old boy to apply for a job in this shop. The "shop" was Linda's Hair and Beauty Salon.

As he pondered what to do, Luke's mind drifted to the events of recent months. The last few weeks had been the most exciting of Luke's young life.

For as far back as he could remember, he had known he was different from the other boys he knew and was aware of his strong feminine feelings, and to him, his natural desire to live and act like a girl. But even at an early age he had realised that what he felt was not what was expected from a young boy and he had never told anyone, especially his Mum, about how he felt. Of course, his Mum, Helen, had always been aware that her son was not the most rugged of boys, but she was of the opinion that not all boys are going to be the aggressive and sporty type, and she had come to love his quiet and polite manner.

For his fourteenth birthday, Helen had scrimped and saved and had bought him a much wanted computer. By then, Luke had seen some articles in newspapers or on television and knew that transsexuals existed and that he was not the only person in the world to have these feelings, so he tentatively begun to investigate on the internet and was surprised at the volume of material available for him to look at and to read. He was amazed to find out that there were many boys, and some girls, who felt exactly the same way he did. He spent any free time he had surfing through the welter of both informational and personal sites and he soon became certain of who and what he was and what he needed to happen in the future, if he were to live the life he knew he was meant for. He was transgendered and he was going to have SRS surgery to help him be the girl he knew he really was. Luke also found on the net, another release for an interest that had grown steadily in his mind alongside his growing need to be feminine. Hundreds of sites to let him indulge his passion for feminine hair and beauty. There were salon sites, hairstyle galleries, and Luke especially loved any site with pictures of women and girls with their hair in rollers or permrods. He would dream of being the girl in the picture, and to him, visiting a salon and having your hair done was one of the most beautiful and feminine things a woman could do. He was extremely jealous of these girls but was determined that this was an experience that would not be denied to him. Alongside all the other feminine experiences he longed to have in his life, he was going to make it happen. He had been eleven the last time his hair had been cut in a boyish fashion, but had steadfastly been refusing his Mum's pleadings to return to the barbershop, claiming that lots of boys at school were wearing their hair a little longer at the moment. Secretly he had just wanted his hair to be more like the girls that he knew. Gradually it had become more than "a little longer", but Helen had just accepted her son liked long hair and had given up protesting about it's length. Little did Luke know that when he eventually had his first "hair and beauty" experience, it would be with the help of Helen’s friend, Christine, a woman he loved and admired so much for her grace and femininity, and it would be the most beautiful experience of his young life. Luke began to experiment with his longer hair, and when the opportunity arose, he would try and style it in a feminine fashion by simply brushing it in what he hoped was a more girlie style, or by trying a high ponytail. The young Luke soon discovered that this, along with his daydreaming of being a young girl, brought about his first real experiences of boyish arousal, and he learned the male pleasure of satisfying this feeling, while all the time, hating his penis and what it represented. When he started finding the transgendered and hair related sites on his new computer he was in an almost permanent state of arousal and he often orgasmed without the need for even the smallest amount of manual stimulation. Helen was mildly suspicious at Luke's sudden, new, keenness to load his own underwear into the washing machine, but she rightly surmised that this could be the result of "boys being boys" and Luke doing what nearly all early teenage boys do, so she didn't make an issue of it. He knew other boys got their kicks from looking at pictures of Britney Spears or Anna Kournikova but they did nothing for him sexually, although he had to admit he did love Anna's long blonde hair! But a photograph of a young girl with her hair in rollers and beautifully done makeup, and the thought of being that girl, would be sexually stimulating for him. He often felt guilty because he knew his Mum trusted him with the computer, but he reasoned to himself that he was not looking at pornographic sites. It was just that what he was looking at was sexually stimulating for him. Eventually he found the middle ground and was more able to control his arousals, and he could choose whether he took himself to orgasm or not, the need for male satisfaction battling against his female loathing of his male genitalia and everything to do with them.

Then, just three short months ago, everything came to a head when Helen had accidentally found some downloaded material from the net concerning Luke's "interests" in his bedroom and had confronted him on their meaning. After the initial shock and embarrassment of being found out had passed, Luke had come clean and told his Mum exactly how he felt. To his joy and relief, Helen, although stunned by this revelation, had been completely calm and understanding. Truth be told, although Helen had never consciously asked herself the question "Is Luke gay?", the thought had danced through her mind without ever registering or demanding an answer. But Luke had told her much, much, more. Luke desperately needed to live and act as a girl to make his life the way he knew it was intended to be. Helen then learned as much about Luke's condition as she could, much of the reading matter supplied by Luke himself, and feeling the need to unload her burden, had sought advice from her best friend and Luke's unofficial aunt, Catherine.

Acceptance of Luke's condition soon followed from Catherine and Helen's other main friends and work colleagues, Carol and Irene. And Carol's daughter Laura and her friend Julie, who were also Luke's best female friends, were brought into the small group of people in the knowing and accepting circle of friends. Especially since they had all met up at Catherine's house the morning after Luke had spent a "girl's night in" with Catherine. She had washed and set his hair and applied his makeup and together they had chosen some outfits to wear. Christine had transformed the shy Luke into the totally believable and beautiful "Lucy".

A visit to a local transgendered advice counsellor followed. Luke had been extremely nervous beforehand but had soon relaxed during his meeting with Lisa. Lisa was a thirty-something post-operative transsexual and she had spoken to Helen and Luke together before spending some time with Luke alone, and then getting Mum and son together again. Lisa had explained that in her opinion Luke was a classic case of "Gender Dysphoria" and appeared to have all the obvious and well-documented symptoms of this condition. She advised Helen and Luke about the "pros and cons" of early transitioning, some of the effects of "coming out" and of the difficulties that lay ahead, one of the most pressing being Luke's schooling. Had they a plan for this problem. They discussed Luke's sexual preferences and Luke told Lisa exactly what he had previously told his Mum, that at this point in time he loved girls and being in the company of girls, but looked on them as "girlfriends" and not with romance in mind. He had not looked for and had never had any gay experiences although he admitted that if he were to become a woman he could envisage himself in a male/female relationship. But these were issues Helen and Luke had discussed many times and knew would just have to be dealt with as they arrived. Lisa, however, was only a counsellor, but said she would be able to refer Luke to a doctor who specialised in this area of health medicine, a Doctor Jane Stirling, who was very sympathetic to young transsexuals and if convinced of her patients sincerity was willing to offer early immediate intervention to help resolve their conflict. Lisa had said that this was not always the case with other doctors.

Luke and Helen had eventually met with Doctor Stirling, who after several consultations had also concluded that Luke was transgendered and was sure he was a certain future candidate for S.R.S. Once she was certain that both Luke and Helen were fully aware and prepared for what lay ahead, she had offered to prescribe Luke anti-androgen tablets, explaining to Luke and Helen that these pills would have the effect of working against his male hormones and would hopefully lessen the results of male puberty, though this was information that both Helen and Luke were well aware of. Then when Luke turned sixteen she would start him on oestrogen, beginning with a jab, and then continuing with pills. This, while working in tandem with the male suppressing anti-androgen tablets would begin the feminisation of Luke's body. Just listening to this woman talk in such positive terms, openly and frankly, had been thrilling for Luke. Together with his Mum, they were talking about an issue which had been his secret until recently, something so personal he had never envisioned being able to talk to anyone about it. Doctor Stirling was seriously, but with compassion and acceptance, discussing, with Luke, his transition into womanhood and a life of femininity. He felt like shouting out loud with joy! Dr Stirling had advised that even after beginning the oestrogen course, as he would be returning to school, it would be better to wait three to six months before committing himself to living full-time as Lucy. This would give the oestrogen time to work on his body, lessen penile arousal and the embarrassment that causes, and generally make the transition to living as Lucy more comfortable.

This was all music to Luke's ears, and now for the last few weeks he had been taking the anti-androgens while attending school as normal. In the evenings Helen allowed Luke to become a casually attired Lucy, while insisting studying for the end of term exams was still his main priority. But on a couple of weekends, Laura and Julie had come round, and the two girls and young transgendered boy had gone the "whole nine yards" with makeup, hair and clothes experimentation. Both girls were at ease with Lucy and were able to empathise with her in a way that certain females could with transsexuals and indeed greatly enjoyed the process of turning the handsome Luke into the beautiful Lucy.

In four weeks Luke would celebrate his sixteenth birthday and would begin taking female hormones and he could hardly wait for this to happen. Just thinking about the female hormones running through his body and the effect they would have, sent a tingling sensation to every fibre of his body. When he saw a woman he admired, he would say to himself,

"I'm soon going to have the same hormones flowing in my veins as that beautiful woman."

He would think of the choices that woman had made that morning and of the likely experiences of her day. She had decided to use the pink, no plum, lipstick. She had spent some time choosing what to wear and had settled on the plain white blouse and dark blue skirt. She had decided to put her hair behind her ears today. Perhaps she had phoned her salon and had made an appointment for later on that day. Maybe later on this evening she would soak in a perfumed bath and than go through her beauty routine before retiring to bed.

"All these things are in my future!" he would repeatedly tell himself. HE JUST LOVED IT.

And here he was sitting on a bench outside "Linda's Hair and Beauty Salon", trying to summon up the nerve to enter the salon and apply for the summer job. He tried to play out in his mind how to handle the situation, what he may be asked and how he would answer. The job would be for eight weeks and he knew that he would begin his oestrogen routine in four weeks time, but he was sure that he could manage that, and that no effects would be noticeable to anyone inside that four-week period. He was unsure whether he should tell his interviewer his complete story or even whether he could tell a complete stranger even if he wanted to.

Suddenly, he found himself walking towards the salon front door. He had made no decisions on how to go about this, and it was as if someone else had taken the decision for him and propelled him towards the door. He could barely believe what he was doing and he knew if he stopped to consider any further he would probably not enter the salon. It was as if someone else's hand had stretched out before him and pulled down the handle to open the salon door. Luke entered "Linda's Hair and Beauty Salon" and was greeted by the warm smell he remembered so well from previous salon visits with his Mum. When he was younger there had been times when Helen had had no other option than to take Luke with her on her salon appointments and the young boy had watched with interest what was happening around him, the friendly salon staff little realising the seeds that were being sown in the boy's mind. They had always been friendly towards Luke, bringing him juice and such and generally just taking time to talk to him and stop him becoming bored. But Luke was never bored. Even at this young age, he got to see a salon as being a happy and friendly place to work. The woman all seemed to enjoy what they were doing and the chatter between stylists and clients was constant. Luke knew that often he was the only male in what was a very feminine environment and he knew that he loved being there. He watched as the ladies were transformed by hair and makeup and saw the stylists enjoyed being able to help someone look and feel their best and he observed the smiles of their customers as they left the salon. He watched the processes that were taking place at each of the stations and became mesmerised by the ladies, their hair completely wound in rollers, or with what looked like hats made of strips of kitchen foil woven through their hair. Or someone just getting their hair cut and then dried by the stylist armed with a hairdryer in her hand. He loved the beauty salon but was careful to try and hide his interest behind the comic or book he was reading. Boys were just not supposed to be interested in such things. Recently, Luke had been wondering if these were the experiences that had set him off down the path that he was now taking. He had reached a conclusion. Luke figured that he, along with many other boys, always had it in his genetic programming to be feminine. He did not know how or why, but he was sure that this was the case. The experiences in the salon helped to kick-start his experimenting with his female side, but he was sure his femininity would have surfaced sooner or later. He remembered his pre and early school days and how he played with his girlfriends and was left out of (and had no desire to play in) the boy's games. He had always wanted to be a girl!

In a daze, Luke took in the scene inside the salon. The woman he had seen placing the poster in the window was sitting at the reception desk. She was in her mid-thirties and although she couldn't be described as beautiful, with her short auburn hair, well applied makeup, and what turned out to be staff uniform of white blouse and black trousers, she exuded everything Luke admired about being a woman. A badge on the front of her blouse told Luke her name was "Linda" and even in his autopilot state he realised he was walking towards the probable boss of the salon. Linda glanced up and a glimmer of uncertainty crossed her face before she turned on an easy smile.

Linda had seen the teenager come through the salon front door and hadn't been immediately sure if this was a young boy or girl who was approaching her desk. Boy or girl she had been instantly struck by the wearer's beautiful shoulder length hair. It was only the clothes he was wearing that tipped her towards believing it was a boy she was about to greet.

"Good afternoon. Can I help you?"

Luke was now regaining his composure and as he had anticipated the likely confusion his entrance would cause, he was able to answer Linda's quandary without causing embarrassment to either of them.

"My name is Luke McVey and I've come about the job that's advertised in the window."

This time it was a look of surprise that flickered over Linda's face but that was quickly replaced by her natural smile.

"Well that was a quick response. I only put the poster in the window five minutes ago."

"I know. I saw you put it up when I was passing by."

Linda gathered her thoughts and then invited Luke to take one of the seats in the waiting area and sat down beside him.

"I'll need to be honest and say that I was expecting a young girl to apply for this job. Although it's not a permanent placement, I figured it would be a good job for someone who is interested in hair and beauty and was maybe thinking of working in this line as a career. I just didn't figure on a boy being interested. Why do you want this job?"

Luke thought he would reply with the easiest, most obvious answers, and though it was not in his nature to embellish the truth he thought a little bit of sympathy might be extracted by throwing in some family history.

"I need a job to give me something to do during the summer. Most of my friends are either working or going away for the break and I've not been able to find something to fill in my time. Plus, it's only me and my Mum at home, and though my Mum works hard and we get by just fine, I'd really like to help her in any way I can and a little extra money would come very handy." He thought about telling Linda the truthful fact that he would use the money to buy his Mum a present but the knowledge that this would be putting an unfair burden on Linda's decision making stopped him from adding this to his answer.

Linda looked at the boy in front of her. It was obvious that he was a nice, genuine boy and now she had had a little time to assess him she was warming to his personality.

"I understand that much, but I guess I'm wondering why you would want THIS job?"

Luke pondered as to how he should answer this question and knew he would have to say something positive in order to give

Linda a reason to hire him. He didn't want to reveal his personal secrets at this time. But he did want the job. He decided to make a small attack on Linda's assumptions on gender stereotypes.

Luke smiled and with only the barest hint of chastisement asked, "What makes you think that I'm not interested in working in a salon as a career? Is it because I'm a boy?"

Linda smiled. She knew she had been mildly rebuked. She was aware that as soon as she had been sure that Luke was male, despite being faced by a soft, handsome teenager, she had immediately given him all the attributes of her stereotypical boy. But here was a boy who was clearly gentler in nature and perhaps WOULD be suitable to working in a salon. Despite herself, her mind instantly jumped to the other stereotype. HE MUST BE GAY! But she knew she had been wrong to judge Luke once before and shouldn't do it again, so she sidelined that thought and decided to concentrate on Luke, the person.

Linda replied with a smile, "I'm sure there is absolutely no reason why you shouldn't have considered a career in hair and beauty. I shouldn't have assumed that you hadn't."

Luke decided to stay on the offensive, "This job is just for eight weeks. I promise that if you give me the job you will not be disappointed. I'm dependable and very enthusiastic in everything I do."

Linda looked at Luke and tried to imagine him working in the salon. The salon had an all-female staff and that was the way it had always been. How would introducing a boy effect the dynamics of the salon? How would the other girls feel? Would the customers be happy and comfortable? Would it spoil the feel of the salon to introduce a male member of staff? But maybe the change would give the salon something different. She admitted to herself that maybe having a young feminine boy in the salon might be a positive move. Many women almost expected males working in beauty salons to be girl-like and she could think of plenty of her customers who would love to "mother" the young girl/boy Luke. She had worked in other salons with gay male stylists and was aware of women who liked chatting and confiding to a them almost as a girlfriend because they were secure in the knowledge that there was no sexual element to their relationship. This may not be the case with Luke, but she knew that in general most women were comfortable with feminine males in the salon, especially as they usually gave them something to speculate about. She made a decision. Sometimes, in just a few minutes you can get a feel for a person and Linda was certain that Luke was a fine and trustworthy boy. She'd give him a chance. But she thought she had better warn him.

"You do realise that everybody that works in here is female? You'd be the only boy in amongst all us women. Are you comfortable with that? And there's not much money attached to the job. As I said, it 's mostly for experience or to let someone see if this is a possible career for them. A good and pleasant worker can get some nice tips, though."

Luke heard in Linda's voice the suggestion that Linda was going to offer him the job and his heart leapt.

"I'm OK for everything that you mentioned." he assured her, "and as for the money, at the moment I don't have a job and that pays nothing. If I have a job that pays something then I'll be better off. Have I got the job?"

Linda laughed, "You've got the job. Can you start a week on Monday?"

"You bet." This was Saturday afternoon and school was finishing for summer on Wednesday. Luke could hardly contain his excitement. The long boring summer that stretched before him had suddenly become a fresh and exciting adventure. Linda then went on to explain to Luke what his weekly wage would be (to which Luke had to stop himself from shouting, "I'd do this for nothing.") and the likely duties his job would entail. This included the mundane stuff like keeping the floor clean, making sure there was a supply of fresh towels, making tea and coffee for the customers and stylists and generally assisting the stylists in any way they required. In fact doing anything that was asked of him. The salon already had a young trainee, Karen, but during the busy summer period she would be more involved with actual hairdressing. Linda was on unsure ground with her new young boy employee and wasn't certain how relevant her next statement would be but decided she would go ahead anyway.

"Also, if there is time we'll let you interact with the customers as much as possible. Washing hair, removing permrods and rollers, allow you to spend time with the stylists, so you can see what they are doing and how they do it. Learn by observing. How does that sound?"

Luke was a fifteen year old boy applying for a job in a beauty salon. He didn't need to pretend to this woman that as a boy this wouldn't be interesting to him.

"I'd love that. It sounds just great."

"You work five days out of six Monday to Saturday and Sunday we're closed."

"I don't really need the weekday off. I'd be happy to come in every day during the week if you want."

"OK. I'll adjust your wages to suit if that what you really want.

Luke's enthusiastic answers, while not taking Linda by surprise, certainly confirmed her good feeling that she was talking to an unusual boy. This was a boy, that for whatever reason, was keen to work and learn in a beauty salon and it was no accident that he was in this salon looking for a job. He certainly didn't come in hoping for just ANY job that would pass the summer. He was in here because he wanted to work in a BEAUTY SALON. She rose from the chair, walked over to the window and took down her poster.

"Come on and I'll introduce you to some of the girls." She smiled what Luke could increasingly see was a happy and sincere smile. "I'm sure they're going to be a little surprised. But hey. Something different in the mix will give this place a lift."

They walked from the reception and waiting area towards the main active area of the salon. Luke could hardly believe his luck. Fifteen minutes ago he was walking to the bus depot after spending the afternoon in town buying some new strings for his guitar and now here he was in the heart of a busy salon drinking in the atmosphere, taking pictures in his mind, the washing basins to the left and the individual styling stations against the rear wall and to the right. And he was not sneaking a look from outside the salon. He was inside being shown round by the manageress. And in just over a week’s time he was going to be working in this very salon!

The salon was quite quiet. It was now 4.30pm and it was coming to the end the afternoon and thing were beginning to wind down. The Saturday regulars, the women who could only get in on a Saturday because they were working during the week, the women and girls who had come in because they had a special event during the evening and were wanting to look their absolute best, had mostly come and gone. Only a couple of stations still had clients being attended to, the stylists working calmly, moving around the station chair, one cutting, the other blow-drying, their clients hair. A younger girl was folding large white towels into a recessed shelving unit in the wall beside the wash basins. The salon had a staff of eight not counting Linda, seven stylists and beauticians and Karen, the trainee. Apart from the threesome still working, the rest were gathered in the staff restroom just off the main salon area. It was the end of their working week and they were talking casually about their boyfriends, family or planned Saturday night that lay ahead. The conversation stopped as Linda and Luke walked through the door and the girls eyed them with barely concealed curiosity. Linda got straight to the point.

"Girls, I just want you to meet Luke McVey. Luke will be our summer help in the salon and is starting a week on Monday." She formally continued, "Girls this is Luke. Luke this is most of the salon staff. Wendy and Eva are still working at the moment. I'll not bother to introduce them individually just now, we'll do that when you start and are more likely to remember their names."

Luke glanced nervously around the faces that were seated at the table to gauge their reaction to Linda's announcement. Without even knowing these girls, a yearning sprung up in his mind and body that was natural and real. It didn't have to be invited into his mind. It came because it was built into Luke. He wanted to be a part of this group of girls. He wanted to be an accepted member of their little inner circle. He wanted to feel one of them. He wanted them to feel he was one of THE GIRLS. There was a few seconds of silence, during which Luke knew his new workmates were taking in this new work situation that had been presented to them, before one the girls, a pretty girl with shoulder length, poker straight blonde hair, spoke up.

"Well thank goodness for that. We could do with all the help we can get round here at the moment. Hello Luke."

With that comment, the ice was broken and the rest of the girls shouted an "hello" to Luke, who smiled and waved an "hello" back. They exchanged some "see you a week on Monday"s and then turned back into the salon.

As they re-entered the salon, Wendy and Eva both looked across at the same time and Linda, not wanting to interrupt their work, called softly over to them,

"This is Luke. He'll be helping after the school closes for the summer."

The two girls smiled, mouthed an "hello", exchanged glances, and then returned to their customers’ hair.

"Here's the one I'd better introduce you to now. This is our trainee Karen. She'll be the one who you'll mostly be helping or working with. Karen, this is Luke McVey. Luke is going to be working here during the summer school break. Luke will be taking over most of your duties for the summer and that will free you of for a little more direct contact with the customers."

Karen looked at the Luke and was unsure what to make of the fact that her summer help was going to be a boy, but she certainly liked the idea of losing, what to her, were some of her more laborious tasks. She nodded a greeting.

"In that case I can hardly wait for you to start." she grinned

"Me neither." replied Luke. "I'll see you soon." Luke took an instant like to Karen. She was seventeen, quite small and maybe she was just a little bit overweight, but she had a laughing face which was set of by a short, black, spiky haircut which made her look as if she was going to be fun to work with.

Linda and Luke turned away and headed for the front door.

"Well Luke, I'll expect you here a week on Monday at eight thirty sharp. OK?"

"I'll be here at eight fifteen." Luke said grinning. And he left the salon on a natural high.

Linda headed back into the salon where all the girls had left the restroom and were standing just inside the salon. Rosie, the blonde girl who had been first to greet Luke, was again the first to break the silence.

"Did you see his hair? That was hair any girl would die for!"

 

Luke found his Mum in the kitchen preparing the dinner. As soon as he had arrived home he had gone to his bedroom, taken off the male clothes he had been wearing for his trip into town, and looked to find something to wear in his small, but ever increasing, selection of girl's attire. He settled for a pair of maroon flaired trousers and a loose pale blue t-shirt with the logo "Lucky Girl" printed in dark blue on the front. Sitting himself in front of the mirror he applied a little liquid foundation on his face and neck, brushed in some eyelid colour with a little sponge brush, carefully added mascara and ended with a some blush on his cheeks and a little pencilled lipstick. Lucy sauntered in and sat at the kitchen table.

"Mum, you know you were asking me what I was going to do with myself during the school holidays?"

"Yes. Well I haven't really made a big thing about it because I know you are going to be starting the oestrogen treatment soon, and I thought that might be enough for you to deal with."

"Well I've found a job anyway. I think it will be perfect for me."

Helen looked at her Lucy and wondered what she had gotten herself into. Her up and coming transition would have to be handled carefully and it now appeared she had taken on a job which presumably would mean her interacting with new people who may or may not be sympathetic to her problem. She stared at Lucy, demanding her to go ahead and explain further.

"You know "Linda's Hair and Beauty Salon" in the centre of town?"

"The one in Miller Street? I know it."

"Well they've given me a summer job."

Helen voice was a little raised in surprise. "In the beauty salon?"

"Yes."

Helen thought for a minute.

"And how did that come about?"

"I was just passing by and I saw the owner put a flier in the window asking for summer help."

Helen had yet to decide if this was good or worrying news.

"And you decided to apply for the job, just like that."

"I had a think about it for a while outside the salon."

"Don't you think you should have discussed it with me before you went ahead and applied?"

Lucy could see that her Mum was concerned.

"I didn't want to lose the job to someone else. I knew I'd be the first person applying for the job and I thought if I waited until I'd talked to you, it would definitely be gone. Have I done the wrong thing?"

"It's just that I'm concerned that you're opening up yourself unnecessarily to a whole new group of people at a vulnerable time in your life. I thought that maybe you would settle into your hormone regime before going back to school."

They had now decided it would be Luke who would return to school after the summer holidays, although at some point in the early new year, the oestrogen treatment and Luke's intention to begin living as Lucy full-time, would force their hand, and Helen would then inform the headmaster of their plans, and they would move forward from there. Luke was aware that this would cause some sensation and probably a great deal of personal discomfort for him from the less tolerant pupils and maybe even staff in the school, but he was ready, willing and able to face this. The love of the people who knew and understood his problem would see him through.

"Mum, I don't see that they need to find out anything. I'll only be there for four weeks after I start taking the oestrogen"

Helen pondered again.

"I suppose that's true. Tell me, who did you speak to in the salon?"

"Linda, she's the owner."

"And was she not a little curious as to why a fifteen year old boy would want to work in a beauty salon?"

"Mum, people will be making judgements about me from now on. I don't know if she thought it was strange. I suppose she probably did. But I can't afford to be scared of what people are thinking about me. I just tried to make her want to give me the job because of my personality and because I promised I would turn up on time, and would do as I was asked, cheerfully and diligently. I tried to make the fact that I was a boy not an issue. And I think it must have worked."

Helen was still thinking, so Lucy ploughed on.

"This will be good for me. I'll get to work and interact with lots of women and girls. It will help me develop as Lucy."

Helen continued to mull over Lucy's position, weighing the pros and cons, trying to decide if this was exposing Lucy to potential embarrassment with a group of people she was unaccustomed to relating with or giving her a pleasant way of exploring her femininity within a uniquely female environment.

Lucy was determined to push home her position.

"They all seemed really friendly and Linda was especially nice."

"What will you be doing?"

"Just generally helping out. Sweeping and cleaning. Teas and coffees. That kind of stuff. The salon is really busy during the summer and Karen, their trainee, will get more hands-on experience. I'll take up the slack."

"Are you sure that's what you want to do all summer?"

"I'll just enjoy working in the salon. And Linda said that if time allowed I'd get some hands-on experience working with the stylists too."

Helen was a little surprised. "I wonder how she knew you would be interested in the actual hairdressing side?"

Lucy smiled. "She probably just figured that if a boy comes in and asks to work in a beauty salon, he must have a reason other than enjoying sweeping hair from salon floors."

Helen thought out loud. "It would help you pass the time, I suppose."

"Are you OK with it, then?"

"I guess so."

A huge smile lit up Lucy's face, and she rushed to her Mum's side to give her a hug. The prospect of spending summer in "Linda's Hair and Beauty Salon" was now a definite reality, and Lucy could hardly wait for school to finish and her new job to start.

 

The last three days of school were a leisurely affair. Exams were over for the term, and although classes continued, not much work was done. Luke had done well in his exams and was being told by his teachers, that a good university placement was a certainty if he continued his present level of application. Although academically bright, he hadn't come to any decision about a future career, and his strong leaning for the less academic world of music and art had to be considered. He also knew that his imminent transition would have to be factored in to any career choice. But since the hard work had been done for this school year, Luke wasn't going to dwell to much on these decisions for the next few weeks. He was just going to enjoy the treats the forthcoming summer would bring. Eight weeks working in "Linda's Hair and Beauty Salon", during which he would begin his oestrogen hormone treatment.

Wednesday brought the break-up of school. Laura was going to be working alongside her mother Carol in the supermarket and Julie would be waitressing in a local coffee shop. Both girls were thrilled for Luke when they heard about his summer job, and the ladies of the store, having been informed of Luke's plan by Helen at the beginning of the week, had joked with Luke when he had come into the store to meet his mum on the Wednesday afternoon after school breakup. All were threatening to visit the salon and were telling Luke they would be expecting preferential rates! Christine said her's was not a threat, but a promise, as "Linda's" was her regular salon. The idea that he, Luke, could be involved in the beauty process of this women whom he so admired, was exciting to say the least. He had a momentary feeling of guilt when he remembered a previous conversation with Christine in which she she had said that she loved the all female atmosphere of her salon, but when Luke reminded her of this, she had stated firmly, with a smile, that in his case she would definitely make an exception. In fact, she would tell Linda that Luke was a friend of hers and ask that he be involved with her appointment in some way. He fervently hoped that he would be involved in Christine's visit to the salon in at least the smallest way, but knew that no matter what, when she left the salon, he would marvel at her fabulous beauty and her obvious delight of being a woman. She oozed easy, and classy femininity. And there would be plenty more ladies to see every day in the salon. One of the things Luke was going to enjoy most was watching the transformation of the clients from arrival to departure, and seeing their delight at knowing they were leaving the salon, looking their best.

Thursday and Friday, Luke became Lucy for the both days, this however restricting her to remaining indoors. Lucy was still getting used to being able to do all the feminine things around the house, reading women's magazines, applying makeup and dressing in female attire, without the fear of being caught. She loved knowing that even if her Mum was to come home unexpectedly, she would now be totally at ease when confronted by Lucy, not Luke. She marvelled at the fantastic way her Mum had coped with finding out about Lucy and the manner in which she had helped to make her transition dream begin to come true. She longed for the day when she would be able to go outdoors as Lucy, but together with her Mum, they had decided to wait until she started taking the oestrogen, before beginning to take some excursions into the wide world. With no exams to study for, Lucy spent the mornings vacuuming, putting on washings and generally tidying up around the house. She even did a little ironing. She enjoyed ironing her Mum's clothes. Just imagining these were her dresses and blouses was enough to take the chore from the work. She knew a morning of household chores for her would help make her Mum's evenings just that little bit more relaxing and so tackled the work happily. In the afternoons, Lucy was free to spend her time reading her Mum's magazines, experimenting with different makeup looks she found in their beauty pages and perfecting her skills at applying them. And she played with her hair, which was now two or three inches longer than shoulder length. She practised setting her hair using some rollers her Mum had bought for her, but although she was able to roll the front and top really well, she found it almost impossible to roll the hair at the back and longed for someone to finish of her set properly. She rued her own inability to create the more elaborate styles for her hair but was content with the knowledge that her hair was long and in beautiful condition and that so much could be done with it in experienced hands. Strange to say that although Helen was now at ease with Lucy around the house, she had never participated in Lucy's beauty regime. She had neither offered, or had Lucy asked for any help with her hair or makeup. Lucy had started to think that maybe Helen thought that she would be uncomfortable with her Mum taking such a close involvement in such things as setting her hair, but the truth was Lucy enjoyed everything that moved them closer towards a mother/daughter relationship so she vowed that she would resolve the problem by directly asking her Mum for help with the rollers. On Friday evening, after they had finished dinner, Lucy showed his Mum a picture from a magazine of a girl with her long hair tumbling in loose curls from a parting just to the right of middle, She explained that during the afternoon she had been trying to set her hair in an effort to achieve the desired look, but had been unable to roll the hair towards the back of her head.

She watched her Mum to gauge her reaction. "Do you think you could do the back for me if I tried again now?"

Helen smiled, then confirmed Lucy's take on the situation. "Sure. No problem. To tell you the truth I'm a little surprised you haven't asked me for help before. But I thought you might be a little uncomfortable with me helping you with your hair and things like that, so I haven't asked if you wanted any.

"Why would I be uncomfortable?"

Helen thought for the best way to explain her reasonings.

"It's just that I know that there can be a sexual element for you when you become Lucy, and I thought you might be embarrassed if you had an accident in front of your Mum. Boys don't normally want their Mum to know they even have such things as erections never mind talk about them, or even worse, know their Mum is aware they have got one. But you are definitely not a normal boy, so I was a little unsure if you would be all right with me being involved with something that may lead to you being aroused. I don't even know if you're happy talking like this."

"I'm OK with it Mum if you are. It's true that sometimes I can't control what happens down there," she said glancing to the area which she hated so much, " but I think it's probably fresh experiences which arouse me most. When I'm on my own, just being Lucy, I don't get aroused at all now. I'm just super content to be Lucy. It's just right. But sometimes when something different happens, a new experience, or if someone else is involved in my becoming Lucy, the enormity of what I'm doing just overwhelms me and I can't control myself. I think, "Here I am, interacting with another person, not as Luke, but as Lucy, a GIRL." And it's exciting for me. And I haven't learned to separate and control excitement from sexual excitement as well as I would like. I guess Christine told you what happened over at her house. That's the reason it happened there. But Christine was brilliant about it. And after that was out the way, I was all right. I could relax and enjoy what was happening. Me becoming Lucy. I think I'm better able to control myself now, but if we can both be comfortable with the possibility that it sometimes happens, especially with a new experience, then I'd love getting any help you can give. I promise I'll not get enbarrassed if you don't."

Even as Helen was listening to Lucy, she was aware their relationship had just taken a little step forward and she was confident that they would be able to handle whatever came their way, together.

"I guess this is a small lesson for both of us. Let's not make anymore assumptions. Let's ask each other anything without embarrassment. With your big secret out in the open, it seems silly to stall on the little things we want to ask or talk about."

"OK. It's a deal."

Helen took the initiative." OK. Let's get started. Do you want me to wash your hair for you?"

Lucy thought for a second. She had began to feel the unwelcome stirrings of her penis (how she hated that word), and she knew the best way of being relaxed with her Mum, was to deal with the problem first. In the light of the conversation which they had just finished, Lucy knew she could now say what she was thinking to her Mum.

"That would be nice. Mum, it would perhaps be best if I had a little time on my own in the bathroom. I think if I can settle myself now, I will be able to relax with you later on."

Helen smiled. "Go on. Give me a shout when you're ready."

That evening, the relationship of mother and transsexual son became fixed in both their minds as one of mother and daughter. Although Helen had long since accepted Luke's desire to be female, there were times when she still saw him as Luke, her son, the boy who wants to be a woman. But during that evening she realised that she now saw Lucy, a girl, and even in the guise of Luke, it was Lucy, the girl, who shone through. Helen had set Lucy's hair, a full head set using over thirty rollers, and had felt comfortable doing it. Lucy, her initial excitement quenched, had loved every minute of her evening. While waiting for her hair to dry, Helen had done Lucy's makeup, using colours Lucy had never tried before, giving her a completely different look. They had often talked about the serious side of Lucy's transition, but tonight they talked about clothes and hair, makeup and clothes again. Helen stared at this beautiful girl, hair in rollers, perfect makeup even though she said so herself, sitting in a pink dressing gown, in every way the perfect young lady. Well not quite. And she vowed. yet again, she would do what was required to make her dream come true. There would be troubles ahead, of that she was sure of. Financially, she knew that the operations Lucy needed were not cheap, and to be honest she was not sure how they would cope with this problem. She could ask about some extra hours at the store or maybe get a second job, but she would do what she had to do.

 

Luke stared excitedly at the door. It was 1.50p.m. and he knew that at any moment Christine would come into the salon for her appointment at 2p.m. It was midway through Luke's fourth week in the salon and Helen had informed Luke on Monday evening that Christine had told her that she was going to "Linda's" on Wednesday afternoon. Just seeing her name against the 2p.m. slot in the appointment book had given him a thrill of anticipation. He hadn't seen Christine since he had started working in the salon and so he could hardly wait for her to make her appearance through the salon door. He didn't know that Helen had told Christine that Luke was being allowed to do a little shampooing, so when Christine had phoned Linda to make her appointment, she had asked Linda to let Luke wash her hair, explaining that Luke was the son of her best friend and perhaps it would be beneficial for him to hone his skills with someone he was comfortable with. The door opened and Christine stepped into the salon, causing Luke's heart to miss a beat. Her eyes darted round the salon, searching for Luke, and very quickly they were exchanging smiles and mouthing "hello" to one another. Christine was Luke's absolute, favourite feminine roll model, and although he admired everything about her, above all, he just loved her easy, womanly, grace. Christine walked over to the reception desk and greeted Linda, who took her jacket and the two women exchanged pleasantries for a couple of minutes. Eventually, Linda called over to Luke.

"Luke. Will you take Mrs.Slater over to the shampooing station and wash her hair, please?"

Luke gasped! He had anticipated merely watching Christine's passage through the salon, but it now appeared he was going to take an active part in her visit. He was going to have an hands-on, personal, salon employee/client relationship with Christine. He was going to be a part of what he knew for her, was one of her favourite "girl" experiences. He felt honoured that Christine was allowing him to be part of that, and he knew that was because Christine accepted him wholeheartedly as "Lucy". Smiling constantly at Luke, Christine made her way towards the shampoo station, and took her seat in the customary fashion with her back towards the basin, to allow her to tilt her head backwards for shampooing.

"Afternoon Luke. How's your day going?"

Luke smiled. "Just like every other day. I really love it here." It was an understatement.

Luke could not have enjoyed the first three weeks of his time at "Linda's" any more if they had trebled his wages. After the first couple of days he had felt totally at home. On top of his tidying up duties, he had been shown, then allowed to shampoo hair and remove rollers from finished sets. When he was on top of his chores he was even allowed to observe the stylists at work. He loved watching them cut, colour and blow-dry. He especially loved watching them roller set a client's hair or even better, the all to infrequent full head perm. He longed for the day it would be him sitting in the salon chair, letting these lovely girls weave their magic on him. His presence had subtly altered the feeling in the salon, but everyone seemed to be enjoying the change. They loved his polite manners and his willingness to do even the most mundane task cheerfully and without question had endeared him to the girls of the staff. They all could see he was a feminine boy, presumed he was gay, and in a way that girls and women often do with boys and men they think are gay, had welcomed him as a friend. They learnt that he lived with his Mum, and had no other brothers or sisters, but couldn't figure out if this fact was in any way significant in making Luke the boy he had become. Luke was aware that they probably thought that he was gay, but, since truth be told, he didn't really know the answer to that one himself, he didn't feel inclined to inform them of his feelings. He was just happy to be accepted by the girls for who he was. Luke liked that. Women were much better than men at taking people at face value. In fact, it seemed to Luke from what he had seen and what he had learned on the internet, that as long as the male in question was not THEIR male, i.e. husband or boyfriend, most women had absolutely no problem in accepting gay males, and indeed many seemed to enjoy their conversation and company. The customers had all been positive, too, though it had become obvious during Luke's first few days in the salon that many of the clients were unsure of what to make of him. Outside the salon, with his flawless skin, unisex good looks and long beautifully conditioned hair, many people who saw or met Luke for the first time, could not be sure of his gender, and looked for clues in his clothes or mannerisms. Linda liked a "uniform" for the girls of the salon, which consisted of a white blouse, and either black trousers or a choice between two lengths of black skirt. In the salon, Linda had Luke wearing black trousers and a plain white male style shirt to fit in with the general look. With this "uniform" and in the setting of "Linda's Hair and Beauty Salon", the most obvious assumption many clients made was that Luke was a girl. But it was Luke and not Lucy who was working in the salon, and others saw the male shirt, and on closer inspection, realised this was a young boy. A very girlish, young boy. And there were some who couldn't make their mind up, and ended up asking their stylist the name of the new employee, usually to be amazed at the masculine name offered in reply. Eventually, the other girls, realising the confusion Luke was causing with clients who had not yet met him, were either quick to introduce Luke, or drop his name into the beginning of a conversation with their client, so as to establish his gender in the client's eyes. They very quickly got used to having Luke brought up as a topic of conversation by their clients. most of them trying to get the "gen" on the beautiful boy who works in a beauty salon, but the girls had become very protective of Luke, and this along with the fact that even they weren't sure about Luke's personal life, ensured they said very little except that he was a great kid to be working with. Of course, in those first few weeks, Luke only met or saw most of the customers a single time, but "Linda's" was a reasonably up-market salon and had many well-off customers who thought nothing of coming to the salon every week or even more often if their social life required them to be looking their best, and Linda was amused to find that several of them began to request Luke for the shampooing station. It seemed they just loved to interact and mother the feminine boy, and Luke loved being a part of their beauty process. He had settled in nicely and was eagerly looking forward to his birthday in a weeks time when he would begin his oestrogen treatment, which was as far as he was concerned, the greatest possible birthday present he could receive. And now he was about to shampoo Christine's hair!

Luke began to run the water and soon had it it running at a comfortable temperature. Overpolitely, he asked Christine,

"Would you please tilt your head back, madam."

Christine laughed and settled back, lowering her head into the basin. Luke began to run the warm water through her hair, using his free hand to lift and move the hair so that it was fully wet. Luke struggled to control the sensual feeling that touching Christine's hair was arousing within him and a mild panic that he would not win this struggle began to sweep over him. But the experience and familiarity he had gained working in the salon over the last few weeks stood him in good stead and he was able to master the sensation and continue on. Christine liked to chatter, and this too helped Luke from concentrating on the exotic aspect of the task he was carrying out.

"How are you getting on with the girls in here? I think they are a real nice bunch."

"They've been great. They've all treated me really well. I thought it might be a little awkward for them when I started, you know a boy breaking in to their feminine world, but they all seemed to accept it, no bother. Karen, the trainee, showed me the ropes, and she's been getting to do more work with the customers, so I guess you could say that she was definitely pleased to see me. But she still helps me out when we're quieter, and we get on just fine. She's a really nice girl!"

Luke poured a small amount of shampoo in the palm of his hand, spread it thoroughly over both his hands and began to work the shampoo into all parts of Christine's hair, so as not to concentrate the shampoo in one spot. He soon built up a nice lather and he was careful to make sure that every hair on Christine's head, from the nape of the neck, round her ears and to the browline was correctly washed.

"And what about the older girls? How have they been? Wendy's my colourist and Claire cuts my hair."

"I think they all seem to like me, and I like all of them, but I must admit, I really like Rosie and Victoria. They've always been quick to let me help them or to offer to show me what they're doing if I'm not to busy. I think they've kind of taken me under their wings. Wendy and Kristy are great too!"

Rosie was the girl who had first spoken and broken the ice when Linda had introduced Luke to the girls in the staff room on the day he called in to try and land the job. Rosie was twenty two and Victoria, her best friend, was a year older, and both had been hairdressers since leaving school. They were especially popular with the younger generation of clientele, with Rosie specialising in cutting, while Victoria was the colouring expert. Rosie, particularly, was intrigued with the young boy/girl Luke, and had it made it her business to befriend him when he first set foot inside the salon on his first morning. There was just something about the way he seemed to combine both sexes she found totally compelling. Here was a teenage boy, who had almost none of the traits a teenage boy normally exudes. Indeed, if you took away the certain knowledge that he was male, his behaviour was completely acceptable as girl. Here he was working, obviously happily, in a beauty salon, completely at home in this feminine setting. Yet was he gay? And there was his looks. He was a beautiful boy. Not handsome. Beautiful. His complexion was flawless, without any evidence of impending facial hair, just the fine light hairs of pre puberty youth that further emphasised his lack of expected masculine features. And when you added the gorgeous hair! Rosie knew she had never seen a boy quite like Luke before. She found it very easy to "befriend" Luke, and along with Victoria, she more than any of the other girls had indeed, taken Luke under her wing.

Luke finished washing Christine's hair, rinsed it through, then began to repeat the process once again.

Christine spoke to Luke in a whisper.

"What have they said about you wanting to work in a beauty salon? It's my guess they're pretty intrigued by you. Are they not asking you any questions in that area?"

Luke was just as quiet with his reply.

"No. Not really. I think maybe they don't want to embarrass me by asking what they think will be awkward questions for me."

"So nobody knows your big secret?"

Thinking of his eagerly awaited hormone treatment and the length of time it would take before noticeable changes would begin to occur, Luke replied.

"Nobody knows. I'm only here another few weeks and I don't think anyone will notice any difference in me before I leave. They're all lovely, but I don't think they need to know just now. Anyway, I'm sure news will get back to them when I begin to live as Lucy."

"I guess you're right." Luke had finished the shampoo and was beginning to gently remove the excess water from Christine's hair. She returned to client mode and said with a smile, "That was really relaxing. I'll be sure to give my compliments to the manager."

"Thank you, Madam."

Luke took a fresh white towel and passed it around Christine's head before asking her to sit up and twisting the remainder of the towel and piling it on top turban style.

"I hope your experience was still a pleasurable one despite my male participation?" he grinned.

"Luke, I asked for you especially."

Luke was, not for the first time, overcome by love of this compassionate woman. His mother's love, despite his reluctance to tell her of his problem and the fact Helen had to bring it out into the open between them, was a given. He knew, even at the time when he couldn't find the nerve to bring his desire to be female to his mother, that when it finally became known, it would be all right. There would just be support and love. That was his mother's way. He'd known this all along. But he couldn't have foreseen the support he'd been given by other females in his life. And most especially by Christine. He was not related to her, but she seemed to have adopted and accepted him as Lucy, the daughter she didn't have. There was not one single thing in her behaviour towards him, that didn't show total acceptance for who and what he was. He loved her openness of mind and willingness to take people as they were.

Christine rose from the chair and Claire approached from the staff room to guide her to her station. Obviously not aware that Luke and Christine were aquainted, and trying as normal to clear up any potential confusion in her client's mind, she thanked Luke and turned to Christine.

"I see you were lucky enough to have Luke shampoo your hair. He's working here for the summer and he's already proving very popular with the customers. There almost a queue forming to have Luke wash your hair."

"Luke and I know each other. I'm very friendly with his Mum. Isn't that right, Luke?"

"Yes. They work together. I've known Mrs.Slater for a long time."

Christine nodded a "see you later" an headed off with Claire for her cut. This was not a "big"appointment for Christine. She was not having her highlights touched up or her colour changed. It was just a neatening up of the style she had had for the last couple of months. Claire removed the towel turban and began to comb through Christine's blonde hair. She knew from the appointment book that a trim was all that was required but checked with Christine all the same.

"It's just a small trim off the ends, isn't it?"

"That's right. I'm thinking of going for something shorter and funkier next time, but I'm happy with it the way it is just now."

Claire set to work with the scissors, and despite her best intentions, found herself angling for an opening sentence in her conversation with Christine. Like all the other girls in the salon, she liked and was protective of Luke, but she had in front of her someone who knew him well and could perhaps throw a little more light on his life. Christine had been a client of hers for some time now, and like many other stylist/client relationships, she thought of her more a friend than a customer. But she didn't want to appear nosy. All the same, just like everyone else, she really wanted to find out a little more about Luke.

"It's great having Luke in the salon. I thought it might change the place, you know, for the worse, having a boy working here. But it hasn't really made a great deal of difference, and what difference it has made has been for the better.

"Yes. I think so too."

"He's such a nice boy. Perfect manners. All the girls in the salon are pretty fond of him."

"He's been well brought up."

"You know, Luke is the only male I've ever seen inside this salon." Claire left a little gap in the conversation for Christine to enter, but ploughed on when met with no response. "I suppose we all thought it was a little strange, a boy wanting to work in a beauty salon, and maybe it might take away from the feeling inside the salon, but he's just slotted in, and become one of the team. He doesn't seem in the least bit intimidated working amongst all these women. It's unusual that he should be so comfortable, don't you think?"

Christine smiled to herself as she realised she was being gently quizzed by her friend. It dawned on her how much of a mystery Luke probably was for the girls in the salon, and now Claire had someone who knew him from outside of work and was trying to see if she would maybe fill in some of the gaps on Luke's life. She was definitely not going to forward any information that Luke himself had not given them, particularly anything concerning his sexuality or gender problems.

" I think there are lots of good, positive female influences in his life. But don't underestimate him. He's a strong-willed and confident boy. Anyway, how's your family getting on?"

Christine spoke the last statement in a chatty manner, but one suggesting she was finished with the subject of Luke, and Claire picked up on this and realised that Christine, like nearly every woman with whom Luke came into contact, was being protective of him, and was not about to spill any information about his life. Luke seemed to have the unique ability to make women want to take care of him. The conversation returned to the more regular topics that took place during a hairdressing appointment, while Luke in the gaps between his tasks, kept a close eye on the happenings at Claire's cutting station, and longed for the day when the experience that Christine was enjoying at that moment, would be his to savour. After the trim was complete, Claire expertly used the hairdryer to create a casual, but neat bob, the hair moving with every tilt of Christine's head, and swinging back to settle perfectly in position when she remained still. Luke loved to watch this movement, and truth to tell, his own hair had much the same properties, only it's longer length making the movement less apparent. When Claire was finished, Christine rose from the chair, gave Claire a small hug, and wandered over to where Luke was busy stacking towels.

"What do you think?", she asked, tossing her head from side to side, then turning to let Luke get a view of the cut from the back, each move showing of the effect that Luke loved so much.

Luke was thrilled that Christine had come to him to ask his opinion. It showed him that she valued his thoughts on this feminine issue in the same way she would any other of her female friends. She was asking him his opinion as Lucy and not as Luke.

"I think your hair looks wonderful, just as it always does. Claire's done a wonderful job."

"Yes, she's a great stylist. She always seems to get my hair just the way I want it."

"I'm glad madam is satisfied."

Claire noted this exchange and found it mildly odd the way that Christine had shown her cut to Luke for comment. It was the way you normally asked a female friend for an opinion!

Christine made her way to the reception and met Linda once more. After their second little chat of the afternoon, she paid her bill and left a tip to be handed on to Claire. Normally, she would also have left a tip for the junior who washed her hair, but she figured giving money to Luke would not be right. They both knew what their interaction had meant for each other, and somehow money didn't need to enter the frame. She just knew that Luke would not want to receive money from her for his efforts. She explained this lack of tip to Linda, telling her that she was Luke's unofficial "Aunt Christine" and he would be neither expecting or wanting money from her, but that she would get a little present for him anyway. Christine found Luke's gaze, waved "good-bye" and left the salon.

 

Friday afternoon and Luke had arranged to meet his Mum outside Dr. Stirling's office on the other side of town. He had asked Linda earlier in the week if he could have Friday afternoon off, and Linda could hardly refuse. Luke had not taken a single day off, Monday to Saturday, since he had started in the salon. He'd offered no explanation for his need for the time off, and none had been asked for. He had worked hard and well since his arrival, and Linda made a mental note to pay him for the time off just the same. Helen had taken the whole day off as one of her entitled holidays, and so was waiting for Luke when her appeared at the door just before 2p.m. Luke's sixteenth birthday was not until Sunday, but Dr. Stirling had arranged for him to come in on the last working day before the big day. As far as Luke was concerned, he was going to get the greatest birthday present ever, two days early.

"How are you feeling?" Helen examined her son's face to gauge his mood.

"I'm pretty nervous, but I'm really excited, too."

That morning, at the salon, Luke could barely concentrate on even the most easy of tasks. All he could think about was what lay ahead of him that afternoon. Linda and several of the other girls noticed his preoccupation, but joked with him when they had to ask him twice to startle him out of his dreams, and get a reaction to their requests. Linda assumed this unusual behaviour may be connected to his need for the afternoon off, and so did not make any comment to Luke. It was so unlike his normal efficiency she would forgive him this morning of absentmindedness. Eventually, he had left, excitedly, at lunch time, leaving behind the rest of the puzzled staff, and further adding to his air of mystery. The senior girls asked Karen, whom he spent most time with, if he had said anything to her that would explain his unusual behaviour, but she had assured them that she knew no more than them.

Helen and Luke climbed the stairs to Dr. Stirling's first floor office and rang the bell at the side of the door. It was answered a few seconds afterwards by her receptionist who asked them to take a seat. She moved behind her desk, picked up the phone, and informed the doctor that her 2p.m. appointment had arrived and were waiting. She put the phone down.

"Dr. Stirling will be with you both in a couple of minutes."

Luke and Helen sat silently. Luke's attention settled on the young receptionist, a girl in her mid twenties, and he found himself wondering if she was aware of his reasons for being there. Perhaps, as part of her job, she has to know the patients records or files. Did she know that he was about to be given a large shot of female hormones. He wondered, if she did know, what she was making of the young boy sat in front of her. Was a young transsexual something she saw on a regular basis, or was someone like him a regular occurrence in the surgery. Luke knew what the difference between the teenage sexes should be, and normally was. He thought of the regular boys he knew, their interest, usually sports and girls, and how they behaved in a generally more aggressive manner. So he was always mystified to know what a genuinely born girl made of a boy whose feelings were that of a girl. Who was into the things that young girls of his age were into. Clothes, makeup, hair. And a boy who character was more that of a girl, too. Who loved to talk and hang-out with his friends and had no interest in proving himself in a physical sense against other boys through sport or fighting.

His thoughts were interrupted when Dr. Stirling appeared at the door of a small passageway that led of the reception area, said "hello", and beckoned them to follow her to the consulting room.

Dr. Stirling asked Luke how he had been, and after giving him an examination confirmed with both Luke and his Mum that they were now moving on to begin the oestrogen treatment.

"As you know, we have already discussed what hormones I think we should begin with. I'll give you an injection now, and you can give the prescription I'll give you to Fiona, my receptionist, and she can dispense the tablets to be taken alongside the anti-androgens. We'll monitor how you get on with this regime, and we can adjust it if necessary. Is that OK?"

Luke and his Mum nodded their agreement.

Dr. Stirling rose from behind her desk, smiled at Luke, and continued.

"I bet you've been looking forward to this. I'm going to inject you in your bottom, so if you could go over to the couch, take down your trousers and lie face down, we'll get on with it now."

Luke's whole body was now trembling with excitement. Helen saw her son's shaking hands, and was well aware that this was not being caused by fear of needles. In fact, her own hands were shaking as well. Luke headed over to the couch and was barely able to undo his belt, before starting to lower his trousers.

"Just take them down far enough to expose your bottom, Luke." She added with a laugh. " I know it's not a very dignified position to adopt."

Luke did as he was asked, and clambered awkwardly on to the couch. Dr. Stirling walked over to a wall cabinet, which she opened with a key taken from her pocket, removed a jar, broke open a new syringe, and proceeded to load it from the jar. Luke watched the doctor with growing anticipation. Helen was also mesmerised. She looked at the syringe and spoke silently to herself in thought.

"That is female oestrogen hormone in that syringe. A hormone that helps make me the feminine person that I am. It helps define my bodyshape and effects my behaviour. And I'm just about to see it injected in to my SON!"

Dr. Stirling approached the couch and spotting Luke's nervousness, attempted to put him at ease.

"You're not particularly nervous about needles, are you Luke?"

"Not really. Obviously, I don't love them. I'm more excited than nervous."

"Good. This wont take long."

Luke, too, was staring at the syringe, but it was not the needle that was occupying his mind. It was the clear liquid within. thoughts raced through his brain.

"I'm about to be injected with "essence of woman". That liquid is going to help bring about the most fantastic changes in my life. This is the start of the second phase of my journey to be a woman. The hormone that makes my Mum and Dr. Stirling the women they are, is just about to be flowing through my veins."

He watched as the doctor place the syringe against his bottom and gentle began to push down the plunger. The needle broke his skin, but Luke felt only the most exquisite of pains. Slowly, her thumb pushed the plunger further down, and the liquid began to empty from the syringe. Luke wasn't sure if he was imagining or actually feeling the sensation, but he thought he could feel the liquid flow out the end of the needle and in to his body. The syringe was almost empty, but Luke wished the injection could go on for ever. Helen watched the disappearing liquid and realised that she was happy, and not, as she expected, apprehensive or sad, that Luke had now taken this further step in the transition process.

The doctor pushed the plunger to the end of it's travel, then extracted it from Luke's backside.

"There. That wasn't too bad, was it?"

Luke looked up to face the doctor and smiled.

"I don't know if you're supposed to say this, but I actually enjoyed it."

"Well it's not often that I hear my patients say that, but I'm glad it wasn't an unpleasant experience for you." She looked at Helen. "Are you OK, too?"

"I'm fine."

Dr. Stirling wiped the puncture mark and Luke stepped of the couch and reassembled his clothing.

"I'll want to see you in a few week's time to see how you're getting on, but if you've any problems or anything you want to discuss or ask me, don't hesitate to phone. Understood?"

Helen and Luke both replied together. "Understood."

"Meantime, I want you to give this to Fiona and she'll give you the hormones in tablet form. You know what to do."

The doctor escorted them back to the reception area, "good-byes" were exchanged, and she retuned to her consulting room, leaving Luke and Helen with Fiona.

Helen, who had the prescription, handed it to Fiona.

"I believe we've to give this to you."

"Yes, that's fine. Can you give me a moment, please?"

Fiona, too, went to a locked cupboard, opened and removed a jar, and in several seconds was back with a bottle full of tablets. She put them in a white bag and handed them to Luke.

"Good luck."

Luke realised that this was not something normally said to someone getting prescription medicines, and understood that Fiona was aware of what she was handing Luke, and that she knew exactly why he was being given them. He smiled shyly.

"Thanks very much."

Helen and Luke left the office and retraced their steps down the stairs, to find themselves back out in the open air. Helen looked at Luke.

"You definitely OK?"

"I really am fine, Mum. Honest."

She laughed. "Feel any different?"

Luke returned the laughter.

" Yes, sure. I think we'll need to go and buy me a bra right now, Mum. I can feel my chest growing by the second."

Helen laughed even louder.

"Seriously, I think five minutes might be a little too soon to expect any dramatic changes, don't you think?"

"I suppose. C'mon though. Let's get to the shops. We'll get a cake and have a small celebration on Sunday."

That evening on returning home it was Helen and Lucy who had dinner together. During the meal, Lucy stopped for a second and said softly to Helen.

"Mum, I've got beautiful female hormones flowing in my body now."

"I know, Lucy. I know.

 

Saturday morning, Luke and Helen sat at the breakfast table and this time instead of the one pill Luke had become used to taking after having something to eat, there was two bottles siting before them. After downing the anti-androgen tablet, Luke opened the other brown bottle, removed one pill, looked at his Mum, and swallowed it with some water. His new daily regime had begun.

  (continued)

  

  

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