The old green truck had barely turned the corner onto Main Street when Andrei pulled over to the sidewalk and put It In park. Looking towards Nina and Christina, he said, "End of the line, ladies." Needing no encouragement, Nina pushed open the passenger side door and jumped down onto the sidewalk. Christina followed, closing the door behind herself.

        "Chris, dear," Misha said though the window, "We will be just around the corner should you need anything."

        Christina flashed a broad and genuine smile at her aunt. "Thank you, Aunt Misha. I'm sure Nina and I will have fun shopping."

        Misha reached out and touched her niece on the cheek before Andrei pulled away from the curb. Christina watched until the truck disappeared around the next corner, then looked around. Main Street was flanked by rows of quaint brick buildings, none of which appeared to be over two stories tall. The entire middle of town constituted only five or six blocks of tiny stores.

        Scanning the awnings and signs, she didn't see a single franchise or chain store. Turning all the way around, she gasped, "Wow." All she could see in the distance were mountains. One giant, snow-frosted peak dominated the horizon. It didn't make a sound. It seemed strange to Christina that something so massive didn't make a sound. A few people walked down the sidewalks in the distance. Couldn't they see it too? How could they not stop and stare?

        "What is it?" Nina asked.

        "What IS it? ..." Christina repeated, "Look at all this."

        "Look at what?"

        Christina raised her arms and spun around on her heels. "All of this," she said, "The trees, the air, the mountains. It's amazing."

        "I wish I lived in the city like you," Nina shrugged.

        "I dunno Nina," Christina said, "This place is incredible. Have you ever been to the city?"

        "No. But, I'd like to go. I want to go all over."

        "Like where?"

        "I don't care," the girl grinned. "Everywhere. I want to see the whole world."

        "I'm sure you will some day."

        "I don't think my Dad will let me."

        Before Christina could ask Nina why she thought that, they were interrupted by a man's voice. "Hey there, Nina," said a postal worker as he walked past. "Shouldn't you be in school?"

        Christina looked up at the man lugging a large bag of letters over his shoulder. Then, remembering how she was dressed, she gasped and practically hid behind her younger cousin, who responded, "Hi Mr. Stevens. I stayed home because my cousin Christina is visiting." Nina stepped aside and presented Christina as though she was showing off her Olympic gold medal.

        Mr. Stevens tipped his hat and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you." The man held out his hand, and Christina reluctantly shook it. Hoisting the bag higher up onto his shoulder he said, "I've got to keep moving. I had to deliver six packages today. I'm at least a half hour behind schedule."

        Nina waved at Mr. Stevens as he continued down the sidewalk. Once she was sure the man was out of earshot, Christina asked, "How do you know that guy?"

        "He's the mailman."

        "You know the mailman's name?"

        "Yeah," Nina laughed as she grabbed Christina by the hand and dragged her down the sidewalk. "Come on, let's go! You need new clothes, and this is pretty much the only place in town."

        Christina looked up at the awning, which read, "Ariel Rose." Any store with that name would certainly not have been her first choice. She squeezed Nina's hand, looking for the courage to enter the store. She reasoned that since she was outside where anyone could see her. Inside, wherever that was, had to be better. Taking a deep breath, she followed Nina into the shop.

        In opening, the door hit a small bell, causing a portly woman in a dressy orange suit to look up from her magazine. "Nina," she said, "Why aren't you in school?"

        "I stayed home today because my cousin is in town." The young girl smiled as she looked up at Christina.

        "Cousin, eh?" the woman said as she examined Christina. "I can see the resemblance," she added with a grin. As Nina let go of Christina's hand and skipped off to look at some shoes, she continued, "My name's Abigail, but everyone calls me Abby."

        Christina shook Abby's hand and asked, "But the sign says Ariel Rose."

        Abby snickered, "That's right." She put her hand up against the side of her mouth and leaned in as she whispered, "Would you want to shop at a store named Abigail Rosenberg?" The woman laughed at her own joke with a loud snicker and a hint of a snort. "What can I get for you?"

        Nina came back over and explained, "We need everything. Christina was in a car accident and lost all of her clothes, She has a big, important sales meeting tomorrow in Ardmore, and she has nothing to wear at all."

        "I guess there aren't a lot of secrets in this town," Christina joked uncomfortably.

        "Not a one, Sugar," Abby replied. "If you hadn't walked into my store, it's dollars to donuts I would still have heard your entire life story before the sun went down." She again leaned in to whisper, "And that's only because news travels slowly on a Tuesday." After another of her snort-laughs, she added, "From the looks of you, you're going to be a particularly popular rumor with the boys. It's not every day a town this small gets a new girl."

        "Oh, I'm ... uh just visiting," Christina blushed.

        "Well, let's get started," Abby said as she dragged Christina along.

 

        For the next two hours, Christina served as Abby and Nina's plaything. She was made to try on all manner of dresses, skirts, suits, and tops. By the time they were finished, her captors had picked out two dresses, two skirts, three tops, a cardigan, a pair of flats, a pair of heels, a pocketbook, a dainty purse, and a pile of undergarments. Christina watched in dismay as her new, feminine wardrobe grew in size. She looked for an opening to pick up some items discretely, but Nina was directing her every move.

        Needing some sort of distraction, with a saccharine grin she said, "Nina, I've been so selfish. Why don't you try on something?"

        "I really shouldn't," Nina replied, "I don't need anything and I don't have any money to spend, anyway."

        "But," Christina insisted in a frustrated voice, "Why don't you pick out five or six things to try on, and I'll buy you what ever you like best."

        Nina's face lit up. She didn't have to be asked twice. The young girl wandered about the store looking for something exceptional. With that suitable distraction, Christina grabbed a pair of girl's jeans, a simple white top, some ankle socks, and a pair of white, girls' tennis shoes. She would have to swap these items for her soiled male clothes somehow, she thought. She took them to the counter where the rest of her new wardrobe was waiting. "Abby," she said in a hushed voice, "I was wondering if you could help me with a few special items."

        "I like to think of everything as special, Sugar. What did you have in mind?"

        Nina rushed up to her cousin with a pile of clothes in her hands. "Are these good?"

        Christina smiled at her cousin and gushed, "Oh those are just perfect! Why don't you go try them on?"

        Nina rushed off and Christina returned to her covert operation. Christina placed her hands in front of her chest and said to Abby, "I was wondering if you had anything that could ... give me some ... you know ... help ... in this department."

        Abby looked at the girl with one eyebrow crooked upward, "I'm not sure I follow."

        Christina gritted her teeth and flipped her hands palm-up and motioned upward. "Some enhancement?"

        Abby nodded in recognition. "Oh, sure thing." She reached under her counter and pulled out a box containing a few items to pad out a brassiere. "You're not the first Levchenko girl who's ever asked for these. You're all thin and tall, but a little light up top. Still, I'd kill for your body, Sugar."

        Christina pulled two well shaped forms out of the box and placed them into her pile. She whispered, "I could use some help with my waist too." Abby winked and walked off to a lingerie display.

        Just then, Nina stepped out of the changing room wearing a mid-length skirt and a tank top.

        "Oh that's cute!" Christina beamed. She squinted her eyes shrewdly and insisted, "Go back in and try another."

        Abby returned with a black waist cincher and said, "I'd say you need a hamburger before one of these."

        Christina did her best to fake laughter. "Oh well, you know how sales calls are- gotta look your best."

        Abby whispered, "Oh I know it, Honey. A girl has to shake it every once In a while to get ahead in this world."

        Nina stepped out in a white dress and waved at her cousin, desperate for her attention.

        "You look just a like a princess!" Christina said, barely glancing at her cousin. "Just try one more, we really should go."

        "Okay," Nina shouted as she dashed back into the changing room.

        Christina dumped the waist cincher into the pile next to the bust enhancers then asked, "What did you mean I'm not the only Levchenko girl to ask for ... enhancement? Isn't Nina a little young for that sort of thing?"

        "No, not Nina," Abby snickered, "Hell, she's still a tiny thing. I mean Anastasia."

        "Anastasia?" Christina asked.

        "Well of course, she bought her first pair ... oh, quite some years ago. You know, ... you look a lot like her. You look a lot like little Nina too."

        Christina was about to ask another question about this Anastasia, but Nina interrupted her. "Christina," the girl said, "I like this the best, can I have it?"

        "Yeah, I love it," Christina said without even looking at her cousin, "Let's get it."

        Abby, however, was looking at Nina. "I guess Nina isn't so little anymore, after all."

        That made Christina glance at Nina, and the glance turned Into a double take. Her cousin was wearing a dark green babydoll nightie! "Oh Nina," she objected, "I ... I don't know ...." Realizing she was again seeing her younger cousin in less than entirely wholesome attire, she did her best to stare at the clock on the wall.

        Nina ran over and grabbed Christina by the hand, begging, "You promised." Not letting go, she led Christina into the lingerie section, "You need to get something to sleep in, too."

        "I really don't think I need anything from here," Christina stammered, as she resumed her plaything status. Nina picked out a pair of satin boxer pajamas and a revealing chemise. "No way, Nina," Christina protested.

        "Oh come on! We can have a pajama party." Nina was hopping up and down in her tiny babydoll.

        Needing to end the game before it got further out of hand, Christina scooped up her new sleepwear and took It too the counter. "Okay, great idea," she said, "But we're out of time to try them on." Nina looked somewhat disappointed. Christina added, "Go get changed back into your clothes while I pay for your nightie." Nina ran into the changing room, somehow returning in a flash with her gift.

        Ringing up all the clothes seemed to take forever. Christina hadn't planned on spending any of her savings on this trip, much less for feminine attire. When Abby was done, Christina was presented with four large shopping bags of clothes. "That should last you the week," she said as she handed the bags to Christina.

        "Let's hope." Christina's half sneer was interrupted as she felt Nina tugging at her skirt. "Yes Nina?" Christina said.

        "You should wear your new clothes," Nina insisted.

        Christina wanted to say no, but she couldn't resist the younger girl. Christina never had a cousin, or anyone else for that matter, who was so excited to spend time with her. In spite of the circumstances, she'd quickly grown attached to Nina, and liked the feeling of having a little sister. Being the big sister was the only part of the deal she was less than thrilled with.

        Reaching into a bag, Nina pulled out one of Christina's new dresses. "This one," she said.

        "Okay," Christina sighed as she headed back to the changing room. Christina closed the door behind her and stripped off all of her aunt's clothes. She reached into one of her bags and retrieved the waist cincher. Christina took the foreign device and wrapped It around her belly. Taking a deep breath, she somehow closed it behind her back, straining to close each hook before attempting to breathe. She tried with all her might to take a deep breath, but the cincher refused to cooperate. Next she stepped into a pair of satin bikini panties, doing her best to fold her shame between her legs.

        She then fastened a garter belt around her waist, beneath her cincher. She'd seen Amy do this once or twice and found it incredibly sexy, but quickly decided that when she was the girl in the mirror, it was nothing but work. She carefully rolled a pair of nude stockings up each leg and attached them to the garter belt. So far, so good.

        She dug back into her new wardrobe and took out the matching satin bra and her two breast enhancers. She donned the bra and filled each cup. She now had a respectable bust line. Shaking her chest back and forth, she watched her new breasts move. She found this oddly comforting, since they were far more believable than the socks she'd been using all morning. Finally, she pulled her new dress over her head.

        She looked at herself in the mirror. The skirt of her new dress flared out from her hips, ending higher above her knees than Misha's house dress. Her tall, stocking clad legs were positively sensuous. The neckline was also much lower, ending just above where her cleavage should have started. The chain of her necklace disappeared into her disturbingly convincing chest. She traced the lines of the dress down to her waist, which was now cinched into alluring curves.

        Sighing, Christina was relieved that she looked even more like a girl, but she was disturbed by how effortless the transformation had been. She completed her outfit by stepping into her new high heeled shoes, then placed her dead phone and her debit card into her new pocketbook.

        Stepping out of the changing room, she faced the approving grins of the women who had been dressing her up all afternoon. This was the longest day in Christina's life.

        Nina and Christina left Ariel Rose and walked through town, each carrying two shopping bags. Christina was acclimating well to her new heels, but they forced her to walk with a leggy stride that made her bottom sashay from side to side. She'd never felt so humiliated in her entire life. She wanted nothing more than to go home and hide under her bed. Instead, she was out on display in all her feminine glory.

        "Well that sure was fun Nina," Christina said, struggling with her bags and her new walking style, "I guess we should get back home."

        "Not yet," Nina replied, tugging Christina into a store named "Steph's Salon."

        The girl behind the counter looked up from her issue of Rolling Stone and said, "Hey Nina."

        This is a very small town, Christina was beginning to realize.

        Nina put down her bags and made the introductions. "This is my cousin Christina. She was in a car accident and lost all of her clothes and her makeup and-"

        "And she has like a big sales meeting cause she's an account specialist or something, and blah blah blah right?" finished the girl.

        Christina stared at the cute girl. "How do you know all that?" she asked.

        "You were in Abby's store weren't you? People are probably talking about you on the other side of the mountain by now. Hell, you're probably on the eleven o'clock news in Shanghai."

        Christina nodded dumbly. She'd found it difficult being the center of attention at her Uncle's house. Being the center of attention of an entire town was something she wasn't remotely prepared for.

        The girl came out from behind the counter and held out her hand. "I'm Steph." Christina drank Steph in. She had short brown hair that curled upward just beneath her ears. It was set back on the left side by a stylish red bow. Her mouth was small, and crinkled up in a devilish half-smirk. Her blue jeans looked comfortably lived in. It looked to Christina that the waist had been cut off by hand, not like the jeans you'd buy in a store. Christina tried not to stare at Steph's chest. The girl was wearing a red button down sweater with the top button open. Christina looked down the plunging v-neck and her eyes caressed the tops of Steph's breasts. Perky, she thought, that's what they were. Perky is how Steph's breasts made Christina feel.

        "Hi," Christina said as she shook Steph's hand. Just touching Steph caused tingles to run up Christina's arm.

        "So ... lost all your clothes, terrible crash ... have I got the story straight?" Steph asked as she leaned back against the counter with her arms folded.

        "I don't know how bad the crash was; it was pretty dark."

        "Yeah well, it looks pretty bad to me," Steph pointed out the window with her eyes. Nina and Christina turned around and saw Christina's Saab passing slowly by on the back of a flatbed truck. "Looks like Conrad's got your car."

        "Yeah that's me," Christina sighed. Christina watched her car as it passed out of view. There was no way she was driving anywhere tomorrow.

        "Andrei is driving her to her big meeting," Nina explained.

        Christina's mind was reeling. She couldn't skip the meeting, but if she went with Andrei, she realized that she'd actually have to go as a girl.

        "Andrei? Well aren't you the lucky girl," Steph said. "What do you say we give you the works for the big meeting?"

        "Oh, I don't think so," Christina croaked, "We just need some makeup. I don't really-"

        "You've got the shindig, and a girl's got to look her best," Steph insisted. "Besides, we're running a head-wound special."

        "You know about that too?" Christina asked.

        "Doc Stone doesn't talk as much as ol' Abby," Steph explained, "But you can get a lot of choice info by asking the right questions." Steph walked over to Christina and brushed her hair aside to survey the bruise. "Wow, that's quite a shiner," she said.

        Christina felt an electric shock from Steph's fingers as they moved over her scalp. She smelled the perfume on Steph's neck. She could see down the front of Steph's sweater. Christina felt an unmistakable hardness stirring in her panties.

        "Do you really want to go to your big meeting looking like the product of a failed marriage?" Steph joked. "Why don't you stay awhile and let me have my way with you."

        "Have your way with me?" Christina repeated dreamily.

        "It'll be good for business. It's not everyday the new town celebrity walks in. People will be lined up tomorrow to hear every morsel there is to know about Christina Chase. Act now, and I'll give you a two-for-one." Steph ruffled Nina's hair, adding, "Let's get Nina in on the act."

        "Please, Christina?" Nina was using her most manipulative, pouty face, but Christina wasn't looking.

        Christina weighed her options. She definitely did not want to have anything to do with the salon. Though if she did have to go to Unitech as Christina Chase, this might not be a bad idea. Was it worse to miss her meeting, or to go as a girl? And if she had to go as Christina Chase, wouldn't it make sense to look as good as possible? Then she thought of Steph, picturing what it would be like to sit in the chair as Steph ran her fingers through her hair. Maybe getting her hair done was a good idea.

        Or, maybe she was losing her mind, Christina thought. She decided there was no way in hell she was going through with this. "We don't really ..." she started, then saw her pleading cousin's face for the first time. With a sigh, she continued, '... want to miss out on a deal."

        Nina's face lit up like Christmas, and Christina couldn't help but smile a little in response.

        Steph clapped her hands together, then looked over her shoulder. "Lisa," she called, "We've got work to do!" Lisa, a chubby Chinese girl, walked out of the back office. Her hair was tied into two small and fashionable pigtails. "Do you know who we have here?" Steph asked as she led Christina and Nina deeper into the salon. "The one, the only, Miss Christina Chase."

        Lisa shook her head with an expression of mock astonishment.

        "Oh, and Nina too." Steph added.

        "Wow, Christina Chase. That's quite a scoop. You should close down the store for good and go work for the newspaper," Lisa teased.

        "Don't you know it," Steph quipped, "I'd be running the Gazette by the middle of next week." Steph stopped in front of an open closet and pulled out two robes. "Okay ladies, you know the drill."

        Christina, in fact, did not know the drill. She hadn't realized that there would be undressing involved, and began to second guess the whole affair. But luckily, Nina took Christina's hand and led her behind some folding screens where they could change, immediately taking off her top and dropping her skirt around her ankles. Christina turned around in response to seeing her cousin nearly naked again. She unzipped the back of her dress and removed it. Mimicking Nina, Christina hung her clothes on a couple of hooks on a beam against the back wall. She looked over her shoulder to see Nina putting her robe on over her underwear. Thank God for that, she thought as she kicked off her heels and put on her robe, mindful to keep her back to Nina the entire time.

        Nina said, "Don't forget your stockings."

        "Oh right," Christina giggled nervously, "We never wear these at the salon." Christina felt painfully out of place, never expecting to have a fifteen-year old girl as a role model. Opening the bottom of her robe, she unclipped, and rolled each stocking down her legs, one at a time. Then she removed her garter belt and placed it on the shelf above her hanging dress. "Okay, all set," she announced. "Let's go have some ... fun."

        When Nina stepped out from behind the screen, Christina took an extra moment to ensure her extra parts were as well concealed as she could manage. She arranged herself in her panties and tied her robe tightly around her waist. You're going to make it, she repeated in her mind. Just try and relax.

        "Christina, come on," Nina shouted, hardly able to contain herself.

        Christina and Nina were led to two salon chairs. Steph came up behind Christina and ran her fingers through Christina's hair. Christina felt tingles all over her body and her penis had an immediate reaction. She clenched her legs together to force her manhood to stay put.

         "Hmmm," Steph said as she played with Christina's hair. "A little raw, but a lot of potential." Walking around in front of the girls, she sized them up with her eyes, making sure to give Christina a thorough inspection. Steph ran her finger up Christina's left leg. "My oh my," she purred, "I don't know how things roll in the city, Blondie, but we don't go in for the French look around here. When was the last time you were waxed?"

        "Never!" Christina blurted incredulously.

        Steph gave her a puzzled look.

        "Never in a salon," Christina recovered. "I mean, I always do it at home."

        "Get up," Steph commanded as she grabbed Christina by the arm and yanked her to her feet. "You're overdue." Steph looked at Lisa and said, "Meet us in the torture chamber."

        "The what chamber?" Christina asked.

        "Ah, don't mind the name. We only call it that 'cause the diner's already called the Pain Shack." Steph shot Nina a devilish wink as she led the girls to a small room in the back of the salon.

        "Okay, Tina-fo-fina," Steph mused as she gestured to a large table in the middle of the room, "Face down on the slab." Christina looked around at her captors and realized that she had to keep the ruse going. She gulped, then lay down on the table. Lisa came into the room pushing a tray stocked with hair removal supplies. She positioned it to Christina's left then assumed a position at the head of the table. She pulled a donut-shaped attachment out from underneath the table and moved it in front of Christina's face. Lisa guided Christina's face in the padded ring and whispered, "Don't worry about Steph. She makes this sound bad, but she's an expert. It'll hurt only half as much as you're used to."

        "I dunno," Christina said nervously, "I'm not used to any pain at all."

        Steph handed Nina a magazine filled with hairstyles. "Have a seat kid," she joked. "Only the big girls get to play on the hard level."

        Nina sat down and scanned the pictures in the magazine, looking up from the pages, trying to picture what each style would look like on her cousin's head. Christina tried to fight her fear as the sickening smell of hot wax engulfed the tiny room. Steph grabbed the bottom of Christina's robe and pulled it up to the base of her panties.

        Then Lisa and Steph started to cover the backs of Christina's legs with hot wax.

        "Damn you Russian girls," Lisa said. "Your skinny legs make it harder for the rest of us."

        All but Christina laughed as the procedure continued. Christina felt every sensation as Steph and Lisa coated her with wax and placed cotton strips on top. She was grateful that she couldn't see any of what was going on. Christina could do nothing but lay there as Steph and Lisa worked, and Nina painstakingly told Steph every detail she knew about the events of last night.

        Once the wax on Christina's legs was ready, Steph and Lisa positioned themselves almost ceremonially on either side of the table. Steph motioned for Nina to put down her magazine, "Pay attention Nina, you're about to get a lesson in the price of beauty."

        Placing her hand on the small of Christina's back, Steph whispered, "Try to relax, the fun starts on the count of three." Steph nodded at Lisa.

        "One ...." Lisa started.

        Steph ripped off a strip before Lisa even mouthed the word "two." Christina gave out a high pitched grunt and clenched the table with her hands.

        "That one-two-three stuff never works," Steph laughed. "It's better to just get it over with." Steph pulled gently on the end of another cotton strip and asked, "Are you ready?"

        Christina tensed up and nodded into the donut.

        Steph winked again at Lisa, who pulled a strip off of Christina's other leg without any warning. Surprised yet again, Christina's knuckles went white as she gripped the table in pain. Christina wasn't sure if this was how this was normally done, or if this was some sort of bizarre initiation for out-of-towners. The rest of the session went much easier, as Steph and Lisa apparently grew tired of torturing Christina and finished the job without any more tricks. It was a small consolation that the pain from waxing was short lived. When the backs of her legs were done, Christina was instructed to roll over, and the procedure was repeated on the front of her legs. After every inch was completely hairless, Lisa misted Christina's legs with a spray bottle, and it was finally over.

        Steph reached out to Christina's abdomen and started to pull her robe open.

        "No!" Christina squealed. "No," she repeated, as her brain searched for a plausible excuse. "Uh, we can't wax there, it always uh ... the irritation, it's always bad." Christina gulped hoping that her objection made any kind of sense.

        "You got some tender spots, eh?" Steph conceded. "Okay then, we'll just finish up with the face." Steph wheeled the mobile tray next to Christina's head. Lisa lifted Christina's head and slid a small pillow underneath. Christina closed her eyes and imagined she was somewhere else. It was a baseball game, or maybe she was in a bar. It was somewhere manly. It wasn't a salon. It was anywhere but a salon.

        Steph cleaned off Christina's makeup then started applying wax to Christina's cheeks and around her eyebrows. "You're getting off light this time," she joked. "Next time you're getting the full Brazilian." Lisa broke out in laughter and gave Steph a high-five.

        Somehow, Christina forced herself to laugh, too. She didn't know what the "full Brazilian" was and she had no intention of ever finding out.

        Steph waited for the wax on Christina's face to set, then started ripping off the cotton strips. Christina gritted her teeth and endured the facial waxing. It didn't take anywhere near as long as her legs, but she felt uncomfortable with the two girls so closely examining her face.

        After the last strip was removed and Lisa had spritzed Christina's face, Steph tapped her captive on the shoulder. She announced, "You made it Blondie."

        Christina sat up on the table and tightened her robe. She felt her face, which was incredibly soft and much more smooth than after any shave she'd ever had.

        Steph and Lisa led the girls out of the torture chamber to a row of reclining chairs that Christina decided looked like padded lawn furniture.

         Nina and Christina sat down while Steph and Lisa went over to a series of cabinets next to a large sink. Nina reached over to feel Christina's cheek and whispered, "Did that hurt?"

        Christina placed her hand on top of Nina's and mouthed, "Yes," wrinkling her face in imaginary agony.

        Steph returned with a towel, and before Christina realized what was happening, Steph pulled Christina's hair back and draped the towel over her face. At first, the sting of the hot, moist cloth, and the scent of unfamiliar herbs were alarming, but Christina eventually gave over to relaxing sensations. Though Christina couldn't see a thing, she assumed that Nina was getting the same treatment.

        Once the towel had become cold, Steph removed it and dropped it onto a tray which she'd set up next to Christina's chair. Coming to her senses, Christina looked over and saw that Lisa was rubbing something onto Nina's face. Christina looked back up at Steph just as the procedure was repeated on her. It was at that point it dawned on Christina that she was getting a facial.

        Christina wasn't sure how long she sat in the chair, but she became alarmed as she felt the thick mask on her face dry and pull against her flesh. While she thought the hot towel was somewhat relaxing, Christina couldn't see why women would want to cover their face with mud, only to feel it harden around them. She would have complained to Nina if it weren't for the constricting feeling around her mouth.

        When Christina felt as though she couldn't sit still a moment longer, Steph removed the cotton ovals that had been covering her eyes. Christina sat motionless as Steph peeled back the now-hardened mask.

        Without giving Christina a moment to catch her breath, Steph yanked her out of her chair and down the hall to the shampoo station. Lisa and Nina followed a step behind. Had Christina turned around, she would have seen the elated look on her younger cousin's face. Nina and Christina sat down while Steph looked through the shelf to pick out bottles of shampoo.

        "Okay, you two, time for the main event," Steph said as she and Lisa fitted their clients with plastic aprons and pushed their chairs backward so that the girls' heads rested over small sinks situated behind them.

        Steph rinsed Christina's hair, while Lisa worked on Nina's. As Christina felt Steph's fingers massaging her scalp as she worked the shampoo into her wet hair, she looked up and saw Steph's breasts dangling delightfully over her face. She followed the line of Steph's neck and imagined how it would be to it plant rows of kisses along it. If the torture chamber was Hell, this was certainly Heaven.

        "Hey Kid," Steph called to Nina, "How old is your cousin?"

        "Nineteen," Nina replied.

        "Christina," Steph said slyly, "How is it that you've been walking this green earth for almost two decades, and we've never heard of you until today?"

        Christina didn't answer at first. She was still busy cataloging Steph's body with her eyes. When the question finally made contact with her brain, she answered, "I only found out about the Levchenkos last weekend."

        "Really," Steph continued. "A stranger might think you and Nina had been sisters all your lives."

        Christina gritted her teeth. Why did everyone have to say that?

        "So you had to take a business trip, and the Levchenkos just happened to be on the way?" Steph asked.

        "Yeah, that's how it worked out. I didn't plan on staying long."

        "Right, and one good smack on the head later, you're one of the gang."

        "Something like that," Christina groaned. "Nothing is going according to plan this week."

        Steph turned off her faucet and returned Christina's chair to its sitting position. She toweled Christina's hair and said, "You just have to roll with things- that's what I say. If you don't roll, then life just rolls you anyway."

        "Well this is more like when life rolls you over a cliff," Christina whispered under her breath.

        Steph removed Christina's apron as Lisa finished up on Nina. Then the girls were led back to their salon chairs. Steph stood between the girls and the wall of mirrors in front of them, holding her chin with her thumb and forefinger in an inquisitive fashion. "Okay, ladies," she said, "Pick your poison."

        Nina looked up at Lisa and asked, "Can I have the hairstyle book again?" Lisa nodded and retrieved the magazine from the torture chamber.

        Christina grinned nervously and asked, "Can't I just have a trim?"

        "Hey I like that," Steph said, clapping her hands together. "I didn't know you were the comedian in the family."

        Nina held up the hairstyle magazine and pointed to a shoulder length style. Christina glanced at it out of the corner of her eye as Steph squinted at the tiny picture. Lisa looked on and nodded.

        "You want that for you, or your cousin?" Steph asked.

        "I want it for the both of us," Nina smiled.

        "Oh, so a little twins action, eh?" Steph tapped Christina on the shoulder and asked, "What do you say, you want Dora the Explorer over here calling the shots?" Christina said nothing, only nodding affirmatively. She didn't know what to ask for in this situation, and she was happy to let Nina get her off the hook yet again. "Okay, kid-o ..." Steph told Nina as she took the magazine and tossed it into the waiting area. "... you're the boss."

        Nina added, "I want blonde hair, too."

        "No way bambina," said Steph. "Styling your hair is one thing, but if I send you home blonde, I'll have to answer to your mother. Even I'm not that brave."

        Steph walked behind Christina and picked up her hair. "I think your cousin needs some highlights, though."

        "I don't know that I need highlights," Christina objected meekly.

        "You should have asked Nina what the safe word was before you started the game." Steph had a wicked grin as she let Christina's hair drop.

        When Lisa and Steph went to work on the girls, Christina sat motionless as Steph expertly parted her mane. Using the mirror, Christina watched helplessly as Steph made a brush stroke here, a snip there. After a while, Christina noticed that Lisa was putting some hot rollers into Nina's hair. Seeing the expression on Nina's face, Christina couldn't help but smile a little; the girl was in a state of bliss. At least Nina was enjoying herself, she thought.

        Christina should have been paying more attention to what was happening to her, not Nina, as Steph covered pieces of her hair in some offensive smelling solution and then wrapped them with tiny pieces of foil. She didn't resume paying attention until she felt hot rollers being added to her own hair.

        Finally, Steph stopped attacking Christina's hair and let the two girls sit for a while. When Steph returned, she adjusted Christina's right hand until it was in a resting position above a small cup. Christina saw that Nina was getting the same treatment. She wasn't sure what was going on until she saw Lisa start manicuring Nina's fingernails. Much to Christina's dismay, Steph started on her nails too.

        "So, Chatty Cathy," Steph said as she worked, "Let's have the details."

        "The details?" asked Christina.

        "Yeah, details. Inquiring minds want to know. You're nineteen, living in the city, working as a ..."

        Nina said, "Christina's a secretary." Christina bit her lower lip and blushed. "And a salesgirl too," Nina added.

        "Right, a salesgirl," Steph said, picking up where she left off. "Do you live alone or are you shacking up with your man?"

        "My man?" Christina blurted.

        "Yeah," Steph said, grinning as she switched to Christina's other hand. "Your beau, your boyfriend, your fella."

        "I do NOT have a-" Christina started indignantly.

        "Come clean, Tina," Steph laughed. "You walk into my store wearing a man's jacket that's what- four sizes too big for you? And you say you ain't got a man?" Christina's mouth hung open as she tried to think of a plausible response. Steph held up her hands and wiggled her fingers, adding, "And I don't see a ring, so you're either seeing somebody, or having an extended sleepover. So which is it?"

        Nina looked over at her cousin, also curious for an answer.

        Christina gave it one more try. "Really, I'm not seeing anybody."

        "Bullshit!" Steph snickered. "Do you think I run my own salon just because I kick ass with the hair? Gossip, baby. It's all about the gossip."

        Christina reflected on her love life, and her thoughts drifted to her answering machine. "I was seeing Am-" Christina caught herself in mid "Amy" and quickly corrected, "Aaron for about a year and a half."

        Steph nodded at Lisa and the girl started removing the curlers from Nina's hair. Steph swiveled Christina's chair so her back was to the mirror, then started removing her curlers and the foil.

        "Year and a half is a long time for no ring," Steph observed.

        "I'm not in any hurry," Christina replied, not liking where this was heading.

        "I'm right there with you, sister. So what did Aaron do for a living?" Steph was relentless.

        "He went to college," Christina answered, adapting Amy's life story to be her imaginary boyfriend.

        "And he studied ..."

        "Literature."

        "And you and he 'was' together, as in no longer?" Steph asked, finishing with the curlers.

        "Yeah," Christina sighed. Talking about Amy made her feel the same sense of worthlessness that she'd felt all last week.

        Steph took out a brush and fussed with Christina's hair. "Were you the dump-er or the dump-ee?"

        "Dumpee," Christina moped.

        "Ouch," said Steph sympathetically, "How'd it go down?"

        "I got a message on my machine," Christina confessed as she stared at her toes.

        "The coward's way out. Did you love 'im?"

        "I do. I mean, I did. Very much."

        Steph stood in front of Christina and added the finishing touches to her hair. "So why did it go South?" she asked.

        Christina looked to her side and said, "He said we'd grown apart."

        "Typical man," Steph snorted. "Was he big where it counted?" Steph asked that last question as casually as all the others.

        Christina sat up as though she received an electric shock at the suggestion that she'd slept with a man. "I wouldn't know!" she insisted.

        Steph said, "Maybe that's the real reason you got the phone call."

        Christina wondered how many indignities she could bear in just twenty-four hours.

        "Don't worry about it," Steph added. She spun Christina's chair around twice then stopped her in front of the mirrors. "You know what they say- the best revenge is looking really hot."

        Christina shook off the dizziness and stared at her reflection in the mirror. Gone was her plain, straight hair from this morning. In its place was a flirty hairstyle that framed her face, curling in towards her neck at the bottom. Her hair was parted on the right side, and a wave of hair fell seductively over her face, almost hiding her left eye. She gawked at the girl in the mirror in disbelief. She would have to get it all shaved off when she got home- there was no other way anyone would think she was a boy again.

        Christina looked over at Nina who was admiring her identical, brunette hair in the mirror.

        Nina turned to Christina, and said, "I love it."

        "Yes, we love it," Christina agreed in agony, unable to fake a grin.

        Lisa rolled a tray into the room that was covered with cosmetics, brushes, and some metal instruments that Christina couldn't identify. Christina looked at them and said, "Nina isn't allowed to wear a lot of makeup."

        "We'll go easy on the kid," Steph assured. "That means we'll have to get our jollies with you."

        Christina surrendered. Things had already gone to far. She tensed her cheek muscles to produce what one might mistake for a smile as she said, "Let's make me beautiful."

 

        Nina was done long before Steph was finished with Christina. Lisa had treaded lightly on the girl, using only some blush and lip gloss. Nina returned from behind the folding screen, fully dressed, while Steph continued on Christina.

        "Lisa is making you a bag with the same stuff we used today," Steph said, after finishing Christina's lips. Steph took a step back to examine her work, then nodded. She waved Lisa over and said, "The nails." Lisa removed the cotton strips from between Christina's fingers and blew on her nails to help her nail polish dry. Steph went to the front counter and retrieved a small glass atomizer. She aimed the atomizer at Christina's neck and spritzed her with a hint of perfume. Nina, Steph, and Lisa all looked at Christina with approving smiles.

        Steph said, "Ladies, call the police and take me in, 'cause I am dangerous." She stepped aside so Christina could see herself in the mirror. Her face was exquisite. It was still her face, but more alluring and seductive. This went far beyond what Nina had done to her this morning. Her eyes were accentuated by long, curled lashes. Steph had also plucked Christina's eyebrows into delicate arches. There was no trace of her bruise, and her cheeks were frozen in a permanent blush. Christina looked at her lips, which were petite, pink, and inviting. They were lips that begged to be kissed. Steph had transformed her into a resplendent, sensuous woman.

        "Wow," Christina said in shock, "That can't be me."

        "We aim to please," Steph said as she skipped off to the front counter.

        Christina got up and went to the back of the store to get dressed. She noticed how different her bare legs felt as she pulled up her stockings. She felt as though she were walking around in a haze. She wondered, was all of it just a bizarre dream? It couldn't really be happening. She finished getting dressed and emerged from behind the screen.

        She stopped to look at herself in one of the full length mirrors. She saw a sexy young woman. The dress she wore showed off her petite waist and her full breasts. Her face was two parts innocent school girl, and one part femme fatal. Christina stared at her reflection, looking for the boy she'd once been, and couldn't find him. She was no longer concerned about being accepted as a girl. She began to wonder if she would ever be a boy again. Nothing in the mirror suggested that she would.

        Christina traced the outline of her necklace though the material of her dress. It was the only link she had to what felt like a former life. Her visage, the sound of her heels, and the scent of her perfume had a profound effect on her. She began to accept the new feminine role that everyone seemed to want her to play. She actually felt like she was Christina Chase.

        Nina was waiting for her by the counter. She looked up at her cousin and said, "You look so beautiful."

        Christina blushed with an odd sense of pride. She squeezed Nina's hand and replied, "We both do."

        Christina pulled her debit card out of her purse and Steph rang up her treatment and her makeup. Christina had spent more money on her new looks in less than a day than she spent on male clothing in several months. Nina and Christina gathered up their multiplying collection of shopping bags and headed for the exit.

        "Hey Nina," Steph shouted as they were leaving, "Say hi to your brother for me."

        Nina nodded, then waved goodbye.

        Christina and Nina were once more back in the middle of town. It was later in the day and school had been out for a while. When Christina had started her shopping trip, there was hardly anyone outside. Main Street was now filled with people. Christina noticed that she was getting attentive stares from the men and boys that passed by. She wanted desperately not to garner that sort of attention, and she tried to hurry Nina along. Nina was having none of it. She wanted the world to see her new hairstyle, and her older cousin. Christina's spirit lifted as they passed a small electronics store. "Nina," she said, "I need to make one more stop." She led her cousin into the building, finally in charge of the shopping game.

        Christina scanned the shelves; she needed a charger for her cell phone. She'd packed one, but that had been lost with her suitcase. If she could get a charge on her phone, and perhaps a moment of privacy, she might be able to reschedule her appointment. She walked up to the counter where a young boy was loading boxes of calculators and other goods into an open, wall-mounted cabinet. He looked somewhat younger than herself.

        Nina let go of Christina's hand and wandered about the store. Christina waited patiently at the counter for the boy to notice her presence. Finally, apparently smelling Christina's intoxicating perfume, he turned around to meet her eyes. He gasped slightly when he realized the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen was standing right in front of him.

        "Hello," Christina said cheerfully.

        The boy snapped to his senses when he realized that Christina was speaking to him. He cleared his throat and said, "Welcome to something, can I get you Arnold's?" His face turned bright red, but his eyes refused to look away. Christina scrunched her nose in confusion. The boy started speaking more quickly, as though that would help. "I mean, welcome to Arnold's ... I can get things." The boy was now visibly sweating, and he gave it one last try with concentration. "Please let me get you something."

        Christina said, "I need a replacement charger for my cell phone."

        "Charger- Okay, I'll be right back." The boy turned sharply and walked directly into the open cabinet door with a large TWACK! He covered his head with one hand and closed the door with the other.

        Christina unsuccessfully tried to suppress a chuckle. Concerned that she may have hurt the boy's feelings, she reached out and touched him on the shoulder and sympathetically said, "Don't feel bad, I hit myself in the head just yesterday."

        The boy's heart rate doubled at Christina's touch, and his voice cracked. "I'll be right back," he croaked. The boy ran off leaving Christina alone at the counter. She stood there for a few minutes, wondering where he'd had gone. She then noticed another customer in the store; a very handsome man in an expensive suit. She accidentally made eye contact with him, and he walked up to the counter.

        "Hello," the man said in a debonair voice. "My name is Richard."

        "Hi," Christina said, attempting to look elsewhere.

        "This is a pretty small town, and I know I would have remembered if we met before," he continued, undeterred by Christina's obvious disinterest.

        "That's because I'm just passing through." Christina knew this man was hitting on her, but she had no experience deflecting men's advances.

        "You should pass through more often. We have a shortage of beautiful women in Oak Grove." The man smiled as he moved closer to Christina. He reached into his breast pocket and produced a business card. Christina begrudgingly took the card and glanced at it. It read, "Richard Masters, Attorney at Law."

        "I don't know how long you're in town, but I'd be happy to show you around. There isn't much to see, but I could always show it to you twice." He looked deeply into Christina's eyes. Richard was perhaps half a foot taller than Christina, and his broad shoulders blocked her view of the exit. The man's piercing stare made her feel naked and trapped.

        Christina said, "Thanks, but I already have someone to show me around." She motioned to Nina who came back to her side.

        "Christina," Nina said, "We should hurry up. Everyone must be waiting for us."

        Christina smiled at Nina, grateful for an excuse to leave. "See that?" Christina smirked, "There's people waiting for us."

        "I'm sure there's lots of people waiting for you," Richard crooned.

        Christina cocked her head back at the sly compliment. She had no idea how to respond. Just then, the door buzzer rang as two boys entered the store. One of the boys was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and the other had curly red hair and freckles. The boy in the hoodie waved to Nina, and she went over to talk to them. With Christina now separated from her younger cousin, the man edged even closer.

        Richard said, "I'm sure she's an excellent guide, Christina," calling Christina by her name, "But I'm sure there are a few things I can show you that she can't." Christina's heart was racing. She wanted to be anywhere but trapped in this man's gaze. She was relieved when the sales boy returned to the counter carrying an armload of power adaptors of every shape and size.

        The boy, who was slightly out of breath, said, "I forgot to ask what kind of phone you had." He forced as much air into his lungs as humanly possible. "So, I brought everything we have."

        Christina opened her purse, dropped Richard's card into it, and took out her cell phone.

        The boy took the phone and flipped it open. He scrounged through the adaptors and pulled a few out. The boy then turned to Richard and said, "We have this generic plug, or this expensive one. The expensive one will charge faster, and it also comes with a car adaptor."

        Christina was annoyed that the boy addressed Richard instead of her, and she cleared her throat pointedly.

        The boy looked back and forth between Richard and Christina, and realized his mistake, "Sorry," he said, regaining his voice. "I just assumed that he was your-"

        Christina started to speak, but Richard cut in. "I made the same mistake myself," he said with a broad smile. He reached into his pocket and took out his wallet. Richard picked up the expensive charger and said, "We'll take this one."

        Christina turned to Richard and angrily whispered, "I can buy my own charger."

        "Of course you can," Richard said, "But this is a friendly town and I would feel just awful if you didn't feel welcome." The boy handed the bag containing Christina's charger to Richard, then the man put his arm around Christina's waist and led her towards the door. Richard noticed Christina's collection of bags and offered, "I couldn't forgive myself if I let you carry all those bags by yourself." Richard casually dropped the charger in one of the large bags.

        Christina knew that this smooth operator had both herself and the situation in hand, and she had to think quick to derail his affections. "Nina," she shouted, "We're going!" Nina came to the front of the store with her two friends from school. Christina wiggled free from Richard's grasp and placed a hand on each of the boys' shoulders. "Boys," she said with a seductive glance, "Nina and I sure could use your help carrying our things."

        The boys' faces ignited at Christina's touch and they immediately seized the bags. "Absolutely," said the boy in the hoodie. The red haired boy didn't say anything, but he smiled awkwardly at Nina as he picked up his share of the bags.

        Christina turned to Richard and shot him a dirty look. "I think we have the situation under control," she sneered.

        Richard responded with a hearty laugh, only encouraged by the look Christina gave him. "Perhaps next time," he said confidently as Christina, Nina, and their two porters left the store.

 

        It was nearly five o'clock when Christina and Nina entered the family's grocery store. They were followed by the two eager boys who insisted on carrying every single one of Christina's bags. Nina instructed her friends to put Christina's bags behind the counter, and the three of them walked away, leaving Christina to survey the establishment. The grocery store was more of a general store, Christina realized. It was tiny by city standards, though it appeared well stocked with a wide range of goods.

        The place radiated the same welcoming aura as her relatives' home. There were a few people in the store and Misha was working the sole register. Christina was taken aback by how the patrons greeted and spoke with each other. Everyone knew everyone else. Oak Grove was not just a small country town. No, Oak Grove was an actual community. Each store was unique, the people were friendly, and judging by the sign on her uncle's shop door, everything in town closed early.

        Christina was used to the fast paced tempo of city life- long hours, packed trains, and overfilled sidewalks where she could stand in a crowd of hundreds and be invisible. Oak Grove was different. Yet, while she found the town charming, she longed for the anonymity of the city. Although none of the patrons had actively stared at her, they had all paid her some sort of recognition; a smile here, a polite nod there. She could feel their curious eyes watching her every step.

        Christina waited for her aunt to finish ringing up her customer before she caught her attention with a small wave of her hand. Misha temporarily abandoned her post behind the register and went out to her niece with her arms outstretched.

        "Christina," she proclaimed," You look so lovely."

        Christina blushed and said, "Thank you, Aunt Misha." Christina motioned for Nina to come over. Nina finished talking to her friends, and the two boys left the store. She sprinted over and stood next to her older cousin. "Please don't be upset," Christina begged, "But Nina got a haircut too." Christina stood there with her arm around Nina's waist, waiting for any sign of disapproval.

        Misha looked at her daughter and saw that she had the same hairstyle as her cousin. She couldn't remember the last time Nina had looked so happy. Misha touched her daughter's and her niece's faces with her hands and said, "You two look so much alike."

        The three of them went behind the counter. Nina could hardly contain herself as she related all the events of the day to her mother. Christina noted that Nina strategically neglected to tell her mother about the nightie that Christina had purchased for her. After the girls finished talking about Christina's shopping day, Misha returned to the counter. Christina, looking for some way to be helpful, stood next to her aunt and bagged groceries, but still felt on display. Every customer was curious about the new girl in town, and Misha was all too willing to introduce Christina to each of them. Christina was sure that there would not be a living soul in Oak Grove who would not know her name by midnight.

        Although Christina felt uncomfortable to meet so many people, it was comforting that not a single person mistook her for a boy. It also was not as stressful as her encounter with the lawyer in the electronics store. She felt secure that Misha's presence would protect her from any unwanted attention.

        Christina survived her final introduction, and the last customer of the night shuffled out the door. She felt very hungry, only now realizing that between shopping and her makeover, she didn't have time for lunch. Misha rang out the register for the night and called to her son and husband. Alek and Andrei emerged from the back room.

        Alek's face brightened at the sight of his niece. "Christina," he gushed, "Look at you!"

        Andrei rolled his eyes at his father. He glanced at Christina through the corner of his eyes, wondering why everyone was so taken with her. Andrei took a better look and noticed the new dress, the perfectly tressed hair, and her freshly made up face. He looked at her curves and her sparkling green eyes. Maybe she was beautiful, he admitted, but since when did the entire world revolve around her?

        Nina touched her father's hand and he looked down to see her. "We both got our hair done," she beamed.

        "Yes, I see," Alek said warmly. He leaned over and kissed his wife on her cheek. "All of the women in our family are beautiful," he announced. Alek took his coat off the rack behind the counter and switched off all the lights in the store. "Andrei," he barked, "Carry your cousin's bags to the car."

        Andrei picked up all the bags with little effort as he mumbled, "Of course, that is what I am here for ..."

        After Alek locked up, the family walked around back to the old green pickup truck. "Andrei," Alek said to his son, "You ride in the back."

        Andrei raised an eyebrow.

        "And make sure nothing falls out of your cousin's bags."

        Alek and Misha squeezed into the old truck. Andrei lifted Christina's bags into the back of the truck then turned to face her. "You're here one day," he said, "And already, I am luggage."

        Christina felt a hot flush of guilt under her cousin's smoldering gaze. "I'm sorry," she said sincerely. Andrei jumped over the side of the truck and into the back. Christina slid into the passenger side, and Nina hopped into her lap. Christina held her cousin around her waist, and the family headed home.

 

        Boris barked excitedly at the sound of the family pickup pulling into the driveway. Nina opened her door and hopped off Christina's lap, all in one motion. Christina and Misha followed. Alek got out and went to the back of the truck. He was about to tell Andrei to take Christina's bags to her room, but his son was already gone. Alek looked to the old barn just as Andrei closed the door behind him. Alek growled and lifted Christina's new clothes from the back of the truck.

        The family entered the house through the side door where Boris was waiting. He wagged his tail furiously and fought the urge to jump up onto people as they came inside. Misha opened the refrigerator door and took out some food. "Nina," Misha said, "Go help your cousin put her things away." Misha started preparing dinner and Alek walked the girls up to Christina's room. Alek put down the bags and left the girls alone. Nina pulled their new sleepwear out of the bags and held them up. "Are we going to wear these tonight?" she asked expectantly.

        Christina winced at the thought. "I don't know, Nina. Let me think about it, okay?" Nina nodded. "I have to make a quick phone call," Christina said, looking though her bags for her new power adaptor. She pulled it out and sat on her bed.

        "Can I put your things away?" Nina asked with enthusiasm.

        "Sure, knock yourself out," Christina said with a smile. She didn't want to think about her new wardrobe at the moment. She plugged the power adaptor into the wall, took her cell phone out of her purse, and turned it on. "Please, please, please ...." she whispered as the phone came to life. "Yes!" she said to herself. The phone was working and had decent reception. Finally, something was going her way. Christina searched though the phone book for Mr. Patel's home phone number. He wasn't going to like being called at home, and he certainly wouldn't like what she was going to tell him.

        Christina had just found the number when she heard the door to her room open. Boris stuck his head in and looked at her. She ignored the dog and pressed the send button. Boris, undeterred, trotted into the room and jumped onto Christina's bed.

        "Go away!" she whispered.

        Boris tilted his head and stared at her as though she was speaking Chinese. Christina made shooing motions with her hands, but Boris stood, steadfastly studying the person in front of him.

        The phone rang twice, and Mr. Patel answered. "Hello? Who is this?" he asked.

        Christina spoke very softly so that Nina could not hear her speaking in her deeper voice. "Mr. Patel," she began, "It's Chris."

        "Chris, where have you been? Why haven't you called in?"

        "I'm sorry, but I haven't been able to call. There was an accident," she explained.

        "An accident? What's going on?"

        "Look, I can't get into the details right now. The short story is my car is a little banged up," Christina lied. "It's in the shop right now being fixed, and everything should be good by Thursday." Christina had no way to know for sure when her car would be repaired, but she had to tell her boss something.

        Mr. Patel muttered something in a language Christina didn't understand then said, "I will call Unitech and move the service call to Friday."

        Christina whispered, "Thank you Mr. Patel."

        "Chris," Mr. Patel continued in a calmer voice, "We really need Unitech to sign a support contract. A lot is depending on you."

        Christina stared into Boris' eyes and said, "I won't let you down Mr. Patel." Christina folded her phone closed and placed it on the nightstand. She scratched Boris' belly and said, "You already know far too much."

        Nina, who had put away nearly all of Christina's new clothes, turned to her cousin and asked, "When did you buy these?"

        When Christina saw Nina was holding her new jeans- the ones she bought to replace her male clothes, fear jolted through her. She leaped from the bed and snatched the jeans from her cousin. Nina looked at her cousin in surprise as Christina laughed uncomfortably, stuttering, "I just got these for ...." She paused trying to think of a good explanation. " ... for the trip back home."

        Twisting the jeans in her hands, she added, "They're more comfortable for long rides, you know?" There was an awkward silence as Christina put her jeans away. In retrospect, she realized there was nothing out of the ordinary about buying jeans, but her overreaction was obviously suspicious behavior.

        The awkwardness ended when Misha called Nina and Christina downstairs. The girls walked into the kitchen and found Misha working over a hot stove. "Nina," Misha said, "Could you set the table for me?"

        "Sure Mom," Nina answered. She opened a cabinet and took out some plates.

        "Chris, dear," Misha said, turning to her niece, "Could you find your uncle and Andrei and tell them to come to dinner?"

        "Yes, of course, Aunt Misha."

        Christina walked through the downstairs hallway knocking on doors. When there was no answer, she would crack the door open and peek inside. Finding the master bedroom and den both empty, she returned to the living room, pausing to take a good look around. The walls were covered with family pictures. Some were obviously from holidays and events, while others were more ordinary. Her heart sank. It was difficult to witness this loving home and not really be a part of it.

        She wished that she'd had a home like this, but Christina's family was broken a long time ago. She picked up one of the pictures that stood on a shelf above the fireplace. It was Andrei's graduation. He stood there with his mother and sister. Squinting, Christina thought she could make out Steph and Lisa in the background.

        Her mind flashed to the picture of the unknown girl from her bedroom. She wasn't in any of the pictures. Who was she?

        Alek walked in through the front door and took off his work gloves. "Christina," he said warmly.

        Christina turned around and smiled at her uncle. "Uncle Alek, Aunt Misha says to come to dinner."

        Alek nodded.

        "She told me to get Andrei too. Do you know where he is?"

        Alek reached out and took the graduation picture from Christina's hands. "Andrei is in the barn, as usual." He held up the picture for Christina to see. "You see here? This is when Andrei finished high school. I told him to go to college."

        He placed the picture back on the shelf. "But no. Instead, every day and night he is in the barn ... working," he finished with a snort. "He is twenty-one years old; what does he want to do with his life?"

        Alek placed his hands on Christina's shoulders, smiling as he looked directly into her eyes. "You are only nineteen; you have a career and you live on your own."

        Christina blushed and grinned back. Even though she didn't have the best job, and her apartment was a disgrace, her uncle's praise made her feel proud. "You have done very well for yourself," Alex commended, "Especially for a girl."

        Christina wrinkled her nose at her uncle's chauvinist comment.

        Alek continued, "Your aunt and I are very proud of you. Misha told every customer about her successful niece."

        Christina smiled at the man. He was very old fashioned, but he was sincerely affectionate. She did not like the idea of the entire town knowing about Christina Chase, but she loved the fact that her uncle and aunt were proud of her.

        Christina said, "I should get Andrei; I don't want to keep Aunt Misha waiting."

        Alek released his hands from his niece and concurred, "Good idea. I would not want to keep her waiting either." He chuckled to himself as he walked into the kitchen.

        Before she headed out to the barn, Christina looked around the room again, looking at the pictures, the fireplace, and the somehow familiar clock on the wall. She fantasized about how things might have been different if Christopher Chase had come to Oak Grove. He might have been able to be some small part of this family.

        Christina Chase was a lie. She would disappear as soon as she left town, and she could never return. Christina tried to throw off these depressing thoughts as she walked out the front door into the cool night air.

        Her depression lifted instantly when she looked around. She was floored by the dome of stars overhead. She could hardly see any stars in the city. In Oak Grove, there were so many holes in the night that she wondered if she even needed the moon to find her way.

        Christina tore herself away from the night sky, and walked down the driveway to the barn. She knocked on the weathered door, noticing the odors of sawdust and varnish. Pushing the door open, she looked into the darkness. "Andrei?" she called, standing at the entrance, not daring to enter. She again called, "Andrei, are you in there?" hesitating for a moment before she lifted her high heeled foot to step in. Before she could set a foot through the doorway, Andrei appeared from behind her and pulled the door closed.

        Shocked, Christina turned around quickly, finding herself cornered by her colossal cousin.

        "What are you doing?" Andrei's forcefulness made Christina very uncomfortable.

        "Uh," Christina stammered, "I was ... Aunt Misha sent me to get you for dinner. I thought you were in-"

        "Some places are not for you," he said with a terrible finality.

        Christina felt a knot forming in her stomach. Everyone here was loving and accepting; everyone but Andrei. Her older cousin terrified her, always making her feel as though she had invaded his home. She did not know why Andrei disliked her so much, but his attitude only reinforced her own feelings of guilt. All she could do was stand there in silence, unsure of what to say and submissively looking down at her feet.

        "Let's go," Andrei said as he motioned towards the side door.

        Fighting the urge to run, Christina walked ahead of Andrei, not wanting to look at his giant frame. She didn't know whether Andrei had figured out that she was a fraud or if he just didn't like her.

        Either way, she was soon grateful to be back in the kitchen. She felt safe near her uncle, and she was certain he would protect her.

        The rest of the evening was a dramatic contrast to the day. At dinner, they sat around eating, reminiscing, and laughing. Christina sat next to her uncle and listened, fascinated as he told her stories of her distant relatives in far off lands. His words somehow Instantly made her feel connected to these people.

        Acting like a girl that morning had taken an enormous amount of effort, but tonight, Christina was able to let down her guard. She couldn't bring herself to consciously admit it, but being attractive gave her confidence that she had lacked earlier. It was fleeting, but now, she was Christina Chase, and she hung on her uncle's every word. The Levchenkos in turn, with the exception of Andrei, seemed quite taken with their long lost cousin. Christina decided that she would play her part for the rest of her stay. The only way she could see to repay their kindness was to be the girl they seemed to want her to be.

        Christina felt a tinge of sadness when the family had finished dinner; she wanted to live in that moment forever.

        The spell was broken when Alek called across the table to his son. "Andrei, Did you see Conrad today?"

        Andrei put down his glass of water, "Yeah, he says the car will be finished by Friday- if he has all the parts."

        "How bad is it?" Christina asked.

        Andrei shot her a cold look that warned her to stay out of the conversation. "It's beat up pretty bad," Andrei answered, looking at his father. "The back needs some body work and new tires. Oh, and, the rear axle is broken."

         "Christina dear," Misha chimed in, "Don't you worry about your appointment tomorrow, Andrei will take you."

        Christina looked at Andrei who was visibly displeased with his new status as his cousin's chauffeur. Before Andrei could object, Christina said, "No, I couldn't ask Andrei to do that."

        "But you have to keep your appointment, Chris," Misha said plainly.

        "No it's alright," Christina said, "I called my boss, and he moved my meeting to Friday, so everything should work out just fine."

        Turning to meet Andrei's gaze, she added, with a slight hint of obeisance, "When the car is ready on Friday, I can leave."

        Nina frowned, obviously not liking the idea of Christina leaving.

        Alek scooped up Christina's manicured hand, beaming, "Wonderful! You will stay here for the rest of the week."

        "The only thing is," Christina looked into her uncle's eyes and gripped his large, rough hand, "I really need to go back and find my suitcase. It has important documents for my meeting." She hoped Alek would drive her to the site of the accident.

        Alek dashed Christina's expectations when he said, "Of course. Andrei can take you there first thing in the morning."

        Christina glanced sheepishly at her cousin. He was obviously unhappy, and Christina felt herself wilting under his stare. In an attempt to break free from her cousin's glance, she stood up and started clearing the dinner plates.

        Misha took the plates and said, "You don't have to do that Christina."

        "I want to help," Christina insisted.

        "Not tonight," Misha said. "Doctor Stone said you need your rest. You should go to bed."

        "But Mom!" Nina whined, "Can't Christina and I stay up tonight?"

        Christina's mind flashed to the clothing store. She and Nina had bought sexy bedclothes, and Christina had implicitly agreed to a pajama party.

        "No Nina. You have school tomorrow, and your cousin needs her rest," Misha chided.

        Nina hung her head, moaning, "Alright."

        Andrei stood up and slunk out the side door, apparently heading back out to the barn.

        Christina felt terrible. She could tell that Andrei and his father didn't get along, and she didn't want to make matters worse.

        Per her aunt's orders, she went upstairs, entered the large bedroom and made sure the door was closed securely before changing. She didn't need Boris sneaking in on her again.

        She kicked off her heels, and removed her dress. She had to struggle a bit with the zipper, finding it difficult to get it down, but after a worrisome moment, she managed it. After taking off her stockings and garter belt, she was wearing only her bra, cincher and panties.

        At home, she normally let her clothes fall where they may, but she was more careful with her new, feminine attire. After hanging her new dress in the closet and arranging her shoes underneath, Christina inhaled deeply to take off her cincher. She felt as though she hadn't had a solid breath of air all day. Breathing deeply, she looked at the girl in the mirror and saw red marks where the cincher had been. Her eyes drifted downward from her tortured waistline, down below her bikini to her hairless legs. Being beautiful is certainly painful, she thought.

        She pulled out her new satin boxer pajamas from the drawer. She decided it was safer to leave her bra and panties on and stepped into the shorts. As she pulled them up over her waist, she was very aware of every sensation as the shorts slid over her long smooth legs. After she'd put on the top and buttoned it up, she walked to the mirror to see whether she had shattered the illusion. All she saw was Christina Chase staring back at her, posing like a vixen in a lingerie catalog.

        Christina sighed. While she didn't want to be discovered, she'd hoped that some of her old appearance would have resurfaced.

        On the way to the door, she stopped, picked up the picture of the lone girl from the chest of drawers and stared into her eyes, wondering who she was. She remembered that Abby from the clothing store had mentioned that another Levchenko girl had asked for chest padding. What was the name? Christina whispered, "Anastasia?" Christina studied the girl in the picture then put it back on the chest. Perhaps she wasn't the only girl in the family with secrets.

        She left the bedroom and went down the hall to the bathroom where she carefully closed the door, making sure it was Boris-proof. Pulling down her pajama bottoms and panties, she sat on the toilet. After finishing, she wiped between her legs with a few pieces of toilet paper. The loving glow of the family dinner subsided as a new wave of humiliation hit her. Urinating like a girl was incredibly demoralizing.

        But, she had to do it; she couldn't let her guard down for a moment. At the bathroom sink, she washed off her makeup. She stared at the girl in the mirror. Gone was her glamorous look from the salon. In her place was a natural beauty with delicate eyebrows and tempting lips. Christina was mortified at how easily she had become a girl. She was ashamed that everyone had accepted her so effortlessly, and that she had gone along with it.

        When she left the bathroom and walked back towards the large bedroom, she found her uncle waiting for her at the door. "Christina," he said, "Is there anything you need?"

        Christina looked up at her uncle, who towered over her by almost a foot. She'd noticed that all the Levchenko girls, like herself, were very tall, but her uncle and her cousin were positively mountainous.

        "No thank you, Uncle Alek," she said. "You have all been so kind to me. I just want you to know how grateful I am. I never even thanked you for coming to get me last night. I-"

        Alek cut her off with a kiss on the forehead. "You are family," he said. "We are the grateful ones."

        Christina failed to prevent a single tear from escaping down her cheek as she reached up and embraced her uncle. He returned the hug, enveloping Christina in his large arms. As Christina stood on her tip toes and savored the feeling, she didn't know why she felt so safe in her uncle's arms. Maybe it was because she missed her own father, or perhaps it was the way he'd rescued her from her crash and held her in his arms as she slept.

        "Goodnight Uncle Alek," Christina said sweetly. Alek went back downstairs and Christina turned around to enter the bedroom, finding Boris sitting in the doorway with his trademark stare.

        Snapping out of her spell, Christina realized that she'd just been kissed by her uncle, and Boris had witnessed the entire affair. She bent down in front of the dog and chastised, "You didn't see that, understand? It never happened." Boris lay down on the floor with a canine snort.

        "This is just until Friday," she explained to the nosy German shepherd. "After that, I'm outa here." She pulled the waistband of her pajama shorts open with her thumb and explained, "All of this is just temporary, got it?" Boris rolled on to his side and looked up at Christina with a crooked glance. He'd apparently decided he was sleeping with her tonight.

        Christina pulled back the covers of the bed and crawled in. She didn't like being a girl, but she loved sleeping in a girl's bed. She loved the feeling of her satin pajamas as they caressed her hairless skin. Sinking deliciously into the mattress and pillows, she wished her own bed was half as comfortable.

        As sleep was overtaking her, she reflected on her situation. She had made it through the day as a girl. There had been a few close calls, but she'd made it. She still had to take care of her soiled male clothes; she couldn't risk Misha finding them. Tomorrow, she thought. Tomorrow she could take care of her jeans. She would find her suitcase, and the car would be ready Friday morning. She only had to be a girl for two more days. Andrei wouldn't have to drive her to Ardmore. More importantly, she wouldn't have to go to her meeting as Christina Chase.

        Thoughts of Andrei filled her mind. She didn't want to spend all day alone with him. She'd have to ask her uncle to come with them to find her suitcase. Maybe it would work. It'd have to. Exhausted from the day, Christina closed her eyes and drifted to sleep.

---

Edited into coherence by Holly H. Hart.
Hoped you enjoyed it. If you liked it or hated it, please leave a tasty comment.
Krunch Away!