Seeing Double
By Paul Calhoun

Kelly and Reg have been dating for awhile, but Ned is starting to worry that the elusive Starling is becoming too notorious. He's also worried that he and Kelly never show up in the same place. He can decrease the number of heists he pulls as Kelly, but she'll need her boyfriend's help to fix the second. The only problem is that she'll have to get him to do it without him knowing why!

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Kelly mopped her brow and blew a strand of hair out of her face. Exercising in heels, gloves and her lycra bodysuit was hard work, but Ned needed to keep both his personae sharp. Rising from the crouch that her most recent leap had put her in, she looked up in pretend surprise, smiled slowly and blew a kiss at the mirror at the end of the room. She slowly rose and sashayed over to it, never losing her eye contact. She put her arms around an imaginary captor and cooed, “You wouldn’t put those nasty old cuffs on me, would you?” She put out her bottom lip. Suddenly, her expression shifted to amusement and she put her hand to her mouth to stifle giggles. “You are a naughty girl,” she admonished her reflection. “You’re also not good enough at getting pity,” she said with mock severity. “Your eyes weren’t nearly soulful enough. Start from the top.”

She went through another set of leaps and flips, then through her ‘caught’ routine again. She decided she’d looked properly pathetic that time and was in her ‘seduction and escape’ when someone knocked on the door upstairs. She looked at the security monitor. Reg was early for their date.

“Damn,” she whispered. She couldn’t let Reg see her like this! The news was still talking about the theft of an Egyptian pot by ‘The Starling’ as they called her. Conservative talk radio was calling her ‘The Magpie.’ Either way, she had to grin every time she thought of it because the guard’s insistence that Kelly had caught him from behind and knocked him out clearly didn’t hold water. How could he have known it was her? What had really happened was that Kelly had found out that the head of security had a standing arrangement with a local pimp. Ned had bought out the contract and Kelly had disguised herself as a streetwalker. The security manager got his rocks off by screwing his purchases in the director’s board room and Kelly had gone as far as being bent over the heavy oak table when she pulled an ether soaked rag out of her cleavage, knocked the guard out and tied him up. Leaving her slut outfit lying on the supine guard, she’d changed into her ‘Starling’ costume as she’d started to think of it and proceeded to wave and blow kisses at every CCTV camera on her way to an exhibit on early American furniture. After being ‘caught’ and run off by a somewhat less sleazy guard, she’d hidden in a spot Ned had scoped out earlier, waited until morning, taken off the spy outfit and the female suit. Ned — wearing the uniform of their janitorial staff — had trundled the pot out in a trash can. It was easy as pie because before being so obviously ‘caught’, the Starling had spoofed the cameras around the Egyptian exhibit. The whole plan had been needlessly complicated, but it did make it hard for anyone to suspect Ned. Kelly had plans to go to the semiannual museum charity fundraiser so she could express her shock at the theft and the behavior of the head guard. She’d met the director at the previous ball — the one that had given her a chance to get a good look at all the behind the scenes things that visitors normally didn’t see — and they’d wonder if she wasn’t there again. That was her excuse anyway. In truth, she just wanted to hear all the rumors and stories going around amongst the wealthy elite who attended the event. Kelly loved hearing about herself.

These thoughts carried her as far as her room. Quickly tying her hair back so she looked a bit younger, she stuck her head out the window. “I’ll be right down!” A change to fur topped soft boots, a print skirt and a band T-shirt had Kelly looking young enough to date the high school senior she was meeting downstairs. She beamed at him when she opened the door, though she stuck an admonishing finger under his nose. “You should have told me you’d be early. Look at me! I’m a mess.”

“You look beautiful,” Reg said sincerely and Ned couldn’t help but melt at the words. Kelly smiled softly and ushered her boyfriend in. “Sweet talk won’t keep you from waiting. I’m going to go change now, so you were early for nothing.” She looked him up and down, taking in the black suit and tie. “You look pretty good yourself.”

“Thanks. Is your dad in?”

Kelly shook her head. “No. He’s out. You know how busy he is.”

Reg nodded. “Yeah. Work’s been keeping him a lot lately. One of these days we’ll have to all have dinner together. I feel weird dating his daughter without ever having sat down with him along with you.”

As Kelly stripped out of the hastily assembled day clothes, she worried. The one flaw in Ned’s plans was that he and Kelly couldn’t be seen together. That raised suspicion, even if it wasn’t a lot yet. As time passed, the discrepancy would become more noticeable. As she put on her blue lingerie, she toyed with the idea of asking the costumer for help, but that wouldn’t work because there was too much personal information needed. A plan began to form as she did the belt on her classical blue dress with the pencil skirt and by the time her makeup was done and she’d put her purse on her shoulder, she knew what to do.

Ned loved seeing the look on Reg’s face when Kelly walked out in something new. This blue dress was straight out of the Jackie Kennedy wardrobe. It made Kelly look elegant and sophisticated. She had to be careful, though. She’d let her hair stay down and skipped pantyhose so that she wouldn’t look too old and possibly stray into her high society appearance. It wouldn’t do for the college freshman dating the local boy to be mistaken for the debutante who was frequently seen in the backgrounds of photos in the metro section.

It wasn’t their third dinner date and Kelly continued to learn things about Reg that she hadn’t learned before as herself or as Ned. What she found out that night was that Reg had been paying closer attention to Ned’s lessons than he’d thought. He must have paid the restaurant off earlier because when they were seated, a dish Kelly had once mentioned liking there was already on the table along with a virgin of Ned’s favorite drink. After Reg had pushed Kelly’s seat under her, she smiled across the table at him and said, “Very smooth.”

“I didn’t want to have to share you with a waiter. Not even for a minute.”

Ned tried to suppress a proud smile. Reg had come so far. “Flatterer.” She took a bite of her food in what she thought would be a coquettish way. The costumer hadn’t trained Ned in how to look good eating. “I love you.” Ned was as surprised as Reg looked. The words had just slipped out.

“I love you too.” Reg replied, looking deep into Kelly’s eyes. “You’re so amazing.”

“No, you!” She said lightly, trying to break the tension.

Reg colored. “I didn’t mean to sound — I mean…”

“You were very sweet,” Kelly said. “I meant it too.” She smiled and brushed an imaginary speck from her dress. “Have you seen the news?”

“Another attack of the Starling? I’d hate to be in the shoes of anyone who gets targeted by her!”

“I’d hate it if you were in their shoes too!” Kelly said teasingly. “I don’t want you kissing some strange burglar woman.”

“I didn’t mean-“ Reg recovered, seeing the sparkle in Kelly’s eye. “I’m sure she isn’t nearly as good as you.”

“Maybe one day you’ll find out,” Kelly replied. “I mean, maybe you’ll find out about me. Somehow I don’t think you’re the type to become some rich guy’s guard dog. The Starling doesn’t come through people’s windows and molest them during the night.”

“How did we end up talking about me being attacked by a sexy criminal?”

“I think it was to try to avoid getting too sappy. If you’re going to call other women sexy while you’re on a date with me, I think that’s mission accomplished.”

Reg nearly spat out his drink. “That’s not — will you stop baiting me, Kelly!”

Kelly laughed immoderately. “I will when it stops being fun. You’re not nearly secure enough, honey. Believe me, I love you. I’ll say it again. I love you. I’m not going to go storming off because you point out that someone who makes a living being a sex symbol is attractive. If the Starling wasn’t a stunning beauty, she wouldn’t get away with the stuff she does. So let’s take it as red that she’s sexy and we both know it. The better question is, will she be caught?”

“I doubt it,” Reg replied. “She’s too good and the people she robs from are only half willing to admit she stole from them. It’s like being burgled by one of Charlie’s Angels; it’s half real and half fantasy. Plus,” Reg lowered his voice, “I think they enjoy being robbed. Have you noticed how the number of heists are increasing so quickly? I think some of them are paying her to rob them so that they can get a thrill at having a curvy woman in a catsuit come through their window, make out with them and then disappear with something they don’t mind seeing go.”

“You may have something there,” Kelly said, very interested. Ned’s mind was turning the idea over. Getting the rich and jaded to pay to have a flirtatious woman in high heels sneak up behind them, pretend to be ‘caught’, use her ‘feminine wiles’ to escape and ‘steal’ something they were going to write off as a loss anyway. Their wives could hardly complain if they ended up being ‘distracted’ by someone who’d broken in. The men wouldn’t want the ‘embarrassment’ of calling in the police, so it would be a lot safer than actually taking theft contracts. Ned might even be able to sell off the decoy loot for a bit extra. He’d have to bring it up to his go-betweens later on. Kelly tilted her head. “I hope you never feel the need to hire someone like that.”

“As long as I’m with you, I’ll never think of another woman.”

“Now you’re a liar as well as a flatterer.” Kelly laughed. “Don’t make promises your eyes can’t fulfill.” She looked at him sidelong. “Maybe I’ll buy a black bodysuit and boots sometime and surprise you.”

Reg colored and Ned was relieved. He was dancing a little too close. “We haven’t even kissed yet!”

“For Halloween, Reg!” Kelly said.

“Oh, um…” Reg was having trouble recovering from that.

“Although I don’t know I could pull it off,” Kelly said, rubbing a lock of hair between her fingers disconsolately. “The Starling is supposed to be flawless.”

“You look perfect!” Reg exclaimed. “Besides, you’re younger than she is. If anyone should be insecure, it’s her.”

“I bet she’s had work done.” Kelly said, trying to sound insecure.

“Sure she has.” Reg replied.

The dinner wound down and conversation flagged as Reg drove Kelly home. He walked her to her door and she said, “Do you want to come in?”

“Sure.”

Kelly warmed up a pot of coffee while Reg settled down on the sofa. When she brought the drinks out, Kelly sat next to Reg and again felt the warmth she had the first time she’d done that and he hadn’t looked uncomfortable. Her boyfriend had come a long way. He looked more at ease, more handsome, more … masculine than he had before. He was still the same Reg, but he didn’t treat her like she was made of glass anymore and he didn’t act as if it was some kind of dream. Not that he was any less of a gentleman.

Kelly realized that neither she nor he had picked up a mug and that they’d been staring into each other’s eyes the entire time she’d been thinking. Ned knew where this was going, but it was a wholly new sensation for Kelly to slowly lean towards Reg as he did the same. For him to put his hand behind her head, resting his fingertips on her hair so lightly that she barely felt it. She closed her eyes, opened her mouth a little and felt a rush as their lips met. It wasn’t Ned’s first kiss by a longshot and of course Kelly herself had experience with the bar flies and the guards she’d had to make advances to. There was something different with this. A feeling of safety, of comfort and an excitement that was like the rush of a successful plan, yet with a different quality about it. She wasn’t just kissing a man. She was kissing her boyfriend. It was also lasting a lot longer than her previous kisses and even in Ned’s experience, this was getting a little lengthy. Not that she really wanted to stop. Reg tasted really good.

When they parted, they maintained eye contact as their heads moved away from each other. Reg was blushing and the warmth in Kelly’s face suggested she was doing the same. “I — I…” Reg stammered.

Kelly put her finger on his lips. “Don’t break the mood by apologizing. That was lovely.” She put her hands out. “Now we’re going to do it again, only this time I want you to hold my hands.” She wanted to tell Reg that he’d done really well for a beginner, but she knew it wouldn’t be the right thing to say. By taking it slow, maybe she’d be able to get him to an embrace by the end of the evening.

Kelly had folded her clothes and was soaking in the water, thinking and letting the water cool slowly so that she could transition from herself to Ned with enough time to enjoy the memories of her date. The night had been so wonderful that she was reluctant to stop being herself. Ned was prosperous, well liked and the one who could talk to clients, but more and more he was finding that he enjoyed Kelly’s life a lot more. She got to go out, do things, meet people; everything that Ned couldn’t do because he didn’t want to be noticed. Being noticed was what Kelly had been made for. Kelly hugged herself as her skin loosened. She didn’t want to be caught either. Not now that she had Reg. The thought of Reg’s lips on hers made her warm and tingly all over again and since she’d loosened up, she was able to grasp Ned while she thought about him.

Ned hung Kelly up to dry and considered his options. He’d wanted to retire before he’d had Kelly and now Kelly wanted to retire because she’d found happiness with Reg. Then again, he thought, did he really want to give up the night life? In a way it was even more fun now because she could go out, do a daring raid and then come home to a boyfriend who had no idea that his girl was the infamous Starling. Or her own father. Plus a college freshman is too young to drink and she did have so much fun getting other people to pay her tab. No, Ned thought, he might have once been content to retire, but Kelly wouldn’t be able to stop being the Starling. Reg made her feel warm and special, but the Starling made her feel hot and alive.

“So,” Ned looked over his cup at Reg, “what are your intentions regarding my daughter?” He was having dinner with Reg’s family.

“Well, I — I mean, I love her. I’m not exactly old enough to marry and I do want to go to college,” Reg said haltingly.

Ned had a fleeting urge to laugh teasingly and put his hand on Reg’s. “Quite commendable, young man. No, please don’t change your whole life on her account. Some of my patience has rubbed off on Kelly. She’s told me she loves you too, but is perfectly willing to wait. After all, she has her own education to complete and she isn’t exactly the housewife type. No offense intended, Miriam,” he said to Reg’s mother.

“None taken,” she said. “I wasn’t either when I was her age. I wasn’t a stay-at-home type until I had Reggie here.”

“Where is Kelly, anyway?” Arthur asked Ned.

“She had to study for an exam this evening, I’m afraid,” Ned replied.

“That’s a shame. You know, I don’t think you two have ever managed to get in a dinner together with us. Between her school and your work.” The neighborhood never asked about what Ned did. He’d insinuated that he worked for the government in something reasonably quiet, so nobody thought it was odd that he didn’t talk about it.

“It’s a real shame,” Miriam chimed in. “She’s such a nice girl.”

“Thank you — I mean, I tried to raise her well,” Ned replied, catching himself at the last moment.

“It’s strange how we didn’t know about her until she started seeing Reggie.”

Ned has prepared for that. “She lived with her mother most of the time. When she moved closer to me to go to school, she decided it would be cheaper and easier to live with me. I’d prefer not to talk about why we split,” he added, knowing that would be the next question.

“We understand,” Arthur said.

“Your ex-wife must have been beautiful,” Miriam said. “Kelly is very attractive.”

“Would you believe that she takes after me?” Ned asked.

“I didn’t mean to suggest otherwise,” Miriam replied.

“By the way, she told me she wanted to see you tomorrow,” Ned said to Reg. “Something hush-hush. Wouldn’t even tell her father about it.” Ned smiled. “I hope you aren’t planning on taking advantage of her sweet nature.”

“I have nothing but honorable intentions,” Reg replied.

“Don’t let her take advantage of you, either!” Ned told him, hoping fervently that Kelly would be able to do just that. It was time to implement the next phase of his plan.

Kelly climbed through the window, her lycra bodysuit rustling and her heeled boot making the tiniest squeak as it slid against the sill. That was enough to get the attention of the gray haired man lying in the enormous bed in the middle of the room. He was in a nightshirt, but appeared wide awake and sat up quickly as ‘the Starling’ made her slow, swaying way towards him. “What do you want?”

“Me?” Kelly purred. “Why, that of course,” she pointed to the gold cross he was wearing. “How nice of you to put it right where I can find it,” the Starling continued, climbing onto the bed and kneeling over him as she traced the figure on the cross with a leather-clad finger. The other hand was walking up the man’s chest and caressed his face.

“S-“ The man’s cry for security was swiftly silenced by the expedient of having Kelly’s mouth pressed over his. She leaned down, brushing him with her breasts. “Naughty, naughty. Now I’ll have to make sure you don’t make any trouble for me.” She pinned him with her body while she took off his cap and stuffed it in his mouth, following up by knotting the sheets so that he was tied to the bed. “You know, you’re not as old as I’d thought you were,” she continued, sitting on him. She swung her legs around and straddled him. “While I’m stealing your Cross of Coronado, I think I’ll steal something more personal.”

When Kelly had given the man his money’s worth, she slipped the cross from around his neck. Sauntering back to the window, she turned, blew him a wink and a kiss. “Give my regards to your charming wife. She must be one hell of a gal to let you do this. Happy Birthday.”

Ned wasn’t too thrilled with being paid to give old millionaires a thrilling and erotic experience, but it was a safe income and it kept his hand in. Kelly much preferred the kisses — and now occasional caress — of Reg. She had to make it convincing, so as often as not the only person who knew she’d been invited was the rich man who’d hired her. That meant discretion and staying sharp even though her clients sometimes went as far as leaving the window open and some handy ropes lying around for her. When she saw those, she often rolled her eyes and took them with her rather than using them. It would be a bit of a giveaway and she didn’t want her clients getting caught by their wives! Or in one or two cases, husbands.

The Cross of Coronado was a fake of course. It was a fictional artifact. She’d stipulated that she had to steal something valuable, however, and Ned was confident by the heft that it was at least fifteen karats and that the pearls were genuine. Perhaps not the diamonds, though. Kelly had been paid well enough that real diamonds would have been a very nice tip for a first job. She smiled and looked back at the mansion. She hoped she’d given him a good enough experience that he’d call her back and if the ‘theft’ wasn’t of something really nice this time, she was confident that the next tip would be much better. Maybe something real from top to bottom, unlike her.

Kelly looked out the window, waiting for Reg to show up. Fall was coming and she wished she could still lounge around outside in her bikini. The sun felt good, it was fun to watch Reg’s attempts not to look down her top and she enjoyed being outdoors. On the other hand, she thought, seeing herself half-reflected in the glass, she looked good in a long fluffy sweater and leggings. The leggings would be almost as good as a bikini bottom for what she had planned. She bit her lip to keep from giggling at what she had in store for Reg when she saw him walking towards the door. She pulled him in and closed the door, dragging him to her room.

“What’s going on?”

“Remember how I was talking about a Halloween costume a little while ago? We’ve been invited to a really nice party and I wanted to get your opinion on a costume.”

“Don’t tell me you bought a Starling outfit!” Reg laughed.

Kelly slowed down and tossed her hair in a sassy gesture. “I might just one day to see how you like it!” She turned back. “Actually, it’s a sort of couples costume.”

“Not a pantomime horse!”

Kelly grinned. “You’re getting warmer, hon. Come and see.”

When Ned had gotten used to the idea that he was going to be spending a lot of time as Kelly, he knew he’d have to keep her separated in as many ways as possible. Now all her clothes, makeup and other possessions specific to her were in a different room, which Ned had painted a light purple and installed a bed with a big thick comforter and done in a multicolored polka-dot theme. It was the room of a college girl who’d only moved in recently. Ned had even gone as far as to put a couple of suitcases in plain view in the closet. On the bed rested a mountain of curly tan fur. Kelly shook it out, showing two pairs of padded digitigrade legs which faced in opposite directions, connected by a wide stuffed body. There was an opening on each end so that a person could wear the legs.

“I don’t get it,” Reg said, staring at it. “What’s the costume?”

“It’s a pushmi-pullyu!” Kelly said. She laid the body out on the bed and fished underneath. She caught Reg looking at her butt, which was sticking in the air as she rummaged under the bed and smiled. Reg colored.

She pulled out two heads with long tan necks and black striped muzzles which tapered to slim noses. The liquid eyes and slender horns were characteristic of the llama-unicorn blended with a gazelle as described in the book, as was the curly tan fur which Reg petted and found to be quite soft. She also produced two pairs of hoof shoes. “Do you get it now?” She asked. “We get into each end,” she demonstrated by stepping into one of the openings and pulled it up to her waist. She then put on the hoof shoes. “Could you help me with the head?” Reg obliged by putting one of the llama-unicorn-gazelle heads over Kelly’s body. “There should be a wire — here we go.” The mouth opened and closed, then the ears wiggled and finally the head bent down. The pushmi gummed Reg’s hair as he tried to duck and get away. “Take that off!” He laughed.

Kelly shook the head back and forth and the creature turned away, dragging its unfilled other end behind it. “Catch me if you can!”

It didn’t take long for Reg to catch up and stop Kelly by sitting on the pushmi-pullyu’s back. The head fell away from a laughing and disheveled Kelly, who twisted around to plant a kiss on Reg’s nose. “Why don’t you try getting into it and we can see how well we work together.”

Kelly let Reg take his time in getting the wooly legs on and get comfortable in the soft costume. They spent a giggling half hour struggling, falling over and arguing over who went where, learning about warning each other about what the backwards walking end would have to look out for and working out a system of sharing the time deciding where the llama-unicorn-gazelle went. That’s when she took them back to her room and scooped up the heads. “Time to work on it with the whole costume on.” It was a hot costume and that gave her an idea to tease Reg a little. “This thing’s really warm. I won’t blame you if you take off your shirt. In fact,” she shed her sweater, showing an expanse of smooth skin covered only by a black bra, “I think I will.” She saw that Reg was staring at her and thought she caught a tiny amount of stretching around the crotch of his part of the costume before he shifted his stance and turned away, averting his eyes. “Don’t feel embarrassed, hun.” She said, smiling reassuringly. “I showed you a lot more the first time we met, remember?”

Reg cleared his throat uncomfortably. “I think I’ll keep my shirt on.”

Kelly shrugged and grinned playfully. “If you want to be hot, be my guest.” In truth, she was touched by how proper Reg insisted on being. She only went as far as she did because she loved seeing him resist temptation. Every time he did, it filled her with a feeling of being safe and loved. Of course, the fact that he had to resist anything showed that she wasn’t as ugly as his actions might otherwise make her feel.

To spare him any further discomfort, she swiftly dropped the head she was holding over her body, twisting the flexible neck around to watch Reg do the same. The completed pushmi-pullyu wasn’t much clumsier than it had been without the headpieces on and when Reg started to complain about the heat, Kelly nudged open the back door with her nose and they went outside to continue practicing. Ned was glad that the yard had a high fence; he didn’t want anyone seeing the costume until it was time to show it off.

When Kelly almost fell into the drained pool, however, Reg surprised her by insisting that they go in and take it off. “I think we’ve practiced enough for one day.” Naturally Kelly wasn’t going to meekly let Reg have his way and when he’d taken the head off and wiggled out of the legs, he had to chase the half creature again to get Kelly out of it. They fell onto the couch, the head piece falling to the floor and both of them laughing as Kelly snuggled into his embrace, her bottom half still encased in wooly fur. When Reg realized the state of Kelly’s undress he tried to pull away, but Kelly held his hands to her bare belly and twisted around to kiss him. “I told you not to worry about it,” she said, brushing his nose with hers. “I have — umm, it’s just a thought… I’m not sure how to say it, but you’ll have to get used to seeing me like this and in less if it works out… That is-“

Reg laughed and brushed her hair out of her face. “What is it? I’ve never seen you so nervous-“ he looked serious, “It’s not sex, is it?”

“No!” Kelly said, pushing him away. “Not yet, anyway. No, it’s just that — well, the two ends are supposed to be identical, right? And we won’t want to keep those stuffy things on all night. I just thought — I know someone who can — I thought it would be fun if when we took the heads off, we looked the same. A pushmi-pullyu-taur with two identical human parts.”

Reg laughed. “I’m not sure we could manage that.”

“I said I knew someone.” Kelly replied. “Wouldn’t it be a nice sharing of intimacy for you to look exactly like me for the night?” She slid out of the rest of the costume, her barely covered top and leggings leaving little to the imagination. “I wasn’t sure how to suggest it because I know you wouldn’t want to make it look like you were taking advantage.” She kissed him slowly, letting each part take as long as it could before she parted just long enough to say, “I trust you.”

Reg gulped. “You’re right. I’d be afraid of it looking like something else. Plus — I’ve never seen you naked.”

“Do you want to?” She said.

“Of course! I mean — it’s a little early for that and —“ His protests were stopped by Kelly’s finger on his lips.

“I’ll have to see you as well if we’re going to fit you for something like that. It doesn’t mean we have to do anything other than look. I’d like to eventually, but you’re right. We have plenty of time to ease into it.” She reached back and unhooked the back of her bra. It fell away as she hooked her fingers into her leggings and worked them down over her legs. “There. Now you do the same.” She grinned at his quickly reddening complexion. “Don’t worry if you’re a little — stiff down there. I understand that you can’t help it looking at this,” she gestured up and down her own body. “Believe me. The fact that I have that effect on you and you show so much control that you haven’t done anything — even touched yourself — is probably one of the biggest reasons I love you.” She stepped back. “I won’t hurry or help you with this. It’s something you have to do on your own.”

Hesitantly, Reg pulled his shirt off over his head. Kelly looked appreciatively at his flat belly and skin still tanned despite the season turning. Within the privacy of his own part of his mind, Ned was a little jealous at what he saw when Reg dropped his pants. He hadn’t looked that good in years, if ever. When Reg stood naked in front of Kelly, she smiled and gathered up her clothing. “I’ll go get dressed and you can do the same. I understand if you’ll need some — uh time —before I get back or feel like you need to leave for the day. If you aren’t here when I get back, I appreciate everything you’ve done today and I’ll let you think about my idea for awhile before I pester you over it.” She stopped at her door, turned and winked. “Not too long, darling. Halloween is only a month away and I’ll need to teach you how to look like me and not embarrass me by doing something too manly.”

Kelly closed the door and leaned on it, torn between two very different reactions. The stronger one was the desire to run back in there and leap on top of that charming, considerate boy who made her feel so special by not touching her. The other was to bite down on her fist to keep from laughing at how much Ned had used his own experiences in becoming Kelly to tease Reg. He was actually surprised at how guilty he felt about the second urge. Reg was such a nice boy and must have been in severe discomfort seeing her do those things and yet even as he took his clothes off, he’d only looked at her when she insisted. He’d wanted to but he tried to protect her modesty even when she was doing her best to destroy it. As she snuggled back into her sweater, Kelly promised herself that she’d do more to deserve him. Ned still needed to protect himself by having Kelly and he appear in the same place, but she’d try to curb her more playful urges from then on. Then again, she thought, flashing herself a sly smile, maybe that was exactly why Reg loved her. Because she gave him the opportunity to be that chivalrous. She’d play it by ear, that’s what she’d do. A relationship needed spice, after all, and she wouldn’t do either of them any favors by letting things get too comfortable.

Reg was dressed and sitting down when Kelly returned to the living room. As part of her promise to herself to be less provocative, she carefully sat down with a cushion between them. They looked at each other briefly and turned away. Kelly looked down at her hands, resting uneasily in her lap. “I’m sorry if I went too fast for you.”

“No, I should be sorry.” Reg replied. “I was just afraid that I’d always look at you and imagine you naked from then on.”

Kelly smiled and looked up at him. “Do you?”

Reg rubbed the back of his head. “It’s a really nice image. I don’t really want to let go of it.”

Kelly leaned over and pecked him on the lips. “Then don’t. Listen, why do you love me?”

Reg sat in silence for some time. “Geez, Kelly, that’s a hard one. Where am I supposed to start? You’re interesting, funny, beautiful,” he laughed, “oh yeah, and you do the weirdest things! I feel like I’ve known you for years and yet there’s so much more to learn. Every time I look at you, talk to you, think about you, I wonder how you can be so perfect and still love me.”

“That’s an easy one,” Kelly said. “You make me feel like a lady.”

“But you are!” Reg protested. “Wait, is that it?”

“Of course not, silly! It’s all the things you said and more. You’re so nice and patient. You let me do the weird things without making me feel like I’m the strange one. You take me out, do everything you can to make me feel like I’m the only woman in the world. I tell you that you can look at other women and you don’t twitch an eyeball. I put on a skimpy bathing suit and you look me in the eye! I even take off all my clothes and make you do the same and what do you do? Still look me in the eye and when you can’t help but look somewhere else, you do your best to look anywhere but at my bare bits. I’d feel insulted if you did it for any other reason than because you think I’m too special to ogle and make it obvious with every move and word.” She lay down and rested her head on his chest, wrapping her arms around him. He put his arms around her and she whispered, “I shouldn’t have pushed you.”

“Kelly.”

“What?”

“Let’s match on Halloween.”

Kelly looked up, her eyes shining. “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely. If you’re willing to share something that private with me, then I’d be a jerk not to accept.”

“I love you, Reg.”

“I love you, Kelly.

Reg and Kelly were met at the costumer’s door by a petite young woman with spiky red hair a tight T-shirt and tight jeans. “Well hello, gurl!” She said to Kelly. “Who’s the handsome hunk?”

Kelly played along. “This is Reg and hands off because he’s mine!”

“Good catch,” she replied, looking him up and down again. “So, handsome, I hear that Kelly wants you to cover up that hot body in favor of her own.” She dug him in the ribs, “Just as good looking but a bit different, huh?”

“Definitely different,” Reg said, trying to recover from the metaphysical whirlwind that seemed to surround the woman he’d just met.

“Oh, don’t mind me. I just got back from a really fun trip.” She said. “Come on, let’s get started.”

She showed Reg to the seat where she’d get a mold of his face and sat Kelly down next to him. “Does he know?”

“No.”

“So you’ll want to play along and do the whole nine with him so it looks like you’re getting scanned too?”

“If you don’t mind.”

“No. It’s not a big deal.” She pulled Kelly’s hair back and started covering her forehead with the gel. “I’ve seen some of your exploits in the news. Very glamorous. No, don’t worry. I’ve done work for a lot of people and I don’t talk about clients.” She leaned forward, her face taking up most of Kelly’s view. “You’re very natural, by the way. There aren’t many giveaways left in your behavior.” She got as far as Kelly’s cheeks. “I’m not so sure about the boy. I’d have pegged him as a stand-in to throw off suspicion, but I saw the way you look at each other.” Slightly louder, so that Reg could hear, she said, “You found a really good one. You’re lucky.”

Before she finished putting the gel over Kelly’s face, she mouthed, “Thank you.”

“I have one of my own at home,” the costumer said. “It’s really nice to come home to someone who loves you for yourself. You may not look like the man I made pretty, but there’s no hiding the real person from true love.” The costumer giggled and snorted. “I sound like the Princess Bride!” To both of them, she said, “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Now don’t go anywhere and don’t move, even do say lovey-dovey things to each other.”

It was only her face that was covered and when Kelly’s hands reached out, she found Reg doing the same. When the costumer took the stuff off and cleaned them up, she was grinning ear to ear. “It’s so rare to get to work with such a good couple.” Reg seemed embarrassed at having to remove his clothes in front of the costumer, who obliged him by turning around while he disrobed. “Of course,” she said as he exited the laser scanner, “I now have a 100% accurate to the micron 3-D image of you on this. To warm me on lonely nights.” She was so over-the-top that rather than stammer and lose his composure, Reg actually laughed. As Kelly passed her, she said, “I’m taking notes. I can never get him to see the humor in these situations.”

“I think he’s growing out of his awkward phase.” The costumer replied. “Probably with a firm boot in the rear from you.”

Kelly got scanned and the costumer had them sit down across from her as she looked over the results on her computer. “Reg is a little taller than you are,” she said to Kelly. “I can proportion it so you’ll look almost exactly the same and the face won’t be a problem at all but there will be a couple of minor differences elsewhere.”

“That will be fine,” Kelly said.

The costumer turned to Reg. “You realize that it’ll be a really tight outfit? Kelly has a nice figure and it’ll be a squeeze to get you into it.”

Reg held Kelly’s hand. “I don’t mind if it gives her a wonderful Halloween.”

“All right, get out of here before I get diabetes. It’ll be done in a week.”

During that week, Ned invited Reg and his family to dinner. At first he couldn’t understand why the boy was so quiet and wasn’t looking him in the eye. Then he realized. Reg was afraid Ned wouldn’t approve of him having seen his daughter naked! He felt a bit like rolling his eyes at the thought. If it had been anyone else, he’d have come to Ned for advice, been praised for his behavior and gotten some more tips about what to do. When the meal was winding down and they were about to leave, Ned asked Reg’s parents if he could talk to Reg alone. The boy looked terrified as he sat down opposite from Ned at the now clear kitchen table. “You seem really nervous,” he said.

“Do I? It’s nothing, really.” Reg replied.

“What’s bothering you? You can tell me; you’ve told me plenty of embarrassing things over the years.”

“I’m not sure I can tell you this.”

“Is it something that happened at school?” Ned asked. “Did somebody pants you?”

“No!” Reg laughed. “Well, sort of. I’m not sure how to tell you. Kelly insisted, you see and —“ Reg trailed off.

“Listen, if she let you do anything, it was her choice. As long as you were safe about it — “

“Was your ex-wife like this? So — I dunno — liberated?” I didn’t have sex with her.”

“Oh.” Ned shrugged. “To be honest, I wasn’t sure either of you were ready so I can’t say as I’m not relieved at that. What was it then?”

“She insisted we both see each other naked!”

“Did you enjoy the view?”

“Ned! You’re her father!”

Ned smiled. “I’m a man, Reg. How do you think Kelly came to exist? The stork? For the record, her mother was a balm on the eyes no matter what she was wearing. Heck, she once surprised me in a werewolf costume and still looked cute in it.” Ned was taking this experience from something an old girlfriend had done. He omitted that it ended with him finding out that she wasn’t wearing anything underneath. “I don’t worry about every intimate detail of my daughter’s life and you shouldn’t worry about me not approving. She’s a big girl and knows what she likes, what she wants and what she can handle. I don’t mean to be critical, Reg, but there’s absolutely nothing threatening about you. That’s another reason I don’t worry; I know you well enough to know that you’ll treat her well.” He put a companionable hand on Reg’s shoulder. “Just don’t elope with her. I’d hate to miss the wedding.” He laughed at Reg’s reaction. “In your own time, of course. I’m just assuming that since you two are so head-over-heels and you’re such a gentleman that the idea will occur to you at the right time. I’ve kept you long enough. Just a tip, by the way: she and her mom both have a really wild streak about them. Don’t let her drag you along into something totally out of your depth too often and watch out for surprises. She’s heard that story about the werewolf suit herself and I wouldn’t be surprised if she tried it out on you! Knowing her mother, she probably gave it to her before she left for college.”

The morning she and Reg were to collect the copy of herself Reg was to wear, Kelly was having some embarrassing difficulties. No matter how much she concentrated on something else, the mental image of Reg inserting himself into her — the costume! — and entering her — that is, the latex version of herself — kept coming back. Kelly looked down angrily at the undone gusset of her girl suit, held horizontal by the erect penis underneath. “I don’t have time for this!” She muttered. She knew what she wanted and sighing she gave in to the thoughts first of Reg looking so cute with her body but his constant worry and shyness, then of her showing him how to be more assertive and finally of Reg taking off the suit and doing in fact what he was going to do later that day in metaphorically. Enter her, penetrate her most intimate locations. Kelly cried out as the last part of Ned to be hidden within her spurted, wishing that she could have had that fantasy totally intact with her fingers in her false vagina. She promised that she’d treat herself to that when the day was over.

She’d decided not to give Reg more trouble that day than she had to, so when she’d bought two of everything she was going to wear that day, she made sure it wasn’t anything too revealing. It would be hard enough on poor Reg for him to be her; having him be her in jeans and a T-shirt rather than a halter top and miniskirt would be the mercy she could offer at this stage. Reg recognized what she was carrying when he met her in town and she set the bag down to show him, smiling warmly and encouragingly. “You’ve been so good that I thought I’d be nice and let you keep wearing pants. Tighter and on a different figure, but you won’t have to wear a dress today.”

“I was sort of looking forward to that,” Reg said, trying to sound game.

“Well, the idea was for you to wear the costume and all this home with me. Then maybe you can try on something more girly.” Kelly hugged him and grinned at his hesitant expression. “I’m going to love having someone to try on clothes with!”

“Don’t you have any female friends?”

“Sure, back home. Ever since I moved up here, it’s just been you and college.” She replied. “Lucky me that now I can have you and a female friend in one! No sharing! Although,” she said, giving him a slow, playful glance, “I suppose if you really wanted to, we could get fitted to go the other way too. Maybe try a second party with two identical male pushmi-pullyu-taurs.”

“I don’t know…”

“Imagine it. Having me for a girlfriend and a bloke you can hang around with.”

Kelly knew Reg was getting much less shy when he replied, “But I like you so much more as you are. I’d much rather have two of you than two of me. It’ll make the world a much better place.”

“Thank you. You’re so sweet.” She rang the bell for the costumer. “Let’s improve the world right now.”

To Ned’s surprise, the costumer hadn’t changed at all since the last time they’d been in. “He seems a little jumpy and besides I don’t think he’s the type who’d appreciate having a man help him into the skin of his girlfriend,” the costumer said confidentially to Kelly.

“You deserve an enormous tip,” she replied.

“Well, if the Starling were to perhaps climb through my window one night… I only wish I could tell you where I lived!”

“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Kelly asked Reg. “You know that you’ll have me and her looking at you and then we’ll see you when you look just like me. You won’t be able to look away or escape my image when you’re wearing a costume of me.”

Reg replied by kissing Kelly and going on ahead. He looked back at Kelly when he saw the skin hanging on its mannequin, but when she smiled encouragingly, he took a good look, stepped up to it and said, “Looks good, let’s start.”

“Yes,” Kelly added. “It certainly looks like me.”

The costumer winked at Kelly, sharing the in-joke that the skin naturally looked like the one Ned was wearing. She unhooked the gusset and drew it off of the mannequin hanger. Kelly wanted to be the one to help him into it, but she didn’t want to show how well she understood the girl suit’s workings. Instead, she stood back and gave Reg silent encouragement as he was shown the inside of the suit, how it worked and was helped to put it on for the first time. He didn’t seem to mind too much disrobing in front of the costumer and only smiled shyly at Kelly as he handled her body as it covered his. His continued glances at Kelly and determination not to be too forward in her presence made it easier for the costumer to help him tuck his man parts in and pull the crotch of the suit back to fasten it. Kelly held his hand while they waited for his body heat to tighten the suit. “How uncomfortable is it?” She asked solicitously.

“Not that bad,” he replied in her voice. “Oh. I didn’t realize it would do that.” He hummed a little. “It feels so wrong to have your face and voice. Like I’m stealing something.”

Kelly hugged him, ignoring the fact that she was embracing her nude self. “You keep saying things that make me want to reply ‘I love you.’”

Reg smiled in an expression so naturally sweet that Ned was almost jealous. He’d never been able to perfect the ‘girl next door’ expression and Reg did it naturally. “It’s a little hard to breathe.” He hesitantly took one of his breasts in a slender hand and lifted it. “Are these really that heavy.”

“Afraid so,” Kelly replied, biting her lip to keep from giggling.

“I don’t mean to sound randy, but your butt is really comfy.”

“I’m glad you’re enjoying me — enjoying my body — you know what I mean.”

Reg fidgeted. “It’s all so weird.”

“It should be done fitting,” the costumer said.

Kelly grinned. “You want to feel something weird?”

“What?”

She touched his nipple. “That.”

“Wow. That was … nice.”

Kelly laughed. “I think I’ll skip showing you any more until you’re ready for the real you to do it with me. I’m not going to let you have lesbian sex with me before we have it straight.”

Kelly found that Reg’s gestures and expressions looked even cuter on her face and body than she’d thought it would. His reaction to that made her want to hug him and cuddle him and shower him with kisses.

“Let’s get you dressed and out of here. We’ll go home and I’ll show you some of the cleaner aspects of being female. You’ll need to learn how to walk right and have good posture and so many other things.”

The costumer was biting back laughter. “Yes, that sounds like a good idea.”

Reg was naturally a bit put off by wearing panties and a bra, but when he saw how he looked in them, he continued with the jeans, T-shirt, soft socks and pink sneakers without argument. The costumer had rolled in her full length mirror and Kelly snaked her arm around her twin’s waist, pulling her close so they would both show up in the frame. “If I were wearing heels, we’d be almost indistinguishable,” she squealed. She crushed Reg’s lips to hers.

Kissing her twin was different in some ways but exactly the same as kissing Reg in everything that was important. The fuller lips and press of another female chest against hers as well as the rounder butt her hand rested on was only spice on the familiar feel of Reg’s tongue and the taste of his mouth. Reg also looked very satisfied with the experience and allowed himself to be led — well, dragged by his new hand — out of the building and down the street.

Neither of them had driven, so they had to walk back to Ned’s house. On the way, Reg kept looking around and then looking away from something very quickly. “What’s wrong?” Kelly asked the fifth time that happened.

“People are staring!” Reg whispered urgently. “They can’t tell, can they?”

Kelly stifled a giggle. “Reg, as we pass the next building with a big window, take a good look at what’s reflected in it.”

They passed an office building and Reg dutifully stared at their reflected image as they passed. “I can’t see anything the matter,” he said to Kelly.

“What did you see?”

“The two of us. Two extremely beautiful — oh… I never realized it was so obvious.”

“Believe me, it is.” Kelly replied. “Yeah, they’re not thinking anything close to ‘that’s a man with that girl.’ They’re thinking, ‘that’s one hot pair of twins!’”

“No one’s ever looked at me like that.”

“Other than me!”

“No, you look at me like you respect and love me. They just want to get into my pants.”

“Are you enjoying it?”

“Not really.”

Kelly smirked. “Just imagine all the things they’d do just to have you look in their direction.”

Her expression was briefly mirrored on her twin’s. “That sounds like exploitation.”

“I prefer to think of it as grabbing someone by the gonads.” Kelly replied. “By the way, do you notice anything else?”

“Uh…” Reg looked at the next group of people who were eying them. “They’re looking more at you?”

“Yes. It’s because you’re still walking more like a man. Those jeans help, but we’ll need to get you into heels some time. Just for reference, smaller steps and try to step so that you’re one imaginary line rather than on two.”

Reg changed his gait. “Like this?”

“Better.” Kelly said.

The rest of their walk was spent with Kelly giving tips to Reg. Not only did it make him a more convincing version of herself, but it also loosened him up. Having something else to think about distracted Reg from the persistent reality that he currently had his girlfriend’s physiology. Kelly was again surprised by how resilient her boyfriend was when they went into her house and to her room. Reg seemed so comfortable now, walking around with a padded rear, boobs and all the other differences between him and Kelly. Ned was sure that he had taken much longer to get used to Kelly’s body. In fact, Ned was getting turned on watching how far Reg had come already. Kelly found herself staring at her twin’s butt.

“Eyes up here,” Reg said in a pretty good imitation of Kelly’s playful tone.

Kelly laughed. “Sorry. It’s so different.”

“Now who’s the one apologizing?” Reg asked. He sat down on the bed. “What now?”

“Let’s practice.” They spent an hour going over movements and stances and then Kelly and her twin both stripped to their underwear and she gave him a course in how to work a bra hook, starting with her and then moving on to doing it on himself. She stayed in her skivvies as she showed him how to put on makeup and wear one of her nicer sky blue dresses. “Very good!” She praised him as he walked without a hitch in her blue pumps.

“Thanks!” Reg replied, in a chirp that made him sound perky.

Kelly really was impressed. She was finding fewer and fewer things to correct Reg with and it was still a little early to be implementing the next part of Ned’s plan. She stalled, but finally had to move on to loading up a purse and showing Reg how to carry it properly. It was time filler, but it got them to the right point at which she could palm the control on her vanity and stealthily press one of the buttons. The downstairs front door opened and closed. “It’s dad!” Kelly gasped, putting on a panicked face.

“What?” Her twin screeched.

“I know! He’s home early. Oh, that’s right, I was supposed to go with him to have dinner with your folks tonight. I remember how they were looking forward to it.” She pressed another button and Ned’s voice called, “Kelly?”

“I have to get out of this!” Reg cried, almost sobbing and tearing at the dress.

“No!” Kelly grabbed his hand. “It’s too late. Even if we got you out of the skin, your regular clothes are downstairs. How would it look to have you naked in my room with me like this?” She gestured to herself. “Dad’s really nice about these things, but if he walked in on us like that with me supposed to be ready to go to dinner…” She was playing shamelessly on Reg’s own insecurities and it worked. He took the bait. “Then I’ll have to go as you.”

“Exactly.” Kelly said. “I’ll hide in the bathroom. Don’t worry; everything you’ll need for tonight is already in the purse. Just sling it and go with dad.” She hurriedly kissed him and ran, calling over her shoulder. “You’ll do fine. I love you!”

She went into the bathroom, a connecting one that had doors on either end, and locked the door behind her. Dashing into Ned’s room, she pressed the cold packs Ned had prepared earlier into her flesh. She was shivering, but the skin loosened — not nearly as much as usual, but enough — and Ned wriggled out of it, leaving the empty suit on the floor in his rush to put on a button down shirt, slacks and shoes. Checking to make sure he looked normal, Ned took a deep breath and composed himself. He wasn’t supposed to look like he’d been rushing anywhere. He walked at a sedate pace down the hall to Kelly’s door and knocked. “Kitten? Are you ready?”

“I’ll be right there,” Kelly’s voice called from the other side of the door. A nervous but otherwise flawless Kelly arrived moments later, holding her purse in both hands and looking down.

“Great! Let’s get going.” Ned watched Reg as he followed just behind. He may have been in a situation that had left him terrified, but he hadn’t forgotten his lessons. He was slower in heels than Ned had become and he seemed to alternate between looking down, realizing that meant he was staring at his version of Kelly’s breasts and then quickly looking up again, looking down once more when he couldn’t keep eye contact with Ned. For his part, Ned was so proud that he wished he could become Kelly again right there so he could throw his arms around his twin and kiss her. The only sign apart from being quiet that Kelly wasn’t who she usually was showed up when she walked heels clicking towards the car and got one stuck in a hole in the ground. Ned caught her before she fell down and resisted the desire to hold her to him and tell her everything was all right. “Are you OK?” He asked.

“Yeah. Fine.” Reg replied.

Ned made do by putting his arm around her shoulders like a concerned parent might. “Good. I’d hate to have had you sprain something and not make it to dinner.” His heart swelled when Reg didn’t take the out he’d offered. He was going to make sure that nothing kept Kelly from having dinner with his parents again and making a good impression. Reg even remembered his girlfriend well enough to throw Ned’s arm off, trying to laugh. “You don’t need to do that — uh, dad. I can walk fine on my own.”

“Just trying to help my charming if independent daughter.” Ned replied.

Reg was quiet the rest of the trip and Ned didn’t want to push. There was fun and then there was just being mean; this was for Ned and Kelly’s safety. He worried that he hadn’t built up Reg’s confidence in his ability to pretend to be Kelly until his daughter spoke up. “Sorry I’ve been a bit quiet, dad. I’ve — I’ve been having some trouble in class.”

“Not calculus again?” Ned asked. “You really ought to let me talk to that professor.” Ned felt a momentary protectiveness before remembering that this girl was his alter ego’s boyfriend, Kelly and her courses were fiction and that there was no bad professor to go talk to.

Reg produced a passable exasperated laugh. “Dad! I can work it out on my own. Just let me have some time.”

“All right, but don’t let him walk all over you.” Ned replied.

Reg was loosening up and as they approached Reg’s front door, Ned caught his daughter-boyfriend experimentally swishing her skirt. He let the small smile that brought fall away when Reg’s parents answered the door.

“Oh,” Miriam said, “we thought maybe Reggie was with you. I don’t know where that boy has gotten to.”

“He said he needed to go to the library and study.” Kelly volunteered. Ned was further impressed when she looked down in mock shame and said, “I’m sorry m — Miriam. I think he’s spending more time with me than he ought to.”

“Nonsense!” Reg’s mother said. “You’ve been nothing but a good influence on him. I’ve never seen him so happy and his grades haven’t changed at all.” She ushered them in. “You’re looking very lovely tonight, Kelly.”

Kelly smiled for real for the first time since Reg had gotten trapped into playing her. “Thank you!”

“Now don’t you swell my Kitten’s ego too much.” Ned told her. “Ever since she started dating your boy, she’s acted as if she caught the best boy in the world.”

“Well, I did!” Kelly protested.

“Of course she did!” Miriam said almost at the same time. Ned knew then that Reg had gotten properly into character. He would never have said something like that about himself, but Kelly would have said it about him just as automatically as he had playing her.

During dinner, Ned made a mental note to shower Reg with love the moment he was back in his own Kelly suit. Not only was he almost as quick and talkative as the ‘real’ Kelly, but he remembered facts he’d heard from Kelly that Ned himself had trouble keeping track of. To find that her boyfriend paid such close attention to her and remembered everything she said made the Kelly part of Ned melt inside. For his part, Ned was careful to smooth over any small inconsistencies of behavior, like Kelly’s occasional near-slips in calling his mother ‘mom’ and how Reg would sometimes twist his napkin in embarrassment when his mother praised him to Kelly and Ned. “You’re so demure tonight,” Miriam commented. “Where’s the sassy young lady who captured my son’s heart?”

“She’s a little preoccupied with classes,” Ned told her.

“Reggie can be the same way,” Hector replied. “It must be a big problem to suppress such a vivacious personality.”

Kelly rallied, smiling brightly. “It’s really nothing. I’m sure I’m making more of it that I ought to.” She waved them off when they insisted she tell them about it. “Really!” She laughed. “I’m fine.”

Partway through dessert, the phone call Ned had arranged for came in. He nodded a few times to the silent receiver, and then looked up apologetically. “Sorry. Work. I’ll have to go early.” He got up and Kelly did the same. He put his hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her back into her seat. “No, don’t stop on my account, Kitten. Sorry, Hector, but would you mind driving Kelly home?”

“Of course not,” Arthur replied.

“We understand,” Miriam added.

Ned left Reg to wind up the meal, sure that the boy was perfectly capable of maintaining the pretense for the twenty minutes or so that were left. If nothing else, he knew Reg could find an excuse to want to go home early if necessary. Hopefully he’d give Ned enough time.

Ned didn’t waste any of it when he got home. He squeezed himself into the Kelly skin and took a warm shower to speed up the process. It wasn’t as comfortable a transition as usual, but he needed to be ready as quickly as possible. In fact, Kelly had barely gotten on her underwear and was pulling an indoor sun dress over her head when she heard the door open, a female voice calling and a male voice answering then the door shut. She opened the door to her room, peeked through and when she saw that the only person in the house was her disguised boyfriend, she threw the door wide and ran to him, wrapping her arms around the body that was almost a perfect copy of her own. “I was so worried! Where’s dad?”

“He had a work call and left early.” Her twin told her.

“Good! That means we have time. He’s always late when the calls come in.” She sat Reg down on the couch. “Tell me everything. Wait, do you want to get out of that costume first?”

“Actually, I’ve gotten pretty comfortable in it.” Reg replied, stretching in an unconsciously attractive way. “Also — um — would it sound weird if I said I really liked the dress?”

“Not at all!” Kelly exclaimed. “It’s one of my favorites too. That’s why I had you practicing in it. It’s nice, simple and comfortable while still looking good enough to go out in.” She cuddled up to her doppelgangered boyfriend and he responded by closing his eyes and resting against her.

“It’s good to be able to be me again,” he said in her voice and with her lips.

“In a manner of speaking,” she said, brushing the familiar hair with her fingers. “Now tell me how it went.” When he described the night that she’d been present for as Ned, ending with how he’d had a short heart-to-heart with his own mother about Kelly’s plans with Reg, Kelly leaned over and gave Reg a long, lingering kiss. “You’re so wonderful. I wish I could make it up to you.”

Reg looked up at her, bright eyed and cheerful. “Actually, it was sort of fun. It was weird having to act like you for the whole time, but it was also really fun being able to talk to my folks like I was a person they loved but didn’t live with. They do love you.”

“I love you too,” Kelly said, rubbing Reg’s smooth leg and the dress that rested on it. “Now let’s get you cleaned up and out of that outfit. Are you still up for wearing it for our costume on Halloween?”

“Of course! I wouldn’t go through all of this and then not put it to its intended use.” Reg replied. On their way up, Reg paused. “I was really getting used to looking like this. I might miss it.”

“Well,” Kelly replied playfully, “you can’t take it home.”

“Why not?”

“First off, my dad never comes into my room unless I ask him to, so he won’t find it if I keep it. Second, I don’t want you putting it on and then getting caught by your parents especially if you don’t have anything on over it. Finally, I don’t want you putting it on without me there, period.” She gave Reg a playful push. “I mean, being able to look like your girlfriend? I love you Reg and you’re a remarkably polite young man, but I wouldn’t trust anyone to be able to resist the temptation of being able to have their love do whatever and say whatever they want in the confines of their own room.” Her twin looked shocked and Kelly laughed. “You’re so cute when you’re trying to deny you’re human. I’m sure I’ve given you a thought that will warm you when I’m not around. Now scoot!” She pushed him into the bathroom. “Cold water will loosen it and don’t feel bashful about asking me for help if you need it.”

Kelly did make it up to him that night when he emerged tired but clothed and on subsequent days by teasing him less, showing her love for him more and not springing any more surprises. He agreed to practice in the Kelly suit and in the pushmi-pullyu costume, but Kelly was careful to do so only when ‘her dad was at work.’ They became more comfortable around each other, but Reg was still as proper as he could be under the circumstances and Kelly was relieved by that. He never became exactly casual about it and she was warmed every time she found him unable to resist looking at her or at himself as her. She took a few contracts during that time, but almost all of her time as Kelly was spent preparing for the big night. By Halloween, she even had Reg going out with her to the mall to look at outfits and her closet had a small collection of items that they thought looked better on him with his unique take on her personality. In fact, she found herself treating him like the bubbly, perky younger sister she acted like than the boyfriend disguised as her twin. Most of the time. She could never quite get over the thrill she got from seeing that face and knowing who was beneath it. Reg joked that she had to have a pretty big narcissistic streak since she seemed to be a lot friskier when he was in the disguise and they were alone in her bedroom.

Halloween night, Kelly was very proud of the image reflected in the mirror. Two nearly identical young ladies in furry tan tube tops that left their bellies entirely exposed, little fluffy pointed ears on headbands and slick black tights meant to keep them cool and slide into their costumes more easily. They’d had plenty of practice and neither needed the other’s help in stepping into either end of the pushmi-pullyu, pulling the legs up and getting into the hoof shoes before dropping their head and neck sections on. They’d both become experts in using the wires inside and the two heads craned around to rub noses and nuzzle each other before they set off. A slender arm reached out from under one of the heads to open the door and an identical arm slid out from under the other to close and lock it. They retreated back into their heads and waited for their escort. One of Reg’s friends who looked like a very authentic Wolverine from the X-Men met them at the end of Ned’s front path and led them down the road towards the convention center where the party was being held. Every two or three blocks, the pushmi-pullyu would almost casually turn around to let the other head walk forwards for awhile.

On their way, they met several trick-or-treat groups and the children almost all squealed in delight when they saw the llama-unicorn-gazelle coming towards them. The pushmi-pullyu was gracious and both heads bent to be petted and allowed some of the smaller children to have their pictures taken on her back. One of the children they met was wearing a very large hat and one end ducked down and grabbed it in her mouth. When the other head craned around to see what was happening, she caught on immediately and deftly took the hat from the other head before the child could get to it. They went back and forth a couple of times before one of the heads ducked and deposited the hat back on the child’s head before the whole creature continued on her way.

“That was a really good show,” Reg’s friend said.

“Thank you!” One of the Kellys replied. It didn’t matter which since it wouldn’t be hard to convince the young man that he was talking to the real Kelly and had gotten mixed up in all the turning around.

The pushmi-pullyu pranced in and was a big hit at the party. They spent over an hour being patted, pet and fawned over, acting like a domesticated animal. Everyone wanted a picture with her and they got a lot of laughs whenever they made a mistake and tried to walk in opposite directions. There were even a couple of people who danced with her.

When Kelly gave the prearranged signal that she’d gotten too hot, they shed their head pieces in unison, drawing a few gasps and some admiring whistles from the partygoers. Both Kellys preened under the praise and insisted that if one was asked to dance, their partner had to find someone for the other. The Kelly-taur was perhaps even more popular than the pushmi-pullyu, and both ladies who made it up were often amused when people struck up a conversation with one, left for something and then accidentally continued with the other. They were pretty good at taking up threads that the other had left and Ned was ecstatic at how well Reg was holding up under the scrutiny of so many people. Then again, he himself had become far more extroverted as Kelly, so maybe it was just being someone who everyone paid attention to but who couldn’t reflect poorly on the man within that made that happen. For whatever reason, the pushmi-pullyu-taur was rarely without someone to talk to or two to dance with.

Three hours in, Reg hissed to Kelly, “I have to go to the bathroom.”

“So do I.” She replied, realizing how much they’d both had to drink and how long it had been. “Don’t tell me you’re afraid of the ladies room.”

“Not as long as you’re with me.”

“It’d be a little hard for me not to be. Let’s go.”

They found a handicapped stall and the two Kellys took turns getting out of the costume to relieve themselves. Even Ned was a little self-conscious about that, but both were very careful about looking away when their partner wiggled out, used the toilet and didn’t look around until they felt the costume tighten with the re-entry of the other one. They were getting tired by then and didn’t stay more than an hour longer before donning their head pieces again and giving the party a farewell pair of bleats.

Reg’s friend took them home and the pushmi-pullyu collapsed on Kelly’s bed, neither one of them wanting to leave the warm confines of the costume just yet. Finally, they clambered out and pushed the costume to the floor. “I’m beat,” one of the Kellys said.

“Me too.”

“I need a bath.”

“So do I.”

They looked at each other and one of them grinned. “We won’t see anything the other hasn’t. We might as well go in together.”

Neither Kelly nor Reg were much up for more than gently washing each other and they only took their time so they could relax and enjoy the feeling of the other massaging the soap into their backs. Kelly produced matching pajamas and Reg was too tired to mind the fact that his girlfriend had to have planned on him being too tired to care. Once dressed, they collapsed into bed, the smaller Kelly comfortably nestled in the curve of the slightly larger Kelly’s body.