Oscar Night by Jennifer Brock Nearly a year ago, Novelist/screenwriter David Fine was nominated for an Academy Award and wore a red suit designed by his friend fashion designer Claude Marsh. Unfortunately, television personality Jane Waters chose to make David's outfit an object of ridicule, and in an attempt to save face he joked that he'd wear a gown if he was nominated again. When he was indeed nominated a year later, Claude seized upon David's defense of his honor and pushed him to embrace the idea of wearing a gown, and his girlfriend bisexual fashion model Maritza Delgado was also keen to make him more feminine. He was talked into severalplastic surgeries on his face and breast implants, and he's been training with live-in feminine deportment coach Kay Thomas, who has renamed him Dee. In this installment, Dee learns a little more about the different kinds of men who dress as women, and where she fits on the scale. Also, the romance is brought back into focus, and Dee starts thinking about dating.

Part 17
Dee really hadn’t been paying attention to the calendar, so it came as quite a surprise when the doorbell rang one morning. She had to check the peephole to see if it was anyone who knew David, but it wasn’t. It was a guy in a uniform holding a large gold box tied with a red ribbon, no one she recognized.

She ran her fingers through her hair, checked her makeup in the mirror by the door and then opened it. The guy cradled the box in his arm and looked at a clipboard. “I have flowers here for a Miss Fine.” He eyed Dee hungrily. “Is that you? You certainly look like a fine miss to me.”

Dee laughed at his little joke. “Yes, that’s me.” He handed the big box to her. “Thank you very much.” She had to dash back inside to grab her purse to give him a tip.

He turned to go and winked at her. “Wish I was the guy you’re really going to be thanking later for those. Happy Valentine’s Day, Miss Oh So Very Fine!”

Oh no! It was Valentine’s Day, and Dee had completely forgotten. She swore at herself and took the box to the table. Inside was a pretty pink envelope inscribed “To Davida from Mauricio,” and a dozen long-stemmed red roses wrapped in tissue paper. They had greenery and baby’s breath, the whole nine yards. It just made her feel bad she hadn’t gotten anything. She got out her best crystal vase and trimmed the stems, then arranged them all nicely and set the vase in the center of the dining table.

Kay came down and asked who was at the door. Dee gestured at the vase like a spokesmodel and showed her the flowers she’d gotten from “her boyfriend.” Kay said they were very nice and asked if there was a card. Dee had been so caught up in getting the roses into water that she hadn’t even opened the envelope. It was sitting over on top of the tissue paper in the empty box, and she stole a glance at it. Kay started moving in that direction, but Dee was faster. She snatched up the envelope and opened it.

There was a whole sheet of stationery in there, a letter not a card. It was printed in a script font from a word processor. She wondered if the florist had typed it. It read:

“My Darling Davida,

It is sad that we must spend our first Valentine’s Day apart, but know My Love that in my heart I am there with you. I hope you are working hard at your lessons since your teacher is being so strinct and keeping us separated. It won’t be too much longer until we can see each other again, so hang in there, Sweetheart!

I wonder if you have had to go out with other men yet. I know it’s not perfect, and since you have my absolute permission maybe you can use them to be close to me. When some other guy is gazing into your eyes, imagine that mine are looking back at you. Pretend that it is my voice whispering sweet nothings in your ear. Make believe that mine are the arms that hold you tight, mine are the fingers that caress you, mine are the lips that kiss you, mine is the tongue that softly suckles at your nipple, and mine is the thick cock that presses into you.

Oh, Baby, I miss you so much! I’m hard just thinking about you — are you wet for me? I think I’m going to have to take matters into my own hands if I’m going to be useful to anyone today. You’d better take a nap the day of your big party, because that night when I get you home alone for the first time, you’re not going to get much sleep! Your sweet pussy will be gasping for air by the time I’m done with you.

It’s only a couple weeks, so I’m sure we can last it. Be a good girl for your teacher and do whatever she tells you to. Don’t do anything too crazy, My Sweet Davida Loca. It’s okay if she makes you give your body to another man; just don’t give anyone else your heart. You belong to me, and don’t you forget that.

Yours forever and always,
Mauricio”

It was a weird letter, but after running it through her head and making all the appropriate substitutions, it left Dee with a warm feeling all over. It was nice to be reminded that someone out there loved her.

Kay gave her a look of disapproval and grabbed the letter out of her hands. “I told you to have no communication with her. It was a nice attempt that she tried to keep it appropriate for your feminine persona, but came across more as an encoded message than a sincere sentiment. I’m sure you had no trouble reading between the lines. This will count as one of the two times you’re allowed to disobey me. You only get one more.”

Dee was hoping she could save up those two times she was allowed to say no to Kay to avoid having to go out on dates with men, something Kay had mentioned would be part of her training, and that had been mentioned repeatedly in this letter. It was almost as if Maritza would be disappointed if Dee didn’t have a date with a man. So let Kay do her worst!

Dee stood up in front of Kay and put her hands on her hips defiantly. “I only get to refuse you one more time, or your lessons stop. And I understand that breaking your rule about contact counts as one of those times. Well, it’s Valentine’s Day, and my Sweetie just sent me some pretty flowers and a nice romantic letter, and I didn’t do anything. So I’m going to cash in my other Get Out of Kay’s Rules Free card, and go call her right now. And I’m well within the terms of our agreement.” Dee crossed her arms under her breasts and stormed out in a huff.

She went upstairs so she could get some privacy to make her call. David’s cell phone had been confiscated, and the cute little replacement phone they’d provided Dee with didn’t have Maritza’s number in her contact list. Fortunately, David had long ago memorized her number, so it was no trouble for Dee to dial her manually.

Wouldn’t you know it? The call went to voicemail. Dee’s one chance to make contact, and she’d blown it. In order for it not to be a total waste, she left a message, “Um, hi Sweetie! You might not recognize my voice. It’s me, Dee, I mean Davida, I guess. I got your flowers and they are gorgeous! Thank you so much for them! We had our own Christmas after Christmas, so maybe we can have our own Valentine’s after Valentine’s, too, and I can show you exactly how much I appreciate my roses. I’m not really looking forward to having a date with some guy, but if you really want me to pretend he’s you, I guess I can get through it for both of us. I love you, I love you, I love you! Oh, and by the way, I love you! You’ll probably be seeing Claude before I do, so could you give him a message? I gave him something to hang onto for me, and I’m going to need it back. Let him know that I’ll want that as soon as possible, preferably the first day I see you again. There’s something I’ve got to talk to you about. I suppose I’ll have to go now. I love you — did I say that already? I really hope it doesn’t feel like forever until I see you again. Bye-bye, Baby! Don’t try to call me back; I won’t be allowed to answer.”

She hung up and just sat there sulking at her bad luck. On the plus side, she had pretty flowers from someone who loved her very much. On the minus, she now couldn’t refuse anything Kay asked, and she was going to have to date men soon.

Just to make matters worse, Kay came up holding the letter. “This reminds me, I haven’t done anything about arranging an evening out for you with a gentleman escort. I think we’ll set that up for next week, okay?” All Dee could do was to nod her acceptance.

***

A few days after making Dee’s body casting, Vanessa came by in the morning bearing a garment bag with new clothes for Dee. There were a number of custom-made underwire bras with matching panties, as well as a handful of new dresses. One of them was the special cocktail dress she’d need for the occasion that evening that Kay still hadn’t divulged.

She had to wear special lingerie before she could try her dress on. First there was a special pair of black satin panties with special silicone padding in the hips and behind designed to fit her exact shape. It gave her a very sexy rear view. Snaps in the crotch let her use the bathroom without taking them off completely, which was necessary since they were so tight.

They had a high waist that came up to the bottom of her ribcage. Vanessa pulled on some strings in the back and showed her that it laced up like a corset and pulled her waist tight. She now had a perfect hourglass figure that was definitely worth the discomfort.

On top, she wore her first underwire. It was a black strapless longline, which meant it had much more band than usual in front beneath the cups and a thinner band at the bottom in the back considerably lower than a bra’s band usually sits. The cups were form-fitting but only covered her breasts to only slightly above her nipples, leaving much of the top and inner surface of each one bare. In between the cups the bra wire dipped down, to reveal the most cleavage she’d ever shown.

She had Dee pull sheer black crotchless pantyhose up her legs and put her feet into sexy black stiletto pumps. Then the gorgeous black cocktail dress came down over her head. From the front, it almost looked like a regular sleeveless dress, with triangles over the breasts that went up to become straps over the shoulders. The neckline did have a fairly wide and deeply plunging V, and the diagonal hem came above her knee on the right side to mid-calf on the left, but otherwise it could have been just another little black dress.

However, in the back those shoulder straps split into six thin spaghetti strands each, which radiated out and criss-crossed each other all the was down to her waist, making the dress virtually backless. Dee was overwhelmed by how it looked in the full-length mirror It was glamorous and maybe a little too sexy. She feared this was how Kay would be sending her to go meet some man, and it would send entirely the wrong message.

Kay wouldn’t get more specific, but she calmed her down by saying that the dress was for an evening they’d be spending together. Date night was still nearly a week away. Vanessa double-checked everywhere and declared the fit perfect. She stuck around to help her out of the outfit, and show Kay how tight to pull the lacings on her waist cincher.

Dee changed back into her casual outfit, but only got to stay in it until just after lunch. A man in a chauffeur’s uniform came to the door and said the car was ready. Outside was a big black luxury van, not at all what Dee would have expected. Kay handed the man their two garment bags and he hung them up in the back of the car, and then gave each of the ladies a hand climbing in.

Their first stop was a familiar one, Tom & Jeffy’s. It felt different to be coming to the salon in the daytime, while there were other customers. For the first time in a long while, Dee felt like a trespasser in the land of women, and wondered what the other beauty clients would say if they knew there was an interloper in their midst.

Kay gave her name to the girl at the counter, and they sat in the waiting area for a few seconds before Jeffrey saw them and came over to give them each an air kiss hello. He pointed at some kind of code in the appointment book, and gave the receptionist a tongue lashing for not telling him immediately when the VIP clients arrived.

They were taken in different directions. Dee didn’t know where Kay was going. Her own treatment started with a soothing facial that wasn’t as harsh as the last one she’d had, just more of a facial massage and a wet cleansing. It was one feminine treatment that was always enjoyable. It was her first since her surgeries, and she somehow seemed more aware of all the little changes to her features since her last facial. It made her feel more like she belonged there.

After that, this cute little blonde nothing of a girl took her hands and gave her a manicure and pedicure, rubbing soothing lotion into her hands and feet, and smoothing out all the rough spots. Jeffrey came by to help pick out a color. He said he’d seen what she’d be wearing, and recommended a deep wine shade that would work well with a shimmering topcoat. He was getting so involved in the description that he shooed Blondie away and did her nails himself. Needless to say, he did a flawless job and expertly made all ten fingers and toes sparkle divinely.

Jeffrey brought her out to Tomas, for more air kisses and a seat at a styling chair. He said that her color and set were holding up well, so all she was in for was a new arrangement and maybe a little trimming. He brushed and combed Dee’s hair back and gathered a low ponytail, then twisted it around into a chignon, and pinned it in place with some really pretty hairpins decorated with twinkly crystals on the end. When he was all done, he held up a mirror so she could see the back. It looked elegant but simple.

Dee was then led to another area, where Jeffrey did amazing things with her makeup. She’d gotten pretty competent at doing her own, but seeing what a pro could do showed she had a long way to go. Her foundation was flawless porcelain; she had cheekbones that appeared out of nowhere; her lips were full and plumper than ever and glistened wetly. But most noticeable were her eyes, which appeared three sizes larger outlined in jet black with long, plush lashes and with seductively smoky eye shadow on her lids. He’d plucked a few stray hairs and darkened her brows into delicately arched teardrops. She had to blink a few fluttery times before she could believe the image in the mirror was actually her.

She was brought around to a dressing room to change out of the smock they’d put her in, but she had to wait for Kay to help her get into her new clothes. She did as much as she could alone, which meant getting into her bra and panties. But she couldn’t do up the laces, so she sat in the little chair and hoped it wouldn’t be long.

Eventually Kay came in, and at first Dee thought it was someone in the wrong room and she got embarrassed and tried to cover herself. But it was Kay. They’d worked their magic on her, too. Her hair was looking a little blonder, and had been cut into a new medium-length asymmetrical pixie shag. Her makeup made her look years younger, and Dee had never before realized how blue her eyes were. They exchanged expressions of “Wow! You look incredible.”

Since Dee had started dressing, Kay decided to help her finish first. She pulled the laces way tighter than it seemed like then been before and tied them off. Dee worked herself into her hose and shoes and then Kay helped her carefully pull her dress over her head and zipped it up for her in back. Dee’s jewelry for the evening was a pair of rhinestone waterfall earrings and a matching triple-strand necklace.

Then it was Kay’s turn. She took off her smock and started removing her underwear. Dee tried to leave, but Kay told her to stay; she’d need to get zipped up, too. And she said that it would be strange for two women to share a dressing room and one to leave first. Dee just tried not to notice that Kay actually had a very decent body, even though she kept in covered up most of the time. And it was amplified by the lingerie she was changing into, a pair of tiny thong panties and a strapless bra that plunged just as much as Dee’s. She rolled on a pair of sheer stay-up stockings with black seams down the back and forced Dee to check out her legs to make sure they were straight. She was once again really grateful for the magic herbal tea that had killed her libido.

Kay’s dress was a little more modest than Dee’s. It was strapless, but didn’t plunge as low as hers, and only left her shoulders bare in back. It was a deep blue color that echoed her eyes, and had a slight metallic sheen that glimmered when she moved in it. She had some nice silver filigree earrings and a coordinating pendant perched in her cleavage.

They packed up the clothes they’d come in into the garment bag, and transferred the essentials from their larger handbags to more fashionable clutches and they were ready to go. They stepped out and Jeffrey made them do a twirl so he could get the full effect. He did a little hop and clapped his hands, and then the whole staff applauded. Tomas came over and looked at them critically. He adjusted the knot in the scarf on Kay’s shoulders so it hung differently. Then he loosened a couple of Dee’s hairpins and let some tendrils of hair escape from her bun, and he pulled out a cordless curling iron and turned them into interesting ringlets. It did improve her look; she thanked him with a light kiss on the cheek.

Their driver came and took the bag then brought them out to the car. Dee wasn’t sure if he’d been waiting in the parking lot the whole time or if he’d gone somewhere and then came back. Their next stop was the Four Seasons Hotel, which was confusing to Dee until Kay explained that they’d be dining in their restaurant. They pulled up to the entrance and the driver assisted the ladies in getting out of the van, and he talked with Kay about when she’d need him to come back.

The two lovelies in their cocktail dresses turned a few heads as they crossed the lobby to the restaurant. Some wondered if they were “working girls.” Kay gave her name to the hostess and asked if any of the rest of her party had already arrived, and she said they all had. She led them to a large table where four women were sitting.

At least they had been sitting. When the pair got to the table, the others stood up. There were a lot of voices at once, some squeals and hugs (with the faces leaning away so their makeup didn’t smear) over how good Kay looked. Dee even got a hug from one of the women, who turned out to be Jackie the cupcake baker. In an elegant green dress with her hair down and nighttime makeup, she didn’t recognize her at first. She told Dee she looked amazing.

Then it was time for Kay to make the rest of the introductions, and explain what was going on. She had a tradition of bringing a group of her former students together to meet each new one, and ladies were there to meet Dee, share their stories, and also provide one of the most critical eyes into her performance. They’d be watching out for any slip-ups, and provide pointers if she did something in a manner that was less feminine than it could be.

Next to Jackie was a more slenderly built brunette in a lovely burgundy dress. It was sleeveless with a square neckline that revealed just a hint of cleavage at the top, and a full skirt that was nearly ankle-length. Kay introduced her as “MJ,” and she delicately shook Dee’s hand, softly grabbing just her fingers.

Kay got the next one’s name wrong. She started to introduce her as “Elle,” but she interrupted. “As of last month, I’m Olivia. It’s legally certified and everything.” She was smiling broadly. Everyone congratulated her. She was taller than Dee, with a less generous figure, but the chocolate brown dress she wore helped to minimize her flaws. It had a contrasting pale tan band around the high waist that made her bust look bigger and her waist smaller, and the little cap sleeves made her wider shoulders less noticeable.

The last member of their group was loud. Bette’s thick body was squeezed into a bright red dress with a sweetheart neckline that teased without exposing anything of her breasts, which were roughly the size of Dee’s, but below her chest her body just looked a bit like a sausage in the tight dress. It was slit to mid-thigh on the left side, and her stocking tops were occasionally visible. She spoke in a loud, throaty voice and wore a very obvious wig that was nearly the color of her dress.

Kay told them all not to worry about prices, since Dee had a “Sugar Daddy” who was bankrolling her transition, and their evening would be covered. Dee didn’t really want to think of Claude that way, as it suggested he had sexual plans for her, but it made a convenient cover story, especially when they asked for details like where she bought her dress, or when they complimented her face and she said she’d gotten surgery but couldn’t say how expensive it was.

It came up because Olivia was curious about getting a similar procedure done — she did recognize the name of Dr. Coleman as one of the top guys in the area. Dee also had to blush when she admitted to getting implants, but she felt the need to reassure them that she hadn’t yet had any major surgery below the belt, and her mind wondered where that “yet” had come from.

She felt sorry that Olivia couldn’t afford the surgeries that she’d gotten on little more than a whim. She imagined that it must be horrible to be a woman stuck in a mannish body, and couldn’t decide whether she considered herself a man stuck in a womanish body, or a man happily gifted with a womanish body, or even a new woman determined to keep her remaining mannish parts. At any rate, it wasn’t fair that someone like her could pass so easily while someone like Olivia couldn’t.

Bette couldn’t pass either, but it didn’t seem like she cared. She kept staring at Dee’s chest. It was very off-putting. She also had a very dirty sense of humor. During their appetizer, she commented with a leer at Dee, “This dumpling is delicious, but I bet you’d taste even better! How about we sneak off to the ladies’ room and suck each other off?” Dee nearly choked on her wine and turned beet red, trying to politely decline the offer. Bette said she was only kidding, but then added with a wink that it didn’t mean she wouldn’t be interested if Dee was keen on the idea.

MJ apologized for Bette and wanted Dee to know that all part-time girls weren’t like her. MJ was so feminine that it was a surprise to learn that she lived most of the time as a male. She hadn’t even had any surgeries or taken any hormones. She had a family, and her wife (or should that be his wife?) knew about her need to express herself as a female, but was only accepting to a degree. She wasn’t allowed to be a woman in front of the kids, or to say anything about it until they were older. The wife was okay with talking to her as a woman, and they even occasionally had a “Girls Day” of lunch or a movie or getting pedicures, but she was expected to turn back into a man before getting into bed. She spoke longingly of the silky nightgowns she got to wear whenever the wife went out of town. It wasn’t a lifestyle that Dee would have chosen, but it seemed to work for MJ.

Bette didn’t have a wife, but she only dressed as a woman for fun, (and it also seemed to give her some kind of sexual thrill) and spent most of her time in “guy mode” as she called it. She said that it was too much hassle spending two hours shaving her complete body every time she wanted to be pretty, and the days of being stubbly all over that would follow were unbearable. Dee couldn’t really relate to the first part since she’d been lasered smooth nearly everywhere, but she had been recently experiencing itchy stubble every couple of days, as she’d been shaving her bikini area ever since Vanessa had done it for her bodycasting.

They chatted with Dee about her training, seeing how it was going. There were some questions that were a little uncomfortable, like when Olivia wanted to know when Dee first realized she was a girl. Dee didn’t want to admit that she still wasn’t quite sure whether she was one or not, so she twisted the truth a little and said that she’d never really felt like one of the guys, and had been more into cooking and taking care of her grandmother, and only recently someone (the guy Kay called her “Sugar Daddy”) pointed out that she would make a good woman, and she tried dressing up a little and really liked it. She claimed that she’d never been the type to do things halfway, so she threw caution to the wind and immersed herself in femininity as completely as possible. Kay just nodded as though she’d heard the story before.

Everyone was enjoying a glass of wine except Jackie, who stuck to water. She tried just smiling enigmatically, but after they gave her funny looks she took out her wallet and showed a picture of the cutest little baby! She explained that they’d decided that it was time, and using some sperm frozen from before her operation, her wife had a beautiful baby boy, and they were sharing the duties of nursing him. So she had to remain alcohol-free. She was congratulated by everyone at the table, and they all gushed over her. Dee was really confused, but didn’t think it would be polite to ask. Jackie had a wife when she was a man, who stayed with her when she became a woman? So, Jackie’s wife must be bisexual, like Maritza. Dee had so many questions she wished she could ask. If Jackie was married to a woman, why did she get the operation? She was a man who wanted to be a lesbian — wouldn’t the sex have been better back when their parts fit together?

Another odd moment came when MJ asked her what she liked the best about being a girl so far. That was a tough one, so she tried to laugh it off and say she liked the way that big boobs gave her power over the small minds of men. They all had a chuckle over that one, and the conversation somehow segued into talking about men. They found out from Kay that Dee hadn’t had her dating lessons yet, so they all began to reminisce about the time they each had their lesson.

Bette asked Kay, “Are you going to send her out with one of your usual escorts? Which one? Travis, I hope.” She got a dreamy look in her eye when she said his name.

Dee was curious. “What’s good about him?”

Olivia chimed in. “He’s got gorgeous brown eyes, and incredible shoulders. Your basic ‘Tall, dark and handsome.’ The complete package.” She had a bit of a twinkle in her eye.

Bette added, “Speaking of packages, you left out the best part. He is hung like a Clydesdale.” She fanned her face with her hand. “You see that monster coming at you and you think it’s going to split you in half, but once it’s inside you, oh my God, does he know how to use it!” She placed a hand over her heart, closed her eyes and exhaled, reliving a memory.

Dee thought Bette was just being over-the-top again, but a couple of the others were nodding and agreeing with her. She felt herself starting to panic. No way did she want sex with some guy!

Kay saw her look and responded. “I think I’ll probably go with Joe for her. He’s a little more her speed.”

Dee nervously asked what Joe was like, and MJ said, “He’s tall and handsome, but not dark, with tawny blond hair and sharp gray eyes. He’s strong and muscular, but not built like a linebacker, so he doesn’t seem so dangerous. He’s a great dancer. I think you’d like him.”

Dee was confused. “I thought you said you have a wife. She lets you have sex with guys?”

MJ laughed, “Sweetie, the dating lesson isn’t about sex; it’s about having a man treat you like a lady, proving that chivalry isn’t dead for everyone. There’s nothing better at making you feel like a complete woman than having a lovely man lead you on the dance floor. If at the end of the date you want to reward him with the most feminine action you can perform, that’s up to you.”

Kay agreed. “Dee, the men I hire for my students dates are not gigolos. They’re simply hired escorts, and none of the services they’re paid for are sexual, so just relax. It’s not for another week or so anyway.”

They finished their meal and a second bottle of wine, and split some yummy desserts, and Dee thought the evening was over and she was ready to say good night to them all. But it turns out that it was just beginning. It also explained the luxury van. When they returned to the car, all six of them got in. It was a little cozy, but the air of pleasant camaraderie continued from dinner. Kay gave the driver an address and they drove off.

They went to a part of the city Dee was unfamiliar with, and pulled into the parking lot for some kind of industrial building repurposed as a night club. The large pink neon sign declared the place to be called “LADYWOOD.” The driver turned his head around and asked if Kay was sure this was where she wanted to go; it was some kind of gay place. Kay smiled widely and assured him that it was exactly the right place.

Dee could actually tell how quickly his brain was putting things together, as he looked over the group of women and noticed that none of them was what could be called complete, and maybe he noticed something less than feminine about Bette or Olivia, and he physically shuddered when it all came together. Kay seemed to notice, too. She made sure that the driver would be returning when scheduled, and told him she’d much rather give him a large tip at the end of the evening than have to complain to the company. He got the message and even held the door to assist them all stepping out of the van.

Bette couldn’t resist and had to tease him on her way out. “You’ve probably already guessed that not all of us have vaginas, but the ones without aren’t the ones you’d suspect!” He didn’t have much of a response to that. She kissed him on the cheek and did a surprisingly perfect sashay from the van to join her companions. Kay gave her a reprimanding look, but Bette just shrugged and said, “At least I said ‘vaginas.’” The group erupted in giggles.

Kay explained that they were at a drag club, a place where men dress as women to entertain. Besides just being an appropriate place for this group to go for fun, she also wanted Dee to see the other side of the coin, as it were. The others she had met so far were men becoming women, but inside the club were men pretending to be women. Dee didn’t quite understand the distinction, but she went in with an open mind.

The bouncer at the door was a huge, muscled, well-tanned Latino with bright pink lipstick that matched his taffeta ballgown. He seemed to recognize Kay, and gave her a warm hug. He said they were on the list, and waived the cover charge. Inside, they were escorted to a table by a “hostess” dressed like a geisha, in stark white makeup, gigantic fake eyelashes, an extra-short pink kimono that revealed miles of leg, and high-heeled sandals. The table was semi-circular and they sat around the curved side. The straight edge was pointed at the stage at one end of the room.

The waitstaff were all dressed as over-the-top female sexual stereotypes. Besides the geisha, Dee saw a French maid, a cheerleader, a naughty schoolgirl, and a leather-clad dominatrix roving about the room. Their own waiter was dressed in a familiar uniform of a white tank top and orange hot-pants, only instead of an owl the overstuffed top was emblazoned with a different bird, and the name of a fake restaurant called “Peckers,” and a nametag over the left giant breast was appropriately labeled “Booby.” His makeup was overdone, with more fake eyelashes, retro blue eyeshadow and glittery pink lips. The canary-yellow wig was in a feathered hairstyle, and the eyebrows tweezed down to nearly nothing.

In a voice that was more that of an effeminate male than a female he said, “Hi! I’m Bobby and I’ll be your server for this evening. What can I get you ladies?” Bette ordered a glass of whatever light beer was on tap, Olivia wanted a white Russian, Jackie had a Virgin Cosmo, MJ asked for a vodka tonic, Kay went with a martini, and Dee wasn’t much of a drinker so she just ordered a white wine. Bobby wrote their order down and sexily wiggled off to the bar.

Dee made a major faux pas and remarked, “He looks really good. That’s a very impressive tuck, even in those little shorts. No lumps at all down there.” Kay corrected her that it was bad form to use “He.” She should always refer to people with the pronouns that match the gender they are presenting as, even if you know their biological gender might contradict that. It’s rude to do otherwise. The exception was with butch lesbians. If you see someone who seems female but presents as male, but you don’t know for certain that he’s a female-to-male transsexual, refer to her as female. Although really Dee should try to steer clear of those types, since militant feminists sometimes feel very negatively toward transsexuals of either variety.

Bobby brought their drinks and a basket of complimentary pink French fries. They were strange and a little too salty for Dee’s taste so she didn’t eat too many. Bette made many rude gestures with them. Bobby asked if there was anything else they needed before the show started; she’d only be able to come back between acts. Bette talked Kay into going ahead and having her bring another round, so they’d be ready as soon as their glasses were empty. They’d had so much wine with dinner that Dee was starting to worry that maybe they’d end up getting drunk, and she really didn’t want to lose control in public, especially in a dress that was so revealing. She concentrated on trying to remain feminine.

The show opened with a big dance number by a bunch of boys dressed like Vegas showgirls with huge feathered headdresses and tiny outfits that were well designed to cover only the areas that needed padding. They did some fancy choreography to a reworked “Hooray for Ladywood” song, and at the end they formed two rows and the MC emerged from between them. She was an older drag queen, in an auburn wig and a blue evening gown covered in sparkly crystals with a panel at the top that was made to look sheer but probably wasn’t. She stepped forward and the curtain closed behind her.

She introduced herself as “Jewel Tucker” and apologized that her partner hadn’t shown up for the show. She worked the crowd and told a few easy jokes and then music started up and she broke into song, but something seemed off. Dee realized that she had a different voice when singing, and sounded almost exactly like Doris Day. Dee asked about it during the break, and learned that she’d been lipsynching to a record and not actually singing. Apparently that’s what a lot of drag acts did.

After the break, Jewel’s partner, a tall black performer in a slinky red dress, who called herself “Heidi Johnson,” came out and apologized for being late. That segued into a whole comedy routine about how she wasn’t just late, she was also “late,” and she really didn’t want to have to deal with getting another abortion. So she was so grateful when finally while she was just backstage her Aunt Flo came to town, but it was really heavy this time so it took her a while to come out. She went with the red dress instead of the white one she’d bee planning to wear, just in case.

The audience was laughing hysterically at all this, but Dee didn’t quite understand. Kay had just stressed that you’re supposed to treat someone presenting as female as a legitimate woman, but the humor in Heidi’s act all seem to come from the fact that the audience knew she wasn’t really one. It didn’t make sense to laugh at her for being less than real, but since she was encouraging them she supposed it wasn’t too cruel.

Dee figured out that this was probably the real lesson Kay wanted her to learn: Dee would be in much the same position as Heidi when she made her public entrance, since the whole point was that everyone would know she was really David. The danger was that she’d be just as much of a laughing stock. She needed to seriously consider how she was going to behave on the Red Carpet. Would Dee act completely feminine and try to confuse Jane Waters, or would David wink and “let her in on the joke?” It was heavy stuff, and would take some thinking.

During the next break, Dee went to the ladies’ room. Bette got up too, which made Dee worried that she was going to try something. Fortunately, Jackie and Kay came along as well. There was a little bit of a line, but not much. This was the first women’s restroom Dee had ever seen that had urinals as well as stalls, and some of them were even in use. But that didn’t seem right to her; she waited for a stall. Bette went to the urinals, but Dee didn’t look. She washed her hands and checked her makeup in the long mirror while she waited for her friends. There was a wide array of women of all genders standing with her, and she casually looked around and confidently declared herself to be definitely more believable than most cross-dressers, but perhaps that was because she’d become something more.

There were some more lip-synched musical numbers and jokes, and the dancers came back a couple times, and then it was time for the final performer, “Amanda Skies.” She had a decently augmented figure, in a purple sleeveless gown that was cut so modestly that Dee couldn’t tell if her curves came from padding or implants or hormones. She had long brown hair cascading down her shoulders, and her makeup didn’t seem quite as extreme as the others.

The music started and she began her song, a cover of “What a Girl Wants,” but it was sung in more of a contralto range. Dee couldn’t figure out why she wouldn’t just use the original version of the song, until the ululating part near the end, when it became clear that Amanda was actually singing herself, and doing so with a voice that sounded authentically female. The audience gave her a well-earned standing ovation. She did an encore of “If I Was Your Woman,” a song Dee wasn’t that familiar with. The curtain opened behind her and the dancers gyrated sexily to the music, and Jewel and Heidi mouthed along with the pre-recorded backup singers. It was a perfect finale to the evening.

Kay paid their tab and left Bobby a big tip, and then rang the driver on her phone to make sure he was ready. The ladies, some quite drunk all got back into the van. Bette, MJ, and Olivia were going back to the hotel where they’d met. Dee said it was nice to meet them and she’d get their contact info from Kay and call or email them, but she’d be really busy for the next couple of weeks. They dropped Jackie at her home, which was an apartment above the bakery. She said the baby was about due for a feeding, so she’d try to get to him before he woke his mother. Dee gave her a little hug on her way out.

By the time they got home, Dee was exhausted. She just wanted to collapse into bed, nearly forgetting that Kay had to help her out of her clothes. They unzipped each other, and she got Dee’s corset unlaced and she could finally breathe again. There were red marks all around her waist from the boning. She headed off for the shower, but Kay reminded her to take her makeup off first. Sometimes it was very complicated being a woman.

In the shower, Dee took off her tape and let little David out. She stood there, female from the waist up and male from the waist down (if you ignore the hairlessness and toenail polish), trying to figure out who he or she really was. There was less than two weeks until the Awards, and it was starting to feel more real and less like a game. She slipped into her silk nightgown and hoped the answers would come in a dream.