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Part 21
Saturday morning, Kay got Dee out of bed early. She wasn’t allowed to take off her corset, so she could only wash a few strategic areas with a washcloth before tucking and taping things into place. Kay told her to dress casually, so she pulled on a lacy thong and a pair of faded jeans, and scooped up her boobs into a pretty fuchsia silk camisole top with a built-in shelf bra. Her feet went into knee-highs and then a fun pair of ostrich boots. She took a denim scrunchie and pulled her hair back into a ponytail. Her only makeup was a healthy coat of mascara and some lush lipstick the color of her top, and her only jewelry was a pair of gold triangular hoop earrings. After a couple drops of cologne and putting her stuff in a shoulder bag, she was ready to go.
It was really eerie how all of this had become second nature in so short a time. To think that it was only a month ago that Dee was David! In a little over a day, she’d be making her public debut, revealing the whole surprise to all of the Hollywood elite and a national television audience of millions. But it was pretty much too late to back out now. Dee did her best to tame the butterflies.
They only had time for a quick breakfast of juice and toast, and even had to take their coffee in travel mugs. Kay drove, which suited Dee fine; she was way too nervous anyway. She was so caught up in her own thoughts she wasn’t even paying attention to where they were going. Kay had to call her name twice to get her to realize they’d stopped.
They were at Claude’s studio. Dee was a little worried that everyone there would know her secret, and had to take a couple deep breaths before getting out of the car. If people were going to stare and point, there just wasn’t anything she could do about it, and she’d certainly be getting plenty of attention on the red carpet, so it would probably
be good practice. She flipped down the vanity mirror, made sure she didn’t have any lipstick on her teeth, and got out of the car. Slinging her bag on her shoulder, she tried to do a fierce strut, but lost focus and stumbled.
Kay noticed Dee’s trip and warned her, “That kind of literal faux pas cannot happen tomorrow. In heels that thin, you’ve got to be aware of any changes in your center of gravity, and compensate for them seamlessly. Like if someone were to hand you a solid gold statuette, it would be very disappointing if you suddenly fell forward. I imagine they’re quite heavy.” Kay smiled at her student.
Dee laughed a sweetly melodic sound. “Well, there’s little likelihood of that happening, but I’ll bear that in mind. I don’t think they’re solid gold, anyway. I’m pretty sure I read that they’re plated. But anyway, thanks for your optimism.”
That little exchange was enough to get Dee’s head back in the game. Kay really was good at her job. Her lessons were almost over, and she’d be sad to see Kay go. She hoped they’d keep in touch. She wondered if some day she’d be having a night out with the other former students, welcoming another newcomer into womanhood, as was done for her.
They walked in, and the place was bustling with activity. Vanessa was waiting for them at the door, and after giving them a warm greeting she flipped her phone open and hit a button. She simply said, “They’re here,” and then closed her phone.
A few seconds later, Claude came out and met them. “Wow. Even just standing there, in what I’m guessing is your idea of ‘dressing down,’ you look breathtaking. I only hope my creation is worthy of such a model.”
Dee blushed, and thanked Claude for the compliment. She greeted him with a warm hug, which probably wasn’t what David would have done, but it felt right. He definitely would have skipped the kiss on the cheek.
Claude brought them forward into the room. He stood on a stool and called his minions to attention. “All right, people! A major project is about to come to its fruition, and this lovely lady here is an important part of that. I don’t want any premature leaks to the press, so if I catch anyone trying to snap a picture of her with a phone, they will be fired on the spot. Vanessa and I will be working on her in my private office, and I don’t want to be disturbed. If it’s absolutely life-or-death important, buzz Vanessa’s phone and she’ll come out to see if it’s worth getting me. My phone will be off, so don’t bother calling, unless you simply adore my voice mail message. Okay, now get back to work!” He hopped down and led them to his office in the back.
There were a couple of folding screens set up, dividing the space. Claude stood over by one of them, and made Kay and Dee close their eyes. When he told them to open them, he’d moved one of the screens out of the way, and had rolled out a dress on a stand, and slowly spun it around so they could get a full view.
It was a beautiful deep red satin sleeveless creation, with a deep U-shaped neckline that exposed a fair amount of the headless mannequin’s cleavage. Vertical seams started just below the bust, and continued down along the tight waist, to flare out as pleats at the hips, puffed out with a crinoline lining. The skirt was shorter in front than in back. The mannequin didn’t have any legs, so Dee couldn’t be sure, but it looked like it would land somewhere around knee-length in the front, and fall to around mid-calf in back.
Dee realized why he was showing it to them, and her eyes opened wide. “Is that my dress for tomorrow? It’s very lovely. You’ve outdone yourself.”
Claude was proud of his masterpiece. “Thanks. I hope you recognized the color — it’s the same shade I put you in last year. I thought about using the exact same fabric, but I couldn’t make that heavier wool work as a gown. And actually, it’s your dress for today, too. We’ll be spending the day fitting you into it, and doing any alterations that are needed. Even though, as you can see, we used that casting that was taken of your body as a form, the real you has probably changed a little since then, and we want to get it perfect.”
Dee had almost forgotten about that casting. So that’s what that “headless mannequin” really was. Was that really her figure? It looked way too curvaceous. Sure she had boobs, but the rest of her body usually still felt square and boyish. The body this dress was wearing seemed much more feminine than hers ever did. But if it was made from that mold they made of her body, it would have to be. Did she dare think of herself as that sexy?
Claude told her to get undressed so she could try on her gown. He even had some special foundation garments for her, so she needed to take off everything. Dee got embarrassed and wanted a little privacy, so he said she could go behind the screen in the corner. Claude was amazed at how naturally female her reaction was. Even though he’d seen the photos and videos that Kay had emailed with her progress reports, it was still hard to believe. David had never been what you’d call a macho guy, but Kay had turned Dee into such a thoroughly feminine creature that Claude worried that maybe his plan had gone a little too far.
Dee needed Kay and Vanessa to go behind the screen and assist her in changing, which confused Claude even more. He’d seen David nude before, when he’d brought him to his health club for a game of squash or a steam, and he was never that shy. But now that Dee was a woman, she didn’t want Claude to see her, even though her private parts were the ones he’d already seen. Was it the breasts she didn’t want to show? He’d been working with a life-size silicone replica for weeks, plus she knew he was gay. Claude found it strange, but fascinating.
The girls helped Dee out of her cotton corset, but she didn’t get more than an instant of relief. It was replaced with a strapless black satin corset that like her other one scooped around the bottom edge of her breasts and left them exposed. But this time Vanessa pulled more of her flesh out above the underwire, to make her boobs seem even bigger.
Unlike her cotton corset, which was threaded with what were essentially extra-long shoelaces, the satin one was laced with a strong leather thong. Vanessa actually used some kind of tool to ratchet it tighter than the laces could have been pulled by hand, and as Dee gave one last exhale, she tightened it to the maximum and then crimped the ends together with a metal fastener.
Dee had to sit down and adjust her breathing so she wouldn’t hyperventilate. While she was seated, Vanessa took advantage of the opportunity and unrolled sheer black silk stockings up her legs, attaching them to the garters on her corset. Then she slipped Dee’s feet into a pretty pair of satin sandals with four-inch stiletto heels. Crisscrossing bands that seemed to be covered in the same fabric as her dress covered the vamp, and a thin ankle strap held it onto her foot.
Vanessa took Dee’s hand to help her stand up and then took a step back and looked at her with an appraising eye. She flipped through a pile of lingerie on a work table and pulled out a black satin bra for Dee to try on. It was her first push-up bra, and fastened in the front, which was a good thing since her corset impaired her flexibility. Dee was shocked to look down and see serious cleavage; her boobs were mashed together and making a deep vertical crevice. Vanessa adjusted the buckles on her bra straps to make it tight, and then showed Dee how to pull her breasts into the cups for maximum effect.
She led Dee over to a full-length mirror, and it looked like her boobs had doubled in size! She’d known what a push-up bra could do in the abstract, but it was completely different to see it in action on oneself! The power of her cleavage was so captivating that she couldn’t stop staring at her reflection. They were implants, squashed with padding, so they were doubly fake, but that didn’t make them any less compelling.
Vanessa brought Claude over to look, and he tilted his head one way, then the other, and scratched his chin. He pulled a different black satin push-up bra from the pile and told her to try that one instead. Vanessa immediately unhooked the first one, and Dee blushed and tried to cover herself. Claude chuckled to himself and turned his head away.
This second bra had hooks in the back, so Dee enlisted Kay’s help in getting it fastened. These push-up pads were tilted at a different angle than the other ones, so it made her enhanced cleavage more heart-shaped than straight vertical. Claude said it made her chest look less like a buttcrack, so they should go with that one.
Vanessa took the dress off the mannequin, and Dee was a little embarrassed to see the naked casting of her body, with its proudly erect nipples. Her own were getting a little stimulated from all the handling her breasts had been getting, so she tried not to think about it, and will them into submission.
They didn’t want to pull the gown over her head, since they wanted to simulate how it would go on her on the real day, when they wouldn’t want to risk mussing her hair or makeup. So they arranged the gown open on the floor and she had to step into it, being careful not to catch her heel on anything. Vanessa pulled it up her body and put her arms through the sleeves, and then Claude zipped it up.
He didn’t want to catch her hair in the zipper, so he stopped halfway. He took the scrunchie out and let her ponytail out, then regathered her hair higher on her head, put the scrunchie back in, and folded her hair over into a bun. Then he finished zipping her up.
Dee thought it looked perfect, but Claude and Vanessa went around just about every inch, making little chalk marks and sticking the dress (and sometimes Dee) with pins. They were pretty much ignoring her, except when she moved when they didn’t want her to, or when they wanted her to move, to see how it hung when she walked, or sat down, or stood up from sitting. They wouldn’t even let her talk, so she just made eye contact with Kay and tried to communicate through slight facial expressions.
Eventually they finished making notes and unzipped her, and took the dress over to a worktable. She was allowed to sit down again, and gave her a short kimono robe when she asked if she could get dressed. Then she got to sit and wait while it looked like Vanessa and Claude took the whole dress apart. They ripped out seams, and cut some pieces smaller, cut other new pieces out of raw fabric, brought some parts over to a steamer to remove pleats, and others to a press to get new ones. And there was a lot of sewing, some by hand, some by machine.
After an amount of time that was probably a couple hours but felt like weeks, they had the dress reassembled and looking as far as Dee could tell exactly like it looked before. She had to take off her robe and step into the dress again, and this time it did fit a little better. It was tight, but not too tight, like it was exactly the shape of her body. (Well, her body minus a bit where her waist was corseted, plus a bit where her bust was padded.)
They had her walk around the room and do a couple catwalk turns, and Claude wasn’t quite satisfied that it was dramatic enough. He wanted to raise the angle of the hemline so it came a good six inches above her knee in front, to almost that much past her knee in the back. He also wanted to swap the dyed-to-match crinoline for black. And to draw more attention away from her wide shoulders, he wanted to lower the neckline almost to her bra cups.
It sounded almost a little too risqué for Dee’s taste, and she needed reassurance from Claude that he was going to keep her outfit looking tasteful. He tried to just dismiss her worries, but she grew more concerned and tried to make it clear that she was already taking major chances and he’d promised her that she’d look glamorous on the red carpet. The previous year he’d put David in a “pimp suit,” and she didn’t want to end up looking like one of the pimp’s stable of “hos.”
Dee got so anxious that she started hyperventilating, and Kay had to rush to calm her down so she didn’t pass out. She made Claude listen seriously to Dee’s questions. He went back to desk and pulled out his scrapbook of past Oscar gowns. He showed her that many of the classy actresses wore dresses with low scooping décolletage. Dee pointed out, however, that none of them were also showing off a lot of leg; most of the hemlines reached the ground.
Claude showed her a few ladies that did attend the awards in knee-length dresses, but none of them seemed to say “Hollywood Glamour” to her. There were some elegant actresses showing off their legs, but it was generally via a long gown with a high slit. Claude thought about it, then got out his sketch pad and roughed out a longer skirt.
He said, “Ordinarily, I wouldn’t make these kinds of changes at the last minute. But since I love you like a brother, er, sister, er, sibling of some sort, I’ll do what I can to ease your worries. I’ll keep my idea for bringing the neckline down, but I’ll also lower the hemline. I won’t drop my concept of the angled skirt, and I think the view through to a black crinoline will be interesting, but I’ll bring it down in back far enough to almost kiss the carpet, and in front I’ll bring it down to just past your knee, around here.” He touched a spot on Dee’s leg. “Would that make you feel better?”
Dee nodded. “I think so, but do you really have the time to make such major changes? Making it longer would mean like cutting whole new pieces, right? Do you even have enough of the right fabric?”
“I bought plenty of this silk, in anticipation for when your gown is the talk of the town. And I also have this awesome computer-controlled laser cutter machine. I’ll give Vanessa the rough dimensions, and she’ll go into the console where we’ve got the pattern saved, and extend it to the new measurements, then tell one of my burlier minions to load the bolt of this silk into the cutter and tell it to go. It shouldn’t take much more than an hour to get all the pieces cut. You just sit there and wait.”
Dee had to stand still while they brought a measuring tape over to her and noted how much each of the panels of the skirt would need to be increased, and then Kay helped her out of her gown and back into her robe while Vanessa and Claude went over the numbers. Dee interrupted to ask when they’d be stopping for lunch. Claude laughed and apologized for being rude. He was just so used to models who were satisfied with a bottle of water and a smoke break that he hadn’t even thought about getting Dee lunch. Kay volunteered to go get takeout and bring it back. Claude and Vanessa both wanted sandwiches, but Dee was still too nervous and corseted to eat a whole lot so she asked for just some kind of light salad.
It was fascinating watching them work. They ripped all the seams out of the skirt panels from the dress, pressed out the pleats, and then chalked new dimensions on the pieces themselves. As they worked at the computer, Dee considered what they were doing as a sort of textile engineering. There was actually a lot of math involved, since the skirt flared out at an angle and finished off with a curve. They adjusted the dimensions on all the pieces in their pattern, and then “sewed them together” virtually on the screen to see if it made the right shape.
Lunch arrived while they were still working out the details, and Dee held off eating until Vanessa and Claude were ready, and they wanted to wait until they were done on the computer. A couple of bits needed a little tweaking, but then Vanessa went to take the instructions to the cutting machine. Dee wanted to go watch the cool machine, but Claude wouldn’t let her leave his office. At least it had an attached bathroom.
Vanessa came back with the freshly cut new panels while Dee was on her potty break. She would have been finished faster if she hadn’t refastened her garters twice. It may have been more convenient with them running under her panties, but it just didn’t look right. She also had to take a moment at the mirror to fix her lipstick and fiddle with her hair.
The sewing went fairly quickly, considering that they had thirty seams to stitch together and then crease into pleats. It was a little monotonous to watch, though. Kay and Dee killed time reading through some of the fashion trade magazines that had accumulated in Claude’s office. Dee hit upon an article about a Milan fashion show, and right in the middle there was a photo of Maritza.
That seemed to summon a whole new swarm of butterflies in her tummy. In only one day, she was going to see her girlfriend again! At least, she hoped Maritza was still her girlfriend. She was a beautiful, sexy model and had been mingling among beautiful, sexy people for a month — maybe she’d found someone new. Or maybe she’d take one look at Dee and throw her to the curb. Maritza had been very gung-ho about David’s becoming more feminine, but what if that was just a fantasy for her and the reality of it would turn her off? What if she wasn’t attracted to Dee any more?
Kay saw the color leaving Dee’s face, and slid over on the couch. She reached out and took Dee’s hand by the wrist, checking her pulse with a finger. “Honey, your heart is racing. You’ve got to calm down. I know tomorrow’s a big day, but you have mastered everything I’ve thrown at you. Believe me when I say you will do flawlessly tomorrow.”
Dee flopped her head over onto Kay’s shoulder. “Thanks for your confidence, but that’s not exactly what’s got me worrying this time.” She sighed. “I’d tell you, but it’s against your rules. I’m not supposed to think about my life before.”
Kay stroked her hand. “I don’t really think we’re going to have any more lessons between now and tomorrow morning, so there isn’t much I could do if you broke my rules now. Besides, we’ve got your best friend right here, so I already broke my rules. I think you can start reconnecting with your life. I’m pretty sure it won’t reverse any of the progress you’ve made. The feminine persona you’ve created runs fairly deep — I’ll bet you’ve even stopped thinking of yourself in male terms. So what’s bothering you, D?”
She gestured at the magazine. “There was an article in there with a picture of Maritza, and it got me worrying that maybe she wouldn’t like the new me as much as she thought she would when she talked me into doing this. What am I going to do if she doesn’t want me anymore?”
Kay brushed a tear that was running down Dee’s cheek. “You are a wonderful person, beautiful inside and out. If she doesn’t want you any more, she’s a fool, and I’m sure you’ll have no difficulty finding suitors of either gender to replace her, if it came to it.”
Claude called from the other side of the room. “Pardon me for eavesdropping, but you’ve got nothing to worry about. If anything, Maritza is more nuts about you than ever.”
Dee sniffled. “But how do you know?”
“I know large-breasted women have a reputation for intellectual inferiority, so maybe something about carrying around a pair lowers your IQ. Maritza has been staying with me; remember? I’ve been sharing Kay’s progress reports on you with her, and she practically drools over every photo we’ve been sent. She’s printed one and has it in a frame on her nightstand. And then there’s the videos! She’s watched them all dozens of times. You don’t even want to know what I caught her doing to that one where you’re wiggling your hips in an ultra-miniskirt.” Claude thought for a moment. “Well, actually you probably do want to know, but I’m not going to tell you. Use your imagination.”
Dee’s face broke into a very broad smile as she did just that. She was so relieved that Maritza still found her new shape attractive that she didn’t waste any energy on feeling violated that Kay had been sending things to Claude without telling her. Claude was the one paying for it, so it made some kind of sense even if she still should have let Dee know about it. She made a mental note to get upset about it once her joy wore off.
Dee could barely contain herself and ran over to give Claude a little squeeze and a kiss on the cheek in appreciation for letting her know. Maritza liked the look of David as a woman! That was great news; especially since Dee wasn’t sure she’d being going back any time soon, if at all. Femininity seemed to fit too well to just give it all up, and it was also a hell of a lot of fun. Although apparently waiting around for a dress fitting could be boring. She considered asking why they had to wait until the day before the awards show to do this, but maybe it was Kay’s fault, since by her rules Dee wasn’t allowed to have contact with Claude.
She felt stupid for not asking sooner, and asked if there was something she could do to help them work on the dress. It was frustrating sitting around idle while watching people being industrious. Unfortunately, Claude said that it would take longer to explain to her what was needed than it would to do it himself. She had to go back and sit on the couch and wait. Dee really wished that like Kay she’d brought a book in her purse.
For the lack of anything better to do, Dee borrowed a pen and a pad of paper and started working on an acceptance speech. Her chance of needing one was very slim but since she didn’t have anything better to do, it couldn’t hurt to have something prepared, just in case. It also got her mind completely focused, so she lost track of what was happening in the rest of the room. It was refreshing to know that she could still get into that writing zone and just tune out all the distractions.
Dee was working for a while when she had a weird feeling and looked up. Kay was staring at her. “What?”
Kay just shook her head. “Your body language just seems so natural. The way you were cradling that notepad in the crook of your elbow instead of just holding it in your hand was perfect, even though I never showed you to do that. And in the moment of intense thought you just had, when you twirled your finger in your hair and chewed on your lower lip a little it was absolutely adorable! Your feminine instincts are amazing. I’m wondering if you really needed me at all.”
Dee set down her pad and leaned over to give Kay a hug. “Oh I definitely needed you! There’s no way I wouldn’t be panicking about this thing if you hadn’t taught me everything I needed to fit into the world of women as easily as I will fit into that dress that they’re making over there, customized to every one of my measurements. You have helped me so much, and I will truly miss you when you’re done with me tomorrow.”
Kay felt a tear roll down her cheek. “Oh, I may be moving back to my own place, but I doubt I’ll be done with you forever. Our relationship is more than just professional. I’m not that far away in Pasadena. When you get your phone back I’ll give you my number, and we can get together some time. Most of my students don’t get the 24/7 treatment, so I usually have free time.” She hugged Dee tightly for a moment before releasing her. “So I’m sure that our goodbye tomorrow won’t be forever.”
Claude interrupted their moment. It was time for another fitting. He made Dee go wash her face so she wouldn’t get any salt stains on her gown. She could tell there was obviously more dress this time, even when just stepping into it. The longer skirt needed a little more arranging after Vanessa zipped her up, but it did look much better. Claude had to admit that the shorter hem would have made the visible crinoline lining look a little too “Moulin Rouge,” but on the fuller skirt it brought that air of mystery he was looking for.
There was another round of pins and chalk marks, and Vanessa spent a good amount of time pushing Dee’s boobs around, trying to ensure that her gown was revealing the ideal amount of cleavage without going too far. She said that they’d try a different bra on Sunday, and that she might end up needing to use an adhesive to prevent any wardrobe malfunctions. Dee was unzipped from her dress and she got back into her robe and returned to the couch to wait.
She went back to fiddling with her speech, and soon dropped back into the zone, tuning the rest of them out. So she had no idea how much time had passed when Claude told her they were ready for her to try again. This time around, Vanessa slipped some little pads shaped like squashed footballs into her bra cups first, and tried a few different positions before being satisfied. It felt very weird for Dee to be groped by a cute girl, and not feel any kind of stimulation. Kay’s tea was working its magic on her — she hoped it would wear off in time when Maritza came home on Sunday. She blushed at where her mind was wandering, and hoped they didn’t notice.
Her gown now fit perfectly, and in the full-length mirror it looked beautiful! The fuller skirt made her feel like a fairy tale princess, while its raised front edge showed her pretty shoes and made her less afraid of tripping. She wasn’t exactly comfortable with showing off her boobs so much, but the whole point of getting them was so they could be shown off. Dee would just have to get used to it.
She twirled around happily, enjoying the way her gown moved. Claude had her slow down and perform a more fashionable turn so she could check out how her dress looked from all angles. She was very satisfied, and tried to give Claude a big hug in appreciation, but he backed away so the gown wouldn’t wrinkle. She had to wait for Vanessa to unzip her and gently remove her dress, and then she threw her arms around Claude and gave him a big hug and a kiss.
Claude got really embarrassed, even though he’d been around models in their underwear before. But somehow since this woman was really his friend David it was weird to have her/him embrace him while wearing only lingerie. It seemed to cross a line. He hurried to fetch Dee’s robe and wrapped her up in it, but then she realized that if they were done trying on the gown she could get dressed in her street clothes again, so she took it off immediately. Claude tried to hide.
Dee asked Kay to unlace her corset so she could change, but it had been sealed up tightly with no free ends. Vanessa brought over a special pair of scissors (she said they were strong enough to cut a penny) and carefully snipped the leather thong, without damaging the corset or injuring Dee. She said that she’d make sure to leave a pair of scissors like those at Dee’s place for when she got home Sunday night. Maritza would have to cut her out of her undergarments.
Dee gave Vanessa back the bra and then put her top back on. Her body really enjoyed being able to breathe again so she took a moment to just deeply fill her lungs a few times. She was done having her hair up all day, so the scrunchie came out and she shook her head until her chestnut waves hung loosely. She sat down and took her shoes off, then gently unrolled her stockings and returned them. She pulled up her knee-highs and then got back into her jeans. Lastly, she got her boots back on and grabbed her purse.
Since it would be Kay’s last night as her guest, Dee thought she’d make a special dinner, and invited Claude and Vanessa to share it with them. Claude not only turned down her offer, but also told her that she couldn’t have a big meal. She should eat something light, like soup. They couldn’t take any chances that she’d gain any weight before her debut. Dee thought that he was being silly, but agreed to humor him. She did promise to have them all over for dinner some time in the following week, everyone’s schedule permitting.
Claude’s further instructions were that she take a long, relaxing bath after eating, but to wear a shower cap to keep her hair from getting wet, and then go to sleep early. She needed to be well-rested for the cameras. When she was ready for bed, he wanted Kay to lace her into a clean one of her cotton corsets. She could choose her own nightgown.
They were to come back to the studio in the morning at the same time again, but she was only allowed to have coffee for breakfast. Dee could wear whatever clothing she wanted, but no makeup at all, and he didn’t even want her to have any deodorant on. She asked if she could wear her own perfume, and he said not to, but she could bring a bottle of her scent and apply it later.
Dee was a good girl and did as she was told. When they got home, she heated up some homemade chicken soup from the freezer. Kay told her that it was delicious enough that Dee hadn’t needed to do something extra-fancy for their last meal alone together. Kay even thanked her by cleaning up when they were finished. She told Dee that she’d been an excellent hostess for the past month.
Kay also had a surprise for her before her bath. They’d be using a restraint with a stronger adhesive than her usual tape on Sunday, and it would attach a little higher. And it needed a smooth surface, so she gave Dee a bikini wax to remove her little patch of hair. She did her best to make it hurt as little as possible, but it still stung. Dee was grateful to slip into a tubful of warm water infused with moisturizing bath oil and playful bubbles.
Dee was way too nervous and excited to relax, even though Kay had given her an extra-soothing cup of herbal tea. She ran her hands along her breasts as they tried to hide beneath the bubbles. It was strange how they seemed like a normal part of her body, in such a short time. Would other surgeries feel just as natural? While her left hand continued to idly stroke her nipple, she ran her right hand down her body and asked herself some questions. What would it feel like if she got her waist tucked in there and there, so she wouldn’t need that awful corset anymore? Or what if she got some kind of implants or injections to round out her hips, or even got her butt inflated somehow, would that feel sexy or just weird?
She brought her hand around, down below her newly smooth and tender spot, and tried not to let her mind go there. But her curiosity was in control; whether she wanted to or not, she couldn’t help trying to imagine what it would be like if she did some remodeling down there. How would it feel if her panties could fit her snugly all the way around, with no unsightly bulges or things that needed to be tucked out of the way? What would it be like if that part there were shrunk down into just a little button of a thing, and those were gone, so this here was just a soft pair of lips?
If there were another entrance into her body, would it feel like it belonged there, or would she mourn for that which was missing? That the idea didn’t horrify her came as a surprise, and she promised herself to think about it some more in the future, when she was no longer taking libido suppressors and those parts would be able to voice an opinion on the subject. She probably ought to get Maritza’s vote on the matter, too. But for the moment they were just in the way, so she made sure everything was clean down there and then put it all out of her mind.
Dee just concentrated on slowing her breathing down to a calmer pace, and enjoyed the nice floral scent of her bath oil. She was tempted to slide down until she was completely covered by water, but that wasn’t allowed since she wasn’t supposed to get her hair wet. Almost all her sore muscles had released their tension by the time Kay came to put her to bed one last time, in matching white cotton panties, corset and long nightie. Kay brushed her hair for her and gave her a little kiss on the forehead before tucking her in.
Dee had a bizarre dream where she was immensely pregnant. Claude was trying to calm her down and she was shrieking at him that it was all his fault. There was a tremendous ripping sound as her genitals split in half, and a lot of blood and disgusting stuff poured out and finally a baby. Kay, in a nurse’s outfit, caught the baby and handed it to her. Dee looked down at a miniature version of herself dressed up in a pretty red dress. “Congratulations! It’s a girl!” The shock of it actually woke Dee up, but with some difficulty she was able to get back to sleep.
***
Morning came too quickly. Dee almost felt hung over. She lazily got dressed in green striped panties and a blue tank dress. Since apparently her chest had finished healing, she went braless just to see what it would feel like. That was a mistake; they bounced around all over the place, and it was no fun whatsoever. She also skipped hose and wore a pair of leather gladiator sandals with two-inch heels, almost the lowest shoes in her wardrobe. It was annoying that she wasn’t allowed to wear makeup, since she didn’t know how many of Claude’s workers would be there. She put on her sunglasses so her face wouldn’t be completely naked.
Kay met her in the kitchen for a quick breakfast of orange juice and coffee. She warned Dee that she wouldn’t be spending all day hanging out with her at Claude’s like she did the day before. She’d stay until Dee was dressed, but not much longer after that. Kay had seen the schedule they’d planned for Dee, and it kept her pretty busy through until just before the awards ceremony. Dee was disappointed, but understood. It must have been very boring for Kay on Saturday just sitting there for all those hours during Dee’s fitting session. It was just sad that her nearly constant companion for these past weeks would be leaving sooner. They finished their drinks, shared a hug, and then hit the road.
Claude had been nervously waiting by the door for them, so he wasted no time as soon as they arrived. He ushered Dee to a dressing room where Vanessa had everything ready for her. Kay picked up a bottle and a triangular piece of fabric, and asked the others to give them some privacy. She explained that Claude and she had discussed ways of making sure none of Dee’s surprises were prematurely revealed if she were to accidentally fall on the red carpet, or if a particularly evil paparazzo managed to get an upskirt view as she got out of the car.
He had shown Kay how he’d keep models in his runway shows from getting visible “camel-toes” when showing lingerie or swimwear collections. They’d attach this piece of thick flesh-tone moleskin with spirit gum along the edges to cover their genital area, and it would smooth out the contours. Kay had made a couple of alterations so it would better serve Dee’s needs. First, she’d made it a little longer so it could be firmly attached to Dee’s perineum. Second, she’d put a small hole in it so that Dee would still be able to urinate with it in place, if necessary. Kay had needed to argue with Claude for that feature. He was used to making his models endure discomfort. The other change she made was to switch from spirit gum to a stronger medical adhesive. She assured Dee that there was a bottle of the solvent she’d need to take it off back at home in her bathroom.
Kay had Dee remove her dress and panties and sit on a stool with her legs spread. As requested, Dee hadn’t done a tuck and tape when she’d dressed, so she was feeling very naked and vulnerable. Kay donned a pair of rubber gloves and then set to work Dee tried not to pay attention to what was happening, and just looked up at the ceiling until Kay announced she was finished. Dee stood up and could feel that parts were being squished and squashed, but in the mirror it all looked as smooth and featureless as a mannequin.
Kay helped her into the panties they’d set out for her, a black tanga-cut pair made almost entirely of soft lace. Despite their sheerness, once they’d been pulled into place nothing looked at all out of the ordinary. They’d done such a good match with the color of the moleskin that it just looked like bare skin beneath the lace. And there were absolutely no clues that male parts were concealed inside.
She signaled that they were okay for Vanessa and Claude to come back. Dee sat on her stool with her arms crossed, keeping her breasts covered. It was time for Dee to take the last deep breaths she’d be getting for a while, as Vanessa brought out the corset from the day before (or one exactly like it.) She aligned the cutouts in the front with Dee’s breasts and made her hold it in place while she wrapped it around her and laced it up with a leather thong again. She also brought out her fancy tool for tightening the laces, and when she was satisfied that it was as tight as possible, she crimped the metal clamp onto the ends, then trimmed off the excess.
Vanessa next helped Dee into her bra. It was another black satin push-up bra with lace trim, but this one had the cups at a different angle than either of the other two she’d tried, so her breasts were forced together to form a nicely shaped cleavage. Once the bra was in place, Vanessa pulled Dee’s breasts as far up as possible, and treated the cups with an adhesive to keep them from slipping. It wasn’t quite as strong as what Kay had used; she told Dee that she probably wouldn’t need a solvent to get her bra off.
Dee was wrapped in a tiny kimono again, and led to a seat in front of a mirror. Tomas appeared and greeted her with a warm smile. One of his assistants was pushing a wheeled case behind him with their implements.
He gave her an air kiss hello. “I’m here to do your hair for tonight. I apologize that Jeffrey couldn’t be here to do your makeup; he had other clients who need to look pretty for the big show tonight. But lucky for you Claude was able to get Solange to agree to do you. Isn’t that wonderful?” The way he paused after the name made it seem like he expected Dee to recognize it, but she didn’t. She just smiled and let him set to work on her hair.
Claude showed Tomas The Dress where it was hanging across the room, and showed him some sketches of what he’d been thinking of for her hairstyle. Tomas came back at him with some ideas of his own, and grabbed a pencil and made his own sketch. Claude then erased part of his drawing and changed it, and then Tomas came back with some changes of his own. This went on for a while, as they argued with descriptions and terms that just weren’t in Dee’s vocabulary.
Finally they settled on a plan. Tomas told his assistant to prep the big rollers. He brushed out Dee’s hair, making sure there weren’t any tangles or split ends. He didn’t find much, and complimented her on her good hair care regimen. When her hair was all smooth and pretty and shiny, he ruined it by spraying a fine mist of mostly water from a spray bottle, until it got fairly damp. Then he had her lean forward, as he started rolling her hair onto big heated curlers, starting from the back. When she finally was allowed to lift her head back, she saw in the mirror that her head was just covered in rollers. She felt like a housewife from the fifties.
While Dee sat there waiting for her curls to set, Tomas had his assistant check her fingers and toes to see if any of her color needed a touch-up. There was a chip on her left pinky toe that needed to be fixed, so she had to take off her shoe and get a foam separator thing shoved between her toes. The girl (Dee never got her name) actually stripped all the polish off of her toe and started over with a fresh basecoat, two layers of color, and then a shiny topcoat. They didn’t want to take the time to wait for every coat to dry naturally, so Tomas actually made her wave a hairdryer at Dee’s toe so it would go faster.
He took the rollers out of her hair when they had cooled down, and she ended up with curls on her head. Tomas said that the body wave they’d given her on Friday just wasn’t dramatic enough, and she had to agree. Dee was so tempted to just spin her head back and forth to watch the curls bounce, but he wouldn’t let her. Sadly, some of her pretty curls would not be allowed to bounce free. From her forehead to just above her ears, he pulled her hair taut along her scalp and secured it along the crown of her head in a fancy kind of braid shape held together with hidden pins. She worried that he was going to that all the way down, but he told her they’d decided to give her a “partial updo,” and leave the back half of her hair hanging loose. Dee giggled that it almost looked like a mullet from the front, but the back did look very impressive and reminded her of other hairstyles she’d seen on starlets on the red carpet. Tomas really did know what he was doing.
When her hair was done, Dee got to take a restroom break. She’d gone while tucked and taped up before, but in her new restraint it felt weird. She knew those parts were still there, but she couldn’t even see them. All that was there was a little hole. She wiped very carefully to keep the moleskin dry, more of a delicate blotting actually. Dee was very nervous, but at least she was sure she’d pass as believably female. The person looking back at her from the mirror as she washed her hands was definitely a woman, with very pretty hair.
When she returned to her seat she was introduced to Solange. She was a tall, slender woman with a flawless bronze complexion, slightly almond-shaped eyes and wavy jet-black hair pulled back in a bun held together with ivory chopsticks. Dee could not figure out her ethnicity, and her vaguely French accent didn’t help. She explained, “Now Claude has told me you aren’t a professional model or actress used to having someone else do your makeup, so I will try to be patient with you. But you must do exactly as I say. Okay?”
Dee nodded and said she’d do her best. Solange had her take out her earrings and then she started by thoroughly cleansing Dee’s skin with a fairly strong astringent. Dee winced as it stung, and earned a reprimand. Solange wanted her to sit as still as possible, without talking or fidgeting. She followed the cleansing with a soothing moisturizer, even going down her throat to the visible part of her breasts. She told Dee to relax her face and put on as blank an expression as possible, to try thinking of an empty cardboard box if necessary.
Like an artist, combined pigments until she got the exact color she wanted for Dee’s foundation, and mixed it up on the spot. She used mostly organic mineral colorants, in a base that should set and last all day through hot lights without running. She used bits of natural sea sponge to apply it, blending lighter and darker tones along the way to highlight and contour where needed.
Solange asked Dee, “So tell me; what color are your lover’s eyes?”
It was a weird question, but without thinking too much she very easily pictured Maritza’s face. “Big and brown and beautiful,” she sighed.
“I need to find your cheeks, so I want you to think of those eyes and smile for me.”
Dee almost did it without being asked. She could feel her whole face beaming. She was in love with a wonderful person, and she’d be seeing her soon!
“Very good.” Solange put a few more colors on her palette and blended them onto Dee’s cheeks, and feathered a little into her cleavage. “Alright, I need you to go blank again. Focus back on that cardboard box.” She tipped Dee’s head back and squirted two drops from a little bottle into each eye, had her close her eyes and then brought her head back upright.
Dee could feel the applicator on her lids, and could tell she was getting eye shadow. It seemed backwards to her since she’d always done liner first, then mascara, then shadow. But Solange was a professional, so she must know what she was doing. It seemed like a fairly complicated eye shadow too, based on the number of passes across her lids she was taking. She felt the unmistakable brush of a mascara wand across her lashes several times before she was told to open her eyes.
Solange brushed mascara onto the inside of her lashes, top and bottom, and then used an eyelash curler on all four sets of lashes. There must have been something special in the mascara because the curl really held. Her lashes looked long and thick and amazing. Dee barely had time to catch a glance of herself in the mirror before she had to tilt her head back and look up.
There must have been some kind of anesthetic in the eyedrops she’d given Dee, because she could barely feel it when Solange brushed on eyeliner right against the edge of her lids. She painted on a thin line of white inside a thin line of black, and it made Dee’s eyes really pop!
To finish out the eye area, she applied a brown powder to Dee’s eyebrows and combed it in. She also decided that there were a few hairs that needed to be tweezed, and a couple that she merely trimmed shorter with a tiny pair of scissors. Solange seemed satisfied with everything so far, so she went over her entire face with a powder that she said would hold it all in place when it set up, and add a little extra luster when the bright lights hit her skin. She even powdered all the way down into her exposed cleavage.
She used a damp sponge to clean off any powder that inadvertently got on her mouth, and then had Dee keep her blank expression but open her mouth slightly. With a fine paintbrush, she began to put a deep red color onto Dee’s lips, just a shade brighter than her dress. Solange had Dee purse her lips into a pucker so she could blot them a couple of times. When she was satisfied with the color, she let it sit a minute then blotted again, and this time very little came off. She then went over it with a different brush and a very shiny gloss to go on top, which was also a longwearing variety. She promised Dee that as long as she didn’t do too much eating, drinking, or kissing, she shouldn’t need to reapply anything, but she’d give her a pot of color and gloss and a lip brush to carry in her bag just in case.
When she’d finished with Dee’s makeup, Solange called Tomas back over. He used a pick and pulled Dee’s bangs out of the updo and out onto her forehead, and gave them a quick press in his large-barreled curling iron so they had the right curve. He also pulled a lock of hair out of the bundle on each side of her head, and coiled those into tighter ringlets with a narrower curling iron. Tomas then sprayed her hair with a generous coat of hairspray, so nothing would get out of place.
They turned her so she could get a good look in the mirror. They’d done an incredible job! She’d considered herself kind of pretty before, but her reflection was that of a truly beautiful woman, whose face seemed to convey a combination of sultriness and doe-eyed innocence. Her eyes seemed larger than before, and really demanded attention. Their lids were smoky and sophisticated. Her face seemed to have changed shape; her cheekbones never seemed so pronounced before. And her glistening, full lips seemed to be asking to be kissed. She looked like something out of a magazine, but she wasn’t sure if that made her a supermodel or a centerfold. She practiced a few flirty expressions in the mirror.
Claude said she could have a lunch break, and brought her a can with a straw sticking out of it. It was a vitamin-enriched supplement that would provide enough nutrients to make sure she wouldn’t pass out from hunger, without bloating her out or causing any significant change in weight, so her dress would be certain to still fit. And the straw made sure its impact on her makeup would be minimal. Looking around the room as she sipped, Dee realized that Kay was no longer there. She hadn’t noticed when she’d left. She didn’t even say goodbye.
Vanessa put on white cotton gloves and rolled Dee’s stocking up her legs. They were sheer black and real silk. She put some adhesive on the tops so they wouldn’t sag even if one of Dee’s garters gave out. She slipped the fancy shoes she’d worn the day before onto her feet and buckled them up. Vanessa asked Dee if she’d brought a fragrance, and she fetched the perfume bottle from her purse for her.
She asked Dee to remove her robe, and then had her raise her arms over her head. She quickly cleaned her underarms with baby wipes, and then dry tissues, and finished up with a blast from an antiperspirant spray. Dee had to stand with her arms out until the spray dried. Vanessa then misted a cloud of her perfume and had her walk into it, then gave her a dab on each wrist, behind each ear, and between her breasts.
Vanessa gave her another bathroom break before it was time to put her dress on. But she wasn’t allowed to have her robe back so she had to walk across the room in her underwear and pretend not to notice all the people. It was much too embarrassing for Dee; she decided that she’d never cut it as a model. They have to let people see them in their underwear all the time. She finished her business and crossed that room again.
Claude had brought a few more of his assistants over to help get her into the dress. They held it spread out for her to step into, and then came together as Claude zipped her up, and then they all backed off. He led her to a full-length mirror. She felt like a teenage girl going to the prom, or a fairy-tale princess, or maybe even a bride with an unusually colored dress. It was difficult trying to accept that the glamorous beauty she was seeing was really her!
Claude wasn’t finished. He had her bend her head forward, and he hooked a pair of earrings onto her ears, and reached around behind her to fasten a necklace. They were matching brilliant teardrop-shaped red stones in gold fixtures. The weight on her ears made her think they might be real rubies and not fake ones. Claude asked if she recognized them; they were the same pieces he’d rented for Maritza the previous year, but he’d gone ahead and bought them, so this year Dee could keep them if she wanted to; she should consider them a gift in appreciation for going through with this whole project.
Dee gave him the best hug she could manage without smudging or wrinkling anything, and thanked him deeply for the jewels. She’d have to find a way to attend more formal events, to give her an excuse to wear her nice things.
Claude brought her to a room in his studio that was set up for doing photography sessions. He told Dee that he wanted to get some pictures of her in her gown in a controlled setting that he’d release to the press as soon as the Oscar broadcast began. He was sure that people would be talking about her and he wanted to control the story somewhat.
Dee asked if Claude would send a copy of that press release to Nadine a little in advance, so she could handle any questions and refer most of them to Claude’s people. Dee started worrying that doing such a major publicity stunt without notifying her publicist might not have been such a good idea.
She asked Claude if he knew when she’d be getting her phone back, and Tomas spoke up that he’d actually brought it with him. David’s boxes of stuff had been kept in their storeroom, and before Antoine came to pick them up that morning, he’d grabbed her phone for her, since he’d be seeing her first. He figured that if she won her Oscar, she’d want to be able to receive all the calls of congratulations from her friends and family.
Dee was happy to get her phone back, and it even looked like Tomas (or someone) had been nice enough to fully charge it for her. She had a bunch of voicemail messages, so she rushed through them quickly. The first one was a really cute message from Maritza saying she wanted to be the first thing David heard when he got his phone back. There was one from David’s publisher wishing him luck at the awards. But the rest were from Nadine. Mainly she was frustrated by David’s cutting off all contact right before a very high-publicity event, but she was also being pestered by people on Jane Waters’ staff. It felt like she was planning some more major humiliation for David to boost her ratings, and that had Nadine worried. Dee was hopeful that their plan for revenge on her would be successful in shutting her up.
She threw together a quick text to Nadine: “Sorry for being incommunicado for this past month. You’ll find out why shortly. I’ve been working on something that should get me some attention tonight. If you decide to quit working for me, I’ll understand; it was beyond rude of me to keep this from you. But if you will stay with me through what will possibly be some obnoxiously busy times, I promise that I will agree to whatever publicity gig you want me to work, with no complaints, even if you want me to do a book tour of the Deep South in August. Please don’t be too mad. —D”
Vanessa had put Dee’s perfume and the cosmetics Solange had given Dee for making emergency repairs in a clutch bag that matched her gown. When Dee finished her text and closed her phone she put it in the bag and Vanessa zipped it up. She introduced Dee to Roxanne, the photographer who’d be taking her picture. She was a wild-haired blonde, in maybe her late thirties or early forties, and either had excellent skin or was a master of the makeup technique that made it look like you weren’t wearing any. She was dressed in simple blue jeans and work boots and an unbuttoned bowling shirt over a pink tank, but she carried herself with an air of elegance.
Roxanne touched the side of her nose and winked. “Claude told me your secret, but from the way you look I’d never have been able to guess. You’ve never done this before, so I’ll help you through it, showing you exactly how I want you to pose. Before I got too old and had to retire, I used to work on the other side of the camera, so you can trust me.”
She smiled, but Dee wasn’t sure whether to be reassured or terrified.
Roxanne put her through a grueling number of poses, some with her straight on to the camera, some with her looking off to the side, and a couple even had her looking back over her shoulder, mostly with her standing, but Roxanne tried a few with her seated on a box, and one weird one with her jumping into the air. She also had her try each pose with a number of different facial expressions.
Dee used Solange’s trick of picturing Maritza’s eyes to smile, and she did okay at trying a “playful pout,” but she needed a lot of help when Roxanne wanted her to make a “sexy” expression. She tried copying the face Roxanne was making, with her eyes almost closed, and her mouth open a little, but it just wasn’t working. She had to start from scratch, and banish any sense of shame while trying to imagine that standing just to the left of the camera was someone she was aching for, that as soon as the picture was done her dress was going to hit the floor. After twelve tries or so, Roxanne was finally satisfied. Then she made her try the same poses in front of a different colored backdrop.
Tomas and Solange were on hand to fix her hair and makeup any time Roxanne made her muss it up for a shot, but Claude had to step out for a while to get dressed. He came back wearing an identical tuxedo to the one David had worn the year before. It really did look like a pimp suit. Dee had to laugh. But then he joined in the picture, and Roxanne had them in a number of different poses together. Most of them were straightforward, like the two of them facing the camera side by side, or facing each other, but then Roxanne got a little playful.
She had Dee take advantage of the extra height she had on Claude, especially in her heels, and made her bring her hand up behind his head and muss his hair while they were standing forward. Then she did one where they were posed as if they were waltzing, and then made Claude try to dip her. He couldn’t hold her up and Dee fell over laughing and pushed her skirt between her knees to avoid flashing anyone, but Roxanne might have snapped her picture quickly enough to catch a glimpse of garter.
Then there were some poses that made Dee really uncomfortable, where she had to kiss Claude. At first it was just a silly one, where Claude was rigid and facing the camera, while Dee leaned over puckered up and almost touched his cheek with her lips. Then it got a little wilder, where Roxanne unbuttoned Claude’s shirt and had Dee run her shiny nails across his chest while biting his ear. Roxanne wanted her to leave kiss prints on Claude’s face, but her lipstick was long-wearing and wouldn’t rub off. So she had Solange get some regular lipstick in the same color, and Roxanne wore it herself to cover Claude’s face with kisses. It was kind of fun for Dee to see him squirm. But it just got really weird when Roxanne wanted a pose where they were seriously embracing. Claude whispered an apology and kissed her as gently as he could, cradling her face in his hands. It was nice, but it was like kissing your brother or something, kind of weird.
At least they got to take a break after that to fix everyone’s makeup. Dee even got to sip another can of yummy nutrient liquid. She realized that she had no idea what time it was, and wondered how much longer they’d be spending taking pictures before it was time for the show. But she didn’t get more than a moment to herself when it was time to go back and pose again.
Roxanne had her stand in front of a plain grayish curtain at one end of the room and told her, “Now in this shot I want you to imagine that you’re a girl who hasn’t seen her boyfriend for a very long time, but any minute now he’ll be coming through that door over there.” Roxanne pointed at a side door to the room, just past her left shoulder. “Can I see that anticipation in your face?”
Dee did her best to try and look hopeful, but as the camera whirred and she looked toward that door, it actually did open and a guy in a black tuxedo came through it. He was about six feet tall, average build, with slicked back dark hair and a little moustache. He wore wire-rimmed glasses on his face. He was quickly walking towards Dee, and she was trying to figure out why he looked familiar when it hit her: this was Maritza dressed up as a guy! They’d hinted that “Mauricio” would be her escort for the awards show, but she hadn’t thought that was real. Dee only had time to take a couple steps towards her love when she was looking straight into those big, beautiful, brown eyes she knew so well.
She threw her arms around his neck, (Dee had been trained to address people as the gender they appeared to be) pressed her lips to his, and closed her eyes. She willingly allowed her lips to part and accepted his probing tongue into her mouth. She felt his hands caress her shoulders, her back, her waist, and they probably would have continued down if not for all her crinoline. She breathed in his strong, musty cologne and realized how different it felt to be kissed by someone with a moustache. She could feel the camera flashing, but didn’t care.
Solange made them stop before any major damage was done to Dee’s makeup. They reluctantly broke the kiss and pulled back, but they kept their hands entwined. Dee leaned over and whispered in Mauricio’s ear, “I missed you.”
An unfamiliar coarse voice whispered back, “I missed you too, My Darling. I love you, Davida.”
It was weird to be addressed by a different name. She’d grown used to thinking of herself as “Dee,” but that really was just an initial. This was just another version of calling her by a feminization of her male name. She smiled at her boyfriend. “I love you too, Mauricio.”
***
There was a bunch more posing, but the time just seemed to fly. It could have been hours, or it could have been minutes. Dee didn’t care; she was with her sweetheart. In fact, it came as quite a surprise when Claude told them their car was ready and it was time to go.
Dee thanked everyone, giving a Vanessa a big hug in appreciation of everything she did for her, and said she’d try to have the whole Cabal over for a dinner party some time in the near future, but she didn’t know her schedule yet; she might be at the mercy of a vindictive publicist.
Mauricio offered her his arm and led her to the door where a limousine was waiting, and then helped her into the car. It was her first time managing such a poofy skirt, but she did admirably, only showing a little more leg than she’d intended. Claude gave the driver David’s tickets, and made sure he knew where the pavilion was. Everything seemed to be in order, so they were on their way.
Mauricio broke the silence first. “At last we’re finally alone. I can hardly believe how beautiful you look. Finally everyone’s eyes can see what my heart has always known.”
Dee was overwhelmed, and really wanted to kiss him but was afraid for her makeup. She reached over and held his hand instead, accidentally brushing by an unexpectedly realistic bulge on his lap. “You look rather handsome yourself. I think we make a good couple.”
Mauricio licked his lips. “There is no way I am anywhere near as sexy as a man as you are as a woman. I almost wish we could just blow this thing off and go home, and I’d show you exactly what you make me want to do to you.”
The idea of skipping out on the awards was very tempting. Dee sighed. “I can’t wait to find out. But this whole project was about going to the awards. If we didn’t show up, Claude would be really pissed off, and might even sue me for all the expenses. I’ll tell you what, though: this has been such a long day for me, let’s just go home as soon as the awards are over, instead of trying to hit any After Parties.”
“That’s an excellent idea.” He kissed her hand and his moustache tickled. “I’ve arranged a surprise for you when we get back.”
“Really? What is it?” Dee peppered him with questions all the way there, but he wouldn’t even give her a hint.
They arrived at the pavilion, and their driver showed their tickets to a guard, who checked a clipboard, then directed him to get into a line of limousines. David wasn’t famous enough to cut ahead. The guard told someone over a walkie-talkie who was in which car. Now it was just a matter of waiting for their turn. They planned their exit while they were waiting. The driver would stop the car and then get out and open the door. Then Mauricio would get out, carrying Dee’s bag for her. He’d hold out his hand, and she’d take it to pull herself up out of the car. The driver passed Mauricio the tickets, and he put them in his inside jacket pocket in case anyone checked them.
They got to the red carpet and there was an explosion of flashbulbs as they got out. A few shouts of “Who are you wearing?” and more of “Who are you?” greeted them.
Dee smiled, gave a little wave to the crowd and called out, “I’m D. Fine, and my gown is a Claude Marsh! “
The name didn’t register with any of the reporters, so they tried wondering if Mauricio was the celebrity and she was just his date, but he just growled “Delgado” at them when they pressed him for his identity. It was kind of fun.
Dee did her best slow glide down the red carpet, and stopped when she saw a production assistant with the logo for The Jane Waters Show on his t-shirt. He was counting people as they went by. He called out that by his reckoning, they should be “David Fine and Guest,” but he looked confused.
Dee told him, “We are, and I think you’ll want to get Jane and a camera over here to talk to us. You might even want two cameras, to get Jane’s reaction.”
The P.A. compared the photo he had on his clipboard to Mauricio and it didn’t seem to match, so he wasn’t sure. But the way the pretty woman looked into his eyes made him want to believe her; he could tell she was hiding something. He clicked his microphone to call Jane over.
Jane made her way over and shot an irritated look at her peon. “I thought you said you had that Fine guy here for me to poke fun at again. Who are these people?”
Dee smiled sweetly. “Hello, Jane, it’s nice to see you again. I took your advice and came in a gown this year.” Jane still wasn’t getting it, so Dee cleared her throat and let her voice slip down into the lower register. “I’m David Fine, that guy you wanted to poke fun at, up for best adapted screenplay again. You probably don’t recognize me because I’ve had a little work done, but then I don’t need to talk to you about why someone would want a few surgical alterations.” Dee took a breath and went back to her feminine voice. “And you must admit that a gown like this one can only really be properly accessorized with silicone.” She gestured toward her enhancements.
They’d won. Jane was speechless. She muttered something incoherent, and her camera guy tried not to laugh. Dee unzipped her bag and showed the P.A. her official state ID with her current face and legal name of “David Fine,” just in case they thought it was some kind of trick.
The murmurs started going through the crowd as they continued down the carpet to the entrance. “That chick’s a dude!” and “No way!” were popular, as well as “The hottie in the red dress is a trannie!” Dee just held her head high and pretended not to hear them, smiling and occasionally waving.
Once inside, they gave their names to an usher, and he checked their tickets and showed them to their seats. Dee’s phone was vibrating, and there was still time before the show, so she answered it. “Hello?”
It was Nadine. “Oh my god! That really was you! Your voice sounds so real.” Dee went and explained the whole story to her, how Claude had figured out how to put Jane Waters in her place for embarrassing them last year, and while maybe they’d taken things a little too far, Maritza was into it, and Dee was finding that she kind of enjoyed being female. Nadine wanted to know if she’d had a full sex change, and whether she’d changed her name or anything, so she could let the publisher know. Dee told her that even though it wasn’t exactly Nadine’s business, she hadn’t made any irreversible changes as yet, and hadn’t decided if she was going to. Legally she was still a male named David, but she’d taken to going by her initial. The show was about to start and she’d have to turn her phone off, so she said she’d call her later. Nadine wished her luck and hung up.
Dee paid a lot more attention to all the ceremony this time around. She was particularly aware of what everyone else was wearing. The gowns all looked so lovely! She wished she had the figure for some of them, and felt a little too exposed compared to others. It also seemed like some of those born female didn’t put the time and effort needed into looking their best. She also found herself appreciating the shapes of some of the actors under their suits, which was a bit of a surprise. The only man she needed was the one sitting next to her.
When her category was announced, she applauded all of her competition, and imagined the cameraman who was supposed to zoom in on “David Fine” must have been having a hard time finding her. The favorite was a woman who had turned a true story from a series of articles about Somali refugees into a heartwrenching dramatic film that had already won for best supporting actress that evening. Dee was getting ready to applaud her when the presenter read, “And the Oscar goes to David Fine for Condensation.”
Dee was in shock. She only had a moment to realize she needed to get down there, and did a flawless glide down the aisle and up the stairs to the podium. The actress who’d read her name almost didn’t want to hand over the statuette, but she took it anyway.
“First, you’re probably wondering about my new look. You’ll have to ask Jane Waters about that; I don’t have time. I had a few words prepared, but as you can see this outfit doesn’t have any pockets so I left it behind.” She paused while the confused audience laughed. “I’d like to thank most of all the readers for making my books popular enough that someone wanted to make them into films, and the studio for giving me a shot at reinterpreting my own work for the screen. I didn’t always agree with the director’s choices, but I think in the end the story you see turned out better than I would have made it. So thanks, James, for telling my story better than I could. And thanks to a wonderful cast who made my characters into living, breathing, people. Lately for some reason, I’ve been concerned with nurturing my babies, and you treated them well.” She inhaled a little on that last line, and the crowd got her joke. “I’d also like to thank my good friend Claude who helped make this glittery city feel like home, even if he did talk me into some really crazy things.” She gestured at her gown, even though most people wouldn’t understand what she meant. “And finally, I can’t thank you for helping me win this because it was pretty much in the can by the time we started dating, but I love you, Baby!” She blew a kiss toward Mauricio, and held Oscar up in the air. “Woo!”
She’d finished her speech before the music started, and was ushered backstage. An official was standing there questioning her identity, and they had to send an usher to her seat to fetch her bag so she could show her ID. Mauricio came back with them, and gave her a quick peck on the cheek and congratulated her. She showed that she actually was “David Fine” and they confirmed the spelling and address to send the engraved nameplate when it arrived.
Dee and Oscar and Mauricio then went to a room where members of the press were waiting. She posed for a couple of pictures with her new little friend, and then stepped up to a microphone. Most of the questions were about her appearance. She started with a statement, “I have nothing but the utmost respect for the Academy and I hope I don’t look like a mockery at all. My goal was to wear my gown with the grace and glamour that the occasion merits, and you’ll have to decide whether I was successful.” The press gave a couple of wolf whistles followed by a spontaneous round of applause.
Dee thanked them and told them the whole story about how she’d been insulted the previous year and Claude talked her into becoming as feminine as possible, and her girlfriend was more than positive about it. Besides Claude Marsh fashions, she credited her new look to the work of Dr. Ben Coleman, and makeup artist Solange, and hair by Tom & Jeffy’s, and most of all the work of her Feminine Deportment Coach Kay Thomas.
The reporters asked exactly how much of a woman she’d become, and Dee evaded by saying that she had become very in touch with her feminine side, and enjoyed dressing up and looking pretty, and still enjoyed cooking and keeping a nice home but that hadn’t changed from before. She threw them a bone and said her training had included taking a dance class with a male partner, and that hadn’t been entirely unpleasant. She added that if anyone included that in her story, she’d appreciate it if they could also say that she’d like to apologize to her dance partner for kissing him without telling him the truth about her identity.
That got the press folks excited. They wanted to know whether she’d gone gay, and Dee explained that while there were positive aspects to being with a man, on the whole she preferred women. She was committed to her girlfriend and wasn’t looking to change that any time soon. One reporter asked if her girlfriend was still just as committed, and Dee said he could ask her that himself, and she beckoned Mauricio over to the podium.
Maritza talked in her regular voice, and peered out over her fake glasses. “Hi, I’m Maritza Delgado, and I could not be happier about my Sweetie’s new appearance. She made some serious changes but all you see here on me is fake. The only things I changed were I got my hair and fingernails cut.” She waved her hands with their short, colorless nails in front of her, and turned her head so they could see how short her hair was in back. She switched back to her Mauricio voice. “And any of you men out there have to agree that my lady is seriously fine. Look how sexy she is! As soon as this thing is over tonight, I plan on taking her home and ravishing her until morning.” He caught her by surprise in a deep kiss, and several cameras caught it.
They were rushed out of there, as the other winners were getting backed up waiting for their turns with the press. Dee laughed that she hadn’t even gotten to talk about the movie. They went to a table where a runner could be sent to fetch their driver to go put Oscar in the car.
While they were waiting, Dee checked her voicemail. She had a lot of messages from her friends congratulating her on her win and wanting more information about David’s apparent sex change. Nadine called not only to congratulate her on the win but also to say that there was already a bidding war between the morning talk shows to see who could get Dee on for Monday’s show.
Dee only had a little time so she called Claude and asked how she’d done. He said her performance was better than he could have hoped, and the clip of Jane Waters looking flabbergasted was already one of the top hits at YouTube. Claude speculated that her network had made her run the tape since it was a big scoop, even though it made her look stupid. Dee laughed and thanked him again before she had to go.
All that backstage work meant they’d missed several of the awards. But they didn’t miss the other award where Condensation had been nominated, Best Direction. Dee rooted for her movie, and applauded as loudly as possible when its director won the award. James Pierce took the podium and as part of his speech he thanked “Our writer, David Fine, a brilliant man and as we see tonight apparently also a very lovely woman.” Dee blew him a kiss for that, and wondered if she was on camera.
All in all, it was a wonderful event, although it ran overtime as it always does. There was a veritable stampede as all the Hollywood elite rushed out to find their drivers. There was a bit of a chill in the night air, and Mauricio wrapped his arm around Dee’s shoulders as they walked down the street to where their limo was parked. She squeezed his hand in hers and snuggled up tightly against him. It had been a long day.
On the drive home, Dee’s phone rang. It was Nadine. First, her publisher wanted a new photo of Dee for the back of her new novel’s book jacket as soon as possible. They were holding off on printing until they could add a note that the author was an Oscar winner, so they weren’t going to charge for causing a delay. But unless she supplied a new photo to their office by express mail for Tuesday morning, they’d have to go with one of the ones from Claude’s press release, and Nadine didn’t think they really suited who Dee was as an author.
The other piece of good news / bad news was that Dee would be interviewed on the Today show on Monday morning, which would be great publicity for the new book, but it meant getting to the local TV station by 4:00 am, dressed up nice and looking awake and pretty and ready to go. Dee sighed, but accepted her fate. It was a good thing they hadn’t tried to hit any parties.
When they got home, Mauricio tried to tip the driver, but he said he’d already been taken care of. He gave Dee the box with Oscar in it, and she carried it in her arms like a baby. She thanked the driver for taking good care of them and asked him for his business card, in case they needed his services again. He was very professional and she only caught him looking at her chest twice.
Just inside their foyer, there was an envelope tied to a ribbon hanging down from the lighting fixture. On the back it said, “D - Open me first.” Dee opened it, and saw that it was a card with a note from Kay:
“D:
Don’t let it get around, but I have to say this was my favorite assignment ever. You were such a natural, my job was a breeze. Your compassion, loyalty, and insight made you the pinnacle of womanhood on the inside before I ever met you, and your beauty and grace (I’m not talking about what Dr. Ben gave you; you were lovely even before his knife touched you) on the outside make you the envy of every girl. I count myself lucky to have met you.You’ve had a busy day, and they didn’t feed you much. So if you take a moment to think about it, you’re probably starving. Jackie came by and prepared something for you. It’s in the kitchen, and she’s left you instructions on what to do with it.
Your computer has been returned, and you can have your office back. My stuff is all moved out, and your lady’s things are all back in her closet. Your male wardrobe is still boxed up, but those boxes are now in the back of your garage. I think we both know there’s little chance of you needing those things again. If there’s a garment that has some sentimental value to you, maybe you’ll want to rescue it, but I’d recommend just taking all those boxes and donating them to a homeless center.
I wish you luck and hope you’re coming home with an award, but even if you don’t, you’re still a winner in my book. When they gave you back your old phone, you may not have noticed but my number is now in there. Call me some time.
K”
Dee was glad her mascara was waterproof. She was weeping. Mauricio pulled her close and asked if it was bad news, but Dee shook her head and said she was just crying because she was happy. He rolled his eyes and said “Women!” They both laughed over that. He didn’t let her go until he’d given her a thoroughly toe-curling kiss, for good measure.
She thought about it, and she was kind of hungry. She headed into the kitchen and found a note from Jackie. She’d prepared a Moroccan meal for them and it was warming in the oven. She said that in Morocco they generally eat on low tables on the floor, so cushions had been set up in the living room for them to sit upon. Their meal was a stew in a special clay dish called a tagine (which Dee could keep after the meal as a gift from Jackie) served with freshly baked flatbread. The way to eat it was to tear off a piece of bread and use it to scoop from the common dish. It could get a little messy, so she’d set out finger bowls (another gift) when she set the table for them. There was a dessert in the fridge when they were ready for it.
The dish in the oven was very pretty. Dee would have to make a special spot in her china cabinet to show it off. She used a potholder and removed the high conical lid and was greeted by an exotically mouth-watering aroma. The ingredients were so soft that she couldn’t begin to identify them, but it smelled amazing! She made Mauricio carry the bowl to the living room while she took the bread out of the oven and placed it in the basket Jackie had laid out.
The coffee table had been laid with a pretty tablecloth that wasn’t one of Dee’s. It looked like it probably came from Morocco, too. A large trivet had been set out for the tagine, and a pitcher of water with ice cubes and lemon slices was set out on a large cork coaster to protect Dee’s table from its condensation. The place settings had a pretty brass finger bowl, a cloth napkin that coordinated with the tablecloth, a water glass and a champagne flute for each of them.
After noticing the glasses, Dee looked around and saw the champagne bottle chilling in a silver ice bucket on the fireplace hearth. It had a sticky note attached that read, “Congratulations! We did it! — Claude.” Her attention was also drawn to a new picture on one side of the mantelpiece in a beautiful silver frame. It was one of the photos Roxanne had taken, where Dee and Mauricio were turned three-quarters towards each other and sharing a look of profound love. It almost looked like a wedding portrait. There was another sticky note on the opposite side of the mantle that read “This space reserved for Oscar.” Dee giggled and placed her new little friend in his assigned space while Mauricio popped the cork.
They toasted Oscar and drank with their arms entwined. Mauricio settled himself casually down onto the floor pillows, almost reclining on them. It was trickier for her, but Dee figured out how to kneel down on the cushion and arrange her skirts around her without taking up too much space.
The meal was delicious! It took them a while to get the technique down of tearing off a piece of bread and scooping it through the stew without making a mess. The finger bowls got a lot of use in the beginning. Mauricio’s shorter nails made it easier for him to do it neatly, so after a while he hit upon the idea of feeding Dee. He’d bring the piece of bread to her mouth and hold it there while she nibbled it to bits. His reward was to have her carefully and lovingly clean his fingers with her mouth. It was extremely sensual, and they had to stop to share a few kisses along the way. For a couple of those kisses, Mauricio’s hand decided to wander and explore the texture of the top of Dee’s gown.
They cleaned the bowl. Mauricio ended up eating roughly twice as much of it as Dee. Her corset kept her from eating too much, but she was satisfied. He let her stay seated while he went to check the refrigerator to see what their dessert was. Dee wasn’t sure she’d have room for anything, and hoped Jackie hadn’t baked anything too heavy. She was happy to see him carrying back a tray with a rather light dessert of fresh strawberries with thick whipped cream for dipping.
She decided to repay his gesture with the stew, and dipped a strawberry for him and fed it to him. He took it into his mouth in one bite, and kissed her fingers. Then he fed her one, and she did another one for him. The next time he dipped one for her, she wanted to show off, so licked the cream off of it before softly sucking the berry into her mouth. Then when it was her time to feed him, she dipped the berry and held it in her teeth so he’d have to kiss her to take it, which he was more than willing to do.
When it was Mauricio’s turn, he loaded up a strawberry, but then danced it around, pulling it out of reach every time her mouth got close. But he moved it a little too fast, and a dollop of cream dropped straight down into her cleavage. She scolded him and said that it was a good thing he hadn’t ruined her gown. She reached for her napkin, but he held her shoulders and carefully licked up every drop of spilled cream. He looked up at her with a mischievous grin.
He pulled her to her feet and stepped them away from the table. “There’s only one way to be absolutely sure nothing gets on your dress.” He reached around behind her and unhooked then unzipped her dress, then pulled it off her shoulders and down to the floor. “There. Now we should be safe.” She could feel his eyes roaming all over her body. He brought her back to the cushions to sit down. “Although really, to be absolutely sure, we’d probably better take that off, too.” Before Dee realized what he was talking about, he’d reached one hand behind her and had unhooked her bra, then gently used two hands in the front to pull it off of her. His eyes grew wide as they took in all her glory. “I mean, look how easily an accident could happen.” He took another strawberry, loaded it with cream, and then deliberately dropped it on her left nipple. “Let me get that for you.”
He brought his mouth to her breast and softly licked at the cream until every bit was gone, and then kept going. Dee couldn’t help but wriggle and moan from the sheer pleasure. He abandoned his pretense and switched to let his fingers play with her left nipple and moved his mouth to the right one. Eventually he had each hand working a breast, and kept switching his mouth from one to the other, occasionally adding a fingerful of cream to mix things up.
After a while, Dee’s body trembled, and she felt what could only be an orgasm, but with her genitals still trapped it didn’t come with the usual signs. She grabbed his face in her hands and brought it to his for a kiss. “That was incredible. I would love to do the same for you, if we’ve still got any cream.” She ran her hand down the buttons of his shirt.
However, Mauricio chose to stay in character. Instead of taking his shirt off like she expected, he loosened his belt, unzipped his fly and reached down into his pants. Dee couldn’t exactly tell what he was doing, but a moment later he had a very realistic erect penis poking out of the front of his boxers. He ran two fingers through the cream and dropped a large amount on the end of his member. He leaned back, looked at Dee and smiled, wondering if she’d accept his challenge.
Dee probably should have been expecting something like that, but it really threw her for a loop. She stared at it for a moment and then grinned back at him. She slowly approached him on all fours and said that was her favorite kind of dessert. She hadn’t crawled naked since becoming a woman, and the feel of her breasts as the swung beneath her was a new sensation for her. They felt so much bigger in that position.
Since it was dripping, she decided to start from the bottom. She slurped her way all along the base, making sure she left it clean. It tasted rubbery, and a little sweaty under the flavor of the cream, but she was doing this for the love of her life, so she didn’t let it bother her. She did another orbit around the bottom of the shaft, but it was dripping down faster than she was sucking it up. The only way she was going to conquer this was head on. She took as deep a breath as her corset would let her, flexed her jaw in the hope that it wouldn’t cramp up on her, moved her tongue out of the way, and then lowered her mouth onto her boyfriend.
Even though he was made of silicone, she still refrained from using her teeth; it just seemed wrong. She bobbed her head up until only the tip was still in her mouth and then brought it down deeper than before. Each time she pushed further, willing her throat to open up, forcing herself to swallow instead of gagging. The thing must have somehow been connected to Mauricio’s true genitals, because he let out an involuntary groan any time she caused it to move. That gave Dee all the incentive she needed to keep going, faster and faster, deeper and deeper until her lower lip was touching his rubber testicles at every stroke. When she was almost ready to give up, he brought his hands to her head and held it in place for a few moments, until he eased her off.
He pulled her close and kissed her and noticed how clean she’d gotten him. “You sucked me completely dry, Baby. I love a girl who swallows for her man.” He gave her a little more cream on his fingertip, and she slurped it lustily. “You’re unbelievable.”
Dee soothed her throat with a few sips of cool water. She gave her man a sexy look Roxanne would have been proud of. “If you think that was impressive, clean this stuff up and then meet me upstairs. I believe I heard something about being ‘ravished until morning’?” She grabbed her bag, got up and did a slow sashay out of the room and up the stairs.
As Mauricio watched the seductive swaying of her lacy posterior, he was glad he wasn’t a biological male, as he’d have no blood left in his brain after that. He set to work taking care of the remains of their dinner as quickly as he could, without doing a sloppy job that would disappoint the lady of the house.
Dee had been mostly bluffing. She was essentially a virgin in certain ways, so her sexy bravado at promising something impressive had been entirely an act. But she was definitely ready to experience from a female point of view, and she knew she had the right partner this time. She hurried to get ready without wasting time; she did not want a repeat of her fiasco with Joe. She was not going to keep Mauricio waiting any longer than necessary.
She popped into her bathroom and checked her look in the mirror. Her hair had gotten a little messed up and she was probably missing a few bobby pins. She reached back and pulled out the rest of the pins, and then finger-combed the little braids out. She rapidly shook her head back and forth until she was satisfied that she had that tousled, messy look that was sexier than anything. Her makeup was still in decent shape. Her lips only needed a few little corrections and they’d be back in top form.
She spotted another little envelope from Kay on the counter. There was a little blue pill inside and a note that said it would help Dee shake off the effects of her herbal tea. She took the pill with a sip of water, and wondered how much more eager she would become once her libido was no longer being suppressed.
Dee had been on a mostly liquid diet for the better part of the day, so she figured she was fairly clean down there, but just to be sure she grabbed one of those bottles Kay had bought her and flushed herself out. Then she applied a very liberal amount of lubricant, as deeply as her finger could reach. She slid her panties back into place, washed her hands, and gave herself a few fresh spots of perfume before leaving the room.
Her timing was excellent. Mauricio was hanging up her dress for her when she came out. He asked, “So what do you think of your surprise?”
Dee hadn’t taken any time on her way through the bedroom, so she didn’t realize what he was talking about. But the gears in her head slowly turned until she noticed that he was standing in Dee’s closet, and it was just as deep as Maritza’s. She also looked to the side and noticed that the counter now sported dual vanities. There were now two lit up mirrors and chairs, and they each had their own space for their cosmetics and jewelry and things. She just stared, dumfounded.
“I was talking to Claude, and we decided that ‘His and Hers’ closets really didn’t seem appropriate anymore. You needed more space, if only for all your shoes. So he gave me the number of the guy you hired to make my closet, and I hired him to give you one just like it. You’ve lost a little more space in your office, but I hope you think it’s worth it. They still had all the measurements so it was easy for them to make all the pieces ahead of time, and get it all installed while you were out this morning. It was funny; we were parked around the block this morning waiting until you left, and I was so worried you’d spot us. I let them in, and then Kay took over when it was time for me to go get dressed.”
Dee went over and saw how all her things were nicely put away, and there was plenty of room for more! She made a happy noise in the back of her throat. “That’s so sweet of you to do that for me. I love my new closet! You have definitely earned what I was about to let you do anyway.” She kneeled on the bed and arched her back. “Come here, Stallion!” Mauricio walked up behind her and nibbled a row of kisses across the top of her shoulder and up the side of her throat. His arm wrapped around her waist and she leaned back into his embrace. Something poked her in the back, and she rocked her hips to send him the message of where it belonged. He brought his hands up and began to knead her breasts while his mouth breathed warmly at her ear. She moaned and arched her back. She definitely didn’t need any more foreplay. “Please, Baby! I want you so much!” She tried to reach her hand around to guide him, but the angle was wrong so he was just out of reach.
Mauricio didn’t want to torture her any further. He brought her body forward so she was lying facedown on the bed, and then he brought his hands to her hips. He appreciated that she’d moved her garters to inside her panties, so all he had to do was hook his fingers into the waistband and pull down, straightening her legs as he went. He gently caressed her baby-smooth bottom, and leaned forward to give it a kiss. His tongue slipped in for a little visit, and he could taste that she was prepared for him.
He grabbed her hips again and pulled them to the edge of the bed, so her legs were hanging off, and he guided her feet to the floor. Her flat, featureless crotch was strange but sexy. He traced the edge of her opening with his finger, and she hungrily tried to thrust her hips toward him. He indulged her and let penetrate her. She was wet, but very tight. He didn’t want to hurt her. He added a second finger and worked at her a little harder. She pushed against him and made little noises.
He had thrust three fingers into and out of her a good number of times, and he could tell she was really enjoying it. But then he pulled out and her hips wiggled around to look for him. He grabbed her in his left hand to hold her in position, and used his right hand to guide his penis to her hole.
Part of Dee wished that she had experimented more with her vibrators, so she would be used to having something inside her. But another part was glad she’d waited. It felt right that her first time was with Mauricio. She tried to relax and fought her body’s urging to clench. Eventually the pain of being stretched open faded and she was able to push her hips back against his. As he went faster and deeper, something happened and he found the magic spot that drove her absolutely wild. She pushed back with a renewed enthusiasm, and changed from leaning on her elbows to supporting herself with her hands. Her breasts swayed back and forth to the rhythm of their lovemaking.
Judging by the way his grunts were echoing her moans, they seemed to be in synch. She could feel it building to a crescendo. When the peak hit, she let out a perfectly girlish scream, and she heard him make his most guttural groan yet. Dee slumped forward onto the bed and felt him slip out of her. She wondered how long it would take her poor little balloon knot to close up again.
But mostly she wondered how long it would take to catch her breath. She was hyperventilating in rapid shallow pants, and tried to catch Mauricio’s attention. She whispered between breaths, “C-c-c-cut it off me!”
Mauricio was coming down off his own climax, and noticed Dee frantically waving. She was gesturing at her waist, and her breathing did not sound good. He realized what she wanted and how stupid they’d been! Having sex in a corset is a very bad idea. Maritza had done that once and nearly ended up in an emergency room. He went back over his briefing where they explained what would be needed to get her undressed and started frantically looking for the special scissors to cut her free, all the while whispering “Please don’t die,” his voice growing more high-pitched and feminine over time.
It turned out the stupid scissors were in plain sight, right on the nightstand. Mauricio snipped the thongs as fast as he could, being careful not to damage his sweetheart’s skin. He peeled the corset off of her and pulled her upright, holding her tightly by the shoulders so she could breathe as deeply as she wanted, glad she was okay.
Dee was really embarrassed. She took a few slow, deep breaths until her body calmed down and could breathe on its own. She felt tears on Mauricio’s face behind her, and turned just enough so she could kiss him. “I love you, Baby! Everything’s okay.” Their tongues danced a while together. “But while you’re setting me free from constrictive garments, do you see the solvent to get this thing off anywhere?” She pointed at her industrial-strength gaff. “I think maybe some parts are starting to get overheated.”
Mauricio knew where that solvent was. Its spray can had been right next to the scissors. He made Dee lie back in the bed and spread her legs. She didn’t like the look of her stockings without the garters attached to anything, so she unbuckled her shoes and removed her hose before complying with his wishes. The corset had left vertical stripes all around her torso, and it made her feel very self-conscious, but there wasn’t anything she could do about that.
Starting from the top, he sprayed the solvent at the edge of her moleskin, then gently peeled it back a little, then sprayed again, and kept it up until everything had been freed. He then fetched a damp washcloth from the bathroom and gave all those bits a sponge bath. “It looks like Little David is waking up,” he noted when his ministrations began getting a reaction. He bent down and planted a kiss right on the tip.
Dee was feeling confused. As blood started returning to parts that had been tightly compressed all day, she started feeling the pain of that compression. At the same time, there was the pleasant sensation of being gently fondled. However, these were definitely male genitals being caressed by an apparent male, and that seemed very gay. But Dee or David or whoever he or she was (referring to Little David by name caused another crisis of identity) could not deny that he was being aroused.
Mauricio gave David’s penis a few more kisses, and was rewarded for his efforts by watching it become erect. He ran his tongue along the shaft, and playfully teased the head with another kiss, and then opened up his mouth to softly suckle at it.
As David watched his erect penis disappearing into a male mouth, Dee fought to maintain her femininity. She brought her hands up to play with her nipples, and tried to make sure that all the moans of pleasure that were being induced were in the female range.
Mauricio worked his fingers over David’s testicles as he lovingly continued sucking. He could sense that they were about to release. He reached down and inserted his middle finger as deep as it could go, and David erupted almost immediately. Mauricio made sure that not a single drop leaked out of his mouth; he wanted to catch it all.
He crawled up on the bed and kissed his boyfriend/girlfriend, forcing her prettily painted lips apart to receive the snowball that they passed back and forth for a while until Mauricio made her swallow it.
David did not want to be gay, but he could not deny that he was getting very turned on by the whole thing. He was even starting to get hard again. That little blue pill was made of some powerful stuff!
Mauricio had been almost absent-mindedly petting David’s penis as he felt it growing beneath his touch once more. He had an idea and made sure that washcloth was handy, and set to work stroking more earnestly. He rolled David onto his side and spooned him while he masturbated him. He waited until David had relaxed a little, and with a slight change of position he reinserted his own penis into David’s well-oiled little bottom. He proceeded to synchronize his thrusts with his finger work, pulling and pushing at the same time.
While Mauricio was fucking his ass while giving him the “old reacharound,” David knew they were having sex in a way that only two men can. It was dirty and wrong and he did not want to admit how perfectly wonderful it was. He felt a profound sense of shame when he came all over Mauricio’s hand while he was still inside him. Mauricio quickly cleaned it up with his washcloth, but David still seemed permanently stained.
Mauricio rolled out of bed and stood up. “I don’t think enough of us are naked. I need a shower. Want to help?” He walked toward the bathroom.
Dee got up and pushed him back onto the bed to make undressing him easier. She took off his shoes (noticing that he’d been wearing lifts) and threw them aside, and then tugged off his socks. Seeing a pair of delicate hairless feet with pretty pink toenails, she remarked, “What kind of man wears toenail polish? I’m beginning to suspect you might have been keeping a secret from me, Mauricio!”
She pulled down his pants, leaving his penis sticking out the fly in his boxer shorts. “And you have smooth and shapely legs, too. You can be honest with me, Honey — are you one of those fruity guys that likes to dress up in women’s clothes?”
Even though she was doing nothing to conceal her own incongruity, Dee’s act as a confused girlfriend seemed so sincere that Mauricio was having trouble not collapsing into a giggle fit.
Dee made him sit up and began unbuttoning his shirt, revealing the “wifebeater” style undershirt beneath it. She pulled off his shirt and looked at him disapprovingly. “Your arms are smooth and slender, too. No manly muscles at all! And it looks like you even shave your armpits, too. Oh no! My boyfriend is a big sissy! What will I tell Mother?”
She pulled the tank over his head. His torso was wrapped in tight fabric. “Oh no, Baby! You’re all bandaged up! Did you crack a rib? I’m so sorry I was mad at you. But let me check to see if your dressing needs to be changed.”
Very gently and carefully, she unwound the bandage. Two nicely-shaped breasts were exposed to the air. “Oh my god! My boyfriend has tits! Are those real? Did you take hormones or something? Are you one of those freaky ‘she-males’ you see on TV?”
Dee pulled down his boxer shorts. “And you’ve got a better looking ass than me, too. Now that is just not fair, Mister! But why are there straps running around your…thingy?” She waved a finger around in the general area.
Maritza wasn’t sure her partner would be able to find the release for her harness, so she unbuckled it herself. “You silly girl,” she said as she stood up. “I’m not your boyfriend.” She reached up and ripped off her fake moustache. It was held on with only spirit gum and not the super stuff Dee’s appliance used, but it still stung like ripping off a Band-Aid. “I’m your lesbian lover.” She pulled her girlfriend close and kissed her deeply, feeling their naked breasts collide for the first time. It was a feeling she could definitely get used to.
Dee was done playing. “Welcome home, Maritza. I love you.”
Maritza kissed her again. “I love you too, Davida. But I wasn’t kidding about that shower. Let’s go.” She took her lover’s hand and led her into the bathroom. Dee had to wash off her makeup with cold cream first, and also take off her necklace and swap out her earrings for her sleeping hoops. Maritza started her shower alone, but soon she was joined by an eager helper ready to scrub her back for her, as well as every other inch of her body.”
Maritza’s sore breasts enjoyed the hot water. She had to tell Dee to be very gentle as she kissed her nipples. Dee apologized when Maritza winced, and decided that if she was going to be a lesbian, there were other things she could do with her mouth. She slid down Maritza’s body and knelt on the shower floor, giving a kiss to her pretty little belly button on the way down. She kissed around and slid down until she found herself practically lying down, with Maritza straddling her face.
She tilted her head to the side and kissed Maritza’s lips squarely with her own. She slipped her a little tongue and that earned a soft noise. If her nails weren’t so long, she’d try getting a finger in there, but the best she could offer was a knuckle. She found Maritza’s little happy button with her thumb and tapped it gingerly. That got a stronger reaction, so she moved her tongue up to there. Tracing the alphabet was too obvious, so instead she opted to spell out “I love you Maritza, forever and always.” Somewhere in the middle of “forever,” she got her results.
They finished their shower and dried off. Maritza’s short hair didn’t look so masculine when it wasn’t slicked back; it was a cute pixie cut. But Dee still missed how she looked in long hair. Maritza explained that it gave her more versatility as a model, since it was easier for hair and makeup people to put a wig or extensions on short hair than it was for them to hide long hair. It was also easier to maintain. She just had to towel dry and it was good to go, but Dee had to brush hers out and braid it to keep it from tangling in her sleep.
Maritza brought out two large gift boxes. One was marked with an M and one with a D. She said that Claude had given them new coordinating sleepwear in a variety of styles. She kept the M box and gave Dee the D box and told her to pick out what she wanted to wear, and she’d do the same in the other room.
When she finished her hair, she opened the box. All the pieces were made of the same soft silk material, in a deep green color. The first option was a pair of standard pajamas. The top had the buttons on the left and the bottoms had no fly, so they were women’s, but the style wasn’t very feminine at all. It had a plain triangular lapel, and straight cuffs, and not a ruffle or flounce anywhere. The second option was very feminine: a floor-length sweeping gown with spaghetti straps and lace trim all around the cups and at the edge of the hem. The third choice was somewhere in between. It was a nice girlish tank top with a little bit of lace around the neckline, with a pair of shorts to wear beneath them. They were cut just a little tighter than boxer shorts, and of course had no fly.
Next the box gave her a choice of two robes. One was long and seemed to be made to pair with the gown. It had a ribbon on the inside as well as a sash on the outside to tie it closed, so it would tightly show off the wearer’s breasts. It had similar lace trim to the gown along its collar, cuffs and hem. The other robe was a short kimono like she’d had to wear every time she went to Claude’s. It probably would work with the short set, but Dee figured he’d thrown it in as a reminder.
Finally, she had her choice of two styles of slippers. There were a pair of mules covered in that same green fabric with two-inch heels, or a pair of flat, thong style sandals covered in that fabric but also stuffed with very soft padding.
Dee considered her options. The most practical move would be to pick the short set. They’d allow for more ease of movement as she slept. The boring pajamas would be the ones to pick if she wanted to make the statement that Dee’s month of femininity was over and David was coming back, even if he was in a slightly different shape. But inside she just really wanted to pick the pretty nightgown. For all its impracticality, it best represented the way Dee saw herself, as an elegant woman. By the same token, she knew she had to go with the long flowing robe and the heels. It all fit her perfectly. There was a definite upside to having a fashion designer for a best friend.
She stepped out into the bedroom and broke out laughing. Maritza had made the same choice, only her gown, robe, and slippers were a strong gold color. She stepped over to Dee and kissed her. “We definitely belong together.”
Dee kind of didn’t like the way things were just hanging loose between her legs under her gown; she’d have to ask Claude to make her a matching pair of panties. Maybe he could just cut those shorts down smaller. She sat on the edge of her side of the bed, and was pleased to see someone sitting on the other side for the first time in too long. She kicked off her slippers, threw her robe over a chair, and swung her legs over into bed, gathering her skirts as she did so.
Maritza had been watching her, and applauded her technique. Her own technique was a little less fluid, but she did a roll at the end that carried her over to Dee’s side of the bed. She snaked an arm around Dee’s shoulder and snuggled her close. Since it was practically already there, she slid her hand down a little and softly stroked her breast. “I hope you don’t mind, but you’re going to have a tough time keeping my hands off of you. You’re just so incredibly sexy to me now, and I love that you did this.” Her circling thumb found the raised bump that was Dee’s nipple, and she gave it a gentle squeeze. “I hope you don’t have any regrets.”
Dee thought about things. “No, I don’t think so. But this really didn’t go the way I expected. At first, it was like putting on an act, pretending to be something I wasn’t. But then it turned into more like becoming someone new. And it the end, it feels like bringing out a side of me that was always there, but I never knew it.”
It didn’t seem fair to let one have all the fun, so Maritza reached over to Dee’s other breast with her other hand. She definitely understood why guys liked playing with boobs so much. Once you touched one, it was hard to stop, even if they were fake. “So are you thinking about becoming Davida completely, all over?”
“Well, I’ve thought about it, sure. It would be kind of hard not to, after coming this far. But I don’t think that’s a step I want to take, at least not in the foreseeable future.” She reached over and brought Maritza’s face to hers for a kiss. “This new me isn’t too weird for you is it?”
“What’s weird is that it doesn’t seem weird at all. I think you’ve become the person you were always meant to be, and she is a person who I love very much.” Maritza moved a hand down to where Dee was tenting out her nightgown. “I’m glad you don’t want to be 100% girl. While we can have fun with toys and things like we did earlier, sometimes it’s just nice to use our real parts.” She brought the front hem of Dee’s nightgown up to her waist, hiked up her own as well, and rolled over on top of her. She got up on her knees, straddling her pretty boyfriend, and held herself open while she lowered herself down onto him. “And our real parts fit together so well!”
Maritza’s hands squeezing her breasts were keeping Dee’s shoulders against the mattress, so there weren’t a lot of movements available to her. She ran her hands up under Maritza’s skirt along her gorgeous legs, and let her fingers dance along her hips and buttocks as she bounced on top of her. She felt herself nearing completion a little too soon for Maritza, (even with a magic blue pill, there was still a finite amount of fluid in her body) so she brought a hand around to give her some direct clitoral stimulation to get her there faster. They reached climax nearly simultaneously.
Maritza lowered herself so she was lying on top of her lover, and clamped down to keep David from falling out of her even as he was shrinking. She didn’t want the closeness to end. But then she started leaking and comfort trumped intimacy. She reached over and grabbed that washcloth from the nightstand and did her best to clean up all the mess before it reached either of their nice new nightgowns. They straightened out their skirts a little, but slept with their legs overlapping nonetheless.
***
The rudest alarm in the universe sounded at 2:00 am. Dee only had two hours before she had to be at the TV studio. Dee was very nervous about this interview. After this point, there was way she could just fade into the background. As a slightly famous semi-transsexual, her face would appear in enough places that it would probably even be difficult for her to try to pass as a legitimate woman.
Maritza decided to lend a hand by picking out what she should wear. In actuality, she was having fun playing dress-up with her new doll, but it still made things go a little faster. Dee wanted to wear something that would show that she’d actually gotten her boobs done and wasn’t just wearing falsies, but didn’t want something too slutty for morning television.
Maritza put her in a nice charcoal grey skirt suit, with a form-fitting jacket that scooped low enough to show a fair amount of cleavage, but she layered a nice cherry-red lace camisole under it, that had a built in shelf bra loose enough that there would probably be some noticeable jiggle.
Dee insisted on some figure enhancements, and wore her waist cincher and padded panty. For hose they went simple and chose a sheer suntan, with slightly daring four-inch black alligator peeptoe slingbacks on her feet.
Dee did her own makeup, but she let Maritza choose the colors. Her lipstick matched her top, her foundation was matte, and her eye shadow was neutral. It was morning, so she skipped eyeliner, but wore a modest amount of mahogany mascara.
Maritza picked a pair of diamond solitaire earrings for her, a brooch in the shape of an AIDS ribbon for her lapel, and a plain gold chain for around her neck. But she felt that the outfit needed something more, like maybe a tennis bracelet. She had an idea, and pulled out a small box from her own jewelry cabinet.
She sat on the edge of the counter beside where Dee was finishing her makeup. “Honey, can I tell you something?” Dee nodded, so she continued. “There’s this story I heard when I was young; I don’t know if they tell it up here, too. It’s about this little girl who gets lost in the jungle and breaks into a house that belongs to these bears. In this story, bears live in houses — I don’t know why, but that’s how you know it’s a story. There’s a father bear and a mother bear and a little bear, so there’s three of everything in this house. But when the girl tries any of the things, there’s always one that’s too much one way, and one that’s too much another way, and the third one is exactly perfect for her. Like she’ll try to eat the father bear’s food and it’s like still boiling, so it’s much too hot to eat, and then she’ll try to eat the mother bear’s food and it’s not hot at all it’s like frozen or something, and then she’ll try the little bear’s food and it’s like the exact right temperature. Or like she’ll try to sleep in the father bear’s bed and it’s just like plain wood, much too hard to sleep on, and then she’ll try the mother bear’s bed and it’s like a big pile of feathers, much too soft to sleep in, you just fall in and sneeze all night, but then the little bear’s bed is made out of straw and blankets like a real bed and that’s the one the girl can sleep in. Do you follow?”
Dee tried hard not to laugh at Maritza trying to tell the story of Goldilocks, but she looked so serious it would be wrong. She just mumbled, “Yes, I think I might have heard a story like this when I was a kid.”
Maritza smiled. “Well, good! Because I’m trying to tell you that you make me feel like the girl in that story. As you know I have been with other people before you. I have tried being with manly men, and they are just too rough and smelly. And I have tried being with womanly women, (is that how you say that?) and they are just too soft and gooey.” She slid off the counter and kneeled down beside Dee, and then opened the jewelry box. “But you, Davida, my womanly man or manly woman, whichever you’d rather call yourself, you are exactly perfect for me, and I can’t imagine anyone I’d rather be with. Would you please agree to be my husbandly wife?”
Dee had only been half listening, but the full meaning of those words finally hit her. She saw that Maritza was holding out a box containing David’s grandmother’s ring! Damn you Claude! But really, there was only one thing to say. “Yes, my love, my life, my one and only, I would be honored to spend the rest of my life with you.” Maritza slipped the ring onto Dee’s finger, and it fit perfectly. Well after all, she had asked Claude to get it sized; she just hadn’t realized at the time whose finger it would be ending up on. Thank God for waterproof mascara. She knew that the commitment she’d just made meant that there was no going back to being just David ever again, but it didn’t bother her in the least. She looked forward to building a future with Maritza, and wondered if like Jackie she’d get the opportunity to share in nursing their children, when the time came. But before any of that there was the matter of another ring to take care of. “Um, just curious, but you wouldn’t by chance have seen another box like that somewhere?”
“It should be in your jewelry cabinet. This one was in mine.” Maritza played along and pretended not to understand.
Dee kicked herself for not taking the time to explore her new beauty station. She found the little blue box right in the top drawer where Maritza’s had been. She got down on her own knee; if her pantyhose got a run, she’d deal with it. Some things were more important. David had been working on this speech for a while, and Dee tried to remember as much as she could. “Maritza, even though we come from different worlds, I think where we meet has the potential to be something truly wonderful. I would hate for my life to return to the humdrum grind it was before you came into it. I love the way we complement one another, and it would be a dream come true if that could continue for as long as we breathe. Now on this part I’m a little rusty, but I think I’ve got the words right. Maritza Delgado, te amo. ¿Por favor, Te quieres casar conmigo?”
Maritza was touched deeply, even though her own proposal had already been accepted. She loudly declared, “Si!” Dee slipped the ring, the one that had been David’s mother’s, onto her finger. “Now I’ll probably have to get a chain to wear this as a pendant most of the time, but it’s not because I’m rejecting you. If I wore it all the time, I’d get a mark on my finger, and that can be a problem with my job. But I can wear it sometimes, when we’re around people I want to know that I am not available, and I can wear it for you so you know I am yours, now and until the stars fade.” They shared a long kiss, not caring if it made them late.
Comments
Really Nice
Thank you for completing this story in such a satisfying way. I really enjoyed the entire series.
Interesting end to your
Interesting end to your story, yet it seems as if you left it with several possible openings to continue it in the future. It is too bad there was not a way of having a picture of the female news woman's look when she discovered David was there in a gown. What fun that would have been. J-Lynn
Loved it :-)
A great story, with a perfect ending.
Would love to find out what happens next.
Oscar Night
Is now complete, and that witch was left speechless. Jennifer, aby plans on telling about David's further story? I'm sure that a weddding with there twi lovers would be a hit.
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
Mauricio and Dee
So when is the wedding...one gown or two...we can't miss that! I hope you will invite us. Claude will have to work on the gown(s) as the case may be. Will Dee have any further alterations. Who will nurse the baby(s). I enjoyed the story very much. So to Dee and Mauricio, long life, happiness and many children. Mary.
Thank you.
I loved it. What more is there to say? It was a wonderful romantic sweet story. Thank you very much
Jo-Anne
I had hoped they would do this
In my heart, I held a longing that they would step slightly away from conventional roles. I can not imagine a better ending.
M'salama
Khadija
Great ending...
Great ending to what has been my favorite story for the past year. It has been unconventional, dramatic, and frequently very sensual. The writing was excellent, the pacing superb, and the research, thorough. It's likely the most detailed description of a slow transformation I've ever read, and I've very much enjoyed all of it.
- Moni
BRAVO!!!
Hello Jennifer,
Thank you for a wonderfully well done story with a beautiful ending.
Kindest regards,
talonx
nicely done
I must admit my initial reaction on seeing ...conclusion... was, WHAT! At least 2 or maybe 3 more bits surely. But then this was a bumper issue and yes you wrapped it all up very nicely. A great journey and even if you had me grinning and at times gritting my teeth in mild anger or even swearing, just a little, basically it was lovely. Just don't show anyone the bill for that lot eh, better not to know I think.
There are a few questions I might like answers to and perhaps a glimpse into things some time in the future. But hey, really well done it stands beautifully as is, thanks Jennifer.
Kristina
Fairy Tale Oscar Night
That was beautiful. I think you tied up everything very well and you ended it perfectly. Si! I'll remember this story until the stars fade. *sigh*
I think Maritza's mother would have a problem at first, but once she saw the love birds together, her heart would melt. She'd certainly accept grandchildren well enough.
It took me three tries to finish reading this chapter. It was a bit long, but at least I managed to get other things done today. It was a good day.
Thanks very much for the story.
- Terry
Sweet comments are appreciated
Thank you, everyone, for your kind words. I know my stories aren't the most popular ones here, but enough of you seem to like them that I'm encouraged to keep writing. I'm glad I could create people that feel real enough that someone cares about them. I don't have any plans for continuing the story of these characters. I considered writing an epilogue, but couldn't decide how far into the future to look. At one point, I was thinking about writing a sequel as a political satire, about an LA wedding with two brides that's still legal even after Prop 8. But I scrapped the idea as I felt it would sully the sentimental romantic tone that I worked so hard to build here. So you readers are free to daydream and imagine whatever "happily ever after" you think fits these people the best.
Here's a little look at the making of Oscar Night: it was actually the first story I started writing when I decided to give making my own TG fiction a try. According to the datestamp on the document, I began writing it on June 20, 2004, so it took me almost exactly 5 years to finish it. At the time I had a bunch of story ideas, so I thought I'd start with one that seemed like it would be a really short story. I figured I'd only need three scenes: Claude talks David into wearing a red suit; Jane says that color is only for gowns; David wears a gown the following year.
But as I started writing, I thought the reader needed to know more about what was going on inside the characters, what was making David do this, and I got a bit of a writer's block over it and put it on hold. In the meantime, I started and finished a few other stories. I don't recall exactly what triggered it, but I found a way out of my block. I decided to expand what had been a fairly minor character in the first draft, when Claude uses getting a runway model to escort David as part of the incentive to get him into the red suit, and turn the piece into a romance.
Doing that gave me a firm answer to the question "why does David agree to go along with this?" and I was able to write a whole new outline to get the story from Point A to Point B. But now it would be a much larger story. I worked on it off and on for a few years, doing other stories for contests and challenges but keeping at it a little bit here and there. At one point, I got sidetracked by thinking of doing pictures for the story, in the style of fashion illustrations, and bought a bunch of books and art supplies, but I didn't like how they turned out and dropped the idea.
I wasn't satisfied with the discipline I was putting into the project, and so last year after I decided to try my hand at a serial as a spinoff to my little Christmas story, I took what I'd written so far of Oscar Night and cut it into reasonably-sized pieces (I think that was the first three parts of the story) and published them one a week, a pace I was sure I'd be able to keep up with. I figured that if I committed to doing a chapter a week I would force myself to finish it in a timely manner. Well, as it turned out a chapter a week was a bit overzealous a goal. But at least it is finished now.
And as the story progressed and I tweaked my outline, I decided that at one point the plot of subtle feminization and building romance would stop and take a sharp left turn, and I'd introduce Kay and the "girl training" sequences. I wasn't sure how that would go over, but it looks like at least a few of you accepted it and stuck around through to the end.
And it was when I was researching actual Oscar gowns to figure out how to design my own that I was confronted by an abundance of cleavage and the phrase "accessorize with silicone" got stuck in my head. I knew I was going to surgically modify my protagonist, and this would no longer be a simple cross-dressing story. That chapter where David agrees to the surgeries got me the most complaints, but a few of you were willing to suspend your disbelief and accept it.
So thanks again for sticking with me, and I hope that most of the readers who didn't choose to comment were as satisfied with the outcome as those who did. If anyone had a serious problem with anything in this story, feel free to reply to me directly about it. I'm always willing to listen to what someone sees as a flaw in my writing; I'm interested in always trying to improve.
Delightful
Thank you, I enjoyed this story and would love to see you continue it in a new series, say "Wedding Bells of Red and Gold"? I fore-see a two gown wedding in the works, imagine the fun Claude will have outfitting two brides.
You did have me going with what happened to the ring to the end, was getting frustrated. :) I just wonder when Maritza found the one in her dresser, a curiuos mind wants to know. lol...
Huggles,
Winnie
Huggles,
Winnie
Had to make a comment mid-stream
I don't have a lot of time to read each day, and am not quite done with this installment, but I have to tell you how much I love this story. I've said before how much I admire you for your powers of description, and those powers are much in evidence here.
I love the way you handled the Oscar speech, a fantasy of many of us...
Kudos and a big hug! I may have more to say when I'm done reading.
Kaleigh
Just got through reading
Just got through reading this last night and I wanted to be fresh with a review this morning, so here goes.
I tried reading the first chapter a couple of times and gave up on it soon after Maritza tossed her necklace at Claude. The story just didn't pull me in. However knowing my own ability to write lackluster first chapters, I persevered to a third try. By the end of the second chapter I was hooked.
I absolutely loved the interaction between David and Maritza, it made the story for me. I related to both characters in many ways. David's needing to please her by doing over the top things (laser removal, race car, etc.) was very realistic, in my opinion. Additionally, Maritza's over-reactions are typical of a lot of Latinos I know and dated. The only thing I wished to see more of was Maritza during the training portion.
Claude is a believable self-engrossed character with bouts of normalcy.
Kay had me on a rollercoaster. She was okay, and what was expected of a diligent teacher, but when she went off on Dee for receiving flowers and a note on Valentine's Day I wanted nothing but for Dee to destroy her utterly, leaving nothing but a greasy stain on the carpet. I absolutely raged at that scene and had to physically get up and walk away from the story for a small break. So kudos for bringing that emotion to the scene.
Realism? There were a couple of places that I thought, "that probably wouldn't be a realistic response," but it was necessary for a scene or sub-plot to work properly. So no biggie.
Overall? Freaking fantastic story. I didn't stop until the story was done. You are turning into quite the author, Ms. Brock. Now all you have to do is top this story with another; the bane of writing. LOL.
Lili
http://lilithlangtree.tglibrary.com/
~Lili
Write the story that you most desperately want to read.
I'd like to thank the Academy, and Jennifer Brock...
I hope you know that you're one of my favorite authors here, and I'm sorry it took me so long to finish reading this wonderful story.
Probably all of us writers have fantasized giving that acceptance speech, and I don't know whether you were tempted to go overboard at that point, but I think you hit it just right there...
... and everywhere else in the story.
I had some good laughs from this chapter, and you really ended the story without disappointing this reader in any way.
It's been a lot of fun, and a great read.
I was amazed when you said this was the first TG story you started - this is really well constructed and compelling.
Wouldn't it be a kick if someone made a movie of it, and you got an Oscar for the original story?
Loved most of the series
my only problem was how David and Maritza's relationship was treated by Kay, for she looked at it the wrong way as David would not considered the surgeries with out her input. Though other than the first chapter with Kay I did not let it bother me and the valentines flowers were great.
7 out of 5 boxes of tissue(most were tears of joy) and 5 gold stars
Goddess Bless you
Love Desiree
Goddess Bless you
Love Desiree
Wow what a story!
Jennifer this is an amazing story I am sorry it took me so long to get around to reading your marvelous tale. The only negative for me is I would like to see more. But at the same time you gave us a pretty long story. The main character totally wins our heart as she is such a sweetie! I am absolutely blown away even though it took me a week to get through the saga I was never disappointed and the storyline never faded from my mind. Great job and thanks for sharing.
Hugs, Kristi
Kristi Lynne Fitzpatrick
Positive feedback
The title drew me in, the story entertained me, and after reading it I read the large number of positive comments. Add it all up and it obviously deserves to be read. I hope whoever reads this comment enjoys the story as much as I did.