“Yes,” I inject into the rambling. In fact, I have to say it twice before he gets the message. When he finally gets it, there is a long pause.

“Did you just say yes?” he asks finally.

“I did, Andy,” I respond. “I’d love to go to the dinner dance with you. If you want, we can just be two friends at a dance.”

“You’ll go with me?” he asks as if he didn’t hear me.

“Yes, Andy,” I say again, “I’ll go to the dinner dance with you.”

Chapter 35: Date Preparations

After a few minutes of convincing him that–yes–I really will go on a date with him he arranges to pick me up Saturday evening. I ask him how formal the event is but he doesn’t really know, just that he’s expected to wear a nice suit and everyone looks nice.  That doesn’t help me too much so I ask to speak to his mother.

“Tina,” Mrs. Lang says, “you’ve just made Andy’s year. We’re so happy for him. We look forward to seeing you Saturday.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” I reply honestly, “you have a wonderful son and the dinner sounds like fun. Can you tell me how formal it is so I can find something appropriate to wear?”

We spend some time talking about the event and it becomes clear that even my Alaska dress will probably not be up to standards. By the time we’re done, I have a pretty good idea of what to look for. Mrs. Lang suggests I let Andy know what color dress I chose so that he can get an appropriate corsage. This is a big deal. I ask about his suit so I can get him a boutonniá¨re.

After finishing the call, excitedly I shoot off a text to Caitlin telling her about the dance and ask her to call me when she gets off work.  Then I seek out my Aunt and cousin:  they are sitting at the breakfast table waiting for me, trying act as if nothing is happening. 

I casually open the fridge looking for something cool to drink. I reckon I can play the nothing is happening game as well as they can. Filling a large glass with fruit juice, I join them at the table and pick up the newspaper like I’m actually going to read it.

Laurie is bursting at the seams though she’s trying hard not to show it. “Well,” she asks, “what did he want?”

Scanning an article about some local event, I absently reply, “What did who want?”

Aunt Jen just smiles and shakes her head.

“What I think my obnoxious daughter is asking is,” she says getting to the point, “did Andy ask you to a dance at the country club?”

“Yes,” I idly reply as I turn the page looking for something else to read.

“And?” a very frustrated Laurie asks.

“And what?” I ask absently as I continue scanning the newspaper.

“Ugh!” she exclaims in total frustration. “I suppose I earned this. Tina, dear, did you accept?”

I can’t keep up the facade either and reply excitedly, “Yes! I did. Isn’t it wonderful? I can hardly wait!”

Once we get past the preliminaries, we launch into a discussion about preparations.  I’ve always known that girls put a lot of effort into preparing for a date–I do have two older sisters after all–however I’ve never fully appreciated the excitement that goes with the preparations. We discuss clothes–ALL layers from the skin out–hair, jewelry, makeup and nail polish. I ask about proper etiquette for the various situations I’ll be confronting. Both ladies agree to help me with basic dance lessons when I ask for help. Three days is hardly going to be enough time to get ready.

We spend some time going through my limited clothing inventory before going through Laurie’s more extensive collection.  She has a couple of dresses that might work and I spend time modeling them.  One she made herself for her Junior Prom which we attended together last spring.  It’s a flowing mid calf length powder blue dress with a really cute pick-up style skirt and a fitted bodice which hugs me like a glove, showing off my not-so-substantial chest assets and feminine curves. It is a simple but elegant dress that wowed me when I first saw her wearing it. It looks equally stunning on me but somehow wearing THAT dress seems to violate a sacred memory. How strange would that be? Me, wearing the dress that my girlfriend wore on one of our most fantastic dates. I’m having a hard time getting my head around the concept.

While we were in the middle of the dress search, Caitlin calls and says that she just got off work and is coming right over to help–whether I like it or not. She’s pretty excited for me. 

After exhausting the local offerings, our McDonalds girl–yes, she’s still in uniform and smelling of French fries–Aunt Jen and Laurie all encourage me to wear the blue dress but I baulk at the idea. It is the perfect dress–except for the fact that I’d feel as if I’m desecrating a sacred memory. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I’m thinking I need a dress which will make this date special in its own right.  The thought crosses my mind that Chris never thought in such terms so why am I obsessing over this like a girl?

We agree to go dress hunting after work tomorrow. I’ll have to skip running practice to do it. Caitlin is all for that. If she skips running practice then she has the evening free also. There are a couple of upscale boutiques in the area that stay open until nine o’clock so we won’t have much time. I’m half tempted to ask for a half day off.  I wonder if the Lab will pick up the expense for the dress and accessories?  After all, it is a mission expense, wouldn’t ya think?

Before we know it, it’s approaching midnight–way past our bed time. Caitlin’s parents even called her to find out if everything was okay.  As we wrap up the evening, I review the list we’ve made.

The preparations include: dress shopping plus the necessary matching shoes and hosiery, making a salon appointment for midday on Saturday, dancing practice, and ordering a boutonniá¨re. This is sounding expensive.  I swear, I’ll never complain again about having to pick up the tab for dinner and a show–when I get back to being Chris, that is. Part of me longs for the simplicity of being a guy, but there is a flutter of excitement within me at the challenge of making myself desirable to a certain young man.

After seeing Caitlin out, I stop by Laurie’s room as she’s getting ready for bed.  I hop up on her bed as she undresses and puts on her night clothes.

“Are you really okay with this?” I ask her. “I know we’ve talked about the possibility of me dating, but I’m worried that you’ll see this as Chris somehow being unfaithful to you. You know, I’m really having conflicts with all this. On one hand I really excited about going out with Andy, but on the other hand I feel as if I’m leaving you all alone.”

“Yeah,” she says, “I’m okay with this. I really think you need this experience. You’ll really come to understand what it is that I’ve had to do to get ready for our special nights out. Chris was always as little impatient with me just like every other guy is with their dates. You’re also gaining an appreciation for the feelings we girls get when asked out by a great guy. You are experiencing the same feelings that I’ve had for Chris ever since I fell for him. If anything I’m feeling just a little jealous.  Here you get to out on a date with a guy that really excites you and I’m left home pining away for Chris.  The one redeeming thought is that this is the country club dinner. While it’s a big deal for members of the country club, I’m told it can get pretty stuffy and boring. I’m not sure I’d go without a date who I really like.”

“I’ve heard the same thing,” I tell her, “over the years. Some of the guys I know whose parents belong to the club really dread this event.  I’m just glad that niether of our families have joined that group. From what I’ve heard though the girls really looked forward to it.”

“Oh,” she says, “they do. Girls all look forward to having a chance to get dressed up and go dancing. The thought is so romantic. The problem is most of the girls come back from this event with stories of loser boys and boring speeches. The actual event rarely lives up to its billing but the girls seem to always go in hopes that it’ll be somehow different this year. And just think, from both a personal and mission view, you will have a chance move things along with Andy.  I’d like to know what it is that made him so uncomfortable about being attracted to you.  Also, you’ll be able to do some spy stuff by keeping an eye on Dr. Lang.  The country club scene is all about social status. Maybe his contact will be there and you can spot him.”

“I’ll need to find a way to keep my cell phone with me,” I say. “Most formal dresses aren’t set up for that. Who knows what’ll happen. All I know right now is that a good night’s sleep will be hard to get tonight. I’m just so excited I could burst into flames and I don’t really understand why. Thanks for being such a great friend, Laurie. You really are a wonderful girl friend. I love you, girl. I feel as if I could talk with you about anything.”

With that we hug and part for the night.

Even though it’s late and I’m tired sleep is elusive.  I just can’t get over it.  I’m going out on a formal date with a wonderful guy. How much better can it get? I just hope that I don’t blow it by some gross breach of etiquette. I remember feeling like this the first time a girl actually agreed to go on a date with me as a guy. I was pretty excited at the time, but also nervous that I’d blow it somehow–just like I feel right now.

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You  know, I could really get used to this. While the chemical smell of the beauty salon is a bit much, I just love the feel of someone washing and fixing my hair. I’m lying back in a chair over a wash basin with Sam working cream rinse through my hair. As a side benefit, the scalp massage which comes with the treatment is heavenly.

It is early Saturday afternoon and I’m in the process of getting ready for my big night out. Laurie is in the station next to mine getting her hair worked on as well.  We’ve borrowed her mother’s car to drive across the valley to the Unique Style where I introduced her to Sam. We crossed paths with Tiff as we enter the shop. I swear I’ve never seen her looking so good.

“I see you’ve taken much better care of your hair, Honey,” Sam observes. “You only need a little trim to keep your current style–I still think we can do a lot more with this.  Have you thought about upgrading your style?”

“Yes,” I tell her, “I really like the layered look, but it would be difficult to keep it under control while running. I think I should stick with this cut for now.  I have been reading some magazines though and have learned a lot more ways to style it for different occasions.”  We spend the next few minutes discussing what I’ve learned.

“What I need today,” I tell her, “is something sophisticated. I’m going to the country club’s big dinner dance tonight and I want to look special for my date.  It only has to last for the one night as I have a race tomorrow and I need to pull it back into my running pony tail.”

“So,” she observes, “a Cinderella event.  One night of magic then back to the same old same old. Tell me about your dress and we’ll see what we can do to make the whole picture work.”

Thursday evening I had gone dress shopping with Laurie, Caitlin, and Tiff. While Tiff found something exciting, I just couldn’t find anything to match Laurie’s prom dress. Sure we found plenty of nice dresses that looked fantastic on me, but none seemed to have the magic of Laurie’s dress. Finally giving into the idea of using her special dress, we focused on accessories. 

I picked up pair of white strappy sandals with a three inch heel which goes wonderfully with the dress–I’ve already spent several hours in the shoes to get used to walking in them.  I’ve also had some dance practice wearing them and feel confident that I’ll be able to be sufficiently graceful in them tonight.

After much discussion, it was decided that a garter belt and stockings are necessary to make me feel as feminine as possible. A quick trip to a local lingerie store netted me the required items.  The light blue garter belt is complemented well by the matching satin French cut panty and strapless pushup bra which we bought to go with it. The stockings are a very shear white which will contrast well with the dress and match the shoes.  We ended up with two pairs of stockings–a spare for emergencies. I find myself wondering what Laurie wore under the dress at the prom last spring. I never knew what I was missing. I can guarantee you that Andy will never know what he’ll miss tonight.  The lingerie show is for my eyes only–or maybe Laurie’s too as she’s stated that she intends on helping me dress tonight. Oh, and Caitlin is going to help too.

The experts decided that none of my jewelry is really up to the task and are adamant that I need to get my own instead of borrowing from their inventory. I’m pretty sure Laurie hopes to acquire my leavings at the end of the summer.  I am insisting on wearing my special silver runner’s necklace even though there is universal agreement that it is not stylish enough for a night like this.  I don’t care–it says something about who I am.  I did relent on purchasing some silver chandelier earrings with embedded blue topaz crystals that sparkle when I move. A blue topaz and silver bracelet were added to the inventory–it’s a good thing we didn’t buy a new dress because the jewelry more than makes up for the savings! A thin silver chain with a heart charm will grace my left ankle this evening.  A white clutch handbag finished the inventory.

With all this in mind, I show Sam a picture of Laurie and me–as in the Chris ‘me’–at the prom last spring. I’ve worn the earrings to the shop, though Sam had me remove them for the treatment.

After studying the image and looking me over for a few minutes Sam walks over to the magazine rack where she digs around for a minute before pulling out one particular issue.  Flipping through the pages, she shows me several options for hair styling.  We settle for what she calls a classic elegant Chignon hairstyle–with the hair arranged at the back of my head–which will show off the earrings and my slender neck.  The curly tendrils that she leaves to frame my face are a nice touch.  Sam produces some fancy silver hair pins topped with small crystal flowers which will keep everything in place. Sam goes to great lengths to teach me the process so that I can do it myself later. It doesn’t appear to be all that difficult.

The resident nail artist gives me both a French manicure and a French pedicure.  My new strappy sandals will show off my toes nicely. The makeup job they do on me is like magic.  The same old Tina is there, but now I look very elegant and slightly more mature. I love it.

“You enjoy your date, Honey,” Sam tells me as we settle the bill–another major expense. “That poor boy won’t know what hit him tonight. I bet you’ll have to pick his jaw up off the floor when he first sees you. I must say I like this look much better than your tomboy look. It was a crime to hide your beauty that way. Come back again soon and don’t do anything athletic until after the dance. I’d hate to have you mess up our work before the big event.”

With those words of wisdom ringing in our ears we start the drive home to finish my preparations.

Back in the car Laurie gushes over the change, “My God, girl,” she says, “It’s a good thing you’ve already got a boyfriend–I hate to have to keep mine from you. You’re absolutely beautiful. You’re going to make a lot of girls jealous tonight.”

“I doubt that,” I respond. “I’m sure the rest of the girls are going to just as much effort. I’ll just be one rose in a garden full of them.  I know a couple of the girls from the running team are also going, either with dates or their families, and they’ve been telling me of their plans. I’m sure I won’t stand out.”

“Don’t count on it, girl friend,” she knowingly says. “While the other girls will work hard, most don’t have as nearly as much raw beauty to work with. You’re going to the Belle of the Ball.”

“Whatever,” I dismiss her enthusiasm. “Remember the prom? You were a vision of loveliness that night. In fact–for my money–you were the most beautiful girl there. I doubt I’ll match up to your standard. You know, I never fully appreciated all the work that goes into looking beautiful but–for all the work we’ve put into getting ready for this date–I still will never be able to match you.”

“Thanks for the compliment,” she replies, “but wait until we compare the pictures then tell me that.”

She hands me some heavy socks and an insulated box. Giving me her cell phone she indicates silently that she’d like me to put both of our cell phones in the socks then seal them in the box, which I do.  I’m glad for the chance to talk.  After a zero response to the planted data, the Major suggested in our phone call this morning that I bring Laurie up to speed on our concerns and enlist her help in leaking planted false data.  The question is, where do we get the data in her area?  We don’t know anyone who can help us in the Energetic Materials Center. I’m also interested in what she’s learned about Dr. Sommers.

“We’ve got about twenty minutes,” she says. “We’ve been so busy the past few days that we haven’t been able to compare notes about work. Have you come across anything new? With your new responsibilities you should be getting more exposure around the office.”

“A little,” I reply. “How about you?  Have you learned anything new about Caitlin’s Dad?”

“Some,” she says, “Word around the office is that–in addition to being a technical genius–he is an unusually kind and compassionate man. He also has a deep seated belief that we have a responsibility as a blessed nation to prevent the spread of oppression.  Word has it that he is passionate about his work because he sincerely believes that it’ll help keep the bad guys at bay. He keeps pictures on his office wall of the house rebuilding project which he was involved in Iraq and is proud of his efforts to help the oppressed both professionally and personally. Everybody likes him and has high regard for his integrity. I really don’t think he’s a problem.

“Rumor has it that his troubles with Mrs. Harrison started a couple of years ago when he refused the advances of a young female scientist who had a crush on him. Apparently the girl started to spread false rumors and at one point–after working alone with him late one evening to meet a deadline–she accused him of making advances towards her and filed a complaint. The scuttlebutt I hear is that the woman is a real bitch when she doesn’t get her way and that Dr. Sommers was firm in his rejection of her advances. The investigation came down to her word against his and nothing was accomplished. Mrs. Harrison apparently took the woman’s side in the hearings. Dr. Sommers and the woman no longer work together, but I hear that lately she’s been insinuating that he’s been loose with classified information. No one seems to be listening to her except, maybe, Mrs. Harrison. I’m pretty sure that he’s being extra careful not to make any mistakes. He really doesn’t want to go through another investigation. I really don’t think he’s the problem.”

“Well,” I point out, “there is information leaking from his research area.  Have you noticed anyone else who could be a problem?”

“It’s hard to say,” she replies. “Like you, I spend most of my time at the reception desk answering the telephone, making copies, and keeping the coffee pot full.  I’ve gotten to know quite a few people. When they pass through reception many of them stop for short chats. No one stands out in my mind but then I don’t really know what to look for.  Maybe this is all just a waste of time. What have you found?”

I spend the next ten minutes giving Laurie the condensed version of the experiment which I’ve been doing with planted information. I didn’t tell her where I got the information from and she didn’t ask.  I also said a few words about the conversation I’d had with her mother last Sunday and a visit which I had with Mrs. Harrison on Friday. This new information really perks her up. She feels better learning that maybe something is happening and wants to get in the game. I suggest we find a way for her to do the same thing I am.

Yesterday morning at work, I had gone to see Mrs. Harrison–after consulting with both of my Dads–when it became apparent that there’d not be any repercussions from my transmissions of classified information.  I told her about finding the apparently classified documents and how I had sent them on.  When I enquired as to whether or not she’d seen anything about it, she played the same thoughtful game that Aunt Jen had on Sunday. I took the lack of response as a ‘no’ answer to my question.  She probed me about the information which I’d found, where it was and how I had copied and sent it. While I was at it, I decided to repeat to her what I’d told Aunt Jen about the request for more information. This really got her attention. She followed that up with questions similar to those asked by Aunt Jen. The information flow during our meeting was pretty much one way.  She didn’t share much with me but asked a lot of questions. In the end, she counseled me to continue to ignore the request for protected classified information until further notice from her and told me to tell Laurie to do the same. I could tell that Mrs. Harrison was anxious to go do something with this information as she quickly ended our meeting once she felt she’d obtained all the useful information that she could from me.

“We need some more time to talk about all this,” Laurie observes in frustration as we near home.  “We only have a couple of hours before Andy comes to get you and Caitlin will be here soon to lend moral support for your date so we can’t talk now.  Maybe in the morning.”

“Can’t,” I reminder her, “I’ve got the 10 k race in Castro Valley in the morning. I should be free in the afternoon.”

“Amy wants to go to a new store in the Bay Area tomorrow afternoon,” Laurie tells me, “but I think we should be back by dinner time. By the way, Amy asked if you’d like to come with us.”

“I’d love to go,” I tell her. “I don’t have anything else planned for after the run. Caitlin has to work so I should be free.”

“Are you sure you can work us into your busy schedule, Your Highness?” she asks with a grin. “Maybe you should check with your busy calendar, Princess.”

Ignoring her jest, I say, “We’ll talk tomorrow evening.”  I extract our cell phones from their hiding place we drive up to her house.  Caitlin’s bug is sitting out front. So is Mrs. Harrison’s car. This should be interesting. Let the fun begin!

---<>----

We find Aunt Jen, Mrs. Harrison, and Caitlin on the back patio drinking iced tea. 

“Wow!” Caitlin exclaims when she sees me, “You’re just going to have to give me the name of your hairdresser, girl friend. You’re cute on any given day, but you look absolutely elegant today.  I’m really impressed. I really like the nails too. You’re going to knock him dead tonight! Ohhh… this is so much fun. I wish I was going to see what happens at the dance. I bet Andy’ll have to beat the other guys off with a stick.”

“You look fantastic, darling,” Aunt Jen adds.

“The transformation is amazing,” Mrs. Harrison says with admiration. “Our pretty flower has become a gorgeous rose.”

Turning the Aunt Jen, she says, “It’s been nice visiting with you, Jen, but I really need to be on my way.”

Looking me over again, she asks, “Tina, would you mind walking with me out to my car?  I have something for you.”

“Sure,” I reply. This is curious, I think to myself.

After leaving the house–and she’s sure we can’t be overheard–she tells me, “Tina, thanks for telling me what you did yesterday.  I can’t give you all the details but I really think that we’re on to something here. Your Aunt did some follow up on that phone call that Dr. Lang made last week–without consulting with the committee I might add–and it appears as if there might be a connection there. I don’t know how she found this out, but the guy on the other end of the phone was Dr. Lang’s lawyer–the very same one who represented him in the personnel dispute. 

“At first, we thought nothing of it, but Jen had someone check up on our friendly lawyer. I don’t want to know how they did it, but Jen’s investigator has uncovered his client list. It turns out that–for being a rich lawyer–he doesn’t have too many clients.  Almost all of the few clients he does have are people of interest to us at the laboratory for a variety of reasons. I’ve had to meet with him on multiple occasions when investigating personnel actions and the two of us don’t get along all that well. The guy is just too smooth for my tastes. He’s a devious one.

“From looking over the client list, we’ve discovered that one of the security team is on his list for some unknown reason.”

“Let me guess,” I interrupt her. “This security team member is one of those who filter the raw data for presentation to the full committee.”

“Don’t let anyone tell you you’re dumb, Tina,” she smiles at me. She continues, “The lawyer’s name is Mr. Harata Rana.  He is a second generation Pakistani American with a law degree from Stanford.  He is active locally in the Rotary Club and Country Club leadership.  He is also a presence in the Pakistani American political lobbying groups and has connections in Washington and Islamabad.  He is a confessed Christian–though not an active participant–but his parents are Muslim. Anyway, we need to learn more about him.  He’ll be at the dance tonight with his family.  He has a son your age, Aban, but you probably don’t know him as they actually live on the other side of town. Aban attends the other high school where he is an honor student. Mrs. Rana died last year of breast cancer. Anyway, we’d like you to find out what you can about the Ranas at the dance tonight.”

“I can’t very well carry my cell phone around with me,” I inform her. “My dress isn’t set up for that sort of thing.”

“I suspected that,” she replies as she hands me a small gift wrapped box. “Inside is a brooch that will go nicely with your dress. It’ll take care of the problem.”

“Okay, Q,” I reply with a smile. “What neat tricks does this baby have?”

Ignoring my reference to the James Bond series, she replies with a smile, “Oh, just the standard stuff. You know, omni-directional microphone, transmitter, miniature GPS device… Nothing fancy. We left off the explosive device and laser cutter.”

“Who’s on the receiving end?” I ask. “Hopefully not our suspect committee member.”

“No,” she replies. “Just me, Jen, maybe Laurie, and a recording device. Have fun tonight, Tina, but don’t whisper sweet nothings to your date unless you want us to hear them.”

“Gee, thanks,” I playfully pout. “How’s a girl supposed to have any fun with everyone listening.”

“I bet your mom wishes she could send this out with your sisters,” she laughs as she gives be a quick hug. “I’ve been trying to find a way to get Ben to wear one. Anyway, be a good girl and keep your eyes open tonight.”

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Back in the house, the girls notice my little present from Mrs. Harrison. 

“What’s in the box?” Caitlin asks.

“A little something Mrs. Harrison thought would look good with my dress tonight,” I tell her as I open the box.

“Wow,” four female voices exclaim in unison as I extract the bauble.

It’s some bauble.  It’s an oval shaped brooch with a large blue sapphire in the center of a field of tiny diamonds in an intricate silver setting.  If this is real, it must cost a king’s ransom.  Mrs. Harrison was right–this will go very nicely with my dress. Maybe not too well with my runner’s necklace, but leaving the necklace home is not an option for me.

I’m told that the schedule is tight, because we’ve only about an hour and a half to finish preparations.

First, I’m sent to the bathroom to soak in a tub of hot water laced with lavender bath beads. Great care is taken to protect my hair and makeup. After draining the tub and drying I powder myself with scented body powder and apply some matching perfume where instructed by my handlers–dabbing a little on my wrists, base of throat, behind the ear lobes, bend of elbows, behind the knees, and–embarrassingly–between my breasts.

Wrapped in nothing but a towel I head for my room where the other girls have laid out my clothing and accessories. Grabbing my new panties off the bed, I pull them on before dropping the towel–a little modesty doesn’t hurt, you know.

Working as a team, the girls hand me the items as I need them.  First the bra, then the garter belt, followed by the stockings.  After carefully rolling the stockings up my leg, I start to attach the straps.

“You haven’t worn stockings before,” Caitlin observes. “Have you?”

“You need to feed the straps through your panties or you’ll have trouble when you need to go to the Ladies’ room,” Laurie pointed out.

Fixing the problem, I see what they mean.  I guess I’d have figured it out the hard way. Taking a quick peek in the mirror, I think that I look like some kind of lingerie model. There’s not even a stir from Brain Central and do you know what? I don’t care. I like the way I look.

“Lookin’ pretty sexy,” Caitlin agrees as she sees me looking in the mirror.  I blush at being caught looking. “You better not let Andy see you like that if you want to protect your virginity, girl.”

Next the two girls have me step into the dress instead of pulling it over my head to avoid messing up my hair and makeup. Laurie zips the back. After the dress, Caitlin hands me a white half slip with some fullness to it. I guess it’s to help the skirt spread out some. I wiggle this garment up under my skirt and smooth the dress back out.

Sitting at the vanity, Laurie drapes a towel around my neck to protect the dress then hands me some blush to touch up my face and some lipstick.  Minor repairs completed, we remove the towel and turn to the jewelry.  Caitlin hands me the earrings which I deftly install–I’m getting pretty good at this girl stuff, if I do say so myself.  I’m already wearing the runner necklace.  I have Caitlin help with the ankle bracelet and Laurie with the bracelet on my wrist.  I have a new, very feminine, silver watch which I strap on. Finally, I manage to get my shoes on and stand before the mirror to inspect myself.

As we go through all these preparations, it occurs to me that–as a guy–I never would have thought to have assistance in dressing. Heck, dressing as a guy only takes a fraction of the time it took to get me to this point. In some ways, I miss the simplicity, but as I stare at my finished reflection in the mirror I know that the result has been worth the effort. I look hot. Not just hot–but really HOT–in an elegant sort of way.

Again, I think of the lack of warning bells from Brain Central.  I’ve been dressing in feminine attire for some time now, but nothing as feminine as this.  The sensations of the various clothing items are nothing like anything I’d ever worn as a guy.  And you know what–I really like it.  It no longer feels strange. It just feels sexy. There is no other way to describe it. You know, I think I like feeling sexy–in fact, I’m pretty sure that I really enjoy feeling sexy.

The three of us head back to the living room to show Aunt Jen the results of our labors. I’m actually surprised to see Mrs. Quinn–Mom–there also.

“Oh, hi, Mrs. Quinn,” Caitlin says–obviously confused by Mom’s presence.

“You must be Caitlin,” Mom says, “it’s nice to meet you. I just stopped in to visit with Jen for a bit after seeing Tiff off with her date.” Turning to me she looks me over and gets misty eyed. “It appears someone here also has a big date tonight. My, don’t you look lovely, Tina. In fact, you’re breathtaking.”

Laurie hands Mom the brooch and suggests that she pin it over my right breast.  The dress leaves my shoulders exposed as it only has spaghetti straps holding up the bodice. With shimmering eyes, Mom does the honors.  She gives me a hug and whispers in my ear, “I don’t think either of your sisters have ever looked lovelier, sweetheart. You’re gorgeous.”  I just smile back at her in return.

Breaking the moment, Aunt Jen pulls out her camera. “I just want a couple of pictures,” she says.

Couple, my eye! She takes loads of pictures–it’s a good thing we’ve gone digital.  The cost of film and processing would have taken the annual budget of a third world country.

Laurie is keeping watch at the front window and alerts us when Andy arrives.  I’m bustled back to my room before he reaches the door.  Apparently a girl should never be ready when her date arrives.  Poor Andy has to endure the scrutiny of the other women for five minutes before I’m allowed to rescue him.  Good thing that neither of my fathers are here or he’d really be in for it. I’ve watched what my Dad does to my sister’s dates. It may be fun for Dad, but it’s definitely not for the guys. It’s a wonder that Tiff and Marla actually get follow up dates. Come to think of it, Laurie’s mom did the same to me the first time I took her out but it didn’t have the impact of an imposing father figure.

As I walk into the room Andy’s jaw hits the ground–as Sam predicted–and he just stares.

“Hi, Andy,” I give him a nervous smile and a little girly finger wave. “You look handsome tonight.” He really does. In fact, just looking at him causes a warm wave to wash over my body leaving a warm moist feeling is a very private place in my new anatomy. I did remember to install the panty liner, thank goodness–and I’ve got spares in my purse.

There’s no response from Andy while the girls are gallantly attempting to hold back giggles.

“Are you okay?” I ask him.

I see his brain starting to reboot, as he stammers, “You… you… like, you’re amazing. I mean, like, you look absolutely gorgeous, Tina. I know you always look good, but… wow!”

I believe we’ve achieved our objective. The poor boy is stunned.

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Another masterful editing job by Gabi. Thanks!