Suddenly Female
by Melanie Brown
Copyright  © 2022 Melanie Brown

Part 4 - Tom gets a medical exam

This is the 4th and final installment of Sudden Romance. Links to Part 3 will appear at the bottom of the story --Ed

 

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“He proposed? That’s so romantic!” squealed Ashley. I had waited until we were at lunch at school to talk about Shaun’s late night visit.

I sighed. “Well, typical of Shaun, he told me I was marrying him rather than asking.”

Cathy shook her head. “He actually came to your house in the middle of the night to elope with you? Had he ever mentioned marriage before?”

I shook my head. “No. Never. This was a complete surprise. I mean, a few times he joked about me being his wife. But it was just a dinner topic, not any serious discussion.”

“Did you accept?” asked Donna.

I chuckled. “I’d be in Mexico right now if I had. So no. I turned him down.”

Ashley looked at me curiously. “Why turn him down? I know you two were really in love. You certainly mentioned it enough times.”

Frowning at Ashley, I said, “Yes. I was wildly in love with Shaun. But I can’t marry him and you know why. And now that I’ve thought about it, even if I could marry him, I really don’t think he’s mature enough. He definitely needs to grow up.”

Ashley grinned. “And then you’ll marry him.”

I laughed. “No. He wants a family, which I can’t give him.”

Ashley gave me a confused look. “You can’t have babies?”

I just stared at Ashley. “Are you for real?”

Ashley looked away, embarrassed. “Sorry. It’s just you’re such a girl, it’s easy to forget you’re a boy. Honestly, I don’t believe you are.”

Everyone fell silent as several boys from the car club started walking towards us. One boy, named Mick looked at me. “Hey Tammy. We’re all wondering if you’ve heard from Shaun? Since you’re his girlfriend, we figured if anyone would know what happened to him, you would.”

Wow. Shaun didn’t let any of his friends know where he went. Should I tell them? Shaun didn’t say to keep it a secret.

All eyes were on me as I cleared my throat. I looked at each boy before speaking. “I’m surprised he didn’t say anything to you guys. I hate to tell you all this, but unless he returns, Shaun is gone. I mean real gone. I talked to him last night. He said he was heading to Mexico to start a new life. I’m sure he’s there by now.”

One of the boys behind Mick said, “I’m surprised he didn’t take you with him, as much as he loved you. His car and you were the only things he ever talked about.” I blushed. Wow, I rated almost as highly as his car.

Ashley chirped, “He was going to take her, but she turned him down.” I wanted to strangle her.

Mick looked surprised. “Really? I’m surprised. Shaun definitely intended to marry you.” If I’m ever stupid enough to get involved with another boy, I’m definitely going to have to dial it back.

Looking surprised myself, I said, “He never told me that. Besides. If I’d gone with him, my dad would have called all the authorities.”

Brandi asked, “Could they do anything if you were his wife?”

Shrugging, I said, “I have no idea. The point here is, Shaun is gone and I didn’t go with him. Have any of you tried calling him?”

Mick looked offended. “Of course! But he doesn’t answer.”

Brandi said, “I’m sure he’s coming back for her. Maybe you can talk to him then?”

Mick looked at me earnestly, “Yeah. Can you call one of us before heading off to Mexico or wherever?”

I threw my arms up into the air. “He’s not coming back for me. I’m not marrying him! Get that through your skulls.”

Looking smug, Ashley said, “I’m sure that he’ll be back once he’s settled to pick up his wife.” All the car club boys nodded.

I scowled at Ashley. “Ash, don’t make me kill you.” I looked around the expectant faces and smiled sadly. “There’s always a chance Shaun will return. Maybe he runs out of money. Or he makes up with his dad. Who knows? But it won’t be to marry me.”

A boy in back of the group standing next to Paul, who I just noticed there in the group loudly said, “Yeah. She’s holding out for Paul!” Everyone laughed. Except Paul.

Paul frowned. “Why is that funny? I could definitely marry Tammy!” That’s weird because he knows about me. He dated my twin sister after all.

Mick laughed and said, “I think we all would like to marry Tammy. Come on, guys. I think we’ve annoyed her long enough.” The boys began to walk past our table.

A boy in the back punched Paul in the shoulder. In a low voice he said, “You don’t deserve her! You could have had that ass every night and you walked away from that.”

I frowned at the boys walking past our table. “My ass is not open for discussion.”

Grinning at the passing boys, Ashley said, “You can talk about my ass.” The boys laughed and kept walking. Paul gave me a sheepish smile as he passed the table.

Cathy shook her head. “Well that was fun. Tammy, just what’s this Svengoolie effect you have on boys?”

I just shrugged and laughed.

*          *          *

“Are you kidding me?” exclaimed Cynthia over the phone after I told her about my previous night’s adventure. “He really wanted to elope with you? To marry you? Holy shit girl, I’ve never been proposed to. Not seriously anyway.”

“There was Melvin in the seventh grade,” I said.

“I said seriously,” growled Cynthia. “But that’s just so freaking romantic! He wanted to whisk you away to a far-off land to live happily ever after! Wow. He really, truly loves you. I don’t know how you resisted.”

Laughing, I said, “Girl, we never would have made it to the border before Dad would have called out the dragnet. Daddy’s now building a cage in the basement to lock me into to prevent any future elopements.”

Cynthia chuckled, “We don’t have a basement.”

“He’s digging one,” I said seriously.

“Seriously though,” said Cynthia. “Knowing just how much you loved him, I’m really surprised you didn’t go with him.”

“If I’d had the right equipment, I might have,” I sighed.

“Yeah, that wouldn’t have been a happy surprise after dragging you across international borders and then marrying you,” agreed Cynthia.

There was an extended pause in the conversation and then Cynthia exclaimed, “Oh hey. I was going to call you anyway because Mom wants you and Dad to come out here to Hollywood during the Thanksgiving holiday. Wouldn’t that be awesome?”

“That would be awesome! It’d be great to get back to normal and decompress from being a cheerleader and almost a bride,” I said.

Sounding suspicious, Cynthia asked, “What do mean ‘back to normal’?”

I said, “Back to being Tom.”

“No!” shouted Cynthia. “I want my sister to come out here! You need to be a girl when you come out.”

“Why? I’d like to be myself!” I whined.

“Two reasons,” said Cynthia and I know she held up two fingers though I can’t see them over the phone. “One, I want to meet my beautiful sister. And two, Mom wants to meet her gorgeous new daughter.”

Frowning, I said, “Just stand in front of a mirror. It’s the same difference. Besides: You guys have already seen me as a girl. You taught me how to wear make-up before you left.”

Cynthia laughed. “You were still mostly a boy then. But now look at you. You’re growing into a woman.”

“I think you’ve lost your mind,” I sighed.

“Oh! Oh! I got to go, but I have to ask you to please please don’t get a boyfriend or married before you come out. There’s a guy I want you to meet. I think you’ll really like him.”

I groaned. “I’m really not interested in meeting guys!”

Cynthia laughed. “Says the runaway bride!”

I frowned at the phone. “There’s a reason it’s ‘runaway’ and not just bride.”

“I have to run,” said Cynthia. “But trust me. You’ll like him.” And then she hung up.

I shook my head. Everyone has gone insane.

*          *          *

I actually felt relief at not having a boyfriend. I was sitting at my desk in my room playing a computer game. I haven’t had time to play in weeks with Shaun constantly coming over or taking me somewhere.

I’d just gotten killed for the twentieth time this session when I heard Dad come home from work. Something else I haven’t really experienced in a while. Dad stuck his head in my room and asked, “What’s for dinner?” How has Dad survived these past couple of weeks?

I looked up from my game and said, “I don’t know Daddy. Where are you taking us?”

Dad sighed. “I was hoping for a home cooked meal for once. You’re a much better cook than your sister. But okay. How do you feel about The Burgermeister? I haven’t been there since yesterday.”

I grinned at Dad. “That works. I’ll make dinner tomorrow. I promise.”

Dad frowned at me. “My luck you’ll have a new boyfriend tomorrow. Are you ready to go?”

Before I could answer, my cell phone rang. I asked Dad to wait a second and then I answered the phone. “Oh. Hey Mitch.” Why the hell is that guy from the car club calling? Dad just stared at me as I listened to Mitch. Finally I said, “Sorry Mitch. I have plans tomorrow. Sorry. Bye.”

Dad just stared at me for a few moments. “I rest my case. You can’t go for five minutes without a boyfriend.”

I laughed. “He’s not a boyfriend. He was trying to round up a crew for a race tomorrow night. Don’t get your panties in a wad, Daddy. I’m done with that whole race thing and Mitch knows that. He’s just desperate for people. Okay. Let’s go eat.”

A short drive later, we arrived at The Burgermeister. I had never eaten there before.

After swallowing my first bite I said to Dad, “These are pretty good.” Dad had been uncharacteristically quiet since we left the house. I asked, “What’s eating you, Daddy? You seem bothered by something.”

Dad continued to stare at his burger for a few more moments. Finally he turned to me and said, “I talked to your mother today. She wants us to come out there for Thanksgiving instead of them coming here.”

Nodding, I said, “Yeah. That’s what Cynthia told me. I was looking forward to Mom’s great Thanksgiving dinner.”

Dad smiled slightly. “I think she wanted a break from that. But going out there really isn’t the problem. Did Cynthia tell you anything else?” I wasn’t sure what Dad was getting at, so I just shrugged.

Dad took a bite and while chewing, he said, “Your mother wants you to be Tammy for the visit. She wants to see her new ‘daughter’. Can you imagine anything so ridiculous?”

I frowned at Dad. “So I’m ridiculous now? Should I have gone with Shaun and been appreciated?”

Dad gave me a horrified expression. “No, no! It’s ridiculous to call you our daughter. I mean, eventually we’ll go back to calling you ‘Tom’”.

I nodded. “Yeah, Cynthia mentioned that too. To be honest, I was looking forward to being Tom again. Being a girlfriend wears you out.”

Dad frowned at me. “I wouldn’t know. But anyway, apparently Cynthia has an invitation to some big Thanksgiving gala and she can bring her family. It’s some big dress up affair. I have to wear a stinking tie!” He snerked and continued, “And you’ll have to wear high heels and an evening gown.”

I frowned. “Terrific. That probably means at least four inch pumps and heavier make-up.”

Dad chuckled. “Oh yeah. Cynthia said she had a treat scheduled for all you girls. You have a salon visit for nails, hair and make-up to get ready for the dinner. While you ‘girls’” He air quoted ‘girls’ “are getting all prettied up, I’ll be in my underwear at the hotel room catching the game. I might have room service send up a sandwich and a beer.” He laughed.

*          *          *

“We’re here,” I said to Cynthia over the phone from our hotel room.

“Mom and I were starting to worry,” sighed Cynthia. “We expected to hear from you an hour ago.”

I looked over at Daddy checking what channels we have on our room’s TV. “Sorry. We experienced some delays.”

Cynthia said, “Yeah. I hate it when that happens. Just remember that while the dinner we’re having with my producer, Mr. Pruitt, this evening is casual, tell Daddy to wear a clean shirt with no holes in it this time. And you probably should wear a dress.”

I frowned at the phone. “I was going to. I’ve already got that blue floral print, off-the-shoulder sun dress laid out. And those white, flat, strappy sandals.”

Cynthia chuckled. “Sounds like something from my closet.”

I laughed. “It did come from your closet.”

Sounding annoyed, Cynthia said, “You really need to get your own clothes.”

I sighed. “I didn’t think I’d need girls clothes this long.”

Cynthia laughed. “Well, girl, I’d say you need to get your own clothes. How long do you need to get ready before we come pick you up? We’re supposed to meet my producer at seven.”

I said, “Give us at least two hours. Daddy needs a shower too. And I need time to put my make-up on. Remember, I had to travel as Tom. And just why are we meeting your producer?”

“He wants to try to recruit you. I told him we look just alike. And we do. Remember those days where getting ready consisted of just sniffing your shirt?” chuckled Cynthia. “Those days are gone, sis.”

I frowned at the phone again. “This isn’t permanent.” Cynthia just laughed and then we disconnected.

Dad and I would have been happy to just see Mom and Cynthia since it’s been a while. But Cynthia wanted us to also meet her producer. She’s really excited about her project. She really wants to make a career out of it. Which for me means, filling in for cheerleader until graduation.

She also wants her producer to meet me. She wants me to join her. I’m really not sure if that’s something I want to pursue. Acting seems like something you have to want to do, to do it well. Or at all.

I shooed Dad into the shower first since all he does is get the germs wet and then he steps out. Okay, maybe not really. But his showers are pretty short. I needed to be squeaky clean because… well, I always need to be squeaky clean. And I needed time to get my make-up perfect. I’m meeting Mom and well Cynthia as well, for the first time as Tammy. I was actually afraid she’d laugh at me and my efforts to be a girl.

*          *          *

Mom gasped when she saw me as I opened the door to our hotel room. She put her hand for a moment in front of her mouth in surprise and then rushed up to give me a warm hug, not like the quick hugs I usually get from her.

“Oh my God!” exclaimed Mom. She then held me at arm’s length. “Just look at you! Cynthia, look at your beautiful sister! She’s just as gorgeous, if not more so than you!”

Cynthia frowned. “Let’s not get carried away.”

Mom was all ear-to-ear smiles as she stared at me. “Oh my, Tammy. Just like your sister, you’ve become a beautiful young woman!” I felt my cheeks blush.

Embarrassed, I shook my head. “Knock it off, Mom. I mean, Cynthia and I look exactly alike, so of course I’d look like a girl if I dress like one!”

Cynthia laughed. “Tammy, in all honesty, you’d look more like a girl if you wore a football uniform. Can you imagine how silly you’d look?”

I frowned. “Just because it would be too big for me. If you’re going to make fun of me, I might as well go back home!”

“Now be nice to your sister,” Mom scolded. “You’d look silly in a football uniform too.”

Cynthia smirked. “Don’t you remember that time about a year ago, when Paul let her wear his uniform? It practically engulfed her!”

“Seriously, Mom. I’m not Cynthia’s sister. Stop acting like I’m a girl,” I said pouting.

Mom just smiled. “Okay, honey. We’re just teasing you. But that dress does look good on you.”

Cynthia looked at her phone. “Mom. We need to go. I’d like to be at the restaurant before Mr. Pruitt. “

A few minutes later, we were all getting into Mom’s rental car. Cynthia and I got in the back seat. As Mom started the car, I asked, “We’re here all week. What exactly are we going to be doing? Just watch Cynthia try to act?”

Cynthia folded her arms. “What do you mean, ‘try to act’?”

Before I could respond, Mom said, “I have something planned for you, Tammy. You’ll probably object, but I need you to do it. We’ll discuss it more after our business with Mr. Pruitt is finished.”

I frowned. “Well that doesn’t sound ominous or anything.”

*          *          *

I sighed as I looked over at Cynthia. “Well, where’s your boss? I’m getting hungry.”

Rolling her eyes, Cynthia said, “Patience, dear one. We did get here about ten minutes early. Oh! Here he comes.” She pointed at the restaurant entrance as a man wearing dark suit opened the door and entered. We all stood up in greeting.

The man walked up to Mom and held her fingers in a rather limp hand shake. “Mrs. Garret. Good to see you again.” He turned towards Dad and gave him a very firm handshake. “Mr. Garret! It’s a pleasure to finally meet Cynthia’s father. Your daughter is definitely going places.” I bit down on my tongue so I wouldn’t say where I wanted her to go.

Cynthia and I were standing right next to each other. Mr. Pruitt turned towards us and started to extend his hand and then he paused with a confused expression. He turned to look at Mom. “My word, Mrs. Garret. You were correct. They are amazingly identical!”

Cynthia grinned and gave a small wave. “I’m Cynthia.”

“Cynthia!” Mr. Pruitt smiled insincerely as he gave her fingers a limp handshake as well. “I bet you’re anxious for the shooting to end.”

Cynthia nodded. “Next week! But I have to say, it’s been a blast.”

He turned towards me. Even after several weeks of dressing as a girl, I still don’t immediately think of myself as female, so I expected a bone crushing handshake like the one Dad got. Instead, he took my hand gingerly, and lifted my fingers to his lips. Holy shit. Nobody has ever kissed my hand before. Grinning broadly, he said, “And you my dear must be Tammy. I must say, you are every bit as beautiful as your lovely sister. Perhaps even more so.”

Cynthia frowned. “Hey now. Let’s not get carried away.”

I gave him an embarrassed smile. “Thank you.”

A waiter walked up to Mom and asked, “Are you ready to be seated, ma’am?”

Mom nodded. “Yes. I believe we’re all here.”

Mom had Mr. Pruitt seated at one end of the table, and placed Cynthia and I together, but with me seated next to Mr. Pruitt. Mom sat on the other side of the table next to Mr. Pruitt with Dad next to her. We were handed menus to review.

After he was seated and told the waiter what alcoholic beverage he wanted, Mr. Pruitt looked apologetically to Mom. He said, “I must apologize Mrs. Garret that I can’t stay for dinner as I have a pressing engagement elsewhere. But I did want to meet your other, very lovely and charming daughter.”

Grinning, Cynthia exclaimed, “See? What did I tell you? Perfectly identical. I bet you could use her.”

Mr. Pruitt took a sip of his drink and swallowed before answering. “Well, not on any of the projects we’re wrapping up for year’s end. But I agree that she’d be perfect, provided she can act, for a new project that we’re trying to get management to green light.”

Looking smug, Cynthia said, “Of course she can act. She’s my sister.”

Mr. Pruitt chuckled. “Well, both of you will have to read for the parts, if the project happens. It’ll be a quick shooting schedule. We do have some projects coming up this summer where I think both of you would work.” He glanced down at his very expensive watch and said as he started to stand up, “Again I apologize, but I must go.” We all stood up with him.

Mr. Pruitt again shook Dad’s hand. “It was a pleasure to meet you, sir. You must be proud to have such charming daughters. Oh, and order whatever you want. The studio is picking up the tab. Good day, everyone.”

As we all sat back down after Mr. Pruitt left, I said, “I was going to get a salad. But now I think I’ll get the lobster.”

Cynthia asked, “Well. What did you think?”

I shrugged. “I think we wasted a lot of money and could have done that over a conference call.”

Cynthia frowned. “He has to meet you to make a good evaluation. I think he likes you.”

I chuckled. “Well, that’s good. I guess. I never said I wanted to act too, you know. Oh, there’s steak and lobster. I was looking for it under ‘Surf & Turf’. What the hell? No fries?”

After we finished eating a very delicious meal Mom looked around the table to make sure we were all done. I figured we were about to go back to our hotel. Mom said, “Okay everyone. I wanted to go over the schedule for the week. After we leave here, Cynthia planned to take Tammy to a movie. Wednesday, girls, we’re planning a shopping expedition on Rodeo Drive. Of course for Thursday afternoon, again girls, we’re going to the salon to get our hair, nails and make-up done for the gala we’ve been invited to attend that night. Friday will be a fun day out shopping and then Saturday, Tammy you and your father fly back home.”

Afraid to ask, I wrinkled my brow and said, “Is there a reason you skipped Tuesday?”

Mom leaned forward, her elbows on the table while pressing her finger tips together. “I’m taking you to a clinic where they’re going to perform some tests on you.”

Frowning, I said, “Tests? What kind of tests? What are you talking about?”

Mom took a deep breath. “Some physical tests. Tests that should have been done years ago.”

I slapped my palms down on the table top. Several people looked around at us. “Oh come on, Mom! Not again!” I growled. “We’ve talked about this before. I’m not a girl, Mom. Stop trying to get some quack to say I am!”

Quietly, Mom said, “I just want definitive proof, one way or the other, honey. Baby-doll, you just spent several weeks living as a girl, even dating boys, and nobody questioned it. Don’t you want to know for sure?”

“No!” I exclaimed. Again people turned around and looked at us. “I’m a boy!” I hissed. I looked over at Dad. “Daddy, make her stop! You know I’m a boy! Hell, she knows I’m a boy. Tell her!”

Dad looked down at his folded hands for a moment. He sighed and said, “The only way to finally settle this for sure is to take these tests. Your mother has legitimate concerns. You’re seventeen and no facial hair and little body hair. Your testicles never descended. Your voice never changed. There’s something wrong and we need to find out.”

I scowled at Dad. “I thought you were on my side!”

Looking up from his hands, Dad heaved a heavy sigh. He said, “I am on your side.”

I felt myself about to tear up. I asked, “Would you prefer that I was a girl?”

Dad grimaced and said, “I prefer that you’re healthy.”

*          *          *

“Will you stop moping?” growled Cynthia. “You’re getting a free movie and popcorn. I’ve heard it’s a good movie. Geoff and Tony will be here any minute to pick us up.” Cynthia had decided we should go see the new Tommy Kincaid movie No Time for Samurai.” It featured an all girl J-Pop band I liked.

I frowned at Cynthia. “I don’t have a problem with the movie. I kinda wanted to see this one. But why did you get us dates?”

“Geoff asked me to go with him to the movie and when I said I couldn’t because my sister was coming to town, he suggested Tony come too as your date,” explained Cynthia. “Tony’s the guy I thought you should meet. He’s really nice. I think you’ll like him. He’s into all that J-Pop and K-Pop stuff that you like.”

Exasperated, I said, “I’ve told you. I don’t want to date boys!”

Cynthia snorted a laugh. “You can say that with a straight face after dating the two cutest boys in school?”

“That’s different!” I exclaimed.

Cynthia giggled. “They were still boys. You’re not going to marry the guy. I really think you’ll like him, so just be nice, please? I’ve been trying to get a date with Geoff for weeks.”

I shook my head. “I’m not going to be rude to him. I’m just pissed you arranged a date for me without asking.”

“Would you have agreed to the date if I’d asked you?” Cynthia asked.

“No.”

“That’s why I have to be sneaky. Bottom line, it’s a free movie and popcorn for a movie you planned to see anyway.” Cynthia’s phone beeped and she looked at it. “Ah. They’ve arrived. They’ll be here in a minute.”

A minute later, there was a knock on the door to Mom’s and Cynthia’s hotel door. Cynthia opened the door and in front of us stood two somewhat scruffy looking guys with a few day’s beard growth. They appeared to be around nineteen or twenty. I’m not keen on scruffy beards and I thought they were too old for Cynthia and me.

Cynthia grinned and exclaimed, “Geoff! Tony! Come on in.” They both smiled and stepped into the hotel room.

Pointing at me, Cynthia said, “Guys, I’d like you to meet my sister Tammy.” Pointing to the guys, Cynthia said, “And Tammy, I’d like you to meet Geoff, my co-star and this is Tony, our assistant director.” I gave them both rather limp handshakes.

Geoff grinned broadly at me. “Nice to meet you, Tammy. Cynthia mentioned you two were twins, but shit man, you two are exactly the same!”

Tony said, “Nice to meet you, Tammy. The likeness is truly amazing. Cynthia told me everything about you.”

I chuckled. “Probably not *everything*.” Cynthia shot me a withering glance.

Tony nodded. “Some things are best left to discover.”

I started to make a reply, but Cynthia interrupted. “I think we best get going.”

Geoff nodded. “We don’t want to miss the beginning.” He put his arm around Cynthia’s waist and I don’t think dynamite could have removed her grin. Tony took my hand.

Cynthia and I were led down the hall to the elevators which we took to the ground floor. We exited the hotel into the parking garage. About ten minutes later, Geoff was driving us out to the street. Tony and I sat in the back seat with Cynthia sitting up front with Geoff.

Tony still held my hand inside the car. He smiled at me and asked, “So, are you an actress too?”

I shook my head and said, “No, I’m a cheerleader.”

Tony seemed surprised. “You’re not interested in acting? You’re just as beautiful as your sister.”

“Acting just doesn’t interest me,” I said. “I mean as something I would do. I find the whole filmmaking process totally fascinating.”

Tony slid his arm behind me. “Oh, it is fascinating! I’d love to take you around the studio. I could show you all kinds of things.” I bet!

I tried to give him a sad smile as I said, “I’m pretty busy all week and then I fly home Saturday.”

“Well damn!” Tony exclaimed. “I think you really would have enjoyed a tour. Any idea when you might be back out this way? Maybe we can get you involved in something.”

I shook my head. “Nope. And Cynthia will be coming back home soon. So no telling when I’ll have a chance. Besides, I’d like to graduate from high school first.”

Looking crestfallen, Tony said, “Oh. You’re still in high school?”

I nodded. “Yep. Cynthia and I are the same age you know.”

He pulled his arm back around from behind me. “Oh yeah. That’s right.”

Somehow Geoff managed to find an empty parking spot at a huge Cineplex. Just as before, Geoff put his arm around Cynthia’s waist and Tony held my hand. Cynthia was all bubbly and excited. I tried not to show it, but I really didn’t want to be there.

Geoff and Tony had already bought our tickets on-line and they bragged they had gotten us good seats. The Cineplex was more crowded than I expected and it was extremely noisy. We found a table to sit at and Geoff ordered a pizza from the tabletop kiosk even though Cynthia and I had just finished eating.

Cynthia and I were sitting next to each other. Geoff leaned towards us so we could actually hear him. “Have you girls been here before?”

Cynthia shook her head, her hair cascading about her shoulders. Grinning she said, “No. I’ve been dying to come here though.” She looked around. “I think it’s great!”

I just shrugged and laughed. “I don’t live here. We have a place like this where I live, but it’s a lot smaller.”

Tony looked at both of us. “Geoff and I kinda have a vested interest in the movie industry. Do you girls not like going to movies?”

Cynthia giggled. “I’ve been really too busy lately.”

I said, “I tend to watch movies on-line. Not many I like lately”.

Geoff grinned. “Cuddling on the couch might be better than in theater seats.”

Tony looked like he was about to say something, but was interrupted by the pizza arriving.

As he took a bite, Tony asked, “Have you girls talked to Mr. Pruitt yet? I’d be shocked if he didn’t want to sign Tammy up.”

Cynthia exclaimed, “Oh yeah! We just met with him tonight. I think he liked Tammy and he wants to talk with her again about recent opportunities.”

Tony studied me a moment and then said, “If nothing else, you should definitely go into modeling.”

Taking another bite of her pizza, Cynthia looked at me with wide eyes. “Now there’s an idea, Tammy. I bet you’d be great at that!”

Geoff grinned and said, “You both have that being beautiful part down pretty solid.”

Tony checked the time on his phone. He punched Geoff in the shoulder. “Hey, man. If we want to get any snacks for the movie, we need to go now.” We all slid off our chairs and Tony took my hand.

*          *          *

Geoff and Tony dropped us off at my hotel after we were done with the movie. Despite the hour, Geoff wanted to go dancing. Thankfully, Cynthia nixed the idea even though I think she wanted to go. I needed to get to bed since I had that lab appointment in the morning.

We both plopped down on the couch. Dad was apparently already asleep. I wasn’t going to last very much longer before I zonked.

Cynthia looked expectantly over at me. “Well, what did you think of Tony?”

I sighed and looked over at her. “Well, like you said, he was nice. And yes, he’s very cute. I think he’d been cuter if he’d shaved. I’m not much for facial hair. Although it did help Geoff look older. I wouldn’t have guessed he was just nineteen. Tony was almost twenty-five?”

Cynthia shrugged. “I thought you’d be excited to date an older man for once.”

I shook my head. “Don’t push men on me! And when he found out I… we… were only seventeen, he quickly lost interest. Did Mom know? I’m pretty sure Dad wouldn’t have allowed Tony to take me out.”

Cynthia sighed. “Yeah, I noticed he didn’t even kiss you good-night. To me, both Geoff and Tony look to be about the same age. And no, I never told Mom Tony’s age. I didn’t think it mattered.”

“Well, just so you know ahead of time, Geoff and Tony are going to be our escorts to the gala. They were more than willing to agree,” said Cynthia almost as an afterthought.

I wrinkled my brow. “Why do we need escorts? That seems stupid.”

Cynthia shrugged. “Something about etiquette. Supposedly it looks bad for a woman to arrive alone at these events. Hey, at least we don’t have to rent one and it helps you at least like him. Bottom line, the studio insists at least I have an escort.”

I shook my head. “Why does this keep getting worse?”

Our conversation fell into a long pause. We just sat staring at the TV that wasn’t turned on. Finally, Cynthia asked, “Are you okay? You look worried about something.”

I looked over at Cynthia and said, “Sorry. I’m worried about tomorrow. What if their tests say I’m a girl?”

Cynthia shrugged. “So what if it does? What does it change, sis? Right now you’re wearing a dress and make-up. You were a popular cheerleader for a few weeks at school. Not to mention you dated the two cutest boys at school! Tell me again how being a girl is so bad!”

I just sat there and scowled at her.

Cynthia sat up straight and her eyes bore into my soul. “Tammy, I’m totally serious here. You are so naturally a girl. It’s great having a sister. I have to agree with Mom that she and Dad made a mistake in raising you as a boy. No, listen to me. You’ve always been effeminate. You don’t have any male features. I never told you this, but that one girlfriend of mine that took on a date? She later told me she felt like she was out with her sister. And remember that Kevin guy last year? He really wanted to take you to the homecoming dance. He was so heartbroken when you turned him down.”

My eyes flashed with sudden anger. “Is it my fault he didn’t know the difference between a boy and a girl? Nobody made that mistake this year.”

Cynthia frowned at me. “Don’t you get tired of being alone? Cathy kept forgetting that you claim to be a boy. As a girl, she saw you as very happy and all the girls on the squad think of you as a good friend. Everyone thinks you’re a much better girl than boy. I mean really.”

I shook my head and studied my shoes. “You wouldn’t accept me as a girl.”

Cynthia barked a laugh. “I accept you as a girl right now. Thinking of you as a boy is what I have trouble with.”

I stood up and said, “I guess we’ll all find out tomorrow. I gotta get to bed. Good night.” Cynthia gave me a big hug and then exited the room, leaving me to stand alone. I whispered to no one, “I’m a boy!” A tear rolled down my cheek. I turned to wash my face in the bathroom and found my baby doll pajamas and got in bed.

*          *          *

“I don’t want to be here, Mom.”

Mom frowned at me. “We’ve discussed this. Your father and I are deeply concerned about your health. There are things that should have happened by now if you’re a healthy male.” We were waiting in line to get me checked into this clinic thing Mom had set me up with.

“I don’t care about any of those things, Mom.” I whined. “Who wants facial hair anyway?”

Mom rolled her eyes at me. “Most boys.”

“I’m not like most boys, Mom,” I said. “You know I’m not a conformist.”

Mom shook her head and frowned at me. “If these things aren’t happening, it could be a sign of a serious health issue.”

The receptionist turned towards Mom and said, “We’re ready to receive you daughter now, Ms Garret. Just sign these release forms. If you desire, you may wait in our waiting room. But since we’ll have her until around three, we recommend you leave and come back later.”

I frowned and folded my arms. “You meant, ‘son’, right?” The receptionist gave me a knowing smile.

Mom nodded. “I guess I’ll come back later. My husband and I have a few things to do today.”

The receptionist smiled and handed Mom some papers. “Of course, ma’am. We’ll call you if she finishes early.”

Mom smiled at me and then gave me a hug. “I’ll be back later to pick you up. Try not to give these good people a hard time, okay?”

“I’ll try.” Mom smirked and left the office

The receptionist stood up holding some papers. “Tammy?”

I frowned and said, “Tom.” She made a quick note on one of the papers.

The receptionist smiled at me and said, “Good morning, Tom. My name is Sandy. We’re going to start off taking some vital signs before handing you over to the doctor.” She looked at the paper again. “You’re only seventeen, but I need to ask when was the last time you did a self breast exam?”

I frowned and said, “Never.”

She made a note. “And while you normally don’t get one this early, have you had a pap smear lately?”

I folded my arms more tightly and sighed. “No.”

Smiling, Sandy said, “Okay, hon. Follow me over here and we’ll get your blood pressure and temp and weight. Do you know if you’re pregnant?”

I continued to frown and exclaimed, “Oh knock it off! I’m not female!” She took a few more notes.

After asking my birthday and taking my blood pressure and temp, I was left alone in a small room waiting for a doctor to come talk to me. I had to change into a hospital gown. They had me waiting for at least twenty minutes. I was just about ready to watch a movie on my phone when the doctor finally entered the room.

I stood up when he entered but he made no effort to shake my hand. He said, “Please sit down. I’m Dr. Steadman. I apologize for making you wait.” He then sat down in the chair opposite from me.

“Can I just go ahead and go?” I asked, trying not to sound whiny. “This seems like a waste of time.”

Dr. Steadman grinned. “Do you think so? Sadly, I can’t really do that. Your parents have requested I run a battery of tests on you. They’re very concerned about your mental and physical development. Looking over your medical history, even though it’s somewhat sparse and reading their observations, I have to say I share their concern.”

“Horse shit, doc. Just by looking at me, you can see there’s nothing wrong with me!” I exclaimed.

The doc smiled. “Well, that’s why we run tests, so we can check under the hood, as it were. Before we get started, describe yourself to me. I don’t need a lot of detail. Just generally.”

I frowned and said, “Generally? Well, I’m what I would consider a typical seventeen year old guy with long hair who looks too much like his twin sister. I’m a senior this year and I’ll be glad when I finally graduate. I wouldn’t call myself a brain, but I do think I’m smart. I should probably work out some since I don’t seem to have much in the way of muscles.”

Dr. Steadman had been taking notes. Without looking up, he said, “Okay. That’s enough for now.” He leaned back and studied me. He looked back at his notes and said, “Just quickly, let me share with you what I’m observing. I see an attractive young woman, high school age, who is probably a bit too thin.”

I leaned back in my chair. “Well, your observation is not correct. For starters, I’m a guy.”

Dr. Steadman smiled and looked back at my file. “Your mother told me that for a few weeks at school, you filled in for your sister as a cheerleader. She included this picture.” He held up a photo of me in Cynthia’s cheerleading uniform. “How did you feel about that? I mean, you’re a guy and you had to wear basically a very skimpy dress and perform in front of the student body.”

I shrugged. “I was okay with it. It was fun. The squad was very helpful.”

He flipped through a few pages of the papers he was holding. Without looking up, he asked, “You dated two boys while you were a cheerleader?”

I shifted my position in my seat and chuckled nervously. “Yeah, I kinda got carried away.”

Dr. Steadman just nodded. He was silent for a moment. “Well, we have a lot of work to do, so it’s best we get to it. First we need to draw some blood.” He spoke into this mic looking thing clipped to his jacket. “George. You can come in now.”

The door opened and a guy who didn’t look much older than me entered the small room. He was wearing hospital scrubs and carrying a tray loaded with test tubes. George proceeded to stick a needle in the crook of my arm and then pressed several of the test tubes onto the needle and filled them with blood. He finished quickly.

Dr. Steadman stood. “Okay. Let’s get started on the tests, shall we? We need to find out what’s going on with you.”

*          *          *

It was a very long day. I was pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed, and numbered. I felt violated, humiliated, embarrassed and mortified. I couldn’t keep up with the tests they were giving me. They gave me a mammogram on what tits I have. One of the worst things I was subjected to was having me sit in a chair with my feet up in stirrups, while the doc lifted back my hospital gown so he could look and poke around. At what, I have no idea since I don’t have a vagina down there. What made things worse, was when he invited four other doctors to look and poke and prod down there as well.

I was also shown some videos, either of gorgeous women posing or gorgeous men flexing their muscles. They had me wired up for that.

They finally brought me back to the small room I started in. I was instructed to get dressed. I did that quickly hoping they’d let me out quickly. And they mostly did. I was returned to the reception area. The receptionist pointed to a chair and said, “Have a seat, miss. We’ve called your mother and she’s on her way here now.” I was so tired, I fell asleep in the chair.

Mom helped me get into the car. I was totally dogged out.

Looking at me with a wry grin, Mom said, “Goodness, honey. You look totally worn out!”

I yawned, closed my eyes and leaned against the car door. “That’s an understatement for sure, Mom. I didn’t even know I had those places they checked.”

Mom said, “I’m sorry you had a rough day. Did they say when they’d have the results?”

I opened one eye to squint at Mom and then closed it again. “They said don’t expect anything until Friday. The lab is closed on Thursday.”

Mom smiled and patted my leg. “Well, get good and rested. We have a fun day planned tomorrow.”

“More fun than sleeping?” I mumbled.

Mom smiled broadly. “Oh yes. You, me and Cynthia are going to have a girl’s day out. We’re going to hit Rodeo Drive and we’re going to get you a dress for the gala we’re going to on Thursday.”

“That’s okay”, I mumbled. “Thursday I’ll just stay with Dad drinking pizza and eating beer.”

Mom harrumphed. “Your father is going to the gala with us. And you better not be drinking beer!”

I fell asleep.

*          *          *

“Are you going to sleep all day?”

“That’s the plan. And who are you?” I kept my eyes closed hoping they’d go away.

“It’s your sister, goofus,” said my sister. “You need to get up. I thought you’d already be up and dressed. Mom’s waiting down in the lobby.”

I buried my face further into my pillow. “I’m tired. Go away.”

My covers were unceremoniously jerked off me. “Come on. Let’s go,” demanded Cynthia. “Mom’s waiting.”

I tried to fumble around to retrieve the covers to my bed. “I don’t want to. Guys don’t go on shopping expeditions.”

Cynthia grunted. “Guys don’t wear blue baby doll pj’s either. Quit goofing around.”

I managed to sit up on the edge of my bed, my hair falling in a mess across my face. “You and Mom go.”

Cynthia sat on the edge of my bed. “Come on. You promised Mom you’d go.”

I turned to scowl at Cynthia. “No. *You* promised Mom.”

Whacking my naked foot, exasperated, Cynthia asked, “Why are you acting this way? Do you have any idea how much Mom was looking forward to today? It’s not just shopping, but we’re doing the tourist bit as well.”

“I don’t mind so much going with you guys, but why as a girl?” I asked suddenly feeling self conscious wearing the baby doll pj’s.

Cynthia frowned at me. “Because you’d already been living as a girl for several weeks with plans to continue for a while. We didn’t think you’d consider it a big deal.”

Before I could reply, Cynthia’s cell phone rang. She said, “Hi Mom. No. Tammy’s being a butt. She doesn’t even have her make-up on yet. You want to come up to the room and watch TV? Okay. I’ll call you when we’re ready.”

Frowning, I exclaimed, “Stop trying to bully me into going.”

Looking confused, Cynthia said, “I’m not trying to bully you into anything, sis. Mom thought this would be a fun outing for us and she’s been looking forward to it for days. Here. Take my cell phone. Call Mom and tell her to go fuck herself.” She held out her cell phone towards me.

I scowled at Cynthia and said, “I have to take a shower first.”

*          *          *

If Mom’s smile was any wider, I think her head would split, as we exited our Uber on Hollywood Blv, right in front of the famous Chinese theater.

Mom looked around full circle and said, “Oh! I’m so glad I got to share this with my girls!” She then turned and started looking at all the famous footprints in cement.

Cynthia poked my arm. “See how happy Mom is?”

I nodded as we both started to join Mom. “Yeah, yeah. And I have to admit it’s pretty cool to be here.”

Of course we pretty much tagged ourselves as tourists, with our sunglasses perched on our heads, our colorful tanks and shorts and taking pictures with our phones. We wisely chose flats as we were going to be on our feet. A lot.

Since we were right there, we hit Madame Tussaud’s wax museum a few minutes later. We walked over to Sunset Blv because it’s famous for some reason. Mom said dramatically, “It’s the pictures that got small.” Cynthia and I just shrugged.

After lunch, we took another Uber ride to Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. We went inside the dress store Cynthia had already picked out. I gasped when I saw the prices.

“This is a lot of money to spend for something I’ll wear once.” I said, shaking my head at the prices.

Cynthia said, “It’s a present. And you can wear this to prom.” She held up the dress she intended to buy. It was a blue sequined dress, off the shoulders and a hemline that went to my navel.

I said, “It’s a beautiful dress. But like I said, I’ll only wear it once.”

Cynthia frowned. “I said you can wear this dress to prom. Nobody at school will know you wore it here.”

I laughed. “You’re missing the point. I’m not going to prom anyway. And nobody is going to ask me. And if they do, I’ll say no.”

Cynthia grinned. “I’m sure someone will ask you.”

I waved my hand dismissively. “It’s your money. Go ahead and buy it.”

Cynthia turned to a nearby sales representative. Pointing at me she said, “This dress needs to fit her. Will alterations be finished by tomorrow afternoon?”

The sales rep gave us her best practiced smile and said, “Of course, ma’am. About four o’clock.”

Cynthia said, “That will do just fine. Thank you.”

I shook my head and tried for the umpteenth time to put my hands into nonexistent pockets. “Doesn’t anyone close for Thanksgiving?”

*          *          *

I was buckling my belt that didn’t really do anything as I exited my bedroom. I was just wearing jeans and a t-shirt. I had to wear a bra because otherwise my nipples poked through the shirt. I looked over at my dad who was dressed in a torn t-shirt and boxers. He was sitting in one of the padded chairs, TV remote in one hand and a beer in the other.

I frowned and said, “Dad, please excuse the language but you are one lucky son of a bitch. I’m about to spend an afternoon of being primped, pampered and powdered.”

Dad chuckled. “Sorry. It’s out of my hands. Your mother and sister are looking forward to it.”

I shrugged. “I’ve never been to a salon, so who knows?”

Dad held up his beer can and said, “I’d invite you to watch the game with me, but I know you don’t like football.”

I sat on the other padded chair. “Maybe I should start.” Dad chuckled.

Then my phone beeped signaling a text message. I read it aloud, “We’re here.”

Dad shrugged. “Too late. Just as well. Both these teams suck.”

I stood up and sighed. “See ya later, Dad. Maybe.”

Dad waved to me as I exited the hotel room. My emotions raged inside me. Why does Mom and Cynthia insist that I’m a girl? Especially if I was raised as a boy. And so what if I change teams now and then? The guy who was already on the elevator when I got on flashed a big smile to me. He let me exit the elevator first.

Mom and Cynthia stood up as I crossed the lobby towards them. Grinning, Cynthia asked, “Are you ready to go get beautiful?”

I shook my head. “I’m not so sure of this.”

As Mom checked her purse, Cynthia said, “You’ve never been to a salon before, have you?”

I shook my head. “Nope.”

Grinning, Cynthia said, “This will be a treat, then. No joke. It’s impossible for you not to like the experience. Mom should have made you go just to take care of your hair,”

Mom frowned at Cynthia. “Yes, I should have. I will from now on. Anyway, our ride awaits.”

A few minutes later, we were dropped off at a swanky salon. I was surprised at how crowded it was. I kept thinking, isn’t this a holiday?

Cynthia and I followed Mom to the receptionist who smiled brightly at us. After Mom introduced herself, the woman said, “Ah yes. Ms. Garrett. And these must be your two lovely daughters. Just take a seat. They’re almost ready for you.”

After we sat down, Cynthia said, “I love getting everything done at a salon. I’ve been to this one a few times before. They’re excellent. I wish we had time for the spa as well.”

I shrugged. “What’s the deal? They just wash your hair and do your make-up for you. You can do all that yourself.”

Cynthia picked up some strands of my hair. “Look how lifeless your hair is. They repair damaged hair. They’re make-up artists so they can do a better job than either you or me can. And then there’s the fussing over you and pampering you. Just wait. When they’re done you’re going to wish you’d been going to a salon long before this.”

“We’ll see,” I said with a smirk.

Cynthia poked me in the chest. “You just wait.”

I really thought Mom or Cynthia would get called back before me, but I got to be first. I’ve never been to a salon before and as I walked back into the inner sanctum, I imagined myself entering a secret society open only to women. I expected to be discovered and thrown out at any moment.

But I wasn’t. First off, I felt the beautician was trying to break my neck when she washed my hair. All during this torture, she kept a running barrage of commentary discussing topics covering fashion today, my current boyfriend, if I had one, and some TV show she thought I should be watching. Not once did she bring up the topic of football, which I felt relieved.

When I told her I didn’t want my hair cut, she said they were just going to take care of my split ends. She said she wouldn’t dream of cutting my hair. Apparently Mom had already specified that Cynthia was getting an up-do. For me, Mom had wanted the volume of my hair ramped up to be this gorgeous mane about my shoulders.

They did my nails while doing my make-up. Apparently I was getting the full glamour treatment. And while I’ve done my nails over the past few weeks while being a cheerleader, I’d never had anyone do my nails for me before. I was informed that my lipstick should survive some kissing as long as I didn’t get too carried away. When I said I wouldn’t be putting it to the test, the beautician just giggled. I really didn’t like wearing false eyelashes.

Even though they showed me how I looked I couldn’t get the full impact. All three of us finished up almost at the same time. I’ve always thought Mom was beautiful, but holy shit she was just radiant. She looked amazing. And my sister has always been gorgeous, she looked like a beautiful princess with her hair up and pink lipstick and long lashes. Geoff was going to just love her.

But I didn’t expect the reactions from Cynthia and Mom. Cynthia’s eyes went wide as she squealed, “Oh my God Tammy! You are just so gorgeous! I can’t believe how beautiful you are. Tony’s going to love you.”

Mom was trying not to cry. She looked from Cynthia to me and exclaimed, “Oh my beautiful girls!”

Cynthia picked up my hand. “Girl, I just love your nails!” They didn’t use any plastic snap-on nails. Not sure how, but they lengthened my nails and painted them a deep red.

After spending a few minutes admiring each other, we caught a ride back to Cynthia’s hotel room where our dresses were. The plan was for Dad to get a ride over to this hotel and wait in the lobby area while we got dressed. Hopefully he’ll have changed his clothes by then. The studio would send a limo for us with Geoff and Tony already onboard.

Giggling, we helped each other get into our dresses. I don’t want to say Mom looked hot, but she actually looked hot. Cynthia who looks great in everything looked incredible in her tight, short red dress. And me? There was no way I looked, or felt, like a boy. With high heels and the short blue dress, my legs looked very sexy if I say so myself. From my red lipstick to my red nails made me look extremely feminine. Mom let me borrow a pair of her dangly earrings.

When we went down to the lobby to wait for the limo, every eye was on us. And I have to say, I loved the attention. Dad was blown away by how Mom looked.

Finally, Cynthia jumped up and squealed, “Geoff!” when the boys arrived at last with the limo. She ran up to him and they hugged and she gave him a fake kiss on the cheek.

When we went outside where Tony was waiting, he did a double take when I approached him. “Tammy! You look absolutely stunning!” He took my hand and kissed my fingers. It’d be real easy to get used to this.

As we took our seats in the limo, Geoff said, “You three look incredible tonight.”

Looking at Mom, Dad said, “You should dress like this when you’re doing the dishes.”

Traffic as expected was a bit crunched. It might have been faster to walk. I looked down at my heels and decided maybe not.

Tony had his arm behind my shoulder. He asked, “Something might come out of this, you know. A lot of producers and casting directors will be watching.”

I shook my head. “Seriously, Tony. I don’t want to be an actor. I’ll leave acting to Cynthia.”

Tony looked at me and asked, “Have you even tried. Your sister is a great little actress. She’s picked it up fast.”

I said, “Actually, I’d like to be a painter.”

Tony grinned. “Oh, like Van Gogh or Rembrandt?”

Cynthia laughed. “More like Sherwin Williams!”

*          *          *

We finally arrived at the gala. After we all got out of the limo, Cynthia and Geoff were put at the front of our group since they are both actual celebrities. Tony and I came next since he’s part of the production and I only looked like Cynthia. Mom and Dad brought up the rear since nobody knows who they are. I smiled at some that were taking notice of Mom. She looked so beautiful and elegant, she just *had* to be someone!

Tony had his arm around my waist and held me close. He said, “Smile and wave to your fans.”

I chuckled. “I don’t have any fans.”

He grinned at me. “You do now.” Dozens of people held up their phones and snapped pictures of just not Cynthia, but me and Tony as well. I hadn’t had a chance to look around before, but there were quite a few celebrities walking down the red carpet towards the ballroom entrance. Some were being stopped along the way for a short interview with celebrity news outlets like E!. It was quite overwhelming with photographers and fans alike shouting out names to get their favorites to look at them. Some people mistook me for Cynthia which is easy to do except I’m prettier.

I looked back at Mom and Dad and they were just eating up all the excitement.

At one point I was taken by surprise. I didn’t think anyone would talk to me, but one woman reporter with a fashion magazine stopped me and said, “That dress is very beautiful. Who are you wearing tonight?” At first I was confused. Shouldn’t the question be a what and not a who? Then it came to me they wanted the designer. My first impulse was to say J.C Penny, but I knew Cynthia would yell at me.

It took a moment to remember where we went on Rodeo Drive and I said, “This is a Mr. Beirabelli original.”

The woman smiled and said, “Ah yes. He’s a brilliant designer.” And that was it. I didn’t even get a full fifteen minutes of fame.

We finally got inside the ballroom and things became less of a zoo, but there was still a lot of confusion. An usher led to our table. We were sitting among the other cast members for the production that Cynthia was a part of. Mr. Pruitt came over and greeted us. He seemed very interested in me for some reason. He sat down with me for a few minutes and made small talk. After he left, Tony said that was very unusual and felt Mr. Pruitt was taking an interest in me. That’s all I need.

Geoff leaned over towards Tony and me and said, “I hope you brought a pillow. This is going to be something of a snooze fest. This a promotion for a charity and there’s going to be several keynotes before they bring out dinner.”

Tony stood up and looked around. As he sat down, he looked at me and said, “Sorry, love. There’s not even a dance floor here. I was hoping we could dance tonight.”

I shrugged. “That’s okay. I’m not much of a dancer anyway.”

I turned when someone touched my arm. It was Mr. Pruitt looking at me impatiently. He leaned in close so I could hear. “Miss Garrett. Would you mind coming with me. There’s someone you should meet.”

I looked over at Tony and he just shrugged.

Mr. Pruitt stood up and said, “If you’ll please follow me, Miss Garrett.”

I hesitated a second and then stood up to follow him. Neither Mom or Cynthia noticed me getting up. Tony smiled and said, “I’ll keep your seat warm.”

I followed Pruitt out of the noisy ballroom and down a hall. Even though it was nice to get out of the crowded and noisy ballroom, I was getting concerned about where we were going.

“Um, where are we going, Mr. Pruitt? My Mom didn’t see me leave and…”

Mr. Pruitt just smiled at me and said, “Just down to this private office to meet someone important.”

My heels echoing in the empty hall, I said, “I’m not really comfortable, Mr. Pruitt.”

Mr. Pruitt stopped and smiled as he put his hand on a door knob. “We’ve reached our destination.” He rotated the knob and opened the door. The door opened to a spacious office space with a cluttered desk with a large computer monitor, framed celebrity photos cluttering the walls, several deeply padded chairs and dominating one wall was a very plush couch. Seated in the middle of the couch was an overweight fifty-something, balding man with a week’s growth of beard and wearing a suit.

Pruitt pressed on my back to lead me into the room. He turned towards the man on the couch and said, “Here she is, Mr. Oppenheimer, as you requested.” He turned towards me and continued, “Tammy, I would like you to meet Charlie Oppenheimer. Mr. Oppenheimer is a very influential impresario. Some call him The Star Maker. Mr. Oppenheimer, I present you Miss Tammy Garrett.”

Mr. Oppenheimer leaned forward and smiled broadly. “Welcome, Miss Garrett. Mr. Pruitt has told me about you several times this week. I understand you’re only here in Hollywood one more day, so I wanted to meet you before you left.”

Not sure how to react, I did something between a bow and a curtsy. I’d heard about this dude and not all of it complimentary. “Pleasure to meet you, sir,” I lied. I wanted to get back to the gala, as dull as I was expecting it be.

Oppenheimer chuckled as he patted the space next to him on the couch. “Please have a seat, Miss Garrett. I’m sure those shoes are killing your feet.” He grinned. Several alarm bells went off in my head. But what could I do? Oppenheimer might merely be wanting to meet the sister of one of his rising starlets and I’d be insulting him and doing damage to Cynthia if I just turned and ran. Which I couldn’t do anyway because Pruitt had his hand on my back.

I nodded and said, “Thank you, sir.” I then moved to sit next to this creepy old codger. The couch was soft and I sank deep into it. I could tell it was going to be difficult to stand back up.

As he put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer to him, Oppenheimer said with a chuckle, “Oh, you can dispense with that ‘sir’ nonsense. We’re all friends here. Just call me Charlie.”

I laughed nervously. “Yes sir… I mean Charlie.”

Charlie had his arm resting on my shoulders as his hand dangled in front of my breasts. With his other hand, he lightly ran his fingers up and down my bare arm. He said, “Mr. Pruitt came to me about you after meeting him you first day here. Mr. Pruitt has a knack for recognizing talent. At first I was skeptical when he described meeting such a ravishing creature such as yourself. But by George, if he wasn’t right on the money again.” Again he chuckled. I have to admit I didn’t care to be referred to as a ‘creature.’

Nervous, I stammered, “Well, I…”

He gave me a squeeze. “I have to say, Tammy. You are a very gorgeous woman. And exceptional beauty.” He leaned against me and took my hand. If I’d tried, I wouldn’t have been able to stand. “Mr. Pruitt told me you had some hesitancy about taking roles in film. I have some properties that we’re casting now that wouldn’t call for you to say very many lines.”

I looked up and saw that Mr. Pruitt had left the office, leaving me totally alone with Charlie. I said, “I… I… I’m not an actor, Charlie. I told Mr. Pruitt that. C… Can I go back now?”

Charlie laughed. “As cliché as it sounds, Miss Garrett, I’m about to make you an offer you can’t refuse.” He smiled as he pulled several strands of my hair from my face. He ran his fingers down my cheek. “You’d be perfect for my next film, Miss Garrett. Your rare beauty will make you a big star in high demand. You will be desired by men all around the world. I guarantee it.” He started playing with the hem of my dress.

I tried lean away from him. “Like I told Mr. Pruitt, I’m not interested in acting.” I’m sure Oppenheimer isn’t interested in me acting either. “My boyfriend wouldn’t like it either.” Oppenheimer wouldn’t know I don’t have one.

He held me tighter as he laughed, “Boys! A beautiful woman like you deserves to be with a man who knows how to love a woman. With this film, men will throw themselves at your feet!” That might actually be kinda cool. Men throwing themselves at my feet and me walking on them in my heels like some dominatrix. Okay, maybe not.

“You’re hurting me,” I whimpered as he squeezed me tighter. “I want to leave.” I heard the doorknob jiggling.

“Not yet, sweet cheeks.” He leaned in and kissed me hard. He held my hand so I couldn’t push him away. He unzipped my dress. There was a thud against the door.

Oppenheimer pushed his tongue into my mouth. I bit hard and he reeled backwards crying out in pain. I sat up straight and slapped him hard across his face. I managed to get off the couch and ran to the door. I unlocked it and threw it open. Standing in the hall was Tony. I threw my arms around Tony’s neck.

“Tony, help me!” I cried.

Tony put his arms around me. “I was trying to. Those doors are lot more solid than they are in movies.”

From inside the office, we heard Oppenheimer shout, “Get back in here, girl!”

Tony looked down at me and asked, “What’s going on, Tammy?”

I buried my face into Tony’s chest. “Just take me away from here! Tony, please!”

Tony looked into the office and then back to me. He nodded and said, “Let’s go.” He took my hand and led me outside into the cool night air. I held onto him, afraid to let go.

He pulled out his cell phone. “I’ll call Geoff and tell him I’m taking you back to your hotel. Then I’ll call for a ride. What happened back there?”

My face still in Tony’s shoulder, I cried, “Oh Tony, it was awful. He was going to rape me!”

Tony’s face darkened. “I knew something was wrong when the door was locked. I came looking for you because they were about to serve dinner. He knew you’d be too afraid to go to the cops.” Tony zipped my dress back up.

I started to dig around in my purse for my phone. “I’m not afraid. I’ll call the cops.”

Tony shook his head. “Don’t bother. He’s a big shot with deniability. You don’t have pictures, so it didn’t happen. Even though he doesn’t work for the studio, he can make things hard for your sister. A couple of girls tried to accuse him of rape one time. Nothing happened to him and their careers were trashed.”

“Why is he allowed to continue?” I asked, mostly rhetorically.

“Good question. Give me a second and I’ll call for your ride,” said Tony.

I punched Cynthia’s number. “Hey, girl. Where are you?” asked Cynthia when she answered.

I took a deep breath and said, “Something came up and I just need to go. It’s something you and I really need to talk about, but you and Mom have a good time. I know this is one of those things Mom really looked forward to.”

“You’re just not trying to get out of doing girl stuff are you?” asked Cynthia, sounding annoyed. “Mom wanted this for all three of us.”

I was trying desperately not to break out into tears. “No. Look, I have to go.”

Anger in her voice, Cynthia said, “You always find a way to spoil things.”

Yelling into the phone, I shouted, “Trust me. I’m not trying to spoil anything for you!”

Tony angrily snatched my phone from my hand said, “You sister really didn’t want to spoil your time by telling you about how she was almost raped tonight! But by all means go back to your party!” There was a pause and then Tony growled, “She out here, in front of the ballroom entrance.” He disconnected. The phone rang almost immediately, but he just turned it off and then sat next to me.

A moment later, the entrance doors burst open and I heard the sound of someone running in heels down the walkway. A moment later, Cynthia grabbed my shoulders as she sat beside me.

“Tammy! Are you okay? Almost raped? What the hell is going on?” Cynthia looked pale as she held me and hurled questions.

Barely able to speak, I said, “That bastard Pruitt took me to a back office to meet Oppenheimer. He… he at first said he wanted to offer a movie role to me. Then the next thing I know, he’s holding me and then kissing me. Oh God it was horrible!” I started shaking.

Mom and Dad just walked up. Mom just looked extremely worried as she had no idea why I was crying so hard. Geoff came running up as well.

Mom asked, “What is going on? What’s wrong?”

Crying, Cynthia hugged Mom. “Oh Mom! Tammy was almost raped tonight! Can you guys stay with Tammy? I need to go back and talk to the studio head.” I remembered Cynthia pointing the studio head at our table.

Mom almost collapsed on hearing that I was attacked. Dad helped her sit down next to me. Dad knelt next to me. “Oh my God, honey! Are you okay? Who…who tried to hurt you?”

Tony said through gritted teeth, “Oppenheimer. He’s an executive producer. Very powerful and protected.”

I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen Dad cry. He hugged me and cried, “How could anyone hurt my baby?”

Two figures approached in the darkness. I could tell one was Cynthia. I didn’t know who the man was.

Cynthia said, “Tammy. Everyone. This is Mr. Wilson. He’s the head of the studio that’s shooting my project. Tammy, I know it’s really hard on you, but could you please tell Mr. Wilson what happened tonight?”

With one hand holding Mom’s hand and one holding Dad’s I looked up at Mr. Wilson and I sniffled through another retelling of the events. When I was done, Mr. Wilson took a deep breath.

Looking at me, Mr. Wilson said, “Miss, I’m so sorry this happened to you. I really wish I could promise we can fix this. I’m sorry to say you’re not the first young woman who has fallen victim to Mr. Oppenheimer’s desires. Oppenheimer is a very powerful man in this industry. One thing I can do, and I’ll do it first thing in the morning, is to get with our legal team and terminate any connections and business dealings with Mr. Pruitt. It’s no secret he scouts female talent for Oppenheimer as well as for other producers. But trafficking underage girls is another matter. Have the police been notified?”

Cynthia answered for me. “No. Everyone believes it won’t do any good.”

Mr. Wilson said, “Go ahead and call them. Maybe nothing will come of it, but it needs to go on record. I’ll stay here to help answer any questions.”

Mom looked up at Tony and said, “Tammy said you helped rescue her tonight?”

Tony shrugged. “I helped her get away from that piece of shit.”

Mom nodded. “Thank you for all you did.”

Tony smiled. “Yes ma’am. I’d do anything for that lovely little lady.”

Two police officers finally arrived and took my, Mr. Wilson’s and Tony’s statements. They said they’d get back with me. That was the last I ever heard from them.

Mr. Wilson sent a studio limo to take us all back to our hotels. Geoff and Tony declined the rides. Tony hug me and said he hoped I’d come out again so he could give me an insiders tour of Hollywood. He gave me a soft kiss. That was the last time I saw him.

Cynthia and Mom decided to stay with Dad and me at our hotel instead of returning to theirs. Mom slept with Dad and Cynthia slept with me, like we did when we were kids. I was thankful to not be alone that night.

*          *          *

When I finally rolled out of bed, I discovered that Cynthia was not only awake before me, but she had ordered a room service breakfast. It was my favorite of French toast, scrambled eggs and sausage.

Cynthia grinned at me. “Well, look who’s awake. Got breakfast right here.”

“Thanks,” I said, sniffing the air. The tray was in the middle of the room and smelled wonderful. “I had a lousy night though. Just nothing but nightmares.”

Cynthia stepped to me and gave me a big hug. “That doesn’t surprise me.”

I looked around and noticed it was just us. “Where’re Mom and Dad?”

“Since this is your last day here, they got up early and headed out for shopping and site-seeing. Mom just wanted to do something normal to counter last night,” said Cynthia as she sat down to join me eating. She glanced over at me and asked, “Is there anything you want to do today?

I took a bite. “I don’t know. It’s been such a busy week, I might just want to relax.”

I was almost finished eating when my cell phone rang. The caller id said it was that lab I went to on Tuesday.

Cynthia said, “You should probably answer that.”

I shivered. “I’m afraid of what they’ll say.”

Cynthia smiled at me. “Well, regardless of that, remember we’ll always love you.”

I answered the call and set it on speaker phone. She wasn’t going to let me get by with not saying what they said, so I thought I’d just let her listen.

Over the phone, the doctor I’d spent the day with said, “Hello. This is Doctor Steadman from the clinic. Am I speaking with Miss Garrett?”

I frowned. “Depends on what you tell me.”

“Is this a good time to call? Are you alone?” ask the doctor.

I sighed. “This is as good a time as any. My sister is listening on the call. That’s okay with me.”

After confirming my birth date, the doctor said, “Well, let’s just clear the air with the main reason your parents wanted the tests. The tests were quite clear. There’s no ambiguity that you are definitely female.”

I sat up straighter and said defiantly, “Bull shit, doctor! I have a penis!”

The doctor said, “Actually, you don’t. That’s part of the several birth defects you have along with a rare medical condition that we can hopefully correct with surgery. What you have long considered to be a penis is an enlarged clitoris. You have no testicles. You are not producing testosterone. You’re not producing much estrogen either, but we think we know why. Miss Garrett, you have a complete female reproductive system, including a vagina that’s not active for several reasons. We believe that with radical new surgical techniques, you can finally be a functional female. That depends on if your menstrual flow begins after the surgery is complete.”

“Menstrual flow? What are you talking about?” He couldn’t mean what I thought he meant.

Cynthia smirked at me. “He means you’re going to have a period, sis.”

Feeling panicked, I said, “No! That crazy talk. I’m a boy!”

The doctor sighed. “Miss Garrett, you are most certainly, not physically a boy. You can certainly continue to present as a male, but we highly recommend this corrective surgery. We’re concerned you’ll develop ovarian cancer or possibly other conditions if this isn’t taken care of.”

“You’re saying I must have this … this surgery?” I ask, terrified.

“If you don’t, you’re looking at some major complications later in life,” the doc said in a grave tone. “And even if you choose to continue to present as a male, you will still continue to have a feminine appearance. You’re not likely to develop muscles or do more than grow facial hair.” My first thought was Yuck. Who wants facial hair?

I slumped in my seat. “This is a lot to digest, doc.”

Speaking in a professional, even tone, the doctor said, “I can appreciate that, Miss Garrett. Are your parents available?”

I shook my head uselessly at the phone. “No. They won’t be back until this afternoon.”

The doctor said, “Well, as soon as possible, you, your parents, and even your sister, all need to get on a group call to my office to discuss a plan of action. My medical team feels the surgery is a medical necessity. But it’s your choice. You have a right to decline treatment.”

Feeling ill, I said, “I’ll let them know so we can arrange a call.”

The doctor closed the call saying “Have a good day, miss.”

Cynthia looked at me with her mouth hanging open and her eyes wide. “You’re a girl! Oh my God, Tammy! You’re a girl!”

I spent the rest of the day in a shocked state of mind. When Mom and Dad finally returned, Cynthia ran up to them.

“Mom! Dad!” shouted Cynthia. “The lab called back with results! And guess what?” Cynthia was way too excited about the news.

Mom first seemed taken aback by Cynthia’s almost rabid attack. She finally asked, “And what was the result?”

Before I could answer, Cynthia exclaimed, “You have a new daughter!”

Between Cynthia and me, we went over everything Doctor Steadman said in great detail.

When we were done and silence fell over us, Dad asked, “And how do you feel about this? How do you want to go forward?”

“It’s not easy to say, Daddy,” I started. “I only thought I was a boy because you guys told me I was. I never really looked like a boy. I never really developed male characteristics. Then add the fact that I’ll have a vagina which sounds really weird to say along with having a period every month. Which is even weirder to say.”

Cynthia grinned at me. “Well, you can already guess what I want you to do. Switch sides, Tammy. I mean, you’re going nowhere as boy. Cathy said she never saw you happy at school until you became Tammy. And yes I know I’m being selfish. I think having a sister would be awesome!”

Mom said, “I’m trying to not influence your decisions, honey, but I have to admit that having two daughters would be wonderful. And thinking of you, trying to live as a boy knowing that being fully male is forever out of your grasp. Deep down in my heart, I feel you’ll be happier as a girl. But that’s just me.”

Dad rubbed his hands as he looked at the floor. “You know I love having a son. It gets kinda crazy when you’re surrounded by women all the time.” Mom backhanded Dad’s shoulder. “But it’s not been what I expected. You’ve never liked working on cars with me. You don’t really like watching games with me. With the exception of motorsports. You seem to like camping, but you seem to always check out the other boys around the campsite. I admit it was my own self interest that insisted you were a boy which is really hard to say convincingly when I see just how beautiful you are. And I have to agree with your friend Cathy. You were much happier as a girl. Now I know why.”

Mom said, “And now that we’ve told you how we feel, it’s up to you to decide how you want to live your life. Don’t say as a girl just to make us happy.”

I looked at all three members of my family. I said, “You have to admit there’re some big negatives about switching to being female. The events of last night is one. Then there’s all the paperwork. Choosing to be female or not isn’t easy. Maybe if I didn’t have to have the surgery, it’d be an easier decision.”

*          *          *

It was Saturday and I was on my own for lunch. Cynthia had a date and Mom and Dad seem to have rekindled their marriage and went to stay at a motel out of town. I’m certainly not going to complain about that. So I drove carefully into a parking spot at Taco del Rey. I wasn’t real happy as I return to school on Monday. I couldn’t believe it was almost Spring already.

The place looked empty as I went to the counter to order. My burrito was ready almost immediately. As I looked up while filling my soda cup, I saw a familiar face sitting partially hidden by the windows. Paul saw me looking at him and smiled. He gestured that I come sit with him. Nobody likes eating alone, so I walked over and sat next to him.

Smiling at me, Paul said, “You’re colorful today. I thought you’d go back to being Tom now.” I was wearing an orange and white striped tank top, orange shorts with white trim and orange canvass top sneakers. For good measure, I had my hair in twin pigtails tied with orange yarn. I sat next to Paul, setting my burrito and drink down as I curled my legs up under me.

I unwrapped my burrito and said, “No. I don’t think I’ll be going back to Tom anytime soon. Cathy and coach want me to continue being a cheerleader.”

Paul nodded knowingly. “You’ve been gone since before Christmas. I see Cynthia in the halls almost every day at school now. I was wondering where you went.”

I swallowed a bite of my burrito and said, “Actually, I recently had some delicate surgery and I’ve had to spend some time recovering.”

Paul’s eyes widened. “Surgery? Wow. What did they do? You look the same.”

I took a deep breath. “Turns out I’ve actually been a girl all this time. The surgery has just brought this into the light.”

Paul looked confused. “I know you’ve always seemed a bit effeminate. But why do you say that now you’re a girl?”

I didn’t look up from my burrito, “I had my first period two weeks ago.”

Paul spit out the soda that he just started to drink. “Y…Y… Your what? Are you serious?”

I looked at Paul with a half smile. “My period. And yes, I’m very serious. I have a vagina too.”

Paul exclaimed, “Holy shit! That’s not possible… is it? You’re shittin’ me, right?”

I said seriously, “I shit you not. The docs tell me I can get pregnant. So you keep that thing of yours away from me, you hear?”

Still shocked, Paul said, “That pretty much changes everything!”

I rolled my eyes. “Tell me about it! Just this past Christmas, instead of the computer games I asked for, I got two packages of panties, a skirt, a top, these earrings” I wiggled my earlobe with my fingers, “… and an eye shadow palette.”

Paul still looked shocked. “But how could you go from boy to girl like that? Even a sex change won’t do that much. And you have a penis.”

I shook my head. “I can’t go into all the medical mumbo jumbo. That wasn’t a penis. It was a misshapened clitoris. And something about having XXY chromosomes and my Y chromosome was damaged so my testosterone was turned off. I couldn’t follow all of it. I blame my Dad.”

Paul shook his head. “But man, switching gears from boy to girl. I can’t imagine going through that.”

I shrugged. “It helped that I was already playing a girl for several weeks. I was already used to sitting down to pee. We finally got all the legal changes done. I’m officially female on my school records now.”

Paul grinned at me. “Still. That’s really amazing. Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re still amazingly beautiful.”

I laughed. “How can anyone take that the wrong way? But now, other than my amazing beauty, I’m just like any other girl.”

Paul studied me for several long moments. He said, “Has anyone asked you to prom yet?”

I said, “How could they? I haven’t been back to school yet.”

Paul said, “Tammy, it would be my honor to take you to the prom.”

I looked at Paul sideways. “You really want to? I used to be a boy and all that.”

Paul laughed. “Hell girl. I dated you when you were still a boy.”

Grinning, I said, “That’s true. I’ll agree to go with you on one condition.”

Looking confused, Paul asked, “Condition? Like what?”

Looking Paul directly in the eye, I said, “That you kiss me.”

Wrinkling his brow, Paul asked, “Kiss you? At prom or now?”

I grinned and said, “Yes.”

Paul smiled at me and put his hand behind my head and pulled my face towards his. He leaned towards me and I closed my eyes. A moment later I felt his soft, wonderful lips pressing into mine. We kissed for a long time.

*          *          *

The end of Sudden Romance

*          *          *

Epilogue

Prom night
I gave my virginity to Paul.

Later in September
I got a text message on my phone along with a picture. It was from Shaun. The text read:
Hola!
Hope all is well with you. Thought you might be interested in seeing a picture of my baby girl who is oddly named Tammy and my beautiful wife Guadalupe. Take care of yourself, girl.
Hasta

The picture was of a more mature looking Shaun with a few days beard growth, holding a beautiful baby girl. Sitting next to him was a beautiful smiling Mexican girl who was more than a little pregnant. I would be smiling too if I was having Shaun’s babies.

Paul had gone off to college. There he met a cute boy and discovered he was gay.

January the following year
Oppenheimer was caught with three underage girls and arrested. Bail set at $1M

Five years after graduation and working on my art degree
Met a gorgeous man, a little older than me. He owns a successful business. We fall in love and get married. I have three children with him.

End