Leslie went back to his old job the next day and handed his notice in.

The company was still in a mess from the last round of redundancies, so no one minded that he was giving only a week’s notice instead of the customary one month. His excuse that he needed to learn the ropes from the incumbent was accepted, and it was agreed that he’d leave the following Friday.

While he was at work in body, his mind was not on his current job. Corrine had given Leslie the drawing that she'd made of him. He’d found a cheap frame and it was now hanging on the wall in his kitchen diner or whatever you liked to call the one-room plus bathroom and bedroom that was his current home. The handbag that Corrine had given him had been lovingly wrapped in tissue paper and put away in a drawer for safekeeping.

As he packed it up the previous evening, he felt a shiver going down his spine. The way that Corrine had seen into his inner core and dissected him in no time at all was unnerving if not downright spooky. While finding all there is to find out about the candidates that she put forward for top jobs in the city, was her business, unnerved him at how easy it was for her to have penetrated his defences so easily.

He calmed down when he began to understand that for once in his life, a woman was not freaking out about his inner desires. Over lunch on the Monday, he decided to give her a chance and roll with the flow. The alternative wasn’t looking that good from where he sat.

His next task was give the required three months’ notice to his landlord. He wasn’t sure where he was going to live, but as his whole life was going to change, where better to start with a new home? That was his reasoning and deep down, he was pleased to be getting out of the building. Two new tenants in the house loved to play loud music well into the early hours so he'd resorted to sleeping with earplugs in place for the last few months. His salary would pay for a much better place… one that didn’t have rising damp in the bathroom and kitchen.

---

One day before starting as Corrine’s new assistant, he panicked about what to wear to go to the office. In desperation, he called Corrine. They’d spoken every other day since they’d spent the night together because of the water leak, but those conversations were more about the long term and her expectations of him in the job, rather than the here and now.

She told him that until Alex left and there was time to work on how his other self, Alicia presented herself to the world, he should be Leslie and dress ‘smart casual’.

---

Alex welcomed Leslie into the fold at the agency as if he was her long-lost brother. She’d prepared a whole schedule for the handover. This was typical of the way that the whole place worked. He hoped that he could continue to uphold the reputation that Corrine had built up over the five and a half years that she’d been in business on her own.

There was a lot of ‘homework’ for Leslie to do. Much of it was related to employment law. It would be his job to do the initial research into and the vetting of a new client, and part of that process was to examine the draft contract. Corrine had made it clear during their phone conversations that she was very much against NDAs, and post-employment restrictions and wherever possible, she had them removed from potential contracts. She described how she would politely tell a client to ‘get lost’ and the reasons why. In another conversation she had told him that at least 60% of those clients came back with new contracts that did not contain the offending parts.

His Sunday swimming group were impressed when he told them who he was going to work for. Corrine had a reputation for finding the right people for the job. Then he dropped the bombshell that he’d be moving and would not be attending their events for much longer. Everyone wished him well in his new job.

Leslie was introduced to Corrine’s lawyer, John Nichols. He was the employment law expert but Leslie enjoyed looking at some of the draft contracts, and what was agreed to by the new employee. He could see the changes in action. Many of Corrine's fingerprints were evident in his employment contract.

Leslie soon began to get the hang of the work but a week after starting, the very same messenger in his distinctive red and black leathers arrived. He feared that it was another writ from Corrine’s ex-husband.

“Can you give that to the boss?” said the messenger.

“Don’t you want to give it to her yourself like the last time?”

He shook his head.
“This is just a letter.”

“Ok,” said Leslie as he accepted it. The messenger beat a hasty retreat.

Leslie went into Corrine’s office and gave her the letter.

“Ah good. I was expecting this.”

Leslie turned to leave the office when Corrine said,
“Stay, this concerns you. Is Alex around?”

He shook his head.
“She’s out getting lunch.”

Corrine nodded and opened the envelope. Instead of reading it herself, she gave it to Leslie.
“You read it and give me a summary.”

He read it through silently twice before saying,
“He’s capitulated. Your last letter that reminded him in no uncertain terms reminding him about the terms of the divorce that he freely signed, has finally done the trick. There will be no more demands for half the business, should you sell it.”

“And?”

For a moment, Leslie was confused so he looked at the letter again.
“There is a copy being sent to your lawyers.”

Corrine smiled.
“Give them a call in the morning to confirm that they have it. Then collect everything up that relates to his attempts to extract money from me by false pretences. It is in the filing cabinet under the label ‘Hubby’. Package it all up and take it to the storage locker. There is no rush though.”

“Ok boss.”

Leslie began to live up to Corrine’s expectations. Soon, he was effectively running the office under the supervision of Alex who watched on to make sure that he didn’t make too many blunders. After four weeks and therefore, two weeks ahead of schedule, Alex pronounced herself to be redundant.

Corrine agreed and Alex left with her salary paid for another two weeks. Then it was just Leslie and Corrine.

“Why don’t you come to dinner tonight and we can plan the next steps?” suggested Corrine.

“Ok, but I’m viewing a new flat at six. I can be at your place by eight?”

Corrine smiled.
“Why don’t I come with you? Then we can eat out somewhere near to the flat?”

“Ok,” replied Leslie not altogether sure about the whole thing but she was the boss and he wasn’t going to argue the toss this early in his employment at the agency.

---

“That place was not worth the money,” exclaimed Corrine as they emerged from the viewing.

Leslie had to agree with her.
“That place was only slightly better than the last two. At least this one didn’t have black mould in the bathroom.”

“Didn’t you smell the bleach? It was everywhere. They are hiding something, probably rising damp if the smell in the entrance hall was anything to go by.”

“Yeah.”

Corrine looked me in the eyes.
“Why don’t you come and live with me?”

Leslie had hoped that she’d offer but not yet. He hesitated.

“Is it a bit too soon?”

He nodded his head.
“I have a possible solution. It can wait until tomorrow. Let’s eat?”

Leslie was amazed at how she could compartmentalise her life. It seemed just so effortless.

“Ok. I saw an Indian place just around the corner.”

“Good choice,” replied Corrine.

---

Leslie had to wait until lunchtime before Corrine came to him with her solution to his problem of where to live.

“A couple of years ago, I was thinking of expanding the operation and I had the opportunity to buy a building not far from Earls Court Tube station. Before I had the opportunity to move in, the lease on this place came up and I jumped at the opportunity to have a Bond St address. I kept the existing tenants in place in the other building. The thing is that there is a large penthouse flat. I had all sorts of grandiose schemes to move there, sell my home in St Johns Wood and buy a weekend place in the country. A messy relationship got in the way but seeing the what they wanted to fleece you for rent last night, reminded me of the place in Earls Court.”

“Sounds interesting.”

“Our last appointment is for 15:30 isn’t it?”

He knew the diary for the day. Part of his job was to memorise her schedule for the next few days at the start of every work day.

“Yes, Ms Chancellor, is coming in to review progress or rather the lack of it for her new CTO.”

“There is nothing much to report. Her requirements are just too specific for all the candidates we have on the books. I told her that at the outset but she was not going to budge.”

Corrine thought for a moment.
“Can you pull out the file on Phil Greaves? He is the nearest we have. If she won’t even consider him then I’ll show her the door. How much have we spent on her job?”

Leslie had to look that up.
“Just over six grand give or take a few twenties.”

Corrine smiled.
“I’m prepared to write that off. If she won’t play ball then we can at least walk away with some pride.”

“That’s your call. Alex briefed me on her demands. It seems a tad unusual to demand that a CTO is fluent in Chinese, Arabic and Russian.”

“It is. When I’m done with her, we can close up for the day and visit the other building. How does that seem?”

He smiled.
“Sounds like a plan.”

“Good. Why don’t you head off and get some lunch? I have a few calls to make so could you bring me something back?”

Once again, he smiled.
“Your usual?”

“Why not surprise me for a change?”

“Ok but don’t complain if you don’t like it ok?”

She grinned and went back into her office.

Leslie sat back and remarked on how their relationship was developing. Even though Corrine was nine years older than him, he liked and had always liked women who knew what they wanted from life. His problem was that there were not that many around who also had a softer side to their personality. The two others that he’d known briefly in the past were all about making money or trampling all over men both in the office and out of it. Corrine was… was just different.

Her whole attitude during office hours was that of being efficient and in control of the situation. He'd begun to see a much softer and more amenable Corrine after hours. If they were working late then it was not past her to flirt with him. Then there was her choice of attire. For the office, it was always a tailored skirt suit, black tights and black heels, not too high but just enough to be noticed in an era when most women wore flats or low-heeled boots. Outside office hours, she would often change in the office into something far more delectable at least that was how he saw her.

Since Leslie had come on the scene, her makeup had become a lot more defined. Even Alex had remarked to him that his influence was making Corrine sharpen her game when it came to her appearance.

---

After work that day, Corrine changed into a new dress and jacket. He was impressed. Like the choice of outfits for the wedding, she had good taste. After closing up the office they went to the property in Earls Court. The building itself was no different from any of the others in the street. He estimated that it had been built in the late Victorian era. The four stories were occupied by tenants but the top floor was empty.

There were two flats on each floor but only one on the top. Leslie gasped at just how big it was. A huge lounge and three large bedrooms impressed him.

Corrine noticed this.

“This is far too big for me.”

“Then it shall be for us.”

“Us?”

“As I said earlier, I had planned on living here and buying a place in the country for the weekends. Two can live as cheaply as one…”

He didn’t say anything so Corrine continued.
“One of those phone calls I made while you were getting lunch was an estate agents. My place in St Johns Wood will be listed with one of them tomorrow. They have the photos from when I bought it and haven’t really done much to it since. Going by other properties in the street, it should only take a few weeks to sell. The other call was to the movers who will come on a week on Saturday and move me in here. That gives me time to get the cleaners and decorators in first. Then, there is yourself… Are you in?”

“Yes… I’m in but…?”

“You have a lot of questions but can’t think of them yet?”

“Something like that.”

“That’s good. I know that I’m moving fast but the more I work with you, the more that I know that we are good together.”

“I have paid my rent for the next four weeks…” muttered Leslie.

“Then we’ll get you moved the following weekend.”
Her tone said that it was done and dusted as far as she was concerned.

Leslie thought about trying to question her but he’d developed too much respect for Corrine in the weeks that he’d been working for her. She knew her own mind and he liked that.

---

The following Friday morning, Leslie was busy working out what jobs could be delayed for two weeks when a courier arrived at the office.

After signing for the package, he took it to Corrine. She was on the phone with a client as a follow-up to a placement she'd made with them about six months before. He waved the package at her. She motioned for him to open it.

With a smile, he opened the package.

His smile grew even bigger when he read the letter. Corrine saw his reaction as she ended the call.

“Ok Alicia, out with it? What is the surprise?”

“It is from Ms Chancellor and the cheque is payment in full, She, has hired Mr Greaves.”

“As CTO?”

He shook his head.

“No. As her No 2.”

Corrine grinned.
“Wonders will never cease.”

“No Boss, she bowed to your greater intellect…”

“Nice one Alicia.”

“Corrine, what’s with the Alicia thing?”

“That’s who you want to be isn’t it?”

“Yes but?”

“Then from now on and when we are alone, I’m Corrine and you are Alicia. Got it?”

Leslie smiled.
“Got it.”

---

[three weeks later]

“That itches,” said Alicia.
She was trying on a cashmere sweater. It was one of Corrine’s but was fairly old by the standards of her wardrobe. Alicia had marvelled at just how many clothes Corrine had.

“Ok, that’s not for you,” she said as she selected something else.
She placed it against Alicia’s body.

“That won’t work on you.”

They spent the rest of the morning with Alicia trying on all sorts of items. Gradually Corrine developed a picture of what styles and colours worked on her partner to be.

What was left was a pile of clothes that could look good on Alicia.
“What’s next?” she asked as they began to hang them up again.

“Now we know what to look for when we go shopping.”

“Can’t we just buy some online to start with?”

Corrine smiled.
“Getting cold feet?”

“Not really but it would help me to become comfortable wearing something like this… here at first.”
She held up a grey business suit.

“That would be perfect for the office.”

“I know but I need to get used to wearing it. The skirt is a bit tight.”

She grinned.
“Ok. We can get you some casual wear for here off the internet.”

Then she took Alicia’s hand.
“I have something for you. Stay right there.”

Corrine disappeared into her en-suite bathroom and returned with a box.
“These are for you… until…?”

Alicia opened the box and found two breast forms.
She held them to her chest and kissed Corrine.

“Thank you.”

“They are meant to be glued on but I thought that until you become Alicia full time, they could just sit in your bra.”

“That’s something else that I’m going to need. I have one but… it is well past it’s use by date and is too small for these beauties.”

“True but first we need to know your size. I’ll measure you later. I did sort of guess with these but the shop will exchange them if they haven’t been used”

Alicia kissed Corrine again.
She was feeling happier than she had for a long, long time.

---

A week later on the Friday night, Alicia as Leslie was now called when they were alone, couldn’t sleep.

"Ok, darling, what's troubling you?" she was woken by Alicia's constant tossing and turning.

“I’ve…” began Alicia.
“It can wait until morning. There are some things that I need to show you.”

Corrine gave her lover a slow blow job and Alicia soon fell asleep.

---

Corrine unusually made their breakfast. The frown lines on Alicia’s forehead told her that something big was troubling her.

“Ok darling, take your time and tell me what is on your mind.”

Alicia looked at Corrine and almost cried.
“Please don’t take this the wrong way but aren’t we trying to get me to run before I can walk?”

“Am I rushing things?”

“Yes, but… You know that I’ve been watching some makeup video’s on YouTube?”

“Yeah. So?”

“It came to me after watching one that there is so much that women go through in their teenage years that I’ve missed and because of that, I won’t have those experiences of both success and failures to fall back on.”

Corrine chuckled.
“Like getting acne?”

“I went through that phase but just think back to when you started trying to apply makeup. After a while, you developed your own look but I am sure that there were many huge mistakes along the way. Am I right?”

“Yes. I think that I get where you are going with this.”

Alicia shook her head.
“It is more than that. Remember when we had that session with all your clothes and we tried to find out what suited me?”

“Yes. That was a lot of fun.”

“It was but thinking back, the results were heavily influenced by your style. Lots of muted colours like the clothes you wear to the office. Mostly greys and blacks.”

Corrine was about to object but Alicia put up her hand.
“I’m not saying that you are boring but the business world at large is dominated by men in suits. You have evolved your style to fit in with them, be one of them. That is natural because they are your clients.”

“I sort of get what you are saying, but carry on.”

“Look at your office. It is all contemporary colours. Grey furniture and not a flower in sight. The impression I got that first day that it was the office of a man. Alex was the same. She dressed in muted colours. Both of you only ever wore white blouses that look like shirts.”

Corrine sniggered.
“I sense a rebellion in the ranks!”

“Not a rebellion but I have worn work drab since I left school. As a woman or a wannabe woman, I’d like the chance to express myself just like you did as a teenager. I don’t want to look like another you, as you currently do. Even the addition of something like a Hermes Scarf to your business suit would make a huge difference. It would say to me, here is a woman who works in a male dominated world but remains a woman.”

Corrine smiled at Alicia.
“What do you propose?”

Alicia hesitated before replying.
“You might not like this but… I want to be very different from you at work. I read this study about how appearances affect people’s attitude to others. If a visitor only saw the colour and not me then things like my adams apple would not be important. Perception is everything.”

“Here, let me show you.”

Over the next two hours, Alicia showed Corrine the sort of ideas that she was having.

“Wow! I seem to have released a Lioness on the world.”

“You are the leader of the pride and I won’t forget it.”

Corrine sat back and interlocked her fingers. That was a sign that she was thinking.

“Ok, what do you suggest for me?”

“Some subtle changes to the look that you wear to the office and if I may say so, here as well.”

“Go on…”

“As I said, some flowers on your desk would change the whole vibe of the room. For some clients, they could be moved to the cabinet that is on the left of your desk.”

“Good idea. What else?”

“A bit of colour on you. As I mentioned a colourful scarf or a coloured blouse that is not a copy of a mens shirt. The sort that button up at the back.”

“They are a pain in the neck…”

Alicia smiled.
“Not when you have someone to do them up for you.”

“Good point.”

“Then your nails. Clear varnish went out with the ark or at least that is what I’ve observed. Don’t go for those fashionable pale colours especially white.”

“Black?”

Alicia grinned.

“Black is for me. No, a colour that shows maturity. A deep ruby red or something like that and some extensions. You are a woman… show it. We have nails and should be proud of them.”

“And a matching lip colour. Not matt but gloss. It does not matter if you have to touch it up five times a day, but apparently those 24 hour lip colours work.”

“I love these lips.”

Alicia showed Corrine the black lips that a YouTuber wore in a video about her 60+ wigs.

Corrine laughed.
“You are going to be high maintenance, aren’t you?”

“I have to get the teenage experiments out of my system. But look at me… I don’t have a well defined lip outline. That means making one and… if it looks horrible I can say that at least I tried.”

“You can and I’ll be honest with you. Is there anything else for my makeover?”

“You should ditch those glasses so you’ll need lenses. I saw these and thought that they’d be perfect for you.”

Alicia showed Corrine some lenses that would make her eyes appear larger and more friendly without appearing unnatural.

“I’ve never tried contacts before. I’ve learned to hide behind my glasses.”

“You look a totally different person without them on. Add some falsies or have some lashes glued on, mascara and define your brows a bit more and you will be ready to take on the world as a confident woman who is more than capable of beating men at their own game.”

“This is all going to require some thinking about.”

“We have the weekends to have some fun, don’t we?”

“What about finding our dream home in the country?”

“We dress up to the nines and go for it. From the long conversation you had with the estate agent that is handling the sale of St Johns Wood, I get the impression that a deal is imminent. Am I right?”

“Something like that. A client wants to buy the place but at three hundred grand off the asking price. I told the agent that it has only been full listed for two weeks and I’ve had other agents sniffing around with potential offers. I want the full price or nothing unless it is a guaranteed cash sale with no chain.”

“Ouch. I bet he went away with a flea in his ear.”
Corrine smiled,
“I said that I’d be in on Monday to review their work.”

“And a perfect time to show the new you?”

That put Corrine right on the spot.

“Ok. I’ll give it a try.”
“Don’t forget the heels.”

She sighed.
“I won’t...”

---

"How do I look?" asked Corrine as she prepared to visit the offices of the Estate Agents who were handling the sale of her old home.

The changes that Alicia had managed to ‘inflict’ on Corrine were nothing more than dramatic.

Corrine presented the image of a woman in control of her world and not one trying to be a man.

“Apart from the hair you are good to go.”

The subject of Corrine’s hair had occupied them for most of the previous day. She’d had her hair pretty short for years. Eventually, she admitted that she’d never had long hair.

“Ok. There is no need to labour the point. I’ve agreed to get something done about it.”

“Thanks for doing my nails. I’ve always been a klutz with the polish.”

Alicia grinned.
“All part of the service, boss. Now get going otherwise, you will be late.”

Corrine grinned as she left the office.

---

Corrnie’s first outing as her Mk 1a version went well. She made it clear that the agents only had an exclusive agency for one month and if they were to earn their money then they needed to get their finger out and do it.

She returned to the Office pleased with her morning’s work.

Her smile when returning to the office told Alicia everything about the trip that she needed to know.

“Ok, I pummelled him into a pulp. At first, he thought that I was a pushover but he soon regretted it. My point was rammed down his throat.”

Alicia grinned.

“Did Alex ever propose something like what I did?”

Corrine shook her head.
“No why?”

“I was just wondering that’s all. It is a bit different between us, isn’t it?”

“It is, and that makes the difference.”

“Boss… I’ve booked you into the salon for your hair work. Today at five thirty.”

Corrine kicked off the heels that she’d worn all morning and disappeared into her office without commenting.

---

Three days later, two large packages were delivered to the office. They were addressed to Alicia Deveraux. Seeing her new name in print for the first time was a surprise. She’d only signed the ‘Deed Poll’ documents at their solicitor’s office two days earlier.

After signing for them, Alicia went into Corrine’s office. Her next appointment wasn’t due for almost half an hour.

“Do you know anything about two packages that have come for me. They were addressed to ‘Alicia Deveraux’. I take it that you know nothing about them? They are from different suppliers.”

Corrine grinned.
“You wanted to experiment. Now’s your chance.”

Alicia stood there open-mouthed.
“Go on, open them,” teased Corrine.

Alicia returned to her desk and opened the first package. It was a complete set of makeup. The only thing was that it was all conventional colours. Her heart sank.

“Try the other one,” suggested Corrine who was watching from the door.

The other package contained the sort of makeup that Alicia had been dreaming about.

“Thanks, but?”

“But you can’t choose at the moment?”

“It is not that but I’d like to choose my own stuff from now on? If I’m going to make my own mistakes then it should be all my own fault, shouldn’t it?”

“Ok. Point taken. Pack them up and I’ll arrange for them to be collected.”

Alicia came over to Corrine and kissed her.
“Only the first one. We can both have some fun with the other one.”

Corrine wasn’t sure what she’d meant but life was certainly getting interesting. She knew that she’d have to change in order to get Alicia in her life for the long haul. However, to her surprise, she was beginning to enjoy the changes that Alicia was suggesting for herself.

[to be continued]