The Suitcase – 5

By

Pamela

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Monday morning Lisa awoke to Blake saying, “Rise and shine!” She lay in bed watching Blake across the room. He was wearing boxers and a white tee shirt. “I’ll make the coffee,” he said, and went downstairs to the kitchen. Lisa got out of bed and went to the bathroom. She was wearing a baby-doll nightie, her boobs in a comfortable bralette, and panties. She sat on the toilet and peed. She brushed her teeth, washed her face, and combed her hair. She put on a pair of plush pink slippers and went downstairs to join Blake.

He had just finished starting up the coffee maker and Lisa said, “Sit down. Let me serve you breakfast You have a big workday ahead of you!”

“Thank-you honey,” Blake said sitting down. “I’ll have corn flakes with banana.”

“Coming right up.” Lisa laughed. It was fun to play house with Blake. She felt like they were newlyweds.

“Come here,” Blake said.

Lisa stood in front of him and Blake encircled her waist with his arms around her and said, “Have I told you that I love you lately?”

“Not since I woke up.”

Blake pulled Lisa tightly into himself until his head was nestled in between Lisa’s breasts. “You’re warm and you smell good.” Lisa held his head and slowly moved her fingers through Blake’s hair. Lisa had put a tiny bit of perfume on her nightgown as an experiment to see if she liked it or not. “And you’re so sexy.”

Lisa laughed. “I’m not your breakfast. Let me get your corn flakes.” Blake let go of her and she got a bowl and made up his cereal and served it to him. She made up a bowl for herself and sat down across from Blake.

“Are you nervous about Bonnie’s class?” Blake asked.

“A little. Once I’m there and I meet the other girls I think it’ll be easier. I hope so, anyway.”

“Bonnie’s going to be looking out for you.”

“I know. I’m also a bit afraid that the other girls will be smarter than me, or at least better at picking up and learning what Bonnie teaches.”

“I’m sure that you’ll be as smart as the other girls. You’re no dummy.”

“I guess I’m being a baby. You’re the one with the harder day ahead of them. Everyone at the alley will have to think differently about you, won’t they?”

“Some of them probably already think of me as a guy. The biggest change is that they’ll start calling me Blake.”

“Your boss is okay with it?”

“You mean the corporation that owns the bowling alley? Corporate isn’t interested in anything more than the bottom line – and we’re one of the best run alleys in their portfolio.”

“Will some of the customers be surprised?”

“Oh, sure. Especially the group of girls with whom I’ve been bowling. We form a team in some of the competitions. They’ll have to look for a replacement bowler.”

“But you can join a boys’ team?”

“I hope so. I expect so. Any number of the boys’ teams at the alley would be improved if I bowled for them.”

“How do you think Barry’s going to take it?”

Blake laughed. “He’s still in Toronto for a little while longer. It’ll be funny when he shows up and sees me. I expect that he’ll thank his lucky stars that he didn’t marry me!”

When Blake was done eating he went upstairs to finish dressing. Lisa cleaned the breakfast dishes, poured herself a cup of coffee and relaxed on the terrace enjoying the backyard garden. Blake came out to say goodbye.

“Let me get a good look at you!” Lisa said. She stood up and ran her fingers over Blake’s short-sleeve bowling alley shirt smoothing it and slightly adjusting it. “You’re so handsome!” She saw Blake’s biceps poking out from his shirt sleeves. “And getting so buff!” She gently ran her fingers over the outline of his muscles. For the last few weeks Jill had been working out daily in her basement with a recently purchased exercise machine. Lisa looked at Blake’s trousers and then at the men’s work shoes he was wearing. She wondered what underwear he had decided to wear within his pants. When she undressed with him this evening she would find out what it was. Perhaps he was wearing one of his jock straps. As far as she knew he had yet to buy something to put inside them.

“You’re too cute. If you need to call me for any reason, don’t hesitate. I’ll be thinking of you.”

“I’m nervous about going to Bonnie’s but in a good way. I hope you think I’m pretty when I come home.”

“I already think you’re pretty. We’re only going for prettier here!”

“I love you, Blake.”

Blake gave Lisa a kiss on the lips and left.

Lisa closed her eyes and enjoyed the moments of peace before she had to start her day.

***

Lisa had gotten Mr. Lutz’s permission to skip work so she could take Bonnie’s morning class. She could have gone to work in the afternoon, but she didn’t have the emotional reserves to deal both with the new class and Mr. Lutz’s reaction to Lisa in the same day. She would save the latter trauma for tomorrow afternoon. By then she hoped to be safely ensconced in Bonnie’s class. If Mr. Lutz didn’t fire her, then she would work afternoons for the rest of the week and take Bonnie’s class in the mornings.

When she was done with her coffee, Lisa went upstairs to get ready. She lifted her nightgown over her head and took off the bralette and panties she had slept in. In the bathroom she took a shower and dried herself off. She opened the top drawer of her dresser and took out the pink diamond Prima Donna bra and panty that she had selected and ordered online. Jill had encouraged Greg to take this essential step toward womanhood – picking out and buying her own bra and panty – that would also serve to commemorate her first day as Lisa.

Lisa put her boobs in the cups of her bra and looked in the mirror. This was not the first time that she had admired herself in this bra and panty. She liked the high waist of the full briefs and the pretty lace trim around her legs. She took a pair of pantyhose from her dresser and sat down on the bed and put them on. She savored the special silky feeling they gave to her legs. Perhaps as time went on she’d be less excited about wearing pantyhose, but for the moment it was a decidedly fun thing to do.

Lisa looked through her dresses and picked out the beige sheath dress she had previously decided would be perfect for the first class. It was not too flashy. Just the right amount of modesty to go with her prominent breasts in a situation where she didn’t want to stick out in any way. She would much rather be liked than attempt to be seen as being cool. A role model for the kind of girl she wanted to be was Greg’s second Cousin Pamela that he had met when he was twelve. She had dark eyes and dark hair and thin graceful arms. She wore feminine dresses and exuded a sweet fragility that Greg had envied. For many nights after her visit he had invented fantasies in which he was a quiet, graceful, and precious imitation of her. Now, with Bonnie’s help and Blake’s blessing, Lisa had a chance to finally bring such dreams to fruition.

Lisa put the dress on over her head and zipped it up as she pulled it down past her bust to her hips. She selected a pair of heels that went with the beige color and put them on. Bonnie’s instructions were not to put on makeup before the class. Lisa put a delicate gold chain bracelet on her left wrist. She checked inside her pocketbook to make sure her keys and wallet were there. The leather purse with a shoulder strap had been Jill’s. It gave Lisa a warm, comfortable feeling to make Jill’s purse her own. Now she was ready to go after one final check in the mirror. From many angles she felt that she definitely had a girls’ profile. The image would be complete once she wore a bit of makeup and perhaps when her hair had reached well beyond her shoulders.

This was to be her first major excursion outside the house in a dress. Unlike her daring visit to the bar in Toronto, she would be immersing herself among many people. It was definitely taking a plunge into the unknown. No matter what happened or whom she encountered she would be Lisa. She would solve any problems that arose as Lisa. She would channel Lisa through every pore of her body!

***

Blake could not get rid of the grin on his face as he drove to the bowling alley. He loved the idea of showing off his newfound masculinity to the staff and patrons. He would individually talk to each employee informing them that he was now Blake. Whatever they thought about his past self as Jill they would have to make the same clean break from Jill that he had.

Blake parked in his spot at the bowling alley and got out of his car. Now he had the opportunity to debut the manly walk that Jill had perfected over the last couple of weeks with the help of Greg and an internet video. He propelled himself forward under the exertion of his upper abs leading to a masculine swing of his arms with his hands facing downwards. He would be projecting unambiguous masculinity as he went about his day in the alley. Soon enough he would then be fully accepted as being a man.

Blake wished he could see Lisa walking to Bonnie’s. She would be inaugurating her newly acquired feminine walk. It had been somewhat of a struggle for Greg to internalize it, but when it finally came after many hours of practice he and Jill celebrated. Blake imagined Lisa walking with small steps, arm motions originating in her lower abs, a lateral swaying of the hips, and hands flared out. It was utterly darling and inevitably stirred Blake’s passion. Having his future wife walk with feminine grace was an important, alluring, girlish detail that Blake appreciated. He took Lisa’s determination to achieve a perfect ladies’ walk as a powerful sign of her devotion to him. It made Blake love Lisa even more – as if that were possible.

Blake entered the alley and made his way to Jesse who was behind the counter. “Hey Jesse,” Blake said.

“Whoa? Is that you boss!”

“It is. Starting this morning I’m Blake.” Blake said.

Jessed studied Blake and said, “Cool. I like the haircut. Who’re you going to bowl with now?”

“The guys, obviously. You have my permission to spread the word that I’m looking for a team.”

“If they’re smart they’ll fight to get you.” Jesse laughed. “Actually, Barry’s team is looking for someone. He comes back in a week and they’ll need someone right away to start competing.”

“Barry’s team?” Blake said. “That could be embarrassing.”

“Even if you’re not on his team, you’ll still be bowling against him.”

“True. Of course, if I joined Barry’s team it’ll be unbeatable.”

“No argument there!”

“Maybe Barry will see it the same way and invite me to join.”

Blake circulated around the alley chatting up his employees letting them know that he was now Blake. When he was done he went to his office and sat at his desk. He opened the top side drawer and took out a framed picture of Barry and Jill that he previously had on the desk. He opened it up and took out the picture. After Lisa finished Bonnie’s class Blake would get a nice photo of the two of them to put in the frame. It would be lovely to have Lisa looking at him while he worked.

There was a knock on the door and Blake called out, “Come in.”

The door opened and Emily entered. She’s one of the women on Jill’s bowling team. “What’s this I hear about … Holy shit, Jill? What’s happened to you? What am I looking at?”

“I’m sorry Emily. I’m now a man named Blake. I was going to tell you and the others.”

“You’re my best friend and you don’t bother to tell me what you’re up to?”

“How could I tell you? Imagine trying to explain that in a couple of weeks I’m going to turn into a man. It’s as personal an inner need as one can have and it had to be worked through by myself without other voices.”

“I guess I can understand that. But why were there no clues? You’ve always been pure girl to me!”

“What you were seeing was what my parents created. It was never me. Inside there was an inner voice that would feel trapped into wearing lingerie, dresses, heels, and stockings. I had boobs on my chest and they were alien to me. They seemed like a curse. I used to wish I were an A cup! You can’t imagine how tired I was of the girls in gym classes that were intimidated by my large breasts. I wished the ground would open up and swallow me. Watching Barry slobber over them was always a bummer.”

“Why did you even date him?”

“I was a coward. My parents loved him and I was scared to rain on everyone’s parade. Marrying Barry was the path of least resistance.”

“What snapped inside of you when you found out that he was unfaithful?”

“I realized that I had the moral imperative to do what was right for me. Barry’s indiscretion gave me freedom to be myself. I had no reason to be loyal to him anymore. But my true self was a man. So Barry’s cheating gave me the push I needed to pursue my masculine feelings. At the same time I met a man who had the courage to be the girl he wanted to be. Our suitcases got mixed up on the flight to Toronto and he dressed in my clothes. For the first time since he was a teenager – when he began wishing he were a girl – my suitcase gave him a path to achieving his desires. To some extent he was a role model for me in how I could actualize my transition to a man.”

“The hardest thing for me to understand is how I could feel close to someone yet not know them at all.”

“I’m really sorry Emily. I hope we can remain friends. To tell you the truth all these years I’ve been feeling my way forward through a dense fog looking for the sun and I had to do it alone.”

“I’m probably also guilty of keeping secrets from you. I mean I had reservations about Barry but I never shared them with you for fear of getting you mad at me.”

Blake got up and walked over to Emily and hugged her.

Emily said, “Now that you’re a man, do you find me attractive?”

“Sexually?”

“Yes. Are you hot for me?”

“I should be, shouldn’t I? But I’m not. I still desire men’s bodies even though I’m a man. What I’m attracted to is a man who sees himself as a girl.”

“Like the man you met in Toronto?”

“Yes. I don’t want to keep any more secrets from you. Today is my first day as Blake and it’s her first day as Lisa. She’s now a girl.”

“You changed on the same day?”

“Yes that was our plan. And now for a bombshell: Lisa and I are getting married.”

“Holy mother of God! You go from an engagement to Barry to an engagement with Lisa?”

“I know. It’s a lot to take in.”

“You’re telling me! Can I meet Lisa?”

“Sure. Next week she and I will be ready for prime time. We’re polishing up our new identities right now. I enrolled Lisa in Bonnie’s makeup class.”

“You did! That’s a brilliant stroke.”

“That way Lisa will get her makeup right. Bonnie did her hair and Marie did her nails. She’s actually quite a pretty girl.”

“Well we’ll definitely have to celebrate your engagement. Can I tell everyone the good news?”

“Sure. Lisa and I are ‘out’ and proud to be who we are.”

“Now I’m going to have to find a bowler to replace you. Does Lisa bowl?”

Blake laughed. “No you don’t want Lisa. She’s not that kind of girl. She’s trying to learn bowling and I’m helping her, but I don’t think she’s ever going to reach the level of your team. Anyway, that’s not the type of girl that I would fall in love with.”

“What do you mean?”

“I love that Lisa is a precious and delicate girl. Not brassy. Not a girl with the gumption to become a fine bowler.”

“Whew. This is all so surprising to me. Are you’re going to join a men’s team?”

“I intend to.”

Emily laughed. “What about Barry’s I heard they’re looking for someone.”

“I’m keeping an open mind.”

“The two of you together on one team would be quite formidable.”

“That’s what people say.”

***

Lisa took a deep breath, opened the door, and stepped out onto the front porch. Before she would worry about how well she would be received in the world around her, she had to walk down the few steps to the street in her two-inch heels. She knew that her shoes would be fine for walking the ten blocks to Bonnie’s shop – as against her higher heels that would only be appropriate for standing around at a party. Nonetheless she was a novice in heels so walking downstairs with them required concentration and a firm grasp of the handrail. She made her way down slowly with some attention to appearing graceful though she doubted that she was.

Once on the street Lisa headed toward Bonnie’s shop. At long last a chance to show off the marvelous woman’s walk that she had perfected with the help of Blake. A key breakthrough was reaching a point when Greg walked this way without having to remind himself to do so. It had to be a reflex – not a walk that was turned on and off via a switch. Lisa would hopefully soon forget how to walk like a man. It would eventually feel unnatural to even pretend to walk that way.

From behind, Lisa imagined that she appeared to be a fairly attractive, relatively small-hipped girl with longish hair, wearing a cute dress, and stockings. Pedestrians approaching her from the front would see a well-endowed, slender woman with a face that was a bit jarring. Not quite a girl – but not quite a boy either due to the feminine hairstyle. With the right makeup Lisa was sure that the ambiguity would be removed. Her face would be that of a girl.

For the first couple of blocks Lisa felt the same sort of excitement she had felt in Toronto. The lurking potential for being exposed elevated her emotions. Her walking outside as a girl was daring. By the third block, and after having passed a few people who took no special notice of her, Lisa relaxed to the point of enjoying the exhilarating sense of freedom that came with being herself. This is what she wanted more than anything. She basked in the feel of the ladies underwear against her skin. The distinctive tugs of her bra, panties and pantyhose against her body reminding her of how she had become a girl. And there was also the dress. The darling dress that proclaimed far and wide that here was a charming and refined woman walking down the street. The future Lisa Cappels! Lisa wondered what she would do if these feelings never subsided. She’d spend the rest of her life in an ecstatic, blissful state.

Lisa owed her happiness to Blake and thoughts of how much she wanted to devote herself to making Blake happy crowded her mind. She hoped to find ever more ways she could dote on Blake. It gave her great pleasure contemplating the happiness she could bring to him. She hoped that Blake would always find her attractive. It would be nice to learn how to seduce Blake. How to be so pretty and inviting that he would take her into the bedroom and make love to her. Here she was just a couple of hours into being Lisa and she was getting crazily filled with fantasies about the future. She had to learn to take each day as it came. Each hour, for that matter. That way she would never be disappointed and she would most fully appreciate her new life as Lisa.

***

Lisa arrived at the salon and Bonnie greeted her. “My oh my! Pretty dress, pantyhose, heels, fabulous haircut, and pretty nails. And you’re well on your way toward perfecting girls’ mannerisms!”

“I’m so relieved. I’ve been worried about that. I so much want to act feminine. Let go of any boy body language that I might have.”

“Well, so far so good. We have a very nice class lined up this time. The other girls I think are ones that you’ll hit it off with.”

“I hope so. I want to be accepted as one of their own.”

“I don’t see why you won’t be.”

Bonnie pointed to the backroom and told Lisa to wait there. “Two of the girls have arrived all ready. Introduce yourself.”

Lisa walked to the room and looked in. There were two girls sitting together chatting. A number of tables had mirrors with lights like one sees in a theatre dressing room. There were several large mirrors and other furniture. The girls looked at Lisa and did a slight double-take as she entered the room. Lisa was certain they could see the boy in her face. Hopefully, Bonnie would make femininizing her face a priority once she began discussing makeup.

“Hi,” Lisa said. “I’m Lisa.” She was determined to make an effort to be positive and hope that the girls will respond in kind.

A slender girl with light brown hair reaching far down the middle of her back, smiled, and said, “Hi Lisa. I’m Debbie.” She was wearing a white pullover top, a black skirt, and stockings.

“Hi Debbie.”

“And I’m Diane,” the other girl said. She was short and curvaceous and wearing jeans and a buttoned blouse.

“Hi Diane.”

“Your dress is so cute,” Debbie said.

“Thanks. It’s one of my favorites.”

“It reminds me of the dresses they sell at Millie’s Boutique on Lake Drive. Is that where you bought it?”

“Actually a friend gave it to me.”

“What a nice present. She or maybe he has great taste!”

“It was a girlfriend. I’m not so sure a boyfriend would do so well!”

Debbie and Diane laughed.

“I’m so excited about the class,” Diane said.

“Me too,” Lisa said. “What are you most interested in?”

“Most important is my makeup. My mom says I put too much on. Since I never listen to her, she hopes that Bonnie can knock some sense into me! What about you?”

“Makeup is definitely the most important thing right now. I’m really helpless in knowing what’s best for me. Bonnie says that she can straighten me out.”

“If anybody can it’s her. She’s amazing.”

“I know. She did my hair!”

“It looks fabulous. And Marie did your nails?”

“Yes.”

“She does mine all the time. She’s the best.”

Two girls entered the room. “Hi gang!” said an athletic, somewhat large-boned girl with a pretty face and a short haircut. “I’m Stephanie.” She was wearing blue jeans and a tight tank top that accentuated her imposing chest.

“And I’m Laurie,” a petite girl said coming in behind Stephanie. She had long blonde hair framing her face and was wearing a pretty floral A-line dress, white heels, and stockings. Lisa, Debbie, and Diane greeted Laurie and Stephanie. Lisa sensed that Stephanie and Laurie had taken a second glance at her as if to figure out what they were looking at.

Among the four girls Lisa thought that Laurie was most like her in dress and comportment. While Lisa hoped she might make a friend from the class, she had no expectations that she would. If she did, then probably Laurie would be the most likely. The two of them were the most overtly feminine.

Bonnie entered and closed the door behind her. “Hi girls,” she said. “This class is meant to be fun, so if you aren’t having fun you need to let me know. You’re wondering how this couldn’t be fun! I once had a girl who was allergic to the foundation we were using and she was miserable. Please speak up if anything is bothering you!” Bonnie looked at each of the girls in turn and smiled. “I think you know that we’ll talk about makeup, hair, nails, and other basic information girls find useful.” Bonnie laughed. “A lot of what we cover is especially useful in the morning when we’re getting ready for our day. As we get to know one another, I hope we’ll reach a consensus on additional areas we can talk about. Any questions?”

No one said anything. After a minute Bonnie said, “Let’s go around the circle and introduce ourselves and tell us why we’re here. What you’d like to learn and why. Let’s start with Debbie.”

Debbie looked around the circle and said, “I’m Debbie. I haven’t had much problem with my makeup, but I’ve been asked a lot of times by my girlfriends and my younger sisters and their girlfriends about what makeup they ought to wear. I thought that I’d like to really know what I’m saying instead of just guessing.”

“I really like that, Debbie,” Bonnie said. “You’ll definitely learn enough here to give good advice. Is there anything else?”

“The other thing is that I’m a bit more than an A cup and a bit less than a B cup. I’d like to wear a padded bra that got me to a B and I’m wondering what sort of advice you could give me, or the class could give me.”

“That’s a great question. Many girls who come here have the same question. So we should definitely talk about our bras and what we want to accomplish with them.”

Bonnie looked at Diane who was sitting to Bonnie’s left. “I’m Diane and I was telling some of the girls before that I put on too much makeup. So I’m kind of lost and want to find out what is the best makeup for me. My mom says it’s a lot less than I wear now. Maybe I don’t even need makeup. I’m just not sure.”

“You have the right idea about the need to figure out the best makeup for the special characteristics of your face. We’ll definitely answer your makeup questions here. Any other problem areas?”

“Well there is one other issue I have. I normally wear panty girdles to get the shape I like but lately I’ve come to wonder what other choices I might have. For example, there are pretty shaping slips that might give me the same or even nicer look besides being smoother.”

“I’m glad you brought up shaping slips. They’ve recently been on my radar, as well, and I’ve been curious to try them,” Bonnie said. “We should definitely devote some time to shaping alternatives. Many, many girls share that interest with us.”

Bonnie looked at Stephanie who said, “I’m Stephanie. Anything you can teach us about foundation garments is music to my ears! Between my various girdles, my control top panty hose and my body suits I can never decide which I look best in. Besides that you’ve probably noticed that my hair is farshtunkene. I really, really, want to learn what I should do with it!”

Bonnie laughed. “You’re not the first girl showing up here who believes their hair is a calamity! We’ll definitely spend time going over your options for a lovely hairdo! Once again, the choice of foundation garments a girl makes can have great consequences for her comfort and self-image. We’ll definitely spend some time exploring the many options. Now let’s hear from Laurie.”

Sitting to the left of Stephanie, Laurie said, “Hi, I’m Laurie. I’m interested in learning more about makeup, hair, nails, all of that. Advice on clothing and shoes is always fun to listen to. It will also be fun to learn about whether or not I would like to wear shaping slips or girdles. Besides that, I confess that I’m new to Chicago and I saw the ad for the class and I thought it would be a place to meet some nice girls and maybe make some friends.”

“Welcome to Chicago! I’m very glad you’re here and I’m sure we’ll meet your expectations. Many new friendships have been formed in this class – probably due to the shared adversity in understanding eye shadow!”

The girls laughed and Bonnie said. “Now let’s hear from our last girl, Lisa. As I think you’ve all figured out, her life journey is a bit different than ours.”

Lisa looked at each of the girls and Bonnie and then steeled herself and said, “Hi, I’m Lisa. Obviously, I need help with makeup. My hair is beautiful because Bonnie did it on Saturday morning. Marie did my nails so they’re perfect!”

The girls laughed and their merriment helped ease Lisa’s tension. “What I hope to get out of this class more than anything is acceptance and a feeling of belonging. I grew up not being able to be what I knew I was and then unexpectedly I was given a path to becoming Lisa. So I guess what I’m saying is that I know what is inside of me. I hope that through this class the world around me will see me the same way I see myself.”

“That’s such a beautiful statement,” Bonnie said. “I don’t believe anyone can doubt your sincerity.”

“I’m glad that Lisa said that,” Stephanie said. “When I first saw her I wondered what was going on. Now I understand and I hope that Lisa does feel like she belongs here.”

“I agree with Stephanie” Debbie said. “I was perplexed but no longer. I have the feeling that Lisa’s enthusiasm for being a girl will make me appreciate my own femininity more than I normally do.”

“That’s an interesting take,” Bonnie said.

“I also welcome Lisa,” Laurie said. “It’s interesting that Lisa is a feminine girl as against more of a blend of male and female.”

“That’s so true,” Bonnie said. “Just within girls themselves there’s a wide range of personalities from the very feminine all the way to what used to be call tom boys, let alone girls that become boys.”

“That’s my older sister who became my older brother,” Diane said. “He transitioned in high school. So I have every appreciation for the courage that Lisa must have to present as a pretty girl.”

“I’m overwhelmed,” Lisa said. “You don’t know how much this means to me.” Her voice had gotten husky and she was fighting back tears.

“What a nice moment this is,” Bonnie said. “You’re even making me tear up.”

The moment passed and Lisa thanked the girls profusely.

“The lesson for all of us,” Bonnie said, “is how women tend to be empathetic. Each of us in our own way has made an attempt to understand Lisa’s struggle. From that it is a short distance to the acceptance that Lisa craves and with it our belief that she belongs in the class.”

***

After the girls settled down Bonnie began her instruction in makeup. “Our first job is to match the foundation shade to the color of your skin.”

“Doesn’t my skin have different colors in different places and different times of the year?” Stephanie said.

“It certainly does. So we have to take that into account. In every case you hope that your foundation color matches the color of your neck. From that essential color there are techniques for lightening or darkening your makeup to accommodate winter and summer. For example, mixing a bit of moisturizer into the foundation will lighten it a bit. Putting some bronzer in it could darken it. There are other techniques as well that we’ll go over.”

Bonnie showed the girls how to come up with the ideal foundation shade for each of them. “This is half the battle in makeup so from now on make sure you always have a supply of this shade.” She had them slowly and carefully layer the foundation to build coverage by buffing and blending in smooth circular motions. “Your skin should look like skin when you’re done!” she reminded them.

Bonnie handed them each a pencil and paper and had them write notes on what they had done thus far. What shade they had arrived at and a description of how they put it on their faces. “Every step of the way I want you to take notes!”

“I can see why the foundation color should match my neck, but what about the rest of my body? What if that’s a different color?” Stephanie said.

“That’s a good question,” Bonnie said.

Stephanie pulled up her top exposing her belly up to the bottom half of her bra. She was wearing a light-pink tee-shirt bra that seemed to be having some difficulty containing her large breasts.

“I think you’ll agree that the color of your face after applying foundation does match the skin tone of your stomach. So if you match your neck then your face should be more than compatible with the rest of your body.”

“You’re right, Bonnie, I can see it,” Stephanie said. She began lowering her blouse and Bonnie said, “Before you do that, Stephanie, I can see that we’re definitely going to need a discussion of bras.”

“What do you mean?”

“Without seeing the rest of your bra, I see that the center gore is not resting flat against your breastbone.” Bonnie pointed to the center of Stephanie’s bra where it was riding a half inch off of her chest. “I imagine that your bra must be pretty uncomfortable. Am I right?”

“I’m used to the way it feels.”

“But is it comfortable?”

“Not exactly, I guess.”

“We’re definitely going to have to have a clinic on bra sizing. When we’ve finished with our makeup then we’ll check our bras and see how well they’re doing and what we can do to make them better.”

Stephanie pulled her top back down and said, “Thank you Bonnie. The more I think about it, the more I do feel like my bras aren’t quite right. I’ve never known what to do about it.”

“I’m sure we can find the right size for you. I’ve never met a woman who I couldn’t help to find the right bra size!”

“That’s great!”

“Now let’s continue our work on makeup. Everyone has a nice foundation. Now I want to talk about using the right tool for each job. We used the diffuser brush for applying foundation since its dense bristles efficiently achieve even and smooth coverage. In contrast, a powder brush with ultra-soft, feathery bristles is used to apply prep and finish powder. Use smooth sweeps to blur pores and set your look. A lip brush is used with cheek and lip tint. It has packed bristles so you can swipe on strokes of color. Remember to wash your brushes often.”

While the girls examined the different kinds of brushes, Bonnie said, “I want to next show you how to use the brushes to spotlight your unique features. The idea it to bring them out and make them shine. I’ll work first on Lisa’s face and then the others in turn. Note that she’s done a good job with the foundation and prep. Now we apply several buildable contour shades that highlight her best features and dim the areas that should be hid. And remember, less is more.”

Bonnie applied makeup to Lisa commenting on everything she did and why. She said, “if you girls want to have a standout eye look then you should keep your lips pared back and complement them with soft contour and highlight. If you want a bold lip, then your eyes should be kept simple and complement the lips by having a soft wash of blush.”

When Bonnie was done with Lisa it was clear to everyone how feminized Lisa’s face became by the highlights that Bonnie had selected. “What do you think, Lisa?” Bonnie asked.

Lisa stared at herself in a mirror. “It’s everything I was hoping for and more. You have really brought out the image of myself that I was hoping to get. I am so indebted to you!”

“I can’t agree more with Lisa,” Laurie said. “I thought Lisa was pretty when I first saw her, but you’ve made her even prettier. You’ve added a delicate feminine quality to her face.”

“Yes, she now has the look of the girl next door. A very pleasing and pretty face,,” Debbie said.

“Good, I’m glad Lisa is pleased and the rest of you can see how effective a few appropriate brushes of makeup can be,” Bonnie said. “Now let me work on the rest of you.” Bonnie turned her attention to the other girls while Lisa looked on with fascination hoping to learn even more about applying makeup. Bonnie individually discussed the makeup options for each girl. She offered suggestions and showed them a sequence of steps they could take to put on their prettiest faces.

When all five girls had their new faces Bonnie suggested they have a coffee break. “It’s amazing how nicely the makeup turned out for everyone,” Debbie said.

“Congratulations to Bonnie. She’s given us all such flattering looks,” Diane said. “I guess my mom was right about my using too much makeup. Bonnie’s approach is not even a tenth of what I was putting on before.”

“It was so smart of you to have us take notes,” Laurie said. “Now I think I can duplicate what you did on my own.”

“I’m glad you said that,” Bonnie said. “Your homework assignment is to come to class tomorrow with the makeup that we did today. Of course, you’ll have washed off today’s makeup before you go to sleep. Tomorrow morning you’ll be starting from scratch. When you get to class we can judge how well each of you did.”

“That’ll be so much fun,” Laurie said.

“Wow. I’ll do my best,” Lisa said.

“Before we move on to another topic are there any more questions about makeup?” Bonnie asked. She looked at everyone and said, “Good. So we have just enough time to talk about bras unless someone has a more pressing issue.”

“I think we should talk about bras today,” Stephanie said. “I’m definitely anxious to find out how I can get a better fit.”

“Alright. Let’s start with Stephanie. Take off your top so we can get a good idea of what we’re dealing with.”

Stephanie lifted her top over her head revealing her light-pink bra. “So Stephanie is wearing a tee-shirt bra which you can tell by how smooth the cups are. This way they blend in behind a tee-shirt and is much less obvious than if Stephanie were to wear a lacy bra. Every girl should have at least one tee-shirt bra.”

Lisa thought of the bras in her drawer and remembered that she did have at least two tee-shirt bras. Thank goodness that’s taken care of. She was transfixed by Stephanie’s chest. Her own D cup breasts were somewhat smaller than Stephanie’s. As Bonnie had pointed out before, the center gore of Stephanie’s bra was pulled away from her breastbone.

“Can anybody point out some of the other problem areas with Stephanie’s bra?” Bonnie asked. .

Diane said, “I don’t think her breasts are fitting inside the cups.”

“Yes indeed,” Bonnie said, “there’s considerable spillover here. Out of the top and the side. What cup size are you wearing?”

“I’m not totally sure. I’ve tried different cup sizes over the years so it could be any one of several.” Stephanie reached behind her back, undid the hooks, and took off her bra. Her breasts were beautifully full with large, bright, red nipples. Lisa was momentarily caught off guard by the sheer naked allure of Stephanie’s breasts and she went through a few moments of anxiety wondering if she had really become Lisa after all. Her mind raced to find the explanation for her feelings until it dawned on her that in regard to physical attraction, she was a Lesbian. That was a rational explanation for her pleasure at gazing upon Stephanie’s breasts. Stephanie examined the tag on her bra and said, “The bra is a 36DD.”

“I imagine that DD is too small a cup size for you, but let’s now check some other aspects of the fit. Put your bra back on and we’ll continue our examination.”

Lisa enjoyed watching Stephanie put her bra back on. It was especially exciting the moment she had gathered her breasts into the cups and made the final adjustments of their positions. Lisa felt almost a spiritual joy that she was a part of this. The door had opened and accepted her within this world where girls shared knowledge and experience with each other about their breasts and bras. She was on the inside looking out! And if one day she got her own real breasts all the better!

Once Stephanie was wearing her bra again, Bonnie said, “Do you see where the underwire cups of Stephanie’s bra are pinching her breast tissue? This can happen because the shoulder straps are too tight. You should be able to comfortably slide two fingers between your shoulders and your bra straps. Let’s see what happens with Stephanie’s bra.” Bonnie took two fingers and showed that they were quite snug inside the strap. “These straps are too tight. I’ll loosen the sliders a bit and we’ll see if this has an effect on the spillage.” Bonnie loosened the straps and said, “This has had only an inconsequential effect. We can conclude that she needs a larger cup size.”

“I don’t understand,” Diane said. “I thought there’s only one cup size for any girl. You measure the difference between the distance around her body just below and across the top of her breasts?”

“Yes, you’re technically right. A one-inch difference is an A cup, two inches a B cup and so on. That usually is right but sometimes for various reasons it doesn’t give the right cup size. It could be just the way one particular bra style fits on a girl or perhaps the manufacturer has a slightly different sizing scheme. Also the shape of a girl’s bone structure can have an effect as well.”

“Perhaps you should measure Stephanie,” Laurie said.

“Sure. That’s always a good idea.” Bonnie found a tape measure, put it around Stephanie, and held it just underneath her breasts. “Between 35 and 36, so I think Stephanie’s bandwidth is about right.”

Now Bonnie measured across the fullest part of her breasts. “Between 41 and 42, so Stephanie is between a DD and DDD. This can be one reason why it’s a bit challenging to fit her comfortably in a bra.”

“Some of my bras are 36DDD,” Stephanie said, “but I don’t think that they fit very well also.”

“The problem can be with the bandwidth. We want the band to lie horizontal all the way around your body. But notice that Stephanie’s band is a little higher up on her back than her front. This can be caused by a band that is too loose as we see is the case here.” Bonnie gently tugged at the band and it was clearly loose. “When the band is too loose it’s not supportive enough to properly hold the cups against the body. As a consequence the weight of the breasts pulls the bra down in the front and pulls up the back. I think that Stephanie should try a 34-band width. I’d say 34DDD or 34G might be her correct bra size.”

“This is very exciting news,” Stephanie said.

“Hopefully, it will be, but you won’t know for sure until you get some thirty-four bandwidth bras and see how they fit. Can you come to class tomorrow with a thirty-four bra and let us look at you?”

“Sure. I’ll buy a 34DDD bra this afternoon and I’ll wear it to class tomorrow.”

“Fabulous.” Stephanie put her top back on and Bonnie said, “Who would like to be next?”

“I can go next,” Debbie said after no one said anything.

“You’re interested in possibly getting a padded bra?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s see the bra you’re wearing today.”

Debbie took off her white pullover top to reveal that she was wearing a lacy, lavender-colored bra with small cups. Once again the view made a strong impression on Lisa. She thought how perfectly matter-of-fact Debbie is in showing off her bra and small chest. “That’s a pretty bra,” Bonnie said. “A cup?”

“Yes.”

“It’s comfortable?”

“Oh definitely.”

“It clearly just about holds your breasts, though one could argue that the bra cups are a wee bit too small. This is not a major problem like it is for Stephanie’s bra. Now if you bought a B cup bra your breasts would be swimming in the cups?”

“Yes. I wonder what a padded bra would do for me.”

“A padded bra is probably a good choice for you since I imagine your goal is to add fullness to your bust line, and enhance the appearance of your bust in clothing.”

“Yes. I want my breasts to look larger.”

“Are your breasts symmetrical?”

“Symmetrical? I don’t know.”

“That can affect which type of padded bra is good for you. You see padded bras either have removable inserts or have padding sewn into the cups. If the padding is sewn in, it tends to be graduated thicker at the base of the cup to provide lift and give the breasts a more natural, rounded look. If the bra has a pocket then you can customize your padding to get the look you want. If your breasts aren’t symmetrical then you need the padded bra with removable inserts so you can even out the difference.”

“Which kind do you think my breast are?” Debbie lifted up her bra so her breasts were visible.

Lisa thought they were adorably cute. She particularly liked Debbie’s nipples that reminded her of a baby bottle. It was clear that having relatively small breasts had its own charms. Lisa wondered if she were the kind of girl who was more likely to have small rather than large breasts. She glanced down at her own chest and decided that she loved the way she was – though it would not be a terrible problem if she had smaller breasts. Having breasts versus not having breasts was more important than the size of the breasts.

“Your breasts are symmetrical. One side isn’t significantly different than the other.”

“So I should get a bra with the padding sewn in.”

“Yes, that’s probably best for you. That will enhance your bust size and add fullness to your bust.”

Debbie readjusted her bra. “Thank you so much Bonnie. I’m going to buy myself a padded bra this afternoon. I’ll wear it to class tomorrow.”

“We’ll all look forward to seeing you in it,” Bonnie said. “Now who’s next? How about Lisa. Are you happy with your bras?”

“Yes. I find them comfortable and pretty. I guess I lean toward pretty bras.”

“That’s okay,” Bonnie said. “Each girl has her own preferences. That makes for a much more interesting world than if everyone thought alike!”

“I only wear pretty bras, also,” Debbie said. “It’s just a thing I have.”

“Many of my bras are pretty too,” Laurie said.

“To tell you the truth, I’ve never thought about it one way or the other,” Diane said. “When I shop for a new bra I sometimes buy based on comfort and color and nothing more. Other times I might get a lacy one – especially if I’m thinking ahead to going out for the night.”

“That’s marvelous,” Bonnie said. “It’s so interesting to hear different thoughts about what bras we prefer. So we know that Lisa likes pretty bras. What bra are you wearing today?”

“I was a little nervous coming here today so I decided to wear a favorite bra and panty set because it gives me some confidence. Maybe I’m crazy but I did feel more relaxed this morning after I put on my underwear. Walking here knowing that I was wearing pretty lingerie definitely lifted my spirits.”

“Many girls feel a bit more confident when they know that they’re wearing a favorite bra and panty set. Do you mind showing us your bra?” Bonnie said. “I’m also curious to see how it fits you.”

“Okay, sure.”

“Let me unzip you,” Bonnie said. She got up and unzipped Lisa’s dress. Lisa stood up and stepped out of it so she was wearing her bra with her panty visible within her pantyhose.

“Oh my God, that’s the prettiest bra,” Debbie said. “What is it?”

“Prima Donna Madison in pink diamond.”

“They’re super expensive,” Stephanie said. “Like $150 I think.”

“I got it for $90. Every so often you can find them on sale for 40% off.”

“Well it’s just a very exquisite bra,” Laurie said.

Bonnie walked around Lisa examining the bra. “It really does fit you flawlessly. What size is it?”

“It’s a 36D.”

“Very good. And it’s comfortable?”

“Very.”

“That’s a whole other dimension to bras. With an expensive, high-quality bra like Lisa is wearing one can expect that it holds up well over time and is super comfortable. We can certainly see from the superb fabric, lace, careful stitching that this is a very well-made bra.”

“It was love at first sight.”

“Isn’t it nice when you’re shopping and you see something – it could be a bra or a dress or shoes or anything – and you immediately know you love it?” The girls nodded their heads in agreement. Bonnie said, “Thank you Lisa for showing us your bra.” Lisa stepped back into her dress and pulled it up and Bonnie zipped her up.

“Laurie or Diane, would you like us to comment on your bra fits?”

“Sure,” Laurie said. She unbuttoned her blouse revealing a white lace bra with cup size somewhere in between Lisa’s and Debbie’s.

“What cup size are you?” Bonnie asked.

“Between B and C. The bra I’m wearing today is a 34C.”

“Can I ask you if your breasts bounce more than you expect?”

“Yes. In this bra I do wonder about that.”

“Your bra should keep you secure and minimize bounce. If you’re feeling bounce inside the cups it can mean that your bra cup is too big. I also see that there’s a gap at the top of the cups. Look down, Laurie. Do you notice that there’s a space between your breasts and the cup?”

“Yes, there is.”

“That’s an indication that your cup size is too big. Another thing is that your bra cups are unlined so that the fabric can tend to wrinkle a bit if your breasts aren’t big enough for your bra. Your cups do show some signs of wrinkling. Finally, do you find yourself fidgeting with your bra during the day? I’ve noticed you making some adjustments during the hour we’ve been here so far.”

“Yes, I do feel like I have to arrange my bra a lot more often than I want.”

“This is another indication that your bra cups are too big. Normally when we put on our bras we scoop up our breast in our hand and set it in the cup so that the nipple is centered. If you find yourself doing that multiple times in the day it must mean that your breasts aren’t big enough for the cups.”

“So I shouldn’t wear C cup bras?”

“Not without padding. You can wear a padded C cup bra and that might correct the problem. For sure if your B cup bras are too tight this might be your best alternative.”

“This is really helpful information. I’ll try on some C cup padded bras and see if I can find one that is comfortable and fits my breasts.”

“Excellent. I think that will work out for you. Now lastly we should have a look at Diane’s bra.” While Laurie was buttoning up her blouse, Diane unbuttoned hers revealing a red bra with smooth cups and lace edging on the wings.

“Another pretty bra,” Bonnie said. “I must say that you girls have worn probably the prettiest collection of bras ever to this class.”

The class studied Diane’s bra and Bonnie said, “Okay, can anybody point out a problem area?”

“I think she has a little bit of spillage out of the side of her bra,” Debbie said.

“Yes. You’re very observant. Are you wearing a C cup bra?” Bonnie asked Diane.

“Yes, I always wear C cup bras.”

“I think your cup size is fine. Your side spillage can be easily cured by buying side support bras. They have seams and inner slings that bring your breasts from around the side to orient more to the front. They give a beautiful, full look.”

“Side support bra? I never thought of wearing one. I’ll get one today.”

“This is great! I’m glad that we devoted our time to bras today. I hope those of you buying new bras will have luck in finding ones that you like. Wear them tomorrow if you can and we can see the contrast! A very neat before and after comparison! Any more questions or bra-related issues?” Bonnie waited for a response. Diane put her blouse back on and when she was done, Bonnie said, “We meet again tomorrow at 9 AM. We’ll talk about hair styling and time permitting some other topics.”

***

The girls got up and filed out of the room through the shop to the street. Lisa felt exuberant. The class had gone better than she could have hoped for. The girls stood together enjoying the sunlight. Debbie said, “I’ve got a free afternoon. Would anyone like to stop for lunch and then bra shop with me?”

“I was going to say the same thing,” Stephanie said. “We could eat together and then shop together.”

“I’m in,” Diane and Laurie said.

“I’d love to join you for lunch,” Lisa said. “I’m also happy to bra shop just for the fun of it.”

“That’s great,” Debbie said. “Shall we eat at Michel’s?”

“Michel’s?” Laurie said.

“Right, you’re new here. It’s a popular neighborhood bistro.”

“Sure let’s go!” Laurie said.

As the five girls headed toward Michel’s, Lisa felt complete and whole. All the pieces of Lisa had come together. She had the pretty face she wanted. She had the camaraderie with girlfriends she hoped to have. She would be spending a girl’s afternoon shopping for bras. She glanced at Stephanie, Debbie, Diane, and Laurie and enjoyed the thought that she was wearing girls’ clothes just like they were. She and the others each had a womanly shape, were holding a purse, and walked like girls. Lisa was as much a girl as any of them. She had arrived.

Her cell phone rang and she saw it was Blake. “Hi honey,” Lisa said.

“Hi love. Bonnie called me to say that you did beautifully in the class. She says the girls have accepted you.”

“That’s true. I can’t tell you how happy I am. They’re the greatest bunch. We’re headed together to have lunch at Michel’s then we’re going to do some ladies shopping.”

“You’ll have to tell me all about it later.”

“I will! And how has your day been?”

“It went very well, though Jill’s old bowling team is in a state of shock.”

“I can imagine! I hope they find a replacement.”

“So do I!”

“We’re at the restaurant now. I love you, Blake. I can’t wait to show you my new face!”

“I love you too.”

Lisa hung up and she entered Michel’s with the other girls.

End Part 5