A Summer of Changes
by Louise Anne Smithson

Book 2 Chapter 5

A new job?

After a genial evening chatting with Samantha, Denise slept in Jane’s room once again. She lay awake for some time thinking of how much she had enjoyed her weekend staying with her different female friends. Girls were certainly kinder and more affectionate than guys and she much preferred to be in their company. She also noticed how, despite her initial distaste for the feminine décor in Jane’s room, it was more comfortable and welcoming than her own bedsit. Once again she allowed herself to consider what it would be like to live and work as a woman full-time. Clearly, her colleagues would not object to her doing so, and indeed they appeared to welcome it. She'd also be able to keep her new-found friendships, which otherwise would probably come to an end. On the other hand, what would she say to her family when they eventually got to know? In the end she decided to say nothing about Samantha’s offer for a day or so and then perhaps discuss the implications with Sue, whose judgement she trusted, before making any final decision.

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Both girls got up at seven o’clock the next morning and whilst Denise got herself ready to go to work, Samantha prepared them toast and coffee, and then came upstairs to announce it was ready. She stood at the bedroom door for a moment watching as her friend applied mascara to her lashes.

‘You're really getting quite expert at getting yourself ready in the mornings’ commented Samantha.

‘Yes, I’ve had a fair amount of practice recently’ answered her friend.

‘You look as if you enjoy putting on your makeup.’

‘I suppose I do, but no doubt the novelty would wear off if I had to do it every day’ answered Denise smiling.

‘Maybe, but you strike me as someone who likes to look nice.’

Denise shrugged and followed her friend down to breakfast.

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At nine o’clock Denise arrived at her work with a suitcase containing the clothes she'd worn over the weekend together with the clothes given her by Helen, which she'd left at Samantha’s flat. She answered several friendly enquiries as to her weekend, before looking to see whether Jane had arrived. There was no sign of her — in fact she'd rung in sick and had made an appointment to see her doctor, although she promised to come in to work during the course of the morning. When she did eventually arrive she truly did not look well, but was nevertheless quite cheerful.

‘What’s the trouble?’ asked Mary.

‘I guess it is something I’ve eaten as I've several times wanted to be sick, but I'm feeling a lot better now than I did first thing this morning.’

She was soon surrounded by her colleagues congratulating her about the wedding and asking to hear all about her honeymoon. Eventually once the hubbub had died down Denise went over to welcome her back.

‘Hi Denise, my sister mentioned that you were planning to visit her yesterday, but I wasn’t expecting to see you at work today. Have you been coming in to work as Denise ever since my wedding?’

‘Oh no, I only changed back for the weekend so that I could visit your sister since she refuses to see me if I'm dressed as Denis.’

‘Good for her.’

‘I'll be changing back after lunch as I have to return home tonight. I would have changed before work but Helen wanted me to stay as Denise for your benefit.’

‘Thanks! That is nice of you, and by the way you look very nice this morning.’

‘Thank you, I hope you don’t mind but I borrowed your breast forms once again when I visited Samantha.’

‘No, of course I do not mind, in fact I have no use for them and sincerely hope I never will have. They look so good on you so that you'd better hang on to them’ said Jane.

‘Are you sure I can’t pay you something for them, they must have been expensive?’

‘No of course not, they are my means of ensuring that you can go and visit my sister. She will be quite lonely this summer now that I'm moving out of the flat, and will need her friends. By the way, Simon has suggested that we should organise a dinner party for the bridesmaid’s, the best man, and my cousin John, so you'll need to use them again if you are going to be able to wear a sexy low cut dress.’

Denise blushed and answered in a non-committal way before turning their conversation to ask about the honeymoon. After listening politely to the delights of sun, sea and sand, Denise brought her friend up to date concerning developments in her own life in London.

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After lunch, Helen and Sue had a conversation with Jane and explained their plans to her.

‘With you as acting as a model and Sue as the photographer I believe we could have the whole stock photographed and mounted on the Internet within four months’ she said.

‘I think it is a brilliant idea, and I'd love to act as a model for you,’ said Jane, ‘but I'm afraid there's going to be a problem.’

‘What is that?’ said Helen.

‘I think I may be six or seven weeks pregnant,’ she announced. ‘I've been feeling sick pretty well every morning this week and I spend most of my mornings looking decidedly green. It isn't until lunchtime that I begin to look like a human again. I bought a testing kit whilst we were away and it came up positive, and so I took a formal pregnancy test at the doctor’s this morning. She believes that the morning sickness will probably disappear after three months but by that time I will have begun to show and in the meanwhile I'll just have to live with it. Unfortunately there's no way I could act as a photographic model for you over the next few months.’

Both Helen and Sue offered her their congratulations but soon returned to the original subject and asked Jane what she thought they might do in her place.

‘I can think of a couple of people who have the right looks and are the right age for the job; how about employing one of my two bridesmaids,’ said Jane. ‘I know that Samantha is looking for a job to cover the summer months, and young Denise is already on your staff’

‘Sue has already suggested Denise to me as a possible model to help you,’ said Helen, ‘do you think she could do the job?’

‘I am certain she could, and so could my sister — just look at my wedding photographs,’ answered Jane, ‘but if you are in any doubt why not give them both a trial.’

‘How quickly could we arrange to do that Sue?’ asked Helen.

‘I could fix up a session for Wednesday morning.’

‘Alright then, Jane will you have a word with your sister and invite her to come in for a test at 10.00am on Wednesday, but don’t make any promises about the longer term.’

Jane nodded, and so Helen turned to Sue.

'Where is Denise?’

‘The last time I saw her she was going to change into Denis,’ said Sue.

‘Can you go and stop her from changing and ask her to come and see me, but again don’t say too much.’

Denise was not due to work that afternoon and so had been in no great hurry to change back into Denis. She was sitting at a dressing table in the basement looking at her reflection and daydreaming when Sue came in. She was still thinking about Samantha’s recent offer, and whether or not she dared to accept it.

‘Oh good, you haven’t begun to get changed yet,’ said Sue, ‘Helen would like to see us both in her office.’

‘What about?’ asked Denise.

‘I think she might have a job for you to do.’

‘Are you sure that she wants to see me dressed like this?’

‘Yes, of course she does. Come upstairs and you’ll soon find out.’

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Helen looked up and smiled as her two colleagues entered her office. It struck her that Denise did indeed appear to make a graceful and attractive young woman.

‘Sit down, please, both of you.’

They followed her instructions.

‘I'm glad Sue caught you in time before you got changed Denise. I need someone to model some clothes for me on Wednesday morning, and as you know Jane is not feeling too well and has suggested you as a suitable alternative. Would you be willing to do it for me? After all you looked so good in Jane’s wedding photographs.’

‘But what about Sue?’ said Denise somewhat surprised by the offer, ‘she has done some modelling for you in the past.’

‘I'll be the photographer on this occasion, and in any event you are closer to the size that we are looking for,’ answered Sue.

‘Is there no one else who would like the job?’ Denise asked.

‘Not really, I need someone of about your age and I can’t afford to pay a professional model. I'll also be offering Jane’s sister a job for the day as well.’

‘I wouldn't mind having a go, but I've never done any modelling before, and am not sure what would be involved,’ said Denise.

‘It is easy, you just put on a frock and do as you are told,’ said Sue laughing. ‘If you like I could run through with you tomorrow what you will need to do. That is assuming that you can come in again as Denise. If it is going to be a problem for you, then you can stay with me until we are finished.’

‘Thanks for the offer, but for once I don't need to worry about going home in a dress as my landlady has gone away for a couple of days. I am however running out of clean underclothes as I've not been home since last Thursday and have worn all those that I possess, until I have time to do some more laundry.’

Helen handed over thirty pounds from petty cash. ‘Here go out and buy yourself a new set of lingerie and a pair of tights, because you'll need something dry to wear for tomorrow. I assume that you will be coming in to work as Denise tomorrow and Wednesday.’

Denise sighed and then smiled.

‘Alright, Sue can show me what I need to do tomorrow, and then I'll be happy to have a go as a model for you on Wednesday if you think I will be ok.’

‘I think you will probably be fine,’ said Sue, ‘but we will see how it goes.’

‘It is remarkable how whenever I put on female clothes it becomes very difficult to take them off again,’ commented Denise to Sue as they left the office, but it didn't sound as if she were complaining.

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Denise therefore forgot all about her plans to get changed and instead went out to buy yet more underclothes, before returning home with a suitcase crammed full of female clothing. The house appeared to be empty when she got in, and so for once she had no qualms about remaining as a woman whilst she took her washing to the launderette.

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The next morning Denise left her home dressed in one of the few summer outfits that she possessed: a light blue cotton floral skirt a short-sleeved white blouse and light blue jacket. As she left one of the other tenants was also leaving. It was a guy she had not seen before, so he was either a new tenant or else a visitor. She simply smiled and wished him good morning. He grunted in return but didn't look at all surprised to see her and she was sure that he hadn't recognised her.

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‘Hello again Denise, I thought you'd told us to expect Denis again today,’ said Sarah as they both arrived at work. ‘It is getting so that we don’t know who to expect when we arrive at work in the morning,’ she added, smiling.

‘Sorry for the confusion, but it wasn't my fault. I was about to change back yesterday afternoon but Helen has asked me to do some modelling for her on Wednesday’ she said.

‘Actually we already knew, it was the subject of discussion after you left yesterday. Good luck with the trial, I'm sure you will do very well.’

Denise thanked her, feeling a little puzzled about the reference to a trial — as far as she was concerned she’d been asked to do one job. However, before she could ask her for an explanation the telephone rang and Jane was calling in sick again but had said that she would be in later. Mary and Sarah were now guessing their colleague’s true situation and so there was no more discussion about the modelling job.

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As promised, Sue spent her lunch break explaining to Denise what she'd be expected to do as a photographic model on the following day and they had a dry run in which she took a number of photographs using the newly acquired studio lights. Jane eventually arrived at work at lunchtime, assuring everyone that she was feeling better and promising to make up the time that she had missed. Denise had just emerged from the studio.

‘Hello Denise, I'm glad to see you are still with us.’

‘Yes, I understand that you recommended me to act as a model in your place.’

‘I've also suggested my sister as well, and I'm sure you will both do well. There'll be ample work to keep the two of you employed for the next three months or so,’ she said.

‘Three months? I understood we were being employed just for one day to give you time to recover from your stomach upset,’ said Denise.

‘Oh dear, hasn’t anyone explained to you, I’m pregnant and I won’t be doing any modelling for the next nine months at least. Tomorrow is intended as a trial run. If all goes well then Helen and Sue will want you to stay working as a model until the end of September,’ said Jane.

‘Neither of them said anything to me about working beyond Wednesday,’ she replied.

‘Oh Sorry Denise, perhaps I've said something I shouldn’t, you had best forget that I mentioned it.’

Denise wondered whether she should immediately ask for clarification, but noted Jane’s request and decided she had to make up her own mind whether or not she wanted the job first. The prospect of three months working as Denise corresponded with Samantha’s offer of a room for the same period. It was now a matter of urgency for her to decide what she wanted to do with her life.

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After work she returned home, changed into some flat heeled shoes and went out for a walk alone on Hampstead Heath. She was trying to sort out in her mind what she wanted to do over the next few weeks. Her life had been turned upside down during the last month in the most unexpected way and through no design of her own. Yet she had to admit that it was now far more interesting than it had been previously and she now had more friends than before. Both fate and her new friends seemed to be conspiring with one another to change her from a shy, non-descript young man into a confident and attractive young woman.

As it began to get dark and fewer people were around she remembered that perhaps it was not wise for her to be out alone, dressed as a woman, on the Heath and so she began to make her way home. In some respects her life would be more constrained as a woman, yet at the same time it seemed to offer her more freedom. Then suddenly it came clear to her what she should do. She'd ventured thus far and would be happy to go with the flow and not seek to struggle against fate any more. If her colleagues decided tomorrow that they wanted her to spend her summer modelling female clothing, then that is what she would do. If that also meant moving to new accommodation, then so be it.

Having made her decision, she felt as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She would do her best to impress them in the morning and then wait to see what happened.

Once again the house seemed deserted as she let herself into her room and got ready for bed.

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(Next time Denise comes to a decision about a new life.)