A Summer of Changes

by Louise Anne Smithson

Book 3 Chapter 8

Decisions decisions!

‘Come on Denise, don’t keep us all in suspense, how did you get on with your mother over the weekend?’ asked Sue, as they both arrived at work the next morning. ‘I tried to ring you last night to find out, but your mobile phone seemed to be out of service.’

‘Sorry, I'm afraid I let my phone battery go flat and forgot to take a charger with me,’ she answered. ‘By the time I got home and sorted everything out it was too late to be ringing round.’

‘That’s alright, but tell us how your mother reacted when she saw you as Denise for the first time?’ reiterated Sue.

Denise smiled.

‘Actually it all went very well. Once she'd got over the initial shock, Mum was alright and even agreed to refer to me as Denise. Both my sister and I ended up staying in her flat for the weekend, as we originally planned. In fact they have bought me a lovely new outfit and accessories for my birthday on Friday, and mum has loaned me some jewellery to go with it..’

‘I knew things would probably work out for you. It was just a question of your grasping the nettle’ said Sue.

‘Well I'm glad I've now done so, it feels as if a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.’

---

Samantha had arranged to come directly into work on Monday morning, having caught the early train down from Birmingham. She was hurriedly given the basic outline of her friend’s weekend as they were getting themselves ready for the first shoot of the day, but Denise delayed giving the whole story until they had time for a quiet chat together over lunch.

‘Now that both your mother and sister know and approve of what you are doing you can relax a little more and enjoy your summer living as Denise,’ commented Samantha as they sat down together with their salads.

‘Actually, Mum made it clear to me that she accepts the situation rather than approves of me living and working as Denise. However, Julia has been very supportive, encouraging me to live my life in whatever way gives me most happiness.’

‘Well you appear to have one ally at home, and your mother will probably be more enthusiastic once she sees how well you fit in to your new life at home and at work. Also she can't have been that antagonistic if she has bought you some high-heeled shoes and a handbag for your birthday, and loaned you some valuable jewellery,’ added Samantha.

Denise smiled

‘‘No, I suppose not. I couldn't have expected any better outcome from my first meeting with her.’

‘Exactly, so now it is up to you to build on those foundations. Keep in touch with her on the telephone, tell her what you're doing, or the clothes you're wearing, invite her up to London for the day, let her see the advantages of having a second daughter.’

‘I'll try,’ answered Denise.

Then changing the tone of the conversation she added, ‘Actually I've been thinking a lot about my situation over the weekend.’

‘Oh yes, and what have you decided?’

‘As you know, I've been enjoying myself living and working as Denise, and staying in your flat. I'm going to take full advantage of my present situation and not worry about the future or what people might think of me.’

‘I agree, you're doing fine at work and at home when you're in female company but you ought now to start getting out some more and meeting some young men. You can’t go round looking as good as you do without attracting some attention from the opposite sex.’

Denise didn't answer remembering her forthcoming date with John.

‘If I do ever go out with a guy he would have to know all about me, and Denis. I don’t want to mislead anyone.’

‘Yes, it could be quite a shock if a guy who didn't already know about you was to try and get into your knickers,’ said Samantha laughing.

Denise blushed, so Samantha changed the subject.

‘By the way I saw my cousin John over the weekend, he's getting ready to move down to London later this week’ she added.

‘Yes, I know. He sent me a text message whilst I was away,’ answered Denise, still blushing a little.

‘Actually, I was with him on Friday evening when he texted you. I hope you don’t mind my sticking my nose into your affairs but it was me that encouraged him to get in touch with you again.’

‘You do seem to want to steer my life in one direction, but I suppose I’ll forgive you as you were so kind when Julia came to stay last week.’

‘My cousin may seem fairly confident on the surface but actually he's quite unsure of himself and will need your encouragement.’

‘That makes two of us.’

‘Exactly, so that's why I've been poking my nose into your affairs.'

‘Did he, tell you that we're going out to dinner together on my birthday?’ asked Denise.

‘No, that must have happened after I left him, but that’s great news, Denise, although I trust you aren't planning to go out on Friday night?’

‘Yes, that’s my birthday.’

‘Oh damn!’

‘What do you mean by that?’ asked Denise.

‘Sue and my sister have been organising a surprise birthday treat for you on Friday evening. We're all going to go out clubbing together. It didn’t occur to them that you might already have fixed yourself up with a hot date for that night.’

‘I just assumed that there would be a small cake during the coffee break, as usual.’

‘There will be, but Sue, Jane, Alison, and I are also planning to take you out dancing in the evening. We all feel that it's time that you started going out a little more.’

‘I thought Jane was feeling sick most days?’

‘Yes but that’s only in the mornings, she should be alright, as long as she stays off the alcohol. Don’t worry, I’ll be keeping a very careful eye on her’ said Samantha.

‘I'd enjoy going out dancing with a group of girls, but I've already agreed to go out with John and wouldn't want to let him down. What do you think I should do?’

‘I suppose he could always come along with us, although otherwise it will be an all female gathering.’

Denise experienced a fleeting moment of pleasure as she realised that Samantha had referred to her as female without giving the matter a second thought.

‘No, I don’t think so, I don’t want you lot to frighten him off before I've even got to know him,’ said Denise.

‘Do you want me to explain the situation to him?’ asked Samantha. ‘I'm sure he'd understand.’

Denise thought for a moment.

‘No, I'd better try and explain myself. He has promised to ring me this evening to make the final arrangements..’

‘So he hasn't made any specific arrangements yet?’

‘No, I don’t think so, it was just an agreement in principle to go out together.’

‘In that case it's important for you to take the upper hand in your relationship. Tell him that you're really sorry but you've only just discovered about Jane’s plans. You can say that you would far rather spend and evening alone with him than with your workmates, but it would let so many people down if you pulled out. Now that he has asked you out there is absolutely no reason why you shouldn't suggest your going out together at another time. I'm sure he'll feel flattered.’

‘Alright I hope you're right.’

‘By the way Denise, you aren't supposed to know anything about Sue and Jane’s plans and must appear to be surprised when they tell you on Friday, and so you'd better say as much to John in case he should say something to Jane.’

---

Denise was nervous when John rang that evening as he'd promised, but explaining the situation to him proved not as difficult as she'd imagined. She found it relatively easy to sound as if she'd been looking forward to going out with him, but felt she couldn't let so many of her colleagues down.

‘Perhaps we could go out together on the Saturday or Sunday evening instead?’ she asked.

He sounded genuinely disappointed.

‘I'm afraid I've already arranged to collect the last of my things in Birmingham on Saturday and will be returning late on Sunday. However, I could be free any time over the following weekend if you want.’

‘Alright Saturday 24th it is, and I make a solemn promise not to let you down this time. I’ll even wear the new outfit bought for me by mother and sister.’

‘I'm sure you'll look lovely in whatever you choose to wear, but may I see you briefly sometime next Friday, as I want to give you my birthday present?’ he asked.

‘That's very kind, I wasn’t expecting a birthday present from you’ she said, sounding pleased but surprised.

‘Well it's too late to tell me now that I’ve already bought it. I wouldn't have been able to take you out on your birthday without buying you something,’ he said.

‘Thank you. In that case you would be welcome to call at the office at lunch time, if that is convenient? I'll arrange with Sue to take a full-hour that day so we can go out and have a sandwich together.’

‘Good, I’ll see you about 1.00 pm, and then I'll probably drive up to Birmingham on the Friday evening.’

‘By the way, neither you nor I is supposed to know anything about Jane’s plans to take me out on Friday evening, so please don't say anything about them when you see her.’

‘It is just as well that I hadn’t told her that I'd asked you out myself,’ he said.

‘Yes, but you can now tell both your cousins that we are going out together the following weekend if you like, since they seem to take such an active interest in our social lives.’

---

The next three days passed fairly uneventfully both at home and at work. Denise had long chatty telephone conversations with her mother and sister in the evenings, and sent another email to Angela in Singapore. Progress at work continued to go smoothly and the two models and their photographer put in some extra hours as they planned to hold a small tea party for Denise on Friday afternoon. They also re-arranged the work schedule on Friday so she would be able to take a longer break to see John before he went to Birmingham. John had clearly mentioned to Jane that he had asked Denise out as this became the main topic of gossip at work for a few days. Denise was embarrassed by a few of the questions and comments, but everyone was pleased for her.

---

On Thursday afternoon, after they had finished their modelling, Jane enquired about Denise’s breast forms, and was told that she'd taken them off for a few hours the previous weekend.

‘So you managed to put them back on by yourself.’

‘Yes I think they're alright.’

‘Would you like me to check on them for you?’

Denise took her top and bra off and lay down on the couch in the studio. Jane looked carefully and then felt round each one.

‘They appear to be still attached securely, and there's no sign of any soreness. How do they feel?’

‘Ok, I suppose. They aren't itchy or sore, and I'm getting quite used to having them. It would now feel a little odd to be without them,’ answered Denise.

‘In that case I see no harm in your leaving them in place for another couple of weeks, but perhaps you ought to take them off for a few hours every three weeks or so.’

‘Very well, if I have to,’ said Denise. ‘I don't want to create any sores on my skin.’

‘Of course if you were planning to stay as Denise long term, you could always consider silicone implants,’ suggested Jane in an offhand way.

‘I don’t think I'm ready to consider anything quite so permanent’ she answered.

‘Suit yourself’, said Jane.

---

Samantha had warned Denise that she would probably hear nothing more about the plans being hatched by her colleagues for Friday evening until her birthday on the 16th July, and made her promise to play dumb and to act surprised when she did hear about them.

‘What are you doing this weekend Samantha?’ asked Sue as they were getting changed after work on Thursday evening.

‘Jane has invited me to stay with her for the weekend as her cousin will be away and this will probably be the last opportunity I'll get to stay with her. We thought we might go out shopping for the new baby on Saturday.’

‘How about you Denise, what are your plans?’ she asked.

‘I've nothing in particular planned. My sister is still in Norwich and Samantha will be away.

‘What about this new boyfriend of yours?’

‘Well, for one thing he isn't really my boyfriend and, as you've just heard, he'll be in Birmingham for the weekend.

‘That’s a pity, but since you've no other plans would you like to come and stay with Alison and myself for the weekend? I'm afraid we won’t be doing very much, and Alison is going out with her boyfriend on Saturday night, but at least you won’t be spending your birthday on your own,’ said Sue.

‘Alright then, I should like that. I'll bring a change of clothes to work with me tomorrow.’

Denise went to bed early on the night before her birthday, but lay in bed for some time thinking about everything that had happened during her nineteenth year. The first ten months of the year had been eventful enough — Denis had left school, found himself a job in London, moved into his own bedsit, and begun working for Helen. However, these events were nothing compared to the enormous the changes to his or her life during the last two months. He now had a new job, new living accommodation, a new name, new identity, new friends and even a new gender! What would the next two months have in store? She then remembered Jane’s casual comment about whether she was planning to stay as Denise long term, and the implications of having breast implants. Was that what she wanted? She didn't know what to think. The idea frightened and repelled her but at the same time attracted her. It was with this unresolved conundrum in mind that she eventually fell asleep.

(Next time Denise’s nineteenth birthday.)