A Summer of Changes
by Louise Anne Smithson

Book 4 Chapter 6

Fairy tales

As she was travelling home on the bus, Denise was aware of her mobile phone begin to burst into life. It was late to receive a call, but she saw that it was from her sister.

‘Hi Julia’.

‘Hi Denise, can you talk, or is this an awkward time.’

Why should 11.30 pm on a Sunday evening be an awkward time?’

‘I felt sure you would still be up but you might have been engaged in a steamy clinch in the back of a car somewhere on the south coast, for all I knew.’

Denise felt her cheeks go red at the suggestion from her sister.

‘Actually he brought me home at tea-time as I had some things to do this evening,’ she answered primly.

‘So how did you get on with Prince Charming?. Did he take you to the ball?’ asked Julia.

‘We had a great time except that I had to leave before midnight in case I turned into a pumpkin.’

‘Did he like your new outfit?’

‘He seemed to like the dress, but I found the glass slippers to be a bit of a problem. In fact I ended up leaving one behind so now he is going round accosting all and sundry to see if it fits them.’

Julia laughed.

‘So he has not yet made an honest princess of you.’

‘No, worse luck, I will still have to clean the cinders.’

‘Well your ugly sister wants to come up to London for a few days the week after next, and so you can tell her all about it then.’

‘I thought you had to work out your notice with your present employer before starting your new job?’

‘Yes but I have a few days of annual leave owing to me and I will need to come up and look for somewhere to live from September onwards.’

‘Would you like to stay with me again whilst you have a look around?’ asked Denise.

‘That would be great if your flatmate does not mind,’ answered Julia.

‘I will ask Samantha, but I do not think she will mind. However you must also realise that I will not have a lot of time to spend with you, as I am likely to working late during the week.’

‘Oh yes, I forgot you will have to clean the cinders each evening! After you have finished them, will you also remove the pea from under your mattress, it kept me awake last time.’

‘I thought I was supposed to be the fairytale princess’ said Denise.

‘Well if you are a princess and I am your sister then it stands to reason that I must be one as well.’

‘Yes, that is true, but seriously, I will be busy at work.’

‘And no doubt you will also want to see Prince Charming during the week, as well.’

‘Yes, there is that as well.’

‘No problem, I will look after myself during my stay, just give me a copy of the local newspaper and an A to Z of London and I will be fine. I need to find somewhere to live within easy travelling distance to Waterloo.’

‘I am afraid where I live in Shepherd’s Bush will be no good to you as it would involve a bus followed by two different tube trains. You should look out for somewhere south of the river. If you like, I will ask John for some advice as he was thinking about moving to that area in a few weeks when he has to leave Jane’s house to make room for the new baby.

‘Thanks, I should like the opportunity to meet Prince Charming, whilst I am in London, just to check him out. I need to look out for my little sister. He may be a blackguard only after your virtue, or else he may turn into a frog the first time you kiss him.’

‘You’ve got your fairytale back to front, it is the witch who turns him into the frog, and in any event I have kissed him on a number of occasions and he displayed no reptilian tendencies.’

‘Who said anything about fairytales? All men eventually turn into either frogs or rats, it is a part of their life-cycle.’

‘There speaks an embittered woman.’

‘No just one with a little more experience of guys than you have. However, I am just as likely to fall in love and make a fool of myself as you are.’

‘Who said anything about falling in love? As far as I am concerned John is just good company and someone to take me out for the summer.’

‘We’ll have to see about that!’

‘So exactly when would you like to stay with me?’

‘Arriving evening of Tuesday 3rd and staying until the Friday, if that is ok.’

‘I don’t imagine there will be any problem but I’ll check with Samantha tomorrow and let you know what she says. In the meanwhile watch out for spinning wheels and don’t accept any apples from old ladies.’

Samantha had already gone to bed by the time Denise returned home, which was a relief as she did not want to answer too many questions about the weekend or her future plans until she had some more time to think about what Alison had told her.

---

Having spent most of the previous week at work dealing with issues relating to the new website, Denise was due to resume her modelling with Samantha on Monday and Sue had planned a full programme involving several changes of costume. After two months of wearing different outfits, putting on makeup, and styling her hair several times a day, there was no longer any novelty associated with dressing as a woman. Nevertheless she enjoyed the modelling, even though it was quite hard work. She came to appreciate well-fitting and well-made clothes, and how the design could make a difference to how the wearer looked and felt about herself. She also learned how show off clothes to their best advantage and, where necessary, disguise any flaws in their design. Above all, Denise enjoyed the close working relationship with all her colleagues.

Samantha had seemed a little subdued and pre-occupied during their journey into work. Denise realised it was because she had not been willing to share the details about her weekend with John, and was still determined not to do so. She needed to take control of her private life and establish some boundaries. However, in all other respects she liked Samantha and had no wish to fall out with her flatmate or to see her unhappy. She therefore decided to volunteer a limited amount of information.

‘By the way Sam, I am intending to talk to Helen about my future today. If she is agreeable, I will continue to work as Denise at least until the end of the year, as we discussed last week. If you still want me as your flatmate, I should like to continue until then. After that we will just have to play it by ear.’

Samantha visibly cheered up once she heard the news.

‘Of course I would prefer to continue living with you, even though you are not willing to share your secrets with me.’

Denise sighed.

‘I would be happier about sharing my secrets with you if it were not for the fact that they involve your cousin who is currently living with your sister — it is all a little incestuous somehow.’

‘Alright, I understand, and I won’t push you any further. I am just pleased that you will be continuing to share a flat with me once I return to University. Who you go out with, and what you do when you go out together is your own affair.’

‘Thank you,’ said Denise giving her friend a hug. ‘By the way, my sister wants to come down to London for a few days at the beginning of August to look for somewhere to live, would you mind if she shared my room again.’

‘No not at all, she is most welcome to come again whenever you choose.’

---

Although Denise had asked John not to ring her at work when she was modelling, she had no objection to receiving emails, the first of which was waiting for her on Monday morning.
Hi Denise!
Brighton was wonderful, thanks very much. How would you fancy Bath next weekend? (the place that is — I am not inviting you to share my ablutions!)
Lots of love,
John xx.

A weekend visit to Bath sounded great. She had just finished reading Persuasion, as part of Samantha’s campaign to broaden her education as a girl, and in any event she had always wanted to see the city. However, she decided not to respond immediately. She did not want to appear too eager. She decided to keep him waiting at least until the end of the day. Instead she found a quiet spot in the office and telephoned the clinic mentioned by Alison and made an appointment to have an initial consultation with a therapist specialising in Gender Identity Disorder, during her lunch break on the following Monday. This was convenient since it was the day before Julia was due to arrive. She would be in a better position then to know at what point she spoke to her family and friends about what was in her mind.

During the coffee break Denise also asked whether she might speak with Helen, who afterwards invited her into her office.

‘Come in Denise and sit down.’

‘Thanks’.

‘So what can I do for you?’

‘Helen, I was wondering how you would feel if I were to continue coming in to work dressed as Denise for a while after Samantha goes back to University?’

‘How long for?’

‘I don’t really know at present. I am thinking about staying in Samantha’s flat until the end of the year? Perhaps longer?

‘Have you discussed it with Samantha.’

‘Yes, but only in terms of me continuing to live in her flat , nothing more.

‘I see,’ responded Helen, but without giving a specific answer.

Denise continued her explanation.

‘I am making enquiries and have to make some important decisions about my long term future, but I would prefer not to discuss them in detail at present, if you don’t mind. I would also rather that you did not say anything to my colleagues until I know what is happening.’

Helen did not look shocked, or particularly surprised, but thought for a while before answering.

‘My initial reaction is that I would be very pleased, indeed I would be relieved, if you were willing to continue as Denise after September, as long as that is what you want to do.’

‘Yes, I am sure of it.’

‘There is no way we are going to finish work on the online catalogue by then, particularly if the recent increase in the volume of sales continues. I think it is more realistic to look at the end of October or even mid-November as a finish date, and by then we will be getting the new season’s designs’.

‘Yes I’d realised that too.’

‘However, if Denise is going to become a permanent member of my staff, then I will need to regularise the situation,’ continued Helen. ‘You are still on the books as Denis Simons and I am paying your National Insurance and Income Tax under that name.’

‘Officially there is no such person as Denise Simons at present, but I have begun to make enquiries about effecting a more permanent change to my identity.’

‘Alright, and don’t worry I will not mention what you have just said to anyone until you are ready to do so, but we do need to mention that you will be staying on as Denise to Sue and the others so that they can plan the work schedule. If you prefer, I will tell them that I have asked you to stay on as you are.’

‘Thank you, I will tell everyone the truth about my plans as soon as I know what is going to happen and the likely timetable.’

'Good, I hope everything works out alright does not take too long', said Helen.

‘Thank you. I will probably need to save a fair amount of money first. In fact I will be looking out for a part-time job in the evenings as well.’

‘Won’t that limit the time available to go out with your new boyfriend?’

‘Maybe so, but my priority at the moment is to sort out my life. Boyfriends can come later.’

‘Denise, you will have been with us for a year at the end of September; if the increase in our sales since the launch of the online catalogue continues until then, I will be prepared to review your pay, and also consider an additional bonus to the one already promised to you. I really appreciate the work you have already done and will need someone with good computer skills to maintain the website and the new ordering system.’

‘Thank you,’ said Denise. ‘I was wondering when I should raise the issue of my salary.

‘I will need a little more time to see how the business is going. In the meanwhile I would be prepared for you, Sue and Samantha to work overtime over the next few weeks, particularly as most of your colleagues will be taking their annual leave during August. I think you would earn more that way than you would by working in a bar or as a waitress.’

‘Alright then, I certainly would be interested in doing so. I want to work as much overtime as I can over the next few weeks.’

‘By the way, how are your various female appendages fairing?’ asked Helen.

‘I can now deal with my breast formes by myself, and my fingernail extensions are not discernible from my own nails. However, I think I will soon need to get my hair extensions checked as it is nearly five weeks since they were fitted,’ answered Denise.

‘Sarah is here next week before taking a fortnight’s leave. I suggest you ask her to have a look at them before she goes.’

‘Alright, can she do them in work time?’

‘Yes I suppose so, as it is necessary for your modelling. I do not normally let my staff get their hair done in work time. If you really want to live as a woman full-time there will be expenses that you will have to meet.’

‘Yes I know. It is just that I need to save as much as possible at present.’

‘So we will agree that Sarah may fix your hair in work time on this occasion, and Denise will continue to work for the remainder of the year.

---

Denise and Samantha were both keen to work on weekday evenings over the next few weeks, but both decided to leave their weekends free. Sue was less anxious to do so, having recently found a guy that she was quite taken with after six months of involuntary celibacy. However, this did not matter as the normal office hours could be spent by the girls in modelling clothes, and the remainder of the time was spent catching up with other matters. Denise, in particular, found herself dealing with technical issues that arose and found her self planning how the firm’s computer system could be extended. She was now doing work and taking decisions far above her relatively lowly status in the organisation and intended to point this out when she came to negotiate with Helen over her pay.

The announcement that she intended to stay on as Denise after the end of September did not cause any particular stir in the office. Sarah agreed to refit her hair extensions and to trim and style her hair, and throughout the whole time made no reference to her previous life. Denise realised that gradually over the last four weeks she had been entirely accepted by her colleagues and in the fortnight since she returned from her visit to Norwich there had been no reference by anyone to Denis or to her former gender. It was as if he was a part of a separate lifetime and she was quite happy that it should be so.

---

As Denise and Samantha were about to go out for some lunch on the Thursday afternoon, Jane approached them.

‘Now that my morning sickness has begun to subside, Simon and I would like to organise that dinner party that I mentioned back in June — to thank my bridesmaids and the best man. John will also be there as well as he is staying with us. I have already spoken to the others, so would you both be free a week on Saturday?’

Denise wondered whether this was another attempt by the two sisters to interfere with her love life, but she could vaguely remember Jane mentioning such a party before and did not think she could easily refuse. She therefore agreed to go. Samantha said nothing and so that was taken as her acceptance.

Somewhat to her surprise, she later discovered that Samantha was not looking forward to the engagement either.

‘What’s the problem Samantha? I thought you got on well with your sister and brother-in-law, and you are forever trying to pair me up with your cousin.’

‘Yes, that is just the point. You and Jane will be happily paired up, and I will have to sit next to Simon’s creepy friend Peter,’ she replied.

‘He wasn’t that bad. Perhaps he was a little full of himself, but he was very good looking,’ commented Denise.

‘You are welcome to him, he gives me the creeps,’ answered Samantha with some passion, that surprised her friend.

‘No thanks, I can’t see him responding too well to the discovery of my background, and in any event your cousin will serve as a boyfriend for the time being. But you will go nevertheless?’ asked Denise.

‘I suppose I will have to go, for Jane and Simon’s sake, but I am not looking forward to it.