Michelle emerges from her cocoon Ballroom dancing has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, but I didn’t realise just how important it would become in shaping my future, until I had to take the place of one of my bosses following an accident. Dancing Queen A novel by Louise Anne Smithson Copyright © 2013 Louise Anne Smithson All Rights Reserved.

It is difficult to explain exactly how I felt as I left Joan’s salon just before ten o’clock. My ears felt sore where they’d recently been pierced and I was conscious of the tightness of the braids to which my hair extensions were sewn. I also felt a little trussed up wearing the gaff down below and was still not entirely used to walking in heels or having long nails. Yet in spite of all these minor discomforts I felt absolutely wonderful; even better than when I stepped off the dance floor with Alan on Saturday afternoon, with the applause ringing in my ears. It was a question of knowing that my clothes, hair and makeup all looked exactly right and this time there were no compromises so that my mother would not notice. It was the confidence that comes with knowing that I would be remaining as Michelle for the next six weeks and I had no need to disguise the fact from my family, friends or workmates. I was now anxious to get home and see Mum’s reaction as soon as possible.

I’d reminded Mum where I was going after work so that there was no need for her to worry about my late arrival. However, she had called me at about 7.00pm to ask about my plans for dinner and I could tell she was impatient to meet her new daughter. I’d suggested that she should go ahead without me and that I expected to be home by ten thirty. It was just as well that Sarah had loaned me the office car as I now had the suitcase, a cardboard box and several packages to carry home with me. There was no way in which I would be able to drive in those heels but I’d notice a pair of flats in the case from Louise, which I put on before stowing the remainder of my luggage in the boot and driving home. I parked in the street near to our house and quickly changed back into my smart high-heeled shoes before I went in to the house with the suitcase. The other packages could be left in the car until later.

Mum had seen a video of me dancing and one or two photographs of me dressed as a girl, but she’d yet to meet Michelle in person.

‘Hi Mum, I’m home,’ I called out as I let myself in the front door and walked in to the living room, and put down the suitcase in the corner of the room.

There was an audible intake of breath from my mother as I entered the room and she caught sight of me.

‘So, what do you think?’ I asked, smiling.

‘I don’t know what to say,’ she replied.

‘I trust you haven’t changed your mind, about Michelle, I’m rather committed to looking like this for a while,’ I replied, suddenly beginning to wonder whether I’d done the right thing.

‘No, I haven’t changed my mind; you look really lovely. I was just a little taken aback because you reminded me of how I looked at your age.’

‘Really?’

‘Just wait for a moment.’

She disappeared to her bedroom and brought back a photograph of herself which she handed to me. She was wearing a beautiful carmine and silver ballroom dress with matching floats attached to armbands decorated with rhinestones. She looked absolutely wonderful.

‘This was taken when I was about your age and had just won my first competition. It was before I met your father.’

Having just been staring at my reflection for a few hours as Joan did her work, I could see that there was undoubtedly a facial resemblance between the two of us. Even our hair styles looked similar.

‘I see what you mean,’ I said. ‘Well if I can look as good as you did on that day, and dance as well, I don’t think I’ll need to worry too much about the next six weeks.’

She didn’t respond and looked a little sad, as if she was remembering a previous life.

‘By the way, whatever happened to that dress?’ I asked, attempting to change the subject.

‘It is up in the attic, somewhere, along with all my other costumes,’ she said wistfully.

I was about to sit down, but Mum’s mood had now changed.

‘What have you brought home in that suitcase?’ she asked.

‘A couple of the ladies in the Society have been passed on to me some of their unwanted clothes to wear. There’s also some more items in a box in the car outside and a carrier bag full of cosmetics for me to use.’

‘In that case we’re going to need to sort out your bedroom tonight. I’ve already been out and bought you some items of underwear and found some of my clothes that you can use as well. I’ll take the case and you can go out and collect everything else from the car so we can see what you have and what we’re going to need to buy for you over the next few days.’

By midnight I’d hung all my new clothes in my wardrobe or else put them neatly away in the chest of drawers. We also moved a dressing table from the spare room into my bedroom so that I would have somewhere convenient to store and put on my makeup.

‘I’ve found a number of other things that you are going to need as Michelle,’ said Mum.

She gave me a pretty comb and brush set, a manicure set, some curling tongs, and some eyelash curlers.

‘Aren’t you going to need these?’ I asked.

‘The comb and brush, and manicure sets are both spares, given to me by my mother. I no longer bother with using the others. Once you get to my age you tend to simplify your beauty regime, but you are going to need to learn how to look after your hair and makeup properly if you are going to be a successful dancer. In any event, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t enjoy looking good whilst you can.’

(Mum sometimes seemed to know what was going on in my mind, without me spelling it out.)

‘Thanks Mum.’

‘There are also a couple of handbags which are in good condition which might suit a girl of your age, and one of my outdoor coats that you may have.’

‘Good, I borrowed some from Sarah last week, but it will be good to have my own.’

As a result of these various new acquisitions I was forced to transfer most of Mike’s clothes into storage in the spare room.

‘You may borrow one of my nightdresses for tonight and I’ll get you one of your own and some more tights and underclothes when I go to town tomorrow. Otherwise you seem to have enough clothes to be going on with.’

‘I can manage with my own pyjamas,’ I said.

‘No you can’t. I’m not having a daughter of mine wearing men’s pyjamas, what would people say if there were to be a fire and the house burned down.’

I wasn’t absolutely sure whether she was being serious or just teasing me a little.

‘I’m going to enjoy having you as my daughter for the next six weeks or so.’

At that moment, dressed as I was, and feeling the way I did, I had no particular wish to argue.

If my arrival at work on Monday morning had been a source of disappointment to Helen, it was quite the reverse the following morning.

‘Wow, just look at you, Michelle! You look really great with that hair style; you look even prettier than you did last week,’ she said as we both arrived at the shop at the same time.

‘Thanks,’ I replied, smiling, as I took off the flat heels that I’d been wearing in the car and replaced them with some medium heeled court shoes.

I was dressed in a charcoal grey, short sleeved belted dress with a round neck and side pockets, which Mum had given to me as she felt it would be suitable for the office. It had a zip fastening down the back, which I would have to get used to, but was also fully lined and so felt comfortable to wear.

‘You always look smart, when you come in to work, I was just trying to follow your example,’ I offered in response, as I took my seat, smoothing the skirt as I did so.

‘Maybe, but I’ve had twenty-three years of experience dressing as a girl, whereas you’ve only had one week. Your hair and makeup also look great, did you do them yourself?’

‘My hair is due to the efforts of the stylist that I went to see yesterday, and Mum helped me to choose and to put on some makeup.’

‘So your Mum doesn’t mind about Michelle then?’

‘No, quite the opposite, I get the impression that she’s keen to see me dancing once again even if it is in the female role.’

‘So it looks as if I’m going to be working with Michelle for the next few weeks.’

‘I’m afraid so. Mike has been put into storage in the spare room until the end of November.’

‘I have an eleven o’clock appointment but should be back by one if you would like to have lunch together again. You can tell me about your plans.’

‘Alright, I should like that.’

The others arrived in the office soon afterwards and greeted me and also complimented me on the way I looked, (something which had never happened to Mike) and we all settled down to a normal day’s work. Richard, in particular seemed to have lost any trace of awkwardness towards me and now seemed to treat in a friendly manner just as he would Helen or Sarah.

At ten o’clock, the Johnsons came in and asked to speak with me. Dealing with the clients who came into the shop would not normally have been one of my duties as the office junior, but Sarah gave me a quick nod to confirm that I should go ahead.

‘Hello again Mr and Mrs Johnson, how can I help you?’ I asked cheerily.

‘I see you’ve had your hair done, dear. It does look nice,’ commented Mrs Johnson.

‘Thank you,’ I replied, smiling.

‘Last week you gave us some details of a house in Houghton Regis, and we would now like to ask you a few questions and then perhaps arrange to have a look around it,’ Mrs Johnson replied.

Their questions were all quite straightforward and I was able to answer them to their satisfaction, either from my local knowledge or the house specifications. In fact I couldn’t really see why they couldn’t have asked them of Helen when they came in the previous day.

‘Now when will you be free to view the property?’ I asked

‘What about Friday morning.’ Mrs Johnson suggested.

I looked at the office diary.

‘Friday morning will be fine. The house is empty at present and so one of my colleagues will meet you at the gate and show you around,’ I said.

They thanked me and went to leave.

‘It’s a pity she couldn’t show us round as she was so helpful last week,’ said Mrs Johnson to her husband as they went out of the door.

It was nice to know that she’d noticed and had also commented within earshot of my boss. Once they had left Helen, who was about to leave for her appointment, turned to. Sarah

‘It is going to be difficult for me to get out to Houghton after my nine-thirty appointment in Luton on Friday. Why can’t Michelle show them around?’

Sarah turned towards me.

‘I don’t think you’ve shown clients round a house before. Would you feel confident enough to do so?’ Sarah asked me.

‘I don’t see why not. I’ve given out the details of houses often enough and listened to the way in which you and Helen deal with the customers.’

‘I know that; but would you feel confident in doing so as Michelle?’

I smiled.

‘After my makeover yesterday, I feel more confident in dealing with customers as Michelle than I would previously have done as Mike. Also I don’t seem to stammer as much when I’m Michelle.’

‘Yes, we’d all noticed that. In that case, let’s see how you get on with them on Friday!’

After ten thirty there was only Sarah and myself left in the office, I was then dealing with our weekly advertisement in the local newspaper. Sarah was busy writing the specifications for a number of properties that had recently been re-possessed — a sad result of the bursting of the 2006-7 property bubble, which represented tragedies for the individuals concerned but was keeping us in business.

‘Michelle, would you mind if I took these in to the back office and left you to manage the phones and the shop on your own? You could always call me if it gets too busy.’

‘Yes, of course. I’ll tell you if I need you but I’m sure that I shall be ok.’

It had been ten days since Sarah’s accident, and this was yet one more thing that Mike had never been trusted to do on his own before.

Next time: Another lunch with Helen