A Summer of Changes
by Louise Anne Smithson

Book 3 Chapter 4

The interview

Samantha was first up and ready for work the following morning, and was just finishing a quick cup of coffee when the two sisters emerged from their bedroom.

‘I have to leave for work now, but good luck Julia, I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed for you at about midday,’ she said. ‘I hope to see you again in London some time.’

‘I hope so too. Many thanks for everything, and for keeping an eye on my little sister! I'll make sure that your necklace and earrings are returned before I leave this afternoon.’

Julia and Denise took it in turns to have a shower and afterwards enjoyed a quick breakfast of cereal. Julia then decided it was time for her to get herself ready as she wanted to be in plenty of time for the interview.

‘Would you like me to help you with your hair and makeup?’ asked Denise.

Julia seemed a little surprised by the offer and hesitated before answering, so her sister continued.

‘Don’t forget I've gained a fair amount of experience as a hair and makeup artist over the last few weeks. Samantha and I usually help one another when we're working together and I've never had any complaints from her.’

‘In that case, thanks very much.’

---

At 11.30 the two girls were sitting in a coffee bar near to Waterloo Station, a few yards from the venue for Julia’s interview. Both of them were dressed smartly. Denise was wearing one of her blue summer dresses and white sandals. Julia looked immaculate in her dark red business suit, with her hair up.

‘Will you know the result of your interview straight away?’ asked Denise.

‘No, not quite. There'll be one more candidate to interview after me; after that they'll make their decision over lunch. They've asked all the candidates to remain in the vicinity of their office until about 2.15 pm so that they can recall the successful one,’ said Julia.

‘In that case I may as well wait here for you. When you've finished we can find somewhere nice and quiet to have lunch together,’ said Denise.

‘I'm not sure that I'll feel like eating after the interview, but we'll see,’ said Julia.

‘Good luck, Julia, and remember that you look fabulous in that outfit.’

Julia smiled.

‘Thanks for everything, Denise, it's been great having you as my sister and providing me with moral support,’ said Julia kissing her on the cheek.

‘Be careful not to spoil your make-up,’ said Denise laughing. ‘It took me ages to get it looking just right this morning.’

‘If I get the job, you'll have to give me a few makeup lessons,’ said Julia laughing.

‘It'll be my pleasure.’

Denise watched as her sister left the café and entered a nearby office block. She then turned her attention to a fashion magazine, which she'd purchased earlier that day. A few minutes later her mobile telephone rang. She looked down at the caller display and an involuntary feeling of pleasure came over her as she noticed that it was John calling.

‘Hello John! What can I do for you today?’ she asked in a businesslike, but friendly manner.

‘Hi Denise! I was speaking to Jane at work and she told me that you'd taken the day off, so I thought I'd ring.’

‘Yes, my sister’s in London for a job interview and so I'm keeping her company. She's having her interview at this moment.’

‘I didn’t know you had a sister,’ he said. ‘Does she know?’

‘Yes, of course, I told her when she arrived on Sunday’

‘And is she alright about everything?’

‘Yes, so far, thank you.’

‘Good. In that case I'd better not keep you talking for too long, but I have to come down to central London on business tomorrow and wondered whether I could have lunch with you.’

‘I thought we'd agreed to leave things until after you'd moved to London,’ she said.

‘I agreed that I would not ask you out on a date, but that's not the same thing as meeting for lunch is it?’
He sounded a little disappointed by her reaction, and Denise felt a little sorry for him.

‘No, I suppose not, but I'm afraid we only get half an hour at lunchtime and so I tend to have a coffee and sandwich with Samantha. Couldn’t the three of us meet up together for something to eat after work?’

‘Sorry, but I'll need to drive back at 3.00 pm.’

‘In that case, I'm sorry, John, but I'll have to turn you down this time, but thanks for asking me,’ she said trying to sound positive.

‘No problem,’ he answered, and then hesitated for a moment before continuing. ‘So may I ring you again in a fortnight after I have moved up?’

‘Yes, I should like you to do that,’ she replied.

‘Great, I'll speak to you then, so goodbye for now, I hope your sister gets her job,’ he answered this time sounding much happier.

'So do I'.

‘Oh dear, I wonder what I've let myself in for now,’ she thought as she put her phone away in her handbag.

Denise ordered herself another coffee and returned to reading her magazine, periodically looking for any sign of her sister. She had now been in her interview for more than thirty minutes. Was that a good sign? At last, after another fifteen minutes or so, she caught sight of Julia leaving the entrance to the office, so she left the café to meet her half way.

‘How did it go?’ she asked.

‘OK, I think. They were quite friendly and seemed to be interested in what I was saying, but I was feeling pretty nervous,’ answered Julia.

‘Did you answer all their questions?’

‘Yes, I believe so, and I was able to put over a few suggestions of my own, as well.’

‘Well that sounds quite promising.’

‘I hope so. We'll just have to see this afternoon.’

Denise looked at her watch, it was 12.50.

‘So what would you like to do for the next hour and a half?’ she asked.

‘I'm not feeling hungry, and I wouldn’t be able to walk very far in these shoes, so shall we just sit down by the river and talk about something to take my mind off the interview?’ said Julia.

‘Of course, I'll do anything I can to be of assistance.

---

The two girls walked slowly to the Jubilee Gardens where they found an empty seat by the riverside facing Westminster Bridge and the Houses of Parliament.

‘So Julia, what would you like us to talk about whilst we wait for the dreaded telephone call?’

‘How about you and your future?’ suggested Julia.

‘Alright then: at the moment I'm feeling very happy and fulfilled with my life. In fact, I cannot remember a time when I have felt happier. However, I've no idea what will happen come the autumn when my job finishes.’

‘What would you like to happen in the Autumn?’

Denise sighed.

‘If I'm honest, I suppose I'd like to stay living and working as Denise, and for things to carry on pretty much as they are now.’

‘So what's stopping you from carrying on?’

‘I don’t know really. I'm sure that they would not object at work, even if there was no more modelling work for me to do. Samantha seems to be happy to have Denise as a housemate. In fact, it will be far more problematic for me when, or if, I have to return to living as Denis. I suppose the only thing that worries me is that there would no longer be any excuse for my having to live as a woman. If I continued to do so, it would be because I preferred life as Denise rather than Denis,’ she answered.

‘I think that over the last two days you've convinced me that is already the case,’ commented Julia.

Denise avoided eye-contact with her sister, but Julia could see that she had no wish to dispute the point.

‘So what do you think I should do?’ she asked.

Julia thought for a few moments before responding.

‘I think you should continue living as Denise for as long as you are happy to do so.’

‘So when should I tell mother?’

‘You should tell her as soon as possible. If you like, I'll break the news to her gently tomorrow, when I see her. I'll then call you to confirm that I've done so. You'll need to follow it up with a phone call of your own and also perhaps a letter as quickly as possible.’

‘Should I go and visit her?’

‘I suggest that you should wait and see how she reacts to the news first, and then offer to go and see her. May I take a couple of your glamorous photos of you to show to her?’

‘Yes of course.’

As they were talking Julia’s mobile phone started to ring.

‘It is too soon for it to be about the job,’ she commented as she fished for it in her handbag. She looked at the display and frowned, not recognising the number.

‘Hello, Julia Simons.’

She sat listening for a couple of minutes, before saying in a shocked voice, ‘thank you very much, I'll see you at your office in about fifteen minutes then.’

She then turned to Denise.

‘They're offering me the job. They want me to go back to the office to discuss the details of when I'm to start.’

The two sisters hugged one another and shrieked with delight.

‘Julia, that's wonderful news for you, and also for me as well as now I'll have another friend living in London.’

‘Not just a friend, we'll now be able to get to know one another as sisters. I really hope you decide to remain as Denise, I much prefer having you as a sister than as a brother.’

‘Thank you.’

‘Would you mind coming back to the office with me Denise, you would be able to wait in the foyer?’

‘I have a few things to buy in the chemists across the road, why don’t you telephone me as soon as you are finished sorting out the details of your new job and then we can meet up in that café again.’

‘Don’t tell me it is that time of the month!’ said Julia laughing.

‘Life would be a lot simpler for me if it were,’ answered Denise blushing.

---

When the two girls met again at the cafe, just over an hour later, Denise handed to her sister a card offering her congratulations together with a small box of chocolates.

‘These are for you. I would have bought you a bunch of flowers but I thought they might be a problem to take home on the train with your suitcases.’

‘Thanks very much, but we'd better get moving now as I'll need to change out of these clothes at your place and then make my way home. I'll tell you all about the arrangements on the tube train back to your place.’

‘That outfit suits you and will come in useful when you start work. If you like, you're welcome to keep the clothes you are wearing, and also take another suit from my wardrobe. Angela left me more business suits than I'm ever likely to wear. In any event, now I'm beginning to get used to what suits me I'm quite looking forward to choosing some new clothes for myself.’

‘Alright then Denise, thank you very much. If you like we can go out shopping together when you come up to Norwich. However, I would still like to change for the journey home, and in any event I have to return your friend’s jewellery.’

---

Three hours later Denise was accompanying her sister to her train at Liverpool Street. This time she looked the smarter of the two of them.

‘Thanks once again for putting me up, for the moral support, and also for the clothes,’ said Julia. ‘I'll go round and see Mum tomorrow evening and gently try and explain your situation to her. I hope she'll be happy for both of us. In any event, I'll ring you tomorrow night to tell you how it went and we can then decide what you need to do.’

‘How do you think she's going to react to the news?’ asked Denise.

‘I’ve no idea, but I promise to do my best to make it clear that you have turned into a lovely young woman who seems to be very happy in her new life,’ she replied.

‘You'll make me cry if you aren't careful,’ said Denise, wiping a tear away. ‘Julia I'm so glad that you came to stay.’

‘Me too!’ she answered.

The two sisters embraced and Julia got on her train. Denise remained on the platform long enough to see it leave, and then walked back to the underground station to return to her flat.

---

‘How did your sister get on with her interview yesterday Denise?’ asked Sue, as she was setting up the studio lights ready for the day’s photography the following morning.

‘She did very well indeed; in fact she's been offered a job and will start working there in September,’ answered Denise, as she was just putting the final touches to her makeup for the first session.

‘That's good. By the way, how did she react when she discovered that she had acquired a new sister?’

Denise shrugged.

‘She was certainly a little shocked to begin with, but by the end of her stay I believe she was coming round to accepting the idea.’

‘I think it was more than that. When I spoke to her on Monday evening she told me that she'd always wanted a younger sister,’ added Samantha who was putting on a pair of earrings.

‘That was nice of her to say so. I do believe we've been closer to one another during last few days than at any time in the past.’

‘I don't think that she was looking forward to breaking the news to your mother though,’ said Samantha.

‘Well how would you react if you suddenly discovered that your only son was living and working as a girl?’ answered Denise.

Samantha shrugged.

‘I hope I would say to myself, that it is his, or rather her, life to live in whatever way she chooses, and then offer any support I could’ she answered.

‘What about you Sue?’ asked Denise

‘That's difficult to say, Denise, since I don't have any children, but I also hope that I'd be understanding and happy for her,’ replied Sue.

‘I hope you're both right. Julia will be going round to see mum this evening and will break the news to her then. She has promised to ring me afterwards. If all goes well I may even go and visit them both this weekend.’

‘In that case we’ll keep our fingers crossed for you this evening. But what about your Dad’s reaction when he finds out?’ asked Sue.

‘Mum and Dad are divorced now and he's living in Australia with a new family. I only ever hear from him at Christmas or on my birthday, so there is no great urgency for him to know.’

‘Unless, of course, you decide that the changes you have made to your lifestyle recently become permanent,’ added Samantha laughing.

‘I haven’t even thought about that,’ said Denise, blushing. ‘My vision of the future only stretches as far as next September when you go back to university.’

‘Alright then ladies, I think it is now time for us to begin our work for the day,’ said Sue, ‘but I hope all goes well between your sister and your mother this evening Denise.’