For readers of my past work, I should tell you that this is an incomplete story, as of this moment. I am working on other chapters, and will post them once I get the entire thing done.

Thank you for your patience, and I apologize if I left you hanging.

Thanks

O.K. Jan, 2012

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I came to my senses, with the ringing of a phone no more than three feet away. Instinctively, I picked up the receiver and said, “Oriental Gem, how may I help you?”

I took down the caller’s request, while idly gazing at my painted fingernails. I took the order over to the kitchen window and, raising my voice just a bit, called out “Order up!” After hearing the heavily accented reply, I placed the sheet in the ‘pick-up’ tray.

Once that was done, I gave my head a shake and tried to figure out where I was. Obviously, I was at the Oriental Gem restaurant. In fact, my last memory was seemingly moments ago. I was sitting across from my girlfriend of two years, having a great supper. So why was I taking telephone orders, in someone else’s body? In a girl’s body, to be precise.

I had to go look —was Miranda still there? Was I still there. I walked over to the dining room entrance, and was rather shocked to see my girlfriend and my old self holding hands, lovingly gazing into each others eyes. Everything seemed normal, except it wasn’t me that she was whispering sweet nothings to. I gave my head a small shake, and returned to ‘my’ area.

I barely had a chance to get there when a couple walked in the door. “Good evening. Are you here for dine in or take out?” I already knew the answer, judging by the way they were dressed. Their clothes were way too nice for them not to be dining out.

As I guided them to their table, I took another look at who I was just minutes ago. They just seemed so normal, and other than a normal glance, ‘Mike’ didn’t spare me any attention. Odd… it was like he didn’t know who I was, or rather, who he used to be. I seated the new diners, and headed towards the front of the restaurant.

Before I sat down, I looked at myself in the mirror behind the cash register. Strangely, I wasn’t all that surprised to see who I saw there. Dark brown hair, in a modern, semi funky / semi elegant style. Greyish blue eyes, partially obscured by low power eyeglasses. Nose a tad on the large side. A face that wasn’t quite pretty, but was attractive in a quirky way. From the neck down was another story. I checked out my curves and was quite impressed. I wasn’t skinny, and I wasn’t fat. I was voluptuous. My breasts were enormous, but well proportioned for the body. The hips were well defined without being outrageous. I turned around and checked out my ass and legs. Very nice, indeed.

As I scoping myself out, I heard someone clearing their throat behind me. I immediately blushed, and turned around. There in front of me, stood a rather handsome man. He looked at me with just a hint of a smile on his face.

“Good evening, my dear. Did you sit on something?”

“No… no… everything is fine. Just checking to see if I gained any weight.”

He laughed, and replied “My dear, you are absolutely perfect the way you are. Especially now.”

I looked at him, rather puzzled by his vague statement. “And how is that, Randolph?” How did I know his name?

He took two steps closer, and leaned over the counter a bit. He quietly spoke. “Well, Lindsay, or should I say ‘Mike’…?” My expression must have showed my surprise. “I fear that I must leave you in suspense. You need not worry; you will be able to complete your shift with no problem, although you can expect some hostility from your colleagues. I will explain that, as well as a great many other things, when I come to pick you up after work. See you at midnight.” With that, he gave a jaunty salute, and walked out.

As promised, I finished my shift without any problem. I seemed to know all what to do without giving it a second thought. I dealt with the usual customer flirting, and managed not to drop any food or give too much change away. The mood from my coworkers bordered on glacial. Smiles were not returned, and dirty glares were plentiful. I did spend my spare time worrying about Miranda and ‘pseudo Mike’, but there was not a lot I could do. I… or rather he… was due to spend the night at Miranda’s, and I could scarcely phone or show up there, asking to speak to Mike. The girlfriend was a bit jealous, and nothing good would come of it. I just hoped she was okay, and that the new ‘me’ wasn’t going to cause a problem that I couldn’t resolve.

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As promised, Randolph showed up at midnight, sharp. I had to spend a few extra minutes cashing out, so he waited for me in his Honda. When I got out in his car, he announced that we could grab a coffee at Burgundy’s, and he’d let me know what was going on then.

We walked into the cozy little coffee shop a few minutes later, and sat at a table near the fireplace. The waitress came and took our orders — an extra strong coffee for Randolph, and a Chai tea for myself.

After he took a sip of his coffee, Randolph began to speak “Up until yesterday, ‘Lindsay’ was a self centered little girl who annoyed everyone she worked with. She was catty and manipulative. She appreciated nothing, as almost everything was given to her. She only took this job because her daddy would buy her a new Mustang if she stayed here for six months. I guess he was trying to teach her a little humility, and humanity. Four and a half months, and nothing has changed.”

“How do you know all of this?” I asked. “And what do you have to do with this swap? Is that… bitch wrecking my relationship, even as we speak.” I was feeling more than a bit scared, and my voice must have let that be known.

Randolph put a finger to my lips, to quiet me down. “Shhhh, it’s okay, let me explain what’s what.”

“You better, or I will…” I had to think on that one a bit. I was no longer a bricklayer, and didn’t seem to have much in the way of physical strength. ”Well, I’ll do something, at any rate…”

He smiled at that, and then said, ”Let me start by saying that your therapist has had a chat or two with me about your troubles…”

“She had no right to do that!” I interrupted. “There is such a thing as confidentiality!”

“Shhhhhhh”, he said again, grabbing my arm to get my attention.

“Owwwww, that hurts”, I whispered loudly.

“Well, be silent, then”, he responded. “As I was saying… she and I have talked a lot. So, yes, I know the concerns you have about your ‘feminine side’, and how you felt it messed up your life, and might threaten your relationship. She felt that I might be able to assist in a radical idea she had for treatment.”

I had calmed down a bit, and managed to civilly ask “And what might that be?”

“Well, it was actually your idea to begin with. A passing thought, really. You had mentioned to her that you wish you could just ‘cut the girly side out and throw it away’. This got her thinking, and when she and I went for coffee next, she mentioned it. I explained that the soul is like energy, and it cannot be tossed away or destroyed. Well, to be more precise, it cannot be harmed while its shell is still alive.”

“’But what about a portion of the soul, or essence?’, she asked. ‘Could it be removed? Maybe transferred?’ I told her I would look into it, and see what I could find.”

He took another sip of his coffee, and continued, “Well, as you probably know, or suspect, souls can be swapped. What few realize is that a person’s essence can be, to some extent, copied. So, basically, I copied the feminine aspects of your soul, along with the memories, and transferred them to Lindsay’s shell.”

“So, I’m a… copy. That’s all I am? That doesn’t make me feel any better.” I paused, and then it occurred to me “And what happened to Lindsay. Was she killed? Is she in limbo somewhere? I don’t know her, but I’m sure she didn’t deserve that.”

“No, she’s fine. Well, in a sense. A street person had recently died in the hospital. After the poor woman’s soul left this earth, I brought the body back to life, and moved Lindsay’s spirit in. Miss Lindsay now has a very tough task ahead of her. She knows she cannot go running to daddy to bail her out. She has to learn some self reliance and people skills to get out of her predicament.”

“Will she be okay?” I asked.

“Yes. Despite her spoiled upbringing, I have a feeling that she will end up succeeding. She just got rather lazy, and once she overcomes that, she will do quite well.”

“Well, that’s good to hear. Now, what about ‘Mike’. What’s going to happen with him and Miranda?”

“First, I will answer your other question”, he replied. “You are not a ‘copy’. It is hard to explain — spirituality always is. You are you — for the most part. Sure, you no longer have the testosterone driven male side, but then again, you are no longer in conflict with who you really are. Tell me, did you feel uncomfortable in any way with your new body tonight?”

I paused with my answer, while the waitress refilled Randolph’s coffee. “No, I cannot say that I did. I scarcely gave being a woman any thought at all, other than when touching up my makeup, or the occasional adjustment of my bra strap. I even checked out a few guys.”

“So, as all is good with you, it will be good with ‘Mike’ as well. His relationship with Miranda will improve, as he will no longer have the ‘girly side’ to contend with. She wants a dominant male in her life, as you well know. And just to ease your mind, he won’t become an abuser, or mean, or anything like that. He will still have his good manners, and a good soul, just like you do. Sure, he’ll lose his taste for ‘chick-flicks’, will become a bit more competitive, and will make male friends a lot easier. Best of all, he will no longer be in conflict. Ironically, by removing part of him, he will become a happier person. I would be surprised if they didn’t get married soon.”

I got a bit misty eyed after hearing that. I took a moment to gather myself, during which Randolph handed me his handkerchief. I dabbed the tears from my eyes. I thought about how much I would miss Miranda, but knowing that she and Mike would have a happy life together took some of the pain away.

“Now, as for you, Lindsay Mercelle, you have an excellent opportunity ahead of you. And no, I am not just talking about a new car in a month or two. You are about 15 years younger, in excellent health, and basically can shape your life any way you want. You are in the body that will only add to your happiness. You can be a career woman, or a wife, or a mother, or a mix of all three. You can do a lot with your life, and your family will stand behind you. This despite the ‘Lindsay’ of the past treating them rather horribly. You'll see who you need to make amends to as you go through her memories." He smiled that funny little smile of his. "It's quite a lengthy list, I'd reckon.”

I smiled, tears of joy now starting. “I’d like that very much. Part of me is still a bit sad, but I think I am going to like this new life a lot. Thank you so much for everything.”

I leaned over to hug him, but he vanished right in front of my eyes.