Saturday at six in the morning we are walking back into Fashionable Inc, hand-in-hand. This time Gerry leads me into the trainee entrance. We walk through my old locker room, then she stops me. I want to show you. Not everyone was able to make a cryx – they never are. Follow me.” We open the door out into the hallway toward the classroom. Instead we enter through the yoga room where twenty others are lined up. Then another very gorgeous lady walks in. “It is time,” she says. “You may enter the observation room.” Then she leaves. The rest of us see a new door in the back of the room open. We all file into a fairly spacious room.

We look inside our old classroom – obviously next to me are those I got to know the last six months. There are four men in the room before us. Jacob is there. Three others whose names do not come to me.

The three of them are sitting there, sleeping on and off when the beautiful lady I mentioned before enters into the room. The men all wake up or wake each other up. “Good morning, gentlemen. I am here to tell you that you have not succeeded in creating a cryx and therefore will not becoming associates at Fashionable Inc. I am authorized to offer you jobs still at the promised salary for five years. After that time we will negotiate to see if you will have continued usefulness for us.”

She is about to continue when Jacob blurts out. “What are you talking about? I never had a chance to create a cryx. I stood in a hallway before some strange archway you people had blocked up with concrete. I saw no test, and no cryx making machine.” The woman stopped and smiles at Jacob. “Look around you, young man. Eleven of your fellow classmates are not here. You can call this a cruel joke or you can call it bad luck. But you did not pass the test.”

Jacob just harumps and folds his arms. But she continues. “I am Rhonda Matre, President of Associate Training. It was my duty to prepare you for last night. You were the lowest fail rate in ten years. But anyways, I will be introducing you to another lady. She is going to be in charge of you.” Rhonda or formerly Ron, gets up and walks out of the room.

At this point another lady walks in. This one is a blonde. “Hi everybody. My name is Grace Shaw. I am the President of Building Maintenance. I am here to help you with your final preparations for employment at Fashionable. I am sad that you were unable to see what was needed for whatever reason it was, but I am here to help you.” At this moment, Rhonda was back in. She watches as Grace continues. “First of all, I want to hand out a waiver form. This form is asking you to sign that you have been offered the opportunity to sign a release from employment form. There are two sheets. The first form is the waiver form that indicates you have seen the second sheet. At this moment, if you wish it, you may sign the release from employment form. We will let you leave without seeking any recovery of the signing bonus or monies spent training you. If you sign the waiver form, you will enter employment in Maintenance for the next year. At the anniversary of that year, we will conduct an annual review to work with you to see where you might best fit. I will return in a minute after you have decided.”

Grace walks out, leaving the four men alone. There is significant grumbles among them. One of them blurts out, “This is so messed up.” A second grumbles, “I am so confused. Where are the others? Did they do something to them?” Jacob pipes up. “I think we are the ones who survived the night before, but the rest were killed banging their head against that crazy looking archway.” Everyone laughed at that. The fourth one blurted out. “I can't afford to lose this job right now. So, I'm just going to sign the waiver.” There is similar grumbles. It appears the other three have signed the waiver. When that is done, Rhonda peeks her head out of the room to tell Grace that they are ready for her.

Grace walks right back into the classroom. They jump a little at her ability to know they were all finished. “Has everyone had a chance to sign a form?” They all nod their heads yes. “Did anyone wish to sign the work release? If so, please step forward and hand the form to me. You will then be escorted out of the building.” None of them moved – not even proud, confident Jacob. Gerry whispers to me, “I don't get it. Every year there is one of those. One of the recruiters always seems to hire one of those and then finds himself unable to move up. “ I giggle at her intimation. Grace speaks again in the classroom. “Alright then. Please tear the release form away from the waiver form. Leave the release form at your desk. Then, follow me.” With that Grace leads the four men out of the room.

Then Rhonda speaks up. “We won't be following them, but it is good for you to know what has happened to them, because you might bump into them. It would be best if you were prepared beforehand so you don't stutter out a foolish apology to them. I would be blunt and polite with them. Do not interact with any of these you know. They will have what we call level one dash five clearance for the next year. They will be going to Grace's office and presented with openings in Maintenance.”

Then Rhonda nods, and leaves the room. Each of us follows our recruiters out of the room. We head back up to the second floor. Gerry and I sit and relax in my office, as I look at her and she at me. “Now what?” I ask Gerry. Gerry responds, “Today is an important day. Take out your company portfolio.” I do this, and Gerry continues. “Pull out the last of the papers. You will find a sheet of paper paper clipped with a company credit card.”

The letter with company letter head reads as such:

Dear Associate,

Congratulations on becoming an associate sales representative of Fashionable Inc. We look forward to working with you and you with us.

This letter is to give you guidance in use of this credit card. You are authorized to use this card today to buy an appropriate wardrobe with which you might represent our company. Feel free to spend up to $ 1000 dollars. Your associate manager will help you with this. You may also use this card for gas when using a company card, water bottles or snacks.

This card is not to be used to make cash. This card is not to become included with your male items. With your company issued cellphone, it stays on the feminine side of the cryx chamber when you leave.

We hope your time working for Fashionable will be enjoyable. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Amanda Frint, President of Finance

I finger the credit card in my hand in total shock. Gerry tries to interrupt my wonder and amazement. “You are an investment – you and the complete package of you. Soon, you will be representing Fashionable in a large area around Chicago somewhere. We need you to look the part.” I look at her confused and with so many questions. “What am I going to be doing? When will I find out?” She pats my hand. “It starts tonight. After we go shopping, you will be going to the Sales Division New Associate Banquet. Everyone from your division will be there at the table. You will sit at the table with your regional president and vice president. You will sit with all those already working in your division. But I won’t be there. I have my own new worker banquet to go to.”

I am about to ask where Gerry is going when she says. “We have no time to lose now. Why don’t you go in and shower. Take some time to really enjoy your first shower as a woman. It is okay to leave the cryx on. Then go into the closet and pick an outfit for shopping. Nothing too revealing. The last thing we want is to attract too much male attention. We will not be in as secure areas. Then, we will come back.”
It did sound like fun. So, I popped up and took my dress off. Then I put my black satin robe back on. I walked through the cryx chamber. Then I was on the other side in the locker room shower. It was glorious. I washed my hair with feminine shampoo and conditioner. I just sat and enjoyed the feel of the water raining down on my breasts and silky smooth skin. I scrubbed my body with a flowery scented soap that I applied on a poof.

Then I turned the water off. I took the towel and dried off my body, then wrapped it around my head and hair while I put my satin robe on. Then, I walked back through the cryx room and into the bathroom in the office. I used the hair dryer and brush in that room to blow dry my hair and comb the snarls out. Then, I carefully set my hair using a curler, water, and hair spray. I had never thought I would have to do this when I took grooming classes. I walked back out and went to the walk-in closet. I chose blue jeans, knee high black boots with a six inch heel. I strapped on a black bra to go with the black panties I had already put on. I wore a white blouse. Then I put on a black leather jacket over the top.

Then, I went down and out to the basement garage. Gerry handed me some keys. “You are going to drive.” I was about to say that I was afraid. “Monday, you will be driving this car, and you might as well get used to it. I will give directions to my favorite mall. We will do some shopping, get lunch, and do some more shopping.” Down the streets of Chicago I turned. At first I was nervous, but the power of the cryx seemed to give me the ability and confidence to drive these roads. At last we were driving past a downtown mall towering up floors into the sky. I found a local parking lot, then arm in arm Gerry and I walked to the mall. We walked up and down. We bought feminine necessities. We bought lingerie. We bought party dresses. We bought formal gowns. We bought shopping outfits. We bought outfits to wear to see a client. We did accessory shopping.

Of course, we had a bit of lunch in between. Again, as Gerry explained, “When you wear the cryx, you are not going to be hungry. But it is important to eat something: a piece of fruit, a granola bar, or a salad so that you are not too weak when you take the cryx off.” I had a tuna salad and water.

After we were done shopping, Gerry helped me carry my bags up to my office. It was funny, because eleven of us were doing it at the same time. We greeted each other, but with the changes we had undergone, we didn’t know who was who. Then, we put my new clothes away and Gerry helped me pick out something to wear for the banquet tonight. After it was all done, she hugged me tight and wished me luck. “Enjoy yourself tonight. This is a celebration about you.” Then she was gone. I took off my shopping outfit and gathered the outfit Gerry had helped me pick for the banquet. This dress was royal blue and featured a plunging neckline. It crossed over my body in the back. It had a strap design in the back. I wore black heels. I was ready to meet my new co-workers and boss.