Part 3

Chapter 7:

When I went outside dressed as a cheerleader it was on a college campus and part of a fraternity hazing. Now I was walking into the Bonefish Grill with my future mother in-law looking more like a future daughter in-law. While I was dressed simply in jeans and an Old Navy sweater, my appearance could hardly be confused with a male. My body had no distinguishing shape, but what most people saw was my shimmering hair and makeup. I tried to convince myself that it was a slightly androgynous look, but anyone that saw me would more likely think I was a girl trying to dress down.

Mrs. Johnson could see me scanning the crowd intermittently as I tried to keep my head down.

“Lyla, don’t be so self-conscious. Even in those rags you are as pretty as anyone here. Stand straight and if someone looks at you, look back and smile or nod.”

“Do you really think people can’t read me? Besides probably looking like a boy in makeup, I am dressed like one.”

“It will get easier after you relax and stop thinking like a man. You need to work on how you move and act. I promise to make sure that your clothes won’t give you away. We will start on that task after some lunch.”

“It’s hard to not think that way.”

“You just need more practice. I will give you some tips and help you learn. If you let yourself, I am sure it will become second nature. Don’t fight it.”

“I still can’t believe I am doing this for a costume party.”

“Stop thinking that way. You are doing this for you and Jessica. She wants you to have the full experience and she told me she wants to see how beautiful a woman you make. The more you throw yourself into this, the better that it will be for both of you.”

“It just seems so extreme.”

“I know my daughter, if you don’t give your best she will be disappointed. If you do everything possible to be the best Lyla you can, then no matter how you turn out, she will know it was the worthwhile.”

“I will go all in, but I hope I do not look too authentic for the party. I am sure not many others guys put in such an enthusiastic effort, just for a costume party.”

“The more convincing a woman you can make yourself, the better will be your experience on Saturday. I can pretty much guarantee you of that.”

Following lunch, we made our way down to Rodeo Drive into a very exclusive lingerie shop called La Perla Boutique. Not surprisingly, Mrs. Johnson had someone there that was prepared for our arrival.

“Hi, I am Fifi, you must be Lyla… your mother told me so much about you.”

“Oh Mrs. Johnson, I am not sure what she told you.”

“Enough to know that we are starting from scratch and need to make you look and more importantly feel more girlish. Looking your best, starts with feeling your best and the proper foundations.”

“Your merchandise looks very beautiful, but I really don’t think I will need that much.”

“Sophia, she is so precious. She is on the way to being absolutely lovely, but certainly has a lot to learn.”

“Fifi dear, she needs everything we talked about. She has nothing now. She is even wearing boxers at this moment. She wants to look sexy, but not trashy. She will need the proper garments for casual, nots so casual and of course for evening gowns.”

“Mrs. Johnson!”

“Please, I prefer Sophia or Mom.”

“Ok, but I don’t need that much. Won’t one thing do?”

“Don’t be silly, We are not going to be washing your things every night. The benefit is not for three days, and you will not be wearing the same clothes for all that time. Just let Fifi do her thing. You are in for a treat.”

“Let me take you into the back and get you set up. After you strip, I need to measure you and get started. Don’t be shy, I do this all the time.”

“I am sure you are phenomenal at this, but I am not like most of your customers.”

“Not like most, but you are far from my first for your special needs. If you want, you can leave your boxers on until we find something more appropriate.”

It felt so strange having this strange woman walking around my nearly naked body, measuring me with her tape. She wrote down measurements that meant virtually nothing to me. She even touched me around the waist and at the breast to see how firm I was. Once she had a chance to determine what she was working with she asked.

“Lyla, do you find woman with large breast more attractive than other woman?”

I was a little put off by the question. “I don’t judge woman by their breast size. That’s a terrible thing to do.”

That’s a good answer. I just wanted to know if you had a desire to be oversized. It does not sound like it.”

“Of course not. The last thing I want to be is a caricature of a woman. That would be insulting.”

“Good. I think I am ready to get started.”

The first thing she brought me were a pair of off white panties. She insisted that I replace my boxers. Unfortunately, the silkiness of the panties was to much for me to ignore and I found myself aroused by the time she stepped back into the room with Mrs. Johnson at her side.

“My my, that is going to be a problem.”

“Fifi, we can’t have that happening under his new clothes. It would be very embarrassing and ruin the look.”

“Sophia, I have something that will help, but it is not always perfect. It can also be a little uncomfortable if she continues to get so aroused.”

“Well we need to keep that at bay.”

Fifi return a couple of minutes later with a latex garment that she called a dancer’s gaff. She asked Mrs. Johnson to step out of the room as she showed me how to properly wear it. Tucking myself under and clamping it down with this gaff was not very comfortable. At least for the moment I was no longer in the excited state. She slipped the panties over the gaff and I was now sporting a woman’s flat triangle. Mrs. Johnson was let back in and quickly commented how much better I looked.

Next came a white matching bra that she mentioned was a 36c. Two heavy globs were stuffed into the cups and instantaneously I looked dramatically different. Anyone at that moment looking at my image would without hesitation presume I was a young woman. There was no sign of my maleness. I was fascinated by my appearance, but also very afraid by the convincingness of the reflection.

It didn’t help my psyche that Mrs. Johnson said I made a more natural looking woman than she even suspected. My heart skipped a beat when she exclaimed that she would be proud to call me her daughter. I knew I was more than just passing at that point, I was attractive standing in front of the mirror only dressed in lingerie.

I could feel my hidden manhood trying to pop out which was very uncomfortable. I looked down at my panties with an uncomfortable expression on my face. Mrs Johnson and Fifi picked up on my distress.

“Lyla, if you don’t want the world to know your little secret, you need to stop getting so excited by your transformation. We still have work to do.”

“I’m sorry, this is just very confusing.”

“You just need to get adjusted. It shouldn’t take you very long. The gaff will just have to do until you can get a better handle on that or we can come up with a better alternative.”

I could feel the weight of the breast-forms in the brassiere and cupped them with my hands to get a better sense of the new appendages.

“Mrs. Johnson, I mean Mom… these feel and look almost real.”

“Those are made of silicone. For now, you will just have to settle for those.”

Her comment and the fact that Fifi was taking this all in, made me squirm like a shy girl. I had no legitimate response and standing almost naked, I felt so vulnerable and defenseless.

I thought that we were done at that point, but I was pushed into modeling numerous other matching styles and colors as well as other sexy items. I protested unsuccessfully when the corset was tightened around my waist. Mrs. Johnson assured me that Jessica would love to see me with an hourglass figure. I had trouble accepting that logic, but the physical discomfort it created was offset by the fascination of how it redistributed my body. It was almost like it squeezed any remaining masculinity from my formally shaped frame.

I was grateful that the ordeal was finally coming to an end. Mrs. Johnson and Fifi discussed the choices after they had exhausted the inventory options available for me. I was told to keep on the foundation items I was currently wearing and slip on the items in a bag that I was handed.

I had entered the store dressed in my jeans and baggy sweater, but inside the bag was a bohemian style dress from Free People. I initially thought it was just to see how the lingerie might look under clothing, but as soon as I had slipped it over my head, Mrs. Johnson removed my former clothes from the changing area.

I took the remaining items from the bag before calling out to Mrs. Johnson. There was a purse, and a pair of strappy wedge sandals and nothing more in the bag.

“Where’s my clothes?”

"I am having them sent to the Johnson residence with your other lingerie purchases. No point in you lugging them around.”

“You mean I am wearing this out?”

“Lyla, you look lovely. That dress now fits you perfectly. Inside your purse are some wrist bangles that will add a nice touch. You can step out as soon as you are ready.”

I knew as soon as I agreed to go to the costume party that I would be dressed completely as a woman, but that was not for three days and here I was looking like a college pretty college coed in the middle of the afternoon. There was not one aspect of my appearance that didn’t scream feminine.

When Mrs. Johnson saw me emerge from the cubicle even she paused for a moment to take it in.

“Lyla, you are perfect. Aren’t you thrilled by how gorgeous you turned out. Jessica is going to love her new girlfriend.”

“I think shocked would be more like it.”

“Not at all. She knew you would look beautiful. Remember, she wanted this almost as much as you.”

“I never said I wanted this.”

“Let’s not argue. It takes a very special boy to allow himself to become such a convincing young woman. The next few days are all about fun. Make the most of your Lyla time, so when Jessica comes home you both know this was the right choice. She would be very disappointed if she didn’t think you were making the most of your opportunity.”

“I’m trying, it’s just all happening so fast.”

“You fit in much better now. It would not have been fun with you dressed as a boy when we go shopping for your fancy dress for the Gala.”

“I don’t think I am ready to do that yet. Today has been pretty overwhelming.”

“That’s ok. We are seeing my Stylist at Bloomingdales tomorrow. The dress shopping will wait another day.”

“That’s good. Are we going home now?”

“Soon. Let’s stop at the Starbucks, before our last quick task.”

As we walked down the block, I had to get used to the new sensations resulting from my appearance. It was one thing for the woman to take a glance at me, but it was very disconcerting to get checked out by some men as they walked towards me.

The iced chai latte tasted very good and helped me regain some of my composure.

“Where’s our last stop?”

“The jeweler two doors down. If you are going to be properly accessorized for the Gala we need to pop in there.”

“We don’t need to be buying expensive jewelry for only one night.”

“I agree. You will probably wear something of mine or Jessica’s after we pick out your dress. We just need to stop there so you will be able to.”

I really didn’t follow her logic as I followed her into the Jeweler. Not surprisingly she was greeted warmly by her first name. The woman and her walked around the store for a couple of minutes before Mrs. Johnson pointed to something in the case. The woman smiled and took an item out to show her.

I was finally included in the discussion as they walked over to me.

“What do you think?”

“Sophia, those look like lovely diamonds. I am not a good judge, but they look simple but very classy.”

“See Vera, I told you Lyla had a good eye for this.”

“Thank you, Sophia. Are these for Jessi?”

“You can share them with her, but these are my gift to you. Your first studs should be special ones that you will always cherish. I want you to have a pair that is appropriate for such a pretty woman.”

“Sophia…”

“Please call me mom.”

"Mom, these are way too nice for me and they are for pierced ears."

“Of course. These will be your first pair after Vera pierces your ears.”

“I think I look girly enough without pierced ears. I don’t really think that is necessary.”

“Gifts are never necessary. That’s what makes them special. Having pierced ears is however necessary. You are going to a very fancy party Saturday and all of Jessica’s and my earrings are for pierced ears. If you decide to ever stop beautifying your ears, which of course would be a waste, the holes will fill in naturally.”

“I won’t need these studs then. I wouldn’t want you to waste your money.”

“First off, you will have to wear them for a while to avoid getting an infection and later if you want, you can re-gift them to Jessica. I do hope you decide to keep them. I’m enjoying our time together and this will be a nice memento.”

“Ok then.”

Before I had a chance to rethink anything I could feel the pinching of my ears. I looked at my ears in the swivel mirror on the counter and could see the shimmering reflection coming from my lobes. I felt like it was symbolic punctuation of my total emersion into femininity. The holes might later fill in, but for the moment I felt I had totally abandoned my manhood.

Mrs. Johnson took the opportunity of me transfixed in the mirror as a good time to take out her iPhone for a few photographs.

“I need to take a couple of shots for Jessica. She will want to know how things are going and you might like these as keepsakes too. Stand up and smile for me.”
She had me pose for at least a dozen different shots. A couple were close-ups, and a few were in very staged feminine poses. When she was finished, even I was curious to see them. They looked too good. They appeared to be photos of a pretty girl… nothing more, nothing less. I wasn’t even sure that my Jessi would know they were of me.

Thankfully, our shopping was done for today. I knew tomorrow would bring more new feelings.

Chapter 8:

Back at the Johnson home I retreated for a while to my bedroom. I was emotionally spent by the full day of activities. It was the first time I really had a chance to think about what was happening to me. With each passing hour, I had become more-and-more Lyla and less-and-less Lyle. I was spending quality time with Jessi’s Mom as requested, but I couldn’t imagine it improved my standing as their future son in-law.

I also did not know how I felt about my transformation. When I agreed to this, I used my frat hazing experience as a reference point. That foray in the cheerleader’s uniform was kind of fun, but I never took it that seriously. The current image I was staring at on the closet door was not a gag. It also was not all going to wash off when I hit the shower later. I was going to a costume ball on Saturday, but this degree of preparation seemed way over-the-top.

I also didn’t hate what I saw in the mirror which added to my confusion. The fact that I turned out to be attractive felt like a déjà vu, causing me to re-experience that comforting emotion when I first dressed as a cheerleader. In reality it might have been easier if I looked like a guy in a dress. Instead, I saw what everyone else's had to see and that was of an attractive woman. I kept telling myself that Jessi wanted me to enjoy this time, but I had some guilt about accepting this so easily. I wasn’t even sure what I was going to say to Jessica about today. My anxiety was on many levels.

I was pulled out of my deep thought by the distinctive ringtone on my iPhone. It was Jessi’s jingle. I was always happy to know she was calling, but for the moment I was scared to answer. My voice cracked a little when I finally got the courage to talk.

“Hi Jessi. How’s your trip going?”

“Lyle, is that you? You sound strange.”

I tied to over compensate in a deep voice, “Yes. I just had something caught in my throat. It’s Ok now.”

“My trip is fine. Lots of travel, we had one long meeting this afternoon. The real question is, how is my butterfly doing?”

“Butterfly?”

“I wish I was there to watch my Lyla spread her wings. Mom texted me some photos of you just after you decided to get your ears pierced. You look stunning.”

“I had no idea things would turn out the way they had today.”

“Mother said she had fun with you today. She says it was almost like having a second daughter.”

"She has me calling her Mom.”

“You're calling her Mom now. That’s so sweet.”

“She really insisted. I guess it’s easier under the circumstances.”

“It looked like you were really enjoying yourself in some of those poses. I was worried at first, that this might have been difficult for you, but it’s easy to see from the photos that you are happy. I was a little reluctant at first about you going to the Gala as Lyla, but not anymore. I hope you find a gorgeous dress tomorrow.”

“I’ll try. I had to try on so many undergarments to find the ones I am wearing. Girls have so many more options than guys.”

“Mom told me about some of your new lingerie. It sounds like you picked out quite a lot. Maybe you will share some with your sister when I get back.”

“Ha Ha. You can strip me in bed if you want my new sexy things. I have no idea what if any of the other items your mom actually purchased. She and the sales lady Fifi, had me try on all sorts of different things. I hope she kept the receipts for any extras they might have bought.”

“I think it was a very long receipt. Maybe you can get a job as a Victoria Secret model if you get bored with architecture.”

"Not likely, but wearing these things sure feels a lot different than my plain old jockey’s.”

“Better make sure you don’t like it too much. It might develop a bulge in your otherwise beautiful image.”

“Have you been talking about that with your mother?

“No, but based upon your response, I’m guessing you have been enjoying this even more than I suspected.”

“I don’t know what came over me. It’s embarrassing. Everything just feels so soft and silky. It’s like how I feel with you in my arms”

“Face it Lyla, you're hooked.”

“Stop kidding with me. I’d die if someone saw that bump when I was out.”

“Just teasing you. I’m sure there are ways to keep your little friend at bay or not constantly excited. Maybe we can trade your penis in for a vagina for a few days. Then you could try being a real girl for a few days. Wouldn’t that be fun.”

“Stop that. I having enough trouble being just your girl. Quit making this harder for me.”

“You are my girl. When I get back we will make some great lesbian love.”

“I wish you were here with me now for some lovemaking.”

“I’ve only been gone since this morning and you are already such a babe. I can’t wait to see how far you have come by the weekend.”

“I hope I survive. I can’t imagine it getting any crazier than this.”

”You never know. Just go with it. What do you have to lose.”

“Easy for you to say. Just don’t be surprised if I am pregnant by the time you get back.”

“That’s my lover’s humor I miss. At least my mother would finally have a grandchild.”

“Anything for Mom.”

“Keep that up and she will never let you go.”

“We’ll know soon enough.”

“What are you up to tonight? Do you have a hot date?”

“Yeah, your Mom. We are eating in, thank God. She mentioned that there were things she wanted to show me.”

“I want you to have fun, but right now I have to go. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

“Love you”

“Love you more. Bye”

Chapter 9:

Gratefully, Jessica seemed to be more than OK with how far the masquerade had gone. I knew she had encourage this, but a small part of me thought she might not like seeing her almost fiancé looking so totally feminine. I felt her enthusiastic acceptance relieved a major personal burden for me, and now I was much less concerned with how easily I had let myself be transformed.

Dinner with Mrs. Johnson was low key, but she continued my education into becoming the perfect Lyla. We ate a tasty chopped salad accompanied by a glass of white wine. I was still hungry, but she said as a woman that I needed to watch my figure. I had a hard time with her logic, but did not argue. Throughout the dinner, she coached me so I might better project ladylike table manners and utilize more feminine word choices.

Midway through the meal she even had me working to change the pitch of my voice. Sometimes I managed to sound more girlish, but occasionally I sounded clownish. She said that my voice was nearly as important as my look and could easily be my undoing. It was not something that I could change as simply as I managed with my appearance. I sensed some frustration in Mrs. Johnson.

After the meal. it was more lessons. First it was on my posture, then how I walked and moved and finally even some tips on eye contact. When we were both nearly ready for bed she showed me how to touch up my makeup and then showed me how to remove it all before bed.

When all my makeup had been removed, I was still amazed how feminine my face appeared. It wasn’t just my hair, which had received extensions, bleaching and styling, it was also my eyes. They had plucked my eyebrows into feminine arches and my eyelashes still looked like they had mascara on. That’s when I learned that they had also added to my lashes multiple new hairs. I was told they weren’t permanent but could last for weeks if I took care of them. She said I had requested the lash extensions, because it was not something she had originally instructed the technicians to do.

On my bed was a black nightgown which I simply accepted because I just wanted to go to bed. I actually found it’s softness very soothing as I slipped under the blankets. Just after I had turned off my lights I heard Mrs. Johnson, “Good night Lyla, I hope you enjoyed the day as much as I did.”

“Good night Mom. Thanks for helping me so much today.”

“You're welcome. Tomorrow's we will try and make it just as special.”

“Hopefully I won’t disappoint you.”

“I’m sure you won’t, now get some sleep.”

“You too, nite nite.”

After a restful night of sleep the schedule began the next morning with great pace. I had my shower, some coffee and a yogurt, then Mrs. Johnson sat me down to put on my makeup. She explained everything and told me that she wanted me to practice later when we had more time. We had a late morning appointment scheduled with her fashion stylist at Bloomingdales. I assumed it was for my Gala dress.

Unfortunately, I was instructed to wear the corset again along with a new matching bra and panty. I recognized the set from our shopping excursion. The dress she laid out for me was a simple dark blue, back zip sheath dress, which she said would be easy for me to change in and out of. The dress was paired with black leather shoes that had a narrower and more pronounced heel than the wedges from yesterday. The look was dressier and it took some practice to walk steadily in the new shoes.

We arrived at Bloomingdales and walked around for a few minutes before heading upstairs to meet her stylist Lana. She walked me through the jewelry, cosmetics, and handbag areas. We did not actually shop there, but she wanted me to get comfortable just browsing. Lana was ready for us when we made it to the clothing area. Lana and Mrs. Johnson shared a hug before turning their attention to me.

“Hello Lyla. Your mother told me how lovely you had become, but you are even prettier in person.”

“Thank you. Mom deserves the credit for that.”

“She does have great style. Hopefully we can add to that and pick out somethings that you really love. With your figure, we have many options.”

“I am clueless, and in your hands.”

“Sophia, says we need to work from basically scratch. She says you have almost no appropriate clothing and we need to get you all the basics, and of course something for the Gala this weekend. I bet you turn quite a few heads on Saturday.”

“I just want to look nice for the family, and look the part.”

“Well you came to the right place. We will start with casual and work our way up to dressy.”

“Work our way up?”

Mrs. Johnson interrupted our conversation by explaining the need for a larger wardrobe.”

“Lyla, you have no clothes. When Jessica comes home she is going to want to spend some time with you and see the young woman standing here. The Gala is the big event, but I am sure she will want to have some personal time with you. We will pick out a few things and of course if you never wear them, we can return them. From what I have seen with you and hear from Jessica, I am sure things won’t go to waste.”

“I am not so sure, but whatever. I guess it’s ok if you think Jessi would approve.”

“I am absolutely certain she wants you to be happy, so let’s get started.”

I could not believe the amount of clothes that I tried on. I was beginning to understand why it took woman so long to shop for their outfits. After a quick measuring, I was brought a series of items.

First came jeans, capris, shorts, and a dozen or more different style tops. Some for hot weather, some for the evening, but all appropriate for a casual event or outing. With each piece, I was asked about my opinions and preferences. After a while, I think I Lana and Mrs. Johnson began to understand a little what I liked and didn’t. For the most part I selected preferences that I might have liked on Jessi or on any other woman I thought attractive. My likes were generally more along classical lines and not extravagant.

After each fitting the items were taken out and sorted near the tailor station. Much like the lingerie shopping, I was not privy to which if any items that might be kept.

Trying on the casual clothing took nearly an hour and when that was finished they brought us some iced tea drinks so we could take a breather. Mrs. Johnson made the observation that I had a greater sense of style for woman’s clothing than for men's. I wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or a dig, but I thanked her. Mrs. Johnson smiled when I said that as long I was going to dress as a girl, I might as well pick out attractive styles I like.

After our 15-minute break, the clothing that was brought to me was much more dressy. It started with some shapely dresses from designers like Vince, Halston, Joie, Theory, and Lafayette. Some seemed appropriate for a Friday or Saturday night on the town, but others looked like classy work clothes. I was amazed how wearing some of these things effected me. When I looked at my reflection I felt a sense of pride in how nice I looked. I never had felt that when I dressed up in men’s wear. I began to feel a sense of anticipation when a beautiful dress was handed to me. I shouldn’t have been excited to wear these things, but seeing how well they looked on me began to show through.

When I slipped a lace covered Nicole Miller dress on I began to get noticeably aroused. I was wearing the gaff, but I began to get uncomfortable down below and Mrs. Johnson could see my discomfort and attempts to adjust myself.

“We are going to have to come up with a better solution for that problem. There is another option, but I was hoping it wouldn’t be necessary at this point. We can deal with that later, when we work on your voice.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t do this on purpose.”

“I know Lyla. Don’t fret. I have a solution for later that will be more comfortable for you. “

“What is it?”

“Just a more painless trick so you don’t try and pop out of the gaff. We will deal with that after lunch. Let’s finish up here.”

I thought I was done with the dressy clothes, but now I was trying on silky blouses, skirts, and some matching jackets. One white blouse was a wrap around and we paired it with a Steel Grey pencil skirt and jacket. I looked like a $1000 an hour lawyer and all three of us were impressed by the fit. I had no idea where I would wear this, but I felt sexy in this professional ensemble. Mrs. Johnson placed this in a separate pile from the other clothes.

“Mom, we have been busy all morning trying on clothes and I’m not even sure which of the dresses is the right one for Saturday.”

“That’s because you haven’t tried it on yet.”

“More dresses?”

“Just a few.”

The dresses that followed made me look like a princess. They were all long, fancy and a bit hard to maneuver in. I would not have looked out of place at the Academy Awards in any of them. The last dress I tried on was a shimmering black gown by Vera Wang. When I saw how fabulous I looked in this dress I was slightly overcome by emotions. I couldn’t understand what made me feel such an instant emotional feeling, but I couldn’t hide my mood. I had never been with a woman wearing something as beautiful as this dress and yet here I was wearing it myself.

Jessica wanted me to enjoy the experience, but I can’t imagine that she wanted me to be having this type of reaction. When Lana and Mrs. Johnson saw my reaction to this dress they immediately knew it was the one.

Lana looked me in the eye, “This is my favorite part of my job. I just love it when a woman sees herself in a magical dress and gets emotional. It sometimes takes dozens of dresses to find the right one and not everyone does. However, when that connection materializes like it just did with you, the moment is priceless.”

With that revelation, I was told my clothing shopping was complete.

"Can I get dressed now?”

I was handed the last blouse-skirt combination that had originally been put in a separate pile. I had liked how I looked in the combo, but I thought it was too professional looking to just be out shopping.

“Mom, why so dressy?”

“We are going to our club for lunch, and after that we need to stop by Jack’s office to pick up the Gala tickets. We also need to go shoe shopping and have at least one other stop. The dress you wore this morning was nice, but I think this white wraparound top with the pencil skirt makes you standout.”

“That’s fine, but I really don’t want to stand out to much. I just happy blending in and not drawing much attention.”

“Lyla, you are just going to have to get used to it. You are too pretty a girl not to get noticed.”

My wish was not granted. We made our way to the Brentwood Dunes CC which was the center of Mrs. Johnson’s social network. I must have been introduced to over 20 of her friends. I was grateful that she simply referred to me as her niece. I don’t think I could have handled her telling people that I was her daughter’s fiancé. I was going to really have to chop off my hair and change my appearance if I ever met these people again. I didn't mind that Mrs. Johnson spoke so glowingly about me, because she seemed to be genuinely happy while she did it. My biggest concern was that these were her good friends and I was being introduced as Lyla and soon I might be meeting these same people as Lyle.

Mrs. Johnson only spoke of me in a very positive light. She told everyone that I was also a recent architectural graduate like Jessica. Other than the fact that I was Lyle, everything she said was true. She seemed almost proud to be showing me off. A few of her friends inquired if there was a special man in my life, which caught me off guard and not knowing how to respond. Again, Mrs. Johnson was truthful in telling them there wasn’t and that I was still single and focused on my career.

I spoke as few words as possible as I was still having difficulty sounding as feminine as I looked. When we were alone after the meal, she apologized to me for putting in such an awkward spot before I was prepared to sound more authentic.

“Luckily Mom, I think most of them just assumed I was shy. I’m trying to sound more girlish, but it’s not easy.”

“That’s why we are making our first post lunch stop to take care of your little tells.”

“Tells?”

“I said we need to stop you from popping out of your gaff. I think my friend may be able to help you with your voice too.”

“I haven’t had a problem since this morning. I think I can handle it.”

I am worried about you having that issue at the wrong time, like at the benefit. Wouldn’t that be terrible if you had the problem in your gorgeous new gown?”

“That’s true. So where are we going?”

“I will explain it in the car.”

We made our goodbyes to her friends and hopped back into her Mercedes as soon as the valet brought it around.

_______________________

End of Part 3. What more could be on the agenda?