So life quickly snapped back to its routines after our weekend adventure and easing back to ritual on the Monday local holiday. Tina returned to classes, Zoe returned to hermiting in her room and I got back to my two jobs and dual life...... Until Tina accosted me on my way out to work in the middle of the week.

“So.... in the car on the drive to my folks, you mentioned your friends and said I really had to meet them....”

I stopped dead in my tracks, recalling the moment of unguarded honesty. I just stared at her like a deer in headlights.

“So when are we going to do this?” she asked innocently. I wanted to read menace into her simple question, but her total lack of guile denied me that paranoid privilege.

“Thurs... um, tomorrow night?” I blurted. It was my usual get together night, and I just made Tina my plus one. It seemed like karma after her cousin's wedding.

“Can't wait!” she beamed and breezed out of the kitchen.

Damn. I had just reflexively invited Tina to meet my friends. I didn't really have many doubts they would all hit it off, but suddenly I was about to put that hunch to the test.

All day at work I obsessed about my stupid reflexive invitation..... I reminded myself that Tina had let me meet her circle of friends.... and that seemed to go rather well... they seemed to accept me.... even if they did get me blind drunk and encourage me to make a slutty spectacle of myself....

I tried to reassure myself that my friends would adore Tina. I had already gushed about her to them, so they would be quite open and accepting if ….when.... I dragged her along with me.

“Have you ever been to Sous-Vide?” I asked as she slid into my Kia.

Tina shook her head. “Never even heard of it.”

“It's kind of a ….niche.... establishment.” Then I thought about my obtuse statement and sighed “....it's basically a gay club.... mostly guys Tuesdays Fridays and Saturdays and lesbians mostly on Wednesdays Thursdays and Sundays... nothing official... that's just the ebb and flow we've observed.”

“We?” Tina raised an eyebrow.

I think I blushed a little. “My group. My gang.... My ….coven” I flashed her a wicked grin. “My friends from the club I mentioned who wanted to ….branch out.”

“And just WHO are these 'girlies' of yours?” Tina asked with a smile that betrayed her impatience.

“You'll meet them soon enough.” I grinned. “Let's save the introductions for then.”

Tina was impatient and bursting with curiosity, but I let her stew in her own anticipation, blithely driving us to the club. And the meeting.

When we got to Sous Vide all my apprehensions were instantly dispelled. I texted Heather that I was bringing the infamous Tina – who was legendary to my group of friends ...as they were to her. So by the time we arrived, they were all dying to meet the fabled roomie.

As we walked up to the table, I immediately took over the diplomatic duties.

“Tina. This is my band of.... my strand of....” Oh crap. “These are my closest friends.”

I got a group 'awwww' and quickly set about the introductions.

“Lindsay Parker.... internet gazillionaire” I beamed.

With a disarmingly awkward smile, Linds extended her hand. “Not gazillionaire, but I was in the right place at the right time and knew when to cash out. Now I'm just a woman of leisure.”

Tina raised her eyebrow. “If you were driven enough to create an acquisition-worthy startup, I can't see you resting on your laurels.”

Linds shot me a radiant smile. She instantly approved of Tina.

“You're right.” she grinned. “When I sold the business, I was Parker Lindsay. Suddenly I had the money to become.... who I should've been all along.... and now that I'm Lindsay Parker ….'Internet Gazillionaire'....” She made air quotes and shot me a wicked smirk “....I'm taking my time enjoying my life and deciding my next move.” she smiled to Tina... who nodded appreciatively.

“And this is Violet.” I beamed and she beamed back. “My very first friend at the club.”

“Well, you were just there by yourself and seemed so ...alone” she blurted.

My face flushed as I recalled the day and Violet's enthusiastic introduction and loving acceptance of the ….'newbie'.

“Violet is the sweetest person you'll ever meet!” I gushed as Violet blushed bright crimson.

Tina offered her hand hesitantly. My heart sank a bit at her less than enthusiastic response. Violet was.... well... Let's just say nature didn't gift her with the most … feminine ... of presentations. At her best, she looked like one of those old Soviet farmfraus... very stocky... with a Madeline Albright face and a Bea Arthur frame. Still, she was one of the most feminine spirits I've ever known... Her empathy and selflessness are unmatched in my experience.

While keeping Violet a complete secret from her ultra-conservative family, 'Carl' did everything possible to keep the extended family harmonious... which some would argue was a futile ambition.

When brother Ron was killed in Afghanistan, Carl took in his widow and their three kids and became a surrogate dad. No one knew the toll it took except for Violet's 'girlies'. We ached for the sacrifices Carl made to cobble together a family for one torn asunder.

Julie, his sister in law, and his nieces and nephew ...also god children.... were a bit bewildered by Carl's munificence. Yet it was obvious they were also thankful for the safe haven while they struggled to get their lives back together.

So, Violet took a back burner ….except for our Girls Nights Out.... and Carl toiled away at his HVAC business and saw to the well being of his ….her... sudden extended family.

I flinched at Tina's reaction to the jarringly unfeminine Violet. I only hoped she would quickly notice the feminine soul residing in this incongruous frame and accept and embrace her as wholeheartedly as the rest of us did.

I cringed when Tina extended a wary hand and a polite, diplomatic smile. “So, you're a crossdresser?” she asked, to the smirks and eyerolls of my friends.

Violet immediately replied with a solemn nod “All my life.”

My friends glanced at Tina then back to Violet, expectantly, suppressing their smiles.

After the requisite beat, Violet flashed Tina the warmest smile. “I've been dressing up like a boy for as long as I remember.”

Like a crowd at a tennis match, all eyes swiveled to Tina.

I think it took her less time than they were expecting before she broke into a warm grin and her eyes sparkled as she nodded. She got it. She suddenly saw Violet the way the rest of us did.

Violet turned to us with a melodramatic sigh. “Why do people always ask that?” She theatrically, threw the back of her hand to her forehead – to the collective chuckles of the table.

“No. The real question is why do you always give that answer?” Jeannie asked with mock exasperation.

“Because it's a great line.” Heather laughed.

Violet smiled and nodded.

“...and it's true...” Lindsay muttered quietly.

Our little group – Tina too - grew solemn... with nods and warm smiles toward Violet.

Tina was much more relaxed when I introduced her to Heather. I had a moment's hesitation during my introduction, because I realized that in her guy mode, Heather was a professor at Tina's school. Much to my relief, they didn't seem to know each other.

Unlike Violet, Heather was extremely feminine in appearance. In fact it had been noticed many times by many people that she bore an uncanny resemblance to the actress Patricia Heaton. While transitioning to full-time Heather mode would be dead-simple, she resisted it, saying the deck was already stacked against her as a middle-aged, unmarried, already underpaid academic, adding gender-bias to the mix would only make her daily existence more of a struggle, so she kept up the male facade at school and in all aspects of her life except for the time she spent with us.

She talked with Tina about school and seemed to recognize some of the professors Tina dished about, but gave nothing away.... simply nodding with a knowing grin. The gleam in her eye when she glanced at me reassured me that Heather wholly approved of my previous buildup of Tina when she was merely folklore through my stories to my friends. Even if Tina didn't realize it, I knew she now had a guardian angel at her school, where Heather would quietly work behind the scenes to 'protect the unicorn'.

Just returning from the dance floor with a girl I didn't know was Jeannie – my oldest friend in the group. Even though I introduced her to the group. She was a classmate of mine at school and seemed unaware of the crossdresser club where the rest of us met. She was already fully transitioned and attending class as Jeannie. For reasons that I never questioned, she once cornered me – in Tom mode – and quietly whispered “don't take this the wrong way, but we are studying sketching the human form..... and I must say.... I... I've been kind of glancing ….okay... studying... you... and I think you would make an absolutely stunning woman.”

My reaction was NOT what she was probably expecting.

“Tell me about it!” I laughed. And then, gauging her reaction, I whispered “Actually, I DO.”

Now, her reaction was not what I expected. She lit up. “Really? Oh my God. I'd LOVE to see! Um, I mean..... do you ever.... is there any chance I could meet....”

“Chloe.” I smiled. She nodded. The name fit. I somehow got great satisfaction at her approval of the name without ever meeting the girl.

“Hey, I work at Yvonne's over on Court after school and on weekends.... Any chance Chloe could....?”

I smiled and nodded. “I'm due for a trim.” I said as I tugged at the ponytail tucked into my button down. Jeannie smiled. She noticed instantly that I already knew of Yvonne's salon. “Any openings Saturday?” I smiled.

She frowned. “Probably not. That's the crazy day. I'm working tonight and Friday after classes.... three to eight.” she scowled.

“Any openings tonight?” I asked with a smile. She startled.

“”Seriously? Tonight? That's not much time to,,,,”

“I don't need much time.” I cut her off with a smile. “7-ish?”

She hesitated. “Um. Probably fine. I won't know until....”

“I could text you to confirm.” I offered and held out my phone. She took it and dialed her own phone.

“OK. Oh God.... so tonight.... ….Chloe....” she stammered, suddenly this whole conversation hit her.

When I got to Yvonne's I was confronted by a locked door and a decal that listed their hours as ending at 6PM. In my confusion I texted Jeannie a pic of the decal captioned “WTF?”

She instantly texted back “Sorry. Forgot to mention. Around back.” with a smile emoji.

I found my way around to the parking lot behind the retail block and counted the doors until I thought I'd located the back door of Yvonne's. Which was unmarked – and also locked. I scowled until I noticed the button subtly marked “after hours” in sharpie marker. I pressed it, my patience quickly evaporating.

A middle aged woman glared at me through the still closed door.

“Yes?” she asked impatiently.

“I ...uh.... came for a trim?” I was getting increasingly sure I'd gotten things terribly mixed up.

“Hours are 9 to 6 weekdays and posted on the front door. This is the delivery entrance.” she stated with barely contained contempt.

I furrowed my brow. “But Jeannie Pirro said 7PM. And she just texted me when I mistakenly went to the front door!” I nearly whined, my confusion snowballing. I held up my phone to the door. The woman coldly stared at it. Then her gaze rose to me. She scanned me like a laser.... a scowl still on her face. Finally I think curiosity trumped suspicion and she unlocked and opened the door.

“Jeannie told you seven?” the woman asked skeptically, walking me to the front reception area and opening an appointment book.

I nodded mutely. She was facing away and probably didn't even catch it. It didn't seem to matter anyway.

“....I could come back if there's been some mistake.... I don't want to keep....”

“Your name miss?” She cut me off, staring at the book.

“Saville. Uh.... Chloe Saville.” I blurted feeling like the worst James Bond ever.

She peered at the book. Then at me. With a raised eyebrow she said “this way please.”

We walked back into the salon. There were a few stations busy with customers, so they weren't actually closed. I breathed a sigh of relief. Then I noticed that all the customers were guys.

“Jeannie?” The woman called out. Jeannie appeared from nowhere and shot the woman a curious look. She glanced at me, furrowed her brow and looked back to the woman.

“I believe your seven o'clock is here?” The woman said with a mixture of haughtiness and curiosity.

Jeannie scowled and stared at me. I flashed a meek smile and a finger wave. “If this is a bad time I can....”

“Holy SHIT!” Jeannie exclaimed, turning every head in the place. She instantly blushed. “Holy shit!” she now whispered quietly to the woman and me.

“Thanks Yvonne. Yeah.... this is …. my..... this is Chloe.... yeah.....” she fumbled. “Thanks.”

The woman raised a skeptical eyebrow that said 'this is SO not over' but only said quietly “Very well.” and turned to go, giving me one last glance that seemed like a scan from a spy satellite.... somehow I knew the raw data would be processed and chewed until it resolved into some sense.

Jeannie took my hand and stared me up and down. “Holy shit.” she muttered.

“Deja vu.” I muttered back. “I think that's, like, the third time you said that. Got anything else?” I grinned.

She swallowed hard and stared at me. “And I just said I think you might make....”

“....way ahead of you....” I grinned. “So now you know. This will be our little secret?” I asked sternly.

Jeannie instantly nodded. “Oh god. Of course.... I would never.... especially since you could....”

“Spill that you work at a salon that caters to crossdressers after hours? Puh-leeze!” I said dismissively.

Jeannie looked at me sheepishly. “Spill that I'm not only the president, I'm also a client?” she grinned, echoing that old Sy Sperling Hairclub ad all over late night TV that all us misfits saw as kids.

I gave her a lost look. She grinned and squeezed my hand.

“I didn't transition until I left home and went to school. The school was cool with it, but my folks.... not so much.... suddenly my college fund was withdrawn and I had to scramble to stay in school.... my counselor and I had a heated discussion when I thought I would have to drop out.... she suggested I contact Yvonne and said she would put in a good word. Yada yada yada.... here I am.... still in school ….and telling YOU that as a student of the female form.....” she grinned.

I grinned back. “You're my new hero. I still haven't figured how to show the world....”

“Jesus, girl. You're amazing! What the hell's stopping you?”

I wilted. “So many complications. School. ID. My roomates.... My parents!” I sagged. “....I'm just not ….there... yet. I've made my peace with my true self.... but convincing all those I've lied to – or at least upheld their self-deceptions my entire life.....” I said with the deep ambivalence that I never actually lied to anyone.... simply danced around the truth, awkwardly phrasing things so that they could believe their misguided notions while I technically never lied to them.... I just euphemistically supported their misguided notions.

Jeannie shook her head. “Girl, you're crazy. It's so CLEAR......” she bit her tongue, obviously worried that she'd gone too far.

“God, I wish I had an atom of your confidence.” I sighed.

“I can't for the life of me understand why you don't.” she muttered. “Maybe an awesome hairstyle will help!” she grinned, leading me to a chair.

“Just make sure it's something I can comb back and tuck down my shirt for school tomorrow,” I whined.

“Buzzkill.” she muttered. Then sighed. “....Fine...” with a mock pout.

Jeannie was as good as her word and we became fast friends at school. I finally told her about the crossdressers club I belonged to but she already knew of it from her – after hours clients. She had no interest. After our little sub-group split off to the Sous Vide regulars, I was able to talk Jeannie into visiting us and everyone instantly hit it off. So she's my oldest friend yet one of the newest members of our little coven.

Now, her friend I don't know.” I addressed Tina but smiled at Jeannie and the new girl.

She smirked and offered her hand “JoAnn.... Tavares....”

I leaned in to shake and she nearly twisted my arm off. Noticing my wince, she eased up with a sheepish grin.

“Sorry.” she smiled.

“I should have warned you. JoAnn plays a little rough.” Jeannie smirked.

“A little rough?” Violet laughed. “She nearly snapped my wrist off when we first met!”

“I.... arm wrestle....” JoAnn smiled.

“Guys.... in bars.... ” Heather laughed. “For MONEY.”

JoAnn just shrugged. But there was a hint of a gloat there. “Girl's gotta eat.” she smiled.

“You are such a hustler....” Heather grinned.

JoAnn shrugged it off. “I'm just a mythbuster. I help guys get over their macho delusions.” she smiled.

“So she hustles strangers in bars... arm wrestling, darts, pool” Heather laughed counting off on her fingers.

“Hey. I'm not a mercenary. I'm just naturally athletic.... and good at what I do. I can't help it if guys egos insist on putting money on the line.” Her smile was evil. “Anyway, it's not all about the money.” she weakly protested. “I skate and god knows there's no money in that. That I do for the love of it.”

Jeannie laughed. “Yeah, the love of the speed and the clobbering.” she cocked a thumb at JoAnn. “We're not talking Michelle Kwan here.... grace on the ice..... JoAnn does derby.”

Tina grinned, but I just stared blankly.

“Roller Derby? Mayhem on wheels?” Jeannie grinned.

I nodded. I'd seem some vids on social media.

“No. May Hem retired.” JoAnn corrected.

“No!” Jeannie laughed “I meant mayhem... chaos... like a barfight on a racetrack.”

JoAnn nodded with a grin. “I like that description. I'm stealing it.”

“But JoAnn doesn't play competitively.... she's management.” Jeannie leered.

JoAnn shrugged it off. “Yeah, actually playing on a team would cause a shit-storm.... so I coach and practice with the teams.”

“More than one?” I was confused.

“Yeah. There's Hells Belles.... my girls.... Perp Squad, Rolling Plunder, Whiplasses, Debu-taunts and Brawl-busters.” JoAnn grinned. “....badass bitches all....”

Tina shot me a smirk. I knew she instantly took to JoAnn..... much like she instantly took to Zoe. I wasn't so sure, but I trusted Tina's judgment, so I gave Tina – and JoAnn – the benefit of the doubt.

Everyone seemed to hit it off. JoAnn really wanted to get back to the dance floor, but Jeannie wanted to hear all about my Greenville weekend. Tina was determined to get her version of the story told too, so she took a raincheck when JoAnn tried to drag her to the dancefloor. So finally she badgered Violet into going with her, and while they danced, Tina and I danced around our weekend adventure.

Tina was amazingly discreet when discussing our 'girls night out' with her friends. She only mentioned the kidnapping and makeover, pulling out her phone and showing them a picture of me on the dancefloor, in the hooker-from-the-future dress, doing the batusi.... to my surprise and mortification.

“Oh my GOD!” Jeannie squealed at me. “Who ARE you? Why have we never met?” she teased.

I held up my hands “That is so NOT me.....” I cocked a thumb at Tina “This one and her friends decided to make me their Barbie.”

Tina held up a finger “our slutty Barbie” she grinned wickedly. Then she got serious and turned to my friends “My dad handed me his credit card and told me to treat myself. He didn't say how....” she smirked. “So my friends and I decided to go clubbing, and since we kind of kidnapped this one...” she shot me a smile “daddy helped me get her ….presentable.”

“Can I be your friend?” Jeannie teased.

“Sure.” Tina smiled. “But we're not the same size, so you won't be breaking in items destined for my closet.”

“Who's the hunk?” Heather turned from the phone screen with a raised eyebrow.

“Haha... some banker bro....” Tina started to say.

“He's, um, an asset manager actually.”

“Maybe I could get him to keep an eye on MY assets” Linds leered.

I slapped her playfully on the forearm and was met with a wide grin.

“They were just some finance guys who seemed to frequent the place.” I tried to dismiss.

“Scanning the market for hot prospects.” Tina laughed.

“So, you and this finance guy....” Jeannie leaned in expectantly.

“God guys. It was just dancing! ….OK, and we talked a little....”

“Did you get his number?” Heather smiled.

“Look. It was just bumping into some suits in a club. A little dancing.... and it's 2 states away!” I protested. Still my beet red complexion outed me to my friends.

“She SO did!” Jeannie beamed at Linds. Who smiled and nodded with the same Cheshire cat grin as Heather.

I needed to change the subject.... and fast.

“We weren't there for very long.... it was just our first stop....” I stopped cold when I realized where my story was headed. Tina rescued me.

“Then my slutty friends dragged us out to an all-male review.”

All jaws dropped as I could sense my friends' eyes all lock on me. As I felt my face begin to burn, Tina again rescued me.

“They knew a guy I crushed on in high school worked there ….as a dancer.... and they wanted me to see what I had missed.” she grinned laconically.

Suddenly all attention was off me. Tina just took a bullet for me and I could not express my relief.

Of course the chamber wasn't entirely empty.

Linds laughed. When the others turned to her quizically, she just said “I'm trying to imagine our little girl scout at a Chippendales!”

I felt the crimson return.

“Oh, she was fine” Tina waved a hand. “We got a few drinks in her and she relaxed.”

“YOU drank?” Heather laughed.

“I drink.” I protested.

“Yeah... maybe a Franzia with a full glass of water chaser.... or that soda dressed up to look like a real drink.” she smiled.

“It's not fooling anybody.” Linds smiled. “Rumour's going around that you're secretly Mormon or something.” Her grin was wicked. She turned to Tina. “So what was she drinking?”

Tina looked my friends in the eyes and flatly replied “Fireballs.”

Lindsay slapped her palm on the table, Jeannie let out a reflexive whoop and Heather just slapped both hands to her mouth to hide her exuberant reaction.

“My friend ordered them for the table and kept them coming.” Tina said in a matter of fact way. “It's what she does.”

“Ohmigod. I would pay to see this one even slightly lit!” Linds laughed, her smiling eyes riveted on me.

“How many did you have?” Jeanie grinned.

I shrugged.

“You don't know or you don't remember?” Heather smirked.

I shrugged again, my face burning from my obvious permablush.

“Six or seven. I think seven.” Tina smiled. “So don't ask her how the show was. She doesn't remember. But the rest of us do. And aside from my friends humiliating me – and the dancer who recognized me and knew I recognized him..... everyone else seemed to have a good time.”

“I'll bet.” Linds snerked. Jeannie gave her a light elbow jab and her smirk faded to a polite smile.

“So how was the rest of your weekend?” Heather threw me a lifeline to change the subject a bit.

“Good.” I reflexively replied, trying to figure out what to tell and how much from Tina's cousin's wedding.

“Chloe met some of my family, then we kidnapped my Mom and made a day of it.” Tina smiled.

“Her mom's the best.” I said absent mindedly. “Actually her whole family's cool.”

“Especially her DAD.” Jeannie said in a no-duh inflection.

I shot her a puzzled look. She just stared at me as if whatever was going through her mind was obvious to the world. She turned to Tina.

“He gave you his Black Amex and told you to indulge yourself?”

Tina laughed. “First. It wasn't a Black Amex. Second, he didn't say indulge... he said treat.... he knows that I know what that means. My dad's not loaded.”

“Not loaded. Just a modest house in a quiet neighborhood. Just a working stiff like everyone else.” I said to back up Tina. “Good guy.” I nodded. Tina shot me a grin.

“You didn't think so when you first met him!” she laughed.

“Well, he thought I was ZOE for crying out loud.” I defended. Then I turned to my friends “He apparently didn't know Tina had TWO housemates and thought I was our other roomie.”

“He does corporate security consulting and stuff.” Tina explained. “Apparently he did a background check on Zoe and didn't like what he found.” Tina shrugged.

“So he spanish inquisitioned me until he realized I was not the droid he was looking for.”

“You need to get out more.” Linds laughed.

“Have you Googled Zoe?” Jeannie asked. Tina and I both nodded.

“Nothing to see. High school yearbook picture. Some stuff from when she went to Arts.”

“She went to arts?” Jeannie blurted. I nodded.

“A few years before us. I think she dropped out. There's really not a lot about her online.” I shrugged.

Lindsay tilted her chin down and looked me straight in the eyes. “Sometimes what you can't find says more than what you can find.”

I shrugged. “Meaning?”

“Maybe this housemate of yours has another life. A secret life. Lurking in the shadowy corners of the darknet....” She gave me an ominous look.

“Bwah ha ha!” Heather exclaimed rubbing her hands together like a supervillian.

Linds couldn't keep up the ominous pretense. It collapsed with a snort and a honked laugh.

Still, Tina and I exchanged glances. Zoe WAS a giant box of mystery.

“Well.... she's hardly ever home.... and when she is, she hermits in her room....” I muttered.

“Yeah. She is SUPER private.” Tina added. “I see more of her at work than I ever do at home....” she sounded like she was thinking out loud. “And there was all those cases of stuff we had to get back from her exe's” she stared at me.

“So she's making bioweapons? Suitcase nukes?” Heather laughed.

Tina and I both shook our heads.

“Girl doesn't vibe terrorist. Or even bunny-boiling stalker.” I dismissed.

Tina nodded her agreement to my friends, then she turned to me as she addressed them “....still..... she does seem to have an awful lot of secrets.”

Linds reached out and took my wrists with a grin. “Now that we've met the unicorn....” she smiled to Tina “...we definitely HAVE to meet the Gorgon.”