The Womanless Beauty Pageant — Part 12 of 11

The only thing worse than being pressured into participating in a womanless beauty pageant, is to finish in last place. The ramifications of that experience turned out to be life changing, for Miss Bobby.

As Co-authors, Monica and I have a couple of very special ladies to thank, both are icons in the TG community.

The first is Vickie Tern. Without her encouragement and inspiration this story would never have been written.
The second is our muse, Kelly Ann Rogers; we failed to follow her advice on several occasions — always to our peril I'm afraid; but her midcourse corrections were vital to the story's completion.

As the authors we hope you enjoy reading this bit of fun.
If anyone wishes to build off our FFL cub theme; you have our permission and encouragement.

We also want to extend our apologies to our readers. The ending of chapter 11 left many readers unhappy, so this chapter is intended to resolve the character situations we left as ambiguous in chapter 11.

Marina Joy and Monica Rose

* * * * *

The weeks after the pageant had not been kind to Sue. She knew she needed to stay away from Candy, but because Candy had taken up so much of her time over the past year, she had few friends. People who knew her from the club were cordial, but not welcoming. She ate many dinners alone and crawled under her covers at night with nothing to hold onto but a pillow and memories of lost love.

At work, she had been shunted aside. Despite the big contract from the Sanchez brothers, leadership had decided that she didn’t have the people skills to continue to rise in the company. She had a choice to make; leave and try again somewhere else, or stay and just earn her salary in the face of the knowledge that she had failed. The only fast track she was on now was the one to nowhere. In a performance review session, her boss had suggested that she explore some therapy. It could very well help her with her personal skills.

Finally, Sue couldn't take the loneliness any longer: she had to see Bob. Not knowing how to contact him now, she had resorted to calling Erika and Alex. She was able to reach Alex who was leaving for the club. Alex told her that Bob had two shows that night and that she was on her way to the club. She explained to Sue that she had a table reserved near the stage that she and Erika used as a base of operations.

* * * * *

The club was noisy with countless conversations going on, each trying to top the other. The recorded music contributed to the racket, intended to at least garble what people were saying. The result was a deafening drone that was punctuated with the occasional loud laugh or a shouted snippet of speech.

It was good that she had elected to come a bit early to talk to Bob; the place looked like it was going to be packed. She hadn't really believed Candy when she had described Bob's popularity, but she hadn't exaggerated. It looked like they might have to actually stop letting customers into the place if this kept up. She stood on her tippy toes at the top steps of the entry into the club proper, looking out over the lower area where the tables and bar were set up.

She was glad that the local ordinances prohibited smoking now as she would not have been able to see much in the lower lighting. She had never been here before and she could imagine that it could be quite dim when they lowered the house lights for the performers. Knowing that Alex and Erika had a table down front, she scanned the area until she saw the two women sitting at a small table off to one side.

She worked her way over to where they were seated and came up between them. Politely touching them each on the shoulder, she stood back while they turned to look at her. The smiles that greeted her were not cold, but they were less than the welcoming expression she had anticipated.

"Hello, Susan. How are you?" Erika asked her. Neither woman made any move to invite her to sit down, just as she had expected, Sue stood there disconcerted by their reception.

"I'm okay," she answered. Considering how they were behaving, she didn't think that they were really too interested in the dullness her life seemed to have taken.

"Actually that's a lie. I'm miserable. I didn't know how to contact Bob because he had moved out of his apartment. Candy told me that he was dancing here and that you saw him quite a bit." This was the only way she could say it as she didn't want to admit that she knew that Bob was essentially living with them both.

Erika nodded as Alex spoke up and said, "Yes, the Bubbles show is due to start in about half an hour."

"I came to see Bob. I wanted to talk to him about things." Sue shuffled her feet a bit becoming a bit uncomfortable with the almost stony look that Erika was giving her.

Erika spoke up, "I just left him in the dressing room. He's getting ready to go on."

"Do you think that I could talk to him? Please it's a matter of life and death." she asked hopefully.

Erika sneered disbelievingly, "If it's that important I'll go back and check." She left the table to go backstage.

By now, Sue was definitely uncomfortable. Alex and Erika had been Bob's staunchest supporters over the last year, even in the face of the homosexual video that had appeared on-line. The video itself had been deleted soon after it had appeared, but the damage had been done. Obviously, these ladies didn't care about what Bob was shown to be doing and Sue wondered about that. The fact that Alex had not invited her to join them communicated to her that there was a definite division between how she had seen Bob's actions and how they felt about them.

It was only a few minutes later that Erika came back to the table.

"He said that he was expecting the divorce papers to be delivered by a messenger or your lawyers, but he wasn't too surprised that you would want to hand them to him personally." Erika was a bit stiff, but her delivery wasn't snide or sarcastic.

"I don't have any papers. I wanted to tell him that I've forgiven him and that he can come home now."

Both Alex and Erika blinked at her, a non-plussed expression on their faces. In their surprised state, either of the women could probably have been pushed over with a finger. Alex stifled a laugh. Finally, Erika broke the spell and said, "You've forgiven him. That's nice. The bigger question is has he forgiven you?"

The conversation was not going the way Sue had anticipated, and she was confused. She had expected that they would be happy that she was welcoming Bob back. She would still have to work out with him in what capacity he would be returning to her, but she knew that she needed him to come back.

Sue was confused; in her mind she hadn't done anything that needed forgiving. "What's wrong? I would have thought that you would be happy that I was letting Bob come home."

Erika took her seat again, more than a bit annoyed at Sue's continued cluelessness and self-centered attitude.

"Sue," she started, but she had to stop to gather her thoughts.

"You threw Bob out of your life months ago and haven't tried to contact him once in all that time. You took out a restraining order so that he couldn't talk to you. What makes you think that he wants to go back to you? You shouldn't even be here right now because of that order."

Now it was Sue's turn to look surprised. It had never even crossed her mind that Bob would do anything other than come back to her. The very thought of his refusal was foreign to her and she stood there as the concept sank in. Her daughter had been violently taken from her, and then the possibility that her husband might reject her scared her to her core. Her hands began to shake as her eyes filled with tears at thought of being completely alone in life and that the final fault would be hers.

Both Erika and Alex could see that Sue was finally coming to understand what she had wrought. They really did want both of their friends to be happy, even though Sue's actions over the past months year or so made it very difficult to like her. Both of them had been through nasty breakups and they had seen the signs of a relationship that was doomed to failure.

Bob and Sue's relationship had none of the tell-tale signs until the first beauty pageant. Yes, Sue had been apathetic much of the time towards Bob and had given him every reason to walk away from his marriage. More than one conversation at the club had centered on why Bob continued with the treatment that Sue's anti-male advisors had orchestrated for him. He was either a complete idiot to not see the truth of things or he loved Sue too much for his own good. None of the women knew their history, but it sure seemed like he could have left early on in the whole trial and survived without a problem. It was obvious now, after Sue had refused to accept him back that he was already successful in the work he had done for Dave.

If he wanted, Bob could probably set himself up as a free-lance IT guru and be successful at that too. Just his reputation at the club would bring him more work than he could easily handle. Almost every woman at the club would throw work his way. He had become a real favorite around the club sort of a FFL club mascot. Now, that Bob had found that he enjoyed his feminine side. It was obvious he loved his brief respites as an erotic dancer. He had told them both on multiple occasions that swinging himself around the stripper pole in front of hundreds of people was an incredible thrill.

Erika finally got up and ushered Sue into a seat at the table. Sue moved without any resistance as she dropped into the chair and then held her head in her hands as she cried. Alex and Erika were on either side of her, but made no move to console her. They both understood that what was Sue needed now was to get through this and to finally decide what was important in her life. Was she going to resolve to cut Bob out of her life once and for all, or was she going to realize that things were not always Bob's fault?

When Sue's sobs had subsided to sniffles and she had used up all of the napkins they had on the table, Erika decided that it was time to start in on her.

"What are you really crying about?" she asked.

"I just thought that he would want to come back to me. I never considered that he doesn't love me anymore." She started to cloud up again as Alex pulled Sue's hand away from her face and looked her in the eyes.

Using the voice normally reserved for children or very dull people, she spoke as if she was addressing a headstrong, intractable teenager.

"Sue, you might be brilliant at dealing with money and managing finances, but you are a complete and utter idiot when it comes to people. How can you expect Bob to love you after the way you treated him over the last year?"

She sat back and watched the realization set in on Sue’s face. She was finally coming to understand that she had driven him away, and that there was no reason for him to come back. She flashed on memories of her haughty treatment of him, her dismissiveness, and her lack of support when he needed it. And being total honest with herself she was so caught up in her needs and wants, she totally disregard his feelings.

As she was wallowing in these memories, Alex’s voice broke through to her awareness. “And, after all of that, I know that he still has strong feelings for you. The problem is that he finally wised up and buried his feelings for you. You are going to have to work very hard if you want to have any chance to win your own husband back."

Erika saw the look on Sue's face and added, "He might even still love you. I don't know, he's never said."

Alex's few words fell like a lash across Sue's raw psyche. In her desire to do well at work and to be accepted by the ladies of the FFL, she had blindly followed their hateful advice. At first, she had had her doubts, but it had gotten easier as time went on to just listen to what they had to say. It was no wonder that she had driven her husband away and been demoted at her job. Even though she liked what Bob had become, she had to be honest and admit that she had been instrumental in driving him away.

She looked at both Erika and Alex. "What can I do? Bob doesn't even want to see me now. I listened to Candy too much…" The realization that she might have destroyed her marriage made her want to cry again.

Alex smiled and it was not a very friendly smile. "Sue, do you actually know what Candy did to your husband?"

"Did to him? What do you mean?"

Alex shook her head, but Erika cut in. "She set him up. She set him so that Roberto could force him into that blowjob. Not only that, the video you saw was cropped. The real one shows Roberto holding a knife as he forced Bob down onto his dick. I have a disk with the raw video."

Sue gasped. She didn’t want to believe it, but she had to. What had she done? Was it possible she was responsible for her husband being sexually assaulted? No, that couldn't be true! How could she live with the thought she was the one who set up her own husband to be raped! All the life went out of her face and her heart ached at how she had treated him. It was all her fault. And for what? A contract that would benefit her career, but meant nothing to Bob.

Erika gently lifted Sue's chin and looked into her eyes. "We just told you that Bob still harbors a kernel of love for you. He just doesn't believe that you love him anymore. Think about it. You threw him out of the house without listening to why he acted the way he did at the first pageant, you forced him into a female persona, although he has come to embrace it, you left him alone for weeks and months, you slept around on him, and you openly flirted with another man in front of him. What the hell is he supposed to think!

"If you want him back, you might be able to get him. But it won't be a slam dunk! Do you recall how hard he had to work to win you over before you even went on your first date?" At Sue's nod, she continued, "Think about that and start to multiply. You are going to have to work hard to woo your own husband back!"

As Erika finished speaking, the house lights flashed to indicate that the show would be starting soon. The sound level began to drop as everyone started looking at the stage in anticipation. Before the lights dropped for the final time, Erika and Alex left the table to position themselves at the ends of the stage. Their tour of duty as backup bouncers was beginning. Because Bubbles had become such a hit, she and Erika had decided to act as informal bouncers to keep some of the more enthusiastic guests from joining Bubbles on the stage.

Sue sat the table by herself, numb, but no longer crying. In almost no time, she found herself alternating between squirming in her seat or jumping up and down at the antics Bubbles displayed on stage. Sue found herself becoming very turned on as she watched an apparently well-endowed woman slowly strip down to nothing but her brief thong.

It was obvious that Bob was comfortable on stage as he made love to the pole and to the audience. If there were an Olympic event for pole dancing, Bubbles would have medaled. 'She' spun around the pole one-handed, two-handed, and with one knee. As his clothes slowly came off, his act played upon the exposed skin. At one point, he made love to the pole with his breasts. Sue could see that they were beautiful globes even if they weren't all natural. She had no doubt that more than a few men in the audience wished that they were the pole.

For the finale, Bubbles executed a move that had become a trademark. He climbed to the top of the pole and slid down, holding on with just his knees as his body was stretched perpendicular to the stage and his breasts dangled down below him. He had sprinkled them with sparkly makeup and they flashed in the spotlights.

Sue was on her feet cheering herself hoarse. If Sue didn't already know it, she would not have guessed that Bubbles Turner, the stripper, was really Bob Turner, her husband.

Sue could see why Alex and Erika had appointed themselves as Bob's guardians as a college co-ed tried to rush the stage only to be caught and tossed back into the audience. Then, an obviously drunk young man tried to reach Bob. This time, Erika slowed him down with a well-placed knee to the groin, so that the official bouncers could grab/carry him and take him back to a table to be watched. He wouldn't be allowed to leave until a non-drinking companion claimed him or he was put into a cab.

Sue listened to the crowd around her and how they were all taken with her husband's performance. They all wished that they could meet Bubbles and take her home or go on a date with her. Sue smiled as she thought that none of them would get to do that. Bob was still her husband; she just had to prove to him that she was still his wife. Like the ladies had told her, she was going to have to win him back and fight her way back into his heart.

A woman had pushed her way next to Sue with a hand full of cash in her mitts, she turned to Sue and commented, "They say Bubbles is really a man, I would have to see it to believe it."

Sue indignantly replied, "Lady, trust me he is all man."

"Yeah, miss smarty pants how would you know that?"

"Because Bubbles is my husband."

"No way!"

"Yes, it's true; now excuse me I need to be next to the stage to congratulate him on his performance."

But when Bubbles left the stage without ever catching her eye, Sue was devastated. Then hope returned when he appeared a few minutes later, barely dressed but surrounded by adoring fans, Sue’s resolve began to waver. She didn’t know if she could win him back. She didn’t know if she had the strength to face him after what she had put him through. She didn’t even know if he would talk to her.

As she gazed at him forlornly, he finally glanced in her direction. As their eyes met, she saw him smile at her slightly and he nodded to her. He held her gaze for a long moment before someone stepped between them and Sue lost sight of him. By the time she could see him again, he was engaged in a conversation with one of his admirers.

'He smiled at me,' Sue thought to herself. 'He does still love me. I could see it. Maybe there is hope. Maybe there is.'

Emboldened by Bob's brief acknowledgment of her, she worked her way across the dance floor to him. Alex and Erika were working as a team to keep the crowd from knocking Bubbles down, asking for autographs, so she waited for the mob to thin out. Finally, the two women stepped away to give Bob and Sue a semblance of privacy and she stepped confidently up to her husband.

As the image of the woman he was trying to project, he was beautiful. He had taken the time to fix his hair and makeup before coming back out on the floor. His hair fell in waves and curls to just below his shoulders; she hadn't noticed that it gave him any problems when he had been dancing. His makeup was immaculate, but a bit overstated. Again, he had looked great while he was dancing under the bright lights. She assumed that Bob needed to over apply his makeup for performances.

He wasn't wearing much other than a thin cotton robe that did little to hide the fact that he had not put a bra or blouse back on. All he had on below was a sparkly silver thong and black heels that glinted in the light. She reflected that he had come a long way from his first performance over a year ago at the club. Where he had been intentionally oafish and offensive, Bob now gave off the aura of feminine elegance and refinement that one might associate with a celebrity.

As she was the only one in front of him, Bob could not just pretend that she was not there. He looked at her for a moment, the slight smile playing across his face again. It appeared that he might be nervous and not know what to say to her.

When he did speak, it was to say, "Ms. Turner. It's nice to see you. However, as this is my place of employment, it's a violation of your restraining order for you to come here."

His voice was level, with no anger or animosity. There also was no real warmth in it. He spoke to only acknowledge her presence and to convey information. Where there used to be a tone of pleading and an eagerness to please, Bob now conveyed a confidence in himself that said he knew what he was doing and that he was in control of things. None of this was lost on Sue. It almost felt like he was indifferent to her presence, but she didn't believe that.

Sue tried to smile disarmingly as she said, "Oh...I had the order lifted."

Bob just looked at her. He could not believe that she had requested a court order to prevent him from approaching or communicating with her. Now, she had it removed without letting him know that she was doing so.

"That's nice, Susan. When were you thinking of telling me about this happy turn of events?" His sarcasm was a bit thick.

Bob's manner was totally different from before his performance at the pageant. Then, he had been tentative and eager-to-please with Sue and his attitude now said that he didn't give a damn about what she thought or felt about him.

Sue's weekly sessions with her therapist had helped her understand Bob's feelings though. She hadn't necessarily treated him as well as he might hope for. It meant that she would have to try harder is all. She plowed ahead with her mission and said, "I'm not sure what to call you right now. Is it Bubbles, Bob, or Bobbi?"

She instantly knew that this was the wrong thing to say as Bob almost physically recoiled and his expression became impassive. There was no anger or joy displayed; just an emotionless mask seemed to appear.

"Bubbles is my stage name, you gave it to me. But I hardly look like a Bob anymore, so I had my name officially changed to Roberta James Turner. Bobbi for short. I may look like a woman and I really enjoy my time as Bubbles, but I've very comfortable when I'm Bob, the man. Did you bring the divorce papers or should I stop around at your lawyer's offices?"

Sue's smile faded as she said, "I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to be sarcastic." She clenched her hands together nervously and said, "I came to tell you that I missed you and that I forgave you for what you did."

She didn't have time to continue before Bob laughed sharply. "Forgive me? You're going to forgive me for being raped? Next you'll be saying that I was asking for it!"

Sue stepped forward to touch his arm and said, "Please Bob! I just wanted to tell you that you could come home."

Bob just looked at her and thought that it was the same old Sue. She was forgiving him for something that he wasn't responsible for but that she still blamed him for. As much as he wanted to hold her again and to be held, he couldn't let her have a chance to hurt him again.

"Why Susan? So that you can boss me around some more? Make me feel like less of a man than I already am? Do you have the maid's quarters fixed up for me and a closet full of uniforms all ready for me to wear? Or do I just need to report in the morning and leave in the evening? You told me that I couldn't come back as your husband!"

Bob was working hard to keep his voice from getting loud and out of control. His expression conveyed the pain and outrage that he felt. Sue wasn't saying that she knew that he wasn't at fault and she wasn't apologizing for anything. It was a repeat of the same treatment. Like always Sue said what she thought someone wanted to hear so that she could get her way.

Bob's outburst took Sue by surprise. This was a side of her husband that she had never seen before and she wasn't sure how she felt about it. He had always put her happiness and desires first in their marriage and he was telling her that wasn't the case now. She wasn't sure how she felt about this new aspect of him.

"It's nothing like that Bob. We have to work out things yet, but you can come home."

"You're saying that I wouldn't be your husband? I guess that would make sense. You haven't treated me like your husband in the past year anyway. I'm sorry Susan; I told you before that I can't trust you. You admitted to my face that you were sleeping around while you had me thrown out of your house. For all I know, you slept with Candy on your trip to Tahiti!"

The expression on her face told him all he needed to know. His wife who had claimed to love him for the last year had apparently spread her legs for everyone except him. How could she say that she wanted him back? She obviously did not need him as her spouse.

The frozen expression on Bob's face told Sue volumes. This was not going the way she had expected. Bob was supposed to have said 'Yes, I'll come back to you. Thank you.' Instead, he was telling her that he wasn't coming back and, even worse, that there was no chance that he would ever come back to her. What had happened? Was she really that much in the wrong? She was just having fun. She decided to try doing some damage control to smooth over Bob's ruffled feathers.

"Bob, I'm sorry. I know that I've been a bit insensitive and maybe even cruel lately, but I didn't mean to be. I've been so worried about doing well at work and trying to make the initiation committee at the club happy that I might have let myself forget about you."

"Sue, I should have been the first one on your list, not the last." Bob's tone was sad, but it changed as his resolve seemed to firm. "I tried to tell you why things happened at the first pageant and that Candy was trying to cause problems for us. But you wouldn't listen. When you saw that video, you believed the worst right away. You never gave me the benefit of the doubt and you never asked me to explain.

"Sue, I love you and I'll always be faithful to you as long as we are married, but I can't be near you right now. I'm sorry." There were tears in Bob's eyes as he turned away from her. Before he could leave, she stepped forward to grab his arm.

"Please Bob...We need to talk.'

Bob turned back to her and jerked his arm away. As he did so, Helga stepped in to take Sue by the elbow and guide her away from a confrontation. Before they went far though, Sue pulled away and rushed back to Bob and grabbed his hand.

Before she could say anything, he again pulled away from her. He looked at her impassively and said, "Sue, you need to leave. If you come back again, I'll have you arrested for harassment and trespassing." He turned away and walked back to his sanctum sanctorum his dressing room the place he was most comfortable in, his derriere swaying enticingly.

Sue stood alone on the dance floor, watching Bob walk away from her. There was an empty feeling in her gut and her chest felt like her heart actually hurt like it was breaking into pieces. It was a minute or so before she realized that she was crying too.

"But Bob...I wanted another chance," she whispered to his back as he disappeared behind the curtain.

Erika went looking for Bob after the club was closed. Sue had left in tears soon after Bob's rejection of her, but Bob had not come out to sit at their table later. When she opened the curtains to Bob's dressing area, she found him on the floor, with his back against the wall. It appeared that he had cried himself out some time ago and he just did not have the energy to move off the floor. After calling to Alex, the two women helped the unresisting man out to the car and took him home. A good night's sleep would help Bob start over.

@ @ @ @

Sue pulled into the lot at the FFL club and managed to find a spot. The lot was very nearly full for a Saturday afternoon. As she walked through the lot, she saw Bob's old pickup truck parked off in the visitor's parking area. She had been summoned to attend the meeting of the ethics and membership committees regarding her activities over the past year and Candy's involvement. She had heard that Bob had become Erika's guest at the club on occasion, but she wasn't sure if he had been asked to attend this meeting also.

It had been made clear to her that her actions were not in question but her presence was necessary because the social reputation of the club and its members had been damaged. This was the meeting that Candy had been worried about and what it might mean to her and her realty business. Candy was only willing to co-operate because she was so dependent upon referrals from the club. If she had told the club that 'Hell no, she wouldn't be there' she stood to lose all of that business.

There was someone in the lobby of the club waiting for her and escorted her back to the meeting rooms. They were in a large area, but nowhere near the size of the dining room area. There were about thirty women seated at the ten or so round tables that were spotted around the floor, about a dozen other ladies where scattered around perimeter of the room observing the proceedings. The baby grand piano had been moved off to one corner the window blinds had been closed, to make things comfortable for everyone. Light-colored wood-grained paneling lined the walls and ran up to an arched pale yellow ceiling. The whole room transmitted a welcoming cozy feeling.

She looked around more closely and saw Bob seated in an armchair at the very back of the room. It appeared that his presence was necessary at this meeting, but the ladies preferred it if he did not make himself part of the proceedings. When their eyes met, she could see that Bob was surprised to see her. Apparently, no one had seen fit to inform either of them that they would both be attending this meeting.

She started to head for Bob, planning to sit in the open seat next to him. She was intercepted on the way over and led to a table near the long banquet style table that dominated on side of the room. Candy was already seated at the table and looked up at her as she was seated beside her. It didn't appear that anyone else was supposed to join them. Candy acknowledged her with a nod, but said nothing. It was rather out of character for her to not make some kind of comment, so it was a sign of how concerned she was about how this meeting might go. At the long table, Veronica was talking quietly with some other members. She didn't look very comfortable about whatever they were talking about.

It appeared that Sue was one of the last few members that they had been waiting for. At one of the other tables were the rest of the members of Sue's advisory group, who had been telling her how she should handle Bob's 're-education'. Alex and Erika were among them and they nodded to Sue with a reassuring smile, the rest of the ladies failed to acknowledge Sue and averted their eyes to just stare down at the table.

Once Sue was seated, Veronica called the session back to order. The look on Candy's face indicated that she was not happy with what had been already been discussed. Veronica held up a folder before, but she was obviously familiar with the contents as she did not read from it. She looked at Candy and said, "Ms. Grant, it is my understanding that the legal action against you was resolved with a large fine and probation, is that correct?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"Then…let me ask you has there been any civil, that is liability suits filed against you?"

All eyes turned to Bob who simple shook his head negatively.

Candy did not rise to address everyone, but stayed seated as she said, "Not that I'm aware of. I pleaded no contest to the legal charges because I felt it was easier to settle the charges than argue them in court." She shrugged her shoulders and said, "The little pansy wanted everything that was done to him. He was just too afraid to admit it." Her tone conveyed the message that she had been caught, but she didn't really care.

Veronica just looked at Candy as if she were trying to figure out what could possibly be going on in her head.

All Veronica had to say though was, "I see." She looked over at Sue and said, "Sue, thank you for coming, we have all read the statement you gave our legal office regarding this matter, I don't think that we need to ask you any questions. We have interviewed your husband and I believe that we have gathered the information that we need."

As Veronica referred to Bob, Candy snorted and rolled her eyes at Sue. Even at this stage of things, she could not show respect for him. Once again, Sue wondered why she had ever allowed herself to be influenced by Candy. She looked over at Bob, hoping to catch his eye again, but he studiously kept his attention on the head table.

Wanting to be fair, Veronica waited for Candy to end her grade school theatrics and asked, "Candy, you've been accused of causing bodily and emotional harm to the family of a club member and exposing the club to public embarrassment and damaging its reputation. We are willing to listen to anything you have to say about this."

Candy nodded in acknowledgement and stood to face the group of ladies in the room.

"Ladies, I know that we do not always agree about my attitudes and opinions regarding men. I have tried to avoid letting my personal feelings affect my interpersonal relationships and I think that this is all a misunderstanding. I was actually helping my nephew come to terms with his suppressed femininity. After all isn't that what the womanless beauty pageant is all about? I had to force him past his limits for him to realize who he really was. As far as the statements that Mr. Turner made about me, I'm completely shocked that he would accuse me of all of these things. In fact, it sounds like libel to me. I plan on talking to my lawyers when I leave here."

Bob's eyes were wide with surprise and outrage, his jaw clenched with anger. The women who looked over at him to see his reaction could see that he was making a supreme effort to reign himself in. He had learned that an emotional response could hurt him more than the statements and barbs the others might make about him.

Sue found herself completely confused. She had shown up for this meeting at the time they had specified and it appeared that they had been in session for quite some time already. It appeared that Bob had already spoken front of the group and either made a statement or accusations of some form. It appeared that she was not supposed to have heard them.

When Candy paused, apparently to gather her thoughts, Sue raised her hand. Veronica acknowledged her and she said, "I'm sorry, but I'm a bit lost. I understood that Candy was charged with false imprisonment, kidnapping, and physical abuse...all dealing with her nephew. I know that Bob complained to me about things a couple of times, but I didn't think anything of it. I'm not familiar with what is going on here."

Sue's statement didn't appear to surprise Veronica or her companions at the table. Veronica just nodded her head in understanding.

"You're right Sue. While the philosophy of this group is that women are not less than men, we don't have any issue if a wife wants to make a woman out of her man. " Veronica smiled slyly as she added, "But men do have their uses, and their rights as people. The club's guiding principle insists the male's conversion be voluntary, either out of love for his wife or an awakening to the realization that femininity is the better path of true happiness."

She opened the folder in front of her. "While Candy influenced you to push your husband deeper into a feminine role, she also interfered to a very great extent in the viability of your marriage. That, taken with her treatment of her nephew, paints a pattern of reprehensible behavior that we cannot accept unchecked among our members."

Shocked, Sue looked at Candy who shrugged and gave her a look of confusion. As if to say that what she was being accused of made no sense.

"Candy, is this true? Were you really trying to break us up?"

Candy continued to look innocent as she said, "Sue, I wouldn't do that to you. I told you those things about Phil because I didn't want to admit that he had left me. When I saw how Bob was willingly changing himself to compete with a non-existent Phil, I couldn't see him being worthy of you."

Sue turned in her chair and glared directly at Candy, "Bob was trying to live up to the rules of the ultimatum that you and the others wanted me to give him. He had to win the beauty pageant in order to come home to me again. You saw what he was doing and you said nothing about it."

"But Sue, you saw how he was giving blow jobs. Would a real man do that?" Candy looked at Sue is surprise.

At the other table, Erika was watching Candy's performance with amusement. Once Candy had finished speaking, she raised her hand and stood up when Veronica motioned to her. In a properly formal manner, she said, "Madame Chairwoman, I do have something that will speak to this subject. Unless, Ms. Grant wishes to change her position."

Candy looked over at Erika and literally sneered at her. It was obvious that there was no love lost between the two women and Sue was surprised at the apparent intensity of the dislike. In the last months, Erika and Alex had distanced themselves from the others on her re-education guidance team and she remembered a few of the times that they had expressed their objections to how she was treating Bob.

"What do you mean?" Candy's response was rude and the word 'bitch' seemed to be implied in her statement. "I have no idea what you're talking about!"

Erika said nothing to Candy. She stood and held up a plastic case, the size and shape for a DVD. "I have some evidence here that will show that I know exactly what I'm talking about." She strode over to the video system in the corner and slid the disk into the tray as Alex stood and dimmed the room lights. After a few moments, a movie began playing on the projection screen behind the main table.

It began with a camera being placed on a flat surface in what appeared to be a bedroom. After a moment, a hand crossed the frame and then a woman came into view as she walked over to the bed. She gestured and a dark-haired man stepped over to the bed and sat down. The movie had everyone's attention so no one saw that Candy had gone white, but everyone watched as the woman on the screen turned and revealed herself to be Candy.

"Stop this!" Candy shouted and she walked toward the disk player. She was stopped by Alex who had a vise-like grip on Candy's bicep, squeezing hard enough to leave a bruise. Candy stopped dead in her tracks.

"I'm sorry Candy. You started this and we have to see it through now." On the screen, Candy completed her blowjob and everyone watched as she spoke to the man. It was also obvious that while she had gotten some satisfaction from the act, she hadn't really enjoyed it. Then the scene jumped to show the man walk back into the frame, holding a knife. A woman dressed in black walked into the frame, who was revealed to be Bob when he turned toward the camera. Erika stopped the playback before Bob went down onto his knees before the man.

"There is much more on this disk," she said. "Do I need to play it? There is audio too if we need it."

"How did you get that?" Candy shouted. She was pale and shaking. "Are you the one who broke into my house?"

Erika shook her head. There was a look of pity on her face. She had seen everything on this disk before and holding Candy up for public display in this manner was not something that felt good.

"No Candy. I didn't take this from your computer; it was given to me by someone else. All I can say is that you should be careful of the people you hurt in your life. Those actions have an annoying tendency to come back on you. As far as I know, this disk is the only copy."

Veronica spoke up and said, "Candy, I take it that the statements Mr. Turner has made are true? You arranged to have him raped. I'm not a lawyer but I believe that is a felony."

Candy was still very pale and could only nod as she dropped into her chair. She couldn't bring herself to look over at Sue, who was looking at the person she had thought was her friend with a shocked expression.

Veronica looked at her fellow committee members before she turned back to Candy. "Candy, considering the fact that everything you've been accused of is apparently true; I believe that you owe the membership of this club and the Turners an apology. We won't insist upon an answer from you now, but I believe that you need to apologize before the full membership and to Sue and Bob. We will give you two weeks to consider what you want to do. I need to point out that your refusal will mean that your membership with this organization will be terminated, until that time consider yourself persona non grata here at the club."

Candy barely acknowledged Veronica's ultimatum as she sat at the table, head bowed. One of Candy's friends who had been standing at the back of the room came to her and led her off to a side room. Sue sat there, but couldn't bring herself to look at Candy as she left. After a moment, she stood and left the room as well.

In the lobby, Sue caught sight of Bob, Alex, and Erika chatting by the main entrance. As they ended their conversation, Bob turned to leave the building while the ladies started to walk to the dining room. She sped up and managed to get through the door before Bob had gone very far.

"Bob!" she yelled.

It was a bit incongruous to be calling out a man's name at someone who looked all woman, but that was how it was. Bob had gone all out to be able to look as if he fit in with the rest of the ladies at the club today. He wore a white cotton blouse with a very pretty dark blue skirt, perched above sensible two or three inch heels. It looked like he had let his hair continue to grow and it was brushed back in waves that fell to just below his shoulders. His most prominent attribute were his breasts which were very obvious. Sue was sure, but she thought that they might have lessened in size somewhat, but they were still attractive.

She could see that Bob had been working on his makeup skills as well. It made sense that he would become more proficient in that area. Being an exotic dancer, too much makeup could make you appear to be a trollop. Too little and you were not as alluring to the audience.

He stopped and turned to look at her. Once again, his expression gave nothing away. He had told her only a few days ago that he still loved her, so she had to believe that what she saw was fake. A mask intended to hold in the display of emotion and any sign of weakness. She was sure that this was the case, because he had said that he loved her and she was holding tight to that.

He said nothing as she walked up to him. She smiled hopefully and asked, "Would you like to get some dinner?"

"Thank you, but no. I need to get home. I promised to work on some costumes for one of the girls at the club."

The fact that he said 'home' and did not mean where they used to live together actually hurt to hear. She was finding that she really missed her husband. Her therapist had warned her against seeking out someone else for comfort as this would only blunt her feelings for Bob and negate any value Sue hoped to get from her counseling sessions.

"I only want to talk Bob. I miss you." After what she had just heard inside the club, Sue wanted to throw herself into Bob's arms and beg him to forgive her. But his almost stony demeanor indicated that the results of that action might end in tears.

"Sue, I'm not ready to talk yet. I've been through a year of hell and I just heard one of Satan's architects confess to orchestrating my current condition. I'm still coming to terms with my new life."

"That's what I want to talk about. I owe you so many apologies…" She started to tear up at the memory of all of the times she had treated him as worth less than she herself or had been overly demanding of him. Her therapist was showing her just how much she had hurt Bob over the years. Much of her behavior was in line with the philosophy of the FFL, but she had allowed herself to mistreat Bob. She only knew that she needed Bob in her life, she had lost so much already.

"Like I said, I need time to think. You've had me out of the house for so long already Sue. A few more weeks or months shouldn't matter, should they?" Even though he was sorry for his words as soon as they left his mouth, he turned and headed over to his truck. Sue was still standing in the middle of the parking lot, looking after him as he drove away.

* * * * *

Sue's therapist had made herself available on a round-the-clock basis, knowing that Sue was in a stressed state. That meant that Sue was consulting with her rather often. Her advice to Sue was the same after each rejection that she endured from Bob: Don't give up. Until he began threatening her with violence, she still had a chance to win Bob back. Sue just had to remember that Bob had been through a year of neglect and abuse, not all at her hands.

The day after the meeting at the club, Sue sent a dozen red roses to Bob at the strip club, care of Bubbles. The card said, "Darling, I love you." Bob never acknowledged any of the gifts Sue sent, but he didn't discard them either. This set a pattern over the next few weeks. Almost every day, a new gift of some sort would be delivered to the club or to wherever Bob was staying. There were boxes of candy, gift cards, watches, and other items of jewelry. A card accompanied each gift telling Bob that she loved him and asked him to come back to her.

Bob found the thought behind the gestures Sue was making touching, but it saddened him at the same time. All Sue was doing was giving him things when he really just wanted her heart. He shared the candy with Alex or Erika, depending upon whose house he was staying at and sometimes used the gift cards to buy presents for them as well. Bob made more than one comment about how he wished that Sue's gifts were more from her instead of her pocketbook.

The ladies were thrilled to be enjoying Sue's gifts, but they sympathized with Bob. They had seen Sue's reaction to Candy's statements and the video Erika had shown the committee. It was obvious that Sue did not mean to be the cold and unfeeling person she had appeared to be. At worst, the lady had been a clueless lemming that had blindly followed people who professed to be her friends.

The two women had come to love Bob as a brother. They had hinted that they were available to him sexually, but he had never given them any indication of interest in them in that area. They realized that Bob would carry a torch for Sue until he died. Because of that, they came to care for Sue just as deeply. They took it upon themselves to meet with Sue without Bob's knowledge over lunch.

Sue had been embarrassed when they explained to her the mistakes she was making in her campaign to win Bob over. Bob had always been more sensitive than she. His gifts to her had always been more thoughtful, focused on her heart and soul. On reflection, Sue could see that she had a great deal to learn about love in general and herself in particular. In one of her frequent counseling sessions, she shared her concerns and desires about this. How could she show Bob how much he really did mean to her and that she truly wanted and needed him in her life?

Things continued over the few weeks after the club meeting. Candy had decided that it was in her best interests to over a heartfelt apology to everyone, just as the FFL committee had stipulated. She had even agreed with one of her friends that counseling, like what Sue had sought out, might help her. While talk therapy was not an instant fix or a magic bullet, a little bit of effort on Candy's part made a difference in how people reacted to her

Veronica and her fellow committee had been very gracious when Candy had come to them with her decision. They had actually been thrilled that she had decided to issue an apology. Removing Candy as a member would have been painful for Candy, the club itself, and all of the players that would be directly involved. They arranged a date for which Candy would make her apologies at a full meeting of the club, but it would be a couple of weeks before the meeting could be set up.

* * * * *

There was only one topic on the agenda for the meeting and the club dining room was literally buzzing with the various conversations going on. Some of the ladies did not care for Candy and took pleasure from the discomfort she must be experiencing from having to issue her apologies. For her part, Candy may have agreed to issue her apologies but it still felt like salt being rubbed into a raw wound. Candy saw that trying to mend her bridges would be important to everyone and to her very livelihood.

Sue looked around for Bob or his friends when she arrived. Because this meeting also applied to herself and Bob, she had received a personal invitation to attend. She assumed that the same applied to her husband as well, but she did not see him. Sue hoped that an invitation had gone out to Bob and that he would be here. While she had become a nightly regular at the strip club when Bob performed, she had not been permitted to approach him since her first time and she wanted to have a chance to talk to him again. She had on several occasions tried to sneak backstage so she could get to see Bob. She had been stopped on each occasion by security. No one had pointed out to her that she was approaching the point where she could be considered a stalker.

She was glad that Alex and Erika had started talking with her on a daily basis. They kept her up-to-date with Bob's life, without sharing any secrets or letting him know about their meetings. She had learned so much about Bob that she had been too self-involved to care about before. From what they had told her, it looked like Candy had set Bob up from the very start and had used her as a pawn in the process. Candy had made it abundantly clear to her that she wanted Sue as a lover, but Sue didn't consider herself to be a lesbian despite the numerous erotic nights spent with the ladies from the club. In Sue's mind, she was just experimenting, it wasn't a life choice. If things had happened differently, Sue would probably have enjoyed the occasional encounter with Candy.

She was ushered to a table off to the side where she would not be the center of attention. The intent was not to hold them up to embarrassment today…that was something that was essentially reserved for Candy. From where she was situated, Sue was able to see the entrance and most of the dining room without being in the direct line of sight of most of the attendees.

She was watching as she saw Bob entered the room, flanked by Alex and Erika, and a third unknown woman. Sue recognized her as a performer from the club. The two women had become his almost constant companions over the past months, something that annoyed Sue. When she was honest with herself, she admitted that she was actually envious of them rather than annoyed. How could she have been so narrow-minded to have believed the worst of her husband?

When Bob and his entourage appeared at the door, there was a noticeable drop in the noise of conversation as many of the ladies in the room turned to look. The sight was worth seeing too. Bob's companions were well-dressed and were very attractive, but that is not what attracted the attention. It was a well-known fact that Bob was performing part-time as a stripper, but he looked nothing like the stereotype. Bob looked more like Bobbi today with masses of blonde curls that framed a face that was too cute to belong to a man. Bobbi had maintained a very feminine look to her face with makeup that was never overstated.

Bob had never been big, but the weight that he had lost and exercise regimen kept Bobbi's face and, really, 'her' whole body slender and wiry. While his over-endowed bust could have been a source of embarrassment, Bobbi had taken pains to downplay that particular attribute when outside of the strip club. Bobbi had developed a preference for blues lately and she wore a royal blue dress that managed to look glamorous at the same time that it looked practical.

What really made Bobbi stand out is how comfortable she looked moving among the ladies of the club. Everyone knew that this beautiful woman was really a man, but Bobbi was able to put everyone at ease so that no one cared that Bobbi was really Bob. She greeted everyone warmly and smiled at those who were too far away to hug.

Sue caught herself with her mouth hanging open in surprise. This was another side of her husband she had never seen before. While dancing at the strip club might have helped her with any modesty issues, Bobbi presented herself as a confident, outgoing lady. It was no wonder everyone looked at her with fondness and friendship. If Bobbi announced that she was running for mayor of the city, everyone present would have voted for her in a heartbeat. Sue caught herself when she realized in her head she had inadvertently started thinking of her husband in feminine pronouns. She wondered what that meant and she decided that she didn't care.

As Bobbi and her friends were led across the floor to the same table that Sue already occupied, Sue immediately noticed Bob was not wearing her old engagement ring. That finger looked vacant. Before Sue could make mention of Bob's missing ring, she was distracted by a cocktail waitress who glided up to them.

"May I take your drink orders before you have a seat?" the waitress asked Bobbi.

Bobbi did a double-take when she looked at the server as she realized that it was Pierre. He was decked out as the stereotypical Playboy bunny cocktail waitress, sans the ears. Bobbi really could not believe her eyes. Pierre's makeup was perfect and it was difficult to see the man underneath, even though it had not been applied that heavily.

Pierre's thin frame was apparently augmented with a pair of generous breast forms that pushed out of the silver top that narrowed down to a pipe-stem waist. The bottom of the leotard-like uniform exposed Pierre's legs to good effect; many women would have killed for the thighs and butt that Pierre had on display. When Bobbi looked down at Pierre, all she saw was a smooth flat front. That was a really good gaff Bobbi thought. The crowning glory, even though they were on Pierre's feet, were the six-inch heels that he was balanced upon.

Before Bobbi could say anything to Pierre, another well-wisher cycled past, but stopped this time. Bobbi focused upon her face to see that it was Julie, the manager of the beauty salon from hell and Pierre's sister.

Julie smiled warmly and said, "Miss Bobbi, ladies," as she acknowledged Bobbi's escorts. "I know that you've seen my brother here in the past, but I would like you to meet the club's newest waitress and scullery maid. She demonstrated that her attitude at my salon was too mean for you and some of my other customers. I thought that she might do well to spend the next year here getting an attitude readjustment. In fact, I'm thinking of making his picture the addition to the hall of fame." She winked at Bobbi as if it were an in-joke.

All Bobbi could do was nod in shock as she realized that Julie was quite probably forcing her brother through some of the same regimen that Bob had willingly put himself through. While Pierre had shown himself to be a rather unlikeable person, Bob, the man, felt some sympathy for Pierre at the fact that he might very well be getting his own pair of tits. His compassion had limits though as he leaned over to Pierre's ear to whisper, "I guess I don't have to worry about kicking you in the balls anymore. Where does your sister keep yours now?" He felt bad for Pierre though when his comment hit home and Pierre just hung his head in shame as he walked away after taking everyone's drink order.

Before he could apologize to Pierre for his cruelty, Veronica was calling the meeting to order and all eyes turned toward the podium. She thanked everyone who was able to attend the meeting and she diplomatically discussed the sole topic of the evening's meeting. Those who could see them at the guest table all looked at Sue and Bobbi where they were seated. A year ago, Bob would have felt nervous with the number of people looking at him, but Bobbi had found herself. She actually enjoyed the attention because she knew that everyone saw a happy, pretty young lady.

The first order of business was Candy's apology to the membership of the club itself. She stepped to the podium, a cold feeling in the pit of her stomach. She knew all of these women by name and some of them were good friends. To admit to them that she had done the things she was accused of by her nephew made her almost physically ill. There were some members who might clap her on the back and congratulate her on a job well done, most were not quite that bloodthirsty and would be repulsed at the fact that she had caused her own nephew to be castrated and feminized. There were still many times when she thought that the little monster deserved it for what he had done to his girlfriend and she felt indignant anger that she was being forced to be here.

Discretion won out however and Candy described the complaints lodged against her and apologized for how they had reflected so badly back upon the FFL club. The words still made her feel like she was chewing shards of glass, she knew that it was necessary.

"I want to say however, that I am apologizing to you, my friends and some of you not-so-much, for damaging the reputation of this group and the work that we have done. What I did to my nephew was somewhat deserved and was ultimately to his benefit."

She paused in her speech to look around the room. "However, I do not expect you to believe me or to even accept my apology at face value. With the permission of our president, I am willing to auction off my services as a way of showing that I mean what I say." She spread her hands and said, "I guess I'm offering you the opportunity to take part in my punishment. And, it will benefit the club at the same time."

Candy turned toward Veronica and bowed slightly to indicate that she was finished. Veronica came back to podium with a bit of a surprised expression on her face. After a moment, everyone clapped in approval of Candy's offer.

Candy moved away and headed to the back of the room. She had offered her apology, such as it was, and she just wanted to fade into the background. She still had to speak to the Turners, but she wanted to do that with a lot less people around. That conversation would be like walking on hot coals.

"Well! That really was not how this meeting was expected to go." Veronica looked around the room to make sure that no one was trying to get the attention of the chair and she continued. "We will be meeting with Candy over the next couple of weeks to work out when and what we will be offering for auction. I suspect that we might be able to gather a good amount of money for the club."

A barb that got a round of chuckles from the crowd. Veronica was obviously one of those that Candy would have to work on winning back as a friend.

"There were some murmured conversations at the back tables already in full swing, obviously discussing those very subjects.

Bob knew that Candy was not universally liked in the club and he overheard a couple of comments about putting her to work scrubbing floors with a toothbrush or spending an entire weekend cleaning toilets. He had done that for a single day and his 'employer' hadn't had the negative feelings about him that he was picking up from the ladies around him. He actually felt sorry for Candy if some of the things he heard actually happened to her.

Veronica adjourned the meeting, inviting everyone to stay and socialize, but a number of the attendees left for home. Sue hadn't really paid attention to Candy's speech, her mind was still focused upon Bob and nothing really mattered. She hadn't had a chance to try engaging Bob in conversation again, before Candy sought out Bobbi and Sue at the table. Veronica and some of the general committee members accompanied her. Alex and Erika had remained with Bob to act as a buffer to Sue, if it was needed.

Where Candy had appeared contrite in her speech to the membership at large, she was definitely not so when she looked at him. Bob could see that she was practically grinding her teeth at the thought of even speaking to him. He didn't know what her problem was…She had wanted to drive him away from Sue and she had succeeded. It was still tearing him up inside that he couldn't let himself open up to Sue, but he certainly was not going to give Candy the satisfaction of knowing that.

To her credit, she tried to be polite. (After all, it wouldn't count as an apology if she was rude as she delivered it).

"Bobbi. I apologize for my treatment of you and for manipulating you into doing the things that you did to yourself." Her tone bordered on being flat, keeping any emotion out of her voice. She couldn't resist a final jab at him as she said, "But you did turn out to be a cute woman. There might be hope for you after all."

Bob rose to the occasion however and said, "Thank you, Candy. While I wouldn't have chosen this particular path in my life, I have to say that I'm enjoying every minute of it. And I have you to thank for it." His totally satisfied, happy smile served to rub her failure in face even more.

Candy's response was just a sneer which evaporated when she turned to Sue. Her expression was far more sincere. Everyone could see her feelings of loss and wistfulness.

"Sue…I'm sorry that I put you through all of this. I really did not mean to hurt you." She turned away and walked quickly toward the exit.

Sue looked at Bob and rest at the table and said, "Don't move I'll be right back!" She launched herself from the table and hurried after Candy. Bob sat watching Sue talking to Candy, who was wiping tears away from her eyes. At one point, Sue hugged Candy and then led her back to the table. Alex and Erika had been watching as well, as confused as Bob was, but they kept any comments to themselves.

Sue pulled Candy back to in front of Bob. "Go on Candy, tell him. He has a right to know."

Candy looked down for a moment and then looked at Bob sheepishly; there was none of the condescending defiance from a few moments ago.

"Bob, I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused you both. It's all because I love Sue, and would do anything to be with her. I wanted her and tried to make you go away. I know you understand how we all do stupid things in the name of love. This time I really would like you to forgive me?"

Everyone at the table waited to hear Bob's response. Some of the women were even holding their breath.

Bob chewed on his lower lip for a few moments as he contemplated the first nice words to ever come from Candy. He stood and walked around to Candy. She flinched as if she expected to be hit, but Bob opened his arms and grabbed her into a firm hug. "Anyone who loves Sue can't be all bad. I'm willing to forgive you Candy." He moved his mouth close to her ear and said so that only she could hear, "I really meant it that I am enjoying myself. Thank you."

Candy pulled back to look at him and she grinned in response. She happily returned his hug.

Sue cleared her throat and said, "I feel like I'm in church. Could I confess my sins as well?"

She spent a good fifteen minutes going over a litany of her transgressions toward Bob. She acknowledged that everything between them had soured the day of the accident that killed their daughter. Sue explained that she had sought out a therapist and now knew that she had suppressed the memory of being the reason Bob had to go to the store the day that Sally died. If she hadn't been so insistent that he get a new ink cartridge for the printer in their office, Bob and baby would not have been in the car that day. She asked why he had never brought that up as a defense against her behavior.

Bobbi looked down, not willing to meet Sue's eyes. "You were in enough pain already. I didn't think that it would help to say anything and you were in a bad way at the time. I just found it easier to take full responsibility."

The silence that greeted his statement told him that he had said something wrong. He looked around the circle of women and realized that he was in the middle of a bunch of women with angry or shock expressions. He suddenly felt like the lone cowboy surrounded by Indians or, more likely, a naughty child confronted with a group of angry mothers. But he was confused about why they might be annoyed at him.

It was Candy who spoke first, trying to mend fences with Sue already. "You didn't say anything about why you went? You just accepted the blame and let everything fester?"

All Bob could do was nod.

"Bob, I may be bad at maintaining relationships, but even I know that you need to communicate. Don't you realize that by not defending yourself, you let Sue believe that you were somehow less than you were for being there? Yes, it would have hurt to know that you were out driving for that reason, but you hurt your marriage by letting Sue blame you. You know that it made it easier for me to break you up."

The rest of the ladies around him were nodding in agreement, not looking quite so angry and a bit more saddened at the revelation of so much pain.

Sue's reaction to Bob's admission was not quite as restrained though. Her face was tight with lines of anger as she heard Bob tell her that he knew she was just as responsible for his presence at the accident that had killed their daughter.

"Damn you Bob!" she said loudly. "I lost my daughter and you willingly let me blame you for it! You let me put walls up between us because you were worried about my feelings. You did nothing to try to pull me closer again!"

There were tears streaming down Bob's face as he relived the moment of the accident and the days after he had come home to Sue. The memories of the loss of his daughter and the realization that he might be losing his wife by inches and that there was nothing he could do about filled him with pain.

Erika stepped between the two and slipped an arm around their waists. Drawing them close to her, she said quietly, "Listen, you two. You both put yourselves into this situation because you stopped communicating. I'll bet that you never even considered joint counseling after the accident."

Veronica jumped in at this point. "Bobbi, as a feminist, let me tell you I'm disappointed in you! True you were trying to take the burden of the accident off Sue, but what makes you think women aren't strong enough to stand up to their mistakes, we are after all the stronger of the species. I hope this has taught you something!"

Both Sue and Bob had the grace to hang their heads and agree. Bob realized that much of how Sue had treated him was due to the fact that he had let her to it. Sue could see that she had made him the scapegoat for all of the bad things in her life.

Bob suddenly felt empty inside. All of the righteousness he had felt about Sue's behavior over the past year seemed to evaporate. How could he continue to blame her for all of his troubles when he had allowed her to do it to him? Was the reason she manipulated him into being in the pageant in the first place was because she blamed him for the accident? Things just snowballed between them from there.

"Bob...I'm sorry for everything that has happened. Please forgive me."

"There's nothing to forgive Sue. I think that I'm as much to blame in this as you are."

Now Alex stepped into the group and as said, "Guys...Could I suggest that this might be grounds to try again?" This was the kind of thing that Alex and Erika were hoping for. If they could have arranged this, they could not have done a better job.

Before Bob could respond to Alex's statement, Sue went down on one knee before him.

"Bob, I've missed you all of these months. Would you please do me the honor and favor of being my husband again? Things will be different from now on."

Bob was completely taken aback at Sue's proposal and could only stand looking down at Sue. He wanted her back in his life the worst way and he wanted to be in her life just as much, but what would that life be like? Could they return to a loving, respectful life?

"Will things really be different, Sue? We have so much to work out."

"Bob, if you will come home to me, I promise that I'll be the most loving and considerate wife that any man has ever had." Sue's voice took on a bit of a plaintive tone. This was her last chance to get Bob back. A failure here would mean a failure of more than just her marriage. It would be a failure of herself as a person as well.

There was an audible gasp from the ladies around them at her declaration. Sue ignored their response; this was between Bob and herself. This was important to them both and, if it meant that she had to leave the membership of the club to pay more attention to her husband, which is what she would do. She had lost sight of too many important things in her life because of these women, and chasing after their approval now was not something she intended to do.

Bob reached out and took Sue's hands. "Sue, we never had the 'Love, Honor, and Obey' kind of marriage. We should be equals, the way we're supposed to be."

Sue threw her arms around him and said, "I can't wait to get you home again!" She looked into Bob's eyes and said with a happy smile, "I'd like to renew our wedding vows. How does a June wedding sound?" Happy cheers and applause surrounded them as Sue hugged him tightly.

"Of course I'll marry you again," Bob said. His smile could not get any bigger and his eyes were twinkling with tears. Then, just like a typical bride, he began planning the whole event right then. "Can we hold it here at the club? Do you think we'll have enough time? There are so many arrangements we need to take care of."

To shut him up and because she was glad to be able to hold him again, she grabbed him and kissed him.

When they came up for air and they looked around the circle of women. Bob looked down at his protruding chest and mumbled, "Whatever will I wear though? I don't think I'll fit into my old tux"

Sue laughed. "Honey, even without those hooters, you wouldn't fit. You've lost so much weight, that tux would look like a clown suit on you."

”That's not a problem,” Erika interrupted, "Do you remember the wedding dress that Malinda was asked to dispose of?" Bob just looked confused while Sue raised her eyebrows at being reminded of another stupid act and nodded. "She held on to it and she started altering it after she came to work for me."

Erika looked at Bob and said, "We’ve been hoping that you might wear it at some point."

In response to the surprised looks that Sue and Bob had at how Malinda would know to work on the dress, she looked back at them innocently and said, "Please...Everybody just knew that you would get back together at some point. We wanted to be ready."

Bob thought about that and said, "But I'm going to be the husband. Me...wearing a wedding gown doesn't sound like a very masculine way to start our marriage."

Sue's eyes danced with amusement as she teased him, "Of course you'll be the husband - but...after the wedding. — and maybe the honeymoon too. We'll see how that plays out. Remember, I'm not the one spinning around a stripper pole every night."

No one could have guessed that a meeting that had started on such a grim note would develop such a festive mood. In fact, it transmuted into an engagement party. Bob and Sue stayed glued to each other the entire time.

* * * * *

Despite his joy, the snide shots he had taken at Pierre preyed on Bob's mind throughout the party. Towards the end of the evening, Bob sought out Pierre and apologized for his bitchy comments. He offered Bobbi's friendship and assistance through the trials that he would face over the coming months. Bob grabbed Pierre and gave him a sisterly hug. Pierre started to cry. He said, "Sorry it's all those damn female hormones I'm taking, and I can’t believe you’re being so generous after what I did to you."

”My journey to become Bobbi was hard, both physically and emotionally”, Bob said, “and I’m sure I could make it easier for you."

Maybe Pierre would come in first place this time in the Pageant.

He looked at Pierre and asked, "Do you have a skill or a talent, like singing or decorating cakes?"

Bob started to think he might ask Pierre to be a bridesmaid at his wedding. He wondered what Pierre would look like in a nice tight corset, towering heels and a pink chiffon dress.

Not the end, but the beginning of a new life.