Chapter 3 “Monkeying Around”

The following morning there was a table for four and they sat to eat a solid breakfast. Jasmin was still on a high after last night and hoped that there would be other evenings where the two of them could grace the stage. Shelly wasn’t so sure, thinking that every moment was already mapped out and that last night had been a one-off.

Today they would moor off Gibraltar for a couple of days. The brochure told them that there were plenty of things to see and do and that they would think that they had been dropped into one of the bigger British cities but with duty-free. Before that was the set of classes to do.

Shelly had put on a loose top and skirt because she now knew what to expect later. Jean joined her in the class. Sally went through the same as before and then beckoned Shelly to come forward. She told the others that Shelly would be the model for today. Between them they filled the rest of the class time and filled the student’s minds with knowledge.

They emerged onto the deck to see the sight of the Rock of Gibraltar looming above them. The brochure told them that they needed to put their names down for a visit to the town as space was very tight in the narrow streets. There would be a system of busses today and more tomorrow before they left to sail on into the Mediterranean. While they were having lunch and comparing notes, Sally came up to their table and told them that, if they went ashore this afternoon, she would organise a small session with the hairdresser tomorrow afternoon. None of the four had seen that presentation yet so Veronica asked if the four of them could be fitted in. She told Sally that she and Jasmin wanted to come back to the dress presentation again in the morning as there was just so much to take in.

In the afternoon, as they waited to go ashore, they could see some of the passengers leaving with their luggage. Shelly watched and wondered if Sheldon wanted to go back home tomorrow and then decided that Shelly was having too much fun to leave now.

The trip ashore was everything they could wish for. On Sally’s advice they took the cable car up to the Rock first and had an ice cream gazing across to Morocco while making sure that the monkeys didn’t make off with their bags. Back down in the town they raided the shops that the brochure had suggested. Gibraltar was duty free and VAT free with several shops you would find in the UK. They spent some time in Mango and even Marks and Spencers before Jean dragged Shelly into Boux Avenue to stock up with lingerie and sleepwear for the rest of the cruise.

Back on the ship Shelly put her new things away and wondered, not for the first time, why she was enjoying it so much. Today was a case in point. Never one to shop much she had thrown herself into the task with a passion that was only surpassed by her mother and the two Americans. Jean had declared that the operation had been a success and then went into a branch of her bank to top up the credit cards. Shelly pulled the last thing she had bought out of her bag and put it on the vanity. It was a small bottle of scent from SM Seruya that she just loved but didn’t know why.

In the chemistry studies she had taken several weeks looking into what makes a flower smell. It was a lot to do with the chemical make-up of the plant and the various pheromones it put out. It had been a very interesting few weeks of study that had shown her that there was far more to the smell of a rose than met the nose. This scent intrigued her because she couldn’t figure out how it worked so well for her.

That evening she wore some her new clothes and put a dab of the scent on the correct zones of the body. When they met in the lounge Jean smiled. “You smell wonderful. I may have to pop back ashore tomorrow to get some for myself.”

That evening, at dinner, they were sat at a larger table and were joined by four more of the staterooms guests. Two were middle-aged ladies from the West Country who had come on the trip to look after their sons as they tried to become their daughters. Both were clients of Jean who had suggested the trip. The two boys had taken a couple of days looking on before they had finally taken the plunge. Their mothers had taken them to both the dressing and make-up presentations and one asked if Shelly was going to be at the hairdressing one tomorrow.

She told her that she was booked to be the model for the dressing class again but would catch up with the hairdressing one later. Both youngsters were obviously trying hard to be lady-like but there were still some sharp edges to rub off before they started to absorb the ways of womanhood. Their mothers told Shelly that they had resisted the transition long enough. If the two friends could walk off the ship when they docked in Southampton again, looking and acting like girls, they would fund the rest of the process.

The entertainment that evening was a band that was based in Gibraltar. They played a curious mixture of Brit-Pop and Spanish music, including a session with a couple of ladies in the typical Spanish dress and clacking their castanets. It was very pleasant and Shelly was very interested in the dance moves.

After the show they spent more time in the bar and Shelly chatted to Julian for a while. She found out that the number that left the ship today was pretty usual for this cruise and that those that were left would likely blossom as they sailed on.

“Of course, they would have to blossom a lot more to come close to you, Shelly.”

“You old smoothie, there are a lot of ladies here that are far more beautiful and feminine. I’ve a long way to go to catch up with them.”

“Don’t talk yourself down, Shelly. There’re rumours among the crew that the entertainment manager is thinking about asking you to join the crew in more shows. You’re a natural entertainer and I do believe you may have more to dazzle us with. There are some long sailing days further on where we sometimes put together a show which includes guests. You and your American friend are certain to be asked to contribute.”

“That’s something to look forward to, I’m sure. I came on the cruise to wind down from my studies and now I’m wondering if I’ll have the strength to get through to Southampton. Anyway, talking of getting through; I need to get some beauty sleep so I can let Sally run me ragged as her model again tomorrow. Goodnight, Julian.”

“Goodnight Shelly, sleep well.”

Next day the two youngsters were trying harder and their mothers had decided to stand back and let them develop at their own pace. They had been surprised to find their children’s psychiatrist on board and wisely left the two teens in her charge. The four had become six and the two mothers then spent much of the cruise sitting on sunbeds, chatting while they knitted and taking the sight-seeing tours.

Shelly did her final modelling stint with Sally who told her that these three classes had been the best she had run and that attendance of the third one was well above the usual from previous cruises.

After lunch the six of them went off to the ‘B’ Deck salon where the hairdresser was waiting for them. Neena smiled as they entered.

“Ah, my special ladies, here for your personal class. I’ve heard all about you modelling with Sally. My own classes were very sparse in the two later ones. I think every woman on the ship has seen the dressing class. That’s a first for Sally. This gives me a wonderful opportunity to make all of you even more beautiful when you leave here today.”

She sat them down and went through pictures of all the styles that could be achieved and how they differed with different colours. She then showed them pictures of a girl with black hair, blonde hair, red, green and white hair. Then it was the same girl with streaks of different colours and she explained how every difference alters the appearance. After that she ran them through all the processes to look after hair so that you keep it soft and shiny into your old age.

Finally they were sat in six chairs and Neena welcomed five assistants to help her work on the six subjects. She took before and then after photos to show what had been done. The two youngsters were given extensions and a youthful curl. It immediately doubled their femininity. The two Americans were given treatment that brought the shine out in their hair with styles that took years off their look. Jean had a similar treatment with a colour change that made her look like Shelly’s older sister.

Shelly stood up and looked at herself in the mirror. She had been given a showgirl style and her already light hair had been given darker streaks that highlighted her corn-blue eyes. She could hardly speak and Jean just stood behind her and hugged her,

“What do you think, ladies?”

“Neena, you and your team are miracle workers. All of us look a million dollars. I’ve been to some of the best salons in New York and so has Veronica. They’re not a patch on what you’ve done this morning. Thank you so much.”

“You and Shelly will be able to knock ‘em dead next time you’re on stage. Just use these hair nets at night and, if you think they’re losing body, just pop back and I’ll refresh them.”

That evening they all had extra points added to their ‘fun’ pendants for looking fabulous. The ship left Gibraltar and started sailing east again, staying close to the African coast. Tomorrow would find them off the coast of Algiers. The brochure told them that it was only a short stop and to put names on a list if you wanted to go on a tour of the Casbah and other sights. The brochure had an advertisement here for their historical cruises.

After Algiers they would be stopping at Tunis where there would be busses to take them on a ‘Souk Tour.’ The three that were noted were the Souk El Berka for jewellery; the Souk El Altarine for spices and perfumes; and the Souk Es Sarragine for leather goods.

For those that wanted to stay on board until Tunis there would be dance classes in the ballroom. The morning session would be for old-time dances and the afternoon was set aside for the group dances, such as square dancing and modern styles like the Madison.

When the six of them walked into the ballroom the next morning they were greeted by a group of instructors and another group of male members of the crew, all decked out in smart suits. The passengers that wanted to do the old-time dances were not as many as Shelly would have thought so there were plenty of partners for everyone to get some practice with.

Over the next three hours they were shown the most basic dances to get by with. The waltz and foxtrot, the Gay Gordons and the Quickstep were today’s offerings and Shelly found herself dancing backwards in heels for the first time. She knew she could have done better than most of her partners when it came to leading but, today, she was led and loved it. The fact that she was doing it with a man holding her tight was not lost on her.

The teenagers and their American friends had a lovely time and Jean realised that she hadn’t had a man holding her since Bradley died. That morning was a watershed moment for her. She decided that she was back ‘in the market’ for another man in her life.

After lunch they were back again and line dancing, square dancing and learning the basic steps of a number of odd dances, usually performed by women at drunken parties. The three hours went very quickly for Shelly, far too quickly as it was a lot of fun with all of the women there making the most of it. The main instructor announced that the next morning they would be teaching some advanced dances with the Tango, Rumba and Samba being the ones that they would be shown so only the fittest should attend.

They had a little while before dinner so gravitated to the bar. Jean and the Americans opted for coffee and Shelly found herself at the bar with the two teens by her side. Julian set a white wine in front of her and then turned to the teens.

“What can I get you, ladies?”

“Can we have two glasses of that wine, please?

“Certainly, madam. Just remember not to overdo it. This wine can be very quick to make you giddy if you’re not used to it.

“That’s good, I think that we’re at the stage where being giddy may be a good thing.”

When they had their glasses, Shelly led the two over to a quieter corner where they all sat daintily and sipped their wine.

“How are you two getting along now? You were slow in joining us at the start of the cruise.”

“I think we may be all right now, Miss Temple. It was a relief to see your mother here because it made our own mothers realise that hanging around our necks may smother us. That would have been awful. Since we started hanging around you, though, it’s been totally fab. I’ve had so much fun. I never thought that I would be on the dance floor with a guy and this morning showed me that I shouldn’t be scared of things any more. We both used to get bullied at school and we’re so glad that’s finished. I’ve decided that I’m going to give myself a new and totally feminine name that never could be a boy name but I haven’t thought of one yet.”

“Well, when you do I’ll stop calling you Roberta. You can both call me Shelly, seeing that we’re on holiday and I’m not your teacher. How about you Michelle? You’re very quiet.”

“I’m in a delayed shock, Shelly. I’ve just realised that I’ve spent a lot of the morning learning to dance with a guy. I spent all afternoon being totally girly and a bit silly. I’m sitting here in a dress with a glass of wine in front of me and when I look at my reflection all I see is a teenage girl. I wonder if I’m dreaming but I never want to wake up. Will you mind if we shadow you, there’s so much you can teach us?”

“Look, girls. I’m learning a lot as we go on as well. There’s so much about the clothes, the cosmetics and the life that I never truly knew before. If you want to join me on my own voyage of discovery then we had better drink to it. Raise your glasses to three intrepid girls on a mission of discovery!”

Shelly restricted her wine intake that evening to keep the others from overindulging and, after dinner, the three of them left the older ladies and went down to the ship’s disco where they danced with a crowd of younger passengers. They danced and they laughed and it was a very tired trio that strolled back to ‘B’ Deck and their beds.

After breakfast the next day, the three of them walked into the ballroom to find a very small group of younger girls waiting to learn the next lot of dances. The Rumba and the Samba were pretty straight forward but the Tango was, to Shelly’s eye, the sex act on a dance floor and the handsome crew member who chose her as his partner made it all the better.

With her earlier dancing experience she didn’t take too many demonstrations to pick up the moves -- and the sexual overtones of the moves. Her partner must have done the dance a thousand times as he knew exactly when she should vamp it up and whispered directions as they warmed up. Before the class finished, the instructors matched up the best dancers and it was a small group of six couples that had the final dance of the morning. Shelly gave it her all and her partner was finding it difficult to keep his professional attitude.

When they came out on deck they saw the city of Tunis. Shelly and the teens stood and took in the sight and Michelle whispered to Roberta. Shelly looked at them and raised an eyebrow, schoolmarm style.

“I was just telling Roberta that I think my tablets aren’t working. As you were dancing I felt something stirring that I haven’t felt in months. I don’t know if it was the sight of you in some of those moves or the sight of the obvious bulge in your partner’s trousers. I’ll let you know when I’ve worked it out.”

Laughing, they went off for lunch.

That afternoon they were ferried to the shore and put in mini-busses to do a tour of the old city before ending up at the souks. Angel and Sally joined them to show them around. At the El Berka Shelly found some glorious earrings in gold and enamel and Sally helped her barter a good price. At the El Altarine Angel wandered with her while she tried various scents and they discussed the differences and pondered the ingredient mixes to give the different aromas. Shelly didn’t find one that bettered her Seruya scent but did get some very nice powders and bath salts.

At the Es Sarragine she was entranced with the leather products. She took a slim skirt and jacket outfit into the change room and when she came out Jean just went “Wow!” Shelly looked at her reflection and then stood still for a moment.

“What’s wrong, Shelly, you look like you’ve seen a ghost?”

“Not a ghost, Mum. I’m looking at another person but it’s me. I haven’t realised the ramifications of what I’m doing here before. I was thinking that this would be a great outfit for a Saturday night on the town and then it struck me that I’m thinking like a girl. I’m not playing a role any more. With the clothes, the make-up and the hair I’ve gone over the top. I love being Shelly. If I buy this outfit in black I’ve seen a similar one in red and there’s just a glorious soft leather coat there that almost makes me weep. It’s just so beautiful. Do you think I’m being silly?”

“Silly? No. Beautiful, funny, clever and talented, yes. You’re a natural girl, my daughter. You are becoming more female as we go further. That’s what this cruise is all about for most of the passengers. I think that the answers you give to my questionnaire would be a lot different if I asked you now. Buy the outfits and the coat, my girl; you’ll make them stand out in a crowd.”

“All right! It’s time I took some advice from my mother. Lord knows I never did before! There was also a soft blue-suede dress I saw on a rack. I think I’ll try that on as well.”

Two hours, two handbags and some suede pixie boots to match the dress later, Shelly carried her bags to ‘B’ Deck and hung them in her wardrobe. She wore the dress and boots to dinner and the waitress smiled as she input the number on the pendant reader.

After dinner there was another show in the theatre. As they walked in Sally pulled Shelly to one side.

“Shelly, tonight we plan to do a cabaret style show, a bit of singing and a bit of dancing. Would you please join us and sing a few songs? It will be just like karaoke except the audience won’t see the machine. If you tell us the songs we can play the backing. There’ll be a screen prompt in the footlights for you. I know you can do it, almost in your sleep. I’ve watched you and you are more of an entertainer than any-one I’ve had on this cruise before.”

“If you’re sure about this I’ll let Jean know so she won’t wonder where I’ve disappeared to. Hold on, I see her over there, be back in a jiffy.”

During the show that evening, Shelly appeared in a long dress and festooned with mock diamonds and sung three Adele songs so well some thought she may be lip-syncing. Later she came on stage with her dance partner and they gave a demonstration tango that made many in the audience pant and have lewd thoughts. They were dressed in full Spanish outfits and Shelly loved the feel of the skirts as they flowed around her legs. When they were back in the wings her partner kissed her passionately and whispered that he had wanted to do that since the morning.

When she had changed back into her own clothes and had been hugged by most of the cast she found the Entertainment Manager waiting for her.

“Two things, Shelly. The first is that I saw Rupert kiss you backstage after your dance. It’s not permitted for the crew to take advantage of a passenger. I will speak to him if you want me to.”

“That’s all right, sir. It was the effect of the dance. I think that if he hadn’t kissed me he may have exploded and that would have been terrible to clean up. You said two things, what else have I done wrong?”

“Wrong? Nothing wrong, young lady, nothing at all. Everything that I’ve seen you perform has been more than right. We have a longish voyage later on. In a few days we sail from Egypt, across to the northern coast and the Greek Islands. We normally put on a stage show and we were thinking of a variation South Pacific with the main songs. Would you join the crew for that? It would mean that you’ll have to attend a couple of rehearsal sessions instead of having fun. The first will be on a rest day off Tripoli, the day after tomorrow. The second will be two days later while we’re in Alexandria Harbour. It would mean that you’ll miss a class on deportment but I can tell you there’s nothing there you’re not doing already.”

“If you think I’m up to it, sir, I’ll be happy to. I’ve been in a few plays and things over the years and my friends from Uni want me to join them on their TV show but I never thought of myself as talented, just passable. I would be happy to do my bit for the crew of the Lillipilli.”

She met up with the others in the bar and the teens hugged her and told her she was a star. Her mother hugged her and told her she was so proud of her baby girl. Both the Americans hugged her and then excused themselves, telling her that they needed to retire to their stateroom for a cold shower and to rinse out their panties.

Shelly sat on a stool at the bar with the teens beside her.

“White wine all round, ladies? I hear you wowed the crowd tonight.”

“Thank you Julian, it was a lot of fun but I think I’ve got Rupert into trouble.”

“Ha! Rupert’s always in trouble. He’s the ship’s joker as well as the ship’s cad. I already heard that he kissed you backstage, was it good?”

“A lady doesn’t kiss and tell, Julian. If you’d seen the dance we had performed on stage, a kiss was the least he could’ve done. The officer wanted to have a word with him but I hope I cut that one off at the pass.”

“From what I’ve heard about Rupert, there’s something else that should be cut off at the pass.”

“You’d better believe it, Julian, it was there for the world to see and I think it may have turned these two heads. They’ve had a glazed look since we came out of the theatre.”

The two teens giggled and took a good swig of the wine and then said goodnight and weaved their way back to the staterooms.

“A couple of good girls there in the making, Shelly. I’ve seen their type many times; late blooming but stunners when they set their minds to it. Those two will go far. When are you next on stage?”

“I’ve been asked to appear in South Pacific in a few days. I need to do a couple of rehearsals first. I must say that the system with the karaoke machine is brilliant, I’ve never felt so at home on a stage before.”

“I’ll see you there, then. I’m down as one of the sailors. There’s a long voyage down the Italian coast and we’re thinking about doing West Side Story. You’ll be a shoe-in for that.”

“We’ll see, Julian. Nice talking to you. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Shelly. Sweet dreams.”

Marianne Gregory © 2022