Chapter 4 “Some Enchanted Evening”

The following morning they arrived off of Tripoli. The tours today would be in small groups, spaced over the two days they were moored. The groups would be closely looked after by some of the male crew members. Tripoli was not dangerous, usually, but the cruise line took no chances, especially with so many women. There would be a tour of the historical places and one to the bazaar for shopping.

Jean and the Americans wanted to take the tours on the first day but Shelly, Roberta and Michelle had other things in mind. The previous night, when Shelly went into her bedroom, there had been an envelope on her pillow. It told her that there was a very special, and very private, class in Sexual Methods, just for those in transition. She supposed that all these passengers had been noted for special treatment.

After breakfast the three of them met up with a small group at a one of the classrooms and Sally welcomed them all. Shelly looked around and saw only a few who still had some male looks showing. It surprised her that the few she had picked out easily before now blended in with the rest of the girls. It brought home just how effective this immersion therapy worked.

There were three crew members there, Sally and two of the males. Of course, everyone in the room had seen a penis before as they all had had one of their own but the morning was no less enlightening for it. Sally, and the very well hung males, took them through the methods to make oral sex enjoyable and successful. A few held back, thinking that it would be a homosexual act. These, clearly, had not gone far enough down the feminine path.

Shelly was unsure, at first. She had the barrier in her mind which had a big sign on it that read ‘What about when you’re Sheldon again’ but, as some of her classmates went forward for ‘hands-on training’ the barrier slowly crumbled. The crew members must have been in one of those male reviews because they took everything the girls could throw at them without exploding. Sally held Shelly and another quite beautiful girl back until the end and, as she led them for their turn, whispered “You get the full treatment, minus points if you spit it out.”

When they both were sucking on the cocks presented to them they received the release of some pent up pressure with the crew members finally getting their satisfaction. Shelly left the room with the taste of cum in her mouth and the other girl was smiling broadly.

At the bar Julian put three dry whites in front of them.

“I’m not sure, today, Julian.”

“Did you go last this morning, Shelly?”

“Yes. It was a very odd experience and I’m not sure if a white goes well with it.”

“Did the crew member have a tattooed heart below his navel?”

“He did, you couldn’t miss it when you’re at eye level.”

“Right! I have a nice chardonnay here that I think you’ll find acceptable. After that I will get you some ice water and then the dry white will be perfect.”

“How did you know, Julian?”

“Between you and me, Shelly; that’s my husband and I’ve tasted him many times.”

“That’s a very strange way for us to be linked, Julian. Did he perform with some review, he was very controlled? I don’t think any normal man would be able to be sucked by a half a dozen girls and not cum.”

“He had five years touring before we met. I managed to get him to join the cruise and he says he doesn’t regret it. He’s also part of our show team who you’ll meet tomorrow at the first rehearsal. I’ve been told that the First Mate has now decided that we’ll be doing a selection from various musicals and has you pencilled in for a couple of duets with Rupert.”

“That’ll be a first for me. I’ve never been on stage with a guy I’ve kissed and another I’ve given a blow-job before. I think that after lunch I may just spend the afternoon lazing by the pool, I deserve a rest.”

After lunch Shelly went to the shop and found a one-piece with a short skirt that was perfect and the six of them lazed by the pool, swam a little and dozed in the sun. All the time being looked after by stewards bringing snacks and drinks around. They almost had no room for the dinner but did their best.

The entertainment that evening was another shore-based musical group who played a mixture of African pop and traditional music with three appropriately dressed girls dancing alongside them. Shelly was absorbing the dance moves and knew, that if she remained living this way, she would try to learn more of this style of dancing.

Next morning she, Jasmin and the teens presented themselves at the theatre. They were welcomed by the crew that were there and Rupert gave all four a hug and a kiss. The director had worked out a list of songs. There were solos, duets and ensemble numbers that filled out about an hour and a half.

When they were all given the list, Shelly found that she had some duets with Rupert, several, in fact. The show would open with him going on stage at the beginning and welcoming the audience and then singing ‘Somethings Coming’ from West Side Story. Then a group of the girls, including the teens, hit the stage as a female version of ‘The Jets,’ followed by Rupert and Shelly singing ‘Tonight.’ That section finished with Jasmine and some of the other girls singing ‘America’.

Moving on to ‘The Sound of Music’ Shelly sang ‘My Favourite Things’ as a solo then Rupert came back with the teens and a large group for ‘Edelweiss.’ Jasmin was back with Julian’s husband for ‘Anything You Can Do’ from ‘Annie Get your Gun’ and then Rupert sang ‘Music of the Night’ from ‘The Phantom of the Opera’. Shelly was solo with ‘Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again’ and she and a, now mask-less Rupert, joined forces with ‘All I Ask of You’.

Julian and some other crewmen came on after to start a ‘South Pacific’ set with ‘There is Nothing Like a Dame’ and then Rupert and Shelly were back again with ‘Some Enchanted Evening.’ The evening started to wind up with Jasmin, Julian and some of the crew singing ‘Bali Ha’i’.

Shelly was to sing ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow’ and Rupert then joined her for the final three numbers. The first was ‘We’re Just a Couple of Swells’ from 'Easter Parade’, followed by Shelly singing to Rupert and the audience with ‘Til There was You’ from ‘Music Man’ and they were then joined by the whole cast for a big finish with ’76 Trombones’.

The list was chosen so that everyone could change to suit their song. The final four had Shelly in a big gown and Rupert in a striped jacket and straw hat. Shelly realised that this, for her, was a big performance. She would have to be in the right costume but she could see that there was plenty of time to change. She also saw that between her and Rupert, there were love duets which needed the right amount of feeling, along with some serious acting and dance moves.

The area behind the stage was well set up and the director took the two of them to a separate rehearsal room while the others rehearsed on stage. They worked through the morning with all of their songs, a choreographer helping with the movements and then working with them to sing while moving. Shelly hoped that the other three were having as much fun as she was.

They broke for lunch and the four friends went up to the dining room. Jasmin declared that she was feeling ten years younger and the teens told her that they felt more adult. In the afternoon they had a full show rehearsal to iron out any of the bugs with people moving on and off the stage. It also allowed the tech man to set up the timing of the lights and the music. Then they did the show a second time to totally smooth it out.

As they had dinner they left Tripoli to sail to the port of Alexandria for another two day stop. The evening was left open for individual pursuits and Shelly and the teens hit the disco again.

In the morning they were moored in the harbour of Alexandria. This time there were excursions to Cairo and the Pyramids and it was something everyone wanted to see. The shopping part of this port of call was mainly a visit to the Khan el-Khalili for the gold merchants. The rest of the two days were tours of Alexandria and the other historic sites around Cairo. They were all advised to wear slacks ashore and carry a scarf to wear when they were not in the bus.

The six of them went to Cairo on the first day, having lunch with the pyramids on the horizon was magical. The stop for browsing among the gold merchants was very profitable for the merchants as all six of them returned to the ship with gold necklaces, rings and earrings. That evening, after dinner, the entertainment was an Egyptian group.

The following day they took the Alexandria tour and marvelled at all of the ancient places that they had read about. That evening, after dinner, the crew put on a one-act bedroom farce which was well acted and very funny.

While this was playing, the ship slid away from its moorings and sailed north, to the other side of the Mediterranean and the next stop at the island of Rhodes. This would take about twenty-four hours at an easy pace that conserved fuel.

The show cast had a full dress rehearsal after breakfast. They then had lunch and an afternoon to sit around the pool and enjoy the sun. After dinner the show was ready to go. The four of them went directly to the theatre to dress and get made up for the first numbers and the theatre filled with passengers, all wondering what they would see tonight.

When the crowd had settled, Rupert went out on stage and welcomed them to an evening with the musicals, starting with West Side Story. The music swelled and he sang ‘Somethings Coming’. Then they moved along from song to song with the ‘Tonight’ duet getting applause. Jasmin was great in the ‘America’ song and that got a lot of laughs. Shelly changed from her sixties flared skirt to a long gingham for ‘My Favourite Things’ and then to a Victorian dress for the ‘Phantom’ set, Rupert looking good in the half-mask.

The ‘South Pacific’ set went down well and her duet with Rupert was as close to a love scene as was possible on stage. They made ‘Some Enchanted Evening’ their own. Shelly came on after ‘Bali Ha’i’ to sing ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ and then Rupert joined her, looking like a member of the twenties sailing-yacht set for the last three numbers. After the whole cast had finished off with ’76 Trombones’ they were all hot, tired and jubilant as they took their bows in front of a standing audience.

That evening Shelly and the others retired to the bar for a nightcap. Jean was very quiet while Roberta and Michelle were bubbly, comparing notes with Jasmin, who was tired but very happy.

“What’s up, Mum? You’re quiet tonight.”

“Oh, Shelly, it’s just that I’ve never been so happy. I’ve seen you in other plays and even seen you sing before but tonight was something different. Tonight you and Rupert carried that show from start to finish and it was so beautiful when you sang the duets. You really had an aura that sucked us into the songs. If I didn’t know better I would have said you were lovers in real life.”

“That’s a bit unlikely, Mum. I admit that he’s one very handsome guy and I admit that he kissed me after our tango presentation. I also have to admit that I liked it, for some weird reason, and the line between me and my former self blurred a little in those few seconds.”

They all finished their drinks and headed for the staterooms. Shelly watched the teens as they walked in front of the group and, for the life of her, she couldn’t see any sign of their former selves.

Come to think of it, whenever she passed a mirror she couldn’t see any sign of Sheldon.

The ship had arrived at the port of Rhodes as the show was on and the next day was an easy one. There were excursions ashore if anyone wanted them and just time to enjoy the pool or the other amenities if you didn’t. For those who still wanted to learn something there was a class on deportment and the teens nagged Shelly to join them.

This led to another invitation from Sally as the next big presentation was to occur during the trip around the tip of Greece from the port of Athens to the port of Dubrovnik in about a week. This was to be a fashion show and the three of them were roped in to walk the catwalk. Sally promised that it would be easy and that they would all get extra ‘fun’ points.

From Rhodes it was a short overnight trip to Lesbos, then on to Lemnos. They all had trips ashore and the evening entertainment was groups from the ports they were moored at. Shelly took the opportunity to see Angel in her salon for a check-up. Angel unglued her and looked over her face and body closely, zapping any new growth with a laser. Then she rubbed soothing oils all over. A trim of the eyebrows, a repaint to the nails and a quick hair-do and she then reglued the breasts back on. Shelly was in a real quandary while all this was happening. Her penis had been freed but unresponsive to a very nice woman working on her body. When it was resecured she felt almost a sense of relief.

After four days in the Greek Islands they arrived at Athens for a three day stop. There were historic tours and shopping tours. There were enough ancient sites to last a week or more if you wanted and every day could be filled with just the historical visits. There were most of the big stores that you would find anywhere in a big city. The particular destination for most of the passengers was the Folli Follie store to buy a watch from the source; Shelly and Jean among them. Jean took the visit here to again top up their credit cards at her bank outlet.

The nights were different here. The cruise had a standing arrangement with local entertainment venues and the passengers were taken, by coach, to a different show every evening. The evening they sailed from Athens, heading for Dubrovnik, Shelly and the teens were measured up for the fashion show outfits that would take place the following afternoon.

That night they sailed around the tip of Greece and headed north along the western shore. In the morning Shelly and the teens went off for a rehearsal and, after lunch, they walked the catwalk set up in the ballroom with rows of chairs either side. The three of them had fun and looked good. Not only that, it further hardened the resolve of all three to be as good as they could be in their transition. Shelly was learning so much about being a woman she was almost giddy at the onslaught of information that came her way.

The one thing she learned from the fashion show was that she looked good when wearing just about anything and Sally took advantage of that by making sure she was in high rotation during the event. Afterwards Jean told her that she looked fantastic.

At dinner, that evening, the teens had announcements. Roberta had decided that she wanted to be called Ava in future because someone in the audience that afternoon had said that she looked like Ava Gardner. Michelle wanted to be known as Natalie because she had been likened to Natalie Wood. Neither knew who both these women were but they liked the names. They all toasted the newly christened girls.

The next day in Dubrovnik they had tours. There was a long list of historical sites and also a shopping tour. The six of them did a morning tour of the old walls, went back on board for lunch and hit the shops in the afternoon. The main stop was the DOC at Lapad which had several of the big name chains so everyone tried on a lot of items and only bought a few.

That evening the ship sailed on to a place they all wanted to see, Venice, arriving there in the early morning. They would be here for three full days and there were tours that included gondola rides, a tour to the Murano Glass outlet and two full-day shopping tours. One was to the Le Mercerie area where they were promised a number of high-end designer brand shops.

The other was to the Coin shopping centre in Cannaregio. The six chose the latter one first and Shelly came back with an Alexander McQueen dress and two pairs of Jimmy Choo shoes. It was all totally frivolous but she felt so good in them she couldn’t help herself. They did the scenic tour and also went to the Murano outlet where Jean bought a glorious vase to put on her desk in the clinic. The entertainment both evenings were Italian bands who played Euro-pop.

During the third evening the ship left Venice and sailed down the east coast of Italy to arrive in the harbour of Bari the next morning. There were no tours organised here but some passengers were taken ashore to have a look around and get some exercise. Shelly, Ava and Natalie were joined by Sally for a stroll in the shops and it was here that they were attacked.

Afterwards, if asked, they couldn’t say if it was a robbery or abduction attempt but the upshot was that they emerged from the alley-way they had been pulled into a few minutes later, all a little dishevelled. Behind them were three attackers who were worse for wear. Sally was competent, having been trained by the shipping line, and took care of one thug who grabbed her, while Shelly took the other two down with some karate moves she had never been allowed to use on a human being before. One of the thugs had grabbed her while another had thought that he could easily control the two teens.

They didn’t stop to see if they’d done too much damage and quickly made their way into a shopping complex and the toilets to repair their make-up. Shelly had to find a nail bar because she had broken two nails. She told the attendant that she had slipped on some stairs.

They vowed not to say anything about the venture and went back on board. That evening the ship sailed on and around the toe of Italy to arrive in Palermo. While there the three girls stayed on board and Sally organised a visit to the ship’s doctor to check them over and put salve on the few scratches they had sustained. Sally told him they had all slipped on a wet cobblestone walkway.

The teens were keen to learn some self-defence so Sally announced a small class that would run in the mornings for the next few days. They had a dozen who signed on and both Sally and Shelly imparted their knowledge with the basic moves to disable a larger opponent, using methods that took no prisoners, as they didn’t have the years needed to study the basics and the history of the martial art.

That meant that they only took afternoon trips in Naples, Rome and Genoa. By then, their students could look after themselves quite well and Sally had gained an even higher appreciation of Shelly and her range of skills.

Shelly really didn’t mind missing out on shopping trips for a while. She had a pretty good wardrobe by now and an inversely proportional bank balance. She took the teens under her wing for the rest of the stops on the cruise. Jean was also shopped out but joined them for excursions in Nice, Marseille and Barcelona.

The final stops would be in Valencia before they went past Gibraltar again for the last stop in Lisbon. Shelly went to see Angel to get her body bits unglued between Barcelona and Valencia. She dressed in items from her original suitcase and hated the reflection in the mirror.

When Jean heard her crying she comforted her and told her that Shelly could work with her in the clinic for a while. She could see what she felt after some time back in normal life as a woman. . She went back to get the glue treatment again the next day. It was just too different being back in male form.

A representative from the cruise line joined the ship when they arrived in Lisbon. She invited Shelly to join her and Sally in one of the empty state-rooms. They were joined by the First Officer who had been the entertainment manager.

Shelly was told that she had exceeded all records when it came to ‘Fun’ points and, as such, would have her cruise cost refunded. She thought that Jean would be happy with that. She was then told that the karaoke sessions, the musical evening, the fashion show and her general input to the cruise was such that they wanted her on board next summer, as a crew member. She would be given other cruise details to see if she wanted to sign on as a full-time employee or just take the six weeks every year.

Shelly was truly at a cross-road that last day on board. She discussed her options with Jean and then Jean threw another at her. She took Shelly to the salon and Angel told her that she, herself, only took this cruise as a summer break from her real job. Her real job was as Managing Director of Avian Laboratories.

Angel then offered Shelly a job with her for the rest of the year with the cruise period guaranteed as a holiday. She said that she had been impressed with Shelly’s knowledge of the chemistry of cosmetics, especially her nose for scents. The salary was the turning point for Shelly. It was more than she could have earned as a full professor and she could stay in dresses.

Before the ship sailed from Lisbon she had agreed to join Angel at Avian and they had both gone to the lady from Head Office to assure her that Shelly would be joining the ship next year.

Shelly went to the shop on board and purchased two cases that better suited her new wardrobe. Later on, she went into the bar for a final nightcap.

“Julian, are all these cruises so hectic?”

“No, Shelly. It was you that brought life to this one and, I think, learned a lot about yourself along the way.”

“You’re right there. I’ve had so much fun I’ll be back next summer as one of the crew.”

“That’ll please Rupert. He’s been very quiet these last few days. If I had to say why, I would say that he’s acting like a guy in love.”

“It was so good singing with him. I felt as if we had been doing that for longer than a few days. I’d like to say bye to him but I suppose he’s busy doing his duty.”

“Actually, he just walked in and is heading this way. If I were you, I’d finish that wine and find out what he tastes like. See you next summer, Shelly. I’ll be looking forward to it.”

Shelly turned as Rupert approached her.

“I’ve just heard that you’re joining us next summer.”

“Yes, I’m afraid that you’ll have to put up with me for another six weeks.”

“Shelly, my heart, I would put up with you for a life-time if you’ll let me.”

“How about we take a stroll on deck and test our compatibility first and then you’ll have to wait until summer unless you visit me at home.”

They went out on the aft deck and watched the sparkle of the wake and then kissed. They kissed a lot and talked about the future. Shelly gave him her mother’s address and he promised to call first to tell her when he was ashore.

When they finally parted she went back to the stateroom to ponder the enormity of the day. She would be using her chemistry skills at Avian and getting paid well. She would be using her acting, singing and womanly skills for the next tour. The only skill she hadn’t used in the last few weeks had been her rowing but, as they would have to sink for her to show that, she was glad it wasn’t needed.

On top of all that, she had connected with her mother in so many ways that Sheldon had never been able to. She had a very good wardrobe and would be able to afford to add to it. She realised that she was, at least for the moment, in love and was loved in return.

She had a good look in her old case then pulled out any personal effects before taking it out on deck and dropping it over the side. Sheldon finally sank to the bottom of the ocean that night and Shelly sailed on into a new; and better, life.

Next morning, at breakfast before they docked; Jasmin and Veronica hugged her and told her that she had brightened their lives and that she was welcome to call on them in New York any time. They also offered her some modelling there if she came over. They guaranteed she would have a spread in one of their magazines.

She was thanked by Ava and Natalie for helping them find their inner girl. The mothers told her that she had been instrumental in bringing the two out of their shells and that both of them now had strong and lively daughters instead of moody boys.

When they were alone Jean told her that this was another facet that had come to the fore. She would put it to the cruise line that Shelly could be a contact for all those transitioning on board. She could be an official representative of the clinic which would give her a bit of work but a lot of satisfaction.

As she watched the coast of the Solent slide by, Shelly understood one simple fact. She was not beholden to those in academic life who wanted her to keep learning. She had no need to join her stage friends who wanted her, or, she corrected, him, in their show. She did not need to fight in competitions but could keep that skill aside for any further incidents on foreign soil. As Sheldon he was pulled backwards and forwards by others. As Shelly, she was now her own person.

She could now do all of the things that made her the Shelly she had become. There was only one other thing to be done before the cruise began next summer. That was to fully transition so that Rupert could take her as his if he was still interested.

Now, that was something to really look forward to and the thought stayed with her as she followed her mother down the gangway to shore, making little Shirley Temple dance steps as she went.

Epilogue

Six years later Rupert and Shelly, now husband and wife, boarded the Lillipilli for another six week cruise. Today, they were greeted by the Captain and escorted to their usual stateroom on ‘B’ Deck. They unpacked and went down to the crew quarters to see who was already on board.

This year would be the fifth year that they both sailed as crew and the fourth year they had done it as a married couple. They had been joint Entertainment Managers for three years and the cruise line was happy to see them. This particular cruise was always booked out with an overflow list.

The reason for the popularity was simple. They were both now TV stars and both had songs in the charts, either as individuals or as a couple. They had played a couple in a stage musical and had won ‘Dancing with the Stars’. Shelly had contacted her university friends and had joined them on their TV show and her career took off from there. Rupert had joined her some months later, their duets becoming a ‘must-watch’ occasion.

She still had her job with Angel, as a lead developer for new scents with Avian but her team was well picked, well trained and able to operate without her for short periods. Angel still took her own holiday on board and they would be meeting for lunch the next day.

With their success came opportunities for others in the entertainment business. This trip they had three other stars on board, two singers and one comedienne. The shows they put on were always packed.

Jean and Angel boarded the next day. Jean had taken up an offer by the cruise line of a free cruise with a small office where she could council the ‘girls’ that she had booked for the cruise. Most, these days, were dropped off by a parent to be left in her charge for the trip.

It was a big impetus to her ‘girls’ to be in close proximity to well-known TV stars, led by the fabulous Shelly Temple - role-model, idol, goddess and, usually by the final berthing, friend.

Marianne Gregory © 2022