The Suitcase – 9

By

Pamela

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“Tell me again about your family,” Blake said as he and Lisa drove to Lisa’s parent’s house. They were running a bit late after getting held up by an accident on the interstate highway. Dinner was served punctually at six and they were expected to arrive before then.

“I don’t know about this,” Lisa said. “Maybe we’re crazy for going.”

“You have to do it, Lisa, it’s the right thing to do.”

“Is it? Even if my dad goes berserk and says terrible things?”

Greg laughed. “At least that’s a start. It can only go up from there.”

“It might be funny if I didn’t have to live through it,” Lisa said.

“I’m sorry, Lisa. You know how I think. You’ve committed no crime. You’ve done nothing wrong. You’re allowed to live your own personal life any way you want. If your parents believe they’re victims of your behavior it’s only because they’re trying to make you a victim of their misguided beliefs. They’re violating your rights and disrespecting you!”

“I love you, Blake. You make that sound so right. I can’t imagine a world without you in it. Your strength is such a comfort to me.”

“If we didn’t have these damn bucket seats I’d squeeze you against me. You’re so lovely, Lisa. I mean it. You’re such a natural and pretty girl, how could your parents be deluded into thinking that you’re supposed to present to the world as a boy or a man?”

“I don’t know myself. I thought there were times when I was growing up that my mom might have seen the girl in me. I saw her wearing her slip more than once and I know that even as a young boy I loved how pretty it was. Particularly the lacy part over her breasts. The way they bulged out always kind of melted me. I’d follow my mom around and try to get her to hug me so I could get a whiff of her perfume and feel the warmth of her body through the slip.”

“That’s so darling. I bet your mom did see the girl in you, but she probably decided it wasn’t worth antagonizing your dad to speak up about it. Maybe she was afraid that he’d overreact and beat manhood into you!”

“What you say is truer than you’ll ever know. My dad was always eager to see the manliness in me. There were probably times when he would have liked to tan my hide for not being enough of a boy, but he probably thought it wasn’t worth freaking out my mom by hitting me. So I sort of floated along in the boundary between boy and girl, with the girl pretty well hidden.”

“How did you fit in with your sister and brother?”

“My older brother, Ned, has an MBA and is a corporate VP in a tech firm just outside Chicago. To tell you the truth, Barry reminds me a bit of him. He was an athlete in college. Had lots of girlfriends. I grew up listening to him talk about his conquests. He’s married with one daughter and probably another child on the way. My parents have always been crazy about him. They’re proud of his career. He’s two years older than me and we were never that close. He used to make fun of me for going into Venetian blinds. That made me mad but what could I do about it?”

“How will he take your becoming Lisa?”

“I hate to think about that. He’ll laugh at me. He’ll tell me to ‘grow up’ and become Greg again. I wouldn’t be surprised if he tells me that I’m evil for hurting mom and dad.”

“He won’t be here, will he?”

“I don’t know. Maybe. My parents were kind of excited about me coming home after such a long time. It was Christmas when I last saw them.”

“What about your sister?”

“Anne’s a year and a half younger than me. She’s always been popular and cool. The other kids treat her like some kind of star. She’s a senior in college now and has been home for the summer.”

“Will she welcome you as a sister?”

“I hope so. I wish she would. She does think my parents are too conservative so maybe that’ll make me an ally of hers. We’ll find out.”

“Now tell me about your parents,” Blake said.

“My father will disown me.”

“What does he do?”

“He works for the highway department. In the winter he drives a snowplow.”

“So he’s a manly man. Out on the roads in storms.”

“Exactly. Goes to church and probably believes what he hears. His church dismisses the idea of God making gender errors.”

“Your mom?”

“She’s an LPN.”

“How will they react?”

“My mom will be disgusted but – after some soul searching – decide she doesn’t want to lose her son forever. She’ll see me secretly behind my dad’s back if she has to, I’m sure. She’ll not want to know the details of my new life. She won’t ever see me as her daughter.” Lisa quietly whimpered and some tears came down her cheeks.

“You’re dad is going to kill you?”

“Yes and ten times over. He’ll disinherit me. He’s liable to banish me forever – unless I come back as his son.”

“It’ll be such a loss for him. You’re the kind of loving and affectionate daughter any father should love to have.”

“That’s a darling thing to say. I’ll give all his unwanted affection and love to you.”

Blake laughed. “I’m not intimidated by your parents. I’ll defend you in any way that seems appropriate.”

“Thank you, Blake. I do feel safe with you.”

They drove on in silence for fifteen minutes until Blake steered the car up an asphalt driveway to park in front of a modest ranch style house. Next to their car was a glistening late model, black, Mercedes.

“Oh damn. Ned is here,” Lisa said. “This has to be his car.”

“Nice car,” Blake said.

“Oh, God in heaven. He’s here with his wife, Patty, and their daughter, Phoebe. I’m going to be sick.”

“If it’s too bad we’ll just run to the car and leave. I’m not going to have you shot to pieces!”

“My dad does have a gun.”

“I know you can do this. Don’t lose your cool no matter what they say. Controlling yourself is the one variable that’s in your power. The rest is up to them, so we can step back and watch it unfurl.”

On the front step just outside the door, Blake put his strong arm around Lisa, found her chin with his free hand and guided her lips to receive a powerful, long, kiss into which he poured all his love. It may sound silly but it was a kiss that made Lisa’s pantyhose curl up. When Blake was done kissing Lisa, he rang the doorbell. They waited for a minute. Lisa looked at her watch. “It’s a little after six. I bet they’re seated at the dinner table saying a prayer.”

Finally the door opened and it was Phoebe, Lisa’s eight-year-old niece. “Who are you?” she said.

“I’m your Aunt Lisa and this is her friend Blake.”

Phoebe ran back to the dining room and shouted, “It’s Aunt Lisa and Blake.”

“Who in the world?” Lisa heard her mom exclaim.

Ned soon appeared and said, “What? Who are you?”

“I’m now Aunt Lisa,” Lisa said. “I was your brother Greg, but now I’m your sister Lisa. This is my fiancé Blake.”

Lisa’s dad yelled from the dining room, “Who’s Aunt Lisa?”

“Are you crazy, Greg?” Ned said.

“It’s Lisa, Ned. My name is Lisa. Greg is no more.”

“Okay, okay, okay.”

“Sorry, Ned, I know this must be a shock,” Lisa said.

“A shock? Is this a prank? Is this for real?” Ned said.

“Yes it’s real. I am a woman now, through and through.”

“Ned!” Lisa’s dad yelled.

“Coming, dad,” Ned shouted. To Lisa he said, “We’ll have to talk later. For now it’s your show! I’m going to step aside and gawk at the fireworks.”

Lisa and Blake followed Ned to the dining room. A table was set for eight. Two empty seats were at the far end of the table away from Lisa’s dad. Platters of chicken and potatoes were on the table. As Ned sat down all eyes were on Lisa and Blake.

“Ned, who are these strangers?” Lisa’s dad said. “And who in the world is Aunt Lisa?”

“Dad. I’m Aunt Lisa. Well, now anyway.”

“Dad?” Lisa’s dad said staring at her with incomprehension.

Anne suddenly let out a whoop of laughter. “Holy sh…! It’s Greg! It’s Greg. Don’t you see! Uncle Greg is now Aunt Lisa. Oh man, oh man!”

“Yes Anne,” Lisa said. “I was Greg, now I’m Lisa. We’re now sisters. This is Blake, my fiancé.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you all,” Blake said cheerfully.

“That’s my dad and mom,” Lisa said pointing at them. “You met my brother Ned and my niece Phoebe. Ned’s wife is Patty.”

“Take your wig off in my house,” Lisa’s dad roared.

“It’s not a wig, dad. I’ve grown my hair out. I have a very nice stylist.”

“Take off those damn clothes!”

Lisa’s dad stood up forcefully knocking into the table. He walked around to Lisa and raised his arm to smack her in the face. Blake anticipated the move and caught his hand before he hit Lisa. “I’ve got news for you, buddy,” Blake said to Lisa’s dad, “you’ll have to get by me before hurting Lisa. Are you really so poorly behaved that you hit girls?”

“Girl? That shameful trash you plan to marry is my son.”

“She’s your daughter. Her name is Lisa. She’s come here with love and devotion to her family and you greet her with hate.”

“He’s an abomination. God sends degenerates like him to hell.”

“Perhaps the psychotic, evil God that you believe in. But the God that decent, morally upright people believe in happens to love all his creations.”

“How dare you talk like that! You don’t know what you’re saying. Greg is possessed by the devil. Get out of my house. Oh God I’m ashamed and sorry that these sinners have crossed my threshold.”

“Dad,” Anne said. “Greg, or Lisa, doesn’t deserve that vitriol.”

“Shut up.” Her father said to her.

“Nor do I,” Anne said. “I don’t know anything about Greg, I mean Lisa’s, desire to be a girl, but it’s not up to me or you or anyone to pass judgement on him her.”

“Watch it Anne before you say something you’ll regret,” Lisa’s dad said.

“Dad,” Ned said. “You’re overreacting. Greg or Lisa is …”

“Shut up. Ned,” his dad said.

Lisa’s mother stood up. “Greg. Come with me and bring your fiancé. Come.”

“It’s Lisa, Mom. Not, Greg.”

“Whatever. Just come with me.”

Lisa and Blake followed her to the living room. “Sit down,” Lisa’s mom said. They took seats on chairs facing her.

“Your father’s right except that God does forgive everyone.”

“He’s wrong, Mom. There’s no way that God is upset that I’ve decided to express my true inner femininity and be a girl. That’s such a minor thing in the grand scheme of things. It doesn’t hurt anyone else – well it shouldn’t hurt you or dad. I’m your child. I was before, I am now, and I’ll always be in the future. You should embrace that and celebrate that.”

“If what we do in our lives isn’t what God wants, then we have to change our behavior so that it is what he wants,” Lisa’s mom said.

“Mom, I’m happier than I’ve ever been in my life. How do you explain that?”

“God’s testing you. A little pleasure now for an eternity of pain.”

“Mom, put all that aside. Don’t give me a sermon. Give me you! Give me your innermost feelings. You’re my mom, you know that behind everything you love me. God doesn’t want you to reject your own child. And I believe that deep down inside you, you believe that.”

“If my child is evil …”

“Evil? You’re just spouting words that don’t even come from your heart. They’re snippets of hate that come from pretending that you know God. Please, Mom. You’re only mortal. You don’t know God. You have no right to speak for him or her or it!”

“I go to church every Sunday and God’s will is revealed to me.”

“I don’t want to go around in circles with you. The bottom line is that I’m happier than I’ve ever been. I’m not going to change to suit your religious beliefs. You and dad can practice all the hatred you want but please carve out an exception for your own child. Trust me. You raised me to be who I am so accept it. You’re hatred is only going to ruin your lives for no reason.”

Lisa’s mom began crying and Lisa put her arm around her. “It’s the real you that is crying, Mom. That part of you loves me and doesn’t want to hate me. Hating me is breaking you apart at the core because you know that’s not you. God doesn’t want you to pass judgement on me. That’s God’s business. Just love your family and God will be happy.”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about!,” Lisa’s dad said, barging into the room. “Your mom and I are filled with the Lord’s spirit every day and there’s no doubt that you’re going to hell so fast that …”

“Your hatred for you own son is going to send you to hell,” Blake said.

“How dare you tell me what God’s will is!”

“He’s right dad,” Lisa said.

“Shame on you for talking to me like that,” Lisa’s dad said and looked at Blake as if to make sure he wasn’t going to threaten him.

“Your dad and I made some mistakes raising you and so we have to share some of the guilt for this sinful thing you’ve done,” Lisa’s mom said.

“Mom. It’s not sinful. You’re wrong about that. God loves me as much as he loves anyone.”

“Don’t say such a horrible thing,” Lisa’s mother sobbed.

“It’s the truth.”

“I sometimes have thought that I kept you too close to me.” Lisa’s mother continued. “After Ned was born I wanted a daughter and you came along and I might have interfered a little with your masculinity. But then Anne was born and I’m sure I no longer had a subconscious need to see you as a daughter.”

“But you can’t deny that of your three children I’ve always had the most feminine temperament. Ned is very masculine, and Anne was a tomboy growing up and she’s never been retiring and feminine. Not like I was and still am!”

“I’m going to go to hell for what I did to you,” Lisa’s mom said.

“Nonsense, nonsense, nonsense,” Lisa’s dad said. “Enough of this chatter. Every second you’re in this house is an afront to God and to your family. I don’t want to ever see or hear from you again. You’re no longer my child. Son or daughter or whatever stupid idea you have. Goodbye and good riddance. Come dear.”

Lisa’s mom got up and hobbled away sobbing. When she was gone Lisa’s father pointed to the door and said, “Get going.”

The sense of finality overwhelmed Lisa and she began to cry. Such a total and abject severing from her family had not been how she thought this would turn out. That her mother didn’t protest was unexpected. The only difference between she and her father was a theological point as to whether or not God would forgive her sins.

Blake put his arm over Lisa’s back and gently led her outside into the brisk night air. How sad that rigid religious doctrine could be used to nullify a living breathing loving human being. As they reached the car Lisa sobbed ever more emotionally. Her banishment was sinking in and it hurt far more than she had ever imagined it would.

At that moment the front door flung open and Anne and Ned ran up to Lisa. “Dad told us what he said,” Anne said. “What a scumbag!”

“Anne and I will never abandon you,” Ned said. “You’re our sister now, you’re Phoebe’s Aunt Lisa. None of that will change.”

Ned gathered up Lisa in his arms and held her. Then Anne came over and the two siblings held onto Lisa calming her down. Anne whispered in Lisa’s ear that she will love to be her sister and if she needs a woman to talk to or to help her with her transition to call her. She’ll be there for her.

A switch then flipped in Lisa’s mind so that where a minute ago she had been crying from sadness and pain she was now crying from happiness and love for her brother and sister. When she calmed down enough to rein in her emotions Lisa said, “I don’t want you to get in trouble with dad.”

“We’re not going to hide our relationship to you,” Ned said. “We will include you in any family conversation. If dad wants to shun Anne and me he’s welcome to.”

“It made my blood boil the way he talked to you,” Anne said. “I’m so embarrassed by his hatred and stupidity. Imagine giving up on a sweet daughter like you. He should be protecting you from harm, not destroying you!”

Deep down in her heart Lisa felt a powerful love for her brother and sister that she never knew she had before.

***

On the drive back, Lisa said, “I had Ned so wrong. I feel foolish.”

“He’s moved on past where your parents are,” Blake said.

“And Anne was so kind. I’m going to enjoy being her sister. Get to know her better now that we’re girls.”

They drove on in the darkness. After awhile Blake said, “Do you think your mom might reach out to you?”

“I wish I knew. I intend to reach out to her. Eventually she might respond. At least I hope she does. It was a surprise to me that she couldn’t see her way to acknowledge her motherly love for me.”

“As you say she just might need some time. Who knows, maybe your dad will also reconsider.”

“That would be a major miracle. In a matter of years he might mellow a bit. I guess it’s possible.”

“Good. For right now, we need to plan our party. I’m thinking deli. What do you think?”

“That’s a great idea. Everyone can make their own sandwiches.”

“I’ll buy the booze. Think of everyone you want to invite and give them a call!”

“Something good to look forward to. It’ll be so much fun to come out as one of the women.”

“And I get to hang with the men. Such a delight! I’ve thought about this for years!”

“Me too! Being myself is so much better than being someone I’m not.”

“You can say that again.”

***

Two weeks hence Blake and Lisa’s house was soon to be filled with their friends. The event was billed as a coming out party to celebrate their new lives. By word of mouth not too many of the guests would show up with no inkling of the transformations that had Greg wearing a dress and Jill looking like she’d stepped out of GQ.

Lisa wore a black cocktail dress. She was especially proud of wearing a matching black bra and panties as well as a black padded girdle, nude stockings, a black slip, and black heels. She had become expert on putting on makeup as taught by Bonnie. She knew she looked like a million dollars and felt that way too. There was nothing more glorious than to be dressed in a sexy outfit with a sexy foundation underneath.

Just before the first guests showed up, Blake took Lisa in his arms and squeezed her tightly and then kissed her. “You’re so pretty I can’t stand it,” Blake said.

Lisa laughed. “And you’re so handsome I want to beg you to take me to the bedroom and have your way with me!”

“Naughty girl!”

“I know. You make me into a loose woman!” The reality was that it was true. Lisa had an almost constant desire for intimate contact with Blake. It was one reason why she took the precaution of wearing a firm support girdle rather than a garter belt. She couldn’t let the stirrings in her loins detract away from fun at the party.

The first few guests were Blake’s friends from the bowling alley. He introduced Lisa to Emily, Sue, and Eileen who had been on Jill’s bowling team.

“I love your dress!” Emily said.

“Thank you,” Lisa said. “I hope it’s not too dressy. Blake and I neglected to specify a dress code.”

“You look darling in it,” Eileen said. “It’s exciting for us to meet the girl that took away our best bowler!”

“Seeing how pretty you are, it makes sense,” Sue said.

Blake left to greet some other friends and Emily said, “We’re so relieved that Jill got to see the true Barry so that she could come to her senses and dump him.”

“All her friends knew that Barry was a jerk,” Sue said.

“I hate to think of a marriage between Jill and Barry!” Lisa said.

“We shudder at the thought,” Emily said.

Lisa said, “Did you know that Jill would one day want to …” not knowing how to finish the sentence.

“It was a surprise but not a total surprise,” Emily said. “Jill bowled better than most men and we know that she complained about Barry’s male bossiness. I don’t know how many times she said that she’d love to have muscles that would make Barry jealous.”

“But it was a shock, after all,” Sue said.

“Blake’s so masculine it’s hard to remember he was ever Jill.” Emily said.

“It’s so sweet the way Blake fell for you,” Eileen said.

“We feel so very lucky for finding each other,” Lisa said.

“Blake’s happiness is not too high a price to pay for screwing up our bowling team,” Emily said.

“I’m glad to hear that!” Lisa said. “Have you found a replacement?”

“Oh yeah. Agnes is joining the team. She’s pretty good but she’s not Jill. Do you bowl?”

“I’m terrible! If I don’t get a gutter ball I’m thrilled.”

“You could learn,” Sue said.

“Blake gave me one lesson and it did help a little. The balls are so heavy and I’m kind of a klutz I guess. But I do want to get better.”

“There are leagues for girls that are beginner’s,” Emily said.

“They won’t laugh at your gutter balls,” Eileen said.

“In that case I’d love to join,” Lisa said. It would be another way to get some girlfriends. She would ask Blake about it.

***

At the front door Blake greeted Bob, Jesse, and Saul from the bowling alley.

“Hey boss,” Bob said.

“Tonight I’m Blake. Just one of the guys!”

“Where’d you get that grip?” Saul said after shaking Blake’s hand.

“I’ve got a personal trainer,” Blake said. “Do you know John Sampson?”

“Your shitting me,” Saul said. “That guy’s a monster.”

“Yeah, I convinced him to come to my house once a week and help me bulk up. It’s been great.”

“The transformation is just amazing,” Bob said.

“Barry is the one who’s going to be freaked the next time he sees you,” Jesse said.

Blake laughed. “I can’t wait.”

“He was asking about you the other day,” Jesse said.

“He’s finally back from Toronto?” Blake asked.

“Yeah, he stayed longer than he was supposed to. He’s been at the alley some evenings when you’re not there,” Jesse said. “He found out you’re on Frank and Angelo’s bowling team and he got pretty upset.”

“Only because he knows we can whip his ass,” Blake laughed.

“That’s going to be an incredible matchup,” Jesse said.

“Sometime in the fall. The schedule will be out soon,” Blake said.

While they talked Lisa came over to them.

Blake said, “You’ve met Jesse and Bob. This is Saul who keeps everything flowing behind the scenes at the alley.”

Lisa shook his hand, “It’s such a pleasure to get to know Blake’s friends.”

“We were just commenting on how Blake’s turning into a muscleman,” Bob said.

“I know. Can you believe his progress?” Lisa looked admiringly at Blake and held onto his arm with both of her hands. She felt his bicep and if she wasn’t at a party she would have coaxed him to come to bed with her.

***

Guests steadily trickled in and Lisa and Blake greeted them and made introductions. Nancy and Kevin from the venetian blinds shop came together. “I’m so happy you guys could come,” Lisa said.

“We wouldn’t miss this for the world,” Kevin said.

“It’s just not the same without you at the shop,” Nancy said.

“We’ve had some really tough venetian blind problems to solve since you left,” Kevin said. “I’m not sure that we solved them correctly.”

“Does Mr. Lutz regret firing me?”

“I’m not sure, but he’s different now. Grumpier, I’d say,” Nancy said.

“I think he’s acting like a father who’s become estranged from his child,” Kevin said.

“I’m sorry to hear that. I was always fond of him,” Lisa said. “He’s so dumb for saying what he said.”

“Bigoted is the word,” Nancy said.

“You know my own father disowned me,” Lisa said choking up a bit. The reality of saying it brought out emotions that she held hidden inside herself. “Mr. Lutz has nothing to lose by being understanding. He’s not losing a son!”

Nancy held Lisa. “You poor dear. You shouldn’t think about such sad things at your party.”

“Right. It’ll ruin my makeup.” Lisa said. “I’ve missed not working with you guys. I’m also especially going to regret missing the annual convention. I had so many friends there.”

“Mr. Lutz is going to send me,” Kevin said.

“I’ll give you some introductions,” Lisa said.

“Thanks. Have you been looking for a job in venetian blinds?” Kevin asked.

“Actually, I’ve gotten a new job that I love.”

“What’s that?” Kevin asked.

“I’m training to be the head saleswoman at Josephine’s bridal shop.”

“Oh, my God, what a fun job and perfect for you,” Nancy said.

“I know. I love the pretty gowns. I love the excitement that arrives with each bride and her entourage. I get goose bumps.”

“I remember you once said that you’re a docent leading tours of the dresses at the history museum,” Nancy said.

“Yes, that’s actually how I convinced Josephine to give me the job,” Lisa said. “I’ve always loved pretty dresses and especially learning about them and how they developed over the years.”

“And now you get to work with them!” Nancy said.

“Exactly! To spend a whole day surrounded by dresses and helping brides try them on and decide which one they want is like I’m in heaven.”

Some women came over to introduce themselves to Lisa and Kevin took that as an excuse to get himself another beer.

“I’m Marilyn and this is Heather and Lynn. We’re friends of Blake – well before that we were friends of Jill.”

“Nice to meet you. This is my friend Nancy.”

After the introductions Marilyn said, “I overheard you saying that you worked at Josephine’s?”

“Yes, I’ve been working at Josephine’s for a couple of weeks now.”

“That’s where I bought my wedding gown, just last year,” Marilyn said.

“Small world,” Lisa said. “I hope you’re happy with it.”

“Yes, I had such a great wedding. I felt so pretty in the gown and I know my husband loved it too.”

“That’s so great to hear.”

“You and Blake are getting married, aren’t you?” Heather asked.

“Yes. I’m so happy. I hope to pick out my gown soon. We haven’t picked the date but it shouldn’t be too far in the future.”

“Before I forget,” Marilyn said, “I wanted to ask you if Josephine’s still stocks Dominique bridal bustiers? I wore that with a panty girdle with my gown. It was so comfortable that ever since my wedding I’ve often been wearing the bustier instead of bras. I’ve worn it so much that it needs refreshing!”

“Why do you prefer the bustier to bras?” Lynn asked Marilyn.

“I like how it keeps my torso under control and makes me feel sexy.”

“I know what you mean,” Nancy said. “I have some longline bras that do a similar thing. It’s nice to be put together well.”

“Amen,” Lynn said, “though for me, I prefer wearing a high waist panty girdle and a bra.”

“I’ve some long line panty girdles like that,” Marilyn said, “and I used to really like wearing them. Then Josephine recommended this marvelous bustier with a regular panty girdle that turned out to be even more comfortable besides giving me a better shape. So its become my favorite. On my wedding night, when I took off my gown, my husband asked me to keep the bustier on. It so turned him on!”

While Marilyn was talking Lisa’s friends from Bonnie’s class came over to say hi. After Lisa introduced everyone, Heather said, “What Marilyn said is interesting. How do guys react to lingerie? Personally, I wouldn’t have guessed that some guys prefer women to wear lingerie like a bustier rather than be naked.”

“My husband might be an outlier,” Marilyn said. “My bras don’t turn him on as much as the bustier. That really gets him up if you know what I mean.”

“This is such an interesting subject,” Stephanie said.

“I’ve always assumed that the men I’ve slept with prefer me to be naked,” Laurie said. “But maybe that’s wrong.”

“In my experience some boys don’t want me naked,” Lynn said. “I was once wearing my sexiest bra and panty, it’s a very pretty pink cotton candy color, entirely feminine, and I happened to be looking at my boyfriend while we were stripping down for sex and when I took off my bra I could tell he was disappointed. So I asked him point blank if I should keep my bra on and he said I should if I didn’t mind.”

“What happened?” Lisa asked.

“It was the greatest sex we ever had!” Lynn said laughing.

“That’s amazing,” Stephanie said. “We tend to assume that boys want us naked, but that’s obviously not always true.”

“I always wear a bra when I have sex,” Diane said, “and a garter belt and stockings, but no panties obviously. I don’t care what the guys think – it’s the way I like to dress. I think it makes my pussy the center of attention. The lacy garter belt above, the sexy stockings below.”

“That’s a good point,” Marilyn said. “It would make our pussy the focal point. All that sexy lace and delicate, feminine fabric surrounding it. Besides that, boys feel tantalized by our girl clothing. The garter belt, stockings and bra are so diametrically different from boys clothing it stirs up their juices.”

“I’d guess that most women think that men prefer their lovers to be nude during sex, but I wonder if that’s really true,” Nancy said. “The guys could just be afraid to admit how much they love lingerie.”

“A nice thing about wearing a bra instead of being nude is that some of our boob problems get hidden or disguised,” Heather said. “I’m kind of big and gravity keeps trying to lower them more than I like. It makes me a little self-conscious. Wearing my bra keeps them up besides making them more prominent. There’s nothing more powerful than an imposing woman’s chest in causing men to get weak kneed with desire!”

“That is so true,” Stephanie said.

“That might be true for some women,” Debbie said, “but for women like me that aren’t large, I’ve found that wearing a very pretty bra compensates for not having a larger bust. Also a sexy panty helps. Together I have no trouble getting my boyfriends hot. They really like to find out what’s inside my panty.”

“Anything that accentuates the feminine has got to be a turn on to guys,” Diane said.

“Like the baby blue chemises we bought that day, remember?” Laurie said. “I wore mine to bed with a guy I’ve been seeing and you wouldn’t believe how supercharged he became. The sight of my boobs through the material really turned him on, besides the suggestive way the lace dangles around my hips.”

“That chemise is so pretty,” Lisa said.

“When are we going to have our chemise party?” Diane said.

“You’re right,” Stephanie said. “We should set a date. I’ve been busy but I don’t want it to slip away from us.”

“What chemise party?” Nancy asked.

“Five of us were shopping for bras and Lisa saw a really pretty light blue chemise that she wanted to buy,” Debbie said. “Anyway the rest of us bought the same chemise and we decided that we should have an overnight chemise party.”

“That’s hysterical,” Nancy said.

“How was it you were all shopping together for bras?” Marilyn asked.

“We were taking Bonnie’s class together,” Lisa said. “Do you know Bonnie’s hair salon?”

“Vaguely” Marilyn said.

“Bonnie has a marvelous class that runs every morning for five days where she teaches girls how to be experts at so many things of interest to women,” Stephanie said.

“Like makeup, picking the right bra, topics like that,” Laurie said.

“My favorite part was learning about foundation garments,” Stephanie said. “Bonnie had an expert, Mr. Andre, come in and show us different panty girdles, body briefers, shaping slips and lots of other pretty clothing. He had amazing insight into what foundation is best for each of us.”

“Just from looking us over he could decide what underclothes is best for our body types,” Debbie said.

Lisa laughed to herself. Mr. Andre had opened her up to the wonders of padded panties, padded girdles that did wonders for making her feel more feminine, besides helping make her dresses fit better.

“Cool,” Marilyn said. “I wonder what Mr. Andre would say about bustiers.”

“We should enroll in Bonnie’s course,” Heather said.

“You know, that’s a good idea,” Marilyn said.

“You’ll love it. We all did,” Lisa said.

“What else does she teach?” Heather asked.

“Makeup that beautifies our features was an important part of it,” Diane said. “Also hair styling and nail care. There was also discussions of etiquette and sex.”

“Bonnie’s class helped me enormously,” Lisa said. “My makeup is all her idea. Mr. Andre helped me so much with my underwear.”

“You do look so lovely tonight,” Debbie said.

“Thank you. I’m wearing a black bra and panty and also a black girdle,” Lisa said.

“A girdle?” Marilyn said.

“Yes, an open bottom girdle. I actually prefer them to hold up my stockings.”

“You don’t wear pantyhose?” Marilyn said.

“Oh, I do, but on a special evening like this I feel best when wearing a girdle,” Lisa said.

“Black underwear is always considered sexy by the men I’ve dated,” Lynn said. “It has to do with black being sinister so men feel threatened which gets them aroused.”

“Sure, it’s the favorite color of a dominatrix,” Nancy said.

“Who’s a dominatrix?” Kevin said rejoining Nancy and the group of women. He was accompanied by Frank, Paul, and Angelo whom he had been talking to.

“We were talking about men being turned on by black lingerie, as a matter of fact,” Nancy said. “Does it turn you on?”

Kevin blushed slightly and said, “You mean like a black babydoll?”

“Sure but also let’s say a black bra and panty,” Nancy said.

“Sure, that’s a turn on,” Kevin said.

“Do you prefer women to be naked when making love?” Stephanie said.

Kevin was surprised by the question. “I could go either way.”

“Yeah but which is your preference?” Stephanie persisted.

“I suppose there’s a bit more excitement when a woman is wearing a bra, though ideally I’d want to see her naked also,” Kevin said.

“Isn’t lingerie designed to turn men on?” Frank said.

“Not necessarily,” Stephanie said. “Women can enjoy being pretty and feminine in their lingerie without thinking about men at all.”

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to insinuate …”

“It’s okay,” Stephanie said, laughing. “Women understand that countless boys beat off to photos of women wearing bras and panties.”

“You can say that again,” Laurie said. “I caught my thirteen-year-old cousin doing that.”

“But boys also beat off to pictures of naked women,” Angelo said.

“Right,” Marilyn said. “What do you prefer?”

“That’s a tough one,” Angelo said.

As Lisa listened to the back-and-forth banter between the women and men she felt pangs of jealousy. Hard as she tried not to be jealous of the women, it wasn’t easy to get past such feelings. She envied how they could talk about their breasts and wearing bras with complete knowledge of how they projected out of their chests. Lisa had to live with two handicaps that stopped her from being equal to other girls. She was flat chested and her pretend clitoris could stick out seven or eight inches whenever she got excited. The latter of the two problems – though of concern to her – was not her chief disappointment. After all, Blake rather liked the opportunities Lisa’s clitoris gave him to be pleasured. No, it was her missing boobs that caused her the most heartbreak and frustration.

After some research Lisa had discovered that five thousand dollars was all that separated her from a nice set of natural looking and feeling breasts. She had that much money saved. She could schedule an appointment with Dr. Silverman at a local clinic any time she wanted and get it done.

Lisa looked at the women around her. Nancy, Marilyn, Heather, Lynn, Laurie, Diane, Stepanie, and Debbie. Each of them had real breasts. Each of them took their breasts for granted. Each of them woke up in the morning with breasts and went to sleep at night with breasts. They captured their breasts in a bra every day. They admired their figures in the mirror. They knew without reminding themselves that they were part of the sisterhood.

This is it, Lisa thought. First thing on Monday morning she’ll call Dr. Silverman. Before that she’d make sure she had Blake’s permission.

Lisa was shaken from her reverie when Bob, Dave, and Roger – three of her high school friends greeted her. “Hey,” Bob said, looking uncomfortable.

“Hi guys,” Lisa said.

“Whoa, it’s Lisa right? We heard that you’ve become … you know …”

“A girl?” Lisa said laughing.

“Yeah. That’s right,” Bob said.

“It’s a bit of an adjustment for us,” Dave said.

“A little bit awkward, right?” Roger said. “Just until we get used to you. You do look really pretty.”

“Yeah,” Dave said. “You’re definitely pretty. I can see that.”

“Am I allowed to say you look sexy in that cocktail dress?” Bob said.

Lisa laughed. “It’s fine to say that. Thank you for the compliments.”

“It’s amazing how … much … like a woman … I mean you are a woman,” Roger said.

“Thank you,” Lisa said. “That’s what I feel like.”

“This is a little strange because …” Dave said, “because before … before you changed … we would have talked about …”

“About how you’d want to get inside a girl’s panties!” Lisa said.

“Right! But we don’t want to get inside your panties!” Dave said.

“I should hope not,” Lisa said laughing.

“But if you weren’t our friend, we would want to, at least from looking at you,” Roger said.

“You’re hot,” Dave said.

“Thank you. Please don’t feel awkward. I mean we’ll go through a little transition period where we get to know each other in a different way and then we can be friends again? Can’t we?” Lisa asked.

“Sure Lisa. There’s no reason we can’t still be friends,” Dave said.

“Can I ask when you knew you wanted to become Lisa?” Bob said. “I had no idea.”

“I kept that to myself. Really, I’ve thought of myself as being a girl as long as I can remember. I was envious of the girls in my classes even as early as nursery school. What always stopped me was my parents and especially my dad. You know him.”

“He was always making you show him how tough you were,” Bob said.

“At first. The older I got the more he saw me as weak and unlikely to ever be the kind of man he was.”

“How has he taken this?” Dave asked.

“He’s disowned me.”

“Oh, man, what a prick,” Bob said.

“It is what it is. My mom’s afraid to cross my dad but maybe one day she’ll contact me. Ned and Anne have been wonderful. They’ve accepted me, like you guys. It means a lot to me that my friends can stay friends with me.”

Bob stretched out his hands inviting Lisa to hug him and she accommodated him. Inexplicably she felt an impulse to cry and she realized it was because she had truly become a girl in Bob’s eyes. When she was Greg there was no way in the world they would hug. As they held each other Lisa felt Bob’s maleness. She had come a long way now toward her femininization.

It was also true that her friendship with the guys would be forever different. She could see that as Lisa she could never have the same relationship with the guys as she had before. No more hanging out in bars talking about girls or doing brake jobs together on the weekends. That was the kind of boy stuff that she didn’t have any desire to do anymore. Apart from Blake, she craved the company of other girls. That was where she felt most relaxed and stimulated.

***

Later in the evening Lisa was sitting on the sofa between Debbie and Laurie. She was giddy with happiness. The evening had gone splendidly. She had many nice conversations with her own friends and Blake’s. She saw many of her and Blake’s friends intermingling. They liked each other. Probably because the two of them had such nice friends. Lisa had even espied a number of the guys and girls pairing off. She wondered what future matches might date from this party.

Across the room from Lisa Blake was talking animatedly with a group of guys. It fascinated Lisa to see Blake’s self-confident body language. A masculine demeanor like his was something that she had never been able to acquire in her childhood. It would have pleased her dad but it was always elusive to her how to be manly. The reality of her life had consisted of going through the motions of being a man. Blake must have been going through the motions of being a woman when in reality he was a man inside a woman’s body. Of course, Blake had the inner fortitude to become manager of a large bowling alley. That’s where his inner strength had shown through.

Lisa laughed when she saw Blake flexing his bicep and a couple of the men squeezing it. They were obviously impressed by what they felt and Blake looked proud of himself. Lisa felt a growing pleasure in her loins. Practically anything Blake did turned her on.

“Blake is so handsome,” Debbie said.

“He’s become a hunk, hasn’t he?” Laurie said.

“Yes. He works out a lot. He’s the kind of guy that sets himself a goal and let’s nothing get in the way of achieving it.”

“What other goals does he have besides toning his gorgeous body?” Laurie said laughing.

“The main one is that he’s going to marry me and have a family.”

“How does that work?” Debbie said.

“He’ll produce the babies and I’ll be their mommy. I can’t wait for that to happen!”

“Did you set a wedding date yet?”

“We were waiting to first see about our parents and I guess we now know. Mine won’t be at the wedding but his will. We also wanted to have this party first just to see how well our friends have adjusted to our transformations.”

“It’s gone very well, hasn’t it?” Debbie said.

“Yes indeed. Every time I think of how kind everyone here has been to me I want to cry,” Lisa said.

Debbie put her arm over Lisa’s shoulder and Laurie held her hand. “You deserve everyone’s love Lisa!”

Lisa wiped away a stray tear. “Gosh, you two are the most wonderful friends. Can I ask you a favor?”

“Sure, anything,” Debbie said.

“I’d like the two of you to be maids of honor at my wedding. Would you be willing?”

“Oh my gosh!” Debbie said. “I’d love to!”

“Me too!” Laurie said.

“That’s so wonderful! I’ll finalize the dates and venue with Blake and get back to you.”

“We’ll arrange a bridal shower and help you pick out a dress,” Debbie said. “This will be so much fun!”

“There’s one more thing I should tell you,” Lisa said. “I decided that I’m going to take care of my breast problem. It takes about a month or so to heal and I’d like to get it done before the wedding.”

“If you need any help let us know,” Laurie said.

“I will. But I guess I can’t get fitted for my gown until after the surgery, so I guess it’ll be a few months until Blake and I can get married.”

“That’s good. You need time to plan. First thing is picking a date and place and sending out save-the-date cards.”

“Good idea,” Lisa said. “I hadn’t thought of that.”

“The main thing is don’t worry, Lisa. You’ve got a lot on your plate but we and your other girlfriends will be here to help.”

***

After everyone had left the party, Lisa and Blake sat together sipping glasses of wine. “I think that went very well,” Blake said.

“So did I,” Lisa said. “I had so much fun and I enjoyed meeting your friends.”

“Likewise,” Blake said. Lisa snuggled close to Blake who held her tightly.

“I was thinking …” Lisa started to say.

“That we need to set a wedding date?” Blake said.

“You’re a mind reader!”

“Not so much,” Blake said. “We agreed that this night was to be a good test of what our future might look like together and it went very well. I can’t think of any possible complication that could arise between us.”

“I have one thing,” Lisa said, “that I have to pass by you. I hope you don’t get upset.”

“What’s that?”

“I want to visit Dr. Silverman! I can give you breasts, nice breasts that you can fondle and that I can have all the time. I want them before we get married. It takes a month to heal…”

“What brought this on tonight?”

“I spent so much time with the women here and it just hit me that I feel separated from them. I don’t want that. I want to feel like the other women. I want to have a specific set of breasts on my body when I buy bras and dresses. I want to see them in the shower …”

“You know that I’ll support your decision |” Blake said. “I love you how you are now and I’ll love you after you get breasts.”

“Thank you Blake. You’ve made me so happy.”

“Call Dr. Silverman on Monday. The sooner we get you breasts, the sooner you’ll heal and the sooner we can get married!”

End Part 9