Chapter 3

After we had finished the phone call, we opened a new bottle of wine and Molly opened a packet of crackers and cut some cheese from a wheel in her pantry. We were more settled with each other than we had been in any time in our lives. I knew that I had been fundamentally different from our brother but had never considered that it would need two weeks of wearing skirts for me to understand why.

Molly asked me when I was going back to work. I realised that the original shooting schedule had been for three weeks, so I now had an actual week of holiday that I can spend as I wished. When I told her that, she grinned.

“Fantastic! What we’ll do is have a sisters week. I’ll make you up as yourself, rather than Lor. It won’t fool anyone who had seen her, especially those in the fashion industry, but it will allow you to mingle with ordinary folk without having to sign autographs. If you do have to, tell them that you’re Gloria Havers, not Lauren, and sign them that way. The papers you sent me said three weeks, so I made you an appointment for Saturday week. Who knows, you may want to start electrolysis then.”

On Friday, we both slept late. After we had eaten, I went to shower and dress, putting on one of the dresses I had bought, with a cardigan that had been in the suitcase. With the black bag checked for contents, I called Molly to help me with the make-up. When she arrived, she told me that I would have to do my own. So, I sat as she explained what I should do. After several tries, we had created a new-look me, more like a normal person than a supermodel.

I rang the agency and asked about the pictures that had been taken the week before. Winnie, the manager, said that my portfolio was ready to be picked up. The others had told her that the show was in post-production, so had been expecting my call. She invited Molly and I to lunch, naming a nice restaurant around the corner from the agency.

When we arrived, we were shown to her table and asked what we would like to drink. We both ordered a dry white. When we were sat, with very attentive waiters holding our chairs, Winnie thanked us for coming. She had the folder with my pictures and handed it to me to look at. If I hadn’t remembered posing, I would have thought they were of someone else.

“These look fabulous. It’s a pity that they’re just fantasy.”

“They’re fantastic, that’s for certain, but not fantasy, Lauren.”

“Please, the show is over and, at the moment, I’m not Garth or Lauren. I’m Gloria Havers until I become Garth again to go back to work.”

“Why would you want to go back to your old job, Gloria? I’ve shown these pictures to some of my better clients, and they all want you modelling for them. You could earn the sort of money that Lauren did, and you wouldn’t have to work three years in low-paid work before you did. I have one client who has offered five thousand a day for your time, with an expected shoot of a week. That’s twenty-five thousand in your first week.”

I sat back to take that in. That was almost the Porsche that I lusted after. That thought was chased away as soon as I thought it. Those sports cars were hard to get in and out of when wearing a dress, and the more I thought, the more the Porsche was replaced with something a little bigger.

While I was taking that in, a waiter had arrived to take our meal order. I had been long enough eating with models to order something light. Winnie stayed quiet as Molly looked at the pictures and I thought about things. Molly declared that they were very good.

“More than good, Molly. Those pictures are pure gold. They are enough to offer the two of you jobs with the agency. My girls were very happy with the way you helped them during the filming, and the way you recreated Lauren was a masterpiece.”

“Well, she is my sister.”

“Which one? Lauren or Gloria?”

“After the last couple of weeks, Gloria is more my sister than Garth was my brother. I hardly ever saw him from one season to the next. We have bonded as sisters while she’s been staying with me. I’m tempted to ask her to move in with me and give up her apartment. I don’t know what our parents will say, but I think that it will be tempered by how famous she is. In our old home, money spoke louder than anything else.”

When our meals came, we concentrated on eating. I was eating and thinking hard at the same time, so was happy with the lack of conversation. When we had all finished, I asked the questions that had built up in my mind.

“Winnie, how much will my still being a bloke change things?”

“Absolutely no problem. The fashion industry is all about looks. We have slim guys with five-o-clock shadow wearing dresses these days. If you say that you’re Gloria, look like Gloria, sound like Gloria, then you will be Gloria, nobody is going to out you unless you out yourself. As long as you aren’t photographed in the men’s loos at a train station with your dick hanging out, everyone will think that you’re a woman.”

“What about those already in the know?”

“The film crew and the actors will keep quiet. It doesn’t do them any good to say anything. My girls are expecting acting offers. The other actors will get more work if the show’s a success, they won’t want to rock the boat. The crew don’t give a damn either way, the same goes for the crews that will work with you in the future. If you create work for them, they’re never going to do anything to upset the status quo.”

“When will you want me to start?”

“You can come in next week and see how you feel about it. If you don’t like it, you can go back to your job. If you like it, you can give them notice.”

“What will I be doing for the week?”

“If I make a couple of calls this afternoon, your feet won’t be touching the ground unless that’s what the pose calls for. It will give my clients time to put together what they want you to wear. I’ll supply a car and driver to pick you up and drop you off. You may not have to come to the agency at all. I’ll get proof sheets so you can see the results, but the photos that are used will be the property of the client.”

“That depends on if they want to use them.”

“Don’t be negative, Gloria. You saw what we did with your first time in a studio. With Molly making you look good; all you have to do is believe in yourself.”

When we left her, she had all the details for us, including my numbers for the tax and the health service. I still wasn’t sure, but Molly tried to lift me out of my negativity. We went home and packed for two nights away, and she drove us down to Eastbourne, where the family had a seaside property which we all had a key to. We made up a couple of beds and put the supplies that we had brought on the way into the fridge and pantry.

It wasn’t a big house, but a reasonable apartment in a large block. We had all put money in to buy six of them when they were selling, and five were rented out. It was a minute or two to the beach, and not much further to the marina. Ten minutes to the Sovereign Harbour shops, or two minutes by car.

We spent most of Saturday, and some of Sunday walking the beach or going to look at the rows of boats. We had our Saturday meal at the Harvester and had drinks bought for us by a couple of yachting types. It was a good rest from what had gone before, and we went back to the city in a much more relaxed frame of mind.

Monday morning, we were both dressed and ready when there was a knock on the door. A uniformed chauffer greeted us and made sure we were comfortable in the back of his car. It was a pleasant start to a truly busy day. He drove us to a spot near Tower Bridge where the others were setting up. We were welcomed to the shoot and shown the caravan where the changing was to take place. It was a good job it was quite large and had been modified, as I joined three of the girls from the TV show, and Molly joined two dressers.

That morning, I had confirmation of just how far I had fallen into this female thing. There I was, bumping into young women in their underwear, and all I could say was to ask where they had bought such nice bra and panty sets. When we were all gowned and made up, we were out there, being posed for the cameras as about fifty curious onlookers stood behind make-shift barriers.

That day, we went to three different sites, sometimes modelling the same dresses, but usually in something new. What wasn’t new was the comments from the onlookers. I was tempted to pull one of my formes out when, for about the twentieth time, some wag called out “Show us your tits”. I couldn’t, because they were firmly attached, but the thought made me smile.

That, alone, changed the dynamic of the shoot. The cameraman liked what he saw and started telling me to smile more. Up until then, we had all posed with that deadpan, uninterested face that you see on fashion pictures. After that, all four of us were smiling for the camera and the work became almost enjoyable.

The process was repeated for the next four days, with us being taken to the first location by our driver, working through the morning, having a van turn up with lunch, working through the afternoon, and having dinner with the other models before we were taken home again. It made me understand how hard it was to be a model, and to maintain the positive visage when you feel worn out. That week I posed in the city, by the river at Greenwich, on one of the old wartime forts in the Estuary, having been choppered onto it, and at Southend, first by the pier, and then at the end of it.

The odd thing was, that when we posed, I could imagine the background that they were aiming for. In one shot at the end of the pier, I was posed so that my hand looked as if it was holding a ship coming out of the docks. On the Friday, the venue for dinner was the restaurant where we had met Winnie. She had another gentleman with her when we arrived. He was introduced as the client we had been working for all week. He had a folder for all four of us models, with chosen pictures from the first four days.

“Ladies, I can’t tell you how happy I was when I saw the first proof sheet. These pictures are some of the best that we’ve had to work with on our next advertising campaign. I’ve told Winnie that I want all four of you for the next season, and to be the main models in our fashion show. She has, naturally, haggled, and to get your exclusive attendance, I have agreed to double your daily rates. We have another shoot set up for next week, only three days, on the wild coast of Cornwall. You’ll be taken down on Monday afternoon and brought back Friday morning. Hopefully the weather will be kind to us. I would love to eat with you, but I do have a prior engagement in Paris to go to. Enjoy your meal.”

He stood and came to kiss our hands before he left us. I, along with the others, were left stunned. Winnie got us all comfortable and with champagne ordered for a happy occasion. I looked at the photos that he had left for me. Once again, if I hadn’t been there, I would have wondered who that woman was. Winnie got us settled enough to order, then raised her glass and proposed a toast to, ‘Fashion, long may she reign!’ I took a sip and smiled as much as the others. It may have been hard work, but we were all heading off for a shoot next week. Who knows what may happen the week after.

Then it hit me. Next Monday I was going back to the office. I was sitting next to Winnie, so leaned over and asked her what his agreement meant for me, financially.

“He was the one who offered five, so you earned ten a day this week. The other girls were on fifteen hundred, so will now get three. Between you, my commission will pay for the running of the agency this week. I do have a contract for each of you and Molly in my briefcase. If you could sign it this evening, I can get you set up in the system and you will see your money in your banks on Monday. The shoot, next week, is all rocky cliffs and raging water, and you will be choppered to the sites from Exeter, where you’ll be staying. You’ll get a half day pay each way to Exeter.”

“I’ll go into the office and tell them I’m not coming back, then. It will create a bit of a stir when I walk in. Molly can drive me in and bring me back. I’ll have to go by my apartment as I’m sure that there’s stuff that has gone off. Thank you for your faith in me, I’ll try to live up to my sister’s legacy.”

“You’ve done that already, Gloria. The client couldn’t get over the pictures with all of you girls looking happy to be wearing the outfits. Keep that up and you can’t go wrong.”

While we ate, I was thinking about money. If I was to have been paid five, but was now on ten, this week I had earned fifty thousand for looking happy in the most outlandish places you could imagine. Next week I would earn forty thousand and get four nights in a hotel. I could afford to lose any notice money if I just go into the office and clear my desk. When I thought about it, the only thing in my desk that I wanted was my tablet and charging cord. Molly and I signed our contracts with the agency that evening. Molly had been working as a casual when required by her various employers, so would just say she wasn’t available when they came knocking.

On Saturday, after I had started electrolysis at the salon, we went to my apartment and threw out the rotting fruit and poured the sour milk down the toilet. I decided that we could keep the place as an alternative, seeing that it was closer to the city centre, while Molly’s place was in an outer suburb.

“What do you think of being here, some weekends, Molly. It will be handy if we have somewhere we have to be in the city.”

“Good idea, Gloria. There are two bedrooms, so we will just have to fill the place with some clothes to relax in. Actually, if we bring some things over tomorrow, you can walk to the office as you used to, then I can take us back to mine to be picked up. There is the parking space in the basement.”

So, we filled some garbags with my old things. I was sorry to see the back of a couple of good suits, but most of the rest was tossable. The suits and shirts went to a collection bin at a charity shop, and the other stuff went into the bin in the basement. We remade both beds ready for Sunday night and got some fresh supplies for Monday breakfast on the way back to Molly’s. That evening, we had another conversation with Lauren, telling her the news. She was happy for me but warned me to make sure that I had time off, as some clients would work you every day if they could get away with it.

Sunday, we loaded up the car and took a pile of things to the apartment, with me adding dresses to a wardrobe that had only seen suits, and frillies to drawers that had only held white boxers. We laundered the sheets that we had taken off yesterday, and I went around with a vacuum while Molly did some dusting. We had lunch in the kitchen and dinner at my usual pub. That night, I slept in my old bed, but now with breasts and a nightie. When I looked around the familiar room, I started thinking about the changes I wanted to make. In the morning, I dressed in a tight skirt and silky top for the office, and strolled my usual route, now with my heels clicking on the pavement.

When I arrived at the building, I used my pass to get in and up to the right floor in the lift. I walked into the office with a straight back and a big smile.

“Good morning boys. I’m just here to see old Grumpy Guts.”

I went straight to the aforesaid managers office and walked in.

“Yes, Miss. How on earth did you get in? This is a secure area, we do very important work for the government.”

“Oh, boss man. Don’t you recognise me? I told you that I was being cast as my sister for a TV show. Well, the show is finished and here I am to come back to work.”

“Garth?”

“No longer, lovey. I’m Gloria now and will remain so as long as I can look good. Do you think I look the part?”

“I think you look fantastic. You do know that there are no female toilets in this office?”

“Oh, yes. I don’t think that the guys will want me pulling up my skirt to pee at the urinal, so I do have a solution. How about I just walk out of here and never come back?”

“That, Gloria, is the most sensible thing you’ve said so far. I’ll come with you to clear your desk. We can tell the others that you’re Garth’s sister to take away his things. You can give me your pass and I’ll see you off the premises. We’ll pay your unused holidays out.”

“All I want is my tablet and charger. You can keep my mug as a souvenir.”

We went into the work area, and he opened up my desk, gave me the tablet and charger, and checked that there was nothing else I wanted. There was deathly hush as we did that, and then he escorted me out. As the door was closing, we could hear the chatter that exploded behind us.

He took me down to the main doors, took my pass from me, and wished me well. He was quite the gentleman, and I felt a little sorry for him, having no job advancement unless he moved to another company. Like most of the others in the office, he didn’t have the nerve to jump. I strolled back to the apartment, and Molly drove us back to her place.

Later in the day, we were in a small plane heading for Exeter, our luggage in the back. We were in the hotel and settled before the other models arrived by road. That showed me the gap between us, and I made sure that it didn’t alter my relationship with them. Over the week, we were all taken to the airport and then choppered to the site, where the caravan and the crew were waiting for us. It was windy and took a lot of willpower to keep smiling.

As the weeks flew by, with a number of shoots, none as windy as Cornwall, I became more used to the job, more used to being a woman, and a lot richer. We had advance notice of a fashion show, and I insisted on all of us models having a week without shoots. I spent the week learning how to walk in even higher heels.

Molly and I went to see Lauren. I had organised a new passport with an up-to-date photo. No-one questioned the M that was still on it. The three of us had a great time, being invited to several parties, the three of us much photographed for local and international media. It was noted of how much we looked alike. Conrad had the prime place for pictures and interviews, so it was easy on us.

The fashion show was certainly different. The other girls taught me how to strut my stuff and we did what the client had paid for, selling plenty of expensive dresses to rich people. The TV show was scheduled, and I emailed my old manager to tell him the date of the broadcast. Molly and I watched it on my big screen in the apartment. I was impressed by what they had put together. It was a true recreation of what had happened, and a glaring warning to those who may be going through the same things now.

The credits showed me as Gloria Havers, and the six other models were named. That changed things for me and the three that I was working with, as we all had requests to talk to people about TV and film careers. In the end, all three of the models went for screen tests and were signed with various companies. None would be named stars, but all would have a strong career as part of the entertainment business.

I stayed with our agency and our client, becoming a known name in the fashion business, with my picture on almost every magazine in the world. I took heed of what Lauren had done, even if I didn’t have the push to retire that she had. I stayed at the top of my game for ten years, carrying on after Molly had found a nice man and got married. I had amassed considerably more in the bank than Lauren when I told everyone that I had enough.

I had used the best breasts that money could buy, had weekly visits to the salon, had been around the world several times, and had purchased a hide-away in Devon. I wanted to live a quiet life and had the means to do so.

In the last few years of my fashion career, I had a new make-up woman, Veronica, about my own age, and we had become very friendly. She knew what I was, under the glamour, and encouraged me to go onto testosterone injections to re-awaken my dormant masculinity. She kept me looking like Gloria as my body wanted to revert to Garth.

On my final visit to the salon, I was debreasted and recreated as Garth, with my crowning glory shortened to a more manly style. I couldn’t do anything about the holes in my ears, or my plumper lips, but if Mick Jagger could get away with it, so could I.

When she had moved into the apartment with me, it was the beginning of the best times of my life. When we went to Devon, I was wearing a tracksuit and we had been shopping for new clothes for me, here and overseas. To everyone in the village, I was Garth Havers, a retired businessman and a happy addition to the local drama club.

Our daughter went to the local primary school, and everyone commented on how lovely she was. We had called her Lauren Gloria, after her famous Auntie and the famous look-alike. Who knows, she may grow up to be as beautiful as her namesake, she has the right genes to start with. We lived the quiet lifestyle that I had needed, until someone decided that I would be a good candidate for the next election. I suppose that I could play that part easier than playing as a fashion model for ten years. I could say, quite truthfully, that I spoke for everyone, man or woman, and had lived the lives to prove it.

Marianne Gregory © 2024