Chapter 15

I took my time in the morning. I made sure that I had a good breakfast, tidied up, then spent a lot of time in the bathroom. Freshly showered, hair washed, and no errant wisps of hair anywhere else, I took a great deal of care choosing what I was going to wear.

My waist was now slim enough to look all right, and the falsies were invisibly attached, so my thought was young and sexy. I pulled on a pair of nude tights, then a black thong. A matching black bra from a well-known outlet finished the underwear. I would have to suffer the cool of the day to look the part, today, so the top was a silvery one, not quite opaque enough to totally hide the bra, and low enough to show the cleavage.

It took several skirts before I was happy. It turned out to be a black, soft leather, straight one that stopped six inches above the knees. I sat at the mirror and matched my make-up to my outfit, with a lot of liner and silver eye shadow. Brushing my hair so it framed my face, I then added jewellery and a bit of perfume. The shoes had to be the tallest strappy heels that I was safe on.

The final touch was wiping off the old nail varnish and carefully painting them black. After I had sat for them to dry, I stood and looked at my reflection in the big mirror. Nope! No blokes here.

Jim was sending a car at eleven, so we could be inside the hotel before the reporters turned up. Looking at the clock. I had just finished in time. I put essentials in a small, black bag, pulled on my trusty Burberry, grabbed the tablet bag with the folder, and went down to wait.

I was only outside a couple of minutes when the car pulled up and the driver jumped out to open the door for me.

“Looking lovely, this morning, Miss Leigh.”

“It is a reasonable day, Colin; I just hope we feel the same about it this afternoon”.

“Not the day, Miss, you look like the star that everyone will want to know when the premiere has been shown.”

“Well, thank you for that. You look pretty dapper, yourself. Is that a new uniform?”

“It is, Miss. The company has caught on that we were ferrying film stars around, so got a new range of gear for us to try and not look dowdy. Thank you for noticing.”

We went and picked up Jeff, also looking dapper in a new suit, and carrying a briefcase. We held hands as we were taken to the hotel. The doorman helped us both out, and I left my coat with reception. We were shown to a large room that looked like it could be used for weddings. There were rows of chairs already set out, with a long table, some chairs, and a large screen at the far wall.

Jim welcomed us and asked to see what we had brought with us. I showed him my two pictures, and Jeff had the same school picture, but had printed it off, putting a red texta circle around us. Jim took a picture of it on his phone, as well as a picture of me as a steward trainee.

He turned the screen on and clicked on a couple of icons, then pressed a button on his phone and Jeff’s picture came up on the screen. With another button press, mine appeared. He then scrolled though various pictures of me, from different sets, with the last one being the full picture that had been cropped for the magazine. This one, though, showed Roger with an arm around my waist, and the host of the party beside me.

Jim led us through to the bar, where we sat with soft drinks as David, and then Cynthia and Belle joined us. Belle commented on my outfit, telling me that I was liable to start a throwback to the Carnaby Street days if there were pictures taken of me today.

Jim said that Michael would be there before we started, but the others couldn’t make it at short notice. We all went to the dining room and had a good lunch, to give us strength for the afternoon. We all went back to the meeting room, via the toilets to freshen up, and waited for our guests. The first to arrive was one of the reviewers that had been on the flight. He told us that his review would be in tomorrow’s paper, notwithstanding the balderdash in the magazine.

As the room filled, we started getting advance notice of more good reviews. I saw Laurie, the reviewer for the offending magazine. I went over and welcomed him.

“I’ve written a good review of the film, Julia. It will be in the next issue of the magazine. It’s well deserved, the film is brilliant and deserves to fly. Don’t ask me what I think about Joe and his article. He’ll be here, with Agnes and a lawyer, to find out what you’re going set as a compensation. I didn’t know that the article was in the issue before I got my own copy. I hope you’ll ream him a new hole, today.”

“You’ll just have to wait and see, Laurie. Did you get a ticket to the premiere?”

“Yes, thank you for that, why me?”

“All the reviewers who came on the flight are getting one, as a thank you for being interested. Also, as a chance to see it a second time and to decide if your first impressions were right.”

“That’s an interesting take on the way things are done, Julia. I’ll be taking my wife.”

“I’d better move, your editor is at the door. Talk to you later if you want.”

I moved away and went back to the top table, where Jim was looking at some papers.

“The magazine editor is here, with a lawyer. Laurie has just told me that they think we’re going to sue for compensation.”

“Well, they’re going to be surprised, aren’t they.”

When we saw Michael arrive and stand by the doors, we waited to make sure that there were no more to come, motioned to him to close the doors, and Jim stood up.

“Ladies, Gentlemen, and members of the press. Thank you for coming to this event, this afternoon. We’ll try not to keep you away from your important jobs.”

A voice came from the back.

“It won’t take long. Just tell us what you want for compensation from Joe, and we can retire to the bar.”

Jim smiled as the journalists all had a laugh as Joe had his eyes to the floor. Agnes, the Editor, spoke clearly.

“We stand by the article, as we obtained it from an impeccable source.”

“Well said, Agnes. For the first time in my long career, your magazine printed an article which is better than ninety percent correct.”

The room buzzed as that sunk in.

“Yes, I said it. Joe has, finally, written something with truth in it.”

There was general laughter, and someone called, “Now he can retire, on the top of his game!”

“Back to why we’re here. We are going to tell you the story, no lies, no bullshit, so you can gauge for yourselves how you want to take it further. The first person to speak is Jeff Thomas, who is slated to be a lead character in Kym’s next film.”

The picture of us at school appeared, and Jeff stood, gulped, and started speaking.

“This picture was taken in our final year of High School. The circle is around me, Jeff Thomas, and my best friend, Jamie Lee Curtis. We had been friends since starting our secondary studies. At that time, Jamie was kind, funny and had the best memory I’ve ever seen. We kept in touch, after we left school, and Jamie would regale me with stories of his time as a cabin steward. That, I can tell you, is a job that I could never do. Those of you on the flight would have seen how hard they work, and how efficient they are. I used to pack shelves for a living; if I had been as efficient as those girls, I could have gone home four hours earlier.”

He stopped for a sip of water as there were some chuckles from the audience. That’s how I now viewed them, an audience to be convinced that what we present is the truth.

“Julia walked into the pub we used to meet in and gave me and our old schoolmates some tickets for the flight. I say Julia, because that was who we saw, that day. It took me a little while before I realised that I was looking at Jamie, but a totally new, and improved Jamie. Since that day, I have seen a lot of Julia, and see nothing of the old Jamie, except the great memory, great personality, and a new level of organisation. We bought a ring, the other day, because there’s a time, not too far in the future, when we will be married, and I’ll be the happiest man on earth.”

He sat down to a smattering of ‘well said’, but I did see a scowl on a few faces. We were approaching their comfort zone with a bazooka. Jim stood up and the picture of me in training came up on the screen.

“This is a picture of Jamie, a year or so after that school picture. It shows him, along with other stewards, before their final test, on board and in the air. I have been in touch with the owner of the airline, some of you ate at his house on Saturday. He approved the airline HR to email me a copy of Jamie’s work history. After the exam, on the day of this picture, Jamie passed at the top of his class. In fact, there’s a note on his record that he had been the third best of any cabin crew they had through the training. Second on that list is with us today and will speak next.”

He took a sip of water.

“Jamie had an excellent record, no problems, and no complaints. He would go the extra mile for the passengers and the airline. He was in line to get extra training to become a Chief Steward and be in charge of the whole cabin crew when he resigned. That’s why he was asked to work a double stint, after arriving at Heathrow from the other side of America. On the way from London, he had an event that literally changed his life. I’ll let Cynthia take it from here. She played the co-pilot in our film and will be in the next one of Kym’s.”

Cynthia stood.

“What I’m about to tell you could have been written into a film spoof of cabin crew. Jamie joined us on a flight from Heathrow to Sydney, via Singapore. His change of uniform was already stained and in his personal bag, which should have been in the hold. Over India, he walked into a projectile stream of vomit from a rugby supporter. Moyra and Jamie cleaned it up as much as they could. The area was a disaster zone, with five rows in front and behind all using their sick bags. I was called into the section to see what we could do. Jamie couldn’t carry on with the stinking uniform, he had no spare in the cabin, and we had breakfast to see to, in about an hour.”

She stopped to take a breath and looked out at the journalists.

“The only, and I repeat, the only way that Jamie could complete the flight was to borrow a uniform, and the only uniforms on board were spare dresses that the other girls had. We were all in awe at the way he agreed to follow through, and he cleaned up quite well. Wanda had a spare set of clothes that would fit him, along with her shoes that are usually used in first class. Moyra helped him look more girly, and he joined Belle in the first-class section for the rest of the flight. I cannot speak highly enough on his commitment to the company and the way he carried out his duties, now dressed as a stewardess.”

She sat down and David stood before any questions started.

“I was a passenger on that flight, and Jamie, she was still calling herself that because that was on her badge, was very good, very efficient, and very entertaining. I twigged that he wasn’t a genuine woman, because of the lack of jewellery, which allowed me to notice other, slight, lapses in her actions. The thing was, I was immediately taken by her presence, and her personality. When we took off for the leg to Sydney, she had been showered and pampered, with a new uniform, and looked every inch the stewardess. I was in Sydney for a few days, and she was on my flight to Tokyo, being obviously serious about presenting as a woman, with salon work and now with jewellery. I have since discovered that the airline doesn’t carry spare male uniforms in Sydney, for Jamie to return to steward work. Julia was manufactured, through circumstances beyond her control, by the airline. She was so radiant that I invited her to a screen test while we were all in Hawaii, leading to her being the lead actress in the film. I never saw the complete male Jamie, but the female Jamie, and now Julia Leigh, is worthy of our respect.”

As he had been speaking, the pictures of me in different sets were showing. As he sat, Belle stood up.

“My part in this is very short. A girl normally doesn’t kiss and tell, but I have to tell you that we stewardesses share twin rooms when we are in far-away cities. I shared with Jamie. If anyone can tell you that Jamie was a man, it’s me, as we had some interesting nights, and he was totally satisfying. Thank you.”

As she sat, she winked at me, and I smiled back.

Jim stood, again.

“That, good folks, is the bare facts of the story. The article was, generally, correct. We have no grounds to ask you for compensation, Agnes. I hope that this doesn’t destroy what is likely to be a magnificent career for a very talented lady.”

Agnes asked her question.

“What about our article, are you just leaving it at that?”

“I’m glad you asked that, Agnes. The picture you used in the magazine was taken at a party that I also attended. It was thrown by a good friend of mine and someone that you all know well. He would not be happy if he was pulled into an ongoing conversation about Julia and her gender.”

He pressed the button on his phone and the full version of the picture came on the screen, with some hoots of laughter, some indrawn breaths, and some ribald comments on the size of new hole that Agnes and Joe would have when this man decided to do something about it. Agnes turned to her lawyer, and they had a short discussion, then she said something that I was hoping for.

“Jim, you win. We would be on a hiding to nothing if that photo was released, against the photo in the article. We’ve seen him in action with anyone that questioned his morals. If we get dubbed as the ones who brought out the fact that he had entertained a cross-dresser, or transexual, to a private party, he will deal with us first. I’ll order Joe to print a retraction of the article, and we’ll file under the X-File, stories that were too true to be believed. It might start a trend.”

She stood and looked around.

“You guys are witness to this, any word and we’re toast. Please allow this to become an urban myth, the day that Joe wrote a genuine, one hundred percent true, article. Any time I meet you in the pub, the drinks are on me, if this fades away. We may as well start now, anyone up for a tipple?”

She nodded my way as she stood, and left the room with Joe, and the lawyer behind her. Several of the others followed her out. They had all got a story that, hopefully, none of them would write, and I had not said a word. I went to each of my friends and gave them hugs, telling them that I thanked them all. When I thanked Belle, I said that surely, I wasn’t that good, and she laughed.

“No Julia, you were better. You joined me in a game of what-if that allowed me to have the best orgasm, ever. The fact that it’s led me to being in a film and meeting a number of very fit men who have repeated the performance has been a bonus.”

After that, there were a number of reporters and reviewers who wanted to have their questions answered, so we sat in a closer circle and spent two hours talking about everything that was asked. They took lots of pictures of us, and we even talked about the next film, as well as others that had been spoken about. The reviewers all smiled when they found out that I could be playing a prostitute with a heart of gold, in a bordello with all the other girls. The link with the outfits on the way back was explained, with them being referred to the dress designer for further facts. They all had tickets to the premiere, and they all said that there were good reviews being printed.

For most of the later talking, I sat close to Jeff, and we held hands. I did see a few pictures of that being taken, so I had my hand on my lap, with the engagement ring prominent.

Laurie stayed back to tell me that it had been an absolute hoot, seeing Joe having to pull a perfectly good article. He wanted to know if it was the other guy in the photo that was the culprit, so Jim told him that it was him that betrayed my confidence, but, possibly, to someone who then took it to the magazine, no doubt for the money. We arranged for an in-depth interview, between the two premieres.

When I went to put my unused notes in my bag, I saw that my phone had received a text while we were busy. The caller had left a number and asked if I could call. I moved away from the group and called the number. When it was answered and I said who I was, I was put through to the London manager of Burberry, who asked me if I could come and see him, this afternoon if possible. I said I would and said he would text me the address if I didn’t know it. I told him where I was, and that we might not be there before five, and he said that it didn’t matter, his side of the business ran twenty-four seven, with on-line sales.

As we walked out, I told Jim who I was going to see, and he smiled, and just said, “Interesting.”

I picked up my trench coat from reception, passing the bar where several happy journalists were drinking with Agnes, who, no doubt, was relishing this opportunity to meet and gauge the competition.

In the car, I gave Colin the address I had been given, which he put into the G.P.S. During the trip Jeff and I talked quietly about the press do. I told him that he was brave to have stood up and confessed to being engaged to another bloke. He laughed.

“Hardly any of those guys think you’re a bloke, darling. What they see is a beautiful woman and an amazing star. Remember, most of them spent about eight hours with you on Saturday, watched you in the film, and they were all so certain that you were what you looked like, that they thought we were announcing intentions to sue.”

When we arrived at the address, I asked the driver to wait, and we went in, finding a nice reception area, with a lovely girl at the desk. She immediately pressed a button on her intercom and announced our arrival. Inside a minute, another girl came out and asked us to follow her. We went up in a lift to the executive floor, where she showed us into an office and introduced us to Mister Martine, the manager.

He looked at me, my coat open to show my outfit, and asked me how I acquired my favourite trench coat.

As he motioned for us to sit, I told him that it was from the Heathrow shop, on a reduced rack, and was purely because it was cold outside, and I didn’t have a coat to wear.

“So, it wasn’t supplied by a shop, you paid for it yourself.”

“That’s correct, it’s my go-to coat. Since I got this, it’s been halfway around the world, and I haven’t seen the need to get something else.”

“That’s wonderful. I have to thank you for wearing it because you like it. We sometimes supply clothing to film stars and celebrities. It’s, for us, usually a one-way street. It’s refreshing to meet someone like you who intends to wear it out if you can. This is why I wanted to talk to you. Can my photographer take some pictures, while you’re here? We’ll give you any items that you like. I believe that you’re with Younger Agencies. We’ll pay you, through them, for your time, today. Would you be one of our ambassadors? We could supply you with our product, any time, any place.”

“That’s a very tempting offer. We’re going to be spending some time in the US for a while, but I think that there’s a sequel to be shot, here, in the UK, after that, so I may be seen around the place. Jeff, my fiancé, will be in the film with me when we’re shooting in the US. It will be starring Kym and Kurt Andreessen, Jack Fellows, and some others that you’ll know. He has very little in his wardrobe, seeing that he only got the job, last week. I saw that you do menswear. Would there be room in the deal for him?”

“I’ll come down with you and organise things he can wear, today. I can just see you both on a hoarding, looking loved up and wearing Burberry. Let’s get moving. The quicker we do this, the quicker you’re on the books.”

He led us to the lift, barking out orders to his secretary to organise someone to bring a range of menswear to the studio, in what I knew was Jeff’s size.

“You can gauge sizes well.”

“Forty years of looking at guys and guessing what size they are. Blokes are worse than ladies when it comes to being truthful about their sizes. A lot of them go one size too big, to prove, to themselves, that they’re more of a man.”

I winked at Jeff, we had both been guilty of that.

In the studio, the photographer was ready, and we were changed, snapped, changed, snapped, and changed again until everyone was happy. There had been pictures of us singularly and together, with coats, jackets, trousers, scarves, suits, and bags.

When we left, I had a few things in a bag, but was back in the outfit that I had arrived in. Jeff had a few bags of his own. We told him that we were sorry that we already had suppliers for the two premieres, but promised to wear our gifts as we could. We were told that contracts would be sent to the agency for both of us. With the photographers praises echoing in our ears, we were driven home, where I made us a pasta dish and we cuddled. Jeff took my car home, and I went to bed, thinking about what an amazing day it had been.

Marianne Gregory © 2024