***FYI This is second of three chapters that will be shared here on BC***

CHAPTER TWO

“Woah woah woah woah WOAH,” I spat out, each ‘woah’ louder and more incredulous than the last. “Erica, what the HELL are you talking about?”

My sister held her hand out in an attempt to steady my nerves, anticipating the explosion. “Will… It’s not that big of a deal…”

“NOT A BIG DEAL?” I screamed, though quickly hushing myself as other tourists walked by. “You’re saying you brought me on a girls’ trip and saying I need to wear a dress. That sounds like a big ass deal to me!”

Erica rolled her eyes. “First of all, it’s not a dress. It’s a kimono.” She waved the flowery yellow garment in my face. “See? Long sleeves. More like a robe than anything else.”

I sighed, annoyed at how she completely missed my point.

“Fine, a kimono. But a girl’s kimono. For a GIRLS trip!”

“Alright, alright… Confession time,” Erica began softly. “I registered for the trip thinking Marie and I would go. You remember Marie, right?”

Yeah… I guess I remember Marie. She’s a high school friend of Erica’s who she reconnected with when she moved back to Chicago last year. Kinda felt like a weird first choice though.

“Okay, sure. So why didn’t you bring her?”

Erica groaned. “At the last second Marie’s boss changed her mind about letting her work remotely for that long. So… I kiiinda lied about my timeline and invited you instead. But hey, maybe it’s good she dropped out because now we can do a sibling trip for the first time in… ever?”

At this point, my face had been contorted for so long it was starting to hurt.

“Look, here’s the deal,” she continued. “We’re in what’s called a ‘bachelorette suite’, meaning at check-in, they need to see two girls rather than a guy and a girl. But I promise, once we’re settled in the room, you can take off the kimono and we can pretend the whole thing never happened.”

I didn’t love how cavalier Erica was about all this. Not one bit. Plus, the fact that she straight-up lied to me felt like a punch in the gut. But I had to remind myself what I was getting in return: a mostly free, most-expenses-paid trip to a Hawaiian resort for two freaking weeks. That’s a hell of a consolation prize. Maybe in exchange — and just this once — I can be a good sport and play along.

“Ugh… fine,” I finally answered her.

Erica giddily jumped up and down like she’d just won the lottery.

“Thank you thank you thank you!” she exclaimed, shoving the kimono into my hands. “Well? Put it on!”

I briefly froze, forgetting for a moment how to even put on clothes. But sure enough, just like a bathrobe, I slipped on the kimono over my t-shirt and shorts, tying it up in the center, to cover all hints of male clothing — well, other than my sneakers.

The garment itself was extremely thin and soft. I’d never worn a kimono before and I must confess I was struck with the material. The flowers I probably could’ve done without, but the robe itself felt quite, uh… nice.

“Silk?” I asked Erica, prompting a nod from her. “You… you wear these around the house?”

Erica smirked. “Taking a liking to it, eh? Feels even better when you don’t wear it over boy clothes.

I involuntarily blushed. “No! It’s just, uh…” I paused, catching myself mindlessly caressing the material. “I guess it’s not as bad as I thought.”

“Well that’s good,” Erica reached toward me and in one motion undid my ponytail, letting my auburn locks fall to my shoulders.

“Damn your hair’s gotten long!” she said, seriously taken aback. “It’s longer than mine!”

I rolled my eyes. Hair length isn’t exactly what I want to be reminded of while wearing something like this.

Erica winked and zipped up her suitcase. “I guess that’s good too. It’ll only help with our deception!”

Luggage in hand, I followed Erica down the sidewalk and toward what’d be, I assume, the most stressful part of this beach vacation.

I was anxiously approaching the hotel, finicking with my kimono and nervously toying with my hair as my eyes darted between each person we passed. I felt like an animal in a zoo, knowing everyone was staring at me. I mean, they had to… right? A boy in a girly, flowery kimono? They’d have every right to point and laugh.

And yet, it was going just fine. Even entering the magnificent Ocean Oasis lobby — packed with eager tourists and busy hotel staff, all scurrying about the tropical, fantastical foyer — no one seemed to take issue with my appearance. Still, not looking to push my luck, I held my head down and kept mum.

Erica, confident as ever, approached the front desk where a smiling, middle-aged woman in a casual navy blazer greeted us.

“Aloha!” the woman offered cheerfully. “Welcome to Ocean Oasis. Are we checking in?”

“Yes, we are,” my sister answered. “We’re the sweepstakes winners with WATT FM.”

The woman nodded, aware of the contest as she clacked away at her keyboard, pulling up our reservation. “Erica Quinn? For the bachelorette suite?”

“Yes ma’am,” she answered. “And this is my guest, Wendy.”

Wendy? Though my eyes stayed pinned firmly to the floor, they opened wide upon hearing that name.

Wendy?

“Welcome Erica, and welcome Wendy,” the receptionist replied without missing a beat. As you know, the room is already covered courtesy of your contest.” She handed my sister a set of key cards. “These are for your suite. One of our bellhops will escort you to your room. Sincerely, girls, enjoy your stay.”

“Thank you so much!” Erica cheered, though she paused before nudging me along.

“Uh, thanks!” I squeaked out as well in a shamelessly high-pitched voice.

Perfectly on cue, a male bellhop grabbed our bags and gestured to follow him. I nodded with a little smile desperately trying to avoid any problem, but the moment he turned around I fiercely gripped my sister’s arm and pulled her in close.

“Wendy!?” I whisper-screamed. “What’re you giving me a girl’s name for?”

She didn’t hesitate to match my temper and grip. “Until we’re in the room… YOU’RE. A. GIRL. Don’t blow this!”

I huffed quietly but held my tongue, walking silently behind the bellhop as he led us through the resort and hotel halls.

As it turns out, our suite was a considerable walk from the check-in desk — though considering the impressive size of the lobby I should expect the same from the rest of the resort. Spending additional time shuffling around in this kimono wasn’t ideal, but it did give us a chance to appreciate its scale and beauty.

To its credit, the hotel was legitimately stunning. The nautical theme enveloped every nook and cranny, hammering in the ‘ocean’ of it all while being tasteful rather than tacky. Exquisite paintings of sea creatures hung throughout the halls and common areas. Majestic gold and maritime-blue color motifs were so ever-present, I wouldn’t be surprised if Poseidon himself were the designer.

“Your room, ladies,” the bellhop announced, approaching a grand, maritime-blue door with gold accents.

“You’re a saint, sir!” Erica complimented, retrieving a tip from her purse.

With Erica’s cash in hand, the bellhop tipped his cap and wished us a wonderful vacation. But as he walked away, Erica shot me a sly little smirk.

“Ladies…” she teased, imitating the bellhop.

“Ughhh,” I groaned at the unfortunate ease of passing as a woman. While my sister took a moment to reflect on the resort’s fun eccentricities, I wasted no time ripping the key card out of her hand and bursting open the door for some sweet, sweet privacy. As much as I wished to rip off the kimono the first chance I got, I couldn’t help but gawk at what’d be our home for the next two weeks. Because boy were we getting spoiled…

The suite’s interior was simple but elegant: two cushy queen beds, a small but functional kitchenette complete with mini-fridge, microwave, and gold-colored sink, a baby-blue loveseat, and of course, a sizable bathroom with – surprise-surprise – a painting of a sea turtle. The room was impressive, sure, but I’d be remiss not to mention the real selling point of the room.

“Wow…” Erica said, her mouth agape.

“Incredible…” I echoed.

Of course, the catalyst of our awe was the breathtaking, unmatched view of the ocean. Any remaining reservations I had about this trip immediately washed away looking at that crystal clear ocean, the vast, golden beach, and our adorable, private, third-floor balcony overlooking it all. Even for a Los Angeles resident like myself familiar with coastal beauty, this view blew my freaking mind.

I slid open the floor-to-ceiling door as the sweet smell of ocean breeze rushed into our room, engulfing us in its wonder. My sister and I had officially arrived in paradise.

Tenderly, Erica stepped beside me and put her arm around my shoulder. “Still mad about that kimono after getting a view like this?”

Mesmerized, I shook my head. How could I be? I’m basking in ocean serenity and Hawaiian bliss.

“I’ll get over it…” I whispered, still entranced by our sensational setup. “Could have gone without the Wendy stuff, but…”

“Cute name though, yeah?” Erica chuckled. “It just came to me!”

I shrugged, refusing to weigh in on the ‘cuteness’ of my temporary girl name. Erica reached across my face to tuck away a strand of my loose auburn hair that got unsettled by the wind.

“You did great though, Will.”

“Heh, thanks…” I answered, finally snapping out of my sea stare and turning my focus to the kimono. “I’m done with this thing, yeah?”

“Sure,” my sister answered, though with a bit of waver in her voice. “I’m gonna hang back here for a minute though. Go explore the resort. Remember, it’s your vacation too.”

========

To be completely honest, the whole ‘Wendy’ bit didn’t bother me as much as I thought it would. Partly because it was so short-lived, but mostly because it was merely a speed bump in pursuit of a restorative trip.

I did exactly as Erica recommended and took my time exploring the grounds of Ocean Oasis. And it’s safe to say I was thoroughly impressed.

The resort had everything a vacationer could want. The beautiful, golden beaches stretched on for miles, speckled with resort guests and tourists alike working on their tans. Surfers took to the water to carve up waves with the cockiest ones doing goofy dances atop their boards to impress their friends on land.

A multitude of restaurants lived alongside the beach walkway offering all types of cuisine. Some were fancy and others casual, but each spot had its own unique styles, smells, and staff all beckoning passers-by to partake in a tasty meal.

Eventually, I encountered what many would consider the calling card of any vacation resort: the pool. No legitimate resort is complete without a pool, and The Oasis Pool Club was so much more than that. Giant slides for the kids, a pool bar and cabanas for the adults, and fun, energetic music played by an extremely gregarious DJ, trying nonstop to get the loungers and swimmers to get up and dance.

I spent well over an hour wandering about and taking in the scene. Ocean Oasis felt like the perfect mix of elation and relaxation, and I couldn’t wait for Erica to see it all too. For an introvert like myself, it was a tad overwhelming at times, but at the very least I knew it was a place my sister could thrive.

After what felt like a thorough self-tour of the estate, I decided to head back to the room. But something new caught my eye. About a quarter-mile down from the turn-off to our hotel, well past the resort and beyond a stretch of rocks, was a section of abandoned beach.

Curious, I approached it, traversing the large, slippery stones to find, yes, a small patch of beach, but also a lone palm tree planted in the sand with a blue Adirondack chair nestled beneath.

“Hmm…” I muttered, approaching the tree and observing my surroundings. Being so far off the resort, it wasn’t terribly surprising no one was here. And clearly, whoever had put this chair here hadn’t used it in years. It was sandy, dirty, and in desperate need of a paint job.

But still, the serene, private set-up felt very zen. The hectic, vibrant nature of Ocean Oasis was nice, but something about this spot felt cozy and warm. Without even thinking, I slipped off my shoes, dug my toes into the sand, and sunk my butt into the chair. God this felt relaxing. Nothing around me but a vast ocean. I felt focused and dialed in.

Wait…

Was this the feeling I was searching for? Had I actually unlocked an at-peace, creative mindset ready to write?

A smile crept onto my face even as a gust of wind rushed by and messed up my hair. I had come to a decision. In this chair, next to this tree is where I will finally start my next script.

I had no idea what I’d be writing about, but for the first time in months, I felt ready to write again. And damn did it feel good.

Not wanting to keep Erica waiting, I took note of my new sanctuary’s location and returned to the hotel.

The feeling of finally taking a first step toward relieving my brain fog and writer's block was unbelievably freeing. I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I was so giddy that I even skipped a little on the quick journey. Hopefully, nobody saw.

I couldn’t wait to tell Erica about my new spot as I hurtled through the hotel lobby on my way back to our room. Until, strangely, I spotted another curious thing out of the corner of my eye.

A man. A familiar man…

Without catching his attention, I dug deep in my memory for where I knew his face. A tall man with a strong jawline and short, curly, dark hair… Heh, you know, if anything, that describes my sister’s type to a T.

Then it hit me. The man I passed… of course he’s my sister’s type – because that man’s name is Carter.

Carter, my sister’s ex-boyfriend!

My heart started to race. It wasn’t a perfect look, but long enough for the memories to rush back in. Carter was Erica’s boyfriend in college. I never met him and hadn’t seen his face beyond pictures, but I had no doubt it was him. And if he’s here in the lobby, then he must also be a guest.

Suddenly, my creative inspiration felt like the least important thing in the world as I sprinted back to the room to warn Erica. I knew telling her might drudge up bad memories and cause concern, but as her brother, it’s my duty to tell her.

“Erica!” I shouted, bursting into our suite. She was out on the balcony but whipped her head around, concerned.

“Jeez! What’s wrong? Please don’t tell me you’re already hating it here.”

I shook my head. “No, everything’s beautiful. But listen…” I paused, steadying my voice. “This may be hard for you to hear, but you deserve to know. I ran into someone in the hotel lobby. Someone from your past.”

Erica, to my surprise, didn’t flinch. She said nothing as she stood up and closed the balcony door behind her.

“You saw Carter, didn’t you?” she asked calmly.

“W-what?” I stammered back. “Yeah! How did y—“

Instead of rage or fear or dread, Erica approached me evenly, sitting us down on the edge of the bed and sighing.

“Will, I have one more confession…”

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One more sample chapter will be posted this week, but the entirety of Two Weeks of Wendy is on Amazon right now!

Thanks for reading :)

-Jennifer

AMAZON LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Two-Weeks-Wendy-Gradual-Feminization-...