My mind went blank as I lifted the black, flocked box from his trembling fingers.

"I'll give you a kiss, if you sign the ball, please?"

I guess I would be a kind of a trophy wife for him.

_______________________________________________________________

The following Saturday, I had a date to go to New York with Kurt. It helped me to think about that instead of the constant stimulation my chastity belt provided while I did my chores. It was terribly frustrating to be aroused all the time and not be able to do a thing to bring satisfaction to myself. Since the night Melissa had trapped me into being caught with her to provide Carla a pretense to lock me in a chastity belt again, she’d offered no other opportunities for sex.

Kurt was going to get me out of this! The knowledge that he would was the strength, which kept me going.

He had tickets to a Yankees game and, of course, had invited me. I'd never been a big sports fan even if it was the Yankees and Red Sox, but he wanted to see the game and it did give me a chance to get out. I missed the freedom that having a car had provided.

When I had told Ms. Martin about my upcoming date, she reminded me that my chastity belt would be removed for the day.

"I regret that I wasn’t available to unlock you for your last date, Jacqui. A slut like you needs to be used by a real man," she snorted derisively, obviously relishing yet another chance to humiliate me. She seemed to take joy in doing that every chance she got. "I’ll not tell you how to dress for your boyfriend and even allow you to wear those sexy leopard pants, if you’d like. You are such a sex kitten in them." She was goading me, but I wasn’t going to take the bait. My time would come, and then I'd wear those pants proudly. She was right. They made me look very hot.

For some reason, Melissa had decided to be nice to me and offered to loan me any of her pants since I didn't have any of my own. I'd have loved to wear her black leather jeans, but when I tried them on Saturday morning then a few of her others, I decided that pants were a bad idea. She was a bit rounder than I was and they simply didn’t fit right. I settled on a full mini in faded denim with a white blouse I'd embroidered, a wide red belt and my red boots. Melissa gave me a Yankee cap she had gotten from an old boyfriend. My red shoulder bag and a cardigan, in case I got cold, completed my outfit.

Melissa giggled when she saw me greet Kurt with a smile and a kiss after he came in. I knew this meant that her teasing me about my boyfriend was going to escalate, but I didn't care any more. He was my boyfriend.

"Jacqui, you look more like a Boston fan than someone rooting for the Yankees." I guessed he was referring to all the red I had on.

"I've got an official Yankee cap," I pouted in protest. "Do you want me to change?"

"No, you look scrumptious, as usual. Come, we'll go. I brought Henry with the car today."

"Great, I'm looking forward to later then," I said happily.

"Kurt," I said, once Henry had headed us towards the city, "you're going to have to tell me about the Yankees. I know the basic game, but have no idea who any of the players are."

"Certainly, liebling. First, give me your purse?" Curious, I placed it on his lap and turned, curling one leg up, to watch what he was going to do with it. From his pocket, he took out the phony Hong Kong passport.

"We’ve had this examined by experts. The passport book itself is quite real, almost certainly stolen. The paper and inks are the genuine items, Jacqui, as are the exit and entry stamps. It can pass any examination. Whether it would check against records in Hong Kong or New York, we do not know." He placed it in my purse. I was puzzled as to where this was leading. Kurt held out the work visa that is commonly referred to as a ‘green card’. Carla hadn't given me one.

"This is completely real. It makes it legal for Jacqui Lian Chang to work here in the United States of America. In fact, she can work indefinitely."

"How?" I asked. Kurt gave me an enigmatic smile.

"Let us leave it that money, placed in proper places, causes the government to be motivated." He opened my wallet and placed it one of the sleeves, closed my purse and settled it beside me.

"My attorney highly recommends that you believe that, for a time at least, your name actually is, Jacqui Lian Chang."

"OK, I understand, but what do you mean by, ‘for a time’? Kurt’s smile broadened.

"Jacqui has papers to prove that she is a female and never was anything else."

"Yes, but since my operation, I could do that," I offered. My research on the Web had given me sufficient information to know how and I explained what I knew.

"Yes, you could acquire papers to state you are female, but never the other part," Kurt patiently continued. "With the papers you now have, including your permanent residence visa, you no longer have to worry anything else.

"There is one more thing you can now do, which you could never do under the method you have suggested." I saw his hand go in his pocket as he slipped to one knee. I gasped and held my breath. This couldn’t be happening.

"Jacqui Lian Chang, I ask you to someday soon change your name to Mrs. Jacqui Lian Mark. I want you as my wife."

It was true! My mind went blank as I lifted the black, flocked box from his trembling fingers. Now I was trembling as well. Had I remembered to breathe yet? I wasn’t sure.

My eyes nearly burst from their sockets when I finally managed to control my hands well enough to open the box. It contained two rings, one of which held a very large diamond, the other three small ones in a simple setting.

"Kurt, I don't know what to say," I felt stupid and tongue-tied. This must be a dream. How could a man be on his knee asking me to marry him?

"Then say, yes," he said taking my left hand in his. Shaking even worse now, I extended my ring finger. Kurt placed the diamond on my finger then lifted my hand to his lips.

I think I just whispered, ‘Yes, Kurt’. My heart was so full; I thought it would burst. I grabbed his face in both my hands and reached down to kiss him. "Yes, Kurt. Oh, yes! Thank God, yes." I planted my lips on his as he rose up from the floor and sat down next to me. As we kissed, I started to cry. I don't know why, but I couldn’t help it. One thing I did know, they were tears of pure joy.

"Jacqui, my love, my future wife, you make me a very happy man." He embraced me tightly.

I clung to Kurt for the rest of the ride, while he very patiently tried to tell me about all the players, their positions and a little of their statistics.

I couldn't have cared less. I wanted to kiss him, caress his hair and face and hold my arms around his thick chest. At one point I did tune back in to his voice and then asked innocently, "I thought Raspberry was a Yankee?" That caused him to chuckle.

"You are so cute, Jacqui?"

"Why am I cute? Because I asked about one of their players? I'm positive he plays in the outfield and is one of their heavy hitters," I defended myself with all the mock seriousness I could muster. I knew I was right even if I wasn't a fan.

"Strawberry. It's Darryl Strawberry, not Raspberry, liebling. Yes, he was a player, but his drug consumption and cancer ended his career."

"Oh," was all I had to say. I decided not to ask any more stupid questions.

"A salesman who wishes to do business with my company has provided tickets to their box seats next to the Yankee dugout. There are seats for eight. Would you object if I asked Henry to sit there with us?"

"No, not at all, Kurt," I lifted the gosport to my mouth. This old car was wonderful.

"Henry?"

"Yes, Miss Jacqui."

"If you stop calling me Miss Jacqui. I'd like you to join Mr. Mark and me inside the stadium to enjoy the game this afternoon. Say yes, please?"

"It will be my pleasure M... Jacqui."

When we got to Yankee Stadium, I was walking on air. I felt like my engagement ring was as big as a baseball and that everyone was looking at it and me enviously. I was bubbling over with a joyous enthusiasm, that I hadn't experienced since I was a child.

Once we were standing in the parking lot, I moved in front of Henry.

As soon as Henry had helped me out of the car, I reached up and grabbed his chauffeur’s cap. "This stays here," I said as I tossed it inside the car and started to unbutton his jacket. "Take that off too." I waited. "Lean forward." His necktie followed and I undid the top button of his white shirt. "Now give me your hand, Uncle Hank."

"Kurt?" I extended my other hand, the left one, the one with the gigantic gorgeous engagement ring on it, towards him.

"OK, gentleman, take me out to the ball game." Henry's laugh was suppressed, but Kurt was laughing openly. They escorted me to the entrance.

After the usher had shown us to our seats, Henry moved to sit in the row behind where I intended to sit next to Kurt.

"Where do you think you are going, Uncle Hank? You are going to sit right next to me and if you don't, I'm going to sit on your lap to keep you there." I was quite serious. Almost reluctantly, Henry moved to my side again.

The stadium was quite full by the time we'd arrived and people continued to fill the empty seats.

"Are there always this many people, here?" I asked.

"It is a very important game. Boston is tied with New York for first place and the play-offs are soon." Henry answered.

Once the National Anthem had finished and the first pitch thrown, I quickly became caught up in the excitement and was yelling and cheering with the rest of the crowd. I was all over Kurt, until he told me to calm down a little bit. I think both my escorts were having more fun watching me than the game. I couldn't blame them, I looked like an exotic fashion model, but I was behaving like a hyperactive child. I couldn’t contain my joy.

I think it was the top of the eighth and the score was still tied at nothing — nothing, though there had been lots of action and a bunch of hits by both teams. One of the Red Sox hitters chopped a foul ball right at us and Henry managed to leap up and make the one-handed grab. The crowd cheered his catch, so Henry turned to them and took a bow.

Before he sat, he turned to face me, bowed, and presented the ball to me as if it were a valuable artifact. The batter struck out on the next pitch to end the half inning.

A wild idea raced into my head and, with one hand searching my purse while the other held the ball, I ran to the rail.

I called, as loudly as I could, for the pitcher to please autograph my ball while waving it in the air. I didn't know who he was, but he was a gigantic, at least six foot five, and his jersey said Pettitte. As I jumped up and down so he could see my tits bounce, I realized that he was kind of cute.

He did a double take when he first spotted me, but my plan had worked. Instead of going in the dugout, he turned, smiled and jogged towards where I was standing against the rail.

"I'll give you a kiss, if you sign the ball, please?" I offered, clasping my hands in front of me and twisting back and forth like a little girl, asking daddy for a favor. The way he was smiling at my chest, I didn't need to hear his answer. He accepted the ball and pen.

"What's your name, doll?"

"Jacqui, but please address it to 'Uncle Hank', he caught it."

"My pleasure, Jacqui." As he signed, I saw that the big television camera at the corner of the dugout was pointed straight at us. I'd noticed it pointing towards me several times, but I'd no doubt we were center screen now, I could see our picture on the giant scoreboard monitor.

"There you are." he offered the ball and pen back.

"Move closer for your kiss," I whispered to him. When he did, I grinned, leaned forward from my waist and I put my arms out to grasp him on both shoulders. They were huge and rippled with power. I pulled him towards me and planted a big kiss on his lips.

"Now go win this game for me!" I said as I pulled my face from his.

At that point, the crowd went nuts and he turned red as he spun to see us on the scoreboard. He was good though; he turned back to me and tipped his cap. "Sure thing, Jacqui," he grinned.

I thanked him with a proper curtsey, which drew another roar from the crowd as he trotted to the dugout. This pretty girl thing could be real fun if you handled it right.

"My gift to you for being at the hospital when I needed you, Uncle Hank," I bent to kiss his forehead when I handed the ball back to him.

I guess the camera was still on me because the crowd cheered yet again as I sat. I looked to the field and blushed. The umpire had just called, 'Batter up!'

The Yankees went down in order in the bottom of the eigth, and Andy Pettitte, as I discovered his name was, needed only nine pitches to dispatch the Redsox in the top of the ninth.

Their pitcher walked the first Yankee batter. Henry was obviously a real fan, diligently marking little codes in the boxes next to the players' names on the scorecard he purchased. I pulled his hand closer so I could see it.

"Who is the fourth hitter, Uncle Hank?"

"The designated hitter. Why do you ask?"

"It would have been my pitcher before they started using them?" I asked.

"Yes, Jacqui, that's right.

I stood and walked to the rail, calmly this time. I called over the ball boy seated nearby.

"Please tell the DH, that Jacqui wants a talk with him?" I tried not to act nervous. That camera was pointed at me again. I could only imagine what the announcers must have been saying.

"Hi, I'm Jacqui."

"I know," he smiled, returning my greeting.

"Do you remember Babe Ruth's most famous moment?" I asked, blinking my eyes at him in an open flirt.

"Sure, Jacqui."

"Point out where your homerun ball is going then?" I ordered.

His eyes opened wide for a moment, but then he just chuckled and went back to the dugout, shaking his head. I didn't let his non-participation spoil my fun. I turned to the crowd and jumped up and down jabbing my own arm toward the short right field fence; that, got me a cheer.

The next hitter got on with a weak single to left and when the following hitter bunted a little too hard, Boston tried for a double play, but only got the man a second. It was first and third, with only one out as my batter approached the plate. Before stepping into the batter's box, I saw him look towards where I was seated. I stood and again jabbed my arm to point to the seats I'd indicated. A time out was called when the Red Sox's manager stepped onto the field. Oh Pooh!

A relief pitcher was called in from the bullpen.

Finally! It was time to resume the game. He stepped into the batter's box swinging his bat menacingly. When he again looked, I was standing on my seat with my arm and finger stretched out, pointing. I think he nodded and then he slowly stretched his arm to where I pointed. The crowd went wild.

"Stee-rike!" I heard the umpire call.

After three balls, I heard, "Stee-rike!" It was a swing and a miss.

Crack! Thwack! He lined the next pitch so hard to the first baseman, that the sound of the ball hitting his glove was almost as loud as the sound of the bat hitting the ball. The runner was easily doubled off first to end the inning.

"Damn!" I muttered.

Kurt and Henry held my hands.

It was still zip - zip in the bottom of the eleventh when my guy approached the plate again.

"What the H!" I said. I stood and pointed as before. The entire crowd was yelling for a homerun. He just knocked the dirt out of his cleats and stepped into the batter's box.

Crack! He crushed the first pitch. I'm a novice, but even I could tell that it was a home run long before the ball sailed over the left field fence and into the monuments. Who cared if he hit it to the wrong field?

What was left of the crowd was so full of energy that even the walk back to the car was fun. Many of the fans recognized me now, and I could feel them looking at me and heard them talk about how hot I was. I was thrilled, but didn't let on, focusing all my attention on Kurt.

"Kurt, I want Uncle Hank to pick the restaurant and join us for dinner tonight?" I said as I entered the car.

"Certainly, my dear. Henry, you heard the lady."

Before the door closed, bright lights flooded the compartment and a microphone was shoved in.

"Mike Conners, Channel Seven, Eyewitness News. What's your name?"

"I'm Jacqui. Good-bye."

"Henry, the door please?"

I fell onto Kurt's lap having a giggle fit.

"No one ever told me that a ball game could be that much fun, Kurt," I said.

"Well, my dear, I don't think anyone there had ever been to a ball game quite like that one. Fans, even as pretty as you, don't make a habit of seducing the players."

I could tell by his grin that he was kidding, but I swatted at him in anyway. I missed, falling into his lap again, so I could snuggle into in his arms. We kissed and hugged all the way to the restaurant.

We ended up at a German restaurant in Atlantic Highlands, not exactly on the route home from Yankee Stadium.

Not surprisingly, the maitre de knew Kurt. "Guten Abend, Herr Mark," he greeted.

"Guten Abend, Arnald. This is Jacqui and you know my chauffeur, Henry." The portly man bowed to me with a smile and acknowledged Henry with just a nod. We were seated near the bandstand and dance floor.

"I should have worn my black dirndl and apron," I joked.

"Really, Jacqui?" Kurt asked.

"Really. I do have them."

"Don't underestimate Miss Jacqui, sir." Henry added, then turned pale for intruding.

"I think we learned that for sure at the ball game today," Kurt laughed.

I had a great evening, first dining and then dancing. This was the first time Jacqui had ever danced. It was a little awkward at first, especially going backwards, but Kurt was masterful, and such a strong leader, that following him was a snap. I picked it up quickly. I loved holding my hand on his shoulder and feeling his on my back. I even had a couple of dances with Henry, who was no slouch either.

In the end, however, I was on the dance floor with Kurt. I draped my arms around his neck and made him put his around my back. "This is how young American lovers dance," I said, staring into his eyes. Then I rested my head against his chest and let him lead me. I couldn't get over the amazing feeling of my breasts pressed against his chest.

Then, without any warning, Kurt dropped his hands to caress my ass and said, "Do young lovers do this too?"

"Yes, they do," I whispered as I pushed my body even further into his. I didn't know how it had happened, but this man had changed me utterly.

Both Kurt and I just collapsed into the big back seat of the Rolls when they finally threw us out of the restaurant so they could close. We both relaxed back against the leather seat back and waited for Henry to drive us home. After the car was in motion, the reflections of the lights in the parking lot glinted from my ring. Tired and emotionally spent, I easily got lost in random thoughts as I allowed myself to become transfixed by the twinkling.

One of the sparkles reminded my how happy I was right then. It felt so good to know that Kurt loved me. A blinking turn signal derailed that feeling and I started to get uneasy. How, I wondered, had Kurt fallen in love with me? It had happened so fast, and I couldn't think of anything remarkable about our early dates that might have led Kurt to propose so quickly.

I guess Kurt had been very lonely since Erica had died. Though he never dwelled on it, I was positive this was the case. So that was one thing, he was lonely.

I also knew, because he told me, that he had always adored Asian girls and that he had been infatuated with the vaguely oriental Jacqui since first laying eyes on her. I couldn’t remember how many times he’d told me I was incredibly attractive even before my surgery. Now I was an absolutely gorgeous Asian girl in his eyes and most others. I guess I would be a kind of a trophy wife for him.

I frowned at that thought — how demeaning, to simply be an object, but then another headlight caught the ring, setting off a bright twinkle that made me smile again. No, it wasn't demeaning; it was fantastic. I was a gorgeous young woman and he admired me for it. Hell, they say that Helen of Troy's beauty launched a thousand ships. Maybe mine only landed me one suitor, but he was a terrific guy.

Since we’d met, it had been over two months ago now, Kurt had had a lot of time to think about what he wanted, and it seemed he wanted me. Perhaps absence does make the heart grow fonder. We did have a rather long separation while he was in Germany. Then too, I’m positive he’d seen that I desperately needed help and I'll bet being the one to provide it made him feel good about himself. Nothing wrong with that either, I guess.

Okay, maybe all that could explain Kurt's feelings, but what about of my own? One thing I knew for sure was that I was more grateful to Kurt than I had ever been to anyone. Not only did he treat me as if I was valuable, which I desperately needed after what Carla had done to me, but he made me feel protected and taken care of. I had never really understood just how much I needed to have someone to take care of me.

I could feel tears of gratitude start to build in my eyes. I guess I was still an emotional wreck if a little feeling of gratitude made me cry. I guess I was as emotionally vulnerable as anyone ever had been. I'd been through hell over the last year, literally living in it since last spring.

Carla had wrenched me from one life and thrust me into another. She had betrayed me and destroyed my love for her and my belief in myself in the process. She had just about destroyed me as a person and would have had me as her prisoner forever if it hadn't been for Kurt.

Kurt had come along though, and he was my angel - my knight in shining armor. Not only would he rescue me from Carla, he filled my need for emotional support and attention when I needed it the most.

More importantly, perhaps, he helped me to become a woman by treating me like one. There was no doubt; he was a real gentleman, a gentleman in the old-fashioned sense, which made it easy for me to be a woman. The roles were pretty clear, and however he had done it, he had made me want to please him sexually, which really made me feel feminine.

Yes, Kurt had allowed me to leave John behind. John hated the thought of ever being intimate with a man. In truth, a truth I could finally admit to, he had been homophobic. That wasn’t a nice word, but it accurately described him. Had he been that way because he had been attracted to men, but wouldn't admit it? I wasn't sure.

I giggled. Stupid engineer’s logic - Jacqui wasn’t homophobic. I'd had sex with my man. It wasn’t horrible. In fact, it had been enjoyable. When I had shared those moments with Kurt, I had wanted to please him and it was unimportant that I had to play with his penis to do it. Even if he couldn't get erections, I was sure I would play with it again. I smiled to myself at the thought.

'I am Jacqui, Jacqui Lian Chang and very proud to be her,' I thought to myself with wonder in my heart that this could be real.

I held up my hand and played with the ring; trying to catch reflections of the passing streetlights on its facets.

"Kurt, why did you give me two rings?" I asked, turning towards him as I did.

He smiled. "First welcome back." I blushed, slightly embarrassed.

"Liebling, two rings - one to wear on your right hand while at Carla’s so you will always know that I am here to take care of you." He leaned over and gave me a sweet kiss. When we broke, he took my left hand and held it to show off the big diamond. "The other is for when we are together."

"I think Carla will accept the little one as a token of friendship, or perhaps payment for sex," he chuckled, which made me giggle. "But the big one would be too much. Carla would just get angry and make life worse for you because of it."

Of course Kurt was right. I lifted my left hand from his palm and caressed his cheek. Then I reached up and kissed him as I shifted my body so I was on his lap. Once we had settled into a comfortable position, I took his hand and placed it on my breast. "Please, I whispered, I need to feel your hands on me."

When we arrived at Carla's estate, I took off the big diamond and handed it to Kurt. Then, with a sigh, I removed the smaller ring. He put his hand on mine to stop me and he raised his eyes questioningly.

"Kurt, I don't want Carla or Melissa to know anything. And," I went on, reaching up to hold his cheek in my palm, "I don't need a ring to know you are with me." I looked down, squeamish about my feelings and what I was about to say. I looked back up and held his eyes. "I love you, Kurt Mark. You are in my heart, and that is everything to me."

He sat quietly as I put the smaller ring in the box. Then I looked back and said, "Kiss me, please? I need to feel your lips on mine as I walk back into that hellhole."

After a while, I broke the kiss to get out of the car. I had tears in my eyes because I hated the idea of going inside. "Kurt get me out of there, please? I just can't take it much longer."

"I will, liebling, I will. You are in my heart too and I will not let anything bad happen to you."

Near one o'clock in the morning, I climbed up in my bunk. Melissa was soon hugging me after she climbed up too.

"Tell me?" she kissed under my ear. "I saw you on the TV," she giggled, "Real show-off, Jacqui."

"I will, tomorrow. But let me sleep now please?" I answered.

"Okay, tomorrow," Melissa replied softly. "But remember, you promised."

End of Part IX