After being locked up for an indefinite sentence, parole from Gender Prison can be sweet, especially when two good friends start a trick and they have no idea about the girl within. Can Kerry survive outside and what will it really look like?

The possibility of staying in the old place was too hard, from senior management to floor sweeper - acting lower duties. It took five months from the dismissal but gradually leaving was the lesser pain option and we faded out the doors never to go back inside the place where we had been for seven years leaving behind friends and co-workers, well most of them.

The evening drinks
It had been several months since we had all been together and the chance to catch up was long overdue. The two girls arrived and we each exchanged hugs and kisses, at least they meant what they said, they also brought a couple of bottles of white and Janet had put a couple of her favourites in the fridge. Of course the dip and chips had been put out on the coffee table along with the now obligatory water to slow down the effects of alcohol. As they sat down on the lounge suite in the family room they each kicked off their shoes and settled in for the night. Feeling at home was so easy for them as they put their feet up on the furniture, grabbed a drink and some dip then wanted to know everything that we had done since the last time.

Many things had happened since Christmas when the year finished and Janet had ended her time as CEO. After 6 months all four of them had changed jobs and each wanted to avoid the gossip of last year’s activities preferring to move on rather than go back. It was always a great laugh when the girls started talking about what they were up to and remembered their misspent youth. The first empty bottle of Chenin Blanc was already under the table and they passed the chips around with laughter about the last dinner the staff had enjoyed.

As the second bottle was opened, Jane started talking about her new job and the variety of customers she had to look after each day, a diverse mix of society. Her job required her to assess tenants for a local real estate agent and decide if they posed any risk of loss. A list of risk areas had been compiled and used by the industry based on stats over many years. One of her clients this week had stretched her list due to his lifestyle and caused her to put the request on hold pending more investigation. Being the end of the week she still had not made any decision and had nowhere to go for help so she brought it up for discussion, what did they think would be the risk of letting a unit to a Transvestite. “How do you know he was a she?” asked Liz followed by “and what would it matter anyway” Jane started to talk about how good she looked and that it was a real shock when she was told during the rental interview. Neither girl knew a thing about Kerry nor the secret kept hidden from nearly everyone.

As the second bottle was put under the table a certain level of discomfort was being felt by Paul and Janet, they had not talked about this sort of thing with anyone, apart from counsellors, since last year. Jane would not let it go and mentioned the news last week about a beauty contest in San Francisco for transsexuals and such like, the winner was better looking than most of the girls she knew. Over the next few minutes all the girls could focus on was talk about who could get away with passing as a girl and laughing as they went through each of their friends and how ugly they would look. Suddenly they remembered the photo from work, the one of Paul as the damsel at the party and they both looked at Paul and roared with laughter.

Of course he had gotten away with it at the party and even with Janet by his side it still took quite a while for his friends to realise it was him. The look was classical fairy tale, the makeup more stage pantomime than day wear but the walk and mannerisms showed a woman inside and that was what confused many at the party. The gentle hand movements and slipping her shoe off as she sat in a group, the way she held her self and played with flicking her hair when she knew others were watching. All along she was playing the part and enjoying the thrill of the evening out.

The girls had started their next glass of white without even thinking about the water bottle on the table. Jane asked Paul about the evening and how he got away with it without feeling absolutely stupid or tripping up in the heels and long dress. Paul made a casual glance at Janet to see how she was handling the topic, if he was in trouble again, or if he had permission to talk. Seeing nothing like a stop sign he started to talk about the sheer fun of the entire project from choosing shoes to visiting op shops with Janet and especially the time it took to get the makeup applied. The outfit had been Janet’s choice found on the day of the party and nothing like what Paul had wanted to wear. He had chosen a more normal outfit, a tight red sweater and mid thigh black skirt and dark tights with 2” heels more in keeping with image of Kerry than a damsel.

A sudden glint in the eyes of Liz and Jane appeared and if either of the hosts had seen it they would have said good night and sent them home, but they missed it. Jane wanted to know if Paul had done anything like this before. Of course there had been a few “appearances” at church shows such as the belly dancer, the Italian mother with her two little gentlemen’s and the party of nuns but nothing as elaborate as the Damsel. “How about other times, surely you’ve done more than just church stuff” asked Liz as if there was more to find out. Paul felt trapped in a corner and began to shift in his seat trying to get away from the interrogation by the girls before getting into trouble with Janet. Sensing a startled deer in the headlights Jane laughed aloud and said “Okay spill the beans let us have the details”

There was no way Paul was going to talk about Kerry, even with his two favourite girls, Janet would kill him and show no mercy doing it either. Janet decided it was time for a toilet break and asked Paul to put the kettle on for coffee, which he did immediately allowing him to get out of the pressure zone. The girls simply poured another drink and sat back waiting for their hosts to return from the kitchen.

Jane had a work function coming up that was aimed at women investing in real estate which she was preparing for next weekend and Liz was asking about how many people she had attending when Paul sat down with some more crackers and dip. By the time Janet returned the conversation had moved on from the previous subject and she breathed easier, as did Paul. Liz had been engaged to cater for the seminar and had been asking about numbers when Jane mentioned that she needed another couple of people before she could make any commission from the event. “How about you coming Janet it will help me get the base commission” asked Jane and then turning to Paul said “and why don’t you come as well.” Paul had missed the seminar title when they started talking about it and thought it was simply an investment night so said yes without thinking. Liz giggled and asked what he would be wearing to the evening.

Jane thought carefully before speaking and then she sprang the trap “you will need to dress up for the evening otherwise you’ll standout like sore thumbs” she said looking at Paul. He didn’t understand the problem and said that it would not be an issue as he had a good wardrobe. Liz could not keep herself together and broke into hysterical chuckling as she fell on the sofa with images that combined the images of Damsel and the info about Paul’s preferred outfit. Sensing that something was wrong Janet asked what was so funny and what had they agreed to do at the seminar. The news was more shocking than she could imagine but before she could react Jane started her next stage. “I knew you wouldn’t do it, all talk and no action in your old age” she said as she looked at Paul, knowing how he could not let her win anything that looked like one upmanship.

This comment had changed the whole atmosphere and when Janet stood to make coffee for everyone Paul followed her into the kitchen. She looked at him hoping to find agreement that it was not going to happen but instead she saw the puppy dog eyes that stared back at her begging to be free. In the corner of his eyes she could also see the tears forming as he asked to be free, the year of obedience and humiliation from the sacking, the time of stress in their family and the awkwardness when TV shows had a theme of betrayal, all of it came to the front very easily and she saw some of the pain her husband had borne.

Deep in her cell, Kerry had heard the conversation and wandered where it was going to end never hoping what would happen. She could hear the keys of the cell door rattling as the steps got closer to her, closer and closer until they stopped just outside her cell. Her breathing stopped in expectation of the next step.

Janet simply kissed her husband and said “I don’t want to be hurt anymore but you have already been hurt so much more, you make the decision but be very gentle with me”. And the key went into the lock, it turned and the door swung open as Kerry looked out wondering how long it would last.

They returned to the family room carrying a tray of cups with milk and sugar and Janet carrying the plunger of coffee. The girls looked and as if to ask what the answer was going to be only to see the smile on Paul’s face and Janet nodded her agreement. Meanwhile Kerry was running around the room making lists in her mind ready for her first shopping trip, but she hadn’t orchestrated that yet. Jane laughed and looked at Liz with the look of surprise at what they had done, far more than she had even wanted to do.

Paul took control of the situation and started making a list of requirements, the first was for him to do the event without making it uncomfortable for Janet and more importantly it had to be done well so he did not appear as a guy in a dress. There would have to be a budget to cover the items they would need to do it right, secondly shopping time to get everything, and someone to help him shop. At this point Liz and Janet both said they had work on Saturday or kids to look after; only Jane had any time free due to her husband being away with her son at a school camp until Sunday night. They decided that it would be OK for Jane to take Paul shopping as long as they stuck to the budget and didn’t get carried away with shopping, Janet knew that Paul loved to shop with her and would always suggest far more than she needed as he chose outfits for her to try on.

The girls had decided that going home after four large glasses of wine was not a good idea so Liz called her home to say she was staying overnight only to find out that everyone was already in bed and they expected her to stay over at Janes place. Janet wanted to know what sort of gear Paul would need to blend in with the other girls as she only had limited formal wear and she was sure it would not fit Paul although he knew exactly what fitted him already. The style was expected to be more upmarket business than formal as these were investors and expected to dress the part. Jane suggested that they look at Janet's wardrobe to see if there was anything Paul could wear without making too much of a contrast, after all Janet was attending as well. Kerry ran out of the room into her favourite place, the closet, and waited for the rest to catch up. A quick flick through found a smart but slightly formal dark blue dress with see through panels if the light was just right, one of Janet's dresses that she no longer liked but Kerry loved. Making a casual glance at the dress told everyone that it would fit Paul as long as he wore a scarf around the neck to cover his Adam’s apple.

Returning to the family room Paul grabbed a piece of paper to make a shopping list, hardly needed as Kerry had made lists nearly every day in her cell just hoping for a time like this when she could get out shopping again. Gently, gently was the instruction from Janet and so Kerry took it slowly just naming a few basic items like shoes, makeup, stockings, bra etc. In her mind was a list of suitable shops where they could go and shop without trouble, but could it all be done on the next day with limited money, $200 was hardly enough for a girl to shop with let alone one that would take so much extra work.

So it was sealed, the girls would sleep over and in the morning Janet would go to work, Liz back to her family for the sports runs and Jane and Paul would go shopping for some basic items. The next day would be Kerry’s first day on parole and she had better behave or the cell door may be welded shut forever. Still she was out and too excited to sleep, everyone went to their various bedrooms as Janet and Paul got ready for bed in silence before turning off the light. Paul rolled over put his arm around Janet’s shoulders and gave her a hug as he kissed and thanked her for what she had given him, a gift of time as Kerry.

The house was awake at 7am as Janet had work and Kerry was still too excited to wait around so Paul was up preparing breakfast. For him, the normal yoghurt and black tea, no milk or carbs on his crash diet, the one he restarted today. The girls sat down to cereal and toast with orange juice and coffee, their heads still pounded and noise was everywhere this morning. Especially in Paul’s head as Kerry talked about the shopping trip and all of the nice things she wanted to buy, her list had grown over night unfortunately the budget had not.

It was decided that they would meet back at Jane’s house for tea tonight after the two of them had been shopping and it would be show and tell. Liz opted for a quick visit at around 7pm after the evening meal had been finished and the young kids put to bed. Janet would be there around 5.45pm after finishing work and she would pick up some more nibbles from the supermarket. All up a very easy plan to follow as long as everyone stuck to the agreement, except Kerry had not been present at the vote and anyway she had no intention of sticking to the rules. The table was cleared and they each headed out the door to work. Janet in her car and the girls, and Paul, in Jane’s car heading back to her place for a quick change of clothes and to drop Liz off in time for the sports taxi runs as she called it.

As the car pulled into Jane’s house she had a sudden thought about shoe sizes for Paul, they were almost the same height and close to the same body size. Paul and Liz sat down in the family room chatting as Jane went into her bedroom to get changed into shopping gear, returning very quickly with two pairs of shoes from her wardrobe. “Try these on for size” she said putting them on the table before leaving to continue changing. Liz told Paul to get his sneakers and socks off before putting on a nice pair of 2” heels in black. As soon as the shoes went on “Paul had left the building” leaving only Kerry instead to enjoy her time. She went to stand up carefully making sure her knees were together with her weight over her feet, straight up with no problem, a quick turn on the heel and a feeling of femininity that only comes from a good pair of heels. Kerry walked around the room remembering all the times she had practiced walking without falling or looking stupid. The times in Sydney and on country trips where the “shoes maketh the woman” and she so wanted to be a free woman.

By the time Jane walked back into the room Kerry was sitting down ready to try on the second pair, much higher than the first, white open toe sandals, with ankle straps. This time Liz and Jane expected Paul to have problems, not knowing that Kerry was in total control and loving every moment of it. Again she stood correctly, stepped forward turned and swung her arms out in joy as she repeated the parade towards the mirror in the hallway. Sometimes people can miss subtle hints about a person because they are not looking for them, and so it was with the girls, they missed Kerry totally.

Liz wanted to know how they felt on and if the size was close enough to use as a guide. Kerry knew that she would be wearing stockings for the seminar and mentioned it to the girls as if to ask if it would make any difference, still playing the dumb male. Jane quickly came back from her bedroom with a new packet of pantyhose and threw them at Paul with suggestion that he go to the bathroom and put them on so they got the right size in the shop. When he returned Liz had gone and Jane was holding the white pair and asked her to try them on again to make sure the size was right. This time the feeling was much better and as she stood with the jeans pulled up to knee height Jane realised her first challenge, hairy legs. Making a mental note to herself she grabbed her keys and headed for the door to go shopping, “come on then, lets shop” she said heading for the door. Paul quickly grabbed his sneakers and socks while heading to the car in the heels, seemed quite normal to Kerry as she sat in the car and swung her legs in. Jane just laughed and said “are you sure you haven’t done more of this?” Paul just told her to drive and not ask too many questions.

Where to from here? It was just 9am and some of the shops didn’t open until 10am on Saturdays so they headed into the local shopping area to see what was open. Kerry navigated very carefully to a small lingerie shop called The Lingerie Warehouse that she had used before, great prices and no hassle parking. Jane pulled up at the kerb just down the road from the shop “don’t you think you should swap shoes?” she asked Paul, “Oh, I almost forgot” he said sheepishly putting the sneakers back on. They walked up to the front door as the shop assistant, Lisa, was coming out front carrying a cup of tea, which she quickly put down as they came into the shop. Giving them the customary 15 seconds to get into the shop she approached and asked how she could help them today. They hadn’t thought about the story line and it showed as they made up whatever came to their minds first and spat it out settling on “we are here to find a gift for a special friend of ours”. Well it was sought of true and that gave them opportunity to talk about her in the third person in front of the sale person. Lisa must have seen the funny looks between the two and the stunned mullet look on their faces knowing they had been sprung.

They asked for time to browse before wanting help and headed off to the matching bra and knickers sets at one end of the shop. Kerry picked up a nice dark blue set and a very sexy white, silky shiny set in the same size they continued to walk around looking for something special. Kerry found the matching Garter belt in white and picked it up with a determination that said “it’s mine again” and headed off to the front of the shop in search of more specials. Lisa had been watching the customers from a distance and noticed that it was Kerry that was doing all of the selecting rather than Jane. She waited before approaching Kerry to be of assistance in finding the something special that she wanted. “Has your friend tried on a corset before?” she asked Kerry as she headed to the front of the display area and retrieved a gorgeous dark blue satin corset with six garter clips and a heavy duty cord for reducing the waist. Kerry’s eyes lit up as she saw the item most desired in her circle of friends but normally so expensive as to make it a one off purchase.

At this point Lisa knew exactly who she was serving and what was required to make the sale, the look on Kerry’s face was the clearest indicator of this. “We have a special area out back if you would like to try it on” she said still partly guessing but before Kerry could answer the curtain was being opened. It turns out the firm had imported them from China as a test batch but was having no luck in convincing local girls to try them, with summer temperatures sitting around 35 to 40 degrees C it was no small wonder that normal girls would avoid them. Instead they had chosen to quit the stock at cost hence a price of $45 rather than the normal retail price of $245, Paul made a mental note about profit mark-up in the industry. Suddenly it dawned on Jane what was happening and she raced over to check on Paul. Lisa turned to Jane and started to explain that her store was hoping to be T-friendly and they had setup a special area for privacy. While not understanding what that totally meant Jane did see the need for privacy in a fitting area although she could see Paul was loving every minute of it.

Lisa asked Kerry to remove her jumper and undo the jeans she had on as the fitting had to be just right, a quick measure, a few seconds wait and Lisa returned with the right size garment. She asked Kerry to let go of her jeans and turn around as she placed it on her front, at this point blind Freddy would have seen the pantyhose that Kerry had on under the jeans. Lisa then politely just reached around to the back of the corset to start lacing it up, loose at first then tighter as she pulled against each of the hooks working her way towards the middle doing the same from the bottom. It took several minutes of re-tensioning to get the desired shape but as they stood back and looked in the mirror the typical hourglass shape was clearly visible to all three of them. Breathing was harder than Kerry had expected but nothing had prepared her for the look it achieved and the feel of the garment. Instantly she said “I’ll take it” and asked Lisa to cut the price tags off as she would wear it for the rest of the mornings shopping trip to help with sizing, of course.

Knowing that the shop was T-friendly allowed Kerry to ask if there was anything else that she should be looking at today before they left. The shop was new and was only just getting known in the T-community but they had some gaffs and padded briefs coming in on Monday if Kerry wanted to return later in the week. Kerry picked up a selection of pantyhose and stockings, some dark black, some skin tone but also a pair of very fine denier thigh high stay ups. Selecting a control brief in skin tone and a size smaller than normal she headed back into the cubicle, put the briefs on under the pantyhose and made sure everything was tucked away properly. Discarding the plain old garter belt in place of the corset, they headed for the cashiers till and promised to return on Thursday night. Walking out of the shop carrying a bag of clothes that had only been dreamt about for the last year made Kerry very happy and lightened her step as they headed towards the car.

As the bag was placed into the boot of the car they saw a roadside sign declaring two for the price of one, a sign that attracts any girl with shopping on her mind and money in her purse, another mental note to get a good purse. When they got closer it was clearly a shoe shop and while Jane had thought of lending Paul some of hers she could not resist looking inside for her own bargain. Again the shop was empty and had only opened at 9:30 due to winter trading and the bad weather during the week.

As both customers looked in different areas Kerry found a pair of patent Black 2.5” heels that screamed out her name as she picked them up. Being much braver than she thought possible she turned to the young sales girl and asked for a size 10. As the shoes were brought out she handed them to Jane expecting her to try them on, who handed them over to Paul. The young girl was stunned and just waited to see what would happen, by then Kerry had her sneakers off and showing her stockinged feet proceeded to put the shoes on and walk around to the mirror. At this point the girl realised that a sale could be lost if she made any negative comment and instead chose to mention the two for one special and ask if there was anything else either person required. Jane decide that she would have a pair of the shoes as well in the same size before Kerry could say that she would choose another pair. “Why don’t you both buy another pair” said the sales girl half laughing. Neither customer thought it was a silly idea and headed off to find something special at no extra cost, Kerry heading for the strappy 3” numbers on display in deep burgundy with narrow heels. This was far more out there than she had ever hoped for but since Jane was responsible for starting it Kerry was not going to stop. A few minutes later both girls walked out with 2 pairs each and had left a very surprised young sales person with a story to tell down at the pub after work.

After loading the bags into the car boot they drove off to the heart of the shopping area and found a public parking station close to most of the shops. Walking down the street Jane spotted a piercing shop and asked Paul about having his ears done, something that Janet had been mentioning for many months to make him look younger. Janet had only one earring in mind not two and Paul was certain that his employer would not be too happy with two earrings let alone one so nothing had happened. Dragging Paul inside Jane asked about how they could disguise earrings from an employer with medieval practices. The answer was surprisingly simple, a plastic insert that was skin coloured and would only be visible if the boss got really close, something that had never happened in Paul’s time at work.

The decision was hard to make so Jane did it for him and asked the operator for the cost of studs and inserts, before pushing Paul into the chair. Being big and brave meant that Paul had to just sit and take it while inside he had a fear of pain and loathed being manhandled into submission, even by a woman. The pain was as bad as he had heard and the shock left him slightly shaking, Kerry on the other hand, started to think about the range of earrings she could now wear and when she could try them on. The operator showed Paul how to remove one set and insert the blanks for work saying that if he did it quickly enough the hole would not close over, contrary to popular myth. So the deal had been done and with small CZ diamond studs in each ear they headed out of the shop.

Across the road were the local markets, a great place to buy trinkets and jewellery as well as fruit and veg on a weekend. As they entered the marketplace the smell of fresh coffee beans wafted across their noses and drew them into a food area. Jane thought that it would be good to just look around before coming back for coffee and cake. As they walked around they found a stall displaying hand made items of jewellery, rings bangles, necklaces, all at very reasonable prices so they stopped and started to go through the bargains while people moved all around them doing the weekly shopping and sightseers on day trips looking for bargains to take back home. Jane picked up a couple of rings and showed Paul, who was more intent on a really nice chain and pendant in the shape of two hearts and a K in the middle. After some haggling over price the pair walked away with 2 rings, a cheap ladies watch, and of course the “Special K” necklace. Kerry wanted a leg chain as well but was not game to show her legs in such a public place.

Coffee time was declared and the two headed off to take some time out from shopping. Paul did the expected thing and brought the coffees and a single piece of cake over to a small table on the outside of the café away from the busy traffic and noise of the market. Both took time to inspect the crowd as they walked by before Jane started asking Paul about what she had seen this morning and how he had been acting. The concept of being transgendered was still unknown to Jane but she could tell that Paul had more to tell so she asked how it had got started. Common questions and ones that had been pondered over for many a counselling session over the year since the outing. Paul talked about how he felt and the pain of dismissal and feelings of betrayal to his wife. But Jane wanted to know about the female side and what it was like, what she thought about the last year and the chance of going out again.

Over the next hour Kerry visited Jane and talked about the hurt, the loneliness, the joy of being free, and the fun of shopping for her own clothes but most of all she just talked about enjoying her self away from the cell. Slowly Jane saw a difference in Paul that she had never seen before, the quieter less aggressive side, the gentle caring side that had been hidden in the harsh reality of his old workplace. She thought about the Lingerie shop and the delight at buying the corset, the shoe shop and joy of shopping, his poise at wearing heels and the change in his mannerisms as the morning had progressed. "I guess that I won't be able to call you Paul if you go much further" Jane said not expecting the answer from Kerry "suppose you could call me Kerry, but only when I am in female mode please." When Kerry had finished talking it was nearly mid day and she knew that one shop in particular would be closing at 1pm.

They left the marketplace and headed back to the car by way of the local David Jones Store, a high quality store with a sense of feminism that other stores rarely achieved or even looked for. The DJ girls spoke quality and feminine in the same sentence as sexiness and confidence. A totally feminine place where luxury ruled and even window shopping required you to be dressed the part. As they walked through the ladies wear section Kerry picked up a burgundy coloured sweater with small rolled collar and tapered sides. At the same time Jane had picked up a very sexy black lined skirt that had a slit up the back and by her guess would be about three inches above her knee. The pair would look great together but at around $160 it would not fit into the budget. Such are the trials of a girl on a budget and they left the store, paid their parking ticket and headed for the car.

As they drove down the highway to the next shop Kerry started to ask how Jane was handling the day and the things they had talked about back in the café. She was obviously very moved by some of the things she found out about but didn’t see it as being a problem in their relationship. The shop was further away than Kerry realised and they only made it into the parking area at 12:45 that would allow them only 15 minutes to get the makeup before the shop closed. One of the sales girls inside the store was serving clients so Kerry quickly found the area of the shop she needed and moved away from other people. As they looked at the variety of makeup on offer the sales girl approached asking how she could help them today and politely informing them of the 1pm closing time. Kerry started by telling her that the task was to allow Paul to do a fancy dress party without being too camp and that beard concealer and foundation would be a good starting point. At this point the girl said that she would get the other salesperson who would be far more helpful than she could be in this area. After a few minutes Kate came over, introduced herself and asked what level of makeup they needed to have. Kate looked at Paul and after a few moments spoke directly to her saying “what is your femme name?” And without pausing Kerry introduced herself with a friendly gentle handshake and a nod of her head. Over the next few minutes the events of the previous night were replayed and the goal of blending into a corporate investor meeting was explained.

Turning to Jane, Kate asked her what she saw when she looked at Kerry, the answer being very surprising to Kerry and Kate, “Gentleness, concern for others, beauty and also hope” were her answers. “And what do you think about the transgender community in general?” asked Kate before turning to Kerry and winking, the type that said, now we get the truth. Jane had to think about that one especially after the client in the office last week. “I’m beginning to see a totally different point of view lately” she said, “one that makes me see people rather than misfits”. Kate looked directly at Jane and told her that “as a member of that community that makes me feel happy” and just smiled, much to Jane’s surprise.

The other sales person had finished closing the front of the shop, turned the front lights off and came back to say good bye, she had a date that could not wait and she knew it would be a long session for Kate. As Kate turned to Kerry she told her to remove her jumper and put on the makeup gown and get ready for a crash course in makeup skills. As Kate saw the dark blue corset she complemented Kerry on such a gorgeous garment and couldn’t help but ask where it came from. Jane suddenly decided that the session could be longer than she expected and picked up the car keys promising to return within the hour. As she left by the rear door, Kate had collected several sample pots from the display racks and some from out back as well. She moved the mirrors so Kerry could clearly see what was being done and turned on a small set of white lights to give a consistent white light.

Starting with beard cover and moving to blending techniques she showed how to make the maleness disappear into a neutral face. Applying foundation in a shade lighter around the eyes and skin tone around the chin and cheek bones brought colour back into the face. The eyes came next and she talked to Kerry about how different times of the day required different style of eye design and that could be added on as the day progressed by using liner and darker shadow colours. While Kerry had read about this she had never had anyone really explain it to her and her own practices normally went overboard so she watched intently as Kate went to work. The changes started to transform her face and Paul was quickly vanishing and Kerry was coming out more and more. The mascara and shadow had been completed as Kate took the powder and dusted the face that was being formed in front of her. Taking an outline pencil she framed the lips, filled with colour and then applied a glossy coat that looked like it was dripping with moisture.

As Kate stood back she pointed out some things that Kerry could to do to reduce the eye browse and increase the softness of her face, a brush of colour to the cheeks and it was like lights had come on. Kerry was caught staring at her image in the mirror as Kate came back from the kitchen with a spray bottle and her hair dryer, “just happened to have them at work, we’re going out tonight” she said. Spraying the water and then brushing into a different style she quickly changed the hairstyle and look of Kerry, Paul’s hair was already longer than normal as Janet had been complaining for the last four weeks about having a hair cut. A shot of hot air, clip on hair piece and a few minutes later Kerry was totally different, with longer hair and a clip in her hair the old face had vanished without a sign.

The hour had passed very quickly as Jane rang the back door bell, Kate stood and went to let her in as Kerry turned around on the seat so her back was facing the door. When she could hear the foot steps behind her she turned around to face Jane who was holding a collection of shopping bags. The look on her face was priceless, the mouth open and not a sound coming out, the first time Kerry had seen this from Jane. “What do think about the new girl?” asked Kate standing back watching the interaction. Kerry stood and flicked her hair as she looked into the mirror again; admiring the work Kate had done in just over an hour.

Jane recovered enough to remember what she had in the bags and told Kerry to sit back down and handed her the first bag, a DJ bag. “I just couldn’t let you do all this without looking your best” she said, as Kerry opened the bag she squealed with joy. Inside was the sweater and skirt they had been looking at, “my gift to you — girlfriend” as she leaned forward and gave Kerry a hug being careful not to damage the new face. Jane asked Kate if there was any problem with Kerry changing in the store room before leading her in with the other bags.

A few minutes later Kerry had put on dark pantyhose, the sweater and skirt and the jewellery they had brought in the marketplace, unwrapping the burgundy shoes she sat down and slid her feet into each of them. Turning to the mirror she hung the chain around her neck and linked the chain of the “special K” necklace, it sat neatly on her sweater and moved as she moved. It was then that she reached into the bag and pulled out the last gift, a pair of chandelier earrings, large and shiny, just the thing she wanted. Knowing that pain was not her friend made her cautious but the expectation of beauty made her want to put them on and so she overcame the fear and swapped the studs for her other gift.

Emerging from the store room she paused for a few moments before swirling around and raising her arms to the cheers and whistles of Jane and Kate. Kerry had not felt like this for a long time and this was going to be her time and she wanted to enjoy every moment of it. The transformation had been quick and it was hard to spot any resemblance to the original model, Paul had not been seen for a long time. Again Jane gave Kerry a hug as she shook her head in unbelief and took time to look at the girl that she helped set free. By now it was close to 2.30pm and she knew that there was more to do before tonight so she started to gather up the old clothes and stuff them into a shopping bag before Kerry could grab them. Kerry looked in horror as she saw the safe clothing vanish so quickly, “You may as well start the part today” she told Kerry while heading for the back door.

Kate had brought not only the makeup she used but some samples as well and put them in a bag for Kerry next to the till. She picked up a set of “Invisible Bra” size C and suggested that Kerry slip them into her corset top to make a slightly larger impression. Again the changes added subtly to the overall look of the new girl and gave more confidence to a girl that was growing every moment in grace and comfort. The total was very reasonable and Kate refused to take anything for the makeup session saying it was her contribution to help set a girl free.

As they drove away from the shop Jane still found it hard to believe the changes both physically and emotionally that Kerry was undergoing. Driving along the highway the chatter was girl talk as Kerry took the chance to thank Jane again for all the things she had done to help her especially the outfit. Jane couldn’t help but smile as she turned into a café car parking area and turned the car off. “Come on lets have some lunch, I’m starved” she said getting out of the car and heading for the door. Kerry froze knowing that this was a threat to her state of euphoria, had they been just telling lies, did she really look good or was it all a dream?

Only one way to find out, she opened the door and swung her legs out, knees together so she didn’t flash anyone, and eased herself out of the car. A quick look into the cafe told her that only a hand full of people were inside and a couple more sitting outside due to the weather. She stepped carefully towards Jane who had slowed down to allow her to catch-up before entering the café; they linked arms and stepped towards the café. As they entered they saw a couple of guys watching them and a group of middle aged women who casually glanced over and then went back to their cakes and coffee.

Kerry found a table near the window and Jane ordered coffees and sandwiches for them both then sat down beside a very nervous Kerry on her first day out for over a year. Using the old window reflection method she checked out what was happening around her, absolutely nothing, no laughing, no people rolling around on the floor pointing at her. As the coffees arrived the café door opened and Lisa from the lingerie shop walked in and looked over to see Jane and nodded recognising her from the morning. After ordering she came over to say hello but stopped as she saw Kerry sitting there and introduced herself, not recognising her. Kerry held out her hand, and said “I know we met this morning in your shop, you sold me the corset, remember me now?”

Lisa pulled up a chair and without taking her eyes off Kerry she sat down. While she waited for her coffee she had so many questions but could only say how good Kerry looked and repeated how she had no idea it was the same person. It took nearly ten minutes to replay the days shopping and all of the things they bought along with the different responses at each shop. Lisa picked up her take away coffee, said her goodbyes and left still shaking her head at the change in Kerry. The girls just smiled at each other with Jane saying “told you that you could do it, so what about Saturday, still game for the seminar?”

Kerry glanced at her watch, downed the last mouthful of coffee and stood up to go, “come on there is still another 90 minutes of shopping we can do” as she headed for the door. Jane was caught by surprise and gulped one more mouthful of coffee and raced after her. “I really want to buy another skirt from one of the boutiques in the main street, after all it’s seven days until the seminar” Jane didn’t understand what she meant but never the less jumped in the car and pulled out into the traffic heading towards the main street parking station. They parked close to the shop, got a parking ticket and went straight into the little shop. Kerry had already seen what she wanted in the window earlier that day and it was only a matter of getting the size right, “why can’t they make clothes the correct size rather than each manufacturer changing them, men’s gear is always correct” he thought.

A few minutes later and they had gone into the changing rooms and Kerry swapped the black skirt for the longer knee length grey that she wanted. It hung well, showed just enough leg, was lined so it felt great on her legs and most of all it was on special. Leaving her black skirt in the room she headed back into the shop for a suitable top or something, not quite sure what would look right for the image she wanted. As they looked around the other women just ignored them and went about their own shopping. Jane picked up a beautifully soft sapphire blue jumper, large rolled collar long arms and oh yes so soft. Kerry went back into the changing room and carefully took off her burgundy sweater and put on the sapphire one, it felt so good and gave Kerry the image she wanted, smart, business like but also casual enough to wear out anywhere.

While Kerry was trying on the jumper Jane had chosen a few more bits for her to look at, a pair of black slacks, a white silk blouse and a black jacket. The combination was definitely Office Wear but could have been mixed with the black skirt or burgundy sweater and slacks for more options, she liked the idea. Then the problem that all girls have, the budget would only allow for the jumper and possibly the slacks but not all five items and that meant the mix and match would not work. Dilemmas, dilemmas what could she do, oh well she thought I’ll just have to try the puppy dog eyes again and went over to the sales girl. They had winter specials running but the prices had already been reduced and the best she could do would be a further 15% if she bought all five items and paid in cash. Done, and a few minutes later they headed out of the door with two more bags and a cash docket crumpled up and thrown into the waste bin.

Kerry swung the bags as she strolled down the street taking time to look at each of the windows as if searching for something else to buy. Jane stopped her and asked “surely you can’t be after more things, Janet will kill you” Kerry simply replied “window shopping doesn’t cost unless you go into the shop”, and Jane understood that Kerry knew the pleasure of shopping without having to buy anything. They casually walked, talked and as they came to the end of the main shopping area they just crossed the road and worked their way back on the other side of the road.

Jane remembered that she had to provide the meal tonight and entered a small supermarket to buy some groceries while Kerry continued to window shop. By the time Jane got out Kerry had only moved two shops but another bag had appeared, a black handbag with small silver design on the flap and a shoulder strap hung from her shoulder. She smiled at Jane and made some typical comment like “I had no where to put my hanky and mobile phone” just sheepishly laughing, knowing that it always worked on Paul. With Jane back alongside her the urge to shop was controlled until they validated the ticket and went back into the parking station and then the drive home.

To be continued.... Kerry unveiled