Drinks after work on friday can be a dangerous time and for Paul the conversation takes a risky path, "People only see what they want to" was the start of a very unusual week. Was Paul pushed or did Kerry jump, read and make your own decision.

Sally was pushing work schedules around the table as Alan walked into the board room, the rest of the staff had already sat down with their reports and PDA’s ready for the regular Monday staff meeting. “Nice of you to join us Alan” Sally joked, he turned the chair around and slumped into it “still not use to the early start on Monday, boss I’ll try better next week” Alan said without seeing the response of the other staff. Sally finished handing out her schedules for the next month before continuing, “as you can see from the calendar we have a staff swap coming up next week.” Alan sat up and asked Sally “what’s that and why is my name alongside the entry?” Astrid was the client service manager so she answered his question “it’s one of the things we do when workloads allow to make sure we all know each other’s job, we swap places for one week and that way we can cover each others tail.” “Okay but how does that apply to me, I’m in sales and you guys are all support staff” Alan had only joined the company three months earlier as the new sales person. Sally told Alan that as part of her business continuity planning she had devised a way of job sharing to minimize the impact of staff changes or holidays. “The reason is simple but the action is far more complex, you will have to not only train your replacement but they will train you in their job during this week then next week it’s work as usual without missing the normal workload” Sally said. Jody was the helpdesk member that had to swap with Alan and was not sure how he would handle the support role. On the other hand Alan was not happy about being downgraded as he saw it.

The staff meeting finished with a quick wrap up of the training sessions before Sally dismissed most of the staff except for Paul and Astrid who together formed her executive team. They discussed the staffing for the next month as well as the staff swap and how they thought Alan would handle the change to helpdesk duties. Paul talked about the finances and cash flow then the projected sales figures based on Alan’s sales pipeline. Astrid had some problems getting extra consultants for support or training and adverts had only drawn a few enquiries and generally everyone thought they deserved more money than was being offered. The resource boom had made wages climb in sectors not even related to resources due to labour shortages in the entire country. “Let’s give it a few more goes at higher rates but remember it means pay rises for all of the consultants, we can’t have you guys earning less than the new ones” Sally said summing up the exec meeting. “Paul, can I see you in my office please?” Sally asked as they walked down to the kitchen to refill their coffee mugs. Paul closed the door behind him, meetings in Sally’s office were normally private, “can you do me a quick adjustment for the end of year figures if we have to raise the pays by seven grand each and get three extra consultants” Sally asked. Paul was already doing the figures in his head, “are we going to have the sales and workload to cover the extra staff?” was his only concern.

The rest of the week was spent reading resumes and interviewing potential staff that would fit into the small company that Sally had created. Four years earlier she had gone out on a hunch and signed a distribution agreement for a product she had seen while overseas on a research trip. Sales had started off slow but she also took on the helpdesk support function for the Australasian region which brought in several clients and gradually the product received good reviews and sales climbed. Sally had gathered each team member personally and generally held onto them due to her style of leadership and sense of fun at work. Paul had joined the company two years ago and had really enjoyed the work and especially the team atmosphere, each person could have a say without being put down or ridiculed. Alan was the new kid on the block after the previous sales manager had been poached by a rival company, Sally had her doubts about him but he kept delivering sales and was very good at converting leads. Alan had not quite bonded with the rest of the team and Sally had several chats with him about joining in and making sure he understood that team integration was a key factor to building a solid business that could change whenever the marketplace changed and it was currently going through a boom period.

Friday came around quickly and Sally took the team out for drinks and invited the new employee that would be starting after the next week. As they polished off the first couple of drinks one of the girls asked Alan if he had chosen his work outfit for Monday’s swap, “what are you talking about, outfit?” Alan asked rather concerned that he had gotten into something weird. Lesley continued on the joke “you don’t think you can work in our section without looking like one of us do you, we expect to see you in a dress and blouse at least” Alan was starting to see a joke but wasn’t too sure. “You have to be kidding me, I would make a really ugly dame” Alan said to Lesley, “how do you know that you wouldn’t look good” asked Astrid joining in on the fun. Paul had been quiet in all of this but couldn’t help himself “with the right sort of clothes and makeup you would at least pass for a Plain Jane” he said teasing Alan along. Paul added “look around you there aren’t too many good looking birds at the table are there?” then he ducked behind Sally as the girls caught his comment. One by one the CSO’s left and then Alan got up to leave, “they were joking weren’t they?” he asked Astrid, “yes, they just get silly some times, good night” Astrid waved at him as he left the pub. Astrid turned to Sally “he would make one grumpy old woman and I don’t need any of them in my section, see you on Monday” Astrid grabbed her bag and left, now it was just Sally and Paul finishing the last drop of wine.

Sally put her glass back down on the table “what did you mean about not many good looking birds” she asked Paul. “Well our lot don’t get really dressed up for work unless they are meeting clients and then it’s business clothes that are designed to look like men’s clothes. Let me put it another way, with a good makeover quite a few men could get away with a casual once over glance, it’s a case of people seeing what they expect to see and clothes are the first indicator. Why do drag queens stand out as so obscene, it’s because they exaggerate the features and makeup to mock the female form while a good cross dresser will go for less and try to duplicate the feminine form.” Sally was just sitting there listening to Paul until he stopped “are you saying that passing as a woman is easy?” Paul had just taken another drink, “let me just say that it’s not as hard as you may think.” He knew that he had just crossed one of his secret lines, he got on well with Sally and they had gone out to things together but never anything further than that, it was always safer than wrecking their working relationship. Sally looked at him “Sally thinks Polly isn’t telling her something” she said smiling at him, “I’m just saying that it doesn’t take much work to get away with it.”

Paul looked at Sally, at thirty her face was clean and fresh framed with long blonde hair and great makeup even after eight hours at work and one hour in the pub. Her clothes always said quality and fashion never slutty or cheap, her legs nicely covered with good hosiery ending in 3”high heels. He trusted her business judgment and her friendship as well but was he prepared to trust her with his deepest secret. “Sally still thinks Polly is hiding something” Sally said in a little girl voice that was half teasing and half seductive. Paul looked into her eyes and tossed a coin in his mind, but before he could say anything Sally spoke again “could you pass as a woman?” Paul spoke quietly “I think so and others think I’m pretty good, why?” Sally froze as she caught the extra words that Paul had added, the little ones like “others” and “I am” the clues that Paul had thrown in to say more without being too blatant.

Paul finished his glass and put it on the table, “feel like doing anything tonight or is Tom in town?” Tom was Sally’s sometimes boyfriend that flew in and out on a five week roster. Sally was still going over things in her mind about what Paul had said “sorry I was miles away, Tom is onsite for most of the time and frankly I haven’t the desire to be a sometimes girl waiting for him to call. I told him last month that I don’t think it’s worth waiting for him to call so I’m free.” “Nothing heavy or loud please I just need to relax” Sally said accepting the offer. “How about takeaway sushi at your place then you can prove how good you look as a woman” Sally was probing and Paul was not objecting. Paul stood up ready to leave, “OK but you need to do something first, promise that what happens remains with us, please” the best puppy dog eyes looked at Sally half begging. She nodded “of course, you know that I respect our times as being private” Sally touched his hand gently. The acceptance from Sally was like starting a car, Paul had direction and purpose that caused him to fire, “we need to go shopping at Target for a few things first then we can grab your Sushi” Paul said heading for the door.

The city was still open and office workers walked along mixing with shoppers looking in windows and drinking coffee as they shopped and milled around the malls. Paul grabbed one of the red plastic shopping baskets as they entered Target, “could you carry this please” he asked Sally, as they headed for the lingerie section. Paul steered her towards the combination sets of bras and pants then selected a couple of pairs “don’t you need to get measured?” Sally whispered to Paul, “these will look very nice on you dear” he said at normal volume. A really nice garter belt adorned a mannequin at one end of an aisle, “I think one of those would be so sexy as well, what do you think?” he asked Sally not expecting an answer “depends what type of girl you think I am, Dear” was her joking response. It took only ten minutes and Paul had collected the matching sets and camisoles, the garter belt and stockings as well as several pairs of pantyhose in various colours. Paul scanned the store for shoes, “just need one more thing, shoes” he said heading off towards the shoe racks, this was going to be much harder. Paul moved around the racks towards the size ten heels then chose a pair of black patent 3” heels and then a red pair of open toed heels with ankle straps. “I’m just going to have to trust the sizing with these” he whispered and placed them in the basket.

Heading towards the checkouts Sally stopped and looked at the new range of clothes Target had just taken on. Sally was already putting on a jacket come dress when Paul realized she had stopped following him, “what do you think, smart enough to wear to work or too much?” she asked Paul. He looked at it “the idea is good but what do you have that you could wear underneath the jacket?” Paul was still scanning the area as he spoke. Sally thought for a while “my grey skirt and knitted top or the black pencil pants with grey top, lots of stuff” she turned and headed for the fitting rooms. Paul found himself standing outside the fitting rooms trying to be inconspicuous while holding a basket of lingerie but taking every moment to visually check out the other clothes nearby. Sally came out wearing her jacket, open over her short black skirt and blouse “I think it works and the size is good for Polly as well” she said turning to go back inside. Paul watched as she stopped just before going around the corner and glanced back at Paul blowing him a kiss. Sally loved to flirt with Paul and knew that she was totally safe, maybe today’s revelation was why she was so safe with him. Paul put the basket on the checkout and it was his credit card that paid the entire bill. The Sushi place was just nearby and they decided to eat in before driving home so they sat eating and talking quietly for a few minutes.

The drive back to Paul’s place only took a quarter of an hour as rush hour traffic was long gone, “pour yourself a drink or two, you know where everything is I’ll take about thirty minutes” Paul said disappearing into his bedroom. It had been only fifteen minutes when Sally knocked on the door “are you sure you don’t need my help sweety?” she said wanting to see what Paul was doing. He spoke gently but firmly “no thanks I won’t be long” he had already removed the small amount of excess hair from his legs, chest and arms as well as shaving his face very closely. Standing there in his new knickers and bra he looked into the mirror, the silicon breast forms sat inside the bra and gave a good shape to his slim body, the tight gaff held his male parts well out of sight and added to the illusion. Carefully he rolled pantyhose up into a doughnut and pushed his foot into the middle then repeated with the other leg, standing he caressed his legs as he smoothed out the sheer covering to his hairless legs. Paul reached into his wardrobe and withdrew the only two garments he had, a pair of low cut jeans and a red sweater, which he put on quickly then stood in front of the mirror. The wig took more time to brush out than he had thought it would but the overall change to his image was, as always, immediately feminine, shoulder length auburn with blond highlights. The makeup was simple, foundation and cover powder followed by blusher, eye liner and shadow with a triple coat of mascara to extend the lashes. Paul used a lip pencil to outline his lips before using his favourite lipstick and gloss coat then clipped on his earrings and special K necklace. Paul slipped into the new red shoes that he knew would match the red sweater, adjusted his clothes and stood staring into the mirror “hello Kerry it’s been a while” he said in a slightly altered voice.

Sally was standing in the kitchen pouring another drink when Kerry walked out of the bedroom, to say that she was speechless was an understatement. “Well, do I pass or am I one ugly drag queen?” Kerry asked Sally trying to get a response out of the boss. Sally put her glass on the bench and walked towards this person that she knew was Paul but looked nothing like him, even the voice had surprised her and the figure was nothing like him at all. Kerry twirled around on her heels she never fell or staggered, her poise was right as she picked up a glass to pour her own drink. “Now would be a good time to say something, anything will do” Kerry said to Sally, “am I that shocking that you can’t talk anymore.” Sally was still “gobsmacked” as they say and could only look up and down at the body that stood before her, she could see Paul in the eyes but he was gone, then she saw him in the hand movements but he was gone. “I give in I know it’s you but I can’t see you anymore, how did you do it, no I should just shut up, do I call you Polly, Pauline what?” she said sounding more stunned than before she spoke. Kerry held out her hand “my name is Kerry, Paul is lying on the bedroom floor unable to move if you need to see him” Sally laughed. “This is not a once off is it?” Sally asked, “no but I haven’t been out of the closet for the last seven months” Kerry said sitting down on the lounge with her legs crossed at the ankles.

For the next hour Kerry told Sally all about her past and the conditions or demands that Julie his ex girlfriend had made of Paul when she had been told about Kerry. Two weeks later when he came home from work, Julie had let herself in and the clothes had been piled up with all of Kerry’s lingerie, makeup and shoes, he had been forced into throwing them all away never to repeat the disgusting habit on pain of loosing her, but less than one month later she had left without as much as a word of explanation. The only remaining things Paul had saved where actually in his car ready for a night out with a local support group, the wig, jewelry, breast forms and clothes stayed at work so Julie didn’t find them, they only returned to his unit when she finally left. “How come I never saw any of this surely you can’t hide Kerry totally?” Sally asked Kerry or Paul, she was still trying to sort out who was who. “Remember what I said at the pub earlier, people see what they expect to see and you saw me as Paul a totally safe male, didn’t that make you wonder why I never hit on you? Kerry said. Sally thought about what she had just heard, “you mean being Kerry makes you not interested in women, you’re not gay are you?” Kerry moved in her seat “Paul respects and loves the female form and Kerry hasn’t had inclination for anything, but men are not on the menu” Kerry said trying to make clear what wasn’t always clear in her head. Sally looked at him confused “I don’t think I understood that, you love my body but don’t want me and you don’t like men, is that right?” “Almost, as Paul I think you are great but my respect stops me from doing anything” Paul was getting deeper into confusion let alone Sally.

Sally poured another drink for both of them then sat down next to Kerry, “I have to ask about your breasts, they look so real and move whenever you do, how do you do it?” Sally asked. Kerry stood and peeled off her sweater revealing her new pale blue bra that Sally had just helped her buy, Sally could now see the flesh looking globes sticking out of the bra. “They cost me heaps but really make a difference to my figure and confidence, I just sat them in the cup today” Kerry said before replacing her sweater. Sally was shaking her head again, “I have to agree that you would certainly pass, have you ever gone out for an extended time?” “I have been out for entire days and several nights out but only once have I spent ten days while away on holiday driving around, why?” Sally had a little plan forming in her head, “want to play a trick on the CSO’s, how about you turning up at work instead of Paul?” Kerry was listening but not sure where Sally was going with it all, “what if we both called in sick and Kerry stood in for both of us” Sally was still sorting out the idea. Ten minutes later they had a plan they thought could work, the Business Continuity Plan had not been tested yet and it allowed for each member of the executive team to be replaced. Sally and Paul would be off work after a road crash on Friday night and Kerry would be the consultant that had been briefed as part of the replacement plan, the key was that the staff would not be told about it being an exercise.

Kerry wanted to do it but she only had one set of clothes “I can’t wear my jeans everyday, I’ll need some more bits so I’ll do it if you come shopping with me tomorrow?” Kerry said. “I guess that offering you some of my things would be pointless so tomorrow is shopping day then” Sally said sealing the plan. “I don’t think you’re going anywhere tonight either, you can have my spare bedroom and I’ll take you home to get changed in the morning” Kerry said. “I could wear the new jacket dress that I just bought if you have some clean underwear for me” Sally said knowing that she was the same size as Kerry, so they settled back for the rest of the night. Kerry talked about clothes and makeup she would need and Sally talked about earrings, eyebrows and nails, this was going to be more than Kerry had thought it would be. “This is like having a little sister again, I’m going to enjoy this, why don’t you move into my place for the week then I can help with your makeup and keep an eye on the business?” Sally said just before going to bed.

Saturday morning and Kerry was up early, showered and shaved, then used the tube of special glue to stick the breast forms onto her chest, this was the second time she had used the glue as it lasted for a whole week. The weight pulled on her chest rather than just sitting in the bra cups, Kerry clipped her bra behind her then adjusted the breasts in the cups, a small touch of foundation would hide the seams and appear like suntan. Kerry put on pantyhose and jeans then her sweater and wig before doing her makeup like last night but more eye liner and darker eye shadow, her favourite lipstick was actually her only lipstick. Kerry opened the bedroom door and found Sally sitting at the table eating breakfast of toast and juice with her new dress on. Kerry made a drink and sat down at the table, “can you promise me that you’ll stop me from buying anything that looks too bad my fashion sense isn’t always the best?” Kerry asked Sally. “Sure, can’t have you turn up looking cheap or tarty at work can I” Sally wasn’t sure how Kerry would dress but wanted to make sure it maintained the company image. Sally saw Kerry grab her car keys and wallet then repack them into a small handbag and put her black shoes on “lets go shopping girlfriend” and Kerry locked the door.

The car was in the bay near the unit and Sally noticed that Kerry didn’t miss a beat as she walked to her letterbox then to the car before driving away. “Aren’t you concerned about the neighbours seeing you?” asked Sally “no, they have seen me but prefer to think that I have a visiting sister, one of them has even asked for her phone number” Kerry said. Kerry chose a local shopping centre that had some majors and many women’s stores, “I was thinking of a suit skirt and jacket that I can mix and match with pants and different colour tops and shoes, what do you think?” Kerry asked. “Sounds like a good plan what about casual wear as well, can’t spend all week at work or home otherwise I’ll go mad” Sally was planning for more out time than Kerry knew about. “First stop, how about getting your ears pierced so you can get some real earrings?” Sally suggested to Kerry who was already mentally picking her earrings as she heard Sally’s suggestion. “Just remember that you told me to do them” Kerry joked, she had always wanted to wear earrings but wasn’t sure about having two ears done at work. The young girl offered Kerry some basic studs but she wanted something much better than $20 worth, “OK but can I replace them later on when I find the ones I really like?” Kerry asked the girl, “sure, just do it quickly and don’t leave them out overnight.” The pain wasn’t bad and two in each ear looked so sexy, the young girl thought it was unusual that a thirty year old hadn’t ever had her ears pierced but said nothing.

The first shop had what Kerry wanted in skirt, pants and jacket but Sally thought she could get a better price so they started going shop to shop, after an hour Kerry called time out “I’m going back to the first place and buy the bits then at least I can have something to wear.” Kerry chose the three bits then headed for the dressing rooms to try the fit “just yell if you need my help?” asked Sally as Kerry pulled the curtain closed behind her. Kerry stepped out wearing the skirt with a white blouse and the jacket, “very nice, all we need is a logo on it and it could be the uniform” Sally said half serious at her own suggestion. Kerry turned around taking off the jacket as she did so, the small waist and well shaped breasts looked good and Sally could only watch as she showed off the clothes. A few minutes later the pants and jacket made a similar impact “looks good on you, what colour blouses would you like?” Sally asked as she went back to the main shop area. Kerry walked after her, “I was thinking of a very pale blue and a dark red or even claret shade for contrast.” Sally picked two tops very close to the corporate colours she used on the logo, “try these on for me, the idea of a uniform sounds pretty good” Sally said handing Kerry the two tops. Kerry ended up buying the skirt, jacket and pants along with two tops but Sally also paid for two in the corporate colours.

They had already been out for nearly two hours so it was time for coffee, Sally ordered the drinks as Kerry sat on the edge of the shop almost sticking out into the walkway. As they waited for the drinks Sally asked Kerry about her lack of nerves at going out into public or being seen by her neighbours. “I have been doing this for nearly ten years to some degree, the last four have been full on at times with shopping and doing my normal business around town. People don’t see anything when they are consumed by their own world so as long as I blend in they only see a woman; I just have to leave the leathers and whips at home. What’s the worst they can do to me if they point and laugh I just walk away, if they look too abusive I walk faster and stay in public view. Some would say that it’s my life to live as I want to but I do have to fit in with the rest of society and stay safe as well so late nights are always in groups and always in TG friendly places.” Sally looked at Kerry sitting there, she knew it was a male but had trouble spotting the tell tale signs, the Adam’s Apple, the hand size, but then Paul wasn’t large or clumsy, his throat didn’t need covering up. “If you came to work applying for a job I would not be able to tell that you weren’t a female unless you told me” Sally said, “that’s just what I said last night so I guess I win the bet.”

With coffees over the two returned to shopping, Kerry wanted a nice dress to wear in the office and one she could wear out casually if needed. One of the shops had shirt sweaters, a collar and neckline sewn into a low cut sweater and Kerry liked the functionality of them. A grey one and a dark blue one could be used with jeans as well, the grey would also go with the black skirt or pants to make it softer, Sally chose one in red with white shirt for herself. “I’m enjoying shopping with you, it seems so long since I had a good dose of retail therapy” Sally said holding Kerry by the arm as they left the shop swinging their bags. Sally stopped at a denim shop, jeans, short skirts, the sort of clothes worn by teenagers rather than thirty year old women. The cotton tops in so many colours piled around the shop screamed ultra casual in Kerry’s mind but then she always liked dressing up rather than dressing down. Sally tried on a black denim skirt just above knee level, “what do you think, too casual or too young?” Sally asked Kerry who was checking out much shorter skirts. “I think you should try one of these on if you want to show off your legs” Kerry said throwing her a scrubbed denim skirt that would be at least six inches above her knee. Sally did look good in it but then her legs seemed to go on for ever as Paul would say when she used to sit on his desk and chat about work not thinking about how she looked or the effect it had on Paul. Between them Sally and Kerry bought two of the skirts, one for each of them and a number of tops in white, yellow, red and blue just to wear around the house she told Kerry.

By the time they arrived in the shoe shop they had a number of needs, boots to match the jeans, wedges for the dress, flats for around the house or driving and sneakers for casual. It took a couple of shops before they had all the things they wanted and by now the number of bags had grown quite significantly. “Lets put these in the car then we can just walk around without dragging half a shop with us” Sally suggested to Kerry, “I still need some more underwear and makeup, not much really” Kerry said thinking about the pile of things that Julie had forced him to throw out. There were only two lingerie specialty shops so making a choice was going to be fairly easy, or so they thought. Kerry had very limited needs for the week at work but she was no longer shopping for just one week, she had decided to enjoy being herself regularly again. Bras and knickers had to be lacy and sexy but being built slightly differently meant hat Kerry needed some with shape control function, the sleepwear also took a bit of time to choose. Finally Kerry thought that she had all of the clothes she needed for the week at work plus some extras, Sally was still surprised at how Kerry had handled the shopping and the change rooms.

Lunch was a salad and drink in the food mall so that they could make sure they had everything before leaving for home. “There’s only one thing I can see that you still need apart from good makeup” Sally told Kerry, “what have I forgotten?” Kerry said going through her list. “Look at your hands and what do you see, I see nails that need some radical care so how about gel nails just for the week?” Sally said as Kerry sat there looking at her finger nails. “What about the week after can I get rid of them easily?” Kerry asked, “yes, they can be trimmed and dissolved off if you really want to” Sally told her. “What colour would you like?” asked the nail technician as Kerry and Sally both sat down in the beauty shop to have their nails done, “I think the plum red will go great with your hair colour Kerry.” You could get away with a lighter colour because of the blonde streaks if you wanted or just plain white tips, the choice is wide open for you” the girl told Kerry, “I think the plum would be good, bold but not too severe” Kerry replied. The two girls worked on Sally and Kerry slowly building the nails then shaping and coating until they had finished, the end result was quite stunning and helped Kerry’s hands look much better. “Before we leave I need to have my eyebrows redone” said Sally wondering if Kerry would join her, “I suppose mine are a bit too bushy as well so what the heck lets go all the way” Kerry said reveling in the fun of the beauty shop atmosphere.

Pain had a new name, it was now called waxing, Paul had never felt pain like this before and wondered if Kerry was worth it but the look was another stunning effect to the overall image of Kerry and Paul was gagged and told to be quiet. By now the makeup and earrings were the only outstanding item as far as Kerry could see and she wanted a couple of nice pairs that hung down her neck and swayed as she moved but they had to be quality. “I need to find something that matches my necklace please” Kerry told the jewelry shop assistant, “certainly ma’am” and the counter was cleared so that the tray of diamond and gold offerings could be presented for her choice. Such small items took so long to get right, too much gold, not enough glitter, too short or too long, but finally Kerry had two pairs that she felt looked good as well as a pair of 3inch gold hoops and smaller ones for the second piercing. Kerry also picked up a nice gold watch for what she thought was a bargain price but when the sales person came to ring up the sale her debit card had been overused for the day, she had a $1,000 day limit on it. “No trouble here’s my credit card” Kerry said handing over a Mastercard to the sales person who looked at it then back at Kerry then at the card. “I’m sorry but I have to question the card name” he said not sure if he was being scammed, Kerry looked at him then the obvious dawned on her, “Oh poo I forgot about that, would you believe that I am really Paul” Kerry said lowering her voice back to it’s normal bass sound. “I’m very sorry but my manager will have to sign this off if you still want to buy the goods?” he told Kerry. “I do want to buy them but be careful, I also want to buy more bits in the next few weeks and I don’t want to be embarrassed every time I come in here” Kerry said trying to get back some control of the situation.

The Manager was serving another client but came over as soon as they had left, “how can I help prove who I am?” asked Kerry on the front foot. The manager was taken back by the situation but very cautious about being stung, “the signature may be too easy to copy but I would need something else to prove your identity miss” he said then realized the confusion he had. Kerry had already signed the paper copy and it matched completely for once, she produced her license showing a photo of Paul, that didn’t help. Sally had been quietly watching but finally stood up to the counter and said “I suppose my vouching won’t carry any weight so let me just pay for them on my corporate card and I’ll take it out of his wages next week.” The manager now had two problems, did he trust either person, “here’s my license, my photo ID from work, and a promise never to return if you decline the offer of my card” Sally said getting a tad shirty with the situation. The manager was now faced with losing a decent sale for the day and opted for the secured payment from Sally as the best way out of the situation. “Can I expect the same trouble next time?” Kerry asked before he could escape to the back room office, “if you ask for me then I can make sure that there are no problems next time” he said and gave Kerry a signed business card. “I hope you understand our problem had nothing to do with your choice of attire and everything to do with making sure your card was being used by yourself” the manager said trying to make a safe get away.

As Sally and Kerry walked away from the shop it was Sally that spoke first “if you ever go back into that shop again you’re fired,” Kerry looked at her trying to find a smile or hint of a joke but there wasn’t any. “He was only doing his job and after all I don’t look like a Paul do I?” Kerry asked hoping to diffuse the situation. “Next time I will get more cash out before shopping like this, I can’t see a bank giving me a credit card in my other name can you?” said Kerry who had been through the option before. Sally had calmed down by the time they got to the makeup counter in one of the major stores “I guess you will need me to pay here as well” Sally said not seeking any confirmation from Kerry. “How can I help you today?” asked the woman at the counter, Sally told her “my friend needs some serious help with her face, she has some special needs that I am sure you will notice but I appreciate will not cause any trouble for her.” Kerry smiled at the woman not sure why Sally was being so forceful, “my name is Sue I’m sure you will be totally happy with how I help you” she said holding out her hand to Kerry, “mines Kerry, thanks for being so understanding” Kerry said shaking her hand.

Sue sat Kerry on one of the stools that had better lighting around it and covered Kerry with a smock to protect her clothes, “let me just test some colours” Sue said reaching for a number of strips of material. “By finding out your colour season I can choose the best shades to suit your eyes and skin toning, it also gives some hint as to best clothing colours as well” Sue said swapping several strips of colour before settling on three shades. “These are what we call “your colours” if we stick close to them it will make a real difference to your makeup and the effect you want” Sue said as she moved around Kerry. Sue had pulled a tray of powders and foundations over to her side, “I just need to remove some of your makeup to get the base foundation right, the sharper areas need softening and the cheeks need highlighting slightly more. Lighter around the eyes gets rid of any bagginess that comes from too much computer work or late night drinking.” Sue cleaned Kerry’s face and removed her eye makeup as well, by now Paul was becoming visible but Sally just sat there hoping Sue moved on quickly, which she did. Foundation stick around the chin and jawline then lighter around the eyes and in between for the cheeks before a powder brush over the entire face, Sue moved quickly but explained everything as she went. She framed the eyes with bold lines and dark mascara before outlining the lips then added her finishing touches of blusher and moist lipstick. Sally had watched as Sue had changed Kerry into a softer version, the boldness of her eyes was more like smoke than fire and her lips matched her nail colour so well.

Sue removed the smock and turned Kerry so she could see the mirror, Kerry sat there looking into her own eyes, the whole face had changed and Kerry loved it. “Can we take you home with us?” Kerry said to Sue, “I think my husband would complain and your girlfriend here may get jealous” Sue replied thinking that Sally was Kerry’s girlfriend. “She could be but I think she may get slightly confused as to who wears the pants” Kerry said smiling at Sally. Sue put out each of the items she had used expecting Kerry to buy some of them, “we’ll take all of them and better put in some good cleaners and moisturizer please, I think Kerry will need some brushes as well and a few more lipsticks and nail polishes.” Sally took Kerry to the various stands and helped her choose the things she needed before returning to the counter. “You know we have a special or two that may make it cheaper for you” Sue said pointing to an A5 poster on the counter, so by the end of the afternoon it was Sally’s card that got hit for nearly four hundred dollars. “Thank you so much Sue I really love what you did” Kerry said holding Sue’s hand “my pleasure, I am surprised just how good you look I would never have known unless I looked closely.” It was another two bags to carry to the car and several hundreds lighter on the cards but it had been fun for both Sally and Kerry as they walked through the centre with Kerry holding her head up even higher.

The drive to Sally’s place was only short as she lived near to work and the city in an executive unit with secure parking and lifts. It took two trips to get everything up to the unit but finally the bags lay scattered over the table like trophies from a hunting trip. Sally opened the spare bedroom door to let Kerry in, the room was decorated in soft pinks and lace trims that had been chosen by Sally’s younger sister who visited regularly. “I love the new decoration, Ellie has done a great job” Kerry said as she put the bags on the bed and floor, and dressing table. “I thought Kerry would like this room for the week” Sally said pulling open the curtains to the balcony and unlocking the window door. Kerry unpacked her bags and hung up or folded everything into neat piles for the drawers, her new shoes lined up against the wardrobe wall and the makeup sitting on the dresser ready to be packed into the large aluminium makeup box that came as a gift.

“I’ll put the kettle on, you get into one of your new casual outfits” Sally said leaving Kerry to play at dress up, it was a good thirty minutes before Kerry emerged from the bedroom wearing her new clothes. “Sorry I got caught up with trying them on and forgot how long I was taking “ Kerry said rather sheepishly, “I should have guessed that would have happened, why didn’t I get show and tell?” Kerry had on the short denim skirt with a white T and green tank top and footless leggings, “very nice and looks very young as well” Sally said pouring her a drink of coffee. “So what are we going to do tonight, dinner at home or out somewhere?” Sally said hoping that for once she could have a not so quiet Saturday night. Kerry had been looking at her new makeup and thought it would be a shame to not use all the work Sue had done on her. “What about drinks at our usual place and I invite Astrid along, you can be a friend from out of state I bet she won’t pick up anything?” Sally said reaching for the phone. “Hang on lets get the plan right before you call her, how about you say Paul has had to go interstate and you have asked me to do the Business Continuity Plan exercise that way the guys won’t get all weepy over the accident?” Sally thought about it for a while, “I was feeling unsure about the accident idea, they can get a bit protective sometimes” Sally said feeling happy with the new plan.

Astrid could only make it after dinner so they decided on drinks at eight in their favourite spot, Sally had said nothing about Kerry. “I am not too sure about this outfit for tonight, what do you think?” Kerry asked Sally as she pulled down the skirt, “I don’t have much else apart from the jeans and sweater that are really casual” Kerry said. Sally had thought the same and was already ahead of her “you can use this if you don’t mind it being pre-warmed, or I can look through my wardrobe and choose something else for you” Sally said standing up from the lounge. What followed was Kerry standing mainly in her bra and pants while Sally handed her different outfits to try on, sort of like dressing Barbie Kerry thought. The final decision was the dress jacket with a knee length grey baggy skirt and boots with a silvery black top, the look was far better than Sally had thought but it seemed to come together nicely. Sally settled on a light meal at home, just some pasta and sauce as they would probably have quite a few drinks tonight.

They ordered a taxi for the trip to the pub, better safe than sorry as loosing a driving license would be expensive for the business. Astrid was already sitting at their usual spot as Sally and Kerry pulled up outside, she waved at Sally wondering who was with her, she had never seen many of Sally’s friends before. Kerry held back as Sally walked boldly into the place, “Astrid this is a friend of mine Kerry” she said letting Astrid greet her with a smile. “Nice to meet you Kerry, how do you know Sally” Astrid asked, Kerry had put a bit of thought into this one “I have done a bit of work for her but I also studied with her last year, why?” Kerry asked trying to find out why Astrid was pushing. “No reason I just thought I saw a family resemblance to one of our other colleagues” Astrid said causing both Sally and Kerry to miss a heart beat. “Not that I am aware of and I know about most of your staff” Kerry said as she sat down at the table, “let me get a bottle of wine for us” said Sally escaping to the bar. Kerry turned her face away from Astrid as she continued to peer into her face, she thought she saw something but then it was gone. Sally returned with a wine bucket and three glasses then proceeded to pour the drinks “we had a lovely time shopping today, didn’t we?” Sally said hoping to throw Astrid off. “Any bargains or just window browsing?” Astrid asked Sally, “more like a total makeover for Kerry, the poor girl hasn’t been shopping for ages, have you” Sally said throwing Kerry into the deep end. “Been too busy with work and study to get out much lately, so I needed a good dose of retail therapy” Kerry stated, and it was true she had not been out for many months.

The banter around the table was good natured but Astrid kept checking out Kerry, “they seek him here, they seek him there,..the Scarlet Pimpernel” she was sure something wasn’t true. It could have been the wine or the fact that Kerry had relaxed too much but Astrid finally cracked “I give in, who are you really?” she said aiming her question at Kerry. Sally turned around smiling at her “I knew it would be hard to fool you, but you have to swear not to say anything all week and definitely not tonight” Sally told Astrid. “Ok, I promise, who are you?” Astrid was getting annoyed at not solving the issue, Kerry lowered her glass “Ice Queen, can’t you see me?” Kerry said. This was a phrase that Paul used when Astrid got too determined on an issue, “oh my god it can’t be, but why?” Astrid said as she saw Paul peering out from the makeup and clothes. “Don’t you remember what we talked about yesterday at drinks, how easy it is to fool some people?” “Yes but I never thought you would try this sort of thing, you look so good, how did you do it?” Astrid was full of questions about how and not much about why. It took several minutes for Astrid to stop asking the usual questions and then she took a swift drink, “I doubt the others will spot anything on Monday” she finished with.

Sally ordered another round of drinks as Astrid sat there shaking her head every time she looked at Kerry, “just got to use the little girls room” Kerry said as she stood to go to the toilets. “Wait for me, I need to powder my nose” Sally said handing Astrid the money for the drinks, they left arm in arm giggling. As they stood at the mirror touching up their lipstick Sally told Kerry “I knew she would be hard to trick but I know she can be trusted to play along with it.” “I hope so otherwise my week is going to be very awkward and not as much fun” Kerry said finishing her makeup repair. Kerry sat down at the table and it was Astrid that asked what they had planned for Sunday, she wanted to take Kerry out which is something that the Ice Queen had never done with Paul. “I don’t have a lot of casual clothes if you wanted to go shopping again unless you have a different idea” Kerry said hoping that Sally would get invited as well. Astrid left at the same time as Sally and Kerry promising not to say anything on Monday as long as she could keep it all together and she would be around at midday to get Kerry for shopping. “Looks like you may have a better social life than me if Astrid has anything to do with it” said Sally slightly miffed at not being asked.

Sunday morning was spent checking the different combinations that Kerry had and listing any little add-ons that Sally had missed like purse, belts, coat, hopefully not too much she thought as yesterday had bent the credit card seriously. Paul was on a good wage and Sally was generous with mid year and end of year bonuses, one of which had just been paid out to all staff, so he had spare cash to enjoy Kerry time with. The last seven months had been zero costing and Kerry had determined to make up for it over the next few weeks or months. Several times during the morning found Kerry standing in just her underwear as Sally gave her more formal wear to try on, the office was covered but Sally was thinking about other events. Kerry and Sally had very similar thought patterns normally and today was no different, Kerry was thinking long term and Sally was seeing a side of Paul that was quite different in some areas to the normal Paul at work. Just before Astrid arrived Kerry changed back into pantyhose, jeans and the red sweater or her shopping clothes, her ears had the hoops in them and the gold watch sat neatly on her wrist. “Just remember, you go in that shop and you better find a new boss” Sally said smiling at Kerry “how could I find one that lets me do all this and still loves me?” Kerry joked blowing an air kiss at Sally. Astrid pinged Kerry’s mobile to say that she was down stairs in the car, “enjoy yourself and I will see you at dinner time, OK?” Sally said as Kerry walked to the lift.

Astrid had several ideas of what to do with Kerry and all of them were relatively safe for Paul, the sun was streaming through the front window of her VW Bug as they drove down the road away from the city. “I was thinking of grabbing some lunch unless you have already eaten?” Astrid told Kerry, “that’s fine we only had breakfast at nine this morning” Kerry said. “I have a nice restaurant near the river in mind that does some nice food and isn’t too loud or expensive, if that’s ok with you?” Astrid asked Kerry being less forceful than normal. The place was sat back only ten metres from the waters edge and although the sun was out there were plenty of spare tables to choose from, one under the shade sounded just right as the waiter showed them to a table. “Would you like to order a drink before you choose your food?” he asked trying to check out the two girls, “thanks, diet coke for me please” said Kerry in her best femme voice, Astrid chose a glass of wine and the waiter left. “Did you see him checking out your chest?” Astrid asked Kerry, “no, did he like what he saw?” chuckled Kerry turning to watch after him. “Paul, sorry Kerry what are you thinking?” replied Astrid correcting herself quickly, “look after four years of being out of the closet I know it’s going to happen so I’m comfortable being checked out by guys as long as they didn’t touch.” Astrid was confused by the statement, “are you saying that you have been out like this for the last four years?” Kerry looked at her, had she missed something last night or did Kerry not supply that bit of information. “I thought we talked about this last night” Kerry said, “Astrid sat there thinking back to the evenings conversation “I don’t remember you actually saying it that clearly, I thought this was just a trick you and Sally were playing.”

The waiter came back with their drinks and they ordered chicken Caesar salads and water before resuming their talking. Kerry gave Astrid a very short life story of being TG and the problem with Julie followed by more information on transgenderism and where Paul sat in the spectrum. “Are you totally confused now or do I continue?” asked Kerry, “no, it makes a lot of sense to me especially why you fit in with our team so well” Astrid said gently touching Kerry’s hand. “It also explains why we clash so often, we both want to mother the girls” Kerry told her “and why Sally gets on with you so well, there’s no gender conflict with having a female boss is there?” “Hang on Paul isn’t gay” Kerry said firmly letting Astrid know without any doubt, “I just respect Sally and enjoy her friendship very much” she added. “I gathered that you had done this before, your confidence is too high for it being your first time and your mannerisms are so gentle” Astrid said still holding her hand. Kerry sat back as the waiter put the food on the table, “would you like any pepper with that?” he politely asked before leaving.

Lunch was a quiet event for the two as the plan was for them to be shopping by one thirty, the list Kerry had brought with her meant several shops. Astrid chose the city as the best place to shop on the Sunday given the lack of variety in the suburbs and the free parking at the office. “Where do you want to start with your shopping list?” Astrid asked looking down the list, “anywhere special that you can think of.” Bags are so personal, the more clothes you get the more bags you need to just compliment the look so Kerry spent a small fortune selecting the right purse and handbags to suit her new wardrobe, shoulder bags, clutch bags, and even a couple of purses. The shop assistant agreed to keep them all out back after Kerry mentioned that they had more shops to go to and the number of bags she bought would slow her down. The clothing shops seemed to replicate each other, the same colours but different styles and Kerry found it becoming a bit repetitive as nothing really grabbed her attention. The new styles seemed to just hang around the body and the image of femininity that Kerry wanted to present was hard to portray. “I know a place that I think you will love, but it will cost more than what we have been looking at” Astrid said leading Kerry by the arm.

The boutique was always going to be expensive as the number of items on display and the amount of room to move between displays pointed to fashion chic rather than fashion supermarket. “I love the look of that one on the model” said Kerry pointing to a delicate layered chiffon and lace skirt with sheer top and lace panels all in a chocolate brown shade and wisps of light brown like smoke rising from the hem. The model had a green and brown beaded belt around her waist with long strands hanging down, the neckline was high and buttoned at the back forming a slit down the back. Astrid handed Kerry a size 12 as she stood there, “this should be about your size, do you need me to help you?” Astrid said being careful not to show the price. Kerry closed the curtains and slipped off her black heels and dropped her jeans, the sweater hung on the hook along with her bra as Kerry lifted the skirt and stepped into it, the top went over her head but doing up the button proved difficult. It was quite stunning and exactly what Kerry was looking for so she put her black heels back on and stepped out of the change rooms,” could you do up the button please?” she asked Astrid. Astrid saw the lack of bra straps and a hint of nipples poking through the lace and then looked at Kerry, the look on her face said it all she loved all things feminine. “That looks very good on you dear” said the sales woman flicking out the skirt to make sure the length was right, “we also have it in a smoky black if you would like it.” Kerry twirled around near the mirror and watched her image dance, she missed the faces of the male shoppers that passed the shop and saw her twirling. “How do you do that without a bra on?” Astrid asked, “tell you later, does it look good” Kerry asked knowing full well that it did.

Astrid had been looking at other dresses while Kerry had changed and showed her a more summery knee length print in white with red and yellow oriental flowers and three quarter sleeves. The dress did up at the front with a complete row of buttons that could be left open or done up as the weather or mood dictated. “I would need some nice strappy white sandals to go with this and another handbag, I guess fashion comes at a high price” Kerry complained with mock hurt. Again it was into the change rooms then out to show Astrid, “I love the buttons at the front, what do you reckon” Kerry asked Astrid as she showed off her cleavage again. Astrid could see a side of Kerry that was totally different to Paul, straight laced Paul as opposed to lacey Kerry. The sales person showed them a couple of other garments but it was the first two that found their way onto the counter and ultimately into Kerry’s wardrobe. Kerry was being careful to not bounce the $1000 daily limit as Astrid would not be able to bale her out like Sally did. A much cheaper shop for accessories like belts, clips and sunglasses made a big difference to the costs compared to the boutique prices.

“Are you sure this is only for a week at work?” Astrid said smiling at Kerry, “well if a thing is worth doing then it has to be done right I was always told” Kerry avoided the question. “That wasn’t an answer that was avoidance” Astrid commented as they left another shop, “would it upset you if it lasted more than a week at work?” Kerry turned into a small café choosing a table under some bright umbrellas, “time for coffee, my shout” she said grabbing a menu. “Would you like to be fulltime or are you joking with me?” Kerry had started this line and obviously wanted to take it somewhere. “I really enjoy being Kerry and the feeling of gentleness that comes with it but full time at work may upset people too much.” “The only person I think would be upset is Alan, he sounds like a redneck at times” Astrid said thinking of how she would react. “Actually this week would be a good test of peoples reaction to you, just see what happens when they find out that it’s you under the dress.” The coffees came and so did the small cookies Kerry had ordered just to keep their strength up for more shopping. They sat talking for a half hour before resuming the hunt for the remaining items on the list.

By five o’clock the list was finished as the shops started to close, Sally rang Kerry’s mobile “are we eating in or out tonight” she asked Kerry. A quick discussion and all three chose a great restaurant in town that had a good pub next door and decided to meet at five thirty. They picked up the handbags and headed for the car back at work, having cheap parking helped with traffic as well as costs “just want to drop into work and grab something” Astrid said opening the door with her swipe card. She turned on the lights and her computer then printed out the BCP on the laser, “just wanted to bone up on the plan before I have to deliver tomorrow” she said turning off the lights. “We had better move or Sally will be sitting alone and that won’t impress her much” Kerry said as Astrid armed the alarm again. Sally was sitting alone by the time they got there and she had already ordered a bottle of wine, “sorry we dropped into work” Astrid said showing the BCP to Sally. “OK tell me what you bought and if you went near that shop, watch out” Sally said as Kerry poured the wine. The next few minutes were all about the dresses with Astrid making more comments about the nipples and Kerry’s lack of a bra then asked again how she did it. “Nothing much just a bit of glue and silicone, any self respecting girl could look good in that dress” Kerry told her.

It was an early night for all of them as Monday would be a long day with staff meeting and the emergency business plan being rolled out so Sally and Kerry found themselves at home before seven thirty. “Do I get to check out this new dress” asked Sally still slightly miffed at not being asked, “sure, do you want to try it on?” Kerry offered. That was all that Sally needed to take it and run off to her own bedroom only to return after a few minutes to show it off, “this is so sexy, can I have it when you have finished with it?” she asked, “who said I will be finished with it?” Kerry smiled back at her. Sally had dressed the same as Kerry, bra less and heels, “I see what Astrid meant about the dress and nipples” said Sally as she smoothed the top causing a more prominent effect. “Yes but you look so much better than I do” Kerry replied still looking at the two topics of discussion, “I think Paul is staring a bit” Sally laughed. Kerry went a shade of red and quickly looked away, “sorry boss, I forgot my manners” she said as Sally checked out the mirror again, “I guess we are both girls here for the next week” Sally told her.

“Do you want to see the other one as well?” Kerry asked pulling it out of the bag, “not quite as sexy looking but very nice and casual especially with the right white sandals that I still haven’t found yet.” Sally asked Kerry to undo the button on the top before taking the other dress into her bedroom but forgot to close the bedroom door, she dropped the dress revealing her long legs and G-string pants before turning to see Kerry in the lounge. Sally slipped off the top which left her standing there in just pants and heels, Kerry turned around to the door just as Sally was watching her. Kerry turned back quickly but Sally was obviously flirting, “you make it really hard for me sometimes Sal” Kerry said using Sally’s shortened name which was Paul’s way of showing the personal rather than employee relationship they had. Sally turned and picked up the dress that Kerry had unbuttoned all the way, the bra less look was fine she thought and put her arms in the sleeves and wrapped the dress over her shoulders. “How many buttons should I do up dear?” she asked Kerry, “at least half I think the temperature in here is a bit unusual tonight” Kerry said trying not to watch. Sally left half of the bottom buttons undone and the top half stayed open to show ample cleavage as Sally came out into the lounge again wearing her own sandals. “I think a few more buttons would make it safer to go out, don’t you?” Kerry said suggesting she do them up, “spoil sport, Sal just wants to have some fun” Sally giggled in her best innocent girl voice. “I know you want to have fun but it’s at my expense” Kerry said, “there’s no expense, just a bit of flirting, that’s all” Sally said stepping closer to Kerry.

Over the two years they had grown close but never crossed the line except for Sally and her game of flirting which Paul had always treated as just good natured fun but today there was a different side to the flirting he was finding it much harder to avoid. “Sal, I need to know when you are not just playing around?” Kerry said, “you are causing me some real confusion tonight and it could easily upset the status quo.” Sally didn’t get serious or less flirty she just brushed herself up against Kerry and said “if you like what you see then where’s the problem?” and kissed Kerry. Kerry stood there for a split second before responding to the kiss, two years of pent up sexual tension between them exploded in the middle of the lounge. They moved to Sal’s bedroom a place where Paul had never been as Sally opened her dress and Kerry dropped her jeans and sweater on the floor with her pantyhose and bra following quickly afterwards. The pair of them standing in just skimpy knickers as they kissed, the breastforms remaining glued in place as well as the wig giving the image of two slender women embracing. Sex was every bit as exciting as each of them had dreamt of, Sally finding herself loving every minute of the crazy scene she had going on in her head and Paul rising to every challenge. As they lay there quietly engrossed in each others body afterwards it was Sally that spoke first, “I can’t understand why we have never done this before” Kerry kissed her gently, “maybe it’s because you never stripped off like that before or was it just my new dress that you loved” Kerry said rhetorically.

Something had triggered Sally’s outburst of flirting and passion and Kerry couldn’t help but think that it must have been her rather than Paul that had made the difference today. “Are you going to respect me in the morning dear?” Sally asked thinking of Paul’s comment from Friday night about respect, “of course I will, probably mixed with a bit more love though” Kerry said kissing her again. They fell asleep together until about six when the alarm went off in Sally’s phone, she turned it off and rolled over towards Kerry, “time for work lover.” The time it takes to get ready as a male is only just longer than a shower and shave but Kerry had so many more things to do today, Sally prepared breakfast and checked her clothes before letting Kerry leave for work. Sally had planned to phone into work just at the proposed start of staff meeting and before Kerry arrived to explain the scenario of Paul going interstate and Kerry being a friend that had had been prepared to cover in the case of an emergency. It would be as per the BCP with no access to Sally for the entire week, she was going to finish a load of study assignments that had been put aside due to work commitments.

Kerry sat in Sally’s car in the car park knowing that everyone would be in the office listening to Sally outline the situation as they would know it, her heart was pounding for some reason, this was not the first time out of the closet for Kerry but it was unique. The thought of being ridiculed was high as the girls all knew him fairly well and Alan was a bit of an unknown as far as mixing in with workplace fun was concerned. Sally was talking on speaker phone to her staff and had just finished talking as Kerry walked into the outer office after being SMS’d by Sally. Astrid stood up and welcomed Kerry, “you look fantastic and your makeup is great they will never pick it’s you” she whispered before opening the door into the board room. Kerry looked around the room and both of them went into plan mode “guy’s this is Kerry and as far as you are all concerned she has full authority of Sally in every matter” Astrid said defining the ground rules.

“Good morning, I assume that Sally has briefed you about the BCP and what needs to happen so lets get straight into it” Kerry said taking control of the room. “Firstly, Paul is interstate but I have a sealed document with all codes for banking and network, who has the CEO’s codes?” Kerry asked giving them little time to get complacent about the exercise. “I have the codes in my secure filing cabinet” said Astrid as she stood to retrieve them, “and can everyone get their copies of the actual plan please” Kerry told them. The staff all moved quickly and returned with folders outlining the BCP in every detail, “login codes to the server need to be reset to allow me in so if you can do that please Judy since you are the designated IT replacement for Paul. Schedule for work, can I have a copy of that on the data projector please Astrid, then we can check for any problem areas. I know you will all have concerns about this but the plan has been written with several safeguards in place to cover the range of disasters that could occur during normal business activities.” Kerry took a breath and looked around the room, the screen displayed the new schedule and various people operated their laptops setting codes or looking up from their copies of the plan.

The meeting rolled through with everyone playing their part as designated in the BCP, “only one last thing I see on the schedule that Alan has a staff swap this week so lets just do what was planned but keep me in the loop if anything happens please.” The teams broke off and headed to their offices and cubicles around the office, Astrid remained in the board room until they were alone and closed the door. “So far so good, I didn’t see any funny looks from anyone” Astrid stood there looking at Kerry, “you do make a very good looking woman I am still having trouble finding the real you.” Kerry smiled and took a deep breath, “thanks, the adrenaline is still flowing around the body making me a bit jittery but I will relax soon” Kerry said not really thinking about what Astrid had said to her then she realized, “who said this isn’t the real me and Paul wasn’t the act?” “What do you mean, wasn’t the act, should that be isn’t the act or is Paul dead already?” Astrid was always quick to pick up on subtle nuances in conversation. “Whatever” Kerry laughed “let’s get the ship back on track and the guys happy, see you at lunch time for our meeting OK?” Astrid had not read the entire plan properly as it called for daily executive team meetings at 12:30.

By the time Astrid returned to her department area one or two of the girls had been talking, they wondered how Kerry knew so much about the place and their names without being introduced to them personally. “Sally has been planning the exercise for several months and has been briefing Kerry so I gather she knows far more than you would expect” Astrid told them which was just what Sally had figured they would ask. It seemed to resolve the issue in their minds and they got straight into the work they had scheduled, training would start in almost one hour and the rooms had to be prepared, an installation was going live on a site about twenty kilometers away and two helpdesk consultants already had clients calling for help from over east. Just a normal day in the office thought Astrid, apart from the guy in the dress sitting in Sally’s office. Alan and Jody had planned a rotating schedule, morning they would be do help desk and afternoon they would do sales for the first two days then take over each others job fully for the remaining three days.

Kerry sat at Sally’s desk and entered the new login code that Judy had provide her with, the email popped up as normal along with her diary system, she had two major contact points this week with potentially new clients and Kerry wondered how they would go since neither had met Sally before. The staff functions had been part of Paul’s job anyway so that wouldn’t cause any pain and several minor appointments with clients that needed some hand holding and assurances from her. There was a risk of some business loss due to confidence issues but nothing that couldn’t be averted by careful explanation from Kerry or Astrid. Judy knocked at her door “just wondered if you would like a cup of anything, I’m just getting one?” Judy asked, “I’ll come down with you Jude” Kerry said relaxing in her role. Judy looked at her not quite sure “you called me Jude rather than Judy, nobody does that apart from Paul normally.” Judy was only twenty and just getting started in the computer industry after a short TAFE course but was Paul’s choice as IT backup since he found her very easy to teach and was willing to say when she needed help. Kerry pushed it aside by changing the subject “did you have any problems changing the logon codes this morning?” Judy thought about the question, “not really the server is well setup and the task is very easy, why?” Kerry told her about the BCP review process that would be done everyday between Astrid and herself to ensure the process was refined rather than stay stagnant.

The coffee shop was just along the road so Kerry walked behind Judy “Latte with one please” Kerry told the cashier “and what about you, little one, latte or flat white?” Kerry asked Judy. Judy froze again as she heard that phrase “flat white please” she said trying to grasp what she had just heard. “Don’t even think about it short fry or you’re dead” Kerry said firmly, “but how, what, I don’t understand, you are messing with my head seriously, Paul?” she sputtered out. Judy had sat down at a table looking at Kerry, “what do you reckon, pretty good trick?” Kerry asked her, “just think about what was said at the pub on Friday night and how you made such a point that no man could look as good as a woman then tell me if the others have any idea.” Judy looked at Kerry, “we were only joking about that but you do look very good, if you hadn’t called me Jude or little one I never would have known” Judy said shaking her head just like Astrid had done. “One thing I need from you and that’s why I have let you know our secret, I need my own e-Mails and Sally needs a copy of hers and her files available from home, the rest of the staff need to get me as Sally and receive from me as Sally so can you do it?” Kerry asked. The task was complex and involved forming an email group as well as replicating files back to Sally’s laptop via a VPN and Judy would be pushing to get it all working quickly. “The other thing I need is your silence, you can treat this as your test for confidentiality but the rest of the staff better not hear about me from you, OK?” Kerry said applying some pressure.

They walked back carrying the coffees, “you are loving this aren’t you, I can see the change in your smile” Judy said as Kerry opened the door. “Thanks for the coffee Judy, just let me know if there is anything I can help you with while Paul and Sally are away” Kerry said finishing the conversation and letting Judy know it had ended. Kerry left her door open for the rest of the morning watching the consulting area until Astrid fronted for the exec team meeting at 12:30, “just let me get my lunch and I’ll be right back” said Kerry heading for the fridge. “Hey Judy, how’s the server update going?” Kerry asked as she passed Judy’s desk, “fine, it is almost finished not as hard as I thought it would be” she told Kerry and smiled at her. Astrid was eating her lunch as Kerry closed the door, “Jude knows, I needed her to re-route the e-Mail server to Sally’s place and keep me in the loop but she’s cool, I told her it was a test of her confidentiality” Kerry said picking at her lunch. “No body has said a thing down the back so it may just work, any problems with Sally’s schedule that needs my input?” Astrid asked hoping that she could get some of the higher tasks for herself. By the end of lunch they had sorted out who would be doing the site visits to calm the clients and how the new sales would be approached with Alan and Jody doing staff swap.

The afternoon moved smoothly and Sally had only called Kerry’s mobile directly once, her assignment was going to be longer than she had thought but the main reading had been provided on CD by the tutor, so it would be mainly read, make notes then write a report followed by some chart work. Sally was accessing the server from home and sharing her e-Mail with Kerry so sometimes it was like sending an e-mail to yourself. By close of day one the exercise was going well, the clients had not picked up on anything and the staff had no idea apart from Astrid and Judy who had been told directly so the game was on for another day. As Astrid got ready to lock the front door Kerry was just ready to leave “I better take the financial stuff home to look at tonight, I guess that is a shortfall of the plan?” she said locking her own office door.

The drive to Sally’s place was hardly worth doing, a solid walk would have been better for her even if she changed into sneakers for the walk. Kerry rang the intercom for Sally “parcel for mistress Sally” said Kerry when Sally answered, the door buzzed and Kerry pulled it open to let her into the lift foyer. Sally opened her unit door just as Kerry got to it, “how’s my little office girl going, are your feet killing you yet?” Sally asked thinking that Kerry would have trouble after a full day at work. They sat and talked for a good hour over a glass of wine before Sally served up a well prepared dinner for them both. “I could get used to having this when I get home every day” said Kerry, “and I could get used to being here” said Sally as she put it on the table. Kerry may have seen the lighting dim and the gentle music in the background but chose to say nothing, Sally would bring it up when she was ready. Just as she finished her glass of wine Sally finally decided it was time to talk about the elephant in the room, “so, it’s been nearly twenty four hours, do you still respect me, were are we?” she asked thinking about the night before.

Over a coffee they talked about it slowly, Kerry had problems with getting such a response when she was Kerry, Paul had problems being too close to his boss, and Sally had no problems with anything so it seems the only issue was with Paul and Sally’s working relationship. They agreed that last night may have just been an overreaction to several things that may or may not occur again and as mature adults they should just see what happens over the next few weeks. Kerry was watching TV when Sally sat next to her on the couch with her legs folded under her body leaning towards Kerry, “I suppose you’ll be sleeping in your own bed tonight?” asked Sally. Kerry looked at her for a moment “where would you like me to sleep since it’s your house?” Sally snuggled in closer “I did like waking up with you in the bed” she said trying to look innocent again. Kerry walked off to her bedroom and removed all of her makeup and slipped into a sexy looking nighty she had bought then sat back down on the couch, Sally had quickly done the same. “I think tomorrow is going to be harder, we have a couple of clients coming in for round table discussions with support team issues” Kerry said, “I saw them but if it looks like falling apart then you can always get me on the phone, the BCP is not worth losing clients over” Sally said making Kerry feel better. Again they had an early night, but unlike Sunday it was sleep rather than sex on the agenda.

Kerry woke as soon as her phone alarm went off and headed for her own room and shower, Sally just lay in bed until Kerry finally came back dressed in the suit pants, the claret blouse, black jacket and her makeup looking every bit as good as the day before. “I was thinking of walking to work today, I’ll grab a coffee from next door” Kerry said to Sally who was standing in the kitchen, “you look fantastic enough for me to eat you but that would make you late for work.” Sally was joking but Kerry could tell that it was more truth than joke and needed to avoid messing up her lipstick and makeup, a quick peck on the cheek and Kerry was on her way for day two at work. Walking took only fifteen minutes and allowed Kerry to come in from the street entry after picking up a large Latte from the coffee stall. Judy was just arriving to get her coffee as Kerry paid for hers, “good morning boss” Judy said, “good morning little one, did you have a good night’s rest?” Kerry asked Judy who was already infamous for spending too much time on the net and not enough time sleeping. “Sort of, I spent a bit of time searching for information on a certain problem I just found out about” Judy said looking straight at Kerry. “and there is so much out there how come I never saw it before?” Kerry was waiting for Judy to get her drink so sat down at a table, “and what words have you been searching on?” Kerry asked almost sure what she had been doing, “just cross dressing and men in dresses, why” Judy said. “If you want to find out more then I suggest that you key in transgendered and then you can see the medical slant on things” Kerry told her and started to walk off to work.

The client meetings went well with Astrid leading them and Kerry sitting in just to show support of her role, the staff swap was going well and Alan had been studying the call logs to see the type of issues people had with the software. The executive meeting at 12:30 was quite good “nothing to report, no issues or areas that need adjusting and still nobody suspects anything” Astrid said surprised that Kerry was still undetected. Mid afternoon Alan knocked at her door, “can I talk for a few minutes please?” he said before pulling up the chair at Kerry’s desk, “I may have a problem, the girls are teasing me about playing the role of Jody on helpdesk and even looking like her, are they serious or just stirring me up?” he asked. Kerry looked at him “they are only joking with you to see how you react” Kerry said, “so I don’t have to wear a dress or heels like they said” Alan said sounding much happier. Kerry watched him as he left her office, if he only knew how much fun it could be then he may have been a nicer person to work with she thought.

Sally sent a couple of e-Mails to Kerry about work plans for the next day that needed to be communicated to relevant staff and she wanted to know how the staff swap was going. Astrid had planned the site visit for Alan and herself but needed someone to take care of the office meeting with the clients, Kerry volunteered to do it as the client had never met Paul and only needed a small tour of the office and a talk to about company policies. As the helpdesk slowed down the girls finished their work plans and started to get ready to go home, “Judy, can you come up to my office please” Kerry asked over the office intercom. “Yes boss how can I help you?” Judy said in the same way she addressed Paul, “I need to have the webinar configured for the demonstration tomorrow morning are you happy with every thing?” Kerry asked. Judy looked at him using one of her funny looks, “do you have to ask, I have been checking out the server and camera and everything is ready to go, the only thing we need is for the clients to log on correctly.” Judy was beginning to fit in well with the team approach to work and she was becoming an asset around the office, her field work was also very good. “Thanks, I knew I could trust you, have a good night” Kerry said letting Judy go, “great I have plenty of googling to do tonight” she said poking her tongue out at Kerry.

Kerry let Astrid shut the office as she wanted to go through the city and do some shopping, she called Sally on the mobile “just doing a spot of shopping is there anything you wanted?” Kerry asked Sally who had been working hard all day. “Where are you going, I’ll join you?” Sally asked as she grabbed her coat and headed for the front door, it took Sally only slightly longer than Kerry to get to the shop she had chosen but they met at the front counter. Sally kissed Kerry on the cheek like any normal girls meeting after work, “missed you today” she told Kerry. The pair walked into the ladies business wear section, “I’ve been thinking about what I am going to wear on Friday and not too sure about the print dress, I think it’s a bit too informal just in case a client comes in.” Sally flicked a few garments as she walked through the section not quite sure what Kerry was thinking of “how about something like this one?” she asked holding up a dark grey pencil skirt that was lined and would sit at knee length. “Not bad but what can I wear up top?” Kerry said continuing to browse, “this would work with your figure” Sally said holding up a black fitted jumper top that was tapered at the waist. “Add a long sleeved shirt to it and you can dress up or down depending on colour or accessories” said a sales assistant. “Try these two shirts on, they should be about your size” she said handing Kerry a black and white shirt as well as a red and white one.

Kerry stepped into the change rooms and dropped her pants to the ground and shed her blouse and jacket, she looked into the mirror only to see the image of Kerry looking back at her. She was still shocked at how far she had come over the last ten years, from just playing dress-up at home to going fulltime at work, well at least full time for the week. Kerry looked at her own figure, the shape was far from male even without the stick on pieces, hormones had made some of the change but diet and careful exercise had also done a good job. Snapping out of the trance like stare she put her arms into the shirt remembering the buttons on the opposite side to Paul’s shirts, the skirt was pulled up and zipped behind her and the jumper slid over the top allowing the long cuffs to be folded back over the top. Kerry stepped out of the cubicle, “that looks very nice on you, not really casual though” said Sally, Kerry looked in the full length mirror, her legs showing below the skirt revealing the nicely shaped hair free legs that she knew she had. The red and white shirt also looked good on Kerry but still didn’t meet the concept of a casual outfit she wanted.

Kerry spotted a purple cotton blouse with three quarter sleeves, “that’s just what I am looking for” she said taking it from the rack. A few minutes in the cubicle and she came back out wearing the same skirt but with the purple blouse, “I think I need a nice belt or something around my middle to make it more casual” Kerry said not quite sure what she meant. Sally looked at her “sometimes girl you have no idea do you?” Sally said talking to Kerry “it looks very nice with your slim body, why disguise it with clutter.” Kerry bought the skirt, the black and white shirt and the purple one as well, “I think I need to find something even more casual though” Kerry said drifting around the shop, “then let’s go to my favourite store” Sally told her. The mall had several top quality shops that catered for the richer young class that was making serious money and wanted to dress in designer tags. Sally took Kerry through several shops not finding anything that she really liked, price didn’t seem an issue but nothing grabbed her sense of fashion. “I give up, let’s just go home” Kerry said starting to get bored with shopping, “finally she tires of shopping, I didn’t think it would happen” Sally said sarcastically, “OK, I admit it, let’s go home.”

They walked home with Kerry talking about the day at work, “nothing special happened, the sales presentation went well and Alan took Jody along to do the presentation, they think they’ll get an order on Friday.” “What about the webinar, who’s doing it, you?” asked Sally as she had planned to do the presentation, “I was thinking of doing it by myself but with Astrid on standby just for emergency help” Kerry said thinking about what to wear for the broadcast. “What do you think I should wear for it?” she asked Sally, “you really are getting into acting and thinking like a girl aren’t you?” Sally said watching Kerry swing her bags. Kerry thought about it for a while, “I guess I am and it’s only been four days what am I going to do on Saturday when I have to find Paul again?” Kerry said jokingly. Sally had been thinking about how easy Paul had swapped into Kerry, it was far easier than it should have been for a normal male, but Paul wasn’t a normal male. Kerry was also processing the dilemma of changing back to being Paul, every time she had done something like this even for only a couple of days it caused a huge rip in his emotional well being. It always seemed to well up within him threatening to break out of his body into pools of tears along with sobs of grief at having to do something he felt was alien to who he really was, Kerry.

“Penny for your thoughts” Sally said noticing that Kerry had been walking along silently carrying her bags, “sorry I was just thinking about Saturday and having to change back into Paul mode” Kerry said softly. “Does that make you upset?” Sally said realizing the enormity of what she was hearing, “yes it does and it always has done” Kerry said not really explaining her feelings. Sally unlocked the security entry to the block of units and called the lift for their floor, it wasn’t until she had closed the front door of the unit that she spoke about what Kerry had said. “Do you feel like a drink before dinner?” Sally asked as she opened a bottle of Chenin Blanc and poured a glass for herself, “ok” was all that Kerry managed. “Sit down, lets talk this through” Sally told Kerry who was now even deeper into thought, “what’s the real problem is it just having to become Paul again or has something happened at work?” Sally asked. “No, there’s no problem at work”, “then what’s up, why are you so sorrowful suddenly?” Sally was asking but Kerry wasn’t answering. “Has someone said something, or done something to upset you?” Sally probed to find out what had upset her new girlfriend, “it’s just..” Kerry said before putting down her glass and starting to cry. Sally held her close patting her head as she sobbed onto Sally’s shoulder, the tears didn’t need to be told to flow, it was as if a tap had been turned on after several years of drought. Sally felt Kerry’s chest heave as the sobs took hold of her body, the tears ran down her cheeks and dripped onto Sally’s neck, hot salty tears that contained years of tension and hurt within each tiny droplet of pain.

Kerry stopped then started again until she just clung to Sally like a rag doll that had been put through the ringer then hung out to dry, she was soaked with tears and emotionally wrecked. Sally held on to her friend wanting to be available to help but also because she was feeling some of the hurt that Kerry had shed in her tears. This was not like Paul at all, he always had a hold on life so no matter what happened he would be stable and solid like the man he pretended to be, that was probably the problem he was pretending to be a man. Sally had seen a totally different side of Paul, Kerry was happier and less stressed, she had lifted emotionally as soon as she appeared on Friday night and now they were talking about shutting her down. Kerry tried to speak but couldn’t maintain it for more than a few seconds so gave up, choosing to just hug sally instead. Sally let Kerry lay down on the couch and went out to the kitchen to serve up some food for both of them, while she could eat hers Kerry had no such luck and tears flowed again.

Later on Kerry finally talked about the trauma of growing up knowing she was different but being forced into “being a man” as her father had called it. Paul had started dressing in his mums pantyhose and slips when his parents were at work, then it grew into bra and pants with a girdle. At night the laundry basket was raided so he could dress under his blankets as everyone else slept, foam breast shapes used to fill the bra under his t-shirt. As he finished school it seemed to die out until he left home while studying and working part time, the extra money and living away from home gave him chance and the resources to start buying his own wardrobe. Nothing much just second hand gear claiming he had to go to a drag dress party at uni, he used several second hand stores over the two years gradually getting more selective with his choices. The breakthrough came with a job, far more money without the extra expenses and he started shopping online for items of lingerie and makeup. Breast forms were a major cost that he took ages to get around to but found that it lifted his appearance and confidence so much that he wished he had done it earlier. Kerry had done the night time drive around town and late evening walks, day trips away allowed him to drive while dressed and even enjoy walking around in daylight but always with limited or no public to see him. Joining a support group gave him some regular activities and others to go out with, drinks after group meetings at a T-friendly bar. It was only four years since he had started regularly going out fully dressed but the impact on his state of health was significant, he loved having Kerry Time and found his stress rising when it was denied.

Kerry crawled into bed alongside Sally, the eyes were red but sleep would help as long as she could forget about the pain that had been brought up. Sally wrapped her arms around her and held her while she tried to fall asleep, the occasional sniffle and sigh but eventually Kerry relaxed and slipped into the land of nod. Sally just lay there wondering how she could help her friend through such a difficult time, Paul was a good employee as well and she had learnt to trust his instincts when she needed a second opinion. The alarm went off waking both of them at seven in the morning, “can I call in sick?” Kerry asked Sally, “not unless you really need to why?” Kerry rolled out of bed, “nothing, guess I had better just get on with it, after all that’s what I normally do” Kerry said letting out a sigh of resignation to the reality of life. “Are you going to be alright at work today after last night?” Sally asked concerned that Kerry had opened her soul to her last night and she would not be there to help her. Kerry came out of the bathroom wearing just her underwear and wig, “crying doesn’t help make a good look does it?” Kerry said trying to make light of a bad situation. Sally suggested that Kerry slow down and let the others get the office going and ready for the webinar which was planned for eleven thirty local time and two thirty for the other side of the country.

Kerry got dressed and applied her makeup but sat down for breakfast with Sally, “I’ve already called Astrid and let her know that you will be in at eleven” said Sally putting fresh coffee on the table. “You look as bad as I feel” Kerry said noticing that Sally had bags under her eyes, “didn’t sleep too well last night but don’t worry about me, how are you today?” Kerry sipped her coffee and ran a self test on her emotions. “alive but a little shaky, not too happy about Saturday though.” Sally looked at her sitting there, some of her confidence had been lost and the shoulders hung lower, “what are we going to do, this is no way to live?” Sally said still looking at Kerry. “You could always employee another accountant called Kerry and sack Paul” Kerry said speaking out what she had always wanted to do and exactly what Sally had thought of during the wee small hours. “Is that what you really want to do because I will support you whichever way you want to dress at work?” Sally asked Kerry who had suddenly lifted her head and pulled her shoulders back. “I’m not sure but half way seems to be no answer at all for me” Kerry said gaining her confidence back every breath she took, “would you let me transition at work?” Sally knew what it meant both for Kerry and her business, “if that is what you choose, I don’t want to lose you as a friend or employee” Sally said hoping her words brought hope. “Ok if you want to continue as Kerry then you only have to ask, are you happy with that? Sally asked Kerry, it was like seeing a mouse trap get sprung as Kerry jumped off her chair and hugged Sally.

Kerry went off to work late but very happy with some light at the end of the tunnel, she had often thought about doing it but never thought it could happen. Judy had setup the camera, microphone, and server links so she was ready to roll as soon as Kerry walked in, the clients had been given their logins at the start of the week and it was under one hour before the webinar. Kerry was sitting in her office going over the notes for the webinar trying to make sure she could trigger the screenshots at the right timing and knew where each option was hidden. Astrid knocked on the door frame, “OK if I come in for a few seconds?” she asked Kerry “sure, what’s up?” Kerry said turning away from the screen. “Just wondered if everything was Ok with you after Sally called this morning?” Kerry told her to close the door before talking, “just got the sulks when I starting thinking about Saturday and returning to being Paul, nothing much.” Kerry was understating the emotions she had felt but Astrid could see wet eyes as Kerry spoke, “well if it’s worth anything I would be happy to have either of you working here” Astrid said leaning forward to hug Kerry. “Thanks I needed to hear that, now let me get ready for the show” Kerry said pushing her out of the office as she went to the board room and Judy who was ready to roll. The clients had logged in and stayed with Kerry as she demonstrated the features of the new package and upgrade options, the Q&A went for a short while and then Kerry thanked them for logging in.

Judy was packing up the gear and saving the web file for download later from the server when Kerry walked back into the room, “you did good today little one, thanks” Kerry told her. “Thanks boss, I’m learning heaps being here with you” Judy said thinking back to the first few weeks where she felt she had no idea where to start even after four terms at tech school. “Why don’t you finish up and I’ll take you out for lunch, my shout” Kerry offered, “are you sure, don’t you have a meeting with Astrid for something?” Judy asked as she finished the packing up. Kerry told Astrid that they were heading out for a bite to eat and would be back in an hour or so, Kerry headed for a small alfresco café in the mall that served good Italian food. She chose a table near the sidewalk and told Judy to choose anything she wanted, Kerry ordered a chicken salad and Judy went for a serve of pasta and garlic bread, along with two glasses of wine they sat there talking. “I want to ask you a difficult question and whatever you say is alright, ok?” Kerry told Judy who was beginning to get worried about what was to come. “Sally has offered me the chance to stay as Kerry instead of returning as Paul but I need to know what you would think.” Judy was surprised by what she heard and even more surprised that her opinion would count to Kerry, “I haven’t thought about it but it’s still you just a slightly different package, you still look after me and make sure I’m doing ok so what do you want to do?” Judy had turned it back on Kerry while giving her support for the person despite the clothes they wore, “I’m thinking of staying as Kerry, I just prefer the way I feel about things, and I get to wear great clothes as well.”

Judy and Kerry walked back to work still talking but this time it was about work, the team and how people worked together, Judy asked about more responsibility and extra training to help her do more at work. They walked past a boutique and Kerry couldn’t help but walk in, “just want to find something that is casual and ok to wear at work on Friday’s” Kerry said going through the stands. Judy watched as Kerry assessed clothes then flicked to the next ones as if she had always shopped for skirts and blouses. Kerry chose a pair of cotton shorts and a nice metallic glitter T that converted into a mini skirt when pulled down, “these would go with my silver heels or wedges” Kerry said turning around looking in the mirror. The two arrived back at work nearly an hour late from lunch, “don’t worry I’m the boss this week I’ll tell Astrid that it was my fault.

The afternoon was mainly paperwork and payroll for the staff so Kerry had plenty to keep her busy until Astrid poked her head in the door. “Did you have a good talk with Judy?” Astrid asked as Kerry finished scheduling the pays in the net banking software, “yes, she’s one cool kid, I asked her how she felt if Paul vanished and Kerry stayed around.” “She probably doesn’t have an issue does she?” Astrid said knowing how Judy enjoyed working for Paul, “not really, she thinks it’s just me in different clothes” Kerry laughed. The others shouted goodnight as Astrid and Kerry talked in the office, “and what about you, are you fine with this idea?” Kerry asked. Astrid and Paul had often tangled or had a slightly strained working relationship but this week it had been totally different, they had actually gotten on very well especially the Sunday afternoon shopping trip that had stunned Kerry. “I have to be blunt and I know that you’ll think that’s easy for me but this week I’ve begun to appreciate working with you, even in a dress. If you want to stay around then you have my full support as long as I get to go shopping with you” Astrid said. Kerry told Astrid that she had not made a decision yet but both of them knew that was more likely only a technicality, Kerry had been so happy and at least three of the staff had now supported her decision to stay around as Kerry if she wanted.

Kerry walked into the unit as the smell of cooking filled her nostrils, Sally stood in the kitchen wearing an apron around her waist and a spatula in her hand. “What have you been doing, I thought you wanted to finish the assignment today?” Kerry said putting her bags on the counter near the door. “I just wanted to do something special after this mornings talk to make sure you have a happier night than last night” Sally said touching Kerry on the arm gently. “Thanks, you didn’t have to do anymore, you’ve already done more than I expected” Kerry replied moving closer to Sally. Sally held out her arms to beckon Kerry closer, she gave Kerry a hug and told her “when you cried last night I felt your pain just like it was mine” Sally whispered to Kerry. “What I told you this morning hasn’t changed, I will not only stand by you but promise to support you whatever you choose. Have you had any time to think about what you really want or do you want to think about it next week?” Sally asked but Kerry had already made up her mind and just wanted to talk it through with Sally. “I haven’t had much time to think about it just most of the day since you said it, Astrid and Judy said they would support me as well. The only real decision is how far do I go with this and after today my thoughts are to just run with it, see how I go and see if I want to have the surgery later on.”

Over dinner they talked about telling the staff and Friday seemed like a good time after the BCP exercise finished and Sally did the debrief. Sally wanted to know what Kerry would need to do to change her name etc and what impact it would have on her business, Paul had some legal duties for the company as well as cheque signing authority and taxation department responsibilities. She also asked about Kerry’s living plans, the unit Paul owned was bigger than he needed and since Julie had moved out it cost too much for one person. Kerry talked about small surgical tricks to make her look better and how much they would cost, Sally talked about the future of the company and what Kerry may want to be involved in apart from finances. They talked about the new clothes Kerry had brought today and the wine they were drinking, the talked until nearly ten o’clock without doing the dishes or clearing the table. They laughed about the shock they thought the rest of the staff would get on Friday but mostly they talked and talked happy spending the time together.

Thursday morning came around and Kerry put on the pencil skirt, long sleeved red and white shirt and grey jumper, her light grey stockings and sneakers completed the look. Kerry put her purse and makeup bag in a small backpack along with her black 3” heels then she slipped it over her shoulders and left for work. Her steps were light, her heart was lighter and the future was looking much better, it wasn’t a clear vision she had but at least the darkness was being pushed away from her. Judy was a few steps behind her at the coffee stop so Kerry ordered for her, “thanks boss, you look much happier today, did you make a firm decision?” Judy asked casually, Kerry just smiled and entered the building. The morning was crammed with client training and support work while Jody and Alan did a couple of sales presentations together then Jody prepared the formal proposals for pricing and delivery schedules. Alan had been sitting on the helpdesk whenever they weren’t out doing sales work while Jody only did sales work this week, the staff swap still allowed for flexibility to ensure no loss of sales. Astrid had the new consultant’s desk ready for Monday and Judy had prepared logins and e-Mail account details so she could start straight after staff meeting. Kerry and Astrid met at 12:30 for their BCP meeting and had nothing to talk about, “no problems to report from my area” said Astrid “and none from mine, feel like a walk outside?” Kerry asked, having nothing to talk about, they left for thirty minutes.

Once outside of the building Kerry told Astrid about her decision “I have made my mind up, I’ve decided to stay around and let Paul have a long holiday or he may just retire for ever.” They walked along the streets talking and casually looking at shop windows, “so I get some shopping days with you, that’s good, just got to get Alan to wear a dress now” Astrid said causing both of them to laugh. “I don’t think that would happen even for a single day” Kerry said remembering the talk she had with Alan on Monday. Early in the afternoon Alan knocked at her door, “is it ok if I come in for a few minutes?” Alan asked Kerry then closing the door behind him. The open door policy meant that if the bosses door was open anyone could ask questions but when the door was closed it had to be urgent to interrupt. “The girls haven’t stopped pushing me about the dressing for Friday and I don’t know what to do” Alan told her, “it does sit close to sexual harassment if you want me to stop them, unless you are saying something else to me” Kerry asked. “It doesn’t need that, but I would love to get them back somehow” Alan said looking at Kerry “Alan, remember the talk last Friday about passing as a woman?” Alan looked at her again “yes but you weren’t there, how do you know about that?” Alan asked. “Look closely at me, mate, who do you see?” Kerry said, Alan sat their hearing Kerry talk in a deeper male voice “you have to be joking, do the others know about this?” Alan sat there still taking a long hard look at Kerry. Kerry told him quickly about the trick and Sally’s involvement then asked him “if you want to get them back then I can help you look close to what they expect?”

Alan had left the office shaking his head to decide what to do, the afternoon work was more of the same and as 4pm turned up Alan knocked at the door again. “I think I am willing to give it a go, after all look at how good you turned out” Alan said closing the door, “only if you are sure, I’ll help you but it needs you to give some input, OK?” The plan was for Alan and Kerry to visit an op-shop and get just basic skirt, blouse and shoes that would fit then Alan would get some pantyhose and bra etc when he went shopping with his wife, nothing sexy or costly, just plain whites. Alan’s wife had listened to him complain all week and was a little shocked when he called her on the mobile after talking with Kerry. Alan’s wife Jill had offered to do the makeup for Alan to make sure he looked good and not like a clown but Kerry said he would need a wig and several heavy duty foundations that she had and she knew that Jill wouldn’t have anything like them in her makeup kit. The compromise was that Jill would bring Alan to Sally’s place at seven thirty and stay while Kerry did her magic on him before they all drove to work. The company car park was below the building so entry to the office block was through the basement and up the lifts.

Just before close of day Alan and Kerry left early to get to the op-shops before closing time, Kerry had a couple in mind that she had used a few years ago and found to be better quality and very helpful. The sales girls let people browse around looking without getting in their way, $4 garments don’t come with much service. Kerry took a look at Alan and asked about sizes etc then proceeded to choose a few plain skirts at his size, “my colleague needs some fancy dress clothes for a works do” Kerry told the sales girl as they approached the dressing rooms. “Don’t worry, just go inside, try the skirts on and let me know which ones fit” Kerry said pushing Alan into the cubicle, she knew he would be having huge conflict in his head over this. Alan talked through the curtain, “this one looks stupid on me” he said but Kerry asked him to open the curtain slightly and let her see. “Trust me I’ve had far more experience dressing in skirts than you have” she said without having to lower her voice, he opened the curtain so only she could see inside. “You are right, not the best design for your body shape, try the other one while I look around” Kerry said closing the curtain and going back to look. Alan changed skirts always concerned that somebody would open the curtain and scream at him.

The second one fitted much better so Kerry handed him a plain white blouse with long sleeves and high collar that would hide most of his hairy chest. Alan had both on when Kerry next returned to see how he was going, “it makes me very plain looking” he said which surprised Kerry, it wasn’t the normal observation of a man being forced into a skirt. “What shoe size do you wear and do you think heels would be too deadly for you?” asked Kerry through the curtain, “I guess that I have to look the part don’t I?” Alan said getting a little more into the act. Kerry chose him a couple of pairs in his size but the cubicle had no seat for him to sit down on while putting the shoes on, “just step out of there, nobody is in the shop Kerry told him. Pulling teeth would have been less painful for Alan as he furtively looked around the store before steeping out, “not bad, but you do need some colour with that outfit” Kerry said looking at Alan shaking in his bare feet. He sat down and tried on the first pair of flats, “the size is right, what about the colour?” Alan asked, “not bad but try the small heels and be careful when you stand up, your balance will be all off” Kerry said. Alan fitted the shoes then held the rail to standup, he swayed about like a drunken sailor, “they feel ok but the height is scary, I think the higher ones can go jump” Alan said watching his legs in the mirror.

Kerry selected a few bits while Alan changed back into his clothes, “these will give you some colour” she told him as the sales person added up the bill, $23.50 for most of his outfit. Kerry handed him the bag, “you can carry these sweety” she said jokingly then apologized to him for teasing him. “Sorry I for one shouldn’t have said that to you” Kerry really was sorry about teasing him as she had been given so much support. “I think you may have to do a bit of shaving if Jill lets you, a bit of chest hair and your hands, nothing much” Kerry said looking at his face when she said this. He had been prepared to go so far but removing some of his “manhood” was a little bit too far he thought, “I’ll think about it” he told her before getting back into his car. “Don’t forget the bra and stockings and with your hairy legs they should be dark grey or opaque tights if you can find any” Kerry said as Alan dropped her off at Sally’s place. “We’ll see you early tomorrow and have a really close shave before you get here and don’t worry this will help you become one of the team, they love it when people get involved in their silly little games” Kerry assured him and closed the car door.

Sally was waiting for Kerry inside the unit, the table was set and wine poured into two glasses, “what’s this all about?” Kerry asked as she placed her backpack on the coffee table. “Well this could be the last night that Paul exists as far as the company is concerned and I wanted to do something special” Sally said handing her a glass of wine. “Apart from that I have enjoyed cooking for someone and being at home to do what I wanted to do without clients, you know what I mean” Sally continued, “it has been good having you here each night as well.” Kerry held out her glass “then it’s goodbye to Paul and hello to what?” Kerry asked not quite sure where Sally was going with her thoughts. “Well, we just seem to get on so well and I think you enjoy living here, don’t you?” Sally checked then saw Kerry nod, “so if you want to, why don’t you move into the spare bedroom for a few months while we work out the future?” Kerry had been thinking about having to move back to her unit, or Paul’s unit, and how that would make him feel after they had spent so much time together this week. “If I sell the unit it may take me a long time to find another one like it” Kerry told her, “but if the offer is for more than just a few months then it’s a deal” Kerry added. Sally stepped into Kerry’s personal space “don’t be difficult, do you want to live with me or not?” Sally asked “since you put it that way, yes please” Kerry said reaching out to kiss Sally.

Dinner time was delayed as the pair repeated Sunday night’s activities, this time it was Sally that drove the events and Kerry who was under Sally’s spell, her body writhed in the bed as she and Kerry explored each others body and responses. Sally had come to the point of seeing Kerry and Paul as the same person and she had to admit she loved Paul as a friend and spending time with Kerry was just a different look, not hard really. Dinner time finally came at around nine after they heated it up in the microwave, sitting in bed drinking wine and eating dinner was going to become regular for this pair. They fell asleep after talking about Alan and what he had decided for Friday, it would mean an early start for Kerry, Sally was happy just to have Kerry snuggled into her side. Alan and Jill had been shopping and bought the few items Kerry had told him to get, shaving his chest was not his choice but surprisingly Jill said that she thought the hairless look was very sexy and bought several cans of “Veet” to get rid of his unwanted hair. With no hair on his legs Jill had chosen a sheer pair of pantyhose for Alana, as she was calling him.

Dead on Seven thirty the intercom rang and Alan and Jill were standing downstairs waiting to come up to the unit, “you can just push the door, then floor six” Kerry said over the intercom. Alan introduced Jill to Sally and Kerry, after a few looks Jill said “if Alan hadn’t told me I would never have picked you as a guy” Kerry smiled at her, “thanks I don’t see myself as a guy either” said Kerry. Jill sat in the lounge talking to Kerry while Alan went to the spare bedroom and got changed into his, or her clothes, then came out timidly standing on the 2” heels. “Great set of legs Alan” Kerry said noticing he had removed the hair, “the names Alana thank you” Alan said getting into the role. Kerry got him to sit at the vanity and proceeded to cleanse, moisturize, lay a solid foundation and powder covering to his face, all the time she kept him turned away from the mirror. Kerry used theatre wax to shape his eyebrows rather than pluck them, she then applied eye liner, shadow and mascara to outline the eyes. A pencil around the lips and two coats of lipstick and gloss set off the rest of her face, while Jill and Sally shaped his nails and applied three coats of polish. Looking carefully you could still see Alan due to his short hair and short neck but he was slipping away gradually. Kerry pulled out a strawberry blonde wig that would sit at shoulder level and put it on Alan, a quick brush and spray to keep it in place and Alan had left the building and Alana now sat at the vanity. “Wrap this around your throat” Sally said handing over a silk scarf that added colour, then a few more bits of bling to finish off the image they had wanted to create.

Jill stood there amazed at what she saw, her husband was not drop dead gorgeous but still he was passable as a woman as along as you didn’t get too close or hear him talk. Kerry checked everything them told Alana she could stand up and check out the mirror, as every TG knows, the first look of yourself in the mirror is the one that stays with you forever and Alana did what we all have done, just stared at the face, the figure, the breasts. Sally had seen Kerry work this transformation everyday but was still surprised at how much Alan could be camouflaged behind makeup and clothes. “I don’t think the girls will have anything to complain about, you look good” Kerry said watching the time. Making up a woman took time but making up a man like a woman took ages, “time to hit the road, you are coming to pick her up at five aren’t you Jill?” asked Kerry. “Forgot something, wait here” Kerry said, coming back into the lounge she handed Alana a bag “better put your bits in here with the lipstick and tissues” Kerry told her then sprayed her with perfume, “got to smell more lady like and less like Alan” Kerry told her.

Another quick check of everything and Kerry grabbed her own bag and keys before opening the front door of the unit. “Just keep breathing and trust me I won’t let you get hurt, ok?” Kerry tried to assure Alana that she was safe but remembered exactly how she had felt the first time she went out into public, and that had taken several years instead of a few hours for Alan to get prepared. Alana moved carefully on her heels, he had come a long way since just fourteen hours ago when he put them on for the first time. The lift was empty and went straight to the basement car park area, Kerry could see Alana shaking and just assured her of doing well. Kerry opened the car door and Alana lumbered in just like a male, Kerry on the other hand slid her bottom in before swinging her legs into the car. She was wearing her jeans and new glitter T that she had brought with Judy and put on her DG sunglasses before starting her car. It was only a short drive but Alana kept her eyes away from the passing cars and pedestrians on the sidewalk, again Kerry chuckled to herself. “You know I was exactly the same four years ago when I first went out, I thought I had a neon sign overhead that read “here comes a guy in a dress. Just remember most people only see what they expect to see and their little brains are too locked to believe anything else could be true” Kerry said as they pulled into the car park at work.

Kerry parked near the lift and could see that nobody else was waiting, “if anyone gets into the lift just let me do the talking, and relax have some fun it’s not everyday you get to play like this” Kerry was joking with Alana “and feel free to be as camp as you want.” The lift opened and didn’t stop until their floor, as it opened Astrid was waiting at the lift “don’t say anything, Astrid this is your new consultant for a day meet Alana” Kerry said to Astrid who was making sure she didn’t laugh. “After this week I am not surprised by anything, nice to meet you Alana” she said holding out her hand, “just going for coffee but it can wait, let me show you around” Astrid said taking her by the arm “nice perfume is it yours?” she asked Alana. “Relax and breath” said Kerry as they opened the office door, “and by the way it’s my perfume do you like it?” Kerry told Astrid.

Astrid walked into the consulting area “Ladies I want you to meet our newest staff member, Alana” Astrid said loud enough for them all to hear. The place was fairly noisy for nearly thirty minutes as they wanted to check out what Alan had done and tell him how good it was to have another girl in the place, he relaxed and joked with them making sure his gestures were so far over the top it looked very obvious it was an act. Kerry watched how they treated Alana and made sure there was no trouble, this was another reason why transitioning at work was going to be easy for her. Astrid kept Alana away from clients and had her do most of the menial jobs in the office but ones that required her to walk around lots in her heels. Kerry kept checking on her and noticed that Alana tried to stay in character all morning only slipping up when something didn’t work first time. Lunchtime came along and Kerry asked Alana if she wanted to eat in her office, which she accepted, “how can you stand to walk in these things all day, my feet are killing me?” Alana said slipping off her shoes and rubbing her feet. “Just make sure that you don’t put your leg up on your knee out in the office or you will give the girls a good view” Kerry told Alana as she sat there legs folded at the knee. “Sorry I didn’t know, is flashing your boss a sackable offence?” Alana asked relaxing even more as she spoke, “it’s not sackable when your boss helps you dressup like this” Kerry laughed.

Kerry kept tags on Alana all afternoon and reminded everyone that staff meeting had been called for four o’clock and drinks and nibbles would be served. Sally was coming in and the BCP would be covered as well as several other items of business. The mood was relaxed for a Friday and Judy dropped in to talk to Kerry about several IT issues that she had picked up during the week, the SPAM filters needed updating, the exchange server was being hit too frequently and one of the network switches had an intermittent fault that caused the wireless to go offline. Jody had been following up on her two sales proposals and had just received a firm purchase order for several thousands of dollars of software and far more in consulting services. Kerry made sure the conference room had a speakerphone in the middle of the table and then quietly finished her work waiting for Sally to come into the office. It was a bit like having to hand back the company but Kerry knew it was not hers to start with.

Sally slipped in to the outer office and then sat in Kerry’s office, actually it was her office not Kerry’s and the dynamics got a bit mixed, but Sally let it slide. Kerry called everyone to switch the phones to night call and assemble in the conference room where drinks and food had been laid out by the caterers they used. Everyone wanted to talk to Sally since it had been a whole week since they had seen her, Astrid made sure she introduced Alana although she knew sally would have been present at the makeover this morning. People picked up glasses of wine and found a seat around the room as Sally started the BCP debrief, she went through the reports from Kerry and Astrid about things that needed to be changed or could be done better then asked for input from all staff members. Kerry finished it off with her comments about how smooth it had gone and that everyone had made her feel welcome. The staff swap had worked well and Jody had made a good sale that was nearly all of her own work, although it had been Alan that had found the contact and brought it to presentation point. The team had done well this week and KPI’s looked good, future sales and workload was also looking good and the new consultant, the real one not Alana would have plenty to focus on.

Kerry excused herself saying that she had to make a quick call about her plane flight time and left the room for her own office, she made sure her mobile went to silent. “I do have one problem that I need to talk to you all about, Paul has asked for extended time away from work due to personal issues” Sally said making sure she kept a straight face. Astrid and Judy knew what was coming but made sure their faces didn’t give anything away, “I just want to call Paul and let him tell you about it” Sally said pressing the preconfigured number for Paul’s mobile. “Hi guys” said Paul in his usual tone, people said hello and how are you going as they normally would, “I guess Sally has told you that I have asked for an extended leave without pay but I needed to let you know what’s going on, firstly Kerry has accepted a job with the company and trust me she knows a lot about what we do, secondly Judy, you have finished probation as of today but your job has been scrapped.” Kerry waited for effect then continued “so you have been promoted to Network Administrator, well done little one you have deserved it” Kerry wished she could see her face instead of only hearing her thanks. Sally took over, “Kerry will actually be helping me as the new State Manager and we will appoint a part time book keeper to help her with the finances and that bring it back to me” Sally said facing the team. “With Kerry as State manager I am going to concentrate on growing the company, we need more than one product or service if we want to grow this business into a robust operation. I will be still working out of this office when I am here at work but the daily running is up to Kerry and yes she does know every bit as much as Paul, isn’t that right Paul?” Paul came back on the speakerphone “absolutely, I have taught her well” Paul said knowing that it probably confused people.

Sally asked Paul if he had anything else to say before she let him go, “thanks, I just wanted to say that Alana looks stunning today in her outfit and thanks for being part of the team, remember last Friday at drinks some of you made comment about how no man could look good enough to pass as a woman, Well this week many of you have been conned and I don’t mean by Alan” Kerry stopped for a breath then opened the conference room door. The room was silent waiting for the next words from Paul, “what’s up cat got your tongue?” Kerry said as she stood their in her glitter T and silver four inch heels after shedding her jeans in her office. Astrid and Judy clapped and whistled while the others tried to find the missing link in the scenario, “Surprise, it’s really me” said Kerry holding the phone. The next hour was spent celebrating Judy’s promotion, Paul’s death and Kerry’s arrival, Jill arrived at five and stayed for a drink before taking Alana home for whatever she had planned. Judy hugged Kerry for the promotion and Sally told her that she had deserved it, Astrid had been in on the changes and had been given a new lease car as part of the swapping of jobs. Most of the girls had no idea about Kerry and wanted to find out how and why but mainly how as they wanted to look as good. The team finished up about six and like the week before when it was Sally and Paul left to finish up, this time it was Sally and Kerry that turned out the lights and went home, just a normal week in the office.

Sally followed through with the changes and worked only three days a week using the rest to study and work on the business rather than in it. Kerry took over as state manager and developed the team into a solid group of girls that worked well together, Alana never came back to work but Alan did and fitted in at last. Judy went onto further study in IT and Jody picked up the second sales role alongside Alan. A year later and Kerry had undertaken surgery for breast implants and minor facial work, had been careful with hormones and electrolysis so that every new person that joined the company assumed she was exactly who she presented as. She had changed her name by deed poll in the first month but SRS never came up as a need in her life, Sally got pregnant and Kerry took on more duties in the company as well as at home with Sally. The spare bedroom never got used as a bedroom but instead became the nursery ready for the new addition to their family.

So when your boss asks if you want to go out for drinks be very careful how much you drink and what you joke about unless of course this sort of outcome appeals to you.