Chapter 11

Belle’s mother did her hair in a straight down do, parted in the middle. She had hair that would do just about anything her mother wanted it to do, and Marta chose this to give her a nice comfortable look. If Belle’s look could be compared to anyone, it would possibly be a younger Jennifer Aniston, with even more delicate features and bigger eyes. Even that wasn’t entirely accurate.

Her mother had done her measurements. Marta was a seamstress by trade, and Belle’s final measurements were 34C-23-35. In short, she had a killer body. Belle had asked for a particular outfit, a pair of blue denim jeggings, a white scoop neck tee, and a pair of sparkly gold 5 inch wedge heels. Belle did her own makeup, expertly applied for daywear. She looked like the cover of any fashion magazine.

“How do I look, Mama?” Belle asked as she twirled for Marta.

“Sensational, Belle! Are you sure it isn’t too revealing?”

Belle looked puzzled for a moment, and said. “Maybe? It ees…too…cute, no?”

“Very cute. You father will have a fit”

Kevin knocked on the door, as was his custom. “Anybody home?”

“Kevin!” squealed Belle. She ran to him and wrapped him in a huge hug. “I missed you so much! Thank you for coming”

“I wouldn’t miss your coming out party for the world!”

“It means so much to me that you’re here!”

Kevin stepped back to admire Belle. “Well, you certainly clean up nice. I really like your hair. Did you do it?”

“No, Mama did!” she was positively glowing. Anyone with eyes could see that belle was totally smitten with Kevin. It was as if there was no one else in the room.

Kevin threaded his arm around Belle’s waist. “Bob, Marta, Belle, I’d like to take y’all out to dinner tonight. I made reservations at The Halcyon. My treat, to celebrate her homecoming. Gloria is out front right now dealing with the news herd. She’ll join us later. How about it? Reservations are at five”

Belle bounced up and down. She was quite excited at the prospect of going out with Kevin. All she could do was look at her parents and repeat “Yes? Yes?”

The entire family looked at each other in shock. Bob broke the silence. “Well, Kevin, isn’t that a bit pricey for a man in your position?”

He smiled. “Wellll, I did have to cancel my vacation to Aruba this Christmas, but heck, let’s face it. That island ain’t going anywhere, and besides, I want to do this. You’re kind of like my family now”

Marta was concerned. “We can’t ask you to do that, Kevin”

“You aren’t asking me. I want to. Now, you don’t have a choice. We’re leaving in my Suburban. The paparazzi are staking out the parking garage. I’m parked at the ambulance bay. So, I’m going to end up at the restaurant. I’d sure hate to eat alone!”

Bob held his hands up in surrender. “Okay, Kev. You’ve made your point. If you twist my arm…”

Belle pumped her fist a couple of times. “Yay! Yes! We go!”

Bob had to laugh even as a tear trickled down his cheek. Brian did the same thing when he was excited. He thought it was cool when Tiger Woods did it and picked it up. Brian was still in there, somewhere. That was enough for his father.

There was a media frenzy in the conference room of the hospital. Gloria was calm in the face of din. “I have a statement prepared on behalf of the Kalisek family. I’ve allotted a few minutes for questions afterwards, so please, hold them until then. Miss Kalisek will not be making an appearance at this conference”

The only sound in the room was the clicking of cameras. “Bob and Marta are very thankful to have their child back safely. It has been a very difficult two years, not knowing if their child was alive or dead. They always held out hope that Brian would return safely. That was not to be. Their child did return however, as a beautiful, vibrant young lady. She was transformed, against her will, by an as yet undiscovered process.

Belle Marie, as she is now known, was subjected to the most horrific of tortures and mind control that can be imagined. She suffered physical and mental abuse that would horrify and repulse any sane individual. One of the consequences of this process has left her unable to fluently speak the language of her birth. They conditioned her, through again, an unknown process to speak only French. This has been a source of pain and frustration to her as her parents do not as yet speak this language. It has left her basically unable to communicate fully with her parents without a translator. The persons responsible for all of this were not taken alive, and for that the family is understandably relieved, as they will be spared the agony of a trial.

The family would like to thank the Dallas Police Department for their tireless efforts in solving this case and returning Belle safely home. They would also like to thank the doctors and staff of Children’s Hospital for their professional and sensitive treatment of a very difficult case. Their kindness will never be forgotten. To the unnamed people who cared enough to get the intelligence that enabled Belle to gain her freedom, the family again offers their thanks.

Finally, to the girls out there that are still in captivity, Belle asked me to ask you to never give up on finding them. She, through all of what she had been through, considers herself truly lucky. She has a wonderful, caring family who accepts her and loves her unconditionally. She wanted me to communicate to you the importance of loving your children unconditionally. As a result of her circumstances, she has become very sensitive to the needs of the transgendered community. The needless persecution of wonderful people who are trying to deal with a terrible conflict in their lives, conflict made much worse by a society that wants to pigeonhole everyone”

“That is all I have for now, ladies and gentlemen. I’ll now take a few questions. Jack?”

“Jack Wilson, Reuters. Gloria, One question and a follow up, if I may. Is this transformation complete? If so, isn’t this a breakthrough in science that could help a lot of people?

“Good question, Jack. Yes, the transformation was a complete genetic conversion; Belle is as complete a female as any of us who were born that way. As to the second part of your question, I suppose it would be. However, the secrets of that process died with the perpetrators of this act. We may never know how they did it. Gail?”

“Gail Kelly, NBC. How is Belle planning to go on with her life?”

“Gail, Belle is remarkably firm on this point. She wants to get on with her life, and live as normally as possible. This includes finishing her education, which will be taken care of by an unnamed benefactor. This person wishes to remain unknown, as he is not dong this for any reason other than altruistic ones”

“Yes, you in the red?”

“Tasha Garcia, New York Times. Has Belle been approached by anyone in the LGBT community?”

“She has. And it will be a priority for her, as well as her family. As I have said previously, she has become very sensitive to the needs of the transgendered as a result of her change. She wants to get her life in order first, and help as she can when she is well”

“Yes, you sir”

“Dan Franks, Dallas Morning News. Will Miss Kalisek be granting interviews? If so, when?”

“Dan, thanks for the question. She will, obviously at the time and place of her choosing. She has been through a lot, but I think it is safe to assume that it will be fairly soon. I can’t be any more specific than that. I do want to emphasize one thing. Any profits made by book deals, interview rights or whatever comes from this tragedy in her life, will be donated, one hundred percent, to a charity of her choice helping other victims of abuse like her. I think that says a lot about the character of this special young lady”

The questions kept coming for another five minutes. The press conference ended when a yuk monkey from a well known shock jock, Jerry Burns, asked if she was posing nude anytime soon. The press corps groaned and more than a few comments like “asshole” were heard. Gloria ended it then.

Kevin took the family the employee elevator to the ambulance bay by the ER. They got into his Suburban and were on the road with no one the wiser.

They made it to the restaurant with time to spare. Kevin talked to the maitr’e d. “Kevin Howard, I have a reservation for a private party?

“Very well, sir. We have your room prepared. Please follow me” They were led to a small room with cherry woodwork. Wine bottles lined the walls in an intimate setting with one long table set for six. “Is this the entire party? I was told to prepare for six guests”

Kevin nodded. “They will be along shortly. They got held up in traffic”

Belle was practically attached to Kevin as they entered the room. She looked around in wonder at the décor. “Kevin! I’ve never seen anything like this! It’s wonderful!”

“Get used to it, Belle. I think you’ll have a lot more experiences like this”

The maitr’e d perked up a bit at this exchange. “You speak French?”

Kevin looked at the man, mildly surprised. “Yes I do. I grew up in Quebec, Belle speaks only French”

He smiled. “So, the lovely lady is French? Very good. It’s always good to meet someone from la belle France. So few people here to talk to”

“Where are you from?” asked Belle.

“Paris. I went to culinary school there. Where are you from?”

“Dallas. I was born in Tyler”

“It cannot be! You sound as if you are fresh from Provence. Avignon, perhaps?”

Belle looked confused. She looked to Kevin for help.

Kevin smiled, and spoke in English. “It’s a long story, mon ami. Do you pay much attention to the news?”

“No, not really. I do work quite a few hours”

“If you get a chance tonight, Google Belle Kalisek. You’ll get an idea from that”

“Very well, sir. I’ll do that now. Your servers will be in when the entire party is seated. Unless you would care for something from the bar”

Kevin looked to Bob and Marta. Care for anything?

“Beer for me, Budweiser, Marta likes white wine”

“Sam Adams for me, please. Belle, How about you? Diet Coke?”

Having Kevin guess what she liked gave her a shiver. She smiled and nodded.

The maitr’e d wrinkled his nose “No wine for the pretty girl?”

“A bit underage, sorry”

“Too bad, I had a nice one for her to try. Very well then. Please, make yourselves comfortable”

Belle snuggled close to Kevin. “Yuck! I detest wine. And no, I don’t want to go into it. Tonight is for happy thoughts”

“Agreed, Belle”

Gloria entered soon after, with Sam by her side. “Hello folks! Great job on the escape. No one was the wiser”

“Allo, Sam!” Belle rushed over to give her friend a hug. “I didn’t expect to see you here!”

“And miss your debut! Not likely!”

The drinks arrived and Gloria and Sam passed but ordered a bottle of Merlot to go with their meal.

Belle didn’t know what to order. It all looked so good. She asked Kevin to order for her. He ordered a rare filet with steamed carrots, and a grilled salmon fillet and garden salad for her. It was perfect.

The party called out their orders, and everything was perfect. The conversation was relaxing, especially for Belle. No questions about the past, just a normal discussion of events, plans and relationships. She didn’t say much, she just laid her head on Kevin’s shoulder all evening when she wasn’t eating. He just let her relax.

Gloria talked to Belle’s parents about upcoming events. “I have an offer of one million from Fox for the exclusive first interview. I think that’s way light, but we can consider it. The other three are still waiting to make an offer. I think that two to three million dollars is the least we should consider”

Marta commented. “Since Belle is giving all profits away, other than your percentage, Gloria, I feel that the highest bidder should not necessarily be the winning bidder. I want someone who will be fair and sensitive to Belle. I’m thinking someone like Barbara Wallace”

Gloria took a sip of her wine. “Interesting idea, Marta. I had her in mind from the beginning. I know she would do a wonderful job, and the ratings would be over the top. That means more money. I’ll see what we can do. What do you think, Belle? Belle?”

She was fast asleep on Kevin’s arm.

Bob smiled at his angel. “I think it’s time to go, guys” He whispered.

Kevin sighed “Well, I suppose I’d better settle up” He called for the check.

The server came to Kevin and said; the bill has been taken care of, sir, by Ms. Morton.

He snapped his gaze over to Gloria, who licked her index finger and made a tally mark in the air. “Gotcha!”

Kevin had to laugh. “Okay, Gloria. But the joke’s on you. In fact, I have a note in my wallet. Let’s see here. Here we go!”

He handed the note he pulled out to Gloria. It read “pray Gloria buys”

She looked back at Kevin, who did the same thing with his finger. “Gotcha!”

Chapter 12

The trip home was uneventful. The Kaliseks lived in Valley Ranch, so it was a short drive. The house, as was expected, was surrounded by media vehicles. Bob was sure the neighbors were quite sick of the circus by now. “What do we do now, Kevin?”

“Well, I push this button, the garage door goes up and we pull in. If our friends are smart, they keep their distance. If not, I toss them out”

Kevin’s suburban had tinted windows. Belle was in the third row of seats, well out or sight of any camera. The sharks rushed in with their lights on and cameras rolling. Kevin expertly maneuvered into the drive as questions were screamed at the vehicle. The camera’s lights were intended to defeat the tinting, but this tinting had a special coating that reflected the light, effectively blinding the camera. He pulled in to the garage, got out, and shut the door, making sure that no one broke the perimeter of the structure. When they saw the large frame of Belle’s bodyguard, no one approached.

Belle was too tired to do anything. She walked like a zombie to her room. This wasn’t unnoticed by her parents. They looked at each other and held hands. If they had completely destroyed Belle’s past. How did she know where her room was? This was something that they would have to tell Sam.

Belle had a bathroom of her own. She washed her face and took off her clothes, hanging them neatly on the back of the desk chair. She removed her bra, but left her panties on. Crawling into bed, she was out in a minute.

The next few days were taken up with legal matters, transferring the Brian’s old life to Belle’s new one. Belle wanted to go to her old high school, or at least give it a try. She wanted to start after the holiday break, so her mother scheduled placement testing to se if she was able to at least remain with her old class mates. Brian was a fairly popular child in school, a better than average athlete who was as a wide receiver in football, and was a reserve guard on the basketball team.

There was also the matter of shopping to attend to. Belle got a lesson in power shopping from her mother. To her credit, for a new girl on her first girls outing, she was able to stay right in there with her mother. Her fashion sense was impeccable, and no one would have known that she had never done it before. She tried on it seemed like a thousand outfits, and lingerie shopping was fun too. It seemed Belle liked the sexy things.

She didn’t attract much attention, other than the fact she was a drop dead gorgeous girl. Her mother chased potential suitors away, and none of the boys and men who ventured to speak got very far. Mothers will do that. It didn’t seem like Belle either minded or liked the attention.

Belle had received no calls during her first week home, which wasn’t surprising considering all she had been through. Her old male friends weren’t sure how to deal with her now, and he really had no close female friends, as he was rather shy around the girls. She wasn’t discouraged at all, but rather relieved. There would be enough time for catching up after the semester started.

Belle didn’t have her license yet, so she rode with her mother to the school for her appointment with the counselor for testing. There were still a few photographers hanging around, but since Belle was a minor, they wouldn’t find buyers for their pictures, especially with Gloria Morton on the case. They would have to blur her face, which kind of defeated the purpose of the picture.

Belle was dressed in a navy pleated skirt that fell just above her knees, and a white blouse that left a hint of cleavage. She accessorized with gold studs and a gold chain necklace with a diamond studded heart, a gift from Sam. Her hair was done up for the day. She did her own makeup, and her mother picked her outfit. Navy blue Mary Janes completed the outfit. Her mother wanted her to wear hose, but Belle rebelled at that. “Too hot” she said.

Belle and her mother entered the building at the main entrance. A few students were in the halls. The boys were slack jawed, and the few girls murmured amongst themselves.

Marta greeted the secretary. “Hi! Ms. Martin, Were here to see Mr. Slade. He is expecting us, Marta and Belle Kalisek”

“Ohhh, yes! Hello Mrs. Kalisek! So this is Belle! Hello, Belle! Nice to meet you again, for the first time!” She laughed pleasantly.

Belle giggled shyly, blushing. “’Allo, Mrs.Martin”

Mrs. Martin, a grandmotherly lady in her mid fifties, liked Belle at once. “Oh, you are just darling! Now you have a seat, and I’ll get Mr. Slade”

She left for a moment to retrieve Mr.Slade. She returned a moment later with Mr. Slade in tow. Mr. Slade was a tall bald man, in very good shape, but looking a little older than his forty years because of the horseshoe of hair around his head.

Mrs. Kalisek, I’m Randal Slade. Belle, I don’t know if you remember me or not, I’m Mr. Slade, the school counselor”

Belle held her mother tighter. She made a nervous little smile and shook her head slightly. “Umm, no?”

Mr. Slade gave an easy laugh. “That’s ok, Belle, I’m not very memorable. Come on in to my office. Mrs. Martin, please hold all my calls during this meeting”

“Sure thing, Mr. Slade”

“Please, have a seat, ladies” He motioned to the two comfy looking chairs in front of his desk. Belle and Marta sat down. “Can I offer you some coffee or tea, perhaps?”

“Thank you, no. You’ll have to forgive Belle, Mr. Slade. She is very unsure about her English. When she is stressed, she can’t really speak it at all. The doctors say it is a form of induced aphasia. She can hear and understand the English words, but she can’t speak them. Will this be a problem?”

“I see. No, I can’t say that it will. As long as she understands, she should be okay. Asking questions will be another issue. Can she write?” He poured himself a mug of coffee and took a sip.

“In French, yes. English is still a struggle. Her syntax is off and I’m afraid it’s just as bad as speaking”

We can work around that, I’m sure. The important thing is she wants to be here.

“I’ve been briefed on Belle’s other special needs. I have to say, I’m quite impressed that Belle wants to continue her education here. Brian was always a good student, and I’m sure Belle is no different”

“We’ll schedule the testing for later in the week. Other than the language, we’ll see how she tests on the other subjects. We’ll treat English as a second language. I can’t say how she’ll do, but why don’t we worry about that when the time comes. She will, in essence be treated more or less as an exchange student”

“How do you think she will be received? She’s very delicate emotionally right now, and I don’t want her hurt”

“I understand. I really can’t say, Marta. We are on new ground here. I think the key will be getting the girls to accept her. I don’t think that the boys will be a problem, for obvious reasons”

Belle looked nervously at her mother. “Mama?”

Marta patted Belle’s hand. “Belle is quite nervous around men. Perhaps if she had some help, a guide of sorts, someone to help her adjust. Would that be possible?”

“I think that is an excellent idea. We’ll get her tested, and see how things shake out”

They discussed other items of interest during the meeting, and Marta walked away confident that her daughter would be well taken care of.

Marta’s phone rang on the way home. It was Gloria. “Hello?”

“Marta, its Gloria. Great news! We are a go with Barbara Wallace. Three million for the exclusive. We’ll be taping this Friday, all day, and the broadcast is the Friday after that. Your little girl will be the talk of the nation after that”

“This Friday? Wh-where?”

“They’d like to tape at your home. I think that would be a lot better for Belle as she’ll feel a lot more confident in her own home. What do you think?”

Marta gasped. “Crap! The place is a mess! I’ll never get it cleaned in time!”

Gloria smiled. “Take it easy, Marta. Your house is cleaner that most operating rooms. It’ll be just fine. Let’s talk to Belle, and see how she wants to do it, then we can hire someone to clean the place if you’d like”

Marta was unconvinced. “I don’t like people coming into my house like that” she sighed, then continued. If Belle wants to do it at home, she’ll just have to help me get it clean”

“Okay, you win, have a talk with her and let me know, all right?”

“Okay, Gloria, we’ll let you know”

Marta explained to Belle what Gloria had told her. “So, what do you think, sweetie?”

Belle looked at her mother expectantly. “Home? Pleeese?”

Marta knew she couldn’t resist the Belle’s puppy dog eyes, so she agreed. “Well, all right, but you have to help me clean the house, top to bottom!”

Belle smiled widely, “Okay! No…Problem!”

Marta knew that it was a big source of irritation and frustration for her daughter to not be able to communicate with her parents, but she was proud of her attitude. Belle could take the easy way out and pout or withdraw, but she was pushing on.

Marta called Bob at work, telling him about the upcoming interview. He was good with having it at the house. Marta called Gloria back and gave her the news and Gloria said she would call the network production person to set things up. She also told Marta to expect a call within the next twenty four hours to discuss the details.

The rest of the evening passed in a whirlwind of activity as Marta and Belle cleaned the house from top to bottom. The Kalisek home was always clean, but Marta was very particular when people were expected. The fact that millions of people would be looking at the house on television increased her awareness one hundred times. They were going until eleven o’clock that night.

The producer of the interview segment called to firm up the plans for the technical side. The house would be rigged for the interview the day before, and there would be some pre production video taken of the family going about their day to day life, which, of course meant that it was your standard walking, going to the park, stuff you never do nonsense that plays well on television.

Belle was concerned about what to wear for the interview. “Mama, what…to…wear?”

“Well, Honey, what do you want to wear?”

Her eyes suddenly lit up “Idea!” She ran to her laptop and went to a translation website. She typed in what she wanted to say. The English translation popped up. “I want to wear a skirt and a nice top. I want it to be clear that I am a girl and not a boy in a dress. Nice heels, too”

“Okay, that sounds good. What do you have in mind?”

Belle clicked out, “Let’s go upstairs!”

Belle went through her new closet and picked out an outfit she bought at Forever 21. It was a rose patterned skirt with a cream colored knit sweater with some black strappy heels.

Belle tried on the outfit, and it fit her like a glove. A rather tight form fitting glove that showed off her curves. Her legs were perfect without hose. “Okay?”

Marta decided to leave things as they were. She wasn’t showing off too much, but there was no question she was all girl. “Hmmm, I think no one will confuse you for a boy in a dress”

“I think so!” she broke into a giggle and soon, both of them were giggling. It wasn’t what she meant to say, but it was close enough.

Marta looked belle up and down. “Tomorrow is a spa day, girl! But for now, get some sleep.”

“Yay! Spa!” was the enthusiastic reply.

Marta was up early and got an appointment set up at one of the trendier places in town, “La Belle Femme”. They had had a cancellation for the day, and Marta scheduled Belle for the full workup, including hair and nails, for two.

At ten o’clock, Marta opened the door to Belle’s room. They hadn’t had any time to redecorate her room in a more feminine style, but the contractor was already contacted. Work would wait until next week, though.

Chapter 13

“Wake up sleepyhead, time for some fun!”

Belle sat up, confused for a moment, then she realized where she was. She wasn’t wearing anything on top. All she said was “Sleepy” as she got up to go to the bathroom. She wasn’t wearing anything on the bottom, either.

“Don’t like your nighties, baby girl?”

She turned around and looked at her mother. “What?” Then she looked down. “Hmmm, Marta could tell she was struggling to reply. “I…I…don’t…” She stamped her foot, her sign for frustration. ‘Mama, Je ne sais pas comment te le dire en Anglais’. What she wanted to say was she wasn’t used to sleeping in anything other than nothing.

Marta held up her hands. She knew what Belle was trying to say when she said Anglais. “It’s okay, honey. It’s not important now. Take a shower, and don’t worry about washing your hair. We’ll get it done at the spa, plus we are getting the full treatment. A body wrap included”

Belle looked confused. “Body…wrap?”

Marta rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry about it now, scoot! And no makeup!”

Belle showered, and put on her underwear, bra and a University of Texas sweatshirt and jeans. A pair of sandals finished the outfit.

The spa, La Belle Femme was run by an old friend of Marta’s from college, Cloe Costa. She had been all over the world learning her craft, and her spa did a lot of business. She also wasn’t cheap, but since that wasn’t a problem now, they were getting the works.

Upon seeing the sign, Belle smiled. “Ooohhh, La Belle Femme. Ce’st Bonne !”

They parked and walked in the building. The receptionist, a pretty blonde of around twenty, recognized Marta, who was a regular customer of the salon side of the business. “Hi, Marta! I see you have an appointment for two in the spa for today?”

“Yes, and I am so looking forward to it. I’ve never had the full treatment before!”

She looked Belle with a questioning look on her face. “And this lovely young lady will be with you? I’ve never met her before”

“This is my daughter, Belle. Belle, this is Paulina”

“Marta, I didn’t realize you had a daughter her age. She’s so pretty!”

“Thank you! Well, I didn’t, until about two weeks ago”

Paulina thought for a minute, and then the light of recognition dawned. “Oh. OH!! So this is your daughter!” Paulina rushed around the counter to give Belle a hug. It’s so nice to meet you! Cloe! Come here! Marta Kalisek and her daughter Belle are here!”

Cloe walked up to the counter, and gave Marta a hug. “Marta! Thank you for coming in and bringing Belle for her first spa day! Cloe spoke with a noticeable Spanish accent, a remnant of her childhood in Guadalajara. She spoke to Belle in flawless French “It’s so nice to have you here today. I remember when you were little, you weren’t so excited to be here!” she laughed, a warm laugh that put Belle at ease.

Belle giggled a bit. “I guess some things have a way of changing! I am so looking forward to this. I’ve never had anything like this before. Will you make me look beautiful for my interview tomorrow?”

“Ohhh, that’s right! Your mother said something about that. Barbara Wallace, too! I’m so jealous! And I can’t make you look anything but beautiful, girl!”

Turning to Marta she said, “You know of course, I can’t let you pay for this! This girl deserves a day, considering all she’s been through”

Before Marta could reply, Belle quickly replied. “No! Please! I want to pay! We can afford it, and you’re so nice. Please let me pay! It’s my way of being nice to you!”

Cloe laughed again, surprised at the forcefulness of Belle’s argument. “Are you sure, honey! The whole day will be over one thousand dollars for the two of you”

Marta looked at her friend seriously. “Believe me, Cloe. She can afford it”

“So, the full treatment, huh?”

“All except makeup, she won’t need it. The makeup people from the network will do their own tomorrow, I’d suppose”

“Ohhh no, girlfriend. She’s getting the glamour makeover. Not that we’ll have to do much, I want to take some photographs for the wall. If she turns out like I think she will, I’d like to use her for our new brochure, and some posters for the front of the store”

Belle smiled. “That would be nice! I’d like that. Do you think I’m pretty enough?”

“Pretty enough? Girl, looking like you do now, if UT were to put your picture on their catalog, enrollment would go up twenty five percent overnight!”

Belle blushed but smiled shyly. “I don’t think so, Cloe”

“Whatever, girl” Cloe clapped her hands together. “Why don’t we get you and your mom started?”

The two women were led to the back, where they got undressed and put on their robes.

For the next three hours, they were massaged, wrapped, folded and spindled, and they loved every minute of it. Marta fell asleep once, but Belle wanted to experience everything, so she didn’t, but she was totally relaxed. She had never in her short time as a female, felt such bliss. They finished their time in the hot tub, simply enjoying being together.

As they were finishing up their time in the tub, Marta was given a towel by the attendant to dry off. As she was putting on her robe, she invited Belle to get out. As she did, Marta gasped as she saw her daughter’s skin. There, angry and red, were dozens of marks all over her back and legs. They were the unmistakable marks of the abuse she suffered. She hadn’t seen them before. The hot water must have increased the blood flow to the skin, causing the marks to surface.

The attendant’s eyes grew large as she saw the marks. Marta shook her head and motioned for the attendant to leave.

Tears sprung to Marta’s eyes as she saw the marks. This was the first time she had any true inkling of what Belle had been through. She covered Belle with her towel and hugged her.

“What…is…see...problem, Mama?” asked Belle.

Mart could barely speak. “Oh, baby. I’m sooo sorry we weren’t there for you when you needed us”

Belle couldn’t understand why her mother was crying. “Why…cry?”

Belle couldn’t see the marks on her back and legs. They were already gone thirty seconds after she left the tub. The skin showed no marks after her skin cooled off.

“No reason, honey. I just want you to know I love you very much. Never forget that, okay”

Belle smiled “Okay!”

As they left the tub area, Cloe could see that Marta was still crying. Belle still tying up her robe and didn’t seem to notice. Marta motioned for Cloe to move Belle into the next room.

After Belle had made it to the salon, Cloe went back to Marta, who collapsed on her shoulder. “Honey? What’s the problem?”

“Those bastards! Marta hissed. “They beat my little girl!”

“What do you mean, Marta?”

“When she got out of the hot tub, there were dozens and dozens of marks all over her back and legs. She couldn’t see them, but I did. It was horrible, Cloe, horrible!”

“Oh, Marta. I’m so sorry. Did any of my people see it?”

“Yes, the girl who handed us our towels. She probably thinks I did that to my child!”

“You let me handle her. She’s a sweet girl. I’ll clue her in a little bit. Is that okay?”

“I suppose. I was feeling so good, too. It just ruined my day” Marta looked like the weight of the world was on her shoulders.

“I know it’s tough, but try to put on a happy face. Remember, Belle doesn’t know”

Marta took a deep breath. “I know. I know. Give me a minute”

Belle was getting her nails done when her mother finally joined her. Belle’s hair was up in a turban, and she was getting a base coat put on. The nail tech was impressed with the condition of Belle’s nails.

“Your nails are in really good shape, Belle. You must take really good care of them”

Belle blushed; embarrassed to tell her that nail care was one of the things she was trained to do during her captivity. Any imperfections were punished. “Thank you” was all she said.

Marta and Belle had their nails done and Belle was ready to get her hair done. Cloe was doing Marta’s hair, and Cloe picked her lead stylist, Fidel to work on Belle. Fidel had trained in New York and Los Angeles, but wanted to come back home, so he ended up in Cloe’s, making almost as much as he did doing stars in LA.

As Fidel washed and conditioned Belle’s hair, he remarked to her how beautiful it was. “Would you like a different ‘do? Maybe a little shorter for a change?”

Belle’s eyes flashed wide with fear. Fidel noticed, and called for Cloe. “Cloe, could you come over here for a moment, please?”

“Sure Fidel, what do you need?”

“Talk to Belle here. I think I may have frightened her”

Cloe asked Belle in French. “What’s wrong, sweetie”

“You won’t let him cut my hair, will you? I don’t think I am supposed to get it cut. The idea of it makes me very afraid”

Cloe looked concerned. “No, honey, Fidel was just asking you if you wanted it cut. He won’t cut it if you don’t want him to”

“I’m sorry, Cloe. I don’t mean to be difficult. I think it’s something they did to me. Can he style it, maybe?”

“Oh, honey, its okay. This is supposed to be fun! We would never do anything to scare you or make you feel uncomfortable. Would it be okay if he just trimmed it a little bit, just to even it up?”

“I’d like that, but the idea of scissors touching my hair is driving me crazy. Can you hold my hand while he does it? I want him to, if for no other reason that to give a big screw you to the people who did this to me”

Cloe called Marta over, who heard the whole thing. “Mom? How about we hold our girl’s hands while she gets a little trim, huh?”

Fidel gave Belle a sad smile. “I heard about some of your problems, sweetie. You are very brave to do this. Are you sure?”

Belle just nodded.

Fidel then looked at Marta and Cloe. “Okay girls; let’s make our little girl even more beautiful”

Cloe and Marta held Belle’s hand and talked to her while Fidel expertly worked the scissors around Belle’s ends, which, in truth, needed the trim. She had her eyes tightly closed while Marta and Cloe soothed her by talking about the interview, and what she would say. She didn’t say much back, just squeezing her mother’s and Cloe’s hands with a death grip.

After about five minutes, Fidel was done. He turned Belle to the mirror and told her to open her eyes. She smiled faintly and blew out a long breath. “Oh! It looks a lot better!”

“She likes it, Fidel! Good job!”

Fidel blew out a big breath. “I felt like I was performing surgery without anesthetic”

Belle looked at the mirror. “Tell him it felt like he was. I could feel pain with every snip, but I won’t let them win”

Cloe hugged Belle. “Oh honey, you are so brave!” Marta was crying. Fidel was even dabbing at his eyes.

An older lady was getting her hair done in the chair across from Belle. She sniffed and said to her stylist “That child’s not going to learn anything being mollycoddled like that. What is she, three?”

Marta snapped around to the woman, who reeked of money and gin. She spoke in the low tone of a mother preparing to defend her child. “Excuse me?”

The woman, Mrs. Kline, was the wife of a wealthy oil executive who didn’t have anything before she got married, and had put up with a philandering husband for twenty seven years. She was bitter and didn’t care who knew it. She also had no clue that she was about to get her rich ass handed to her.

“Your child is nothing but a baby. I’ve watched you walk on eggshells around her the entire time you’ve been in here. At her age, you’ve already spoiled her rotten” She wrinkled up her face and spoke in a mocking tone. “Oh sweetie it’s okay, it’s okay. Blecch. I think I’ll be sick”

“Why you old BITCH! Do you have any idea what my daughter has been through?” Belle flinched at her mother’s display.

Cloe put her hand on Marta’s hand. “This one is mine, Marta. Go on back to your chair. I’ll get you taken care of when I get back”

“But…”

“No buts hon. I’ll be right back. You, Mrs. Kline, come with me”

“I should hope so. That uncultured woman and her…”

“Enough, Wanda. Come with me now”

Cloe took Wanda to the front of the store.

“Wanda, do you have any clue as to who that is?”

“No” she sniffed “Should I”

“Well if you pay any attention to what’s happening in the city you should. Do you remember a story about a boy who was kidnapped and transformed into a girl?”

A dim light seemed to click in Wanda Kline’s face. “Oh yes. Don’t believe it, though. Besides, the boy was probably gay or something”

Cloe was starting to really dislike this woman. “It did happen, and I knew the boy that was taken. He was the son of that woman you just insulted. That ‘baby’, as you called her, was that boy. He was tortured, abused in the vilest ways imaginable and turned into the beautiful girl you saw. That girl was a victim of mental programming that left her unable to talk to her parents”

Mrs. Kline was starting to realized she made a big mistake “But I heard her speak!”

“In French, Wanda, in French. Are you really that dumb? She can’t speak anything else. Her parents don’t speak a word of it. Why do you think I was talking to her and not her mother? She was programmed not to get her hair cut. Couldn’t you see she was terrified?”

“This can’t be possible”

“It is and it happened. If you don’t believe me, watch the news for the next week or so. She’s being interviewed by Barbara Wallace tomorrow. Her name is Belle Marie Kalisek, and she is one of the most beautiful people I have ever known. As Brian, he was like a little nephew of mine. As Belle, she’s still family. Insult her again, and you will need to find another place to get your hair done. I ‘m sure you can afford it. Now either apologize or when you’re done, leave and do not return”

Mrs. Kline’s face was as red as a stop sign. She was wrong and she knew it, but her pride was formidable. “All right. I’ll apologize” not really meaning it.

“And mean it, Wanda. I’m not playing here”

Wanda went back to Marta and apologized for her insensitivity. It was delivered with a degree of humility, so Cloe would let her get away with it.

When Fidel finished with Belle, she looked like a new girl. Her hair was now to her shoulder blades, and it was done in soft waves that flowed around her shoulders. “It’s beautiful, Fidel, Thank you!” Forgot she was speaking French, and said “Sorry!”

Fidel giggled and gave her a little shoulder hug. “That’s okay Belle. I understand that much! You’re welcome”

When both Marta and Belle had their makeup done, they looked like two fashion models. Belle was absolutely stunning, and Marta looked like her older sister, rather than her mother.

“Wait a minute, Belle” said her mother. She ran out to her car and opened the trunk. She pulled out two hangers, then ran back in. “Surprise! I couldn’t let us get makeovers and not bring outfits to wear!”

Belle had a sparkly green blouse and a short black skirt her mother also brought along strappy sandals with a three inch heel. She also brought a matching green demi cup bra and thong panties. Belle held them up and smiled. “Mama!” she said in a naughty tone.

Marta was equally cute in her dress, a form fitting red knit that went down to just over her knees. Red three inch pumps completed the outfit.

Marta gave Belle gold hoops and a gold necklace with an emerald.

Belle’s mother finished her look with some diamond dangly teardrop earrings and silver bracelets with a sliver chain.

All of the girls in the salon were ooing and aahing at the two women. Cloe had to have some pictures of the two of them together. She took a few photographs and declared that they would be blown up for the front of the store.

“You two are absolutely beautiful. Going clubbing?” Asked Cloe.

“No way, my dear. I have someone waiting on me, and someone else waiting on Belle!”

Belle perked up. “Kevin?”

“Yes, Kevin. Although I’m going to have to hose him off when he sees you!”

“Yay! Kevin!” Belle was positively bouncing.

Marta noticed Belle’s excitement at seeing Kevin. “Careful, honey. Remember when you bounce like that, well, some things tend to jiggle. We don’t want to give everyone the wrong idea”

Belle stopped bouncing and blushed furiously, crossing her arms over her breasts. “Sorry…ummm…Excited!”

“Yes and so will any man who sees you doing that. You are too cute!”

It would be a fun night. At least for Bob. Kevin would need a cold shower, in all likelihood.