Hours to go…. The lovers have to prepare their home for the party-goers and themselves for being the reception Committee. So much to do, and so little time!


Chapter 20 — We are ready!!!!

Andy climbed the stairs, his daytime Astrid persona about to be tucked away until after the guests had all arrived. First, he would look after himself. He would get ready to be Andy at his most manly. Curious then that his preparations made him feel quite girly…… He took a shower and made sure to remove all his traces of make-up and fragrance. He would leave shaving until the last moment before dressing once more during the party.

He ladled himself in moisturising body lotion to soften the skin over his neck, shoulders, arms and torso. He loved the slippery feel of the crá¨me and wallowed in the luxury of the feel of the skin once it was all rubbed in. There was more work to be done on the legs. As a male, he would be wearing trousers and so nobody would know that every strand of body hair had been removed with Veet-O crá¨me. (Nor would they know that he would already be wearing girly underwear to welcome them!)

He strolled about the bedroom swathed in a beautiful Egyptian cotton towel that caressed his now smooth skin. A hand towel was wrapped about his head, obscuring the lengthening mane of now reddish hair. Reddish hair that, with its highlights, could not be mistaken for male. It was now feminine in the extreme. That was part of making Andy see the sense of living more as a woman in future than as a man. Tonight, he would welcome the visitors with a jaunty knitted cap. That would hide what he would later reveal as Astrid’s glorious crowning glory.

Andy was always convinced that in the transformation from male to female, it is always the hair that completes the image and makes the rest of the illusion a reality.

He sat in the chair at the vanity dressing table and stared at himself in the mirror. The towel hid his hair. His eyebrows were still androgynous. He had resisted Christine’s attempts to pluck them to within an inch of their little lives…. That might come later, but not tonight! His skin was very much in need of cosmetic assistance. Teenage acne had not been kind to him, that was for sure, nor the UV treatment that he had consciously over-dosed on to get rid of those zits….

Andy studied his face. It was really in need of help to create the illusion of being female. He would have help, but his confidence did drain away a little in those few moments. What would Christine say? She would bully him into forgetting that he was ever male. He needed that. He needed to be helped to see that he was really, truly, female within… and therefore he could look very feminine outside…..

He shivered a little. The fluffy towel needed to be drawn around his body more tightly to keep him warm. To keep him feeling loved. Love your body. Love the skin you’re in!

He planned to put two coats of nail polish on his toes now, to allow them to dry before getting dressed. He would hide these red beauties in slippers during ‘arrivals’. Nobody would notice. But he would know they were fiery red beneath.

Nail polish for his fingers would then be a last minute detail before he made his entrance to the party. Lottie would help with them. He couldn’t rely on himself to do a professional job on his hands. Toes? Yes. Fingers? NO!

He was suddenly conscious of wasting time. Ok, he wasn’t exactly admiring his own image, but he was making sure where he had to spend the time to do his best at feminizing what he saw. He could hear Christine working away downstairs. His nudity under the towel was so all-consuming. He let the towel fall open. He looked at his body and tears came to his eyes.

He looked again and again at various parts of what he saw. The face…. That was ok… it would improve a lot with help from Lottie…. The hair would be great…. Heidi would do her best and it would look wonderful, and would make him feel he was the woman he wanted to be. But the chest was so, so disappointing. Flat… ok, slightly rounded, but with nipples the size of garden peas…. How he wished he had bigger tits and huge nipples…. Nipples that Christine would love to suck and lick and bite and nibble…… Oh! How he wished he had assets there. Perhaps he would begin the conversation with Christine that could take him in the direction of some slight body modification. He knew she would be all for the idea…. Even if she protested her innocence at first! He would know that she would want that to be “Astrid’s idea”.

Then, he looked at the waist. How gross was that. Despite careful eating and some body-toning exercise, Astrid would need a lot of help in the waist-cinching department if she were to look truly girly. And that made Andy both happy and miserable. Miserable at what he could see, but happy at the thought of a waist-cincher.

Then, there it was, ….the maleness that Andy despaired of. It wouldn’t function in a rock-hard way that men were supposed to brag about. No. His cock, apart from being small in his mind, was always semi-hard but never solid. It was hanging there, his bollocks almost hidden. Luckily, the softness of his cock and the smallness of his bollocks meant that he was rarely troubled by an embarrassing lump in his outerwear.

“How confused am I?!” he said to himself. Christine would help, he was sure. He told himself how much he loved her and that he must go along with her ideas, just to show her so.

Though he had never dared to tuck them away and tape the rest out of sight, Andy wished they were gone. In that moment. He wished they were gone. But then again, a moment later, he thought that he would never, ever, get rid of them.

He would be a chick with a dick and pray that the dick worked better than it did. Christine, he was sure, would be all in favour of that. She might be happy to share her life with a male lesbian, but she didn’t want a whole one! “But I can’t stand here looking at you….” he told his balls.

Time was indeed pressing on. First priority then was to set out the clothes that Astrid would be wearing when she appears after the break in proceedings.

--oo00oo–

Downstairs, Christine had turned her hand to the layout of the lounge room where the party would take place. She would then lay out the drinks and nibbles that she would provide. Kirsty, the party organizer would need to be ‘centre stage’ in order to give a full view of her merchandise to the party participants.

Christine laid a small table with a lace table cloth, the table being big enough for the selection of toys and clothes to be set out and selected from.

She put lace squares over the arms of the chairs and sofas, to enhance the girly nature of the evening. Kirsty had told her that she would decorate the room with some of her own professional ‘atmospherics’.

She lined up a series of music tracks on her i-POD and let the programme begin. First up was Carly Simon’s “You’re so vain”, which she knew would raise a few laughs. Next, she lined up “I’m a woman… w..o..m..a..n” performed by some raunchy old gal whose name she had forgotten. Tina Turner’s “Simply the best” followed that, and the list went on. (suggestions welcome, dear Readers….!) Christine let the CD play on to enhance her own good feelings about what was to come.

She sat for a few moments and thought just how much she was looking forward to the evening’s fun. How proud she was going to be to show off her husband and then, in the natural course of the party, introduce him again … as her own ‘wife’! How cool! How much she loved him!! Andy… or Astrid…. It was like being married TWICE and having all the benefits of a husband and a wife!!!

She was sure that this idea would be fast to catch on when the ladies of Much Humping were introduced to it.

Daring to dream, Christine thought of the end of the evening when, with all the guests gone having committed themselves to moving their own lives and husbands on in the right direction, …..She, Christine and, she, Astrid, would be in bed together. She envisaged the love-making that would certainly follow. The orgasms they would both have. The eventual sleep they would enjoy with their bodies entwined, their nightdresses all tangled beautifully together.

She reminded herself of the surprise Andy would have when she gave him one of a pair of matching new nightdresses that she had bought a few days previously.

Breathless, and aware of the wetness of her pussy that she loved to feel when fully dressed, Christine turned to the drinks and nibbles to be laid out before the guests.

Her own preference, for a Martini cocktail, took precedence. Plenty of ingredients for those! Whatever anyone else wanted would take second place. “It’s my party and I’ll FRY if I want to!” she said to herself out loud.

There were bottles of pink Prosecco, her favourite Italian wine, and vodka for Bloody Marys which, Christine told herself, always go down well at parties! The nibbles consisted of specially-bought, dildo-shaped cheese biscuits (which women are encouraged to bite the heads off before consuming… ain’t it amazing what can be found on e-Bay!). Olives also available, ideal for popping into a pussy and rummaging for with your tongue. Lastly, brandy butter balls, ideal for smearing over nipples as food for thought while licking the butter off!

“Yummy!” Christine said to herself as she laid out each plate. “Yummeeee!”.

As ‘things’ had gone quiet upstairs, Christine stepped quietly to the foot of the stairs, hoping to hear sounds that would betray what Andy was up to. She heard a gentle voice, humming sounds of the 1970s….. Astrid was getting to work choosing her outfit…

--oo00oo–

Back upstairs, Andy had enjoyed his pampering with his towel for long enough. He stood with a hand towel wrapped around his head, encasing his newly-shampooed hair. His crowning glory. His red, red hair that was enhanced with highlights. The hair that couldn’t possibly be male. The hair that would be covered while he was Andy for the party-goers. It would be covered by a closely-fitting cap. All tucked away. Ready for Lottie and Heidi’s attentions for Astrid’s return.

He removed the towel, now the hair would be towel-dry. He shook his head, playfully, looking in the mirror. The hair fell about his cheeks and settled on his neckline, the soft waves arranging themselves naturally. God! He felt girly!

He had to force himself back to masculinity. Leaving his shaving until he prepared to emerge as Astrid, he looked carefully in the shaving mirror to see if he could credibly call his facial hair the trendy modern “designer stubble”…..

Well, he admitted to himself, it looked as though he hadn’t shaved… but more out of laziness than “design”. Never mind, a slight haze over his chin would be a bit more maleness to be removed when he became Astrid again. He would shave around the edges to give more of an intended look. Yes, that would work.

Reflecting, once again, Andy thought just how much he hated shaving. He hated it with a vengeance. What is the most un-feminine experience a man can have? Shaving! Why did God invent beards?! God must really have hated Adam. Didn’t give him tits when the tits were being handed out! Made man fart when there must be a better way to expel unwanted gas! The list is endless…… Andy thought. “Why can’t a man be more like a woman?! Not necessarily identical, but much more like…..

His thoughts trailed off as he put on the luxurious girly panties that he would be wearing under his “guy gear” that evening. He would start with his male clothes on top, but with girly underwear. Lovely lacy panties and matching bra. Very lightest pink possible, fringed with white lace. Matching suspender belt and, for a special occasion like tonight…. White stockings!! Under his male socks, of course…….

No padding in the bra to start off with, but plenty later on when he was allowed to show his “bust”… he liked that word…… “bust”….. oh, if only……!!

“My bust…. Is getting larger,… no it’s fuller!!…” he said into the mirror, proudly.

Pausing to wrap his peignoir around his body, Andy then went to the close where his ‘special interest’ clothes were kept. Not a huge collection but, nowadays, ‘something for every occasion’.

For this occasion, the most typical outfit would be for a cocktail party. Andy selected the black pencil skirt with the wide diamante waistband. That would look good, tightly cinched-in……. Then he paused. ……No, he thought, ....what am I thinking!? He said to himself in his head….. Damn! …..Not with these white stockings….. Damn……. Wrong decision.

The white pencil skirt, with the tight white waistband, instead, would look equally good. That also meant white strappy sandals on the feet. The ones with the two inch heels would be ideal — understated, not too tipsy, strappy leather to expose those ruby red toenails! Bring it on!, he thought.

He carefully laid the skirt and the shoes on the bed, from where he would collect them when getting dressed around 9.00 to 9.30pm. Now for the top. A lovely feminine blouse, he thought. The one with chiffon sleeves and the bright flashes of pastel colours. Full sleeves to hide the masculine arms he loathed.

The blouse’s open neckline would cry out for chunky jewellery which was easily found in Christine’s vanity unit. Andy played with a couple of rhinestone jobbies but in the end chose a more feminine necklace of black pearls, something he had bought for Christine on a holiday in the Caribbean and which he had always lusted after for himself. There were earrings to match. Luckily, both stud and clip earrings were there. Andy had not yet crossed the rubicon of pierced ears, so the clip-on set would be fine. The pearls were offset by another beautiful component — a matching bracelet whose pearls glistened blue-black in the spotlight above the vanity unit.

The jewellery was laid beside the blouse. Andy’s choices looked good when set out together. He would look well, Astrid would look a million dollars tonight.

Andy’s eyes were moistened with tears as he felt the femininity well up inside him. Ok, he knew he didn’t have the hormones within him…. But he felt girly enough to be in love with himself for one of the very few times in his life……

He knew he could do this. Christine knew he doubted himself, but she had confidence in him. He now shared that. His wife had willed him to go for the top prize and he would get there. He would be “Miss Crossdress” tonight. And where he, or rather she, would lead, he was confident there would be others to follow her.

She then stepped back into the room to find the drab clothes into which she would now “cross” dress, into masculinity. He would make Christine proud. He would make her love Astrid even more. They would make such a pretty pair.

He found himself humming the tune from Carly’s “You’re so vain” once again……

As he put on those drab clothes, how very ordinary he felt as a man. “Why do the girls have all the luck?”, he asked himself, out loud. He chose a very ordinary YSL tee-shirt with a soft collar and short sleeves, to cover the unfilled bra, chinos for trousers to cover the lacy panties, suspenders and stockings, and grey socks to finish.

He stood back and twirled in front of the full-length mirror that Christine used. How dull? How impossibly ordinary!? “I can’t wait……” he said to himself — or was it herself? Astrid was there, albeit hidden from casual view. But her hair had to be hidden. That was the give-away now. Andy couldn't be Andy if his hair was Astrid's. He loved it so much, he was content for this to be the way it would be. Girly. Sexy. Attractive...... But for the start of the evening, it had to be covered. So Andy found the knitted cap that would cover his hair for an hour or two. He placed it on his head and carefully tucked all the strands of red and blonde into their hiding place. "Ok, Geezer?!" he said to the mirror. The mirror nodded, "Ok!"

--oo00oo–

Christine had finished ‘downstairs’ when the bell rang announcing the arrival of Kirsty, their party planner and MC for the first half. Am impressive and attractive woman in her 30s, Kirsty had a sexuality that was breathable. Bottle it and sell it, you’d make a million. Her confidence showed. Her confidence came from having done more than a thousand such parties.

“I understand that you have plans of your own for the later part of the evening. Is that so?” Kirsty asked, coming straight to the point in the first salvo of conversation. This indicated that she felt her abilities might be being questioned or criticized. She would be pleased to run the second half of the party herself, she told Christine. “After all, it’s my job, and you’re here to enjoy yourself, aren’t you?”

“Fair point, but I do have all the plans complete and it’s not at all what you’re likely to be used to doing, I would think.” Christine countered, in a gentle and likeable way.

“Darling….” Kirsty’s first big mistake….. Nobody calls Christine Darling without invitation! “……Darling, there’s nothing I haven’t been asked to do, nothing at all, …….. and nothing I haven’t done with great success……”

Kirsty had blown it. Christine reacted. Her tone was charming, but icy.

“Well, maybe that’s so, but the truth is, we’re going to do this and you’re welcome to stay if you wish.. but the second part won’t be a selling opportunity. You can join in, and you can help to inspire confidence in these women to do what we’re suggesting, but unless that’s ok with you, it would be best if you left us to enjoy ourselves….”

Christine took no prisoners. “Put up and leave, or shut up and stay if you wish.”

“Fair enough, I’ll probably leave if it’s all the same to you.” Kirsty didn’t win that one! And she knew it. And she didn’t yet know what the format and the goals were for the second session. Boy oh boy, would she get a surprise if she stayed, thought Christine.

Christine offered Kirsty a drink and then left her to set up what she needed as a platform for the evening’s programme. She went back to the foot of the stairs and called up “Andy, honey, Kirsty’s here and would like to meet you while I’m getting changed. Are you ready?”

--oo00oo–

As they crossed on the stairs, Christine said “She’s an overconfident cow, pushed to run the whole show, so I played hardball and she’ll probably leave. I’ll leave you to tell her what’s in our minds…. See if you can get her to stay! I’ll bet you a tenner that you can’t!”

Andy almost fell down the last ten stairs.

He came upon Kirsty standing in the lounge among an array of very sexy clothing that she had hung on a rail in the centre of the room. Presumably, the atmosphere of the evening would be set by the style and sexiness of the gear on offer. On the side table, there were boxes and boxes, all hidden under wraps - they would clearly be revealed later in the evening. There, linked up to a laptop, was a quite large screen that, Andy worked out, would show the CD films that were ranged in front of the screen.

This was going to be “some presentation”. Andy smiled at the thought of how Kirsty would engage with the group and, once their defences were down, how she might encourage “audience participation”. How she did that would help him and Christine to get the group really involved with their plans later in the evening. He shuddered in anticipation at the pleasures in store.

They talked about minor aspects of the range of products that Kirsty had brought with her. She was remarkably self-assured and uninhibited about discussing which of her products were the most popular…. And among which groups of customers.

It was no surprise to Andy that the dildo christened the “Rampant Rabbit” was most popular with the “20-somethings and the 30-somethinghs”, mainly bought at “hen nights” before girls of that age would get married. “Just right to dent the arrogance of new husbands…” she laughed.

You bitch! thought Andy. He said nothing, just glared at her. How typical of the modern-day put-down for the guys in relationships — especially those where they’re showing some commitment by getting married.

What a bitch!

Andy didn’t like this woman at all. There was no way he was going to try to win ten pounds from his wife in the wager she had offered on the stairs. In fact, he would pay her to have this woman gone by the time Astrid appeared in all her glory! He looked her up and down and thought, in England we have a name for people like you. Scrubber, that’s a good one for you. Beats working on the street. You think you’re sexy but you’re really a bit of a slag……….

“New husbands have a lot to contend with …. without that. So, I expect you have a good response from mixed audiences with that idea. ……Anyhow, you have a ladies-only evening tonight and that can bring different enjoyment for you personally, no doubt. I’ll leave you here to get on…. Would you like tea? We have English Breakfast or Earl Gray…… whichever you choose.” Andy kept talking as he was leaving the room. Kirsty knew she was getting no respect or admiration from this guy.

“Nothing stronger?” asked this person. “No, nothing stronger, but I’ll put another bag in the teapot if you wish….” As he left the room, he thought, ‘another bag in the pot for a scrag bag woman…..’

--oo00oo–

Christine descended the stairs to find Kirsty sitting alone in the lounge area, still surrounded by her display of merchandise. “He’s in the kitchen.” was all she said.

Christine immediately knew that ‘something was up’….

“What’s that all about?” she said, accusingly, when she found Andy in the separate room. “I’m not going to waste my time with a woman like her…” he said. “…. Why can women in general be so wonderful and then spawn something so repulsive. I hope the guests don’t think we spend our lives in the company of strangers like her.”

“Ok, Ok, I get the point. She won’t be staying after the break then?” Christine guessed the answer to her rhetorical question. “Over my painted face, she won’t.”

Realizing that there was no need to explore what had happened between her husband and this woman, Christine put her hands up to indicate agreement. Kirsty would be gone. Heidi, Bev and Lottie would be the only participants who weren’t residents of the village.

Reality dawned on the pair of lovers. “There’s less than half an hour until the first of them arrive…. What’s left to do?” Andy said, in a sudden panic.

“Pour the Martinis!” Christine replied, in a suggestive way.

--oo00oo–

“Hello, I’m Christine and this is my husband, Andy….” Was the first greeting, to be repeated several times as the front door was opened.

“I’m Jenny, from next door… it’s nice to actually meet for the first time…. I’ve seen you, Christine, and always meant to come in and introduce myself….”

“Well, we’ll get to know you very well by the end of the evening, I hope.” Andy replied, noticing that Jenny hadn’t taken her eyes off Christine so far. He went on, “Do come in and let me get you a drink…. What would you like? Martini cocktail, Pink Prosecco?….”

“Oooh! I just love Prosecco and a pink one would be especially lovely. I’m really looking forward to the evening. We do a lot of role playing, Peter and I, and it’s always nice to get new ideas….” She said to Christine as Andy turned to pour the fizz.

“You do amateur dramatics, don’t you?” asked Christine. “Well, yes, but how did you know that?” came the reply. Not wanting to admit her research avenues, in other words Heidi and Lottie, or Bev, Christine replied “Oh, I think I saw your name on a programme for a play…..”

“Have this and let’s drink a toast to ‘enjoyment’….” Said Andy as he handed the fizzing glass to his first guest.

“I’ll drink to that!” said Christine, aware that jenny was still looking directly at her. Jenny’s eyes were somehow penetrating. Disturbing, maybe, if you let such things disturb you. Which Christine didn’t. She just returned the gaze.

The temperature in the room seemed to rise by five degrees in that moment.

The front door bell rang again and there, as Andy opened the door, was Heidi, accompanied by Lottie. “Wonderful!!..” exclaimed Andy. “I’m delighted you could come!” Not a word of a lie… what would he have done to transform himself into Astrid if they hadn’t arrived!??

“Come in, come in… let me get you drinks… martini cocktails or pink Prosecco?? Christine and I are on the Prosecco…..”

“Thank you so much for inviting us…. Prosecco for both of us please… we’re looking forward to everything that’s going to happen tonight…” said Heidi, with a knowing kind of wink. Indeed, she was relishing the help she would be giving to Astrid…. As well as seeing all the women getting in the mood….. There would be lots to talk about in the salon when all the women came in for their next appointments.

Almost immediately, and before Andy returned with their drinks, Heidi and Lottie had to move away from the door as the doorbell rang again.

When Christine opened the door, there stood Pammie, who could pass for the village’s own Cruella de Vil. Heidi had re-coloured her hair just the day before and, as she said hello to this striking woman, thought that the blue haze she had added to the raven black was maybe a little strong…. But that’s what Pammie had wanted. To make an impression!.

Pammie’s dress was long and slinky. Her tall figure was slimmer than ever and added to the Cruella image. Her lipstick was dark burgundy and her eyeshadow crystal blue. Andy saw her from across the room as he returned with Heidi and Lottie’s drinks. He found her image magnetic. I wonder maybe if I should try going blue-black when I change my hair colour, one day? He thought to himself.

“There you are ladies,” he said handing the drinks to the hairdresser and her helper…. “Please go in and I’ll join you………..” Heidi and Lottie did as they were bidden and Andy turned to Pammie. “You’re looking very well… it’s Pammie, isn’t it? I’m Andy — I’m the man of the house around here….” but he thought to himself, how wrong is that?!

“Well, I’m pleased to get away from the man about my house for an evening. I’m looking forward to some girly fun. I really am. He can be tiresome, you know….. What are you doing here, anyway? I thought it was “Ladies only” for the night?”

“Well, not exactly…. I’m allowed to be here to meet all you lovely ladies and then I’ll bow out…. I may just come back towards the end, depending on what Christine has planned. Now, for a drink…. I suspect you would like an especially strong version of the Martini cocktail I’ve created….. Heavy on the vodka???!” Andy asked…. Having assessed his guest correctly, it would prove. He fancied this woman now he had seen her ‘up close’.

So, the party was beginning to swing. Andy and Christine had Jenny, who was making eyes at Christine, Heidi and Lottie, who were looking forward to some sexy fun before getting to grips with Andy’s transformation into Astrid, and they had Pammie who was the subject of Andy’s close attention. Not enough for a quorum for the second half as planned, but nearly so.

Andy and Christine exchanged glances as the doorbell rang again. Who was coming in next?

Chapter 21 will see us through to half time, and Kirsty’s departure.