"	Gene's Story or How I Gained a Cousin A novel by Karen Lockhart Copyright 2016

It's funny how things happen to change your life and how it makes you look at things differently.

First, I'm 24, I think attractive, with light brown hair,green eyes, and an athletic 5'8” body. I work as an engineer for a medium sized construction company. This is not a profession with a lot of women, and I had a tough year getting the men to treat me like one of the guys. Sure I still get a lot of looks, but the abuse has stopped. Any new comers usually are set straight by the regular guys, with a rumor of a broken nose or two on my behalf.

My only hobby is horses, an expensive one, but really fulfilling. There is something about horses; they get you hooked, like drugs, but 'good hooked'. I started out trail riding on weekends, but last year, I started to show my horse at local shows, with the hope of progressing to the big, rated shows.

We had a job doing site preparation for a small strip mall. The topsoil and existing gravel had been dug out, and trucks were bringing in gravel for a base to pave the parking lot. I was bending over a laser level, when a truck driver tapped me on the shoulder. I spun around, ready to peel a layer of skin off his forehead, when I recognized him. It was Gene Thomas. I hadn't seen him since high school.

He was never a big kid, kind of nerdy and skinny, and always being picked on by the jocks. Right now, he looked even thinner.

“Ellen, is that you? This is great!” he looked like he wanted to say more, but his truck was next in line to empty.

“This is my last trip,” he yelled. “Please don't go away.”

I gave a wave, as I walked to the office trailer to drop off the laser. Now what could he want with me? Oh well, I guess I'd soon find out.

Gene pulled up scattering dust everywhere, popped open the truck door and jumped out.

“Boy am I glad I found someone I know,” he started.

”Wait, let's go inside and sit down before you start,” I said as I opened the door.

He followed me inside, asking if there was coffee. I pointed to the K-cuper “Help yourself.”

He seemed to be stalling a bit and the silence grew until he said “Oh shit, I don't think this was a good idea,” and started to leave.

“Gene, stop, you have something eating at you, spit it out.”

“I can't go back to the yard. They'll kill me.”

“Who? Who's going to kill you?”

“My boss and his new partners.”

“Bullshit! I've heard this kind of story before.”

“No seriously. MacDonald's new partners are in the drug business, and the trucking outfit is laundering money and transporting drugs.”

I had to pick at it. “Why you?” Gene got more coffee and spun around.

“Just before this load, I was underneath the truck, looking for cuts on the inside tires when I heard them talking. I tried to sneak into the cab, but that bastard Morales saw me. I've had it!”

“What do you expect me to do? Why don't you call the police?”

With that he laughed, “Half of them are on the payroll. They'd deliver me to where Morales orders. No, I've got to hide.”

He looked at his watch. “Shit, I've been gone too long on that last load, they're going to start looking for me, starting with here!”

“You can't run in that, you'd be seen in a heart beat.” I started thinking, “You and I are about the same size......Maybe. Just maybe. Gene take off your clothes!”

“No way. No damn way!” He started out the door, but backed in quickly. “I think that's them!”

“Get them off and hop into the back room, I've a change of clothes in a bag there.” I didn't tell him it was a skirt and stockings I kept for money meetings. “Let me know when you've dressed,” I yelled.

It was a false alarm, but I didn't tell Gene.

“Ok, I'm dressed,” he called. I walked in, but stopped short.

“Wow, if I didn't know better, Gene; you look great as a woman!”

“I've had practice,” he said reddening. “I like dressing up every now and then.”

“I can tell; you've shaved your legs haven't you?” I asked. “Look for this to work, we have to go all in, or else it'll be Gene in a dress. Sit down and I'll do your makeup.”

To cover his beard, I used a heavy foundation I had in my bag. “Good thing I went shopping at noon for makeup.”

“Let me see,” he said.

“No it'll be a surprise.”

I next tackled his eyebrows.

“Geez,”he yelled, “That hurt like hell.”

“Shut up,” I said. “You want a pair of dormice for brows? Be tough.”

After plucking enough eyebrow to make an eagles nest, I started on his eye makeup. I couldn't do anything too much, I only had a little mascara. Next came his hair.

“It's a good thing you look like a hippie with this hair of yours,” I said.

“Let me see!” he said, “Come on.”

“Hold your horses, Gene, wait till I've finished.”

I stood back to admire my work and heard tires outside.

“Quick, sit at the computer and start typing.”

I barely got the words out of my mouth when the door flew open.

“Where's the asshole that was driving that truck?”

I spun around. “Learn to knock damn it. What truck?”

“The red triax in the corner over there.”

I held my breath and said, ”I don't know, I'm having my secretary run the plate to find out right now.”

“It belongs to MacDonald. He sent me here looking for it.”

He must hear my heart thumping, and I could see the butt of a revolver under his coat.

“Good, get it the hell out of here, we're scheduled to start digging there tomorrow morning, and with the weather, we're behind at a $500 a day fine.

My bluff worked, He walked outside and waved to a guy in overalls to get in the truck and drive off.

“If that asshole shows his head around here, call MacDonald's, we need to talk with him.”

With that he walked down the stairs, got in his Cadillac, and spun tires out the gate.

Gene tapped me on my shoulder, and I jumped a foot.

“Dammit, don't do that,” I squeaked.

“Sorry, I didn't want to talk, in case they were near.”

I looked at him or should I say 'her'?

“Gene, look in the mirror behind that door, tell me what you think.”

“My God, I look like an attractive woman! You worked a miracle!”

He kept turning one way and then the other, admiring how he looked.

“Come on, let's get you out of here. We'll go to my place, we should be ok there.”

After a thirty minute drive we got to my condo near the water in a quiet little North Shore town, and went inside.

“We'll be safe here,” I said to Gene, “Nobody pokes into other people's business around here. The only thing is, you are going to have to wear my clothes until we can buy you some.”

“With a nervous giggle, he said “I wouldn't mind. This is the longest I've been cross-dressed and I really like it.”

“Whichever way you go, you will need clothes of your own. But first, I'm starved. We can go out or have takeout.”

“Go out dressed like this? I'm not ready for that yet.”

I laughed, "OK, but at some time you'll have to face the world in heels, you know.”

“Not tonight, please” he begged.

“Alright, how about a pepperoni pizza? There's beer in the fridge.”

To be continued

Many thanks to Bronwen Welsh for fixing the typos and grammar.