Scenes from the Restroom
By Stephanie Rose

Scene 1
Jeffry lifted his right leg out of the soapy water, and began to lather it up. He wanted to use the cream in the pink can on the side of the tub that his big sister Audrey used, but he knew he'd get in trouble. He walked in on her once as she was rubbing it on her legs, and she got mad.

"Get out you little creep!" she had yelled at him.

"I gotta poop!" he told her. "Daddy's on the other bathroom!"

"Fine, just do it quick. And I'm not wiping you! You're old enough to do it yourself," she told him, then adjusted the curtain, mostly to block her seeing him on the toilet.

He could still see her though, lathering up her leg, then taking the little pink stick he was told never to play with or he would get cut, and running it up her leg, wiping away the white foam as it went. He knew what she was doing. He had seen it on TV.

Now he was alone in the tub. He had his bubbles and bath toys, but he wanted to do what Audrey did. He managed to get a thick layer of soap onto his leg, his heel resting on the side of the tub, keeping it out of the water. He picked up one of his toys, a plastic fish with a straight, flat tail. He pretended the fish was the little pink stick and putting the tail against his ankle wiped up toward his knee. The soap was wiped off in a stripe. He did it again and again and again, until all the soap was removed. He was starting on his left leg when Mommy came into the bathroom.

"How are you doing sweetheart?" she asked. "You're certainly taking a long time" she added. "What are you doing with your leg?"

"I'm shaving it! See? Nice and smooth!" he told her.

"What are you doing that for? Only big girls shave their legs. Three year-old boys shouldn't do that."

"Oh," he said feeling sad, then rinsed the rest of the soap off his legs, and finished up his bath.

Scene 2
Jeff stepped out of the tub after his shower. He finished drying himself off, hung up his towel, then put on his white boy's briefs. He hated how boring and baggy they looked on him in the mirror. He turned to the side, and pulled them up and out in the front. He liked how smooth and tight they looked against his butt. He wished they were a different color, like a bright red, the same red he's seen under the cheerleaders' skirts at the high school he would be attending in two more years.

He dreamed he was a girl--a cheerleader. She would have long hair, tied back into a ponytail, with a bow the same red color as her uniform. He tried to strike a cheerleader pose, but his underwear went back to being boring, white, and baggy. The dream was gone. Sadness engulfed him as he finished dressing and left the bathroom.

Scene 3
Jeff stepped quickly through the bathroom door, closing it behind him. He unbuttoned and unzipped his shorts, partially relieving the unbearable tightness. His penis was straining against the band of his briefs. He pulled them down, and his erection lurched forward, sticking out from his groin at a gravity-defying angle up and out.

"Why does this keep happening?" he fumed.

He hated puberty. He hated the hair growing on his legs and underarms, but the worst was the spontaneous erections. They were uncomfortable, always happened at awkward times, and he was sure that everyone around him could see it. Worst of all though, was the reminder that he would never be the girl of his dreams.

He pushed it down, down toward the floor. It hurt, but he knew that if he kept it up it would eventually subside. He knew some boys would stroke it until it ejaculated. He heard them in school talking about it in the locker room. He didn't want to do that. It was messy, and a further reminder that he was a boy and not a girl.

He kept pressing, trying to hold it down. Eventually, he felt the pressure easing. Down it went, slowly, until it was pointing mostly down. It was still chubby, but not fully erect anymore. He pulled it back between his legs. When he could, he pulled his thighs together, trapping it behind them. It was still uncomfortable, but at least it was hidden from view.

He was pleased with what he saw in the mirror--a small tuft of hair peeking out between his legs and no penis in sight, just like a girl's.

Scene 4
The door flew open and Jeff darted inside, nearly slamming it closed behind him. His heart was racing. He was breathing heavy. He paused for a second, then locked the door, and listened in the darkness. He heard the front door close, then footsteps on the tiled foyer.

"Jeffrey? Are you home?" his mother's voice called out.

He turned on the light. The bathroom vent fan came on with it.

"I'm in the bathroom," he yelled back. "I thought you were at Grandpa's all day," he added after a brief pause.

As he listened for the reply, he began taking off his mother's yellow print sun dress as quickly and quietly as he could.

"The car died," she said, now standing right outside the bathroom door, her voice raised slightly to be heard over the noise of the fan. "I had to have it towed. They said it would be a few hours before they could get to it, so they gave me a ride home. I'll go see your grandfather tomorrow."

The volume of her voice lowered, and he heard the squeak of the floor as she walked away, down the hall to the master bedroom. He let the dress drop to the floor, then stepped out of it as quietly as possible in the high heeled shoes he barely managed to fit into.

He picked up the dress, then turned to the counter, checked for any water on it, and placed her dress on it.

Then, he lifted the lid to the toilet seat, pulled down the panties pilfered from the laundry basket, and sat down. Off came the bra as well, obtained from the same place as the panties. Two wads of toilet paper fell from his chest onto his thighs, then the floor.

Instead of peeing like he was pretending to do, he bent down, and undid the tight straps on his mother's high heeled sandals. They were the only pair of her shoes he could fit into anymore.

He stood up, and placed the panties and bra onto the counter with the dress. He saw strap marks on his shoulders and around his chest from the bra. At 15, he was having trouble fitting into her bras now too.

"How am I going to get to my room without her seeing me?" he thought. He was naked, and his bedroom was down the hall, just past the master bedroom he heard his mother going into earlier.

He heard the squeaky floorboard again. "It's almost noon. Do you want some lunch?" she called out as she passed by the bathroom on her way to the kitchen.

"No, I just had pancakes at ten," he said.

He waited a second. This was his chance. He quickly stashed the borrowed clothes and shoes under the sink, then made a break for it out the door and into his room.

Scene 5
Jeff stepped daringly into the ladies' room of the Paducah, Kentucky rest stop. It was 1:30 am Saturday morning on a mid May night. Each click of his high heels, echoing through the empty welcome center gave him a special thrill. He was driving home from school for summer break. The restored plantation house was as deserted as he hoped it would be. It was the perfect time and place to venture out in some of the clothing he had "found". It's amazing how many garments get lost in a freshmen dorm laundry room. Jeff gave a select few (actually more than a few) of those items a new home. He had half a dozen pairs of panties and three bras, all in a variety of colors and styles. There were a couple skirts and blouses too. The dress though, had been a special find. It was hanging all alone on a clothes rack when he found it. He managed to smuggle it back to his room before the owner returned to claim it.

As he walked past the sinks and mirrors he caught a glimpse of himself in the blue A-Line dress with cap sleeves. He might have paused to admire his feminine outline, but he was too nervous to pause. It was probably for the best. The sight of his male head with its short hair would have spoiled the feeling he had. He walked as daintily as possible to the last stall and went in.

He did it! He was out in public in a dress, and in a women's restroom no less!

He pulled up the bottom of the dress, lowered his panties and pantyhose, and sat on the seat. Sitting down was different in heels he thought. The black 3-inch pumps were the only item he was wearing that he had actually purchased.

Jeff smiled as he relieved himself. He was in a public restroom, peeing like any other girl!

Just as he was finishing and about to stand, he heard a noise. The outer door of the lobby was opening. Jeff heard two voices, a man and a woman's, speaking as they entered the building. He couldn't hear what they were saying at first, but they were getting louder.

"I just have to pee. I'll be quick," the woman said to her companion as she entered the restroom.

Thankfully, the woman went into the first stall, so there was an empty space between them.

Jeff sat there, silent. Keeping quiet might have been a minor miracle with how much his legs were shaking. He used his hands to steady them, but that didn't help. He felt his feet and heels starting to shake too. He lifted his knees up a bit so that the shaking of his heels didn't make noise on the hard floor.

After a short eternity, the invader finally finished her business and left, opting to not wash her hands as she left.

"Took you long enough," Jeff heard from the man in the lobby.

"I went as fast as I could. See how long it takes you when you can't just whip it out ..." she trailed off as they exited the lobby.

Jeff sat there until he couldn't hear them any more. When he thought the coast was clear, he stood and pulled up his panties and pantyhose, being sure to tuck his penis between his legs as he did.

He exited the stall as quietly as he could in heels. When he reached the door, he opened it slowly, peeking out as he did. He could see a car in the parking lot with lights on backing up, then driving forward toward the exit. Breathing a sigh of relief, Jeff exited the bathroom and headed back to his car.

Scene 6
Jessica followed Paula into the hospitality suite's bathroom. This was a day of firsts for her. It was the first time Jeff ever went out in public as Jessica, her first time wearing a wig and makeup, her first time meeting people as a girl, and her first support group meeting. Paula was one of the leaders of the group.

"I can't believe this is your first time," Paula said to her in a southern drawl. "You look so good! So young! I can't believe you're 22! I didn't come out as Paula till I was 40! I'm not gonna tell you how long ago that was. Let's see... that wig... It's Jamie's, isn't it? It matches her style, but it's not quite right for you."

The wig Jessica's big sister Jamie loaned her was quite long, blonde and curly, with no bangs. Jamie was one of the younger members of the group, in her mid thirties, and had taken Jessica as her little sister. The group typically assigned a big sister to new girls to help with their introduction and coming out to the group. Jamie was a lot like Jessica in many ways, except much more flamboyant. Jessica wanted to blend in, not stand out. Paula was game to help.

Paula was hosting the meeting this month, and she had her collection of wigs and makeup with her. "I think this one might be a better match for you" she said, holding up a medium length brown wig with soft waves and bangs.

"Take that one off, and we'll try this one." Paula instructed her.

Jessica removed Jamie's blonde wig, and Paula crowned her head with the one she picked out and began making adjustments.

"Don't look yet," Paula told her when Jessica started to turn her head to the mirror. "I want you to see the complete package. You said this is your first time in makeup?"

"Yes," Jessica answered.

"Most girls overdo it their first time," Paula said. "End up looking more like a clown than a woman."

"I was afraid of that, so I really tried to go light."

"Was this Jamie's makeup too?"

"Yes, I don't have any yet."

"Well, she did pretty good with the colors, but I think a little more subtle lipstick would look better on you." Paula showed her a lighter shade of red than the bright red Jamie had used. "Let me put this on you, and then you can see the finished product."

Paula masterfully applied the lipstick to Jessica's lips, and when done, turned her toward the mirror.

Jessica was stunned.

"Oh!" she cried out. "I can't believe that's me!"

"That's you darlin'," Paula said. "I dare say you could venture out into the hotel, and nobody would blink an eye if you went into the ladies' room."

"Jamie said we aren't supposed to use the ladies' rooms here."

"Unfortunately," Paula told her. "The management tolerates us each month, but they don't want us out in the public areas, like the restrooms or restaurant. But you, I think you could get away with it. Come on, we need to get some pictures of the new you."

Jessica finally looked away from the mirror as Paula led her back out of the bathroom.

Scene 7
Kathy, Veronica, and Jessica entered the ladies' room just down the hall from the lounge.

"I love this new hotel," Veronica, the vivacious crossdressed retiree said, not even trying to talk in the female range. She never did.

"Come on Ronni, let's try not to alienate the staff or other guests," Kathy said in a husky but feminine voice as they paused in front of the mirrors. "We want them to see us as regular people, nothing to be afraid of."

A still slightly nervous Jessica stayed silent as the two more experienced members of the group chatted.

"I know that!" Veronica responded, turning to head into a stall. "You know you don't have to worry about me. What you see is what you get. I'm just a regular dude who likes to wear a dress. Nothing more. That's what they'll see, and that's what I'll tell them."

Kathy and Jessica entered the other two stalls as Kathy replied. "Just don't be too in their face. The bigots will never accept us. You know that."

"I know, I know. I'm not going to deal with them. But everyone else, I'll let them see there's nothing to be afraid of with us."

The trio stopped talking while they used the facilities. Then Veronica broke the silence. "Hear that?" she asked the others, still in their stalls.

"Hear what?" Jessica said, trying to sound as feminine as possible.

"We may be dressed as women. We may call ourselves girls and use girls' names. We may sit to pee. But we still sound like men when we do it!" Veronica said.

"What?" Kathy said, shocked by her statement.

"I'm serious!" Veronica said as she re-arranged herself and flushed. "Real girls sound different when they pee! It's all in the angle and distance to the water. Next time you're in a stall next to a real girl, listen. I swear it sounds different."

"Ronni, you are a trip!" Kathy said, washing her hands in the sink.

Jessica held back a laugh as they left the room. The only sign of her amusement was the smile on her face. Her nervousness was all but forgotten.

Scene 8
Jessica looked like any other girl in the cineplex on a Sunday morning as she pushed open the door to the ladies' room. Her jeans were a little baggy for a girl as thin as she was, but anything tighter would have been too uncomfortable around her thin but unfortunately male waist. The rest of her look was feminine casual. She was wearing her new breast forms. No more rolled up socks for her! They were only a B cup as she didn't want to call too much attention to herself, but the sweater she wore made them seem larger than that. Still, she was pleased with her look on her first outing to a movie as Jessica, and everyone she saw seemed to be none-the-wiser about her true anatomy.

She paused at the mirror before entering a stall. Her hair looked fine, as did her new earrings. They didn't even look like clip-ons. Maybe someday she would work up the courage to get her ears pierced.

She took care of business in the far stall, remembering to wipe after peeing, just like the other girls do. She was a little startled when another patron entered the stall next to hers just as she was pulling up her jeans. She steeled herself though, and stepped out of the stall without delay.

She was still re-applying her lipstick as the other girl in the restroom left her stall and came to the sink next to Jessica.

Jessica capped the lipstick and dropped it into her purse before casually strolling out the door, not giving the other girl another glance.

Scene 9
"I thought they had family and single bathrooms here," Jessica said as she and Veronica entered the ladies' room.

"It's at the other end of the mall, across from the JC Penny's," Veronica replied. "There's nothing to worry your pretty little head over. It'll be fine."

Jessica was still a little apprehensive. She was getting more and more comfortable blending in as a girl in public, but she was with Veronica today. Veronica did not blend. She was grateful the bathroom appeared to be empty.

When the crossdressed shoppers emerged from their respective stalls however, they were not alone. A middle-aged woman was washing her hands at the sink. She took one look at Veronica's 6 ft frame on 3 inch heels and frowned.

"What are you doing in here?" the woman demanded. "This is the ladies' room. You don't belong here."

Veronica smiled at the woman. "Excuse me?" she replied in her normal masculine voice. "What makes you think I don't belong here?"

"You're a man. Wearing a dress doesn't make you a woman. This is a woman's private space," she replied harshly. "You are intruding on my privacy."

As she spoke, two women in their mid 20's entered and paused to watch.

Jessica stood there frozen in terror. Veronica remained calm.

"Your privacy?" She replied incredulously. "I came here to use the facilities, same as you. You have no idea what's between my legs, and I have no idea what's between yours. I don't plan on showing you mine, and I don't want to see yours. If I have to prove my womanhood to you in order to use this washroom, who's privacy is being violated? Hmmmm?"

"Can you believe this woman?" Veronica said to Jessica, still shaking nervously in the corner.

"Listen, I understand. I don't look like you. I don't sound like you. I don't fit your image of a woman. That's fine. I can't help how I look or how I sound. This is what I have to work with. But I'm no danger to you. This is a safe place for you? Well it is for us too. How welcome do you think someone like me is in the men's room? Not at all. I'm not here to harass you or anyone else. I don't want to be harassed or exposed either. You don't think I'm a woman. That's your opinion. Forcing me to use a men's room based on your opinion isn't making you any safer. It's exposing and endangering me. So I ask again, whose privacy and safety is being violated?"

The two women by the door started to cheer.

"You tell her girlfriend!" one of them shouted.

"It's not right!" The woman persisted. "A man pretending to be a woman. I'm going to report this to security!" She turned and headed to the door.

"Don't listen to that old hag," one of the girls said as they walked toward the stalls. "You be who you need to be," said the other.

"Come on," Veronica said to Jessica, moving toward the door. "I'm ready to head back to the hotel."

Jessica noticed that Veronica's hand was shaking as she reached for the door handle. "I'm getting really tired of this shit!" Veronica exclaimed as they left the room and turned toward the parking lot.

Scene 10
Both stalls were occupied, so Jessica waited by the mirrors. She felt, and looked like a million dollars, in an emerald green sheath cocktail dress with black strappy heels.

Another woman in her mid-twenties with long strawberry blonde hair and wearing a green and white print v-neck dress came in and waited just behind her. Jessica observed her out of the corner of her eye, but avoided direct eye contact. She was getting more and more comfortable in public as a woman, but not THAT comfortable.

What Jessica didn't see was the way the girl with the strawberry blonde hair was looking at her. After a brief moment, the girl moved away from Jessica, and approached the feminine products dispenser by the door.

"Damn it!" she exclaimed, after looking inside her purse for a brief moment. She turned to Jessica and asked, "you wouldn't happen to have a tampon I could borrow, would you?"

Jessica looked back at the girl and responded, trying to sound nonchalant, "sorry, I don't have any with me."

"That's OK. I'm sure I'll manage somehow," she said moving back next to Jessica. Then she continued. "Hot date tonight?"

Jessica was taken aback by the sudden invasive question from the strange girl, and just looked at her, trying to decide how to respond.

"Sorry, I just like to make conversation when I'm waiting in lines. I saw you in the restaurant with a well-dressed older man," the girl said.

"No, he's just a friend," Jessica said.

"Too bad. He's pretty hot, for an older guy."

That made Jessica smile. She almost laughed but managed to hold it back. She hadn't learned how to laugh as a girl yet.

Just then, a woman in her thirties exited the first stall. "Which one of you needed a tampon?" she asked, holding one up.

"Thank you so much! You're a lifesaver!" the girl with the strawberry blond hair said as Jessica moved into the stall. The next stall opened as she closed the door to hers, and was soon occupied as well.

Afterward, Jessica was washing her hands when the girl with the strawberry-blond hair emerged and joined Jessica at the sink. She looked around to see that they were alone and said in a hushed tone, "you look great. I almost couldn't tell."

Jessica looked back at the girl, her eyes wide with shock. She practically stammered, "couldn't tell what?"

"You're trans, right? Don't worry, you really do look great," the girl said reassuringly. "I do makeovers at Macy's, and I have several trans clients. I know what to look for, but with you, I almost couldn't tell."

Jessica felt like she was about to cry. All the effort into making this night perfect was about to be ruined. She did her best to compose herself, and finally asked the girl, "what gave me away?"

"Well, whenever I see a tall girl, I wonder if she might be trans."

"I'm not that tall. I'm 5 ft 10".

"That's tall for a girl. But that wasn't what give you away. When I got up close, I could see some subtle masculine features in your profile. I know some tricks to minimize that, by the way. But even then I had my doubts. That's why I tried the tampon test."

"The tampon test?"

"Yes! Every woman I know always has a spare tampon or two, just in case. Except for the trans girls. You want to be bullet-proof? Always have one handy." The girl handed Jessica the tampon she borrowed earlier.

"But even that wasn't what cinched it for me," she continued. "When I was in the stall next to you, I could tell. You pee like a dude."

"I do not! I was sitting down!" Jessica responded, incredulously.

"I didn't mean it like that. It sounds different coming out of a penis. That's all."

"Oh my God, really? My friend told me that one time! I didn't believe her!"

"It's true. I swear," the girl responded, holding up her hand like she was in court.

"But don't worry about it. You really do look great. I doubt anyone else here would have picked up on it. Your 'friend' is a lucky guy. Does he know?"

Jessica smiled. "Yes, of course he knows. He's... he's like me. We're in a transgender support group, and I mentioned that I wondered what it would be like to go out on a date as a girl. She offered. I've known her for about 6 months, but this is the first time I've ever seen 'him.'"

"What? Are you telling me that hot guy out there is really a girl?" Now it was her turn to act incredulous.

Jessica actually did laugh at that. "No, he's a crossdresser, like me. I'm just like this part-time."

"Oh good. I thought I was losing my mind there for a second. Wait, you're not a full time girl? OK, now my mind is really blown."

"Yeah, well, I know the feeling. I should really be getting back out there. My food probably arrived while we were in here."

Before she could leave, The girl with the strawberry blond hair handed her a card. "Here. I'm sorry I took so much of your time satisfying my own curiosity. Take my card. I'm Chloe. I'd love to give you a makeover some time. The first one's on the house, if you're interested."

"Thanks. I'm Jessica. Pleased to meet you."

Scene 11
Jessica stormed into the ladies' room, tears streaming down her face. Several of the girls chatting in line for the stalls turned to look at the pretty girl in the light blue sleeveless mini-dress with a flared skirt.

A few seconds later, another girl, with strawberry blond hair wearing a little black dress and stilettos came in and joined her on the upholstered bench by the door. The onlookers returned to their chatting.

"What's wrong?" Chloe asked, putting her hand reassuringly on Jessica's back, trying to calm her down.

"I'm such an idiot! He knows!" Jessica cried.

"Wait, what? Who knows? That guy you were dancing with?"

Jessica nodded her head.

"How? What happened?"

"We were just dancing, and I turned away from him. I felt his hands on my hips, then he pulled me back to him, and we were dancing like that, his front to my back. It was so nice at first. Then... then I felt him on my butt."

"His hands?"

Jessica shook her head. "No! Him! His..." then mouthed the word "cock".

"Is that all? That's no big deal. Guys, at least the young ones, get hard at the drop of a hat, especially when girls are around. Or sheep," Chloe said, trying to get her to laugh. It didn't work.

"No! That's not it! I felt it, and that's when I realized his hand was on my boob! Sadly, I couldn't feel that. But then his other hand went up my leg... and... he... he... touched me... there."

"Oh!" Chloe said, surprised. "Weren't you tucked? Are you sure he could tell?"

Jessica sniffed and nodded. "He stopped moving, and I heard him say 'What the fuck?' and let go of me. I just ran. I had to get away from him. He knows! God, what am I going to do?"

Chloe didn't speak, she hugged her friend, comforting her.

"I don't want to stay here. I wanna go home. Can we please leave?" Jessica begged her friend.

""Yeah, that's probably for the best. I'm sorry I dragged you out," Chloe replied.

"No, I had fun... until. I just let things get out of control. I've got to be more careful. I will next time, I promise."

They got up and stepped toward the door.

"What if he's still out there waiting for me?" Jessica said, the panic returning.

"I'll check first, OK?" Chloe reassured her.

Chloe went to the door and peeked out, then said to Jessica. "I see him, but he's moved on. He's hitting on another girl now. We should be fine."

Chloe opened the door. They left the ladies' room, and the club.

Scene 12
Jessica entered her bathroom, breathing heavy, but with a grin on her face. She closed the door behind her, and gazed into the mirror. Her hair was short but very tousled. Her lipstick was smeared. Her purple silk blouse was partially unbuttoned and untucked from her short black skirt, exposing a pink lace bra. She finished unbuttoning the blouse and let it drop to the floor.

She took a brush to her hair, glad that she didn't need the wig anymore. She didn't spend much time on her hair. Just a quick fix. It was going to get messed up again anyway.

After her hair, she took a tissue and tried to repair her lips. She succeeded in removing most of the lipstick, then reached for the tube on the side of the sink. She put it up to her lips, ready to apply a new coat, then thought better of it.

She removed her skirt, and peered back at herself in the mirror. She felt almost as beautiful as she looked, with soft smooth skin, long silky legs, and a trim waist giving way to the slight curve of her hips.

"You can do this," she said to herself in a hushed but reassuring tone.

Next, she removed her bra, revealing small, budding breasts, the nipples dark and swollen. She removed her panties too. Her penis, once the source of so much anxiety, hung there, small and limp.

Jessica took a deep breath and exhaled. Standing there naked, she looked at herself in the mirror and said to the girl's image looking back at her, "it's now or never."

She grabbed a washcloth, and wet it with warm water and a little bit of soap. Reaching behind her, she pulled one butt cheek away, and wiped with the soapy cloth. She did it again from the other side before rinsing it out. She took the end of a towel, still on the rack, and used it to dry her backside.

Next, she opened a drawer on the side of the sink. Inside were two vibrators, one small, the other large and lifelike. Next to them was a tube of lubrication. She took the tube and squeezed a generous amount onto her fingers, then applied it liberally to her rear. She wiped her hand on the rinsed washcloth, returned the lube to its home and turned to the door.

Taking a short lavender silk robe off the hook and putting it on, she called out seductively, "are you ready?" She opened the door and presented herself in the doorway with arms up on the sides of the doorframe, and one knee bent slightly, crossing in front of the other leg.

The naked man lounging on the bed looked at her hungrily, and responded, "for you babe, I'll always be ready."

Scene 13
Jessica opened the door to the ladies' room, escorting a young woman inside. The teen was timid and nervous as she entered what used to be a forbidden oasis to her. Britney wore an ill-fitting borrowed wig--Jessica's old wig.

Approaching the mirrors, Jessica said to her, "see, nothing to be scared of. You are a woman and you belong here. Don't let anyone tell you differently."

"Now," Jessica told her, "we'll hit Golden Lace Tresses and get you some proper hair. Afterwards I'll introduce you to Chloe. She'll make you more beautiful than you could ever dream possible."

Then Jessica turned to her and said, "hey, can I borrow a tampon? It's that time of the month and I used my last one already."

Taken aback, Britney replied in a slightly husky voice, "why would you need a tampon? Do post-ops have periods?"

"No," Jessica said laughing. "We don't have periods, though maybe someday. But seriously, women always carry around spare tampons and pads, just in case."

As she spoke, she pulled two tampons from her purse. "If someone asks to borrow one, it's suspicious if you don't have any." She handed one to the girl. "A woman might not have one to spare, but she always has one handy. Unless, that is, she had to use the ones she already had."

"Thanks," Britney responded. "I'll try to remember that."

Jessica turned to the door and they headed out into the mall. "OK then, let's do some shopping!"