[Author's Note: Spoiler alert! Please read Jack of All Trades before this story. -- AuP]

Jack Was Nimble –

Malcolm ‘Tesseract’ Hallard was a math genius in a family of grifters. He had been banned from casinos for card counting in his sleep. His cousin Jack called him Tess for short. A Tesseract was a mathematical and geometrical concept that Malcolm enjoyed contemplating. Jack and Tess had grown up like brothers. They loved and trusted each other deeply. Tess also knew what Jack was never able to admit to the rest of the family. He would slide from his mark dressed as a woman not because he knew he wouldn’t be recognized, but because he wanted to be a woman, would linger as a woman. And Jack knew Tess let him and encouraged it.

Tess had his VOIP headset on and was talking to Dr. Travis’ office in a very official sounding voice. “Karen, we are so embarrassed too. Oscar Simon has told us that she, now Jackie Simon, has agreed not to sue you. We have reached a private settlement on your behalf. No one wants this hitting the news. She just thought you were going to have her look like her uncle Terry, not turn him into a her. She didn’t know that the other Oscar had an Aunt Terry. We are sending the money for the expenses. Don’t say anything to the real Jackie, I mean, Oscar when he comes in. We are going to bury the paperwork on this one. I thought you would agree. So does Jackie Simon.” He clicked the exit button on his computer screen and hung up.

He thought about what he had pulled on Jackie. Arranging for Jack to have SRS surgery with out his knowing and approving was a bold gamble on Tess’ part. He loved his cousin. He cared about him, now her. And, he didn’t want to betray him. Jack’s friendship meant too much to him too. In the end, it came down to the fact that Jack was living a total lie and Tess knew it. And if Jack lied to himself any longer, Jack wouldn’t be around which scared Tess. Jack needed to have his options cut off in retirement and have it so the family thought it was a screw up. And that is why he did what he did to him.

On past stings, Jack didn’t rush out of the female role he escaped in no matter how far he was away from the dupe. So, when the two hooked up for their celebratory dinner after a couple of weeks, Tess slowed it down by window shopping with Jack still in his dress. Along the way, Tess would stop at a window to look at a dress on a mannequin and would notice how Jack would look at the dress in the window. He saw how he admired himself in the dress he wore by the way he looked at it in the window’s reflection. Soon, his gaze would fall upon some other outfit in the display and Tess would see him bite his lip. He knew he was dressing himself in the outfit that caught his attention. The other thing was that he didn’t act faux sexy in a dress. He acted natural. He slipped into the role of being a girl as easily as putting on comfy slippers and having coffee and toast in the morning.

When Jack told Tess of his plans for his final scam and that he wanted to get plastic surgery so no one would ever find him, Tess helped him make the arrangements and hacked into the National Health Alchamey Insurance Company’s database to find someone who was going to get plastic surgery. He didn’t tell Jack Hallard that no one gets plastic surgery using health insurance. He didn’t tell him the company did cover GRS and SRS surgeries and that he found someone who was getting the surgery in a few weeks. He told him it was all taken care of and not to worry.

The deed was done now. Jack had gone into the hospital and been changed into a woman named Jackie. Tess threw the dice and knew he won. He hoped his gamble worked with family too. Jackie left that hospital a woman. How would he take it? Tess would monitor what happened next.

As Jackie left in her Mazda 3 after her surgery, she didn’t know that the car had a tracer on it and someone following her. She drove to the long drive to White Settlement, TX, stopping in Louisville, Memphis, Little Rock, and finally settled in back in her private retreat. She didn’t contact family yet. She began to use the monies Tess gave her to get laser hair treatments and to buy clothes. She made appointments with doctors. Jackie picked up prescriptions and Tess was told Jackie was getting hormone injections. The report said that Jackie seemed to hide out for the first week, but started to come out of the house. She would go to a particular Taco Bueno for Tex-Mex. She also heard that she spent time speaking to the female help, but avoided the men.

Most importantly, Interpol, the FBI, U.S. Marshalls, and other law enforcement agencies weren’t looking for Jack or Jackie. Tess made sure of that. After all, that was his job. So, none of them would get caught.

After a month, Jackie became bolder and would go out to bars in downtown Fort Worth. Guys would try to pick her up and she would say no. She liked going to concerts at Bass hall. She would dress to the nines and would walk around sundance square. She spent time at the Huelen Mall buying clothes. And then something even better happened. The report said that she went into Ulta and got a cute hair style and her toes and nails done. She also had her ears pierced too. She also was spending time at Dillard’s getting nice jewelry. By the third month, she was elegant and even wearing perfume. But, still, she spurned the advances of men away and avoided family.

Tess called her spy via VOIP. “Does Jackie seem happy?”

Melinda responded, “Yes. Extremely. I have been keeping a huge distance. She isn’t even aware that I am there tailing her because I park so far away and observe her. She is so into being Jackie that I don’t think she cares. So, one day, in the mall, I went in to use the bathroom. She came in and was whistling. I asked her where she bought her cute dress. She spent a good deal of time talking to me about where she shops and where the best prices were. But that is not all.”

“Well, tell me. I am curious?”

“She asked me where the best place was to meet nice men. She asked if I was into girls first, though. I said no, but if I were, she would be at the top of the list because she was so beautiful.”

Tess smiled, “Thanks for sending me her sizes and detailed measurements. You just earned a bonus. Stop following her. But, make sure she doesn’t leave town.”

Arriving at Love Field, Tess picked up a rental. He headed out east to the North Park Mall in Dallas. He hired a clothing coordinator to help him shop. He let her shop until she dropped. Then Tess had the clothes altered to specific measurements. He paid a $5,000 bonus if the changes could be made by the morning. The little oriental girl and her elderly dad were very co-operative and got to work right away.

After the clothes were ready, he disguised himself and then had two SMU students pack up the clothes and hired them to drive out to White Settlement.

“Hello Ms. Roper? We have a delivery for you. May we bring it in?” A surprised Jackie let them into her little 1930’s bungalow. In the living room, she watched as they unpacked each dress and hung it up on a rack for her. Every one was gorgeous and so beautiful. “Who sent this?”

“Some man who says he knows you. He said also to give you this.” the young stud said. He handed her a bag filled with jewelry boxes making sure he brushed her hand in a seductive way. She didn’t even notice at first and then smiled realizing what his caress was for. Jackie tore into the bag and found the most exquisite bracelets, rings, necklaces, and ear rings.

Jackie was thrilled with all this new stuff. As the boys left, the other boy handed her a cell phone. “It is from your benefactor. He says you will know what to do.”

After the door closed, Jackie opened the phone and brought up the messaging app. There was only one name in the list, ‘Mr. X.’ She texted, “Where do you want us to meet and when.”

A text came back and said, ‘Joe T. Garcia’s. Two O’clock. Next to the outdoor fountain. Get a table for two. Order Margaritas. I am sending an Uber driver for you so you don’t have to worry about getting drunk.’

Jackie spent the next two hours looking through the clothes. She loved them all. She finally settled on a strapless red dress that hugged her curves and made her chest look good even though it needed a little more growth. She did her hair. She got made up, put on perfume, put her purse together and waited for the knock on the door. Jackie was picked up and taken to Garcia’s, which is a couple of blocks away from the famous stockyards where the bar scenes in Walker, Texas Ranger, were filmed. She asked for a table outside near the fountain. The waiter sat her down and brought her a margarita.

The men around her were taking her in. Their poor wives and girlfriends were annoyed. She looked around at the adobe walls and red brick patio. The air was warm and the fountain painted a picture of relaxation that enveloped her. She closed her eyes taking in the pleasant sound of the fountain. When she opened them, Tess was sitting there. Tess smiled.

“Thank you, Tess. You knew this is what I really wanted, but was too afraid to do, didn’t you?” she confessed.

Tess chuckled, “Yep, I told you before that it wouldn’t kill you to be a woman for the rest of your life..”

Jackie fondly patted Tess on the leg. “I loved that phony picture of you as a woman. That was so funny. Thank you for the flowers and chocolate. You were right. I love being a woman. I just never wanted to admit you were right, you know.”

Tess took Jackie’s now dainty hand and squeezed it. “I know. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do was to trick you. I knew you wouldn’t do it because of our family. But, a clerical error they could accept. Forgive me?”

“Of course.” She leaned over an gave him a kiss on the cheek. He blushed. “I had time to think and I know I let you con me into the operation subconsciously.”

Tess hugged Jackie. “I know you did. I could hear it in the way we made plans for your final scam. You sounded so hollow with your descriptions of retirement. Everybody else heard you were going to miss the game but looked forward to starting a family. I heard something else. Settling down and finding a girl just to please family while never be able to dress up and be a woman again. No, I couldn’t let that happen to you. Not to someone whom I loved like a sister. You made it too easy for me to be there for you. But, I knew you trusted me too. You put your life into my hands.” Tess wiped away a tear.

“I did. I still do. I knew I needed to have the ‘man’ conned out of me. But, will the family be able to accept me as a woman? I haven’t see them yet. They think I am off in Tahiti celebrating.” Tess shook his head emphatically yes.

Jackie glanced at him as she sipped her margarita, and asked “How about the money?”

“Oh, is safe and waiting for you. You knew that already. That old ploy to let you know all is well. Give you access to ten per cent in case you have to fend off the mark is a good plan. When things go wrong, the mark always believes there is no honor among thieves. I found that picture of the chick on the beach I included with the flowers I sent in a magazine and took a picture of it with my cell phone. Let’s have a good lunch before we tell the family, okay?”

“Oh, Tess.”

“Yeah?”

“Do you really think I look beautiful?”

“Oh yeah! You always did. But now, well, there is a glow about you. A joy that was never there before.”

“You aren’t trying to con me now, are you?” Jackie said with a wry chuckle.

Tess turned serious. “No way. Never try to con a con woman. They are nastier than the con men.”

Jackie hugged and kissed Tess. “You got that one right! Let’s eat. By the way, who is paying for the meal?"

"I am! In cash too. Seems they only accept cash here. No credit cards or bank cards. They don't want to be defrauded or want their clients defrauded."

Too bad someone wasn't filming Jackie when Tess told her that or there would have been a really funny spit take posted on Youtube.

Copyright © 2017 by AuP reviner