Byline chapter 2

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Copyright © 2021 Peregrine
All rights reserved.

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Disclaimer:
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

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At work the next day, Jennifer didn’t say a word to me about the assignment. Which I was happy about. The only decision I made was to call my sister. After lunch, I picked up my phone and called her.

“What’s up little brother,” she answered.

“Hi, Abbey. Did I catch you at a bad time?”

“No, your timing is perfect. I’m getting ready to go back to work. I had a late lunch. Everything okay?”

“Yeah, everything is fine. I’d like to talk with you about something that came up at work.”

“I told you you need to talk with HR. They have to stop…”

“No, it’s not that. Are you free tonight? We can go to dinner.”

“Dinner early this week. Must be serious. What do we need to talk about?”

“I need your opinion on a feature assignment I’ve been asked to take for the magazine.”

“You got a feature assignment already? That’s great!”

“Not yet. I’ve been asked if I want to take the assignment. So how about it?

“I’m free tonight. Where should I meet you?”

“How about that restaurant you wanted to go to?

“Are you paying?”

“Yes, I’m paying.”

“Then I’m in.” She laughed. “What time?”

How’s seven o’clock sound?”

“Great. See you there.”

We hung up and I sat there holding my phone. I began thinking about what it might be like to be a woman for a year.

~~0~~

I got to the restaurant first for a change and was seated. I saw my sister enter the restaurant. Standing up, I waved. Seeing me, she came over to the table.

"Hey there little bro," she said. We hugged. We're a hugging family. She put her bag down and sat.

My sister, Abigail, is the quintessential girl, um, woman. Even coming from work, she looked great. Her hair was perfect. The little makeup she wore to work was perfect. Her nails were done perfectly. Her nurse’s uniform looked perfect on her. Even her bag made her look good, okay, perfect.

Abbey, she hated to be called Abigail, was the same height as me, around 5'6" without heels. We both had similar builds. I like to say I'm small-boned. Along with the same copper-colored hair, we shared the same green eyes. With me being androgynous, we look very much alike. Which is why I was often mistaken for her sister.

A waiter came over and filled her glass with water and refilled my glass. He said he would give us a few minutes to decide. Abbey took a sip of water.

"I can’t believe you got an assignment," she said after putting down her glass.

“I’ve been asked to consider an assignment.”

“You’ll get it if you say yes,” she said.

“I’m not sure about accepting it. Let's order first."

She picked up her menu and looked over the entrees. I’m sure she checked the prices.

"Are you sure you can afford this?"

"Yes, I’ve been saving. Order whatever you like."

"Okay," she said.

The waiter came back and asked if we had decided. He took our order. As he was leaving I changed my drink to a vanilla milkshake. He then left to put in our order.

"You and milkshakes." She shook her head and laughed.

"I can't get enough of them."

“Now what’s this assignment you’ve been asked to do?”

I paused for what seemed to be a long time.

“I was offered an assignment to write about the pressures society puts on women.”

“Interesting, sound like you’ll be interviewing a lot of women.”

“Well, no. I won’t be interviewing anyone.”

“Then how are you…”

"The assignment I was offered is to live as a woman for a year,” I blurted out. “As a man, I can contrast living as a woman to living as a man." I went on to explain the details of the assignment.

She looked at me as if I was crazy. "You’re joking, right? They’ve given you an assignment to be a woman for a year?"

"I’m not joking.”

"You're going to let them turn you into a woman for a whole year?"

"I would be living and presenting as a woman for a year, more or less."

“C J, you hate it when people mistake you for a girl. You’re really thinking about accepting this assignment?”

“I don’t know. I’m not sure. Maybe.”

"I can’t believe you’re considering this."

"Abbey, it'll be my story. My first feature story with my byline."

"You’re letting them turn you into a woman for a year to get a story. You’re doing this willingly? Doesn't that seem a bit weird to you? Doing all this for a story?”

“They’re not turning me into a woman. They’ll be training me to present as a woman.”

“And you want to do this? You seriously want to do this just to get a story?”

“Abbey, It’s a feature story. I'll be giving a man’s perspective on what society expects of women. Don’t you see? It’ll be unique. It’ll be compelling.”

“You didn’t answer. Do you really want to do this?” I didn’t answer right away. When I did, I spoke very calmly.

“Most of my life I have been mistaken for a girl. How often was I called little girl growing up? How many times did people think I was your sister? I’m still mistaken for a woman almost every day. Hell, guys at work have asked me out thinking I’m a woman. If I’m going to be mistaken for a woman, I might as well try being a woman. The magazine is giving me this opportunity. Abbey, it’s going to be my byline!” I was silent for a moment. “I’m thinking about accepting it.”

Abbey studied me. I could see the wheels moving inside her head. “You’re serious,” she said. “You’re really serious. You want to try being a woman.”

“Just for the year. When the article is finished, I go back to being me.” Looking directly at her I said, “I would like your help during the year.”

“My help? Why?”

“I’m going to need someone to talk to if things get tough. I’m going to need you to keep me going if I try to wimp out. More than that, if I’m going to present as a woman, I want to emulate you.”

“Me? That’s funny. Why me?”

“Because you’re the most complete woman I know. You’re confident, know what you want. You’ve always had great fashion sense. After my training, I’m going to need someone to lean on.”

“I’m not all you think I am. Hmm…I don’t know.” She was silent for a minute.

"C J, you realize it's not like going to a costume party. You won’t be able to come home, take your costume off and be back to being you."

"I know. Remember that Halloween you talked me into being Sailor Mars?" I asked.

"Oh my God, I remember. You looked so good."

"Remember how I hated it at first? The skirt was too short. I’m not leaving the car. I can't walk in these heels. Someone will recognize me. I was scared to go out. By the end of the night, I was having a blast with you and your friends. I liked being one of the girls. I was accepted. I even danced with a guy. It was the best Halloween I ever had. If the year is going to be anything like that night, I think I can do it."

“If you’re serious about doing this, I’ll help as much as I can. I still think you're crazy. Think about it for another day or so. I think our food is coming. Let’s eat.”

~~0~~

I didn’t take Abbey’s advice to think about it. The next day, I asked Jennifer if I could see her. She said she would be free at 1:30. It was just after 2:00 when she was able to see me.

“I’m sorry about the delay, C J. What did you need to see me about?”

“It’s about the assignment. I have decided to accept the assignment.”

Jennifer gave me a serious look. “Are you sure? Are you absolutely sure?”

“I’m sure. I spoke with my sister and she had agreed to help me if I need any help.”

“Okay then. Let’s discuss the assignment.” She opened her bottom drawer and took out a folder, put it on her desk, and opened it. “For this assignment, you will be living as a woman for a year. You will have four weeks of training. After that, you will live and work 24/7 completely as a woman.

“You will be provided with prosthetics to give you breasts and a vagina. You will live in a company apartment. We will pay for your current apartment for the year. We will provide a complete wardrobe to get you started. You will be given a credit card for expenses. As long as what you spend pertains to the article, it will be approved. You will use the card to purchase food, clothing, makeup, and whatever else you might need. We will be monitoring what you spend so don’t go overboard.

“One other thing. During this assignment, you will, technically, not be working here. You will be working at jobs you will interview for as a woman. We will set up the interviews. You will change jobs every so often. The magazine will continue to pay you. You get to keep whatever you make at your other jobs. You will submit articles periodically.” She closed the folder. “We’re asking a lot from you. I think you’ll be well compensated. You’ll like the apartment.”

Thoughts swirled in my head: trained to present as a woman, live as a woman, work as a woman. I get a new apartment, two salaries, a nice budget, and my by-line. The only drawback was the woman part. It’s not like people haven’t thought I was a girl all my life. I’ll be presenting as a woman for a year. Essentially, the only thing I would be doing differently is wearing women’s clothing. It’ll be my byline.

“Here…,” Jenifer handed me the folder. “This explains in detail what we have gone over.” She handed me another paper. “I need you to sign this saying you understand what we expect and accept any consequences that may arise.” I gave the form a quick read and signed the form. She handed me another piece of paper. “You need to see the doctors on this form. We’ll make the appointments. We want to be sure you are mentally and physically able to undertake this assignment. It’s for insurance purposes.”

I took the form.

“Here’s the key to the apartment and your credit card. Take your sister to dinner then go see the apartment. You’ll like it. You have 3 days to change your mind. After that, there’s no turning back.”

~~0~~

When I got home that night, I made myself some coffee. I put a small scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. I began to read the information in the folder while it melted. It was all there, just as Jennifer had said. After reading it a second time, I put the folder down and stared at the wall. I had agreed to be a woman for a year. What the hell am I doing.

~~0~~

The doctor appointments were made and I went as directed. Even though the doctors had been briefed on my assignment, it was still a little awkward. As suggested, I took Abbey out for another dinner.

”They’re giving you an apartment and paying for your current apartment? That’s unreal!”

“I can’t believe it myself. I’ve got the key. Do you want to go see it after dinner?”

“Sure!”

We took a cab to the apartment building after dinner.

“This is your apartment building? Wow! This is one of the nicest apartment buildings in the city!”

We went into the building and through security. We took the elevator to the 3rd floor and walked around the corner to my apartment. I opened the door to let her walk in. We were both wide-eyed as we entered and began looking around.

There was a living area with a couch, a desk, and a 55 inch flat-screen TV on the wall. The walls were a pastel purple. The kitchen area was off to the left with a kitchen island to prepare meals. To the right were the two bedrooms, each with its own bathroom. One was painted a pastel blue the other was a soft coral.

"It's so neat. Are you sure this is yours?" she teased. Did I mention I’m not exactly the neatest person?

"I haven't started living here yet. Give me time."

We walked around the apartment taking it all in. We entered one of the bedrooms. There was a queen-size bed with pink bed sheets, a pink bedspread, and a ruffled bed skirt. There was a makeup table along the wall stocked with makeup, nail polish, and perfume sitting out all neatly arranged. She looked around the room and then at me.

"This is some apartment."

We went to the kitchen and found there was an espresso machine. “Look at this, “I said. “Want a latte?”

I made Abbey and myself a latte. The smell of coffee was in the air as I brought our drinks to the table. I set one in front of her before I sat. I took a sip. Abbey put both hands around her cup before lifting it to her mouth to taste the hot liquid. She put her cup down and looked at me and shook her head.

"Well, the apartment certainly has a feminine feel. You’re sure you want to do this?"

“I’ve signed the papers,” I said. “I’ve can back out but I think I can do this.”

“You sure you won’t wimp out?”

“I don’t know. Sometimes I feel I’m all in and other times I wonder what I’m doing. With your help, I think I can do it.”

“About that…” She got up and went to the bedroom. I followed her. “I want to see the prosthetics you’re going to wear.”

I went over to the dresser. After fumbling around, I found the latex breasts forms and vagina. “This is what they gave me.”

Abbey took the lifelike devices from me and examined them carefully. She handed them back to me and sat on the bed. She looked at me and her tone got very serious.

"C J, this is not a costume party. You won’t be able to come home, take your costume off and be back to being you. When does your training start?”

“I’m not sure. I think next Monday.”

“Your prosthetics are really high quality but I think you need something to make you feel more feminine. You need something to remind you every day you are a woman. Something that will keep you from backing out. I know I told you I would help but I have one condition. If you want my help, you have to do what I am about to tell you.”

“Okay.”

“You haven’t heard what I’m going to tell you yet.”

“I’ll do whatever you tell me to do. I want your help.”

“If you agree to my suggestion it will show me you are serious. If you don’t agree, I think you should drop it. Agreed?”

“Agreed.”

“For me to help you, I can’t believe I’m saying this, you need to get breast implants.”

“Breast implants?” I stared at her not believing what I just heard. “You want me to have breasts? That’s what the prosthetics are for.”

“Yes, but you will need to remove them often. When you do, you might be tempted to not put them back on for hours. With implants, you have no choice. They will be with you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Breasts are a sign of femininity. They will be your reminder you are not a male for the year. You won’t be able to wimp out if you have your own breasts. If you really want to do this and want my help, that’s my condition.”

”I’m going to take off the latex vagina. Do you want me to get a vagina too?” I said sarcastically.

“You’re only going to see that half of you when you go to the bathroom or look in a full-length mirror. You’ll see your breasts even when you brush your teeth. You’ll feel them when you move. More important, you’ll know they are your breasts. You won’t be a guy in a padded bra.”

“I don’t know about getting breasts.”

“You want my help, that’s my condition.”

“I don’t know if the magazine will go along with this.”

“Let me talk with them. Set up a meeting first thing Friday morning. I’ll schedule your implant surgery for Friday afternoon. And no eating or drinking after midnight Thursday.”

“What if they say no? Will you still help me, be there for me if I need to talk or need help?”

“They won’t say no. If they do, I’ll still help.”

“I can’t believe I’m agreeing to this. If the magazine agrees, I’ll get the implants.”

She looked at me surprised.

“I didn’t think you would do it,” Abbey said.

“What? This was a test?” I said.

“I needed to know you were serious.”

“So I don’t have to do it?” I asked.

“Oh, you have to get the implants if you want my help.”

“Only if they agree.”

“When they do, Friday evening I’ll be calling you sis. I’ve always wanted a sister.” She smiled.

~~0~~

Abbey and I were sitting in the conference room, along with Don, Cindy, and Jennifer. I made the introductions.

“Miss Cummings, C J said he has spoken to you about this assignment. He said you had some concerns?”

“Yes, Mr. Mueller. I've read the file he was given about the assignment. My concerns are about his well-being. He is my little brother after all.”

“We all like C J here. We are taking every precaution to make sure he is fine both mentally and physically.”

Don spoke about my evaluation by the doctors. He handed her the reports with the doctor’s stamp of approval. She paged through the reports.

“I’m pleased to see you have C J’s best interest in mind. I do have a suggestion. I’ve mentioned this to C J. He has agreed to follow my suggestion if you approve. I feel it is important C J feels as feminine as he can, full time, during this assignment. He told me about the prosthetics to give him breasts and a vagina.”

I cringed at the word vagina.

“He is going to have to remove both prosthetics occasionally. This would allow him to become male, even if for a few hours.”

“What are you suggesting, Miss Cummings?”

“Let him use the prosthetic for the vagina but I feel he needs to have breast implants.”

“Interesting. Go on,” Don said.

“Breast implants will mean he will have a constant reminder of what he is doing. Plus when he looks at himself in the mirror, he will see his breasts. He will feel them moving all day. When the assignment is over, the implants can be removed.”

I zoned out as the conversation continued. I don’t know how long it was before I heard Don say, “Miss Cummings that was quite insightful. I think you’re right. I’ll let you make the arrangements. C J, use the credit card to pay for the implants. So you know, your coach will be at the apartment on Monday morning. Your training begins then. Oh, you need to have this.” Don handed me a letter. “It’s a letter from the therapist stating you have a gender disorder and are in transition.”

“But I’m not…” I said as I took the letter.

“We know you’re not. It’s for you to have in case you need it. Keep it safe and a copy with you.”

Everyone left the room leaving me and Abbey sitting there. I was staring at the wall. I couldn’t believe they had agreed with Abbey. My sister put her hand on my shoulder.

“I told you they would approve. Get your things. You’ve got an appointment to keep.”

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Thanks for reading.
Comments welcome

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Cover picture Credits
Photo by Daria Sannikova from Pexels
Photo by Valeriia Miller from Pexels
Photo Composite by Peregrine