Alice's First Christmas
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"Mum I can't possibly do this. " Alex she told her quietly, horror evident in his voice. His mother standing next to him in their little combined kitchen and dinning room, snorted in rye amusement.
"Sure you can, honey, its not to like I’m asking you to work in that seedy sex store or anything. Its a very nice shop in a perfectly nice part of town, the stores owned by the mother of a girl who goes to your school, in fact I am fairly certain that she is in your class, Tracy Miller. Tracy and her friends often help out there when they are able, if it was so bad, I can’t imagine that Tracy would be allowed to do that.”
“That's all fine and good mum, but Tracy is a girl and the shop exclusively sells women’s clothes,” Alex self-consciously tucked a stray strand of long blonde behind his ear, it had somehow escaped his pony tail, which was tied back in a only slightly feminine low pony tail using the plainest black hair bobble Alex had been able to find. He had justified the bobble to himself by arguing that it was more practical than string or a boot lace. Alex outright refused to consider eleastic bands after hes had be heard how much they can damaged the hair.
Alex knew exactly the sex shop that his mother was referencing, only a street away from the clothing store it was called dark temptations and prominently displayed a riding crop in the window. Alex had heard the crude remarks of local boys as they went past it, although few dared to stay close by for long. While a component of that fear was based on their peers, most of it was fear of the shop’s young owner Tasha McFarland. Daughter of a wealthy property developer, Tasha had left the same secondary school that Alex was currently attending and had begun buying up an unused property in the town centre, two years later dark temptations had begun trading.
Tasha McFarland was well known to have a fiery temper and a no-nonsense attitude, an attitude that had sparked a legendary encounter four years ago. The story went that when Tasha had heard a group of boys picking on a girl and being overly pushy outside her shop she had not only raced outside to defend the girl but had told the boys that unless they apologised to the girl and immediately changed attitude towards women she would arm the girl and any of the girls friends that might wish for them with whips like the one in her shop window and further would teach the girls how to used them to the greatest effect on the troublesome boys. Doubtless the tale was largely apocryphal but it still resulted in most of the roving groups of boys giving the store a wide birth.
Althoughs most of the inhabitants of the small town fained horror at dark temptations it had remained open for several years indicating that despite the seeming majority disgust it must be have at least some clientel, possible even from the ranks of the disgusted majority.
Alex in a rare moment of belligerency decided to add to his comment telling the his mother that he would rather work at dark temptations than Tracy's mothers shop. While it sounded like a good idea in Alex head it certainly proved not to be when after he said those words his mother, usually a placid woman became irate.
“Over my cold dead body mister. No child of mine will go any where near that... that," Here the woman was fairly spitting with pent up anger and disgust. “That den of iniquity, it’s not a fit place, you here all sorts of stories and sore did goings on. It's owned by that supposed buisness ticoon Tasha something. I would no want you or your sister working there or indeed anywhere near her. " She paused now to catch her breath, the outburst now a spent force. Alex unsure how to react to all of that, wisely stayed silent, waiting.
“Worst of all, you annoying child, you have got me thoroughly worked up for nothing. I am not asking you to get a job any anywhere, Lilly, Tracy’s mother has been asking around, she needs some help in her shop for a few days, apparently she expected one of her daughters friends would help out but has had no takers at this point, she has been asking round local parents as well but hasn’t gotten any positive responses. Lilly asked me if either you or your sister would be interested, I told her that I was sure one of you would. I thought that your sister would probably want to do it but I had forgotten that she would be busy helping out Mrs Martines with the theatre production but your available and really it will only be a few days, it would get you out the house and keep you out of trouble. "
Alex sighed and resisted arguing any further, it was hopeless, arguing with his mother was always futile. He wanted to argue that he too was part of the theatre production, but it would have been a hollow point. His own part was a few meagre lines while his sister, Tasha, was the assistant director he really couldn't, however much he might wish to, argue that, that was the same work load. He wanted to argue that he was swamped with school revision, but he knew his mother would know that wasn't true. No, he was stuck, tomorrow he would begin a Christmas of working in a woman's clothing store and Alex knew that before new year all of the school bullies would know it too. As soon as they knew any last shred of Alex's manhood and dignity would be instantaneously burned away after what they already called him and did to him already, Alex's shuddered to think what they might do to him then.
"Hi Alex, " Lilly, Tracy's mother, called as he entered the store Alex was still annoyed and more than anything wanted to grunt monosyllabically at her cheery greeting, but Lilly’s smile was infectious and Alex found himself smiling instead polity back at her, regardless of his previous intentions. “It's mostly just moving stock around, organising it and stuff, Tracy's down in the stock room/basement, she will show you what to do it’s just this way."
Alex nodded and followed Lilly's directions down to the basement. The staircase located off to the side of the till area wound down in a spiral until it emerged into a roomy basement, the basement was not dark but was fully enclosed and the only source of light case came from several overhead electric lights evenly spaced to give an equal distribution of light, even if that light was not quite enough to make the space seem bright, the effect was a cavernous and not exceptionally well lit space. An effect, Jack realised as he glanced about, that was not exactly helped by the size of the basement. Lilly's shop was by no means massive but it wasn't small either and the basement was every inch as large a space as the shop above it.
“Hi Alex, mum told me she would send you to down here as soon as you arrived.”
Alex could only manage a nod and a smile so taken a back was he to be talking to Tracy and be her sole focus of attention. She was beautiful or at least that’s what Alex thought and he knew that the he was far from the only one in his school who thought so. Tracy had long strawberry blonde hair, almost as long as Alex's but unlike Alex she tended to either let it loose, like she had today, or gathered up by an array of different coloured scrunchies. An array that Alex couldn't help but feel jealous of considering his dower and bland collection of plain black bobbles. Tracy was about the same size as Alex although she was slightly taller, Alex was quite short for a boy being the shortest boy in his class by no small margin.
“Come on, there's no need to be shy now, we know each other already and there are no adults around here now. Why don't we get a cup of tea before we start." Tracy gestured over to a small table to the best of the stairs that held a small kettle and four cups.
Things got easier between the two and before long they were chatting together cradling warm cups of hot tea in their hands.
“My job, ours now, is to go through all this." Tracy did her best to gesticulate towards the other end of the room while still cradling her tea.
While one half of the large room, the half Tracy and Alex were standing in, was clear and quite empty, the other half of was a cluttered jumble. A combination of clothes racks packed with clothes and large cardboard boxes, either laying on their own or stacked haphazardly.
The horror of the immensity of the task must have shown on Alex's face because Tracy immediately set off giggling, which at once set off Alex as well.
“Yeah, my mum isn't the best at dealing with old stock and stuff. Everything that it isn't sold kinda just gets shoved down here, mum always says she will go through it and put some of the stock back out as discounted sale stuff but she never does, it just sits here, where mum left it after carefully packing it up. Mum wants us to go through all of this, sort it, catalogue it, and label some of it. Mum's also no so great with social media, like not good at all, so she has agreed to let me handle some of that as well, especially if we find any old stock that might sell well now. "Tracy explained excitedly.
“Those boxes over there, I was told not to touch. They’re one of mum’s latest hair brained schemes,” Tracy went on will a smirk. “She gets things in her head every once in a while, ideas as to how to increase profits, how to advertise something better, that sort of thing, usually they don't work out but occasionally they do.”
“What's this one?" Alex asked eagerly he had been following Tracy’s fast paced flowing speech avidly but had been completely unable to find anywhere to interject.
“Oh, this one, this one, ok this one might be good, even I think this might work, although like with most of mum's plans it’s difficult to work out if it’s a game changer or just another failed experiment. So, the stores a women's shop, right, so mum thinks that is we feature a few women’s books in one of the windows and a small bookcase along the right wall, it might help to boast sales. You know, you’re walking around the town shopping checking out the best deals and sales, you see some really nice books in the window, go in to investigate and come out with the book as well as a bag of clothes because while you were in there looking at the book you saw that cute top that you just had to have.” Tracy so excitedly announced, subconsciously setting down her empty tea cup in order to better talk with her hands.
“Book's, isn't this a clothing shop?" Alex asked doubtful.
"That's what I said, at first, but mum explained it to me and now I’m not so sure that it’s a bad idea. So, it’s like this, mum thinks that the primary thing about the shop is that it is aimed at women, women’s clothes, women’s fashions. So, when she is doing the book thing all the books would be aimed at women as well. Five different ones to start out with just as a test, if it doesn’t work, we don’t have to continue the test, and if it does work then mum was saying that she might up that number next time. If it works mum was thinking she could get new books in every two to three months or so. The authors wouldn't have to be women but the books would need to be aimed at women, although I think all of the test five are. A couple of them live quite close by so mum has asked if any of them with come and sign some of the books for them. So far, no responses, but, it would be major for mum if they did, I mean can you imagine.”
They chatted together for a bit longer before getting down to work. As they began opening boxes Tracy warned Alex.
“At some point when the store is not too busy Mum is going to want to show you how to operate the till. It is just precautionary, Mum likes everyone in the store to be able to work behind the counter just in as case they need to. It's happened with to everyone my friends. Whenever I bring anyone here, mum always tries to teach them, half of them are still scared that if they comeback mum will either test them or force them to work.” Tracy laughed, then noticing the agitation on Alex's face and his eyes full of fear at the prospect, Tracy's tone softened to one of gentle reassurance.
“It will be fine. Really there is nothing to worry about, it’s pretty difficult to mess up and I doubt mum will ever actually ask you to serve a customer anyway. At least not on your own, without her present, supervising. It's just so you would know what to do if you ever did have to or want to.”
The two had in fact only just gotten started when Tracy's prediction came true in what was apparently the first none busy moment Lilly had, had since Alex had entered the store Lilly called them back up to the store so as to give to primarily Alex instruction on all things till related. While the instruction was geared towards Alex, Tracy was called to join, her mother never missing the opportunity for a refresher. Despite Lilly's efforts, the instruction had to be brief and delivered in-between customers. The brevity was a double-edged sword for Alex, on the one hand after only a few minutes of instruction his head felt like it might explode with all the extra information, on the other hand Alex felt that he really wanted to continue, there was so much he didn't know that was vital behind that till. Sure, there was the basics but there was so much more to learn; like what styles of clothes to recommend, what the clothing styles were called, which types of skirt went with which kinds of top and why. There was just so much for Alex to learn and that alone seemed to light a passion within him to try to find out about everything he didn’t know.
Tracy immediately picked up on that eagerness of to learn and while she did find it slightly odd for a boy to be so interested in women’s clothing styles, Tracy merely filed that away in her brain for later. So, as they went through the boxes, which really was laborious and tedious work, the two struck up a conversation about fashion and styles of clothes. Tracy teaching Alex as they worked. Tracy within minutes forgot that Alex wasn't also a girl and subconsciously she began talking to Alex the same way she would any of her girlfriends, a fact that Tracy would only realise much later.
Tracy had a system figured out with the boxes that she happily and quickly shared with Alex. This system operated in stages, first Tracy would open a box and take out anything inside the box, the contents that had been removed were then sorted through, next Tracy would take a picture of each individual style of outfit contained in the box, fourthly a description was noted down in the little notebook Tracy kept beside her, as well as the amount of that design in the box, Tracy would then assign each box a number which she marked in large on the side of the box, finally the boxes contents was then carefully replaced into the box before the box was resealed with packing tape as if it had never been opened. If the same design of clothing had already been found in a different box Tracy would note that down including the other boxes number.
While the initial intention was for Alex to independently process boxes alongside Tracy following her method, the pair soon decided that, that would just get to confusing very quickly and would probably just result in them both slowing each other down. Instead, the pair agreed to work collaboratively on one box at a time, with Alex handling the pictures and Tracy the note pad. This was far more companionable, than the other method and much faster than when Tracy was doing this by herself.
They were progressing nicely now several boxes in when the call that Tracy had claimed was incredibly unlikely came. Lilly called down to the two teens requesting that one of them come up to the shop, Alex quickly went up to investigate what Lilly wished to tell them and sound himself in the positively terrifying position that only a couple of hours ago he had dreaded and had been assured was very unlikely to occur. Alex was going to be behind the counter facing customers and serving them without even Lilly to help. Lilly told Alex that she had to rush out for a few minutes but would be back as soon as she could. Lilly tried to reassure the petrified teen that Tracy would be only a shout away if he needed anything but it did little to calm his nerves at the prospect.
Alex was insanely nervous as the first woman nervous approached the counter but after the first couple of customers he realised that his previous concerns were incredibly foolish. His new-found realisation made Alex more confident that he could do this and by the four customer he was chatting amicably with the woman as he rang up her purchases.
Tracy hurried to finish the box they had been working on as soon as Alex had been called away. She had a feeling that whatever he had been called away for would be well outside of Alex's comfort zone and that she would be needed very soon. Still Tracy was not comfortable leaving a box only half done in case she lost track of what she had and had not done. Tracy's certainty that she was needed in the shop grew with every moment that Alex did not return. So as soon is Tracy had finished that box, she wasted little time in following Alex up out of the basement and up to the shop above, only stopping briefly to smooth out her crumpled clothes and make sure she looked presentable.
When Tracy emerged blinking into the light of the store it took her a moment to work out what had happened, when she did she was to ready to intervene and replace Alex at the till remembering just how worried he had been earlier, but Alex's demeanour stopped her short.
Tracy watched from the corner where the basement stair case was located, out of sight of the customer and Alex both, as he proceeded to chat amicably with the woman and confidently ring up the sale. While nothing was wrong with the conversation it did spark further questions that Tracy really wanted to ask Alex. When the customer left, temporarily leaving the shop empty for the moment save Alex and Tracy, Tracy raced forwards to converse with Alex. Tracy had not even had time to say a word when her mother came bursting back into her shop, clearly worked that the two teens had been unable to cope in her absence.
Alexis no nonsense demeanour and calm reassurances soon placated Lilly leaving Tracy to wonder at his calm, soothing, even motherly tone and actions. Boys didn't have those traits at least Tracy didn't think so, it seemed incongruent with Tracy's knowledge that Alex, hard as it was to believe at times, was in fact male. Alex to the best of his ability gave Lilly a rundown of what he had done, how much money he had taken and what he had sold. The last proving the most difficult. Although he was only able to do so after he had spent a few minutes calmed her down sufficiently.
After this unexpectedly emotional debriefing, with Lilly back in control of the, till and the shop front, Alex and Trace were able to go out into the town to get something for lunch. The pair quickly decided on a sandwich shop not far from the store. With their sandwiches in hand agreement was swift to take them down to the basement so as to be able to enjoy the sandwiches in the peace and comfort that the basement afforded and out of the seasonably cold bitter December weather.
Back at the basement Alex brewed more tea for them while Tracy pulled two bean bag seats out of a corner, bean bags that Alex had not been observant enough to realise where even there. When Alex commented about not having seen them, Tracy nodded eagerly.
“These bean bags are as close as I have been able to get to convincing mum to allow actual seats in here. You would not believe the amount of persuading I have tried to do, but she won't budge.”
As the pair tucked into their companionable lunch of sandwich washed down with mouthfuls of hot tea. Tracy finally found the courage to ask about something that had troubled her since she had watched Alex serving customers at the cash register.
"At least one of the customers thought you were a girl, they called you Miss. Do you mind if I ask about that?”
Alex nodded. "Yeah, I thought you might have noticed that, I didn't realise that it had happened until after the customers had left to be honest. It happens quite often, so often that I guess I have gotten used to people mistaking me for a girl. Since mum has stories of people being mistaken when seeing me as such from before I can remember, it's definitely not a new thing. I guess I haven’t made it any easier for anyone since I started growing my hair out. People see the long hair, short height and hear the name Alex and they immediately think that Alex must be short for Alexis, Alexa, Alexandra or something.”
Tracy nodded thoughtfully, it was true. She realised her view of at Alex had always been based on the fact that someone had told her Alex was a boy, if she didn't know then Tracy realised that she too would have struggled to identify Alex as being a boy. The more Tracy looked at Alex the more she realized that androgynous was the most masculine Alex ever looked and more often than not more female than androgynous. Tray realised suddenly that for Alex even looking androgynous was likely to fool people into miss gendering, an androgynous looking person with long hair was more often than not going to be categorised by passers-by as female than male, maybe a tomboy but defiantly as more likely to be female.
“Do you mind it?" Tracy asked after a while.
“Not really I'm so used to it that I don't even really think about it anymore. Mostly people don't mean anything by it anyway. " Came Alex’s response.
Alice's first Christmas Chapter 2 - Alice
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"Hey bro, you headed back to that dress shop tomorrow?” Jessica asked innocently the snicker only audible in her voice if Alex chose to hear it.
Looking up from his phone, Alex decided to ignore it and pretend he had not heard the implied levity levelled at his expense.
"Yeah, Tracy and Lilly want me back to help out again there's still a lot of work to do. I can't believe mum stuck me with this though instead of you. "
“Well, that's easy, she probably knew which one of us would be more interested in hanging around a dress shop.” Jessica quipped smugly.
“Hey, that's not fair, I've seen you in a dress at least twice this year.” Alex exasperatedly choked out in defence. His sister's raised eyebrow was her only real response.
While it was true that Jessica did occasionally wear dresses, her accusation although made in jest did have some merit behind it. Alex had never been a particularly boyish kind of boy, while his sister had always more easily fitted that stereotype having always been somewhat of a tomboy, now in her late teens growing towards adulthood that had seemingly not changed much. Usually, she could be found when not otherwise occupied, in a set of loose-fitting jogging bottoms and a white muscle top worn over a white sports bra. The muscle top showed off the well-defined muscles of her arms and shoulders, a testament to how long Jessica spent working out in the home gym she had created. The gym had been created several years ago, by partitioning the double large double garage in half. It was just such an outfit that Jessica wore now perched on the arm of the sofa annoying he brother. Alex was not in fact helping his own case. He too wore jogging bottoms but they were only really that in name only, the material was much lighter than most and fit snugly over his legs more like leggings than jogging bottoms. That, however, was not what had caught his sister’s attention, which was directed solely at the oversized t-shirt he was currently wearing, the hem of which hung down to mid-thigh level.
"Ha ha, sis, very funny, what's next, suggestions that I could accessories with a high waist belt or something.”
"Nah, nothing so cruel, I was just going to ask you if your boyfriend wanted his shirt back and if he knew you had stolen it.” Jessica smirked, taunting Alex was always far to easy and saw it as her duty as the elder sibling. She knew perfectly well that Alex had deliberately bought several of his T-shirts far too big because he loved the effect for just hanging around the house but it made a particularly tempting target especially when considering dresses.
"Funny, I was going to ask you the same question.”
“Ha jokes on you, I haven't dated guys in years, and Katie really loved it when I wore this. " Jessica nonchalantly returned.
Alex blushed crimson at the memory, only a month ago he had made the mistake of trying to find his sister when she had invited Katie over, he had scrambled away before he had actually seen them, but Katie's, carnal screams had left him extremely embraced and in no doubt as to what they had been doing. Jessica, who preferred to be called Jess by most people, made no sex secret of her sexual encounters or her relationships such as they were, had known of this and found it immensely funny how embraced Alex got about it.
“Well, bro, I’m going to go and do some weights, want to join, you never know Tracy might prefer a more muscled version of you.” Tracy was something else that she liked to taunt Alex about, several months ago she had discovered his crush on the girl and what is more, Jess was virtually certain that Tracy felt the same way but neither had moved to do anything about it.
Alex shook his head. “No thanks. Though I hope she doesn't, I'd hate to lose her to my big sis. Wouldn't that violate some kind of brotherly code or something?"
Despite the hushed tone of the last part of his sentence, Alex's words were caught by Jess and her clear light laughter could be heard long after she had left the room.
As good as the tea had been the last time Alex had worked with Tracy at her mother’s store he stopped by a McDonald’s on his way to the shop and purchased a chocolate milkshake for himself and a strawberry one for Tracy, her favourite flavour. Despite it being totally the wrong time of year for anything as cold as the milkshakes, Alex felt that it could never be the wrong season for milkshakes and he felt certain that Tracy would agree with him.
The pair drank the cold but extremely tasty milkshakes as they discussed what they were doing for the next several hours, taking sips of the nearly frozen liquid between sentences so as not to end up with brain freeze.
“Mum thinks we have done a lot so far, she told me if we continue at that kind of pace this morning, we can do something far more exciting this afternoon. " Tracy paused in her exuberant excitement to consider Alex for a moment.
"Well, something I think is more exciting anyway. Mum has agreed to a few model shots and stuff."
Alex nodded, obviously not as enthused as Tracy was.
“Come on, it will be fun you will see. You can take most of the pics and I can do most of the hard modelling work. Lighten up will you.” With that last sentence, Tracy punched Alex in the arm in a jovial way.
Fate might have been so different but for that one act. Alex had only just retrieved his half-drunk milkshake the contents having just warmed up enough to be liquid enough to easily be sucked out through the straw. Unfortunately, for Alex, he had not bothered to make sure the lid was properly attached. One minute at Alex was holding the Milkshake the next, jostled by Tracy, he was wearing the half-drunk milkshake.
Tracy immediately raced to find some tissue to mop up the sticky cold mess, apologising profusely as she did so but no matter what she did, the damage was done. Alex stood shivering slightly, the cold sticky milk having already seeped through both his light blue fleece and his t-shirt underneath it.
“Well, there’s nothing for it, you will just have to start modelling early is all." Tracy said finally with a smirk.
“What?" Alex questioned through chattering teeth.
"You’re standing in a clothing shop, and yes lots of what my mum sells is not cheap, but some clothing lines are quite moderately priced, and I'm sure mum will give me a discount. Don't look at me like that, you can't stay like that, you can’t go on wearing those clothes now, and you can't go anywhere to get others, not like that anyway. "
Alex, who had been glaring profusely at her, slowly let the sense of what Tracy was saying wash over him and he was reluctantly forced to agree.
"OK, I guess, but just nothing too... " Alex trailed off.
"Fine, I will see what I can find. Why don't you take off those wet clothes, while I go up and talk to mum and hopefully find something for you to wear.” Tracy enthused already bouncing off to do just that. While Tracy was gone Alex removed the sticky garments until he stood in just his boxer shorts. While his fleece hoody and t-shirt had brown the brent of the sticky cold liquid his jeans had not been so lucky as to escape the dairy deluge altogether. In the remaining time before Tracy returned Alex used the sink and some tissue to sponge as much of the sticky residue from his skin as possible.
Alex felt quite vulnerable standing there in only his boxer shorts waiting for Tracy to return. A vulnerability that was not helped by the look in Tracy's eyes when she caught sight of Alex. She was holding a bundle of clothes that looked ominously pink, the bundle of clothes was haphazardly dumped on the one of the two bean bags as Tracy stalked towards Alex like a lioness stalking her prey. Alex stood nervously, unsure what to do or what he should think and feel as Tracy closed the gap between them.
Her hands met the exposed flesh of his torso, stroking upwards to roam over his chest. Alex breath hitched at her wondering hands and the powerful, possessive, controlling, lust-filled look that met his own adoring and admittedly lust-filled gaze. Tracy could feel herself getting drunk on the power she clearly had over Alex. She could feel his body shiver with pleasure and excitement at her touch. The adoration and pleasure she could see in Alex's eyes that bore straight back at her own, enticed and egged her on. At last, unwilling to go further Tracy ran her hands down from his shoulders to the centre of his chest eliciting enticing little gasps that sorely tested Tracy's resolve. Finally, Tracy removed her hands from Alex's chest all together and took a half step back, taking a moment or two to regain control of her lust and other emotions.
Tracy let out a breath and spoke, her voice suddenly raw and gravelly full of emotion.
“Go and put on some of those clothes I brought on." Tracy's voice so commanding and far harsher than she had intended it to be, struck a note inside Alex and without a thought he instantly found himself moving to obey.
Alex examined each item before he put them on and was quite relieved to discover that Tracy had been for the most part kind in her selections. While the top was indeed a girl’s top, it was a light blue and there was only a small discernible difference from a guy’s top. Alex was slightly perturbed to discover that the girl's top fitted him better around the arms and shoulders than the guy’s t-shirts he was used to wearing it left him wondering if maybe his sister hadn't been right after all about those weights. Tracy had found a replacement for Alex's fleece, while it was bright pink and very girly the fleece did, have a zip at the front which was a design that Alex favoured. The pink hoody was in this way a slight upgrade over the light blue one Alex had worn to the shop that morning but and when Alex felt the material, he was forced to raise it even further in his estimation, his light blue one was the warmest fluffiest fleece Alex possessed and he loved the soft fluff but from the feel of the material, this pink one had it beat.
The leggings were similar to his jogging bottoms at home and Alex took a moment to admire how the material hugged his legs and bum, a trait that he was not alone in admiring as Tracy looked on eagerly.
“Sorry I couldn't get you any jeans, women’s jeans tend to hug our hips and bums more than men’s, to wear most of the designs mum sells you would need panties and that’s one thing mum doesn't sell. I think you can just about get away with the boxers under those leggings though." Tracy hurriedly explained.
When the full effect was complete, Tracy stepped back from Alex to admire the transformation and gasped. Alex immediately started to become self-conscious over his appearance and the clothing Tracy had dressed him up in, an anxiety that was only partially assuaged by Tracy’s calm reassurances. She had sat back down next to Alex her hand pressed soothingly to his back running reassuring circles over it until Alex had his emotions under better control. When Alex was more in control of himself Tracy gave him tissues which he used to dab away the tears that had tricked down his cheeks during the few minute’s ordeal.
“You look fine Alex, really you do. It's just, well, it's just I didn't expect to look so natural, so feminine. It came as a surprise but you don't look like a freak as you claim. You look great, hot even. "
Alex snorted at this and tried to look annoyed, after all, what guy wanted to hear that they look like a cute girl, even if they are wearing women’s clothes but a part of him, a large part was really very pleased. Part of Alex felt that this was the most right thing he had ever done and Alex was not sure how to react or deal with that part of himself now he was suddenly confronted by it.
Alex was quite perturbed by Tracy's refusal to allow him to see how he looked. She had taken his phone before this had begun and the basement didn't have any mirrors. Alex briefly considered going up to use the one in the store but immediately rejected the idea, he had no wish to make himself into a public laughing stock if everything did look as disastrously drag as Alex believed it did despite Tracy's reassurances. Instead, Alex resorted to an annoyed pout, a pout that Tracy found incredibly cute, laughable and just as irresistible.
“Fine, I will let you look but you need to allow me to brighten you up a bit first."
Alex considered for a moment his face brightening. “Ok, but no makeup."
"Yeah," Tracy nodded eagerly. “You don't need it, and this is already a lot for you. Maybe some other time.” She added wistfully.
Tracy instead set to work on Alex's hair, first brushing it out of the usual ponytail Alex had put it in that morning, trying to make his flowing locks appear as plain and boyish as possible before she arrayed it in a high ponytail that bobbed around at the top of his head. As a last finishing touch, Tracy added a red satin ribbon tied into a bow. Alex sat patiently back as Tracy worked, the feeling of someone brushing his hair and strongly calming, reminding him of when his mum used to brush his hair when he was little. Alex would admit to being slightly perturbed when Tracy produced the ribbon to tie into his hair but he remained mostly calm and did not freak out like he had earlier. The sensation of the high ponytail was unusual and felt different but not in a way that upset Alex, on the contrary thinking about the feeling caused a warm wave to course through him. It was a feeling brought on by the same place in him that was positively giddy about the whole transformation a part that was rapidly winning against the more boyish elements of his psyche.
Pulling out her own phone Tracy unlocked it and set it to the camera function. She then directed Alex to stand and pose for her while she took pictures from several different angles. Finally, Tracy sat back down next to Alex sharing the bigger of the two bean bags, cautiously she handed over her phone set now to the gallery displaying the pictures she had just taken, and Alex eagerly accepted it.
Flicking through the pictures Alex let out an audible gasp the girl staring flirtatiously back at him from the phone screen looked undeniably beautiful, happy and full of life.
“I look like a girl. "Alex breathed softly almost under his breath.
Tracy’s arm shot out at his half-uttered words and pulled him tight to her.
“You make a really beautiful girl, Alex you're a very hot girl."
Alex blushed, the words Tracy had uttered speaking to his soul and once again Alex felt the same familiar hot tingle as the girlish part of him silently begged him to accept this.
"It feels really odd calling you Alex now. I mean it can be a girl’s name as well as a boy’s but, well you don't really look like an Alex like that." Tracy babbled in coherently at his side.
Alex felt the same tingly heat and a certain rightness in all of this, a name sprang to mind.
“Alice." It was quite little more than a whisper, at first Alex did not even realise he had said it out loud until he looked over at Tracy.
More confidently now he spoke again. "For today at least I am Alice." Alice immediately tasted the rightness of her own words and leaned into Tracy's embrace her head resting on Tracy's shoulder and a smile playing peacefully upon her face. Tracy smiled back acceptance in her eyes as she fully accepted Alice and how full of surprises Alex could be.
“Well then Alice, come on girl we have a lot to do this morning." With that Tracy disentangled herself from Alice and strode off confidently towards the other side of the long room.
Obediently, her heart and cheeks warm and glad for two very separate reasons, Alice followed like an obedient puppy.
Alice had to admit that, that day was one of the best she had ever experienced. While the morning was spent cataloguing as before, the afternoon was spent in joyous revere with Tracy. They were supposed to be modelling clothes or at least Tracy was but as they both joyously declared to one another, there was no reason that they could not have some fun while doing it. In fact, the pair had rather a lot of fun teasing, and laughing and talking as much and as loudly as they dared. By the end of it, Alice had taken several very good photo shots of Tracy in four different artists that Tracy had told her could be used later when Tracy was back home and could be added to the shop's website and social media pages.
Tracy kept Alice's boundaries in mind through most of the day, she did not want to scare Alice away, it was strange, Alice was just so natural it almost made Tracy forget that she was really Alex. That line of thought made Tracy question a lot of things about Alex, if Alice was so natural was she meant to be there instead of Alex? Tracy assumed her friend would tell her the answer when and if he knew, but Tracy did have to question even that because Alice seemed to be something Alex had been struggling with for a long time and he had never even vaguely confided in Tracy. Tracy tried not to feel too hurt by that decision.
While Tracy had tried to be mindful of Alice's boundaries, she had been forced to push them twice. Once out of necessity and once for Alice's own good. It had been necessary for Lilly to meet Alice, something that had gone surprisingly well. While Alice had been very frightened of Tracy's mother's reaction, she need not have been, all Lilly gave her was compliments, there was no judgement there. Lilly was just incredibly supportive and completely understanding of the young girl's, younger even than your tender years, anxiety over being seen in public.
Yet despite Tracy's knowledge of Alice's anxiety over being seen in public, Tracy still forced her out, so that together they could get something for lunch. Alice was self-conscious the whole time, despite most of her outfit being covered by her coat, looking all about her suspiciously as is every person she met, and even the inanimate objects might soon discover her and do her some harm. Tracy did her best to distract her friend and by the time the pair came back to the basement to eat, Alice was no longer so wry or afraid. Tracy though did mark the change in attitude between Alex and Alice. Alex was usually very closed off and times distant, there were times that Tracy had found she had to call his attention back to either herself or the task he was doing. Getting Alex to talk was also sometimes difficult and while most of the time he gave normal answers, at times he would seem even more closed off and liable to give monosyllabic answers. Alice in contrast was bubbly and talkative her attention never wondering she also seemed somewhat happier, and freer than Alex ever had. Tracy wondered at such a marked difference between them, it troubled her even as she was glad of Alice's more upbeat nature and freer tongue.
As the pair were finishing up for the day, Tracy finally shared with Alice some great news that she had been intending to tell her all day.
“Mum's book idea is going really well. The other day I told you that she had contacted one of the authors and that, that author lives locally. Well, the author has been in contact and she is going to come to the shop at the close of business in two days’ time to sign some of the books and meet with mum. Mum asked me this afternoon to ask you if you would come back that day to help us prepare."
Alice nodded vigorously, her high ponytail bobbing comically. “That's amazing, of course, I will come and help." She giggled.
“I was told to tell you that it doesn't matter who comes Alice or Alex, mum doesn't mind. She told me to tell you that there is no pressure or expectation either way. " Tracy broke into the giggle fest, regretting it instantly as the giggling immediately fell silent. Alice wasn't sure how to react to that, emotion overwhelmed her at the acceptance, she merely nodded, her eyes to the floor and a tear of gratitude trickling down her cheek.
Tracy immediately stepped forward to close the gap between them and threw a supportive arm over Alice's shoulder. The other hand sought and found in her pocket a small pack of tissues, one of which she used to dab away Alice’s tears.
They stood like that for some time before they were interrupted by a loud electronic beeping. Alice disentangled herself from Tracy's comforting embrace, which she had been quite enjoying, realising that the beeping which had since ceased had been her phone.
Alice's face fell when she looked at the text message, she had just received and Tracy came bounding up to her because Alice once again looked to be on the brink of tears.
"Apparently, it's going to be really cold tonight, possibly snow. Mum fears that it is already getting icy so she has sent Jess to fetch me in the car." Alice told Tracy when queried about what was wrong.
"So,” Tracy began, drawing out the last letter as she did so. "I don't see what the problem is.”
“She is coming in ten minutes and I am like this.” Alice gestured to herself her confidence having clearly evaporated at the thought of her sister's impending arrival.
“Yes, and you look very hot. I'm sure if she wasn't your sister she would not be able to resist you." Tracy joked lightly.
Alice didn't find it half as amusing as Tracy did. “First off ew, no, just no. And again ew gross. Second, she will judge me."
Tracy snorted at that last sentence and could not contain her mirth and laughter at the notion. "Really, you think Jess, your sister, who is one of the most prominent members of the LGBTQ community in our small town, will judge you, for this? Jess who is every lesbian or bi-girl’s wet dream, " Here Tracy sighed dramatically. "Is not going to judge you for this even if you weren't her little sister. " Alice felt a surge of joy despite herself at being called Jess’s little sister and could not help either the snorting or the giggling that ensued along with Tracy now her fears and tears forgotten.
"You seem to have given my sister some serious thought." Alice pointed out through her giggling.
“Oh please, what girl in this town hasn't fantasised about Jess.” Tracy dismissed pulling a still giggling Alice close to her.
Alice's first christmas chapter 3 - Cat and Tasha
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"Hi, bro? Sis?" Jess's tone was light and teasing but from the slight questioning edge to her tone of voice Alex knew at least on that point she was not teasing or making light of anything.
"Bro is fine, I'm still Alex. " Alex told his sister seriously from where he was curled up on the sofa.
The words for now went unsaid between them. Jess nodded firmly, choosing not to comment on Alex's outfit choice or that he was folded up on the sofa in a way she had only ever seen her mother and her girlfriends do. Clearly, Alice was making herself known even now and from the moment she had been introduced to Alice by Tracy Jes had been completely unsure Of Alex's protestations that Alice was a one-time thing and that she would only exist for that one day. Jess planned to be supportive either way, but, well she just could not imagine that the bright young girl with eyes that sparked clear and bright with all her joy and enthusiasm was just going to fold herself away into her slightly dull and quirky little brother.
Jess's eyes had not deceived her, Alex's outfit was similar to the one he always wore for comfort and yet somehow was even more girly than the one Jess had so often, unknowingly teased him about. He wore his customary far too large blue t-shirt but in place of his tight jogging bottoms, he wore the girly leggings Tracy had given him, distinct by the little pink logo on the mid-thigh of the left leg. Jess was slightly surprised though at how like his joggers these girl's leggings were. The bright pink huddy was unzipped and about his shoulders, the sleeves just slightly too long for his had arms. Alex's hair glistening and soft, newly brushed, the brush abandoned on the arm of the sofa, rested on his shoulder loose and free.
Truly Jess could have been forgiven for believing that Alice was present not Alex, the person curled on the sofa looked far more girl than boy. Indeed, Jess could see very little that indicated the boy Alex was there at all.
"Mum told me that you want me to drop you off at Lilly's Shop in a bit." Jess said after a pause.
"Yeah, as long as you're free to do that, still got a while yet though, maybe an hour. Tracy texted me telling me that Lilly wants me to come later and stay later than the last couple of times. She also asked me to ask you if you could stay for a few minutes. " Alex told her in a rush snuggling still further if it were at all possible into the soft pink fluff of his fleece.
Jess thought for a few seconds, her head cocked at an angle before she pulled out her phone and began texting. After a few more minutes she lifted her head from her phone screen and regarded Alex.
"Yeah, that should be fine. What does Lilly need me for?"
"Lifting some tables and things, I don't know exactly. Tracy did say that she didn't think it would take you long."
"That should be fine, Cat says she will meet me at the shop."
"Cat? " Alex queried "Yeah, she is actually Catherine but she prefers Cat apparently." Jess explained. Alex nodded slowly taking everything in, realisation dawning.
"New girlfriend?"
"Yeah, met her a couple of weeks ago. So, no more sneaking after me unannounced, not unless you like to watch. " Jess replied an evil smirk playing over her face.
"You weren't even in your room, sis, can't you at least keep it there," Alex whined, going very red. "Second ew gross, I don't want to see that, like, you're my sister, like it's bad enough hearing that."
Jessica cackled evilly as she walked out of the room.
Alex and Tracy busied themselves moving smaller things around the basement while Jessica manoeuvred a small table and a couple of chairs down into the basement. Jessica made light work of the task but could see why Lilly had requested her presents Alex and Tracy would have had difficulty even working together. The real task though was one Jess had not been prepared for, a robust-looking standalone set of metal shelves that needed assembling and putting next to the shop window. This was the real reason she had been asked to help, Jess realised. The weight of the shelves even disassembled would probably have been too much for Tracy and Alex and Jess knew that she did not and would not trust her little brother to assemble something like this. The only two times that Jess had tried to do something like this with Alex, he had so gotten distracted and had lost the screws. Sighing Jess decided that taking each bit over to the window area and assembling it there would be more effective than assembling it and then moving the completed unit over to the window.
Jess had nearly completed the shelves when the loud argument interrupted her thoughts.
"Mum you simply can't put that in the windows think of poor Mrs Wilson, she will have a fit if she sees that. She complained about that skimpy summer dress being in the window only a few months ago and this is like a hundred times worse."
Lilly too laughed at her daughters' screeched cries of worry. "Mrs Willson rarely buys anything from me and complains about many things. On the rare occasion she has come in here to buy, all the things she has complained about have not stopped her from making that purchase."
"Mum, are you sure about this, I don't think it will just be Mrs Wilson who has a problem with this."
"It's fine, dear, you are overreacting."
Jess was just finishing as Cat walked into the shop, the argument still going on in the background. Cat was a year older than Jess and a few liches shorter with long curly dark hair that hung in ringlets down her back. Her eyes were a fierce blue colour that seemed to sparkle with depth. She wore a casual but feminine outfit, which consisted of ankle boots, jeans and a roll kneck jump wollen jumper. Most of Cat's outfit was lost on Jess who who immediately stood up to greet her and fold the shorter girl into a tight embrace.
Jess felt Cat melt into the embrace, taking immense pleasure from the warmth, physical contact, and attention. Although she had only known the woman a short time, Jess found, that she couldn't help having feelings for the other girl. It was impossibly cute and did things to Jess's heart when Cat laid her head on Jess's shoulder and nuzzled Jess's neck like that. Jess was surprised at herself; it had been a long time since she had felt this much for one of the girls or guys she had dated. Jess wasn't usually an emotional kind of touchy-feel girl but Cat was making her seriously reconsider that side of herself.
Cat's outfit was not as lost on Jess's sibling as it had been on Jess herself. Alex particularly liked Cat's jeans finding the embroidered flower pattern near the pockets to be particularly cute. The jumper was nice too although Alex could not understand why Cat kept playing with the rolled kneck as she and Jess made their way over. Alex turned his attention away from Cat and back to Tracy, Lilly and the book that was in Tracy's hand.
"Tracy might have a point," Alex added weekly looking over at Lilly. "Mightent it be a bit racy for the shop window."
"Nonsense, dear, it's fine it's not as if I'm putting porn in the window or something. You too are such prudes, that's all. When I was your age..." Lilly laughed dismissing Alex's concern as easily as she had her daughter's.
"Mum!" Tracy exasperated but Lilly had already left both of them and their concern behind as she headed down to the basement.
Jess introduced Cat to both Alex and Tracy before realising that Cat was staring transfixed at the book in Tracy's hand. Jess looked over the cover that had caused Alex and Tracy so much concern. The cover consisted of the silhouette of a naked woman lying on her front, her hands tied together and to the bedpost with thick red string, a collar was clearly visible about the woman's neck and a whip motif of four different types of whips formed a border around the edges of the cover.
"She is right, you two really are prudes." Jess told Alex and Tracy with a shake of her head.
Jess's hand which she had rested on the Cat's back travelled, upwards, seeking until it rested on the back of Cat's neck. There it seemed to grab something providing a soft but constant pressure that seemed to jerk Cat's head up. Cat's eyes were comically wide as Alex stared at her transfixed, unsure what was happening or what his sister had done. Jess moved her lips close to Cat's ear and whispered something to her. Jess's words, although barely audible to Alex, who stood next to them, were not as quiet as Jess had intended them to be and left Alex blushing almost as much as Cat now was. While Alex was not sure what else she had said, he was sure his sister had ended it with "later my pet." Tracy meanwhile had not been paying attention to the anties Is the others and was still blushing at being called a prude by Jess and what that suggested about Jess's own experience, her head was now full of those implications and her own fantasies. Grinning Jess left the three blushing silently each for their own separate reason, to go and talk briefly with Lilly.
Cat pulled Alex to the side away from Tracy, she had noticed his eyes travelling towards her neck several times and was also sure he had heard something of what Jess had said. Alex for his part used this opportunity to compliment Cat on her jeans. Cat smiled and thanked Alex before pulling the neck of her jumper down just enough to show a thick band of brown leather beneath.
"It's my collar. " She whispered to Alex who reached a hand out to touch it.
The leather felt supple yet tough and resistant beneath his fingers. Cat could not resist the light shiver then, virtually no one other than her girlfriends had ever seen her collar let alone touched it. Cat could not help but consider how bad this was of her; it was such an erotic feeling for her when someone touched her collar. Just wearing it in public was wonderful, showing it to others was an even greater thrill, but this was so much more and worse. She was showing it to her girlfriend's sibling and he was touching her collar.
"Someday you might be lucky and someone will put one on you." Cat told Alex casually.
"How do you know I would want one," Alex answered guardedly not trusting the feelings seeing her's had unleashed inside him.
"It takes one to know one." Cat teased with a wink, stepping back to regard him slightly.
"Yep, definitely, pet material." She teased again, Alex blushing and looking kind of sheepish.
Only minutes after his sister left with Cat, Alex made up his mind, he had been playing with the idea for most of the last two days. Being Alice had unleashed many weird feelings and desires that Alex had not known he had before that day. Weird feelings that Alex was only beginning to understand and to deal with the impacts of.
As soon as his sister had left Alex walked over to Tracy and expressed his wish, his need. Tracy for her part listened sympatheticly, what he said did not surprise her in the least, she had guessed that Alice would not be so easily squashed. She was slightly shocked though at Alex's, bold pursuit of his feminine alter ego, Tracy had very much thought that it would be several more weeks before Alex or Alice were so bold. Tracy had thought she would have several more long weeks of cajoling ahead of her but Alex and just swept that all away.
"Well, Alice, you have picked an interesting day to want to be that adventurous," Tracy drawled with a mischievous grin. "We will both be mostly up here today, helping mum with customers and displays. Come on, mum will definitely give you a discount, but we don't have long to get you all pretty. Good job you're so cute already, saves time." With that Tracy bustled off leaving a confused, excited and marginally apprehensive Alice to follow along behind.
Alice wanted the whole experience this time, and while Tracy tried to be as patient and explain as much as was possible. Time constraints were pressing and Tracy's explainations did begin to become something of a whistle-stop tour of all things womanhood. Alice tried to take in as much of the information being spouted at her as she could but knew that she would never retain half of what Tracy was telling her.
Winter and the cold weather did severely limit Alice's ability to be adventurous with clothing choices, but she stubbornly insisted on a cute pink top, she had seen while cataloguing old stock several days ago, which showed off her midriff. Alice paired that with a slightly more sensible pair of jeans. The jeans were similar to Cat's pair that Alice had jealously admired that morning and Alice was very pleased with the cute embroidered pockets. Even if she did think that the cute flower and butterfly motif on hers were nowhere near as cutie as the roses on Cat's. If she had been braver this morning, Alice realised, she would have asked Cat where she had got them from. Alice sighed wistfully resolving to be a more brave girl if she saw the Cat again.
Tracy had looked dubiously at Alice's choices, not sure how well either would fit or look on Alice but not wanting to discourage Alice, Tracy kept quiet and tried to hide her thoughts from her face. When Tracy went down to the basement to help Alice dress, she was significantly shocked and taken aback Alice stood before her in only a white bra and pantie set. The look of Alice's pale skin creamy skin and the white bra was almost too much to bare for Tracy who could feel her lust rising like a tangible cloud of heat from her core to her head. Tracy with some regret pushed those thoughts aside, promising herself that there would be time for that some other day, for now, other thoughts had to take precedence.
"Aren't you the smart girl with her snazzy new bra and pantie set."
Alice blushed slightly. "Thanks, I went shopping for them yesterday, it's a cute set, isn't it? "
"You went with Jess?" Tracy asked moving Alice's hand away so as to get a better view of the padded bra.
"No, I wasn't comfortable discussing it with her, so I went on my own. I got a Perrywinkle blue set as well and some really fluffy warm pyjamas. I didn't want to tell anyone in case ..." Alice trailed off.
"In case you didn't have the strength to go through with this today, " Tracy completed for her. "I understand, at some point though we are going to have to have a girl's shopping trip together!" Alice nodded her ascent having just pulled on the top.
Tracy's eyes fell on Alice's crotch and her mouth flew open. Where she had been expecting the tell-tale bulge of Alice's former gender, she saw only a flat mound like she would expect of any other biological female. Indeed, if she had pulled her trousers down, now, Tracy felt sure that she would look almost exactly as Alice now did.
"Oh yeah," Alice smirked, seeing the direction of her friends open mouthed gaze. "I did some research online yesterday and learned some tucking techniques. Don't worry, I haven't removed it. At least not yet."
" OK, Alice, I must say you look very girly like that. In fact, you look a hundred percent girl. But you must promise me that before you do anything drastic you will speak to a councillor. In fact, I think you need to do that regardless, as soon as Christmas is over." Tracy told the other girl managing with some effort to tear her eyes from Alice's crotch.
Alice for her part readily agreed as she put the jeans on. Securing overall this was her pink huddy, which she had worn to the shop that morning, which she now wore open showing off her new top.
While Alice may have been self-conscious about being seen in public she quickly got over her fears. Truth be told Alice had little choice but to get over her fears and very little time to worry about them, all three women, Alice, Tracy and Lilly, spent much of the day rushed off their feet. Alice spent more time behind the til serving customers than she ever had before, but when she wasn't she was sorting clothes racks, offering advice and generally helping out.
Just as they were finishing for the day, a woman came into the store that took Alice's breath away. Alice had been certain before that even if she was a girl she definitely was attracted to girls, but even if she hadn't been before she would have been sure then. Tracy saw Alice's expression and could not hide her smirk nor could she hide from herself the fact that she too was just a little turned on by the undeniably sexy woman.
The woman wore a well-fitting charcoal pantsuit that seemed to emphasis her figure in all the best ways. Complementing the charcoal suit, we were a pair of knee-high black leather boots, that encased her feet, ankles, and legs like a second skin.
"Can you do me...help me...you...I mean can I help you with any? That is to say is there anything you need? " Alice babbled incoherently and endlessly.
Tracy in truth was not fairing much better in the woman's presence. It wasn't just the woman's dazzling looks, it was as much the atmosphere that she exuded. The confidence in her step and undertone of power and dominance everything about her exuded. Tracy had once commented that Jess, Alice's sister was every lesbian's wet dream, she now knew she was incorrect. This woman though Tracy had barely even met her, was in fact that, even the atmosphere she exuded when she walked into a room made Jess seem like a pale comparison.
"Hi, I am Tracy, this here is Alice," At this Tracy dug her elbow into Alice's side, who gave a cute squeak at being so painfully pulled from her reverie over the sexy dreamboat of a woman. "Can we be of assistance or are you just coming into brows, if so, I do have to warn you that we are just about to close for the evening."
A smirk played over the the woman's face as she stalked towards them like a hungry lioness regarding a particularly pleasing young antelope.
"Perhaps you can help me." She told them in a teasing light tone her eyes playing first over Alice, then over Tracy, then back and forth. Finally, her hand reached out brushing a stray lock of Alice's hair back behind her ear while looking Tracy straight in the eye. A shiver of pleasure ran through Tracy at their mutual lust-filled glare. Alice too shivered in pleasure unable to think a single thought as she melted under the woman's heated touch.
It was only when staring back into the woman's eyes that Tracy first noticed how young the woman was. While definitely a lot older than herself and Alex, the woman could scarcely be much into her late twenties. Tracy knew that it was just the woman's atmosphere and her outfit that had led her to the assumption, but Tracy had assumed that this woman was much older than that.
"I'm Tasha McFarland I have an appointment here at this about this time or more accurately for tonight I suppose, I have as Bree an appointment here tonight."
Tracy looked at Tasha questioningly, Alice was still far too far gone to fully appreciate the the words that Tasha had said, except to consider how beautiful Tasha's voice sounded, so rich and sweet, and yet so husky, with a touch the merest possibility, of a harder harsher edge that might under the right circumstances be revealed.
"I write under the pen name Bree, " She told them with a shrug. "Lots of authors use a pen name, and I find it easier this way."
"Hello Bree, I am Lilly the shop owner, and Tracy's mother, we talked on the phone." Lilly introduced herself her arms crossed in a defensive posture she had just come up from the basement where she had been making final preparations and was not at all amused to have come up to find the twenty-four-year-old who she did not fully trust or know having wrapped the two much younger sixteen-year-old girls so tightly in her spell. Alice looked like a love-sick puppy prepared to do whatever Tasha said and her own daughter didn't seem that much better.
"Of course, hello Lilly, it's nice to finally be able to put a face to a voice. And very nice to be asked to do something like this, I have been having difficulty getting my book out there and attracting the audience I know it should have. I also have never done any book signings before." Tasha admitted sounding at once polite, contrite, and at the least a little bit vulnerable.
"Yes well, I hope it's the first of many, and I hope that this can be mutually beneficial, attracting people who would not necessarily visit my shop inside, and people who would not usually buy your books to do just exactly that. Now if you would follow me, I will show you to the basement, where I have everything set up and we can leave Tracy and Alice to close up the shop."
Despite Lilly's words, it was not long before Alice and Tracy were switching places with Lilly to help the author manage the piles of books she had to sign. Despite what it looked like, Tasha was not signing all the books Lilly had bought, only the first fifty but even so that was still a lot of books, both to sign and to manage the piles of signed and unsigned books.
"Why do you use the pen name Bree?" Alice asked, reading the standard inscription Tasha was copying into each book.
"Well, I told you using a pen name made things easier for me, as for why I use the name, Bree, there are a couple of reasons, the main one being that one of my favourite romance authors uses Bree as a pen name. The other is that I have always liked the name and a former lover of nine who encouraged me to write has that name." Tasha answered without pausing in her task.
"How old are both of you." She asked them casually, but the casual interest was only fained to cover the far greater interest and hope she was beginning to form surrounding that question.
"We're sixteen, well that is to say I am and Alice will be in January."
"That's a shame, a real shame." Tasha told them pausing in her work to regard them both.
Then, because she couldn't resist doing it at least once, Tasha let her dominant side out to play.
"Bring me that." She demanded of Alice, her voice now husky, fierce and gravelly.
Alice obeyed as if in a trance, she felt strange as if sinking into a comfortable bed, her mind free and empty of all but one thing Tasha. Tracy saw this and the effect it seemed to have on Alice, she herself felt strangely drawn to the ridiculously attractive woman, whose voice seemed to make her physically weak at the knees.
"Good girl," Tasha's gravelly voice was full of a hunny sweet note. "You really are very submissive; it's been a while since I have found anyone so eager to submit to me. It is almost a sick joke that you are so young and therefore so very unattainable, but for the moment that is no matter. Read the title of my book for me please."
Alice instantly and happily complied with Tasha's instruction.
"The price of her submission." Alice read.
"Yes, sweet one, there is always a price, but I can assure you that it is always worth it and usually the reward is a very enjoyable one. Now bring me two more of those books, not part of the allotted fifty."
Alice did so and after writing in them for longer than she had done for the others Tasha handed one to each of them in turn. "My Christmas present to you both."
Alice, who had returned from that place of revery that Tasha seemed to have to power to send her to at will, a place deep inside herself, still seemed immensely sad despite her gift. "Cheer up, sweet girl, remember, when you read my book, to think of me," Then in a lower sultry, conspiratorial tone. "And remember I always practise what I preach. Always."
Once she was done signing books, Tasha escorted by the two girls left the basement and went up to the store. She was not at all surprised to find that full night, which had been on the cusp of beginning as she had entered the shop, was well and truly set in outside the well-lit shop. Tasha made sure to press a crisp note into Lilly's hand as she passed her, explaining that it was in payment for the two books she had given to Alice and Tracy. When she saw Jess, Tasha immediately stopped to greet her. From the hug and greeting the two gave each other Alice realised that they must know each other something her sister had never mentioned before. When she asked them how they knew each other, her answer was met with a light laugh from Tasha.
"We have known each other for a couple of years now. You could say we move in the same circles." Tasha's response was met with a disgruntled, warning, not entirely happy look from Jess and silence from Alice.
Alice was left to wonder what circles the smart well-dressed business woman, and her sister, almost the opposite, could possibly move in that were in any way near each other.
"Jess, you never told me about your sister. She is a real delight. In a couple of years, you must introduce her to a few of our mutual friends, it would be a pleasure always round, I think. Alice is wonderful and such a great help, very good at obeying instructions. It's strange though, she is very different from you, Jess. Almost the polar opposite!" Tasha remarked with a chuckle which Jess responded to with a slight growl and moving closer to her sister protectively. Alice could not help but feel that she had missed some deeper meaning in Tasha's words.