Alex: 2

 

Allie goes away with his wife and sister and decides that skiing is not his cup of tea.
Thank you for the comments on Part 1. I'm very happy that the story is finding a home with some people.

---

 
Author's Note: Please, everyone, Leave me a review? ~Clara.
 
This version of Alex: 2 has been updated with many corrections towards spelling and grammar.~Sephrena.
 
Image Credit: Image created through the use of ai at https://perchance.org/beautiful-people .~Sephrena.

---

 
 
Part 2
 

"Allie!" Mel shouted up the stairs. "When you come down, will you grab the toothpaste? I bought some tooth brushes at the discount store, but I forgot to grab toothpaste."

"Yep!" he called back down.

"Thanks." She turned to go back to checking the small suitcases she'd packed for both Alex and her, but noticed the large, black SUV outside, slowing to turn into their driveway. "Allie! Jill is here!" she called again.

"Be right down!" he shouted and Mel could hear him moving around hurriedly.

"Anyone home?" Jill shouted in her familiar way as she entered, even though Mel was just a few feet away, fussing with the suitcases on the couch.

"What do you think?" Mel laughed. "You're a few minutes early."

"Yeah, I was going to go past the donation boxes over on Lincoln St to get rid of those bags, but there was construction on Harris Boulevard, so I just came directly here."

Mel nodded. "Do want to leave the bags in here for the weekend?"

Jill laughed. "No. I think we've dragged those things in and out of this house plenty of times at this point. There's plenty of room in the car."

"Here's the toothpaste," Alex said, as he came into the room.

"Thanks, Allie," Mel smiled and looked at how well dressed her husband was. Nice, tan slacks, a red, loose fitting, crew-neck sweater with a snowflake design knitted into a classic ski-sweater pattern, and a nice pair of low heeled, brown, casual shoes. Even his hair had been washed, blown dry and brushed before being put into a ponytail. He did have rather prominent breasts as well, but she kind of liked that. "You look nice," she said, sincerely.

"Thanks," he replied, blushing slightly. "I put some water and soda in the cooler. I'll go get it." He left.

When he'd exited the room, Jill smiled at Mel and said, "Well... he looks nice in those clothes, but I'm assuming that he's wearing a shaper under them, right?"

Mel nodded. "They wouldn't fit him without one."

"So, he's ok with looking kind of..." Jill left the sentence hanging.

"Girly?" Mel giggled. "I guess so."

"And you're good with it, too?"

Mel blushed a little as she smiled and said, "I'm great with it."

Jill looked at her sister-in-law's odd behavior and her eyes grew wider. "Oh, my God!" she gushed in an excited whisper. "You two are playing games with my old clothes, aren't you!?"

Melody's blush deepened.

"You are, you tramp," Jill laughed, as she gently and playfully slapped Mel's upper arm. "I can't believe you two."

Mel let out an embarrassed laugh. "I know. I can't believe us, either, but... we're having fun and the sex is..."

"Nope, nope, nope," Jill insisted, covering her ears with her hands. "I don't want to hear another word."

"About what?" Alex asked, returning with a small cooler.

"Nothing," both women said in unison, giggling.

It took another ten minutes or so to get everything organized and carried out to the car. Then they were off for their trip. Alex sat in the back with his iPad and computer open so he could work on the graphics for his presentation of his customer's products in Dennis' stores. It was a three hour drive and they stopped twice, once for gas and once for lunch.

The little place where they ate was a clean, family-run restaurant with pleasant and pretty waitresses who referred to the three of them as 'you ladies.' It was, 'Can I get you ladies anything?' and, 'Would you ladies like a refill on your coffee?' and, 'You ladies have a nice afternoon.' Alex was relieved that no one suspected he was anything other than a woman, and Mel was enjoying every second of it. It was such a naughty thing to do and that naughtiness contributed to the sexual excitement of having her husband dressing in Jill's clothes.

Just after lunch, on the way north, Jill's phone rang. She glanced at the screen and saw it was her mother. "It's mom. I'll put it on speaker."

She pushed the 'accept' button. "Hi, mom. How's everything in Maryland today?"

"It's just beautiful here, Jilly. I am so glad that daddy and I made this move. The winters are so much milder. How are you, dear?"

"I'm good, mom. We're on the way up to New Hampshire to go skiing. Remember I told you about it?"

"Oh, yes, I do. Now, you be careful doing that. And keep an eye on Alex, too. You know what a klutz he is. He'll probably end up in the emergency room."

Alex sighed in the back seat. His mother's faith in his ability to fail was unending. "I'm here, too mom."

"Oh, hello, Alex," she replied, unflustered that he'd heard her. "You know I'm right. You be careful and do what Jilly and Mel tell you. No broken bones, please." She giggled, thinking she'd made a pretty good joke.

"Allie closed a really big deal yesterday, mom," Jill told her, proud of her older, but smaller brother. "It should be very lucrative for him."

"That's nice, dear," their mother replied, hardly noticing what had been said. "Listen, I don't want to hold you up, but when might you be coming down to see us?"

"Gosh, mom, I'm not sure. I'm pretty busy right now and the weather is pretty unpredictable in the winter. Probably not until it's warmer."

"Oh... ok..." she sounded downhearted, but it was a device she used to get her way. It wasn't working at the moment, though.

"Mom, I told you when you and dad decided to move down there that I couldn't come running all the time. I will come when I feel like I have the time and the weather is cooperating. Ok?"

"I guess it'll have to be," she sighed.

"Ok, mom, I have to go," Jill said. "I love you and dad."

"And we love you, too, dear," she sighed, again. "Goodbye."

The call ended.

From the backseat, Alex quietly mimicked his mother's voice. "And Alex, we love you, too." Then in his own voice he said, "Love you, mom. See you someday." He shook his head and kept working.

Mel reached back and squeezed his hand in an 'I love you' gesture. Both of the women just glanced at each other, disappointed in Alex's parents' lack of interest in their son's life.

"Wow!" Melody said from the front passenger seat. Alex was still working on the presentation, but Melody reached back and tapped his leg. "Alex, honey, look at that!"

"Holy cow!" Alex gasped, looking up from his work.

The Omni Mount Washington Resort at Breton Wood was (and is) a stunning structure, sitting high on the side of New Hampshire's White Mountain range in the shadow of Mount Washington. A huge, white, wooden structure with a startling red roof that stood out dramatically against the snow covered mountains around it. It was of another time and couldn't help but impress guests as they arrived.

"Can we afford this?" Alex asked, without thinking.

"Of course we can," Jill laughed. "This is my anniversary present to you two."

"Oh, Jill, it looks so grand!" Mel gaped. "I've looked at it online a million times, but it's just breathtaking in person."

"It is beautiful," Jill agreed. She drove up the drive and into the parking area. They each pulled out their suitcases, rolled them through the well shoveled lot and entered the lobby, which was just as grand and impressive as the exterior.

"Wow!" Mel said, repeatedly, as she took everything in. She had her phone out and was taking pictures of everything. "I feel like I'm a big shot or something."

"Everyone who stays at the Omni is a big shot, Miss," a very friendly desk clerk remarked.

They checked in and found their adjoining rooms with a connecting door on the second floor. Both had amazing views of the mountains.

"I could just sit in the room all day and look at all of this," Alex said, not really meaning it.

"Like heck you are," Melody giggled. "Come on. Get your ski clothes on. We're hitting the slopes."

Fifteen minutes later, they were headed out the door and headed to the Breton Woods Ski Area, one of the highest rated ski areas in the country.

Their ski rentals had already been arranged, so when they showed up, boots, skis and polls were waiting. They got geared up as quickly as they could and soon were ready to do some warm up runs on an easy trail.

The crisp wind was a wonderful feeling as it blew across the exposed skin on their faces - Well, at least Melody and Jill found it wonderful. Alex was working hard to keep up and wasn't happy about any part of him being cold. He did have to admit, though, the ski-suit-hand-me-down from Jill was very warm. Much warmer than his old suit.

"So, let's take the lift up and do a real run," Melody suggested. "I can't wait to do a long trail."

"Awesome!" Jill agreed.

"Umm..." Alex began, but he couldn't finish because while standing there talking, one of his skis moved just enough so that he lost his balance and fell to the snowy ground.

"Oops," an unfamiliar voice said, skiing up beside them all. The man on the skis was a thirty-ish guy who's wind-blown face looked as if he'd been out in the sun and wind and snow his whole life. He offered Alex a hand and easily helped him to stand, again.

"It looks as if one of you could use a lesson or two," the man said with a big, white smile. "My name is Hans and I am a ski instructor here. I have one student for the afternoon, but there's always room for another. That is... if you'd like to join us, of course." When no one responded, Hans added, "It's free, of course. My services are included in your resort reservation."

"What do you say, Allie?" Melody asked, genuinely excited at the idea of having Alex learn to ski better so he could keep up.

"Well, I guess I could use some pointers," he shrugged. The truth was, he was petrified of going way up on the mountain and skiing back down. There were so many ways of getting hurt and he'd heard about experienced skiers getting badly hurt on slopes like this. "Would you mind if I spent some time on the smaller slopes getting better at the basics before I go up on the bigger slopes?"

"Allie, that's a great idea!" Mel beamed. "You go ahead and work with Hans and maybe tomorrow or the next day you'll feel up to joining us on the big runs."

"Sounds great!" Alex smiled, incredibly relieved to not have to take on the harder runs just yet.

All of a sudden, he felt an arm around his shoulder, squeezing him. "Don't worry, ladies. I'll take care of this girl for you."

"I bet you will," Jill smirked at her brother in his pretty purple, form fitting ski suit that nicely fitted his shape-wear encased body. Then she looked at the flirtatious, handsome, athletic man who had his arm around him and let out a little giggle. "Be a good girl, Allie," she grinned. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do." She and and Mel skied away towards the lift.

Hans gave Alex a reassuring squeeze and said, "Come meet my other student for the afternoon."

Alex followed him, skiing slowly, to the area near the T-bar lift for the beginners hill.

"Alice," Hans said, indicating the other student before swinging his arm back, "meet Allie. She will be joining us."

"Oh, thank God!" Alice laughed. "I thought I was the only adult here that couldn't ski!"

"I can ski, a bit," Alex said, defensively, "but my wife and sister want to ski the big slopes. I'm not ready for that."

"Same here," Alice laughed. "My husband is up there somewhere having a great time by himself while I keep trying to stay upright on these things."

Alex smiled. "I know how you feel. The rest of my family skis much better than I do. I'd rather not go up that mountain just yet."

"Alright, ladies," Hans said, "let's get to work."

For the next two hours, Hans worked them both hard. Pushing them to try harder and harder maneuvers in his efforts to make them both better skiers. They fell a lot and learned a little, but it soon became obvious that these two students did not have great aptitudes for this particular sport.

"That's enough!" Alice finally announced, smiling, but tired. "I've had enough for today. I don't know about you, Allie, but I am ready for a nice brandy in the lodge."

"That sounds perfect," Alex smiled in agreement.

"Are you sure ladies?" Hans asked, still being flirty. "You've both gotten better."

"We're sure," both students said in unison.

"Alright," Hans shrugged. "If you want some more pointers, just let the front desk know. I'll be here from nine to four tomorrow and every other day."

They thanked him and skied slowly and carefully back to the rental area. They both turned in their ski gear, put on their own boots and headed into the lodge.

Inside, Alice immediately pulled the zipper of her ski-suit down to the belt, pulled off her hat and gloves and pulled her arms out, leaving the top hanging down behind her and exposing her flowered, thermal top.

Alex kept his suit closed for a few steps, but the warmth of the lodge's interior made keeping the suit closed impossible. He was soon wearing his suit the same way that Alice was and also exposing his flowered, thermal top, which clung to the breasts that Jill's hand-me-down shaper created.

Alice was chatting about how odd she found it that her husband LOVED skiing so much as she slipped her arm into Alex's and spoke playfully and quietly to him until she guided him into the cozy lounge off of the lobby.

They stopped and took in the view of the mountains from the tall, wide windows.

"Ahh, this is how I like to take in nature," Alice laughed. "From behind thick plate glass, in the comfort of a well heated interior."

Alex laughed with her. "I have to admit, I agree with you. My sister and my wife are all about being on the slopes. This is my natural habitat - a nice room with good liquor."

"A woman after my own heart," Alice laughed. "Come on. Let's get something to warm us up."

Since it was still fairly early, there were plenty of seats available in the bar, so they sat at a table by the fire that still offered the alpine view.

A very attractive waitress arrived immediately. "Hello, ladies," she smiled. "May I take your orders?"

"Yes," Alice smiled. She put her hand on Alex's arm as if to tell him that she would place the order. "We'll each have a snifter of Louis XIII cognac, please. Oh, and a cheese-board, if you have them."

"Of course," the waitress smiled, but Alex felt a wave of panic rush across him. He'd never had Louis XIII cognac before, but he was certainly aware of it AND it's two thousand dollar a bottle price tag. He didn't know what they'd be charging for a snifter, but he was reasonably sure that the two ounces or so of liquor the eight ounce cup would contain would cost a lot more than he could afford.

"Oh," Alex said, stopping the waitress, "make mine a Courvoisier, please," he said, requesting the cognac he most frequently purchased at forty five to fifty dollars a bottle.

"Yes, Miss," the waitress' smile dimmed, disappointed at the change.

Alice scowled at Alex. "You will have no such thing. That doesn't taste like cognac, that tastes like rotten oranges. We'll both have the Louis XIII and charge it to The Presidential Suite."

When the waitress had walked away, Alex spoke quietly. "Alice, that's very generous of you, but each of those drinks is going to cost AT LEAST two hundred and fifty dollars. I can't let you spend that much on me."

Alice waved him off with a head shake and hand wave. "Don't be ridiculous. When I'm on vacation, I want only the best, and when I drink alcohol of any kind, I drink to enjoy the taste, not to get drunk. Once you've had good liquor, you'll never drink that cheap stuff again."

"I know..." Alex was not comfortable with this amount of money being spent on two drinks, "... but that particular liquor... couldn't we have made due with a Camus XO or something like that. Still top shelf, but a lot cheaper."

"Oh, so you know your liquor," Alice smiled, broadly. "That's perfect." She leaned in a bit and spoke more quietly. "Look, Allie, I hope this doesn't seem too... outlandish... or pathetic..." she laughed a little, "but I have to admit that buying you that drink is a bit of a bribe."

"A bribe?"

"Yes. You see, I love getting away on a vacation and relaxing in the bar or the spa or shopping, you get it, but my husband is 'Mr Outdoors' whenever he's not working. Don't get me wrong, I love him to death, but our ideas of vacations end at locations. If we go to the islands, he's off scuba diving and golfing. If we go to the mountains, he's skiing or, if it's warm, hiking or golfing. Lord, he'd be golfing every day of the week if he could."

At that point, the waitress reappeared and placed a cheese-board on the table along with two snifters with a little bit of amber-orange liquor in them. She smiled and asked if they needed anything before she left. Alice thanked her and sent her away.

"Which brings me to my bribe," Alice continued. "You make me laugh, Allie. I think I see a sister spirit in you. Now, I know you have your own vacation plans and I don't want to interfere with those, and I know I'm almost old enough to be your mom, but I am hoping that we might be able to spend a little time together over the next few days. You know - Just to have a friend to do a little shopping with or maybe meet for a drink. Nothing insane. Just something like this."

Alex nodded. He was very relieved that Alice was just looking for some friendship, he didn't want to be alone all week, either, and the idea of being on the ski slopes for six or eight hours at a time was exhausting. He smiled at his new companion and said. "Alice. I can't do outdoorsy things like skiing all day, either. I have absolutely no interest in falling down in the cold and I would love to hang out with you for the next few days, but not like this. I can't let you spend this kind of money on drinks for me. I'll pay for my own. Ok."

Alice smiled and squeezed his hand. "We shall see, but thank you for hanging out with me. We'll have fun, you'll see. There's lots of things to do here. That's why I booked it for an anniversary surprise. We'll have fun. I promise."

That sounded great to Alex.

Just then, Alex's phone chimed. He looked at it and saw a text from Mel. "WE'RE WAITING FOR THE LIFT TO DO ONE MORE RUN BEFORE WE CALL IT A DAY. ARE YOU STILL ON THE SLOPES?'

'NO. I FELL ENOUGH. IN THE LOUNGE OFF THE LOBBY WITH A FRIEND I MADE WHILE STRUGGLING TO REMAIN UPRIGHT.'

'HAHA. SEE YOU THERE IN HALF HOUR.'

"My wife," he explained to Alice. "One more run and they'll meet me here."

Alice glanced at her watch and said, "I'm sure that hubby will be down soon, too. He knows where I'll be." She smiled and took a tiny sip. "Oh, my. That is heaven. Try it."

Almost soft afraid to consume something so expensive, Alex raised his snifter to his nose and took a good sniff. If was fruity and full bodied, but not the typical smell of rotten oranges that he associated with Courvoisier. It was a more subtle aroma. Less overwhelming. More inviting. He took a very small sip and felt the subtle burn as it hit his tongue and throat and then... bliss. His tastebuds exploded with the variety of tastes hitting them all at once. Fruity and hot, but subtle and embracing. The warmth spread through his body quickly, pushing away the cold of the slopes and the aches from the falls. Just that one sip was almost life changing. He'd always loved good liquor, but could only afford it when he could get it wholesale. This was almost unfair. He could never afford this nectar on his own and having it just once was never going to enough.

"Well?" Alice asked, knowing the answer already.

"Holy Moses," he said, looking at the elixir in his glass and still running his tongue around his mouth to catch every atom of what he'd just tasted. "I've never tasted ANYTHING like that."

Alice laughed. "See. Stick with me, young lady, and you will learn a lot about good living. Now, nibble a little cheese on a cracker to cleanse your pallet and, in a little while, take another sip. If you don't drink it quickly, it'll never get old. Each sip is just as amazing."

Alice was right. It was the same blissful experience with each tiny sip. Twenty minutes later he'd barely made a dent in the two ounce serving, but he was content to keep sipping for hours.

"So, tell me about yourself," Alice said as they sipped.

"Not a very interesting story," Alex mused, nibbling on a cracker with a subtle goat cheese spread on it. "I live in central Massachusetts with my wife. I am in sales - wholesale sales - selling to merchants, that sort of thing. No pets and no children."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty five."

"Well, there's still lots of time for children if you want them. I had them early and it was a blessing, but my family had a little money and my husband went to work for my father right out of Boston College Business School. So, we were ok... financially, I mean. I was only seventeen when I met him. He was twenty two and... ahh... as handsome as an actor. He's still handsome, don't get me wrong. Anyway, after I graduated from high school, I wasn't interested in college, so I went to work for daddy. I flirted and flirted and flirted until I finally got Denny to ask me out. I was married at nineteen, had my first baby at twenty and my fourth at twenty four."

"Wow!" Alex said. "Four kids in four years."

"Five years... almost six," Alice mused. "I loved having babies around though. I know, they're not for everyone, but for me they were heavenly. I keep telling my girls that I need grand babies in my house, but it's harder today. Everyone needs a career and it takes time to establish yourself... I get it. One of my girls is a lesbian, too. She has as a wonderful wife. She's talking about artificial insemination for one of them to have a baby. Who knows. Someday I'll have another baby in my life."

Something about this conversation was starting to sound familiar to Alex, but before he could ask Alice anything more about her husband, a hand touched his shoulder, followed by a kiss on his cheek.

"Hi, babe," Melody said, pulling out a chair beside him. "Mind if we join you?" she looked across the table at Alice and offered her hand. "Hi. I'm Allie's wife, Melody."

"And I'm Jill, Allie's sister," Jill said, also offering a hand and pulling out a seat.

"Alice," Alice smiled. "Can I get you a drink?"

The waitress had appeared from nowhere.

"Two rum and cokes, please," Jill spoke up. "Charge them to room 207, please."

"Nonsense," Alice said. "On my bill, please, and while you're at it, bring a Sam Adams on tap for my husband. He should be here any minute, now."

"What are you drinking?" Mel asked, reaching for Alex's glass. He stopped her with a slight tap.

"I'll let you take a tiny sip, but that's all."

Melody took the glass and took the sip. Her eyes narrowed as the tastes hit her tongue. "My God. What is that?" she passed the glass to Jill.

'Just a sip," Alex warned.

"Whoa," Jill let out.

"That is one of the best and most expensive cognacs on the market," Alex said, as if he was a teacher talking to a class. "That little bit costs at least two hundred and fifty dollars, so each of those sips was probably ten bucks worth of brandy."

"Two hundred...!" Melody started, sounding almost panicky.

"Don't worry, it was my treat," Alice assured her. "Would you two like to try some, too?"

Both women shook their heads. The price was too steep.

"I'll stick with my rum and coke, thanks," Jill spoke for them both. "They'll probably charge me fifteen dollars for that here. That's more than expensive enough."

In fact, it was only eight dollars apiece for the rum and cokes.

Alex explained how he and Alice had met on the beginners slope and had given up after two hours of falling.

Alice explained how she'd asked Alex, or Allie as she knew him, to accompany her around the resort for the next few days. "We're both ski widows," she smiled. "Why not keep each other company and have some fun in the process."

"We'll, that's great!" Mel said, happily. "I felt like I was abandoning Allie earlier. I'm so glad you two made friends."

"Alice was just telling me about her husband... Denny, you said, right, Alice?"

"Yes, Denny," she smiled as she took another sip. The waitress dropped off the new drink order and receded back into the shadows. "Denny and I have been married thirty years, but haven't agreed on vacation activities once."

Jill glanced at Alex and surreptitiously mouthed the name 'Denny?' to Alex. Alex shrugged in return. There had to be millions of Dennises or Dennys in the world, right? What we're the chances...

"There you are! I knew I'd find you here," and all too familiar voice to both Jill and Alex came from a man entering their area of the lounge.

Dennis Cole approached the table and stopped dead in his tracks. "Oh, my goodness! What are you two doing here?" he laughed good naturedly as he pulled a chair from a neighboring table and sat between his wife and Jill.

"You know each other?" Alice asked.

"I know Jill and Allie," Dennis smiled. "I've not had the pleasure of meeting this lovely lady, but if I had to guess, I'd say that this is Melody. Allie's lovely wife. Am I correct?"

Mel's mouth was hanging open in confusion. "I... ummm... yes, I am Melody... well, Mel... please... and I have to admit, I am very confused."

"Me too," Alice chuckled.

"I told you about these two," Dennis smiled, picking up the beer that had been waiting for him and taking a healthy gulp of it. "Allie, here, is one of my new suppliers and this is his sister-slash-hype-man, Jill. We had brunch yesterday morning. How did you all end up together?"

"Well, this trip is actually, my anniversary present to Mel and Allie," Jill explained. "That's why we're here. I'm waiting to figure out the rest of this story, too."

"Well, the long and the short of it is," Alice explained, "I tried and failed to stay up on those darned skis for a while and then I asked for an instructor. They gave me one named Hans - oh, ladies... he is gorgeous - anyway, Hans was about to start my lessons when we both saw Allie struggling to keep up with her party..."

"And falling while standing still," Alex added with a little giggle.

"So, Hans invited Allie to join us. Well, we gave it a good try, didn't we Allie? but we both got tired of ending up on our backs in the snow. So, we came in here about an hour ago to warm up with some Louis XIII."

"Huh," Dennis nodded, looking at the snifters of cognac. "Louis XIII is an expensive companion."

"We're on vacation, Denny," Alice smiled, playfully. "Let me enjoy myself."

He kissed her cheek. "Enjoy it all, my dear. I had a great time on the mountain."

He looked at Alex, Jill and Melody and smiled, a tiny bit embarrassed by his public display of affection. "So... this is all just a coincidence, then? Kismet, as they say."

"It is," Alex nodded, "but I do have my laptop with me and I have already sent off an order for graphics for your stores, if you'd like to see..."

"He would not," Alice said in a friendly, but emphatic tone. "No business on vacation. That's the rule."

"That's the rule," Dennis smiled at everyone and took another healthy swig of his beer. "We'll need to go get changed soon. We have reservations in the main dining room at seven thirty."

"We have plenty of time," Alice waved him off. It's only five fifteen and you get ready in ten minutes. I only need fifteen or so."

"Yeah," Dennis laughed. "You can get ready in fifteen minutes."

"Ok, forty five, but we still have plenty of time," Alice laughed. Then she looked at Alex. "Allie, what's your cell number? I'll give you a ring and then you'll have mine."

They took care of that and Dennis drained his glass.

"Ok," Dennis said. "Drink up, Alice. We need to get going."

"Drink up?" she laughed. "I'll have the bar hold this for me and send it to our dinner table."

Dennis smiled affectionately as he stood. He was obviously amused by his wife. "We'll we see you ladies in the dining room?"

Jill answered for them. "I don't think so. We were talking about pizza in Stickney's Pub. You know, the barroom, really."

Dennis scoffed. "I thought you were celebrating your anniversary?"

"We are," Mel said.

"Well, pizza in a pub is hardly the proper way to celebrate your anniversary. You're all coming to dinner with us. Our treat. Seven thirty in the dinning room."

"Oh, I don't know," Alex said, nervous about spending too much time with his biggest, and currently only, client. "You already have a reservation..."

Dennis wasn't paying attention. He was waving for the bar's manager to come see him.

"Yes, sir. How may I help you?"

Dennis was rummaging for something in his interior pocket as he spoke. "Would you please call up to the main dinning room and tell them that the Cole reservation at seven thirty needs to be enlarged from two to five?" he pulled something out of his interior pocket.

"Oh, sir, I'm not sure that they can accommodate a change that big at this late..."

It turned out that Dennis had taken out his wallet. As the bar manager spoke, Dennis pulled out two hundred dollar bills.

"... I will call them," the bar manager said, accepting the money.

Dennis helped Alice to her feet and grabbed a cracker from the cheese board while he waited. He put a chunk of a local cheddar on the cracker and ate it in two bites. He had just finished it when the bar manager returned.

"You're all set, sir," he said. "Five at seven thirty."

"Excellent," Dennis smiled and shook the man's hand. "Now, can you arrange for my wife's cognac to be on our table?"

"And Allie's too," Alice reminded him.

"And this young lady's as well," he added.

"Of course, sir," the manager smiled. "I will see to it myself."

"Thank you," Dennis smiled as the manager took the drinks.

"Then it's settled," Dennis smiled. "We'll see you at seven thirty." They said their goodbyes and left.

The moment they had left the bar, Jill looked at her brother and said, "It looks like you really stepped in it, Allie."

Alex nodded and sighed.

"What's the big deal," Melody asked. "You just tell them that they're mistaken about your sex because of the clothing issue... blah, blah, blah, and we go one with our lives."

Jill and Alex looked at each other and shook their heads. "No," Alex said. "Dennis must have said at least six times that he relied on gut instinct. If I tell him I'm not who he thinks I am, that's the end of our deal. I guarantee it."

"I agree," Jill chimed in. "I don't think he'd take it well."

"So, then you're a woman for the rest of the trip," Mel said with a sexy smile. "I don't mind."

"Ok," Jill said leaning in, "but we need to rethink what Allie's wearing around the resort. Since he's not just wearing the ski-suit most of the time, he'll need nicer things to wear around. Putting that off until tomorrow morning, though, what about dinner?"

"What about it?" Alex asked.

"Allie, the main dinning room is a formal restaurant. You can't wear jeans and a top. We need something nicer and, I know it's a lot, but you'll need to do your hair nicer and wear a little makeup."

"Really?" Alex wasn't thrilled at the thought of becoming even more feminine.

Jill nodded. "Let's go upstairs and empty a suitcase out. Then I'll go get some clothes from the car."

"Why do you need a suitcase?" Alex asked. "Are you planning on bringing a lot of stuff?"

"Well, yeah," Jill said, "and I'm not going to walk into the lobby of an Omni hotel carrying trash bags full of clothes." She shook her head at Alex's foolishness. "Come on, let's go."

As they passed through the lobby, Jill spotted a small pharmacy tucked away in the back of the resort's lobby. "You guys go ahead up and empty a suitcase. I'll be right up."
 

~^~
 

"Yeah, I agree," Alice said to Dennis, as she stood in the bathroom, wearing an elegant, black silk slip while doing her makeup, "she is a bit of an odd duck, but she's funny and seems smart. Besides, I always end up alone on these trips. We had a good time on the slopes and I would just like to have a friend to hang out with while we're here. That's all."

Dennis sighed in the other room. "Alright, but just remember that I don't love mixing work and personal life. As soon as you get too involved in your employees' personal life, things get messy."

"Well, she's not your employee, is she? She's an independent contractor that you hired as a supplier. No problem, then, right?"

Dennis looked at an assortment of ties as he spoke. "I did enjoy my time with her and the sister yesterday. The sister is very outgoing and smart, too. The wife surprised me though."

"How so?"

He shrugged as he picked out the evening's neckwear. "I don't know. I guess she just didn't give off a lesbian vibe."

"What the heck is a lesbian vibe?"

He shrugged again as he tied the tie. "You know what I mean. We knew that our Leslie was a lesbian when she was six years old. When she brought home Ramona, we knew she was the real deal, too. Allie certainly gives off that vibe, but her wife... what was her name?"

"Umm... Melody. Yes, they call her 'Mel.'"

"That's it. Thanks. This 'Melody' doesn't give off that vibe at all. She's too pretty and acts too normal."

Alice came back into the room and grabbed a cocktail dress that was hanging on the closet rod. "That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard," she chided. "My guess is that Mel has never had to defend her proclivities, while Allie, with all of her quirks and oddities, is just uncomfortable in new social situations. You know, not everyone bounced back from the lockdown the way you have. She probably spent the bulk of that time without a lot of social contact. For a girl as quirky as Allie, that has to have an impact of some kind. Zip me up."

Dennis ran the zipper up the back of his wife's dress. "I'm sure you're right."

"I always am."

He snickered at that. "Ok. Have a good time with her, then. She seems like a nice kid, but don't be surprised if she isn't as free-spirited as you are."

"Oh, she will be," Alice giggled. "Mark my words - by the time we leave here, Allie will be just as relaxed in her own skin as I am."

Dennis chuckled at his wife's perseverance. If this was how she wanted to enjoy her vacation, that was fine with him. He patted her back to let her know the zipper was secured.

She turned and looked at him, displaying the way her cocktail dress hung to her shapely body and said, "Tada! Now, look - we're ready and there's still an hour to go before dinner."

Dennis laughed. He knew she'd hurried just to prove a point.
 

~^~
 

In Mel and Allie's room, things were a lot more hectic. Mel had grabbed her suitcase because it was slightly larger than Alex's, dumped the clothes in it onto the bed and had it ready for Jill when she arrived a few moments later.

"I'll take the suitcase, you take this," Jill said, in a rush, handing Mel a bag from the pharmacy downstairs.

"What's this?"

"It's two bottles of Nair, some baby oil, hair ties, alcohol and sewing needles."

"Ok," Mel said, confused. "What should I do with all of this?"

"Use the Nair on his legs, chest, shoulders, face, sideburns, arms... anywhere that might show when he's wearing a dress."

"A dress?" Alex asked from across the room where he was getting undressed in preparation for a shower.

"I'm not sure what I brought that will work, Allie. Just get ready for maximum skin exposure - just to be sure."

"On his face, though?" Mel asked, wondering why he couldn't just shave there.

"Look, Mel... I can tell when Allie has shaved because his face gets a little rash from the blade. Just use the Nair so that his skin is smooth without any irritation. The the baby oil to sooth it even more."

"Ok," Melody sighed to the door as Jill closed it on the way out. Then she turned to look at Alex, still in his knee length body shaper, and shrugged. "Strip to the skin, babe. We're going to make you smooth as a baby's butt."

About fifteen minutes later, just seconds after Alex got into the shower, Jill came back into the room with a full suitcase. She tossed it onto the messy bed and pulled out a navy blue cocktail dress that she'd bought and worn one time to a Christmas party. It had a retro, quasi 1950s quality to it, with an off the shoulder, modest sweetheart neckline, short sleeves, a moderately high waist and a wide, swing skirt.

"What so you think?" Jill asked Mel. "It's exactly the kind of dress that's appropriate for a formal restaurant."

Mel shook her head. "I don't know, Jill. I mean, it's a beautiful dress, but do you think Allie will wear it?"

"I think it's his best choice," Jill said, sincerely. "So far, he's been the odd ball, tomboy, but I'm a little afraid that Dennis might find that tiring. He needs to be a pretty lady if we're going to a restaurant designed for handsome men and pretty ladies."

"Ok."

By the time Alex got out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, Jill had already run next door and showered. She was wearing a bra and a half-slip, stockings and nice heels. Her makeup was done and her hair was in hot rollers. Jill was a girl with a busy schedule and she knew how to hustle when she had to.

"I'm going to shower, now" Mel said to Alex. "Do what Jill tells you to do. It's important that we do this right for you, Allie."

"Ok," he said, knowing he'd dug himself a deep hole.

Jill had everything ready to go. "Ok, Allie. Turn your back to me and drop the towel. We're going to put baby oil on you to make sure that the Nair doesn't irritate your skin."

She poured some oil into his hands and told him to rub it into his upper thighs and belly while she went to work on his back and legs. Then she took his towel and dabbed him all over to be sure that there was no excess oil to get on his clothes.

"Here," Jill said, handing Alex a pair of black, nylon panties with a flowered panel in the front.

"These are fancy," Alex said, shaking his head and not wanting to make a big deal out of anything.

"Well, it's a fancy dinner."

As Alex pulled up the panties, Jill got an accidental glimpse of his now hairless groin. She hadn’t expected that area to be denuded, but it had been. Oh well.

Next came the body shaper. It was a different style than the one he’d worn before. Besides having no legs, it had no straps. It was also black and absolutely covered in a floral design.

"Make sure you’re all tucked in," she reminded him as he pulled the garment up his legs.

"Yep."

When he had the shaper in place, Jill shook her head.

"What’s the matter?" Alex asked.

"Well, the shaper gives you plenty of shape in the waist and sides, but without straps, your not getting enough lift to give you believable boobs." She stared for a moment, then snapped her fingers and ran back into her room and returned with what looked like two bra cups with shoelaces laces in between.

"Ok, roll your top down a little," she instructed.

He did so, but asked, "What’s that?"

"It’s a sticky bra. Look, I’ll loosen the laces. There’s a little toggle on the laces, see, so I just lower that. Now, I’m going to stick the cups to the underside of your natural boobs..."

"I’m a guy. I don’t have natural boobs."

"Yeah. Says you. Anyway, now that it’s stuck in place, I raise the toggle to tighten the laces and watch."

As she raised the toggle, it tightened the laces between the bra cups and pulled the extra skin up and together, forming a very impressive and very feminine cleavage.

"And there we go!" Jill announced.

"Damn," Alex said, shaking his head, both horrified and impressed by the results.

Jill pulled the shaper back into place, securing the new boobs.

"There we go!" Jill proclaimed. "Of course, now that I’ve loaned you my sticky bra, I can’t wear a bare-shouldered dress tonight, but you’ll look impressive. Now, come into my room and let me do your hair and makeup."

He was seated in a chair while Jill went to work with her hot rollers. She wound a dozen or so of them them into his hair and gave his head a quick dousing of hair spray before she went to work on his face.

"I need to clean up your brows a little, Allie," she explained, as she grabbed something from her cosmetic bag.

"Your not going to pluck them, are you?"

"Nope," Jill smirked as she flicked the switch on a little electric eyebrow shaver.

"Wait!" Alex said, pulling his head back. "You’re going to give me lady’s eyebrows? I’ll have those for months."

"I’m going to groom them a little bit, Allie. Lots of guys groom their eyebrows nowadays. No one will notice. Now, just let me do what needs to be done."

Reluctantly, he sighed and let his head return to its normal position, allowing Jill to get to work.

When that was done, she set about getting his makeup done. A light base was blended all the way down to his new cleavage. Then she went to work with brushes of various shapes and sizes as she worked with her makeup pallets to reach the effect she desired.

"I’m out of the shower," Mel called from the next room.

"Ok!" Jill called back. "I’m getting your wife ready."

Mel stuck her head into the room. She was wearing only her fanciest bra and panties and looking incredibly beautiful. Had his penis had the room to do so, Alex would have gotten hard at the sight of her, but currently, he was heavily restrained in the shaper.

"Ooh," Mel teased. "Black undies. I like it! Are your panties black, too?"

"They are," Jill answered for Alex. "They’re also silky and very pretty." She smiled and winked at Mel.

"Ooh, I can’t wait," Mel teased. "I’m just going to brush my hair and put on my dress. Be right back."

Moments later, Mel was back, dressed in a slender, black dress that showed off her incredible, fit body. She wasn’t wearing any shoes, yet, but that was not unusual for Mel. Heeled shoes went on as she headed out the door and came off as she came back in.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Mel asked.

"Take the ice bucket and get a little ice from the machine down the hall," Jill instructed.

"Ice? Why?"

Without stopping her work on his makeup, Jill pointed to Alex’s earlobe.

"Ahh," Mel nodded, grabbed the bucket and hurried out the door.

By the time she returned, Jill was just finishing her makeup work. Of course, Alex’s hair was still up in rollers, but Mel could see that Jill’s skill with makeup had transformed little Alex’s face tremendously. It was very exciting to be a part of this whole thing.

Jill grabbed an eyebrow pencil and made a dot on Alex’s left earlobe, then made a corresponding dot on the right lobe, careful to make sure that each dot was even and centered.

"What are you doing now?" Alex asked as his wife held a piece of ice on each side of his left earlobe.

"What my girlfriends and I did to each other when we were twelve years old. So don’t move." Jill said, with authority.

Hiding her hands from her brother, Jill soaked a large sewing needle in alcohol for a moment while she got a pair of large, dark blue stud earrings prepared. Once everything was ready, she gave Mel a nod, Mel pulled the ice away and Jill pierced Alex’s ear with the very sharp needle. He hardly reacted at all, so she wiped the lobe with alcohol and put the stud in place.

As she moved to the other side, where Mel was already holding the ice, Alex said, "I don’t know why you’re being so sneaky. I know your putting clip-ons earrings on my ears. Why are you numbing my ears first?"

"So they won’t hurt," Jill said with a smile as she pierced the other lobe, wiped it down and installed the other earring.

"Ok, hair," she said, tossing everything else aside and pulling the hot rollers from Alex’s hair. "How are we on time?"

"Thirty two minutes," Mel announced.

"Shoot," Jill grunted. "Are you ready to go?"

"Just need to slip on my heels and I’m good."

"Great. Do you think you can get his pantyhose on while I’m getting my hair brushed out and my dress on?"

"Of course." Mel seemed delighted to help.

"Pantyhose?" Alex was suddenly shocked. "Why on earth do I need to wear pantyhose?"

"Because they didn’t sell stockings in pharmacy downstairs," Jill said, grabbing a brush and blow-dryer and going to work.

"Why do I need to wear stockings at all? No one will see them through the slacks, right?"

Jill looked at Mel. "Show him his outfit."

Melody disappeared for a moment and returned with the dress.

"Oh, no, no, no," Alex said. "I am not wearing THAT! Come on. I know lots of women who NEVER wear dresses. I’m sure I can wear slacks."

"Well, you could if we had a nice outfit for you to wear, Allie," Mel said, calmly, "but Jill and I went through the bags and this is your best option to wear to a fancy restaurant. Honestly, honey, we just don’t have a lot of choices."

"Let’s just cancel, then" Alex said, feeling panic building.

"Cancel for the whole week?" Jill asked. "Allie... get a grip... just be a girl for the week, and you’ll be fine."

"But..."

Jill put her finger on his lips. "The Cole Liquors account is your biggest account at the moment, correct?"

He nodded.

"Do you want to lose it?"

He shook his head, slowly.

"Are you ready to be a big girl, then?"

He sighed and nodded, again.

"Good."

Jill did the best she could with his unruly hair. It certainly was better than it had looked in months, and the rollers and her work with the blowdryer had given it some height and body, but... it wasn’t perfect. It would have to do, though.

"Ok," Jill said, still in charge, "you get Allie into her dress and I’ll brush out my hair and get into mine. Time?"

"Twelve minutes," Mel announced, gently guiding Alex’s pantyhose up his newly smoothed legs before she’d allow him to stand. When he did stand, and she guided the hosiery higher, she couldn’t help but notice that this new style of shaper created a very smooth, very flat, very female groin on her husband and that sent a rush of desire through her.

"Those feel nice, don’t they?" Melody whispered to her husband.

"I guess," he said, but in truth, they felt amazing! They were tight and hot and hardly there at all and so cool. Such a very odd series of sensations were being sent through his skin to his brain.

"Wait till your skirt swings against them," his wife said, but she wasn’t really teasing. She was being serious.

She unzipped the back of the dress and held it low so Alex could step into it. Mel guided it up his body and ran the odd little sleeves up his arm. She situated everything nicely on his breasts, then slowly drew the zipper up his back. She looked him over from the back and then from the side and then from the front and she liked what she saw. It was still her husband, the man that she loved, but he was different. He looked smaller and so much prettier and so much more... vulnerable. Just standing next to him made her feel stronger than him. More in-control than him. More... manly... than him. Even though she was also wearing a cocktail dress, hers was sleek and tight and modern and showed off her strong, hard body. His was old fashioned and feminine and showed off his pleasingly plump, now feminine form. She liked this new juxtaposition and wanted to explore it more.

"You look very nice," Mel told Allie. "Very pretty, actually. How does it feel?"

"I don’t know where to put my hands," Alex said, quietly. "No matter where I put them, they’re touching the dress."

Mel smiled at him. "That’s ok, baby. Just let them hang at your sides, or fold them in front of you. The skirt of your dress blouses out quite a bit, so you’ll be touching it a lot. Now, remember, when you sit, you need to gently fold your skirts under you, like this." She sat and demonstrated. "You try it."

Alex tried it and it seemed pretty logical. The smoothed skirts were comfortable and he could see why it was important to avoid wrinkling the clothes by sitting on them without thought.

"Excellent," Mel complimented him. "Also, make sure that you’re always sitting up nice and straight, especially in a dress that shows off that much breast."

"Yeah," Alex sighed. "That is a lot, isn’t it?"

Mel smiled. "I have a nice, white, cashmere scarf you can wear over your shoulders, if you’d like."

He nodded.

Mel disappeared into their room for a moment and returned with a scarf that was bigger than he expected. It was about eighteen inches wide and more three feet long and made of the softest fibers he ever felt. Mel put it on his shoulders and it covered some of the exposed skin a bit, which was nice. It also smelled of Mel’s perfume, which was comforting as well.

"Zip me up," Jill said to Mel. She was wearing a beautiful, cranberry red cocktail dress that showed off her newly reduced figure beautifully. "Time?"

"Five minutes."

"Awesome!" Jill said, grabbing a clutch purse. "Are we ready?"

"Yes!" Mel bubbled, grabbing her shoes and slipping them on.

"Should I wear the shoes I wore yesterday?" Alex asked.

"Oops," Jill said. She hustled to the bed in Alex and Mel’s room and grabbed a pair of traditional, low pumps. She placed them on the floor and held out her hand to help him slide his feet into them.

"These are high heels." Alex whined.

"These are two inch pumps," Jill said, dismissively. "Just walk normally in them and you’ll be fine."

Once they were on, Alex found that Jill was right. They were quite easy to wear.

"Ok," Jill said. "Let’s go."

They walked down the hall to the elevator. Mel pushed the call button and they waited and that was when Alex got his first glimpse of himself in a full length mirror that was opposite the elevator doors.

"Oh, God," he gasped.

"Pretty good, huh?" Jill said, proudly.

Alex could see his wife and his sister. They were well dressed up, but he’d seen them dressed like that before. There was someone else in the reflection, though and Alex could not get his head around who that was. She was shorter than the other two women, and a bit too heavy to be considered conventionally beautiful, but she was not unattractive. In fact... she was kind of pretty for a hefty girl.

And she had breasts. Prominent breasts that she was showing off in the dress she was wearing.

"You look lovely, baby," Mel said, lovingly.

"I look like a woman."

"A pretty woman," she corrected. "And that’s what we want for now, babe."
 

~^~
 

Just as in the lounge down stairs, The Main Dinning Room at the Omni Mount Washington Resort at Bretton Woods had high ceilings and vast windows that allowed beautiful views of the valley below and the mountains beyond. It was dark by the time they entered the dinning room, but the moon was bright and its light reflected off the snow beautifully, creating a breathtakingly ghostly vista outside.

As the maître d' led them through the restaurant to the Cole’s table, Melody and Jill kept looking out the windows to see the beauty of the winter outside. Anyone looking at them would assume that Alex was doing the same, but in fact he was looking at the windows, not through them. He was far more interested in the image being reflected back at him than the world beyond.

"Oh, my goodness," Dennis Cole said as the party approached, "look at how well all of these women cleaned up!"

The maitre’d pulled out a chair for Jill and then for Melody, but Dennis scurried over and pulled out a chair for Alex, and gently pushed it back in under him, positioning it comfortably close to the table.

"Well, ladies," Alice said, sounding not just surprised, but almost relieved, "you all look lovely."

"Thank you," Jill said.

"Thanks," Mel said.

Alex just gave a small, nervous smile.

Alice seemed to sense that her new friend, Allie, felt self conscious about the way she looked and offered some support. "Allie, you look very nice, tonight."

"Thank you," Alex replied, with a tight smile.

Alice looked at all the others and smiled. "It’s nice to be able to get dressed up and go out again, isn’t it? Denny and I were going stir crazy during the lock down. I’m not sure Denny could have survived another season without getting away."

A waitress arrived and asked about drinks. Dennis reminded her about the two, very pricey glasses of Louis XIII cognac the bar was holding for Alice and Alex and everyone else ordered much less expensive drinks. Meals were ordered and chit-chat was made.

Soon, a band started playing on the far side of the room and they started to play an upbeat song from the nineteen nineties. Dennis stood and looked at Melody. "May I have this dance?" he asked, with a smile.

"Oh," she sputtered, a bit surprised, "wouldn’t you rather dance with your wife?"

"Not to a fast song," Alice laughed. "I am a slow dance girl."

"Oh, well... ok," Mel said, standing and taking the older gentleman’s hand.

As they left, Jill looked at Alex and Alice and said, "I am very sorry, but I have to excuse myself for a moment. Nature calls, as it were. I’ll be right back."

Alex thought about going with his sister for a moment, but he didn’t think he was up to entering a ladies room just yet.

Left alone with his new friend, he struggled for a moment to think of something to say. Finally, Alice broke the ice.

"I’m going to guess that you don’t get dressed up like this very often?"

"Not like this, no," Alex admitted, with a nervous laugh.

"Well, as a salesperson," Alice asked, genuinely curious, "don’t you find it beneficial to be dressed well when making calls?"

"Yes, of course," Alex said, "but that doesn’t mean I need to wear a dress! I used to wear a suit. Since COVID, I’ve done everything online, so I haven’t really had to present myself to anyone at all for the last few years. That’s is, until Dennis. He insisted on meeting face to face."

Alice gave a knowing smile. She knew Dennis prided himself on trusting his instincts. "Allie, you look absolutely lovely dressed like that. Truly, you do."

Alex shook his head. "If I am honest, Alice, I feel pretty foolish."

Alice shook her head. "I’ve never understood how girls could grow up not enjoying the benefits of womanhood. Trust me, Allie... by the time you and I are done this week, you are going to LOVE being a girl!"

Alex smirked a little and thought, ‘If only you knew how unlikely that is.’

The song ended and Dennis, Melody and Jill all returned to the table just as the food arrived. The food was amazing! Alex had seared salmon with celery roots and baby cabbages with Parmesan and pancetta. It was delicious.

When they’d finished the main course, Dennis ordered everyone a glass of grappa with a shot of espresso as an after dinner apéritif. They sipped and chatted and laughed until the band played an old song that everyone seemed to love.

"Come on, Alice," Dennis said, standing and offering a hand to his wife. "I love this song."

Alice stood and smiled at the young people across from her. "Come on, girls. You should dance, too."

"Yeah," Melody smiled as she stood and offered Alex a hand as well. "Come on, Allie. Let’s dance."

Alex looked petrified.

"Go on, Allie," Jill encouraged. "You’ve always loved this Rod Stewart song."

"Rod Stewart song!?" Dennis sounded horrified. "THIS, young lady, is a Van Morrison song." He shook his head. "And here I was thinking you were cultured." He headed for the dance floor.

"Have I told you lately that I love you?" The singer crooned. "Have I told you, there’s no one else above you?"

Reluctantly, Alex took his wife’s hand and followed her to the dance floor.

It was odd to feel her arms crush the soft fabric of the dress against his body and feel the skirt of the dress sway against his legs, but oddest of all was feeling his breasts crushed against his wife’s firm, athletic body. Her breath on his bare shoulders. Her stray hairs tickling his bare neck. The weight of the earrings on his earlobes.

It was all new and all so very alien and... feminine.

"There’s a love that’s divine
And it’s yours and it’s mine
Like the sun..." the singer sang.

"I like dancing with you like this," Mel whispered. "You look very pretty dressed this way. With your hair and makeup done so nicely... I really like it."

"You like me looking like a girl?"

"Like a woman," she smiled. "Yeah."

"Why?"

Mel shrugged. "I don’t know. You look nicer. You smell nicer. You act differently."

"How do I act?"

"Sweeter. Softer. More like... my wife, I guess." She smiled more broadly. "I kind of like that."

Alex was about to continue the conversation, but the song ended and they applauded the band. The band started the next song.

"You never close your eyes any more when I kiss your lips," the singer sang in a deeper range. "And there’s no tenderness, any more in your finger tips..."

Mel wrapped her arms around Alex again and started the slow sway of dancing, but someone tapped her on the shoulder.

"May I cut in?" Dennis asked.

"Oh..." Mel said, a bit surprised. "Of course."

Alex smiled and nodded, relieved to be able to retreat to the table. He turned to exit the dance floor, but was shocked to feel Dennis’ hand wrap gently around his wrist, turning him back towards the center of the restaurant and his biggest client.

Dennis’ grip on him was much firmer, much more formal, much tighter and much more manly. He was at least four or five inches taller than Melody, so Alex couldn’t see over Dennis’ shoulder at all. He was literally being led around the dance floor by this man.

"I have to admit," Dennis said in a casual voice, "I was surprised to see you dressed up this evening. I was under the impression that you were a casual person. Casual all the time, I mean."

"I kind of am," Alex admitted, "but my wife and sister forced me to dress up tonight."

"Well, you look nice," Dennis said, causing Alex to blush just a bit.

"Th... thank you."

"Not at all," Dennis smiled. "You know, Allie, when we spoke on the phone, I thought you were a man. You know how it is – Alex can be a male or a female name and your voice is not really indicative of a gender on the phone... I guess I just leapt to a conclusion. And to be honest, even when I saw you yesterday, I wasn’t one hundred percent sure. You were dressed a bit oddly for a meeting."

Alex saw an opening to tell the truth. It wouldn’t be easy, but it was now or never.

"I understand, Dennis. You see, recently I’ve gained a bit of weight and Jill, who was much heavier than I was, lost quite a bit. So, when I went to get dressed for our meeting and found that my clothes didn’t fit correctly..."

"You wore your sisters," Dennis laughed. "I understand entirely.’

"You do?"

"Of course," the older man laughed. "That does explain a few things."

Alex let out a breath. "Oh, good."

"Good thing you’re both girls," Dennis laughed. "Imagine how difficult it would have been if one of you had been a guy."

Alex’s heart sank. "Yeah... imagine."

"Well, I have to tell you, Alice is just thrilled to have found a friend to hang out with while we’re up here. I hope it’s not going to keep you from the slopes." Dennis smiled, reasonably sure that Allie wasn’t an outdoorsy kind of girl.

"I’m happy to do anything that will keep me AWAY from the slopes. I was brought here by Jill and Mel. I’d rather be inside with my computer than outside in the cold. Don’t get me wrong, I love the views and everything, but I prefer them from the warmth of the lodge, not the cold of the mountain sides."

Dennis let out a guffaw. "Oh, my goodness. You and Alice really are soul-sisters. I have heard her say exactly those same words hundreds of times."

Alex smiled at that. "I’m glad to have someone to spend time with then, too."

The song ended and they applauded for the band. Alex was about to head back to the table, but Dennis stopped him with an arm around his shoulder.

"Can I give you big of advice, Allie? Old salesperson to a younger one?"

"Oh, umm... of course."

Dennis walked him over to a quiet area where there was a nice view, but no crowd. "Allie... when we spoke on the phone, I was impressed. You had good prices and great product. But when I saw you, in my office... well, as I’ve said... I had second thoughts. Then we spoke and I was back on Team Allie."

Alex nodded, not quite knowing what to say.

"My point is, appearance means a lot in sales. Now, if you’ll forgive me being blunt, I don’t mean the fact that you’re a bit hefty. I know lots of chunky salespeople. What I mean is... oh, heck, Allie, you looked like an unmade bed when I met you. Now, I might not have said anything about that if it weren’t for the fact that tonight you look a thousand times nicer, honey. Now, I’m not saying this to be sexist. I would be saying the same thing to a man. You’re a talented salesperson, Allie, but you need to up your game substantially."

"I hear you, Dennis," Alex said. "I’ll do my best."

"Good," he smiled. "Now, here’s the thing I’d like to offer. Alice loves a challenge and she loves to get her hair and nails and everything else that can be DONE done, so... let her get it DONE with you this week, too. Ok? Our treat. Alice will have a great time and you’ll come home from vacation with a new look, ready to take on the world. What do you say?"

What could he say? "Oh, gee, Dennis, I couldn’t let you spend that kind of money..."

"Enough, Allie. I’m happy to do it. As far as I’m concerned, it’s part of Alice’s vacation. Ok?"

There was no escape at this point. Maybe he could find one later. "Ok. Thank you, Dennis. That’s very kind of you."

"My pleasure. Come on. Let’s get back to the table."
 
 
To Be Continued...

Alex: 3

 

The week at the ski lodge in New Hampshire continues as does Alice's tutelage of Allie.
I never know if anyone will like these stories until I post them.

---

 
Author's Note:Thank you for all the kind reviews. They really mean a lot! Please, everyone, Leave me a review? ~Clara.
 
This version of Alex: 3 has been updated with many corrections towards spelling and grammar.~Sephrena.
 
Image Credit: Image created through the use of ai at https://perchance.org/beautiful-people .~Sephrena.

---

 
 
Part 3
 

“So,” Jill shrugged after Alex told them what Dennis had said, “you get the advantages of a rich woman’s vacation, then you go home and go back to living your normal life. If you have your brows done, they’ll grow out. If you have your hair done, it’ll grow out. If you have your hair colored, you can buy some Clairol and return it to your natural color when we get home. This is a no-lose situation, Allie. You’ll have a nice vacation, see how the other half lives – both the rich half and the female half – and enjoy yourself.”

“Wait…” Alex said, draping the large scarf he’d been struggling with all evening over the back of a chair. “… you think she’s going to want me to go to a salon with her?”

Melody chuckled. “My experience with wealthy women is that they associate relaxation with salons and spas. I would guess that one of those two places is first on her list of ‘Things To Do With Allie.’ But so what? You’ve never been to either and they’re both great!”

“Yeah. You both make it sound so easy,” Alex sighed, sitting carefully on the bed, still dressed in the cocktail dress. “What if I’m found out? I’ll lose the biggest customer I’ve ever had.”

“Then don’t get found out,” Mel shrugged. “Look, Allie, I don’t know how you got into this mess, but you did get yourself into it and now you’ve got no choice but to follow through until we leave. It’s nobody’s fault but yours. It’s just like this trip – you never plan ahead for anything and now you have to pay the price for your lax behavior.”

He nodded and sighed. “I guess.” He stood. “Can you get me out of these clothes? I truly don’t understand why women wear clothes that they can’t get into and out of on their own.”

Jill snickered at that. “You’ll learn how, eventually.”

“I hope I’m not wearing them long enough to get used to them,” he said, as his sister slid the zipper down his back.

“Oh, I hope you never stop wearing them,” his wife said with a broad smile, pulling a short, yellow nightie with short, puffy sleeves from the suitcase that Jill had brought in from the SUV.

“Seriously?” Alex asked.

“Oh, don’t you worry, little lady,” Mel teased, shaking the little nightie playfully, as if she were a matador. “I’ll make it worth your while.”

“I’m leaving, now,” Jill said and she hurried back to her room, closing the two doors behind her.
 

~^~
 

“Ahh, we’re all arriving at breakfast at the same time! How wonderful!” Alice said, clapping her hands as she and Dennis arrived in the lobby at the same time that Alex, Jill and Melody did. Jill, Melody and Dennis, of course, were wearing their ski-suits with the tops turned down, while Alice was wearing a casual dress and Alex was wearing a long, beige, wool skirt with a red sweater and knee high, low heeled boots.

“This is fortuitous,” Dennis smiled. “Would you ladies mind if I joined you on the mountain today?”

“That would be lovely,” Melody said with a smile.

“Be warned, though, Dennis,” Jill said, sounding very serious, “Mel is extremely competitive.”

“Oh, ho, ho,” Dennis laughed and shook his head. “You have no idea what competition is until you’ve been been involved in a sport with me.”

“Oh, really!?” Mel laughed.

“Oh, really,” Dennis replied with a nod and a smile.

“Well, we shall see,” Mel said as the waitress showed up and took their orders.

“So,” Jill said when the waitress had left, “we know what the roughnecks are doing today, what are the ladies doing?”

Alex shot his sister a glance, but Jill’s smile didn’t waver. She did flutter her eyes at him innocently, though.

“Well,” Alice said, looking rather pleased with her plans, “I’ve made appointments for us to have makeovers this morning. I do hope you don’t mind, Allie, but I am desperate to try something new with my hair. I’ve had this color for absolutely ages! After that, I have reservations for a late lunch and then… we’ll see.”

“Oh, a salon appointment!” Melody grinned and looked at her husband. “Won’t that be nice, Allie!?”

Alex just stared daggers at his wife.

“Oh… I’m sorry,” Alice said. She sensed some tension and wanted to defuse any problem she’d caused. “Is a salon visit a problem?”

“Well, to tell you the truth, Alice,” Jill said as if she was telling a big secret, “Allie has never been to a real salon before.”

Alice blinked in disbelief. “Ever!? I mean… how is that possible!?”

“Our mom did hair when she was younger and, when we were kids, she always did our hair. To be honest, mom didn’t REALLY give up doing hair because she had kids… The truth is, she really wasn’t very good at it. By the time I was twelve or so, I started going a salon with a friend, but Allie stuck with mom until she moved away a few years ago. Since then, Allie’s just been wearing a baseball cap most of the time.”

Even though Jill’s story was true, it still was embarrassing to have her say it. Alex had never had anyone cut his hair except his mother and he was kind of precious about having anyone else do it for him, but he knew that it had to be done. He might just as well have it done for the first time with Alice. Maybe he could get a reasonably gender-neutral haircut, and if not, at least it would be neater when he finally visited a barbershop for the first time.

“Oh, Allie,” Alice said with dramatic sympathy, “I didn’t know… we don’t have to get our hair done, then. We’ll just focus on our nails and…”

“No, no,” Alex interrupted with a forced smile. “I’d like to get my hair done. I need to have it done and I’d rather have it done with you than have my sister force a haircut on me that I don’t like.” He glared at Jill.

“Alright, girls,” Melody said, tapping both of them on the shoulders. “Let’s not start airing our dirty laundry in front of our new friends.”

Jill looked away from Alex and smiled at both Dennis and Alice. “Of course. I apologize.”

“As do I,” Alex echoed. “I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night. I guess I’m just a bit grumpy.”

“Well, a day at the salon will take care of that!” Alice grinned, very satisfied with the conversation’s resolution. “Trust me, honey, once you’ve had ‘the works’ at a good salon, you’ll look forward to your weekly visits.”

“What do you do for a living, Melody?” Dennis asked.

“I’m a Phys Ed teacher,” she answered, surprised by the change in conversational direction.

“Do you like it?”

“I love it.”

“Too bad,” Dennis said, shaking his head. “If Allie gets used to the same kind of weekly salon treatments that MY WIFE enjoys, then you’ll go broke on a teacher’s salary.”

That made everyone at Dennis’ end of the table laugh. Alice and Alex both just sighed and looked at each other, shaking their heads.

“Men,” Alice said, disgusted.

“Exactly,” Alex agreed.

“So… did you bring your bathing suit?” Alice asked, wide eyed.

“My…” Alex was very confused. “Why would I need a bathing suit to get my hair cut?”

“Not to have your hair done, silly,” Alice laughed. “To have your facial and skin care treatments. You don’t want to get your clothes covered in all those things they use on you.”

“I…” he had no idea if there was a bathing suit available to him.

“Of course she has a bathing suit,” Jill said, rolling her eyes. “It’s a darned good thing I packed for you, little sister.”
 

~^~
 

“Whoa,” Alex muttered as he followed Alice into the spacious and elegant salon/spa at the Omni Mount Washington Resort carrying a small bag with containing his shaper and a pair of panties. Currently, under his clothes, he was wearing one-piece bathing suit with shape-wear qualities built into it. He’d never been in a salon before, but he’d seen the insides of the Great Clips, Supercuts, Fantastic Sam’s and Cost Cutters in the malls and they didn’t look anything like this. This had ‘rich people’ written all over it in huge, neon, capital letters.

“Good morning, ladies,” the very attractive, young receptionist said with a wide, perfect grin. “What can I do for you?”

“Good morning,” Alice said, very at ease in this environment. “Cole… party of two.”

“Oh, yes,” the girl smiled, checking her tablet. “I see we’re starting with one hundred minute Mount Washington Signature Facial. Becky, our chief esthetician, and her team will be with you in a moment. Please, have a seat and help yourself to anything from our beverage and nutrition bar.”

“Thank you,” Alice smiled, “but we’ve just had breakfast.”

“Of course,” the girl said, in a way that indicated that a message had been received. She nodded and departed.

“You have to tell these people these things, or else they’ll keep you waiting for hours,” Alice said to Alex.

“These people?” Alex asked.

“The reception people,” Alice explained. “Allie… I want you to pay attention to things as we go through the week. I want you to learn how to carry yourself like a woman of substance. To tell people you expect to be treated a certain way without having to tell them so.”

“How can I tell them without saying anything?”

“Through your movements, Allie. By speaking a certain way. By saying one thing, but meaning another. For instance: I just told that young lady that we just ate breakfast. That means that we have no need of snacking on their fat-filled pastries while we wait twenty minutes for,” she made air quotes, “‘Becky, our chief esthetician’ to arrive. That young lady made Becky aware that we were here and not partaking of the food. Mark my words, Becky will be here within the next two to three minutes.”

Alex nodded. “I see.” He thought for a moment. “Wouldn’t it be easier to just tell her that?”

Alice smiled and shook her head. “No, dear. That would come off as uppity. This way the information was given politely.”

“Oh,” Alex nodded.

“Allie,” Alice said as nicely as she could, “I see the way your sister and your wife team up on you. You need to develop some skills to take control of your life, dear. That’s what we’re going to work on this week. By the time I’m done with you, you will be a more confident woman and they will not feel like they have the right to walk all over you.”

There was a lot of truth in what Alice had just said. Alex loved his wife and sister to death, but they were both pretty pushy and dismissive of his opinions. Maybe he could learn a thing or two from Alice to help him cope with certain aspects of his life.

“So…” he smiled, “… I guess you’re my Harold Higgins and I’m your Eliza Doolittle, then.”

“Oh! ‘My Fair Lady!’ I love that play!” Alice said, excited. “I was in it in high school!”

“So was I!” Alex said, with a bit of a laugh.

“Really! Oh, I wanted to play Eliza so badly. I just loved listening to Julie Andrew’s’ voice on the recording and Audrey Hepburn was so beautiful in the movie… but, sadly… I ended up playing frumpy old Mrs Pearce. How about you, dear? Who did you play? Now, don’t tell me you got to be Eliza?”

Alex was about to blurt out that he played Eliza’s love interest, Freddy Eynsford-Hill who sings ‘On The Street Where You Live,’ but realized what a faux pas that would be, so he he fibbed and said, “Oh, I was just in the chorus. One of the people at Ascot and one of the cockneys. It was a lot of fun, though.”

Alice was ready to continue to reminisce about her days of trodding the boards of her high school stage, but suddenly a stunningly beautiful woman appeared in the waiting area. She wasn’t just attractive, her makeup was astoundingly well done and made an immediate impact on anyone viewing her.

“Good morning, ladies,” she said in a confident voice that quieted them without any real volume. “My name is Becky and I am the chief esthetician here at The Omni. I will be overseeing your experience here, today.”

“Hello, Becky,” Alice smiled, extending a hand with all the poise of a diplomat or a member of a royal family. “I’m Alice. This is my companion, Allie.”

Becky shook her hand and then took Alex’s, but her command of the room faded under Alice’s royal attitude. Clearly, Alice was always in charge of any situation.

“Please, follow me, ladies,” Becky said, leading the way.

They entered a room with beige, stucco walls, small water fountains in two corners, lights dimmed lower than normal and the smell of flowers – possibly hibiscus – just barely present in the air, they found two women dressed in what could have been white nurses’ uniforms waiting for them.

“Ladies,” Becky smiled and introduced the two women, “this is Nadia and Ella. I will be working with them during your visits today. Are you wearing your swim suits already?”

“Yes,” both Alice and Alex confirmed.

“Excellent,” Becky smiled. “Then if you could strip to your suits and sit in the chairs, we’ll begin.”

They stepped behind some elaborately decorated screens to remove their outer clothes. When Alex stepped back into the room, he was wearing a one-piece suit that was rather festively decorated with lots of tropical flowers in bright reds and blues and greens and yellows and oranges. When Alice stepped out from behind her screen, Alex’s jaw nearly dropped. She was in her fifties, but she had the body of an eighteen year old dancer. Slender, lithe, well toned, gravity defying and the skimpy, bright orange two piece she wore drew every eye to exactly the spots she wanted to display.

“Alice,” Alex said, with genuine awe, “you look amazing in that suit!”

“Well, thank you, dear,” she giggled. “Honestly, it’s not that hard to look this good. I could help you with that too. I have a trainer come to my house every weekday. You could join me if you’d like.”

Alex shook his head. “I can’t drive all the way to Natick every day.”

“We don’t live in Natick, dear. That’s just where Denny’s offices are because it’s convenient to the Mass Pike. We live in Jefferson. I believe you live in Greendale, don’t you?”

“Yes,” Alex confirmed.

“Excellent,” Alice smiled. “Maybe our friendship can extend beyond this week, then.”

A hot rush of panic washed over Alex for a moment, but there was nothing to do but to smiled and say, “Oh, that would be wonderful.”

Within minutes, they were seated in the clinical looking chairs, and then the chairs were reclined into a completely flat position. They were both covered in heated blankets and Nadia and Ella began to massage warm, fragrant oils into their faces. It was heavenly.

Becky looked at each of the clients closely and quietly issued instructions to the Nadia or Ella – Since the assistants had only been introduced as a couple, Alex was not quite sure which one was working on him.

“Use a collagen rub,” Becky said as she looked at Alice. “Try something with a bit of toner to prevent crows feet and fill in worry lines. Right here, make sure you work this area. I see a lot of stress marks here.”

“Yes, ma’am,” either Nadia or Ella replied.

Then Becky was looking at Alex with a critical eye and Alex suspected that she did not like what she saw.

“Exfoliate… more than once if needed. Numb this area of the forehead and thread those brows. Go for a classic arch. Use a cream with a bit of color in it. She seems very pale. I’d like to see those lips plumped up a great deal if that’s possible. They’re pretty chapped anyway. Work on that.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

The next ninety five minutes were a series of submissions to Becky’s inspections and then wonderful applications of ointments and balms by Nadia/Ella. Many times, his eyes were closed with the relaxation he felt from the treatment. Several times, he nearly fell asleep.

“Alright, ladies,” Becky said, in a ‘time to get up’ voice, “let’s get you ready for your mani/pedis.”

Alex stood up, slowly, blinking as if he was waking up from a deep sleep.

“Did you enjoy that?” Alice asked.

“That was amazing,” Alex admitted. “I don’t think I’ve ever been that relaxed before.”

Alice smiled and rubbed his back. “We’re only just getting started, Eliza.”

The mani/pedi was just as amazingly relaxing as the facial had been. Heck, he’d clipped his toenails a million times in his lifetime. How could it be this wonderful when Nadia/Ella did it for him? It didn’t seem possible!

As Nadia/Ella worked on his hands, Alex chit chatted with Alice, who enlightened him on the importance of appearance and behavior. He did take a bit of note that Nadia/Ella was using a brush on his hand and then inserting his hand into an interesting looking lamp from time to time, but he was listening to Alice and not paying attention to much else.

“Long or short?” Nadia/Ella asked.

“I beg your pardon?” Alex asked in return.

“Your nails,” she smiled and held Alex’s hand up for him to see the gel nails she’d been attaching and smoothing onto his own fingernails. “Do you want me to trim them long or short?”

“I… ummm…” he stumbled, not knowing how to answer.

Alice could see her new friend was floundering, so she jumped in. “Let’s go just a little longer than what we’d call ‘short.’ Say… about a quarter of an inch or so.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Nadia/Ella smiled. “Rounded or squared?”

“Rounded, of course.”

“Yes, of course. Thank you, ma’am,” and she went to work with an Emory board.

“I’ve…umm… I’ve never had long nails before,” he said to Alice.

She chuckled at his reticence. “They won’t be that long, dear. You’ll get used to them, easily. They won’t interfere with your computer work or anything like that. And most importantly… they’ll be pretty. Allie… pretty is important. You need some ‘pretty’ in your life. Just relax and be… pretty. Ok?“

Alex smirked and shook his head. “‘Pretty’ has never been a part of my life, Alice. I’ve always been… you know… chubby and homely.”

“Oh, my God, Allie! Who told you you were homely!?”

“No one had to tell me that, Alice. I have eyes. I can look in a mirror. I know what my clothes feel like. Why Mel ever fell for me, I’ll never understand.”

Alice pulled her hand away from her attendant and stood. “I need the room for a few minutes, please.”

“Yes, ma’am,” both Nadia and Ella said, standing and shuffling out of the room as quickly as they could, eager to get away from the uncomfortable situation.

When the room was empty except for the two of them, Alice offered Alex her hand and said, “Stand up, dear. I want to show you something.”

He took her hand and stood. She put her arm around his shoulder and guided him to a mirror, pointed to it and said, “Tell me what you see.”

He looked at it and said, “I see a beautiful woman in a very skimpy bathing suit.”

Alice laughed at that. “Well, thank you for that, but who do you see next to that woman?”

Alex looked at himself – short and stout and wearing the bathing suit his sister had loaned him that pushed his testicles up into his crotch, his penis back between his legs, his torso into the shape of a sausage and his extra flab up into breasts that he shouldn’t have and he felt like crying. “Alice… please… don’t make me do this.”

Alice leaned her head to the side so that it rested on the top of his. She rubbed her hand on his arm. “Ok. Ok. But let me tell you what I see. I see a bright, funny, successful young woman, with a wife and a sister who, even though they may tease her a bit, love her very much. I see a young woman who has managed to keep her independent business alive through one of the worst pandemics the world has ever known and still be able to come up with new and innovative ways to promote herself. I see a young woman who just needs to believe in herself a little bit more in order to be able to take the world by storm.”

Alex let out a nervous laugh. “I wish I saw any of that.”

Alice kissed the top of his head. “You will, dear. Trust me. Listen, I raised three daughters and they are all fiercely confident, powerful, beautiful woman. By the time I’m done with you, you will be too.”

“I doubt that.”

“I promise… you will be.” She hugged him with that one arm and rubbed his arm some more. “You’ll see.”

When she released him, she raised her voice and called, “You can come back in, now!”

When their nails were done, Alice called Becky over and asked for a waiter. A few minutes later a woman arrived and Alice said, “I’d like two glasses of Krug Grand Cuvée, a can of Imperia and a plate of toast spears – some dry, some lightly buttered – for my friend and me? Charge that to the Presidential Suite. Thank you.”

‘Yes, ma’am.” The waitress seemed impressed and left.

“We’ll change into our regular clothes now, then take a short snack break before we have our hair done,” Alice instructed Becky.

“Of course,” Becky nodded.

“Come, Allie, dear,” she said to Alex, “let’s get more comfortable.”

The skirt and sweater with the shape wear and boots was, in fact, quite a bit more comfortable and less nerve wracking for Alex to wear in public. It was when he was changing in the dressing room, though that he noticed that his eyebrows were noticeably different than they had been that morning. Thinner, sculpted and arched in a way that no one could ever mistake as masculine. He wanted to be upset about it, but the fact was that they kind of matched his now very smooth skin and oddly plump lips. Huh… he had no makeup on whatsoever, but his face looked very, very much like his sister’s. In fact… he looked a bit more like he could be his sister than his actual sister looked like his sister. How was that even possible?

He stepped out of the dressing room in time to see Alice signing for a tray of drinks and food. She held up a flute-style glass of a pale yellow, sparkling beverage and handed it to Alex.

“What’s this?” He asked.

“Champagne,” she said, matter of factly, as if everyone had champagne at twelve thirty in the afternoon. “Krug Grand Cuvée, in fact. My favorite. Take a sip.”

He did. “Mmmm. My God! That’s delicious! I’ve only ever had champagne at weddings and it’s always…”

“…cheap and bitter tasting,” Alice finished his thought. “I know. It’s horrible, isn’t it. This is what fine champagne is all about. You seem to love wine so much, I’m surprised you’re not more of a champagne drinker.”

“I think I am now,” he said and took another tiny sip.

Alice smiled, put down her flute and picked up a triangle of toast. Then she took a tiny spoon and put a very small mound of black jelly with little balls of something in it. “Now, try this,” she said, holding the sliver of decorated toast up to his lips.

He took a little bite and… it tasted like nothing he’d ever tasted before. Very fresh, light, buttery, creamy, a bit salty and just a tiny bit fishy. Almost like a delicate jelly made from sea water.

“Wow,” Alex muttered quietly as he examined the taste in his mouth. “What is this?”

“Caviar,” she smiled.

“Caviar!?” He took another nibble. “I tried caviar once before and it tasted NOTHING like this.”

“You tasted CHEAP caviar,” Alice said shaking her head. “That might as well be heavily salted fish bait. THIS is caviar.”

Alex glanced down at a copy of the receipt and nearly spit out the delicacy. “Alice! You can’t spend this kind of money every day.”

“Of course I can,” she smiled. “Allie… I know how much we have and how much we’ve set aside for this trip. None of this is going to be a surprise to Denny. He jokes about it, but he knows that making money isn’t worth anything if we don’t enjoy it together. THIS is what life is all about, Allie. Enjoying the good things. Family, friends, good food, travel, the beauty of the world, the beauty of ourselves. That’s why we’re here, honey. Not just to work and slave our lives away. To be who we want to be. And I want to be someone who dresses beautifully, eats wonderful food, gets their hair done by artists and teaches young women to reach their full potential.” She kissed his smooth, soft cheek. “Enjoy the better things in life, Allie.”

His sips and nibbles were so small that he’d barely made a dent in his champagne or caviar before Becky arrived and invited them into the hair salon. Alice stood with a practiced elegance that Alex tried to emulate. He wasn’t sure that he’d done very well, but Alice gave him an approving smile, so he determined to continue to practice and improve.

“Have our tray brought in for us, please, Becky,” Alice said with a polite coolness that was in no way snobbish, but also didn’t offer any sign of friendship.

“Of course,” Becky replied with a cordial smile.

“So, what are we doing today, ladies?” The hairdresser in charge asked.

“For myself,” Alice instructed, “I would just like a little trim, spruce up my color with something new and maybe put my hair up a little fancy for dinner tonight.”

“We can certainly handle that,” the hairdresser smiled.

“For my friend… as you can see, it has been a while since she’s paid any attention to her hair so I think what she needs is something beautiful, but maintainable. You know what I mean.”

The hairdresser did know what she meant. She meant that this woman didn’t know how to take care of her hair and the older woman wanted her to look presentable.

“Oh,” Alice said in her regal tone, “of course, we’d both like our makeup done.” It was odd how Alice’s tone was so warm, friendly and irresistibly inviting with Alex and so cool, superior and irresistibly compelling to people from whom she was expecting services. It was astounding. It was as if she was a true Svengali.

The hairdresser looked at Alex, contemplated him for a moment and said, “You have lovely, thick hair. Do you want to maintain the length?”

“I… I guess,” he sputtered. He assumed that, if he got a ‘haircut’ they’d cut his hair, but if he could keep it long, he’d kind of prefer that.

“How about some color?”

“What did you have in mind?” Alice asked when Alex seemed flummoxed by the question.

“Nothing drastic. She has a nice, chestnut brown color… maybe some bronze highlights. I think that would really make her hair pop.”

“Ohh,” Alice said, touching his hair. “That sounds lovely. What do you think, Allie?”

Alex took a second to think, but it didn’t take long. Alice was the first person who ever saw potential in him. Potential for success. Potential for happiness. Potential for being… well… even remotely good looking. If she thought it was a good idea, then… “Sure.”

“Alright, then, here’s what I’m thinking,” the hairdresser suggested. “You have such thick hair, I think we use a perm to accomplish two things. From your scalp to your shoulders, we straighten your hair, and then from your shoulders down, we create wide, loose curls that will spread – you know – kind of elegantly across your back and give your hair lots of shape and body. What do you say?”

He looked at Alice. “I think I need your advice. I’ve never had anything like this done before. I think… I need to hear your opinion.”

Alice smiled. “Allie, this is your decision, but I think that this sounds like a lovely style. If you’re asking for my opinion, then I’d say to give it a try. The best thing that can happen is you’ll love it. The worst thing that can happen is you hate it and, if you do, then we try something’s else. Ok?”

He nodded. “Ok.”

“Ok,” Alice’s grin broadened.

“Ok,” the hairdresser smiled, too. She looked at Alice. “Your treatment will only take an hour or so. Allie’s treatment – it is Allie, right? Allie’s treatment will be a couple of hours.”

“That’s fine,” Alice smiled. “Tell me, is there still a boutique in the back of the lobby?”

“Yes, there is,” the hairdresser said, happily.

“Ok, let’s do this, then,” Alice said, with everything already decided. “You go ahead and get started on Allie and I’ll go take care of an errand I need to run. I’ll be back before Allie’s shampoo is done and you can take care of me too. Ok?”

“Sounds good,” the hairdresser nodded. “Right this way, Allie.”

The next two hours were a blur of never before felt hair pulls, different sized hair curlers, different smells, unguents and potions and tinctures that were like nothing he’d ever seen/felt/smelled before. It was fascinating and mystifying and amazing and he had no idea what any of it was or what any of it did. He just sat there and listened to the chit chat of the hairdressers, Becky and Alice, after she returned. As they worked, he also nibbled his caviar on toast spears and sipped his champagne.

“This will do very nicely,” Alice said as she examined the work the beauticians had done on her hair and makeup. She turned and looked at Alex and struck a pose. “What do you think? Will Denny be mesmerized by my beauty?” She giggled at her own joke.

Alex, who was still in the process of having his hair blown out and brushed, looked at her with sincere admiration. “Alice, you look amazing! If Dennis has any testosterone in him at all, he’ll be completely mesmerized.”

“Oh, you’re sweet,” she laughed. She grabbed a bag she’d returned with from her errand and said, “I’ll be right back.”

When she returned, she was wearing a new, emerald green, short sleeved dress with a plunging, revealing neckline, wide, knee-length skirt, and tiny white dots scattered seemingly randomly around the entire dress.

It was a simple, but elegant that looked absolutely beautiful on her.

“Oh, Alice! You’re gorgeous!” Alex gushed.

“Now, that’s what I wanted to hear,” she laughed. She sat and waited as the beauticians working on Alex continued working. It was another twenty minutes before they finished.

Just before his makeup was done, Alice whispered something into the ear of Alex’s beautician, who nodded and turned him away from the mirrors, which had been blocked by the beautician’s body, anyway.

Finally, they were done.

Alice offered Alex her hand and said, “Please, dear, come with me. Don’t look in a mirror or anything. Just come with me.”

He did as he was told and Alice lead him into a changing room where she opened a bag and pulled out a new dress. A shockingly bright orange dress that was essentially just an Oxford-style dress shirt that extended down to a very wide skirt.

Alex stared at the dress, shocked by the eye-catching quality of the color. It wasn’t a ‘caution’ orange. It wasn’t a ‘burnt’ orange. It was just… orange. Like the orange that would come out of a Crayola crayon box. A lovely, perfect orange color.

“Don’t you like it?” Alice asked.

“I… I… it’s awfully… bright, Alice. I’m not really the kind of person who wears this kind of color.”

“Correction. You WEREN’T the kind of person who wears this kind of color. Allie… you need to step out of your comfort zone. Trust me, darling, you haven’t seen what you look like with your new hair and make up. Add this dress to that look and when your wife sees you, she’ll know that you are a new person. A strong person. A woman to be reckoned with. Just try it on and if you don’t love it, take it off an go back to wearing your safe sweater and skirt combination.”

Alex nodded his head. She was right. What did he have to lose? “Ok, but… you can’t keep spending this kind of money on me.” He began unbuttoning the buttons that ran all the way down the front of the dress.

“Allie,” Alice said with a self satisfied smile, “I paid thirty nine dollars for that dress. You don’t always have to pay top dollar. You just need to find high quality items at good prices.”

Alex slid his arms into the sleeves of the dress and began rebuttoning the front.

It turned out, the sleeves were just a bit longer than half-length and there was a built in belt at the natural waist-line.

It fit nicely, though, and he buttoned it all the way up. “How did you know my size?” Alex asked.

“When I was waiting for you to put on your swim suit, I peeked at the size of the dress you wore last night. Also, this is a pretty forgiving style, so if I was a little off, it would probably still fit.” As she said all of that, Alice adjusted the dress on Alex’s body and she unbuttoned the top four buttons of it to reveal some cleavage. “That’s better,” she grinned. “Now, take off those boots.”

“You didn’t buy shoes, too!?”

“Of course I did,” she grinned, holding out a pair of classic, pointy-toed, low-heeled pumps in a shiny gold, alligator skin finish.

Alex chuckled. “Even the shoes are ostentatious.”

“I think you mean, ‘Even the shoes make a statement.’” Alice smiled and watched as Alex took off his boots and slipped on the classically feminine shoes.

When the shoes were on, Alice picked up the boots and the clothes that Alex had worn into the dressing room and she smiled at how her companion looked. “Allie… you look just…” she sighed “…I was going to say lovely, but… you look just beautiful.” She shook her head in satisfaction as Alex blushed a bit. “Are you ready to see the new Allie?”

Alex took a deep breath and let it out. “I guess so.”

Alice took his hand in hers and led him out.

When Becky, Nadia, Ella and the beauticians saw Alex in his new dress, some of them actually gasped, but they all applauded. Alex thought that was odd until Alice led him to a mirrors where he saw Alice with a shorter woman beside her. She wasn’t heavy, per se, she was… pleasingly plump. Her dark hair had perfect, bronze highlights that sparkled around her face, as her hair flowed straight down past her shoulders and then cascaded out into clouds of curls to her shoulder blades.

Her face was round and plump and smooth, with rosy, perfect lips and huge eyes with long, beautiful lashes and perfectly arched brows.

Then there was the dress. Simple, but startling and perfect.

“Well?” Alice asked. “What do you think of the NEW Allie?”

“She’s…” Alex gasped. “She’s… so… different.” Alex had never looked in mirror and seen something he liked looking back before. Now… he loved how he looked. He didn’t care that he looked like a woman. He just cared that he looked… attractive. His heart soared at the idea of not being seen as the odd little guy for once. He had the feeling that, looking as he did at that moment, he could go someplace… any place… and, yes he’d be noticed, but he would be noticed for all ‘the right’ reasons. Not for the usual reasons. Not because he was a chubby, little, insecure man in world that didn’t value chubby, little, insecure men. He’d be noticed because he was attractive. That was better. Much better. “I’m not sure what to say.”

Alice smiled and patted his cheek. “Allie… it’s ok to call yourself pretty.”

Alex looked at himself in the mirror for a long time, then looked at Alice and very quietly said, “Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome, my dear,” she smiled. “Come on. We have another couple of hours before Denny and the others get back. I’d like to teach you a few more things today.”

“More!? Look at me! It’s like you turned me from a peasant into a princess! What more is there to do?”

“We’ll, my dear Eliza, you may LOOK like a princess, but now it’s time for us to discuss… deportment.”
 

~^~
 

“Huh, it looks like we’re all having dinner together again this evening,” Dennis said to Melody and Jill after reading a text from his wife. He and the girls had had a great day on the slopes, had just finished their last run and were calling it a day.

“Well, that must mean that Alice and Allie are getting along pretty well then,” Jill said, with a smile. “I think that’s great. Allie’s not really an outdoorsy kind or person, if you know what I mean.”

“I certainly do,” Dennis smiled. “Alice’s idea of outdoorsy is exiting one store on Newberry Street and walking to another.” They all laughed at that. He held up his phone and showed it to the girls. “It says they’re in the lounge, but not to come until we wash the stink off of us and make ourselves presentable.”

Melody had taken her phone out, too, and said, “I got a text from Allie that says to dress up and be in the lounge by eight.”

“EIGHT!” Jill said, shocked. “Who eats at eight!?”

“We do,” Dennis shrugged. “When we go on vacation, we tend to go to dinner later to avoid being in restaurants with families with younger children. It’s quieter and less crowded and we can take our time and enjoy ourselves.”

“Well, that sounds nice, actually,” Melody said.

“Ok, then,” Jill said, as they dropped their skis at the rental desk and headed back to the lodge. “We’ll see you in the lounge at eight.”

Mel and Jill walked up the flight of stairs to their room and went in, opening the door in between so they could chat as they changed.

“I hope Allie’s day wasn’t too stressful,” Mel chuckled. “We kind of put him on the spot, I guess.”

“Well, I kind of did that on Friday, really,” Jill laughed back. “I guess he’s been ‘on the spot’ ever since. To tell you the truth, though, he looked awfully cute in my old clothes. My older brother wearing my hand-me-downs is kind of a kick for me.”

“For you!?” Mel laughed. She came to the doorway between the two rooms in just her bra and panties and said, “Jilly, I’m going to tell you a secret… since Thursday, when I first went through those bags and took out some clothes for Allie… we have been having the best sex of our marriage!”

Jill, also in her bra and panties put her hands on her hips and smirked. “You think that’s a secret? Mel, my bed and your bed are against the same wall. I heard you two going at it like newlywed rabbits in there last night while I tried to watch ‘The Great British Bake Off’ in here. Eventually, I had to give up and watch something louder just to drown you out! The only thing I could find was ‘Under Siege.’ Do you have any idea how much I HATE Steven Seagal!? A lot, is the answer. I hate Steven Seagal A LOT!”

Melody laughed. “Sorry. Well, not really, but we didn’t mean to keep you awake… so I’m sorry about that… a little.”

“Hey?” Jill suddenly noticed something. “The text said to dress up, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then, what’s Allie wearing to dinner? There was only one nice dress in the bags and it’s hanging right there behind you.”

Mel looked over her shoulder and saw the dress on a hanger. “I guess he’s still wearing the sweater and skirt.”

Jill looked skeptical. “I sincerely doubt that Alice Cole is allowing Allie to sit at her table in a nice restaurant wearing a casual sweater and skirt.”

Mel shrugged. “We shall see, I guess.”
 

~^~
 

Dennis met Mel and Jill in the lobby outside of the lounge. He was wearing a very well tailored tuxedo that evening.

“Well, don’t you look amazing!?” Jill said, sounding impressed.

Dennis smiled and blushed a bit. “You both look fabulous as well.”

“We both are wearing the same things we wore last night,” Mel said, sounding a bit embarrassed. “We didn’t pack for elegant dining every night.”

Dennis offered each of them an arm and they headed into the lounge where they found Alice standing by the bar, talking to the restaurant’s maitre’d. She smiled at her husband and his escorts and then nodded to the maitre’d, dismissing him.

“Good evening, everyone,” Alice said with all of her warmth and charm. She kissed Dennis and smiled at him. “You always look so handsome in a tux, Denny. Like James Bond going out to play cards in a casino.”

Dennis smiled at her flattery. “And you look gorgeous, Alice. I love your hair. New dress?”

“Why yes, it is. Thank you for noticing. There’s a lovely boutique here at the lodge.”

“Yes, I recall from our previous visit. It looks lovely on you, dear.” He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “Where’s Allie.”

Alice looked at Melody and Jill who were both looking around the room as well. Alice turned and looked into the interior of the room without committing to any particular part of the room. “She’s right there.”

“Where?” Melody asked, looking around. There were couples seated here and there. Some businessmen and women still in their suits clustered together at a larger area with three couches forming a conversation pit, a man sitting by himself engaged in a game on his phone, a very stylish woman in an orange shirt-dress sipping champagne, sitting on the edge of her chair and looking out the windows at the snow, a small group of men and a small group of women. That was all.

“Oh, please,” Alice said with mock exaggeration, “don’t tell me you don’t recognize your own wife!”

Mel looked around the room once more and shrugged. “I don’t see her.”

Alice shook her head and walked with a sexy saunter towards the group of woman, but at the last second, she turned and approached the stylish woman in the orange dress. She whispered something into the woman’s ear and stepped back. Then the woman rose with practiced elegance, slowly swung her head, first to the left side, then to the right, to swing her incredibly coiffed, chestnut brown hair with bronze highlights to her back. Then the woman positively strutted to where Dennis, Mel and Jill waited with their jaws hanging wide open.

“Allie?” Mel could barely get the word out of her mouth. “Is that really… how?”

“A…Allie?” Jill sputtered. “You don’t even look like yourself. In fact… you kind of look like a prettier version… of me.”

Alex blushed under his makeup. “Yeah, sure.”

“I mean it, Allie. You… you look great!”

“You really do, Allie,” Dennis agreed. He put his arm around Alice’s shoulders. Then, in mock Yankee accent he said “You done good, oh, wife o’ mine.” He kissed her forehead and she smiled at him.

“No, Allie did very, very, very well all on her own.” Alice smiled at her protégé.

“Did you pick out this dress?” Mel asked.

Alex shook his head. “No. Alice picked out the dress and she oversaw the hair and makeup.”

“But it’s Allie that’s pulling it off like a princess,” Alice insisted.

“Excuse me, Mrs Cole,” the maitre’d interrupted politely, “but your table is ready.”

“Thank you,” Alice replied. “Let’s go, everyone.”
 

~^~
 

Dinner was wonderful, as was the conversation, and they were back in their rooms at eleven fifteen.

“This is unbelievable,” Jill said, closing the door behind her, “you even move like a woman, now. How did this happen?”

Alex sat, as he had all evening, in a straight backed chair, but with his back not touching the chair back, his back perfectly straight, his skirt carefully tucked beneath him, then spread beautifully around him and his legs crossed femininely at the knees. “It happened with a team of beauticians and the tutelage of one of the most amazing women I have ever met pushing me to do better all day long.”

“God, your makeup is amazing,” Mel said, touching his face.

“Well, I’m glad you like it, because it’s semi permanent. They covered my face with some kind of primer that’s supposed to keep the makeup adhered and looking fresh for quite a long time and they used a sealant on my lips and eyes, so it’s going to look like this for a couple of weeks at least.”

“What?” Jill seemed shocked. “Why would you let them do that to you?”

“Let them!?” Alex chucked as he folded his hands on his lap, maintaining his poise and calm demeanor. “That’s pretty rich coming from the women who pierced my ears without discussing it with me.”

The room got quiet as Mel and Jill exchanged a look.

“Now,” Alex repeated the move he’d done before where he’d slowly lean to one side and then the other in order to elegantly move his hair to the back of his shoulders, “would the two of you sit so that I can speak with you.”

This was a new attitude for Alex, but… ok. Mel and Jill sat.

“First, I am very glad that the two of you had a good time with Dennis today, because I had a very eye opening day, myself.”

“In what way?” Mel asked.

Alex, still in that poised position, sighed and looked up as he thought. “Well, I learned a lot. I learned that I’m not the homely little troll I thought I was.”

“I never said that you were a troll,” Mel said, shocked and hurt at the idea.

“But that’s how I felt. And I found out what it was like to feel… well… and I know this sounds odd, considering I’m a man,… beautiful. And… I know this sounds even odder still… I really, really, really enjoy it. I like the way I feel knowing that I look good, I like the way the clothes look on me, I like the way the makeup feels, I like the way people treat me and… please don’t think this is weird… I LOVE how the clothes feel and how they make me feel. I have never felt more at home in my own skin than I do in this dress.”

He looked at the two dumbfounded faces looking at him.

“Does that make any sense to either of you?”

Both women looked from one to the other, completely confused, before looking at Alex and nodding dumbly.

“So, how do we proceed from here?” He asked.

Jill shook her head. “Ummm… I don’t think I’m really part of that conversation, actually. I mean… I’m always going to be your sister, Allie. This has more to do with being husband and wife, I think.”

Alex’s hands remained folded in his lap and he nodded and looked to his wife.

“I… I… I’m lost here, Alex. What do you want me to say? Are you saying you suddenly want to be a woman?”

“No,” he said, calmly, “but what I am saying is I have discovered is that I have this new me inside of me and this new me is who I need to be.”

Mel nodded and thought for a moment. “Allie… I don’t think I’ve made any secret of how I feel about you looking pretty. God, Allie, when I realized that it was you in that orange dress, I wanted take you back to this room and throw you on that bed right away. I’ve been looking at you and licking my lips all night long.”

A smile crossed Alex’s lips. “So…” for just a moment, his confidence faltered, “…you can still love me? Like this, I mean?”

“Allie, I don’t care if you’re a buff stud or sexy little tramp, I’ll always love you.”

Alex’s composure came back with abundance. “I will never be a tramp. I am a lady.”

Melody smiled. “Yes you are.”

Jill let out a sigh. “As happy as I am for you two, can I ask a question?”

“Of course.” Alex said.

“What brought about this change in your personality? Certainly not just the makeup and clothes.”

“Change?” Alex asked, leaning and maneuvering his hair again. “I don’t know what you mean?”

“Oh, please. This morning you never would have had a sincere conversation with your wife about anything, let alone wanting to wear dresses. Now, you’re sitting hear like a member of the royal family, holding court and looking like you’ve been a woman you’re entire life.”

Still in that perfect pose, Alex nodded. “I learned a lot from Alice today. She showed me a lot about how to handle myself. I think it shows, don’t you?”

“I do,” Jill chuckled. “Too bad you won’t have her as your tutor after the week ends. It’s a long way to Natick to visit your new best buddy.”

Alex gave a small smile and tiny nod. “Did you know that the Coles don’t live in Natick? They live in Jefferson.”

“You’re kidding,” Mel said.

“I’m not. You know that big horse training facility on the road to the reservoir? That’s part of their land. They rent that section out to the people with the horses.”

“That’s only five or six miles from our house,” Mel said.

Alex nodded. “And Alice has asked me to join her with her personal trainer several times a week, as well as in a few other activities after we return home.”

Jill nodded. “Soooo… even if you wanted it to, this game couldn’t stop now anyway.”

Alex shook his head just a little.
 

~^~
 

“I have to admit it,” Dennis said, crawling under the covers beside Alice, “you are a miracle worker. I would never have recognized that woman tonight as the same woman I met on Friday in my office. You are amazing.” He gave her the kind of kiss on the lips that people who have been twenty seven years give each other. Sincere and loving, but practiced and brief.

“Thank you for the compliment, but there was a charming woman under all that angst and misgivings. I just found her.”

They each grabbed their iPads to play their crosswords and check their emails.

“Oh, no!” Alice said, sounding very concerned.

“What’s wrong?”

“I got an email… I’m sure you got it as well, but… Janet Myers’ daughter was killed in a car accident down in Florida.”

“Oh, no,” Dennis opened the email as well. It was sent from his executive assistant earlier in the evening. Janet Myers was Dennis’ chief buyer. She’d only worked for him for a couple of years, but Dennis liked her a great deal. She had started working for him during the pandemic, so she’d started working from her home with weekly – or daily – he didn’t know, and it didn’t matter, as long as the job was done – visits to Dennis’ stores to check on stock and sales trends, etc. She did her job very well. Her relationship with Dennis and Alice was strictly business, that was the kind of woman Janet was, but she had a big personality and a great sense of humor.

“Oh, the poor woman,” Dennis muttered as he read the email. “She must be heart broken.” He picked up his phone.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m calling her.”

“Denny, it’s past midnight. You can’t call her now.”

He paused a moment and opened his text app and wrote, ‘JAN – I JUST HEARD ABOUT YOUR DAUGHTER. I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW SORRY I AM. TAKE WHATEVER TIME YOU NEED DO WHATEVER NEEDS TO BE DONE. IF ALICE OR I CAN HELP IN ANY WAY, JUST LET US KNOW. WE ARE HERE FOR YOU. GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR WHOLE FAMILY.’

“I don’t think I could survive losing one of my children,” Alice said, quietly. “That poor woman.”

Dennis put his arm around her shoulder and squeezed her tightly. “I know, honey. I know.”
 

~^~
 

Alex brushed out his hair and removed what makeup he could. He was wearing the nightie the Mel had given him to wear the previous night. It was kind of sexy, in a somewhat playful style. He wanted to get something a little sexier, though. Nothing trashy.

Mel came out of the bathroom wearing a tee shirt and some older, comfy, athletic shorts. She stopped and stared at Alex for a solid minute. The way he looked, the way he sat, the way moved… it had all changed so much in just a day. She wondered how much more he could change and still be Alex.

He put down the brush and stood with that elegance that she’d seen earlier in the lounge. He turned and saw the way his wife was staring at him. He looked back at her and gave her a little smile.

Mel shook her head just a little bit. “Allie… you’re so pretty.”

“Thank you,” he said, his smile growing just a little bit.

Alex took two steps to Melody and stood on his bare tip toes to kiss her softly on her lips. It was a long, slow, soft, passionate kiss. Melody could taste the lipstick, smell the hair products, feel the softness of his skin and the softness of his cheeks and she put her arms around him to pull him tightly to her.

She could feel his breasts contained in what must have been a bra rather than a shaper because she could feel his penis stiffening on her leg. It was amazing to feel, smell and taste this beautiful, feminine woman in her arms and feel that masculine appendage growing in the nylon-silk of her nightie against his leg.

When, at last, the kiss ended, Mel gently moved Allie’s hair off of his neck and she began kissing it. Soft, warm kisses. He closed his eyes and accepted every affectionate display of love and he felt his knees buckle beneath him. He let Mel support him and love him and be… the man.

Eventually, she guided him to the bed and climbed up on top of him. She pushed his legs so that his knees were teepeed and his nightie was settled on his belly.

He wasn’t wearing panties.

His bare, hairless penis was exposed and turgid. Not hairy and manly. Smooth and… maybe boyish… maybe… almost… womanly?… if a penis can be womanly.

She gave his penis the same soft, warm kisses she’d given his neck, then lowered her shorts and pulled herself up so that she mounted him as a man would mount a woman in the classic missionary position. She lowered herself onto him and she let out a low, manly grunt as she engulfed him within her.

He gasped and shivered and gripped the sheet beneath him.

And then she thrust, pulling him deeper and deeper within her. Embracing him. Engulfing him. Consuming him.

She looked down at him as his back arched and he tried to meet her dominant power, but she was in charge. He was her submissive, female partner and she was his male dominate.

She shook with power and excitement as her first powerful orgasm ripped through her like no other orgasm ever had before. Her grunts became louder and lower in pitch and her thrusts became more and more powerful.

Allie’s breathing became ragged. His head lifted off the pillow and his face grew red with passion as his moment grew close.

What must have been Mel’s fourth or fifth earth shaking orgasm struck and she shook harder and more forcefully than ever and that pushed Allie over the edge! She clenched as tightly as she could and shook him with all her might and he let out high squeaks of excitement as she extracted every bit of his essence from him.

And when they were both drained, Mel collapsed on Allie until they both caught their breath.

“You are the most beautiful woman I have ever known,” Mel whispered.

Allie giggled, then whispered, “I love you so much.”

“I love you too.”
 

~^~
 

“Sooooo…” Jill said, playfully as she nibbled at her omelette that morning, “…what exactly are you planning to tell mom and dad?” She was wearing her ski suit with the top turned down and her thermal top showing. Melody was dressed the same way.

A small smile appeared on Alex’s lips. “Well, I’ve given this some thought.”

Melody looked from Allie to Jill and back again. “And what did you decide?”

Alex displayed a very contented look and spoke with confidence. “First of all, I am going to live like this no matter what mom and dad think or say. Second, you know that you have always been the favorite child and I was always the failure. The only thing I ever did that they approved of was marrying Mel. As long as we’re still together, I think they’ll forgive pretty much anything else. And third… I will tell them soon… but when I’m ready and on MY terms – not yours. I’ll do a FaceTime call and they’ll figure it out. I think that, if they see that I’m happy and they see that I look nice, they’ll come around.”

“Mom might,” Jill shrugged, “but I foresee an aneurysm in my father’s future.”

“I’m so sorry we’re late,” Alice said as Dennis pushed her seat in for her. “I’m afraid we received some bad news last night.”

“Oh, dear,” Melody said, sincerely. “I hope your family is all well.”

“Our family is fine, thank you,” Dennis said, taking his seat. “This was a member of our work family who lost her daughter suddenly, yesterday. We just got off the phone with her.”

“The poor thing is a wreck,” Alice said, shaking her head. “Such a tragedy.”

Dennis gave them the broad strokes of the story, wanting not to ruin their day with a lot of morbid conversation. Everyone expressed their sadness at Janet Myer’s loss and heartbreak. What a terrible thing to have happened.

“Ok, let’s focus on more up-beat things for the rest of the day – or the week, if we can,” Dennis finally said as he began eating his breakfast. “I was telling Alice last night that I have never skied with better partners before.”

“He did tell me that,” Alice smiled. “He said that you were both up to a challenge, and that you challenged him, and that you both had a great, sarcastic sense of humor that made him laugh all day long.”

“Oh, isn’t that nice,” Jill smiled. “We feel the same way about you, Dennis.”

“Of course, I pointed out that it might just be possible that Denny was enjoying his time with you because it’s been a long time since he’s been able to socialize with beautiful, intelligent, athletic women in their twenties. He will always deny it, but my Denny is a shameless flirt, isn’t he?”

Neither Melody nor Jill was sure as to how to respond to that. They both tittered some nervous laughter and looked at Dennis who was blushing a bit.

“If I am a flirt, honey, it’s because I learned how from years and years of watching you get your way by flirting your way through the world,” he teased, then kissed her. Then he looked at Alex. “Be careful of what she teaches you, Allie. She’s a sorceress and flirtation the magic she wields.”

His wife elbowed him and he over reacted to the nudge. Instead of continuing that line of conversation, Alice looked at Alex and smiled. “You did very well on your hair and makeup today, Allie. You look lovely.”

“Thank you,” Alex replied with a contented smile. “The makeup is just as they left it yesterday. I even washed my face, but it all stayed put. I just added a little lip gloss. My hair was easy, though. All I had to do was give it a good brushing and it bounced right back into place.”

“See,” Alice said with a ‘ta-da’ gesture, “that’s the beauty of a perm! Everyone thinks of a perm as something that only gives you curls, but look how beautiful your hair looks, now! I told you you’d love it!”

“And I do,” Alex giggled.

Jill and Mel exchanged shocked looks. First, they were shocked that he had gotten a perm and not even mentioned it. Second, they were shocked that he was so relaxed and womanly with Alice. It was all very new and very odd.

“So, while we outdoorsy types are conquering the slopes of Mount Washington today, what are you two up to?” Dennis asked.

“We,” Alice beamed, knowing she was breaking the news to Allie for the first time, “are going boutique shopping!”

Dennis nodded and then asked, “Where? There’s only one boutique here and we didn’t bring a car. You had us brought up by limo to make all this a surprise.”

“I have a car that you’re welcome to use,” Jill offered.

“It’s nice,” Melody said, nodding. “A big SUV. It rides very nicely.”

“No, no, I’ve hired a car and driver for the day,” Alice insisted.

“Well, where are you going?” Dennis asked sincerely. “There can’t be that many high-end dress boutiques around here.”

“No, there aren’t, but there are a few between here and Meredith and that shopping area in that lovely inn we stayed in right on Lake Winnipesaukee – what was the name of it…?

“The Inn at Mill Falls?” Dennis asked, incredulously.

“Yes! There were some lovely shops in there and I’m sure we’ll find others along the way.”

“Alice… Meredith has to be at least an hour away from here,” Dennis said, chuckling and shaking his head. “Why don’t we just stop there on the way back to Massachusetts?”

“Because we’re not going back to Massachusetts until the end of the week, Denny,” Alice said, as if Dennis’ question had been absolute foolishness. “Look at her, Denny! She’s a beautiful picture of womanhood, now, but she’s dressed in a fifteen dollar dress.”

Jill was going to point out that she’d actually paid eighty dollars for that dress and it was marked down from one hundred and twenty dollars at the time, but it seemed to miss the point.

“Now, you three can go have your fun and let us have ours. Right, Allie?”

Alex was still sitting as he’d been taught by his teacher. He allowed a small smile at the silliness of the situation across the table from him, and said, “I’d love to go shopping with you Alice. You do need to remember, though, my purse isn’t as deep as yours. I will shop, but I probably won’t be buying very much. It’ll be worth the trip just to learn how to shop from you.”

“Oh, Pooh,” Alice said with a wave of her hand. “If we see something we like on you, then we’ll get it. You need to upgrade your clothes and I’m going to help.”

Alex looked at Dennis and said, “Don’t worry. I won’t let her buy me anything.”

Dennis shook his head. “Allie, one time we went to the Bahamas for vacation and I left Alice alone for three days while I went on a fishing trip on a yacht I rented with a guy I met on the beach. That little side trip cost over eighteen thousand dollars. If my wife is having fun, just let her buy you the clothes. I don’t think that Alice plans to dig that all deeply into her pocketbook. Do you dear?”

Alice smirked and looked at the younger people at the table. “See, kids… this is what makes a good marriage. We give and we take.”

“And we have enough money to waste,” Jill whispered to Melody.
 

~^~
 

By the time they got off the slopes, Dennis, Melody and Jill were exhausted. It was only four in the afternoon, but they had pushed each other to go faster, bank harder and they’d even made small wagers on who would get to the bottom of the mountain first. After three days of skiing and then pushing too hard, they needed to call it quits a little early.

“You know what I’d like to do?” Jill said as she and Alice entered their adjoining rooms. “I’d like to go sit in that hot tube down stairs for a little while. I think I need some massaging and I can’t afford the spa at this place.”

“Sounds great,” Melody said.

Ten minutes later, they entered the pool area to find Dennis had had the same idea and he was nearly asleep in the large hot tube.

“Can we join you?” Melody asked as they climbed in.

“Oh, hi!” He laughed, opening his eyes. “Great minds, huh?”

“More like achy muscles,” Jill laughed.

“Yeah, well, wait until you’re in your fifties. It gets a lot worse,” Dennis laughed.

They soaked and chit chatted for a while until Dennis finally said, in a more businesslike manner, “Tell me about Allie?”

“Tell you what?” Mel asked.

“Where you two met? Did she go to college? How long has she been in the wholesale liquor business? What are her plans for the future? I’ve learned a lot about you two over the last few days, but nothing much about Allie.”

“Allie is…” Mel thought for a moment, “… sincere… quiet… loving… insecure at times… eager to please and one of the sweetest people I have ever known. We met in sixth grade when Jill and I were in the same community theater production of ‘Annie.’ I kind of fell for Alex the moment we met.”

“That’s sweet,” he smiled at Mel. Then he looked at Jill and asked, “It didn’t bother you that your best friend had a crush on your little sister?”

That made Jill laugh. “I always say I’m Allie’s big sister because I’m taller and, well, I used to be a lot bigger. The truth is though, Allie is eleven months older than me. We’re ‘Irish Twins,’ as they say, because Allie was so shy as a child, our mom kept her home an extra year so she could start school with me. You should see the pictures of us our first day of kindergarten. I was already a head taller than Allie. In every picture, Allie is holding my hand and I’m leading the way to school, into the classroom… you name it. So, I’m the younger sister, but I’ve always been the big sister.”

“I sensed that you were the more forceful sibling even at our meeting. Allie knows her stuff backwards and forwards when it comes to alcoholic beverages, especially wine that comes from local wineries, but the social stuff… well, I’m not sure we’d all be getting along so well if you hadn’t been at that meeting, too. To tell you the truth, though, I’ve seen a huge change in her since she became Alice’s protégé. I think Alice will do her a lot of good.”

The women looked at each other and nodded.

“Tell me,” he looked at Jill, “what was your home life like?”

“It was great. My dad ran a pretty good sized liquor store in Greendale. Not a big chain, like yours, just a nice mom and pop kind of place. Mom helped out where she could, but mostly she was a stay at home mom. Nice house. Nice parents. Nice life.”

“Is that how Allie got into the liquor business?”

“Oh, yeah. He loved that store. He wanted to take over the business after college, but things got tight for my folks… business feel off because a big chain – not yours – opened just down the street. Eventually he sold the license to another mom and pop store that wanted to add liquor sales to their bodega, and he sold the building to a pot dispensary. Six months later, they were living in an ‘Over Fifty Five’ community in Maryland.”

“So,” Dennis continued, “what did all of you do for college.”

“Umass Amherst,” Mel laughed. “All three of us. Jill and Allie in business school and me in Physical Education. We’ve been attached at the hips since that first ‘Annie’ rehearsal.”

“I only live a couple of blocks away from them, now – and if a house on their street ever goes up for sale, I’m grabbing it.”

“That’s wonderful,” Dennis nodded. “Not all siblings get along that well, and friendships like all of you share are very rare. Hold on to those.”
 

~^~
 

“Not exactly haut cuisine, but pretty delicious all the same,” Alice said as she dug into the Turkey dinner at the Turkey farm up the hill from The Inn At Mill Falls on Lake Winnipesaukee. They had stopped at three boutiques on the way down to Meredith, New Hampshire, but most of the clothing was a little too small for Alex. At the marketplace next to the inn, though, they had hit pay dirt. Alex now had nine new dresses, all more beautiful than anything that Mel owned.

“It is delicious,” Alex said, taking very small bites to ensure that no Turkey gravy ended up on his new, black frock with white polka dots and the little black shrug-jacket that went with it. It was a lovely dress and felt heavenly to wear.

“As soon as we’re back to Massachusetts, you and I are going to make a day of going to bSaks and Neiman’s to get you some lingerie as nice as your dresses. A proper woman is always beautiful from the skin in and dresses beautifully from the skin out.”

Alex smiled at her. Alice seemed to have an aphorism for every thing that came up in conversation.

“So, tell me…” Alice leaned forward just a bit and lowered her voice to a confidential level. She looked around the room, but at that time of day, and on a Monday, they were pretty much alone in the room. An elderly couple sat at the far end and a woman with three noisy little ones sat near them. When she was sure she could speak without being heard, she asked, “… what did Melody think of your makeover?”

Alex put down his fork, dabbed his lips with his napkin and assumed the ‘poised pose’ that Alice had drilled into him the previous day as a mischievous smile formed on his perfectly colored lips. “Well… I think that, at first, she was actually overwhelmed.”

Alice chuckled. “Overwhelmed? Why?”

He thought about how to say the next part. “See… until we went to dinner with you and Dennis on Saturday night, I’d never really dressed up at all before. I never did my hair. I never wore makeup. I never wore stockings. To be very honest, Alice, before that night, I’d never even worn a dress before.”

“What?” Alice blinked at him like he was from outer space. “How is that even possible? Surely, when you were a little girl, your mother must have dressed you up in…”

Alice stopped mid-sentence and looked across the table at Alex. Now, it was her turn to wear a mischievous smile. “No…”

Alex sighed. “Alice… I want to be completely honest with you, but before I say anything, I want you to know that I have never met a woman I have wanted to emulate more than you. In the last three days, I feel like I’ve learned more about being a successful human being and just… I don’t know… finding out who I actually am, I guess… than I have in my entire life.”

“Oh, well, that’s very sweet of you to say, dear, but I have to admit, I am a bit confused by what is going on.”

He nodded and took a deep breath to steel himself. “Ok… this whole thing began because I gained some weight during the quarantine and my clothes didn’t fit…”

Over the next ten minutes, Alex went on to explain why he wore Jill’s clothes to his meeting with Dennis, and continued on to the unfortunate coincidence of meeting Alice on the beginner’s slope while wearing Jill’s ski-suit… finally ending with they’re lunch at Hart’s Turkey Farm that day and his desire to continue to live as he currently looked and to be Alice’s protégé even after they returned to Massachusetts. “I really hope that we can still be friends now that you know.”

Alice reached across the table and squeezed his hand, and with her other hand she covered her mouth to keep her giggling controlled. “Oh, my darling, of course we can still be friends.”

Alex giggled a little, finding Alice’s giggles contagious. “Why are you laughing at me?”

“I’m not. I’m not,” she giggled. “I’m laughing at my own stupidity.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Well, I mean, if I knew that you were actually a man, I never would have pushed you as far as I did. Oh, my God, I can’t imagine what you must have thought when you finally saw yourself with your hair with those copper highlights, the semi-permanent makeup, and that lovely orange dress.” She started laughing a bit harder. “I thought I was bringing out the best in a pretty little wallflower, and instead I was turning a woman’s husband into a prom queen.”

She was laughing very hard now, and Alex saw the humor in it and was laughing, too, just not as hard.

Alice put her hands on her cheeks and tried to calm down. “Oh…” she laughed, “…I need to stop or I’ll wet myself.” She took a lot of breaths, but her smile never dimmed. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have laughed. None of that was directed at you, my dear. I promise. I was just laughing at myself.”

“I understand.”

“Ok.” Breath. “Ok.” Breath. “Ok.” She was finally fully in control again. “I promise, my love, your secret is safe with me. I won’t ever say a word to Denny unless you ask me to.”
 
 
To Be Continued...

Alex: 4 Final

 

As the week continues, then comes to an end and Allie's life goes on, decisions must be made.
How will Allie's life be lived? How honest will Allie be with the rest of the world?

---

 
Author's Note:Thank you to everyone who went on this journey with Allie and me. I hope you enjoyed it.
Thank you for all of the comments and emails as well. They really do mean the world to me.
Stay well, everyone. I hope to be back quicker next time. ~Clara.
 
This version of Alex: 4 has been updated with many corrections towards spelling and grammar.~Sephrena.
 
Image Credit: Image created through the use of ai at https://perchance.org/beautiful-people .~Sephrena.

---

 
 
Part 4 Final
 

Dennis sat on a chair near the hot tube, a towel draped over his shoulders, covering his upper body, while Jill and Mel got a few more minutes of soaking and relaxation in before climbing out of the jacuzzi. When his phone rang, the tiled walls of the empty pool/hot tube area seemed to amplify it considerable. His ringtone was an old-time phone and the abruptness and volume of it made all three of them jump a little. He picked up the phone and saw that the caller was his buyer, Janet Meyer. Dennis sighed, suspecting why she was calling.

"Do you mind if I take this call here?" he asked the women. "I'm a little damp to go into the hall."

"Go right ahead," Mel said.

He hit the 'accept' button and tried to sound up beat. "Hi, Jan. How are holding up?.... Uh huh.... Uh huh.... I see.... No, no, no, Jan, believe me, I understand completely. Now, obviously, this isn't how any of us wanted this week to go, but both Alice and I understand that your family needs you, but are you sure that you're ready to make this decision. You're under a lot of stress right now..... No, I get it.... Ok, but listen - We are not letting you leave without a little help. We've discussed this and we want to give you a nice severance package to help out with all your expenses. So, call Rhonda in payroll and talk to her. She'll give you the details.... No, Jan, it's the least we can do. You've been through hell and we're here to help in anyway we can.... That's ok, Jan. Now, don't lose my number. Call if you need anything, Jan. And I mean ANYTHING. Ok. Stay well and stay in touch, Jan.... Bye bye."

By that time, the women were climbing out of the hot tub and joining Dennis in the deck chairs. They could see that Dennis was a little stressed.

"Bad news?" Jill asked.

He thought about that question and he bounced his head around a little. "A bump in the road for me," he said, "a tragedy for an employee."

The women nodded, already knowing the story.

"Jan was darned good at her job. She did sixty hours of work in twenty five hours every single week. My stores were always fully stocked, she'd bounce product around if it sold better in store B than it did in store J, nothing ever went to waste. She knows our lines backwards and forwards - AND - I could trust her. She may be hard to replace."

"'MAY BE hard to replace?'" Jill said. "She sounds like a wiz at her job."

"Yeah," Dennis nodded, "she is, but that's one of the things about running a business. You have to constantly remind yourself that people's lives come first and losing a great employee is a part of running a business. Now, I have to find someone else who knows the business, loves the business and understands the importance of keeping the supply chain moving."

"Hmmm hmmm," Melody cleared her throat. "At the risk of sounding too forward, might you ever consider someone like Alex for a job like that?"

Dennis let out a long breath. "I might, Mel, but I don't want to make any promises without talking to her in depth about the position."

"I understand," Mel nodded.

"So, before...all those questions... was that your coy way of looking into Allie's background?" Jill asked.

Dennis shrugged. "And I was curious. I like you both and Alice seems smitten with Allie... I just wanted to get to know you a bit. I think of you two as friends - almost like family, which never happens to me this quickly - but working with friends and family can be tricky. Now, I'm going to give this some thought. I will be speaking to Allie at some point, but please don't bring any of this up to her until I do. Ok?"

"Ok," both women agreed.
 

~^~
 

"I'm going to text Denny and tell him to go ahead and have dinner," Alice said as they headed back north. "After that Turkey dinner, I'm not sure I'll eat the rest of the week."

"Ok," Alex nodded, looking out at the frozen lake. "I should tell Mel and Jill, too."

As Alex fished in his new purse for his phone, Alice said, "Oops. No need. All three of them are together right now. Denny told them. He says to meet them in the bar when we get back. The bar - not the lounge. See, that's the difference between my husband and me. I set up elegant environments for romantic get together. He wants us to meet where he can wear jeans."

After a bit of searching, Alex pulled his phone out his purse and said, "Jill and Mel will prefer the bar, too. Mel especially. She's all about jeans, tee shirts and flannel shirts - unless she can wear gym clothes. Those are her favorites."

Alice clucked her tongue in disappointment. "Such a beautiful girl. She needs to display that, more. Maybe you'll rub off on her."

Alex laughed as he looked at his phone. He opened an email and muttered, "Ooh, those came out well."

"What's that, dear?"

"Oh." He smiled at Alice. "I got the proofs for the graphics for the end-caps and free standing displays for your stores. Do you want to see them?"

"Allie - the stores are entirely Denny's world. I haven't been involved in anything store related other than 'the boss' wife' for twenty years. But yes...I would love to see the graphics."

Alice had been looking at ads for alcoholic beverages her entire life. They were all the same, although there had been different trends through the years. Ditzy girls with big boobs gave way to stubble faced athletes, gave way to talking, animated animals, etc. There wasn't a lot she hadn't seen, but she was prepared to be supportive.

When she saw the graphics, though, she loved them. The graphics were on an antique map of Massachusetts with thumbnail photos of the local wineries, and the wineries or breweries names over the towns in which they were located, above images of bottles of the wine or beer that would be featured in the stores. Across the top of the graphics, in eighteenth century script, we're the words, 'Cole Liquor, a family run business, supports Massachusetts wineries and breweries. A centuries old tradition of family vintners and brewers. Try the taste of The Bay State.' The graphics were entirely different than anything else she'd ever seen in a liquor store and would create a small area within the store that would look like a niche boutique.

The displays were unusual, attractive, inviting and perfect for communicating to the customer that, in this area, you will find quality beverages created by your neighbors and in your communities.

"Allie... these are gorgeous," she said, enthusiastically. "Has Denny seen these?"

"No," Alex laughed. "He made it clear - well, you both made it clear - that he didn't want to see anything until after his vacation."

Alice shook her head. "I'm going to tell him I saw these, Allie, and I guarantee he'll want to see them tomorrow."

Alex took his phone back and looked at the images, again. Very proud of the work he'd done. Actually, he'd love to show those to Dennis sooner, rather than later. The faster the product was in the stores, the faster everyone would be making money.

And he needed to make some money.
 

~^~
 

Dennis, Mel and Jill were all in the bar and, as predicted, in jeans and flannel shirts. There was a classic rock/country rock band in the bar and they were sounding good!

"I'm traveling down that lonesome road," Dennis sang along, rather loudly, with the band. "Feels like I'm dragging a heavy load. Yeah, I've tried to turn my head away. Feel 'bout the same most everyday..."

"You don't know this song!?" he asked Mel and Jill.

Both shook their heads.

"We're enjoying it through you, though," Mel laughed.

"Oh, I love this song," he laughed and went back to singing.

The women laughed and egged him on. Clapping for him and shouting for him.

When the song ended they all faced the band and applauded. Dennis put two fingers into his mouth and whistled as loud as the band had just been, causing both woman to laugh even harder.

Mel turned to grab her beer mug, but she stopped dead at the sight of her husband entering the bar in yet another new outfit. "Oh, shit," she muttered just loud enough for Jill to look in the same direction.

"You ok?" Jill asked.

"Ok?" Mel said, not turning away for Alex. "Jill, I will never get used to seeing Alex dressed up and looking beautiful, but I will never get tired of it, either. Just look at him."

Alex was standing alone as Alice spoke to a waiter. He was looking around the bar, trying to locate his wife and sister, but not seeing them. His hair and makeup looked beautiful, of course, but the dress...

God, the dress.

She suspected that the three quarter length sleeved top was separate from the dress, but it seemed to thin down his arms beautifully. The dress itself was a black, kind of retro styled swing dress with a very wide skirt that belled out in a very 1950s kind of way. It had tiny little, white polka dots everywhere, a halter top with a black velvet strap that ran from just in front of each arm pit to up behind his neck and a black belt around the waist that joined itself in a large black bow that sat on his left hip. He also held a small, black patent leather clutch purse that was perfectly paired with the pointy toed, black patent leather pumps that had three inch stiletto heels.

Jill shook her head at both how pretty her brother looked and how smitten her friend was with her husband's new look. "Look at that," she teased, "the daughter my mother always wanted." she waved and caught Alex's attention. He gave a polite nod of his head to indicate that he'd seen her, then, when Alice was ready to move on, he led her towards the standing table where Denny, Mel and Jill were all waiting.

"Look at the hem of his dress," Jill whispered to Mel.

Mel looked and gasped. "No. He's not really wearing a petticoat, is he?"

"It sure looks like it."

"God, I need to change my panties before I soak through them," she said, making a joke.

"Ok, stud," Jill said, patting Mel's arm and speaking in a fake southern accent, "calm down before you get a hard-on. Your filly will be ready for breeding when you bring her to bed tonight."

"We're back!" Alice announced.

"How was your day?" Dennis asked as he kissed her cheek and hugged her.

"Oh, we had a wonderful day, didn't we, Allie, dear. We both bought several beautiful dresses and none of them cost all that much, did they, Allie?"

Alex smiled and did his hair-adjustment-thing with his head. "We spent plenty of money."

Alice tsk-ed and waved off the comment. "How about you three? Did you conquer the mountain."

"We gave it a go," Dennis laughed. "We quit early today, though. We were all a little tired and achy."

The waitress to whom Alice had spoken showed up with two glasses of her favorite brandy, one for her, one for Alex, and then walked away.

"You look beautiful," Mel whispered to Alex. "Maybe a little over dressed for a bar, but really pretty. I love your dress."

"Thanks," Alex smiled and sipped the brandy. "I like it, too."

Mel couldn't help herself. "And do you like your pretty petticoats, too?"

Alex sipped and nodded. "I love my pretty petticoats, thank you. And my heels, too. I feel so tall."

"Well, don't grow up too quickly," Mel teased. "I just got my little girl. I don't want to lose her too quickly." she kissed his cheek.

"How did you even learn to walk in heals that high?" Jill asked.

"By walking in them, I guess," Alex chuckled. "I was unsteady for a bit, but after walking in them for ten minutes or so, I was fine."

Just then, Chuck Berry's classic guitar lick began and the singer started in with, "Way down in Louisiana, close to New Orleans."

"Yes!" Shouted a slightly tipsy Dennis.

Out of nowhere, a good looking guy appeared and shouted above the music so Jill could hear. "Do you want to dance?"

"Sure!" Jill said, happily accompanying him to the dance floor.

Dennis looked at Mel and said, "Come on! Grab your wife! Let's all dance!"

"Oh, Denny, no..." Alice said, but Dennis ignored her protests and pulled her to the floor.

"Come on, baby," Mel said, taking Allie's hand.

"Mel, I'm not dressed for this," Alex protested.

"A swing dress and petticoat!? Allie, you're dressed perfectly for this. Come on!"
 

~^~
 

That night, at bed time, Alex was still in his bra and petticoats when Mel actually carried him to bed. With Alex on his back, Mel climbed on top of her little husband and kissed him on the neck and breasts and shoulders as she groped him through the thick petticoats.

"I can barely find you through all these layers," she teased. "You're not getting smaller down there on me, are you?"

He smiled. "I hope not. I feel like I'm getting bigger by the second."

That made Mel giggle. "You know, except for my wedding gown, I haven't worn a petticoat since I was three years old. I couldn't believe it when I saw you walk into the bar in a petticoat."

"You weren't upset, were you?"

"No, baby, I wasn't upset. I wanted to take you right then and there." she stopped for a moment and grabbed a small bottle from the night stand.

"What's that?" Alex asked.

"It's a little lubricant, baby. I bought it in the drug store down stairs." she squirted some into her hand and spread it on her fingers. Then, careful not to soil them, she reached under his petticoats and ran her fingers up the inside of his inner thigh. "Spread your legs, my sweet girl. I want to make you a woman."
 

~^~
 

"I heard from Janet today," Dennis said as Alice climbed into bed beside him.

"Oh? How is the poor thing doing?"

"She says she's doing ok, but I think she's still numb. I'm a little afraid that all of the emotion is going to hit her all at once when she gets to the calling hours."

"I know. I hope she's strong enough to get through this."

"She also quit."

"You mean she gave her notice, right? Her contract requires a one month notification and she signed an agreement to train her replacement before she leaves."

"Yes, that's what her contract calls for, but unfortunately her life requires her to move to Florida immediately and start taking care of her grandchildren. I wasn't going to complicate her life any more than it already was."

"No... of course not."

"I told Rhonda in payroll to give her double the usual severance package to make things easier for her."

"That was very generous of you, Denny." Alice rolled towards him and kissed him. "You're a very nice guy, you know that?"

He shook his head. "Jan did great work for us. It was the least I could do."

"No, the least you could do would have been to hold her to her contract and make her life miserable. You chose to do the right thing instead. That's what makes you a nice guy."

He cradled her in his arm and let her snuggle in. "I do need to find another buyer, though. One as meticulous and creative as Jan would be great, where do I find someone like that."

"Well..." Alice propped herself up on her elbow and looked at Dennis. "Have you given any thought to Allie? She's smart as a whip and very creative. I saw the graphics for her displays, Denny, and they are really original."

"Really?" He looked at her askance. "Why did you see them before I did?"

"You told her 'no work while on vacation,' remember? I saw them on her phone when she got them."

He nodded. "In fact, I have been mulling over the idea of talking to Allie about the job. She'd have a lot to learn, of course, but her wife and sister sure seem confident that she could do anything."

"I bet they're right, Denny. I really like this girl. I think you should at least consider her."

He nodded and thought. "I will. I'll talk to her about it later in the week. After I've had a minute or two to sober up from tonight. Oy - I don't think I've had that much to drink since I was in college. And the girls drank me under the table."

"The girls are kids, Denny. They're twenty five or twenty six years old. They SHOULD be able to drink you under the table."

"Are you saying I'm passed my prime? An old man?"

Alice kissed him softly and passionately on the lips and rubbed his chest as she looked deeply, passionately into his eyes. "Yes."

If they had not been in the Presidential Suite, the sound of their laughter and their love making would have kept everyone on the floor awake for the next two hours.
 

~^~
 

"YOU TOLD HER!?!?" Jill said, shocked, as they were about to leave the hotel room. "WHY WOULD YOU HAVE TOLD HER? HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO FACE DENNIS IF HE KNOWS WE'VE BEEN LYING TO HIM!?!?"

"She won't tell him," Alex said with more calm than Jill expected.

"How do you know that?" Mel asked. "If she does tell him, that really puts us on the spot."

"She won't," Alex said with finality. "I asked her not to and she won't."

"Why wouldn't she?" Jill insisted.

"Because I asked her and she's my friend." He said this last sentence with a great deal of emphasis on the word friend. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get some breakfast." he walked out the door.

Jill looked at Melody and shook her head. "I'm going to kill him, I swear it."

"Maybe he's right. Alice does seem very fond of him."

Jill sighed. "I think I liked him better when he used to do what we told him. I guess those days are gone."

Mel smiled. "You think so? That wouldn't be such a bad thing."
 

~^~
 

"Oh, this is Heaven!" Alice moaned as the masseuse worked the muscles in her back. "Tell me you don't love this, Allie."

"I do love it," Alex replied as he laid face down on the massage table. "I just can't afford it."

"Roll over, please," the masseuse said to Alice.

She rolled onto her back and looked at the sheeted body of her friend on the next table. "We need to talk about your future, Allie."

"My future?" Alex was also instructed to roll over, which he did while holding tightly to the sheet to keep his chest well hidden. "You mean you want to see a fortune-teller?" That might actually have been fun.

"No, dear. We need to form a REAL plan for your future. A one year goal... a two year goal... etc. Success doesn't just happen, you know."

"Oh, I don't know," Alex chuckled. "A week ago I would never have guessed I'd be here with you, doing this. Sometimes things DO just happen."

Alice gave Alex the little chuckle that his joke deserved, then said, "Tell me, Allie... do you want to be... well off... later in life?"

"Well, of course. I'd like to be sure that we have enough to be able to retire and travel a bit. That kind of thing. I'm not looking to be super rich or anything, but yeah... I'd like to be comfortable."

"Then you can't just sail through life without a rudder, Allie. You need to set goals and figure out what you need to do to achieve them. Now, granted, Denny and I had a bit of a head start because Denny took over my father's two liquor stores, but he built that into the chain of stores he has today. And he did that by looking down the road, figuring out what he wanted and how to get it. If he didn't achieve it with Plan A, then we'd make a Plan B, C, D and on and on until he achieved what he wanted. You need to do the same."

"All set, ladies," the senior masseuse said. "I hope you enjoyed your time with us, today."

"Oh, more than you can imagine," Alice said. "I will be sure to leave a healthy tip on the bill. Thank you both so much."

They returned to the changing stalls, which were side by side, and as they changed, Alice kept her conversation going. "Let's start with your body, Allie. Are you happy as it is?"

He was struggling with a body shaper at that moment and admitted, "To be very honest, I'd kind of like to lose some weight, but..."

"But what?"

"Well, gym memberships are expensive and I lose my motivation when I'm doing it alone at home, so..."

"Soooo..." Alice interrupted, "... you'll come and exercise with me. I have a personal trainer that comes to my home every weekday at six forty-five-a.m. You can come and join us."

"But, Alice..."

"No 'but Alice' nonsense. You can get your lazy bones out of bed at six and be at my place easily by six-forty-five."

"But I have to work..."

"Not that early. Allie, you gave me a goal, I gave you a path to achieve it. Unless there's any reason you'd rather not achieve it."

Alex continued to dress, but didn't say much. He was pulling his extra flesh into his bra cups when suddenly, the door swung open and Alice was standing there. "You're afraid of losing your boobs, aren't you?"

"Whaaaa?"

She was smiling, standing there in a dress that was hanging unbuttoned and open from her shoulders. "Admit it, Allie. You're at least a little afraid that, if you lose weight, you'll loose your breasts, aren't you?"

He shrugged. "A little, I guess. I mean, I know it's stupid for a guy and all, but I kind of love looking nice and I'm afraid that if I don't have breasts, then I'll just look like a guy in a dress."

"Oh, don't be silly," she giggled. "What's the worst that could happen? You end up flat chested, right? Well, guess what, Allie - lots of women are flat chested. Including me."

"Well, yes, of course... you have a flat chest. I'd guess that your flat chest is probably a C cup, or so," Alex said, taking his dress off the hanger in the changing room. "You've got a beautiful figure, Alice."

"It's a thirty-four-D, thank you very much," Alice beamed, "but it used to be a thirty-four double A. I got implants when I was thirty one."

"You're kidding," Alex said, looking closely at her chest.

"Not at all. Everyone told me that I'd end up with bigger breasts after I had children, but I didn't. Three children and I was still as flat as a pancake. I wore padded bras and used inserts, but I was still just as flat as a nine year old boy when I got out of the shower. And I hated it."

"So..." Alex looked at Alice's rather proud assets and then looked back at her face. "... those aren't yours."

"Oh, they're mine, my dear. Bought and paid for, but I wasn't born with them. If you want a pair of your own, then I can give you my doctor's name."

Alex stared at his bra cups for a moment. "My own breasts?"

Alice nodded. "Do you think Mel would like that?"

He considered that. "I don't know. It's a big step. I'd need to talk to her about it, first."

Alice's smile widened. "I don't hear a 'no' in there. Allie... if that's one of your goals, then set your sites on that and start figuring out how to attain it. You see what I mean?"

"I do," Allie smiled. "Thank you. Alice... you inspire me."

"That's what I like to hear."
 

~^~
 

Wednesday and Thursday were a blur of shopping, wine and liquor testing, education in cheese and caviar selections, and above all, more and more drills in deportment, mannerisms and discussions of Alex's plans for the future.

Then, Friday evening, while they were all sipping an after dinner drink in the lounge, while over looking the illuminate, snow covered fields and slopes outside the resort, Dennis suddenly said, "Umm, Allie... would you mind accompanying me on a little walk?"

Just a bit surprised, but aware that their vacation was coming to an end, and perhaps Dennis may be ready to discuss a little business, he agreed readily.

Dennis offered a hand to help Alex stand. He was wearing a racing green, three quarter sleeve, knee length, wrap dress with a satin underdress and a transparent, green lace, chiffon over dress that gave the garment a slightly formal, wonderfully feminine look.

In a rather, gentlemanly fashion, Dennis offered Alex an arm and they headed out of the lounge.

"Is everything ok, there?" Melody asked Alice as she watched them leave.

"I hope so," Alice said with a little smile. "I'm not sure, but I think Denny may be making Allie an offer that she shouldn't refuse."
 

~^~
 

"Let's sit here for a moment," Dennis suggested as they came to an oversized couch in the hallway, overlooking the lobby, one floor below.

"Ok," Alex said, smoothing his lovely dress beneath him as he sat and then crossing his legs at the knees and he sat, listening attentively.

Dennis sat at about halfway across the couch, leaving about the space of one person in between them. He smiled at Alex, but looked a bit uncomfortable before he spoke. He forced an uncomfortable smile and said, "Allie... it's... umm... it's been an enlightening week."

Damn. Alice must have told him. Alex felt a rush of fear pass over him. He couldn't lose this account. "Look, Dennis..."

Dennis held up his hand. "Allie... a week ago, when I first met you, I have to say... you didn't make a great first impression. In fact, my first impression was of a very insecure young woman who could barely look me in the eye."

"I understand," Alex said embarrassed. "Dennis... I was kind of in a crisis mode last week..."

"I know," he interrupted. "Please, just let me get to my point. After our brunch and conversation, I realized that you were a passionate young woman who knew her product line inside and out. Not only that, I decided that you were someone I would like to have involved in my business. That's not a decision I make everyday."

"Thank you for that, Dennis," Alex said, maintaining the poise and demeanor that Alice had been teaching him all week, but it felt like Dennis was leading to a brush off of some kind. He couldn't let that happen. "Umm... I feel like... maybe... you're having second thoughts about our arrangement. If you could just take a look at my lay outs for the displays..."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Dennis laughed. "I am having second thoughts, Alex, but not about that. I'll get to my point... My chief buyer/stock inspector... basically, my 'Girl Friday,' Jan - her name is Jan - had to leave my operation this week due to a family tragedy. Well... I guess I've already told you that story... Understandably, she had to leave quickly, but her departure has really left me with a conundrum. I need someone to take over that role for me, and after a lot of thought and conversations with you, your wife, your sister and, to be very honest, my wife... well, I have been thinking that you might be the right person to replace Jan. Now, I know you have your own business, but you can continue to represent the local crafts-people if you'd like, but what I require is this..."

Dennis spent the next fifteen minutes or so discussing the
responsibilities of Janice Meyer's previous position, all of which made perfect sense to Alex. He knew a lot about the liquor store business and this all seemed like an ideal position for him.

"As far as your hours are concerned, you work as many hours a week as you need to work in order to get everything done and ensure that the stores are well stocked, our inventory remains current and that we follow the trends as needed. Most of our established sales people will be contacting you directly through a company cell phone. You would have office space in our offices, but since COVID, we've become accustomed to having people working from home, too. As long as you're checking in on a daily basis and the job is getting done, I don't care where your primary office is."

Alex stared in stunned silence for a moment, causing Dennis to speak again.

"Health insurance would kick in in thirty days... five weeks paid vacation a year with more time added after five years... and, of course a very healthy salary with bonuses as earned." he pulled out a little note pad and wrote something on it, then handed it to Alex. "This would be your salary for the first two years and we will discuss salaries and raises on a yearly basis from then on. What do you think?"

Alex looked at the piece of paper and his jaw actually dropped. It wasn't a fortune, but it was a lot more money than he'd ever made before and that was where he'd be starting. How could he say no to this?

"Dennis... I am so flattered that you'd even consider me for this and, believe me, I want to say yes, but... I just want to be sure that you understand that, even though I know a lot about this business, this is a new aspect of it for me and if I take it, I'm going to need some training and guidance."

Dennis smiled. "See, that's why I think you'd be a great fit in this slot, Allie. You're always honest and forthcoming. Of course, I'd be training you and, once you get to know each store manager, you'll find that they are all great people and they'll stay on top of everything as well. They'll keep you informed of what they need. We're a good team, Allie. You'll enjoy being a part of it."

Alex paled a bit and didn't hear much after 'honest and forthcoming.'

"Dennis... I... I want to take this offer... truly, I do, but... I need to be 'honest and forthcoming' about something before I do. And after I tell you this... you may not be as impressed with me as you seem to be."

Dennis looked confused. "Ok, Allie. What do you need to tell me?"

Alex took a deep breath and thought carefully about how to say what he needed to say. "See, the reason that I was 'a very insecure young woman who could barely look me in the eye,' was because I... I wasn't a woman."

Dennis looked at Allie for a moment as he digested that. "Soooo... you WEREN'T a woman?... what were you, then?"

"I was a man, Dennis. A man who'd gained a lot of weight and didn't fit into his pre-lockdown clothes, so I had to wear some of my sister's from when she was heavier. I had hoped that I'd come across as a man, but I guess I didn't and when you assumed I was a woman... I didn't see a way out of it."

Dennis considered that, his eyes darting around as he thought. "So... all this week...?"

"I know, I wanted to say something, but..."

Dennis stood, looking confused for a few moments, then looking resolved. "Just wait here. Do not move."

He jogged away, leaving Alex feeling very uncertain as to what was about to happen. Was the job still on the table? Was he going to call the police of something? This wasn't illegal, was it? Dressing like a woman? No, it couldn't be. Why did things always go bad when he tried to do the right thing?

His mind was still reeling when Dennis came back hauling a very rushed Alice behind him.

"What is going on, Denny?" Alice asked, flustered. Then she looked at Alex and said, "Allie.. what's wrong? You look pale."

Alex looked confused, but tried to remain outwardly composed, as he'd been taught. "I'm not sure what's happening... I was just..."

"She was just telling me some very interesting things about herself," Dennis said, sounding testy.

Alice looked at Dennis, then at Allie, then back. "Such as."

"Go ahead," Dennis said. "Tell her. After taking advantage of my wife's good nature all week, I think you owe her an explanation."

Alex was about to speak, but Alice beat him to it. "Oh!" she laughed as if this was the silliest thing imaginable. "Is this about Allie being a man?"

Dennis gave his wife a double and then a triple take. "What?"

"It is isn't it?" she said shaking her head and laughing some more. "Did you seriously think that I spent all that time with her and I didn't know?"

"I... I..." Dennis sputtered.

"Honestly, Denny, Allie told me on that very first day we met. We came in for drinks and she told me she had recently decided to live as a woman." It was a little white lie, but it made a point.

"You... wait... how could... how come you didn't tell me?"

"Tell you what? You told me that you thought Allie was a talented salesperson who just needed some help to find herself. That's all that mattered. I didn't know that we were going to be spending the whole week with them. I'm thrilled that we did, though, and look at the progress she's made. God, if I was ever asked if I saw someone learn how to tap their inner talents, then I would have to reply that I have because I saw what happened to Allie Anderson one wintery week at Mount Washington. And besides, look at how you reacted. Right now, I'm trying to figure out why she told you in the truth the first place. She didn't have to."

Dennis looked at Alex. "If... then..." He sighed and regrouped. "Why did you tell me?"

"Because it was the right thing to do." Alex's answer was steady and concise. "You offered me a job. That's a lot different than having me set up a few displays in your stores. I wouldn't take the job unless I was honest with you.

"Huh." Dennis looked at his wife. "Ok... I get it... I'm the asshole here, aren't I?"

"Not at all," Alex said, calmly. "I wasn't honest with you before. Actually, you took it very well. Now, if you don't feel comfortable with me taking that job, then I understand entirely. I just hope we can all still be friends."

"Alright, now, wait..." Dennis said, sitting back on the couch and thinking. "Ok, now... first, let me make it clear that I was not being judgmental about your choice to live as a woman. I'm fine with that. I just misunderstood things. I thought that you had taken advantage of my wife's good nature and that's why I was upset. So, your choice to present yourself this way does not impact my offer."

Alex nodded, content that he'd done the right thing while Dennis settled himself and considered his next words.

"So, my offer still stands and, I hate to put undo pressure on anyone, but I will need an answer by the time we leave tomorrow morning. I know that's a bit of a stressful thing to demand, but if you decide not to take the position, I need to find someone who will by midweek."

Alex nodded and looked at Alice, who raised her eyebrows, hopeful that Allie would accept the position.

Dennis looked at his wife and added, "I think it goes without saying that, whatever your decision is, it will not impact our personal relationships with you, your sister or your wife. We'll all remain friends, no matter what."

"They're over here," Mel called over her shoulder as she appeared in the upper lobby and waved for Jill to join her.

"Would you like a little time to discuss this with Mel before you give me an answer?" Dennis asked as Alex's family approached.

Alex's little smile remained steady. "I don't think that will be necessary."

"I'm sorry," Mel said as she approached the couch. "I hope we're not interrupting, but you were all gone so long that we were worried."

"Would you like us to give you some more time?" Jill asked. Neither woman was sure of what was going on, but they were concerned that Alex's cat may be out of the bag and Dennis might be upset.

"I think that's up to Allie," Dennis said, leaning back a bit to give Alex some room.

"I don't think you need to leave," Alex said, that same enigmatic smile on his face. He looked at his wife and explained. "Dennis has made a very generous offer for me to work for Cole Liquors in a position that seems perfect for me. It would give me the freedom of flexible hours and working from home or their offices, the opportunity to meet a lot of professionals in the industry and provide us with financial stability far beyond any that we've had up until now."

"Wow," Jill muttered, a bit surprised after all of their concerns.

Mel took a second to process everything. She looked at Alice for confirmation that what she's just heard was true, and Alice nodded to confirm that everything was as Alex had explained.

"So...? What do you think, Allie?" Mel asked.

Alex turned back to Dennis and said, "Dennis, I am very honored to have received this offer and I am very happy and grateful to accept this position." he extended his hand, which Dennis accepted and shook.

"That's great, Allie," Dennis smiled. "Tell you what, Monday is going to be a busy day for me, first day back and all, so why don't you come see me at my offices on Tuesday at ten and we'll get you started. We'll get your paperwork all signed and begin your training."

"Better yet," Alice said, happily, "on Monday, you and I will get together to get everything you'll need for your new job. We'll take a tour of where all the stores are located and maybe stop at a few of my favorite shops in Boston along the way." she heard Mel and Jill chuckle just a little at that, so she shook her head and said in a confidential tone, "Cotton panties," she made a disgusted face and acted as if a horrified shiver ran down her spine. "She can do better."

Dennis stood and offered Alex a hand. He accepted the hand as a courtesy, but he rose with the practiced elegance that Alice had instilled in him.

Dennis looked at him and shook his head. Then he smiled at everyone else and said, "I can't believe you've changed so much in a week." Then he looked at Jill and Melody said, "I bet it's an even bigger change for you two, since you knew her before she... well, you know what I mean."

Mel and Jill looked at each other, then at Alex who nodded.

"Soooooo... everyone knows?" Jill asked.

"Everyone knows," Dennis smiled.

"And you're fine with it?" Mel asked.

"It's none of my concern, as long as it doesn't interfere with her work," Dennis shrugged. "I think the real question is are YOU fine with it?"

Mel laughed loudly. "Me!? Denny, I am thrilled! I have always loved Allie, but the changes in clothes lately have been wonderful. She looks so much better, now - and by that, I mean that she looks SO much better than ME! Putting the clothes aside, the things that Allie has learned from Alice are amazing! It's like she's a whole new person! Self confident... Determined.... And now a job she's happy about!? Things are far beyond 'fine' with me, Denny."

"Well," Alice chimed in, sliding her arm around Dennis', "why don't we all cap off this wonderful night - the last of our wonderful trip - with some nice champagne! We can toast our friendship and Allie's new job!"

Everyone agreed, but Alex held up a hand. "I will be in in a few minutes. I just have something I have to do first."

"Is everything ok, baby?" Mel asked, concerned. Alex suddenly didn't look as happy as he should.

"Everything is great, Mel." he smiled, but it wasn't a sincere smile. It was a smile to make Mel feel better and she knew it. "I just need to run upstairs for a minute. I'll be down in ten minutes... fifteen tops."

"Ok." Mel smiled. She kissed his cheek. "Congratulations, sweetie. I'm very happy for you."

"Thanks."

As the others headed into the lounge, Alex made his way back to their room. He pulled out his tablet and sighed. He looked at the clock. 8:55pm. They were probably still awake. He sent a text.

'HI. ARE YOU AWAKE?'

'YES. JUST WATCHING AN OLD MOVIE. WHY?' came the reply.

'I'M GOING TO CALL. OK?'

'Ok'

He took a deep breath and called up their contact information. Then, instead of hitting the button for making a phone call, he hit the 'FaceTime' button, turned the tablet away from himself and waited. It only took a few rings for the call to be answered.

"Hi, Alex. How are you?" His mother's voice came through. There was also the sound of a television in the background.

"I'm good, mom. I just wanted to share some good news with you."

"Oh!? Well, that's exciting to hear. What's the news, and why can't I see you in the camera?"

"I'll get to that," he said, sounding nervous. "I... I just wanted to let you know that I just got hired by Cole Liquors to be the chief buyer for the whole chain."

"Alex, that's wonderful!" His mother said into the phone. Then into the room in which she was seated, she said, "Bill! Bill! Alex is on the phone and he's going to be a buyer for Cole Liquor. Isn't that great?"

"Yeah," Alex's father's unimpressed voice could be heard in the phone's speaker.

"It's a great opportunity, mom. Really handsome salary and a lot of responsibilities..."

"Well, that's wonderful to hear, Alex," his mother interrupted. "It'll be nice to be bringing in some real money for a change, won't it?"

"Yeah, I guess, but... I've done pretty well for myself up to this point..."

"Yes, you have. You have that beautiful wife of yours and that nice house... and of course, it'll be nice to be making a similar amount of money to your wife and sister, won't it? I mean, Jill's been making over a hundred thousand dollars a year, for years."

"Yeah... I suppose." he was trying hard not to be baited into feeling bad about himself by his mother.

He would have said more about the job, but his mother's attention was returned to the TV screen for a moment. "Bill... what did they just say? Did they just say that Sean Penn killed the wrong man? Where's Kevin Bacon been through all of this? Don't the State Police know what's going on?" she returned he attention to the phone. "This movie drives me nuts, Alex. If I've ever seen the ending, I can't remember it."

"What movie is that, mom?"

"Oh, I don't know the name of it. It's the one in Boston... Sean Penn's daughter is killed... they think Tim Robbins did it and Kevin Bacon is a State Cop... you know the one I mean."

"Yeah, I guess," Alex said, hurt and taken aback that his good news was being usurped by an old movie on TV.

"Hey, mom," Alex said, clearing his throat, "the reason I called is..."

"Your new job, I know, Alex. You told me."

"No, mom, there's more I wanted to tell you."

"Ok," she said, still sounding distracted. "What is it?"

Alex turned the phone towards himself so that his face, hair and the lace covered top of his green dress were visible in the camera. "Mom... I’ve made some changes in my life, besides the job, and I just wanted to let you and dad know."

"What kind of changes?" she asked, not yet looking at the screen. "Wait! You’re not getting a divor..."

She never got to the ‘S’ sound at the end of the word. She stared at the screen for a few moments before she spoke. "I’m sorry... umm... where is Alex? Why are you in my son’s hotel room?"

"It’s me, mom," Alex said as calmly as possible. "As I have been saying, I have made some changes and..."

"Alex? What the hell is going on there? Stop playing around and put your sister on the phone."

"She’s downstairs, mom. As I was saying..."

"Is this some kind of joke, then? What the hell are you playing at, Alex!?"

All of his training with Alice was going out the window. She wasn’t listening and he couldn’t get her to stop reacting.

"What going on?" Alex heard his father say from off camera.

"It’s Alex, Bill. Look at him!"

The picture blurred as his mother turned her laptop abruptly towards his father. His father, who was seated in his ancient reclining chair, looked at the picture on the screen at their end and asked, "Who’s that?"

"THAT is you son!" his mother shouted.

"What!?" His father said, slamming the footrest of the chair closed. "Alex? What the hell is going on?"

"Hi, dad. As I was trying to tell mom, I have decided..."

"Decided to what? Decided to your dick off? What is wrong with you, Alex!? Jesus, you have always been like this. Selfish - that’s what you are Alex, only thinking of yourself."

"Look, dad... mom... I just called because I wanted to share with you that I am happy, Mel is happy and I have a new job that I think is going to be a great fit for me. That’s all."

"THIS is what makes you happy?" his mother spat. "Dressing up like something you’re not and swishing around in a party dress? THAT makes you happy?"

"I’m not ‘swishing’ around at all, mom, and..."

"Alright! Enough! Enough! ENOUGH!’ his father pronounced, slamming a hand on the table where his mother had been sitting. "I don’t know what kind of a game you’re playing, Alex, but your mother and I aren’t interesting in being a part of it."

Alex’s veneer of poise and coolness was being stripped away by the second. He was hurt and angry and didn’t expect things to have gone nearly this badly. "I’m not playing any kind of..."

"I told you at Thanksgiving," his father interrupted, "that he looked like a fairy with all that hair."

"Yeah, but, Bill, he didn’t look like THAT!"

"But he didn’t look like much of a man, did he?"

"Oh, lord," his mother sighed at both of them, "this is because we always let you hang around with your sister and her friends, isn’t it? We should have made you play sports."

"I told you, Ellen," his father said, ignoring their son on the screen, "he was too little and we should have pushed him harder. You can’t coddle a boy and expect him to ever become a real man. This is what you get when you’re too soft on a boy: a little pansy who wears dresses."

That was all for Alex. He disconnected the call and sat there for a good fifteen seconds regaining his composure before he used the tips of his fingers to dab a few unbidden tears from his eyelids. He stood, took a deep, cleansing breath and headed out the door and back down to the lounge.

As he arrived, he saw Jill standing to the side of the lobby in a heated phone conversation. He walked over to her and took the phone from her hand. "Good night, mother," he said, flatly. "Call me again when you’re willing to have a civil conversation." he hung up the phone and shut it off before handing it back to his sister. "I’m sorry they ruined your evening. It went a lot worse than I expected. Sorry."

Jill hugged her small, feminine brother and kissed the side of his head. "Screw them, Allie. Either they’ll come around or they won’t, but we will always have each other."

Alex hugged her back. "I love you, Jill. I know I never say that, but I do. I really love you."

"I know, Allie. And you know I love you, too." The hug ended and Jill took his hand, kissing it before she said, "Come on. Let’s go in. Everyone’s waiting for you."

"There she is!" Dennis said, holding up a champagne flute. "Everyone grab a glass."

When everyone had a glass in their hand, Dennis said, "A toast – To Allie. May your new life be wonderful and may your new career be a source of happiness in that new life."

"Hear! Hear!" They all said as they clinked glasses and took a sip.

"Mmm," Alice said as she tasted the expensive drink. "I’d like to propose a toast, too. To new families." she held up her glass and so did everyone else. "It’s funny how, at the beginning of this week, none of us could have ever expected that by the end of the week, we’d all find new friends and family. Now, I’m being very sincere when I say that Denny and I have started thinking of all three of you as our daughters..."

"Obviously," Mel teased, "Allie is mommy’s favorite."

Everyone laughed at that.

Alice continued as she giggled, "...as I was saying, we think of the three of you with great affection and we sincerely hope that our relationships will continue forever. Cheers, everyone."

"Cheers," they all joined in.

They all clinked glasses again and they sipped until someone came up with the next toast... and the next... and the next...
 

~^~
 
 
EPILOGUE
 

"Anyone home?" Jill called into the house, knowing full well that her sister-in-law was not only home, but expecting her.

"In the kitchen!" Melody called back in reply.

"Hey!" Jill smiled as she entered the kitchen. "Where’s Allie?"

Mel smiled as she pulled a head of lettuce out of the refrigerator and set about ripping off leaves to drop in her colander to be rinsed. "Where she always is on Tuesday afternoons – with Alice at yoga class."

Jill laughed. "How could I have forgotten? In the last eight months, Allie has become obsessed with exercise and losing weight."

"Huh... sounds like she’s taking after her big sister," Mel teased.

"Says the Phys Ed teacher," Jill laughed. "Now that I’m thin, I kind of like it. I like the way I feel and I like the way my clothes fit."

"I imagine Allie feels the same way."

Mel finished rinsing the lettuce for the evening’s salads. She looked at Jill and said, "Your mother called me again today. Just as I was leaving school."

Jill nodded. "She called me, too." Jill turned and leaned against the counter. "She’s coming up for to visit her friend from high school and she wants to see us all."

Melody nodded. "I told her that would be lovely, PROVIDED she accepts Allie as she is."

Jill sighed. "I was going to tell her the same, but before I could, she told me that she wanted us all to go to dinner at a nice restaurant, but that Allie wasn’t to be wearing ‘Any of his foolish, sissy clothes.’ Either she was to dress like a ‘man’ or she wasn’t invited."

"So... you going to meet with her?"

"Are you crazy?" Jill scoffed and shook her head. "I told her not to call me again until she was willing to accept both of her children as we are. Then I hung up on her." she thought about that for a moment, then said, "It really does break my heart that I can’t be in a loving relationship with my parents, but... oh, well... it is what it is. They’re being unreasonable and I am not going to give in to their stupidity."

Mel nodded. "They’re not even calling Allie anymore. They didn’t even acknowledge her birthday."

Jill shrugged. "Maybe, down the road, things will change."

"Maybe."

They heard the door open in the other room and the women stopped talking. A moment later, Alex walked into the kitchen wearing a pair of clean, white sneakers, a pair of high waisted, calf length, floral decorated yoga pants and a loose, dusty-rose colored exercise shirt. Despite having come from the gym, Alex’s makeup was flawless and her hair was in a ponytail formed by pulling it through the hole in the back of baseball cap the same color as the shirt.

"Hi," she said as he entered the room and placed her gym bag by the foot of the stairs. She kissed her wife’s lips and his sister’s cheek. "What were you two talking about."

"You, of course," Jill smiled. "You look great, Allie. How much have you lost?"

"That’s not very polite, is it?" Allie replied, with a grin. "I’m not entirely sure, actually. I’m down to a size eight, though."

"That’s wonderful," Jill said, truly impressed.

"Good class?" Mel asked.

"They’re all good," Alex smiled. "I feel so good after I’m done."

"That’s great, babe. And tomorrow morning you’re doing a workout with Alice and her trainer, right?" she handed everyone something to put on the table.

"I’m doing a shorter session than usual. I need to get to the office pretty early tomorrow. Dennis wants me to meet a new salesperson – you know how he is. So, brunch at eleven with Dennis and the new guy."

They all pulled out their chairs and sat. "You know, this is probably only the third or fourth time I’ve seen you in pants since we went to New Hampshire. I’m not used to it," Jill teased.

"Well, you’re never going to have a chance to get used to it, either," Alex laughed. "I’m not that kind of a girl, anymore."

Jill raised her eyebrows. "Speaking of ‘the girls...’ How is your chest healing?"

"I can answer that," Mel said. "‘The Girls’ are healing beautifully. Really beautifully. They look sooooo nice, Jill. Ahh... I wish you could see how pretty she looks now in her lingerie! There’s no substitute for the real thing."

Alex smiled at her wife, then blushed a bit at her sister.

"You like them, though, right?" Jill asked Alex.

"Like them? Jilly, I don’t know how I lived without them all these years. I adore them."

Jill couldn’t help but laugh at Alex’s exuberance. "So, you’ve got the ‘up above’ looking pretty and girly, what about the ‘down below?’ Is that staying ‘as is,’ or is it being considered for renovations, too."

"Honest to God, the things you talk about at the dinner table..." Alex said, sounding shocked. "Well, since you asked... no. It is staying in its original form. No alterations, there."

"Nope, no alterations there, for sure!" Mel joked. "I don’t mind the additions, but l want to keep the subtractions to a minimum."

They all laughed at that and dug in to the salads. A few minutes of munching passed before Alex said, "Umm... next weekend... I think I’m going to drive down to see mom and dad."

Both women stopped and looked at him.

"OUR mom and dad?" Jill asked. "The ones that both Mel and I told to buzz off earlier today because they won’t accept you as you now are? That mom and dad?"

Alex nodded. "I’ve been thinking about it, and... what if something were to happen, and... God forbid, we lost them. I don’t want this chasm between us to last forever."

"Ok, then," Mel looked at Jill, "we’ll go with you."

Jill nodded.

"No... I think it needs to be just me and them," Alex said, pensively. "They’ll be tough at first, but either they’ll accept me, or I’ll drive back home knowing I tried."

Mel made a thoughtful smirk. "I can’t say I think this is a good idea, Allie. I’d rather you didn’t drive that far by yourself."

Alex smiled. "I appreciate that, Mel, but I really think I need to do this myself."
 

~^~
 

It was hot in Maryland. A lot hotter than it had been in Massachusetts when Alex had left. Of course, the sun wasn’t even up then, but the air in Maryland was a lot more saturated with summer humidity than the air back home.

It was nearly eleven as he pulled into the driveway of his parents’ retirement home in the ‘over fifty-five’ community. She’d only been there once before, to help them move, and she wasn’t sure what to expect when she knocked on the door.

"Yes?" her father said as he pulled the interior door wide.

Alex stood dumbfounded. She’d spent the entire five hour drive practicing what to say, but now that her father stood there, not recognizing her, she felt like a child again. A child who was afraid to upset their parents.

"Can I help you?" His father asked, a bit impatient, aggravated by the mute, but attractive woman at his door.

"Umm... yes... I was..." Alex took a deep breath to gather his thoughts and said, "Hi, dad."

Her father’s eyes narrowed as he took in the sight of this attractive, well turned out woman on his front stoop. "Alex?" he asked, not at all sure who this person was, but it wasn’t Jill, so it had to be Alex.

Alex nodded. "Yes, it’s me, dad. Can I come in?"

"Who is it, Bill?" Alex’s mother’s voice came from the interior of the small home.

"It’s Alex," he called back. He still stared at his son with confusion.

"Dad, I drove over five hours to come see you. Can I come in?" Alex asked, feeling awkward, just standing on the stoop.

"It’s who?" Alex’s mother suddenly appeared in the doorway, filling Alex with a mix of joy and dread.

"Alex?" she asked, just as confused as her husband.

"Yes, mom, it’s me. Can I come in?"

Alex’s parents looked at each other for a moment and a silent message passed between them. Alex saw this a knew that, now that they saw her, this was all going to work out, just fine. Her mother nodded at her father and and then her mother’s hand reached for the storm door handle. Alex heard a click and reached for the handle knowing she’d just unlocked it, but...

...it wouldn’t turn.

She had locked it.

Her mother stepped back and the interior door began closing.

"Mom?"

"No, Alex," she said, shaking her head. "No. You can’t just show up at OUR HOUSE and just expect us to accept... THIS. NO."

"Mom... dad..." Alex tried to reason with the increasingly narrowing opening.

Her father had the last words, though. "Cut your hair, clean that crap off your face and come back looking like a man, Alex, and THEN you can come into this house."

The door closed.

Alex’s first thought was to knock again, but she stopped before her knuckles reached the wood. No. That wasn’t what she wanted them to see. Not a weak little sissy who needed her mommy. No. That wasn’t going to happen. Instead, she stood at the door and spoke in a moderate volume, hoping they’d hear.

"Alright. I tried and I will try again... someday... but... I love you both. I just wanted you to know that." she took a few breaths to steady herself before she walked down the stairs and back to her car. She backed out of driveway and headed back towards the highway. While stopped at a red light, she sent a text to Jill and Mel. ‘HEADED HOME. THEY WON’T EVEN LET ME IN. SHOULD BE HOME IN FIVE OR SIX HOURS. LOVE YOU.’

A few moments later, Mel replied. ‘I’M SORRY, BABE. PLEASE BE SAFE.’

That was followed by a text from Jill. ‘SCREW THEM ALLIE. WE LOVE YOU.’

She smiled. ‘I KNOW. BE HOME SOON. LOVE YOU BOTH TOO.’

She pulled onto the highway, listening to a Taylor Swift song. That was followed by a Lady Gaga song and as that was starting to fade out, her phone rang and the radio’s screen told her it was Alice. She accepted the call.

"Hi, princess," she said. "I hear you’re having a bad day."

"I guess it could have gone worse," Alex said as she drove on. "No one hit anyone else, so... like I said, things could have gone worse."

"Oh, sweetheart... I’m so sorry," Alice said in the most comforting voice she could muster.

"It’ll be fine," Alex sighed. "It’s just... you know..." her voice cracked with emotion, just a little. "... no one wants their parents to hate them. I just wanted to... you know... let them know that I’m still me and that I love them and, I guess I hoped that they might still love me."

"Oh, Allie, Allie, Allie..." Alice said, "I wish I could just hug you right now. Baby, you know that Denny and I both love you like a daughter. My own daughters think of you as a sister, and Mel and Jill both adore you. Baby, you have so many people who love you... focus on that. Ok?"

That made Alex feel a lot better. "Thank you, Alice. That means an awful lot to me."

"It’s the truth, sweetheart. Now, I want you to promise to drive carefully and when you get home, Denny and I will be there with Jill and Mel to give you more hugs than you can imagine. Ok?"

"Ok," Alex chuckled at Alice’s uplifting tone.

"Ok, now tell me you love me and that you’ll be careful."

Alex laughed. "Ok, mother," she teased. "I love you and Dennis and Jill, and of course, Mel, and I will take care of myself, I’ll be careful and I will be home as soon as I can."

"That’s my girl. I’ll let you get back to concentrating on the road. Love you."

"Love you, too." she said and the call ended.

The radio returned to playing music. This time it was an old song by Destiny’s Child and Alex sang along.

‘Thought I couldn't breathe without you
I'm inhaling
You thought I couldn't see without you
Perfect vision
You thought I couldn't last without you
But I'm lastin'
You thought that I would die without you
But I'm livin'’

Then, as Alex drove on and she thought about how her life had changed, how her career had improved and how much better everyday was with things as they were, she smiled and sang a little louder.

‘I'm a survivor
I'm not gon' give up
I'm not gon' stop, oh
I'm gon' work harder
I'm the survivor
I'm gonna make it
I will survive
Keep on survivin'...’

THE END