It was fast approaching Christmas and the office manager, Alex was forever pestering me about who I’d be bringing to the Company Christmas Party the weekend before Christmas.

Let me introduce myself, my name is Stewart Briggs or Stewie to my very few friends. I’m 26 going on 27 and I’m a sort of ‘Estate Agent’. Hold on. Don’t stop reading. Not all of us are boring and only think about selling houses.

I manage the repairs and maintenance of the properties that are let through us. I couldn’t sell a house even if my life depended upon it but I seemed to be able to get repairs done to a both a standard and a cost that keeps everyone happy.

I work in a branch of a national company in a really out of the way place called Skegness. Never heard of it? Well, you aren’t alone. It is on the east coast of England in the county of Lincolnshire. It is in the back of beyond on a road to nowhere. A lot of people retire to Skeggie and never leave. It is that sort of place.

Luckily, I’m not a native. I was raised in a variety of Army homes in England, Germany and Cyprus. My Mother was a Captain in the British Army. Dad’s a Chef. Well, that was what they were doing the last time I saw them.

That was nigh on five years ago. I still get the shudders when I remember that night. That was the night I told my parents I was a transsexual.

Dad was slightly more sympathetic about it than Mum. She was used to order and discipline. She was in line for promotion to Major. That was probably the only thing on her mind when she gave me my marching orders. Dad knew better than to interrupt. He would have been following me out of the door if he had.

That was then. This is now.

*

“Come on Stewie, who’s the lucky lady?”

“Gwen, I’m not even sure that I’m coming to the Party.”

Gwen Charles is the office assistant come general dogsbody. She is also one of those people who could be standing in the middle of an empty room and you would not notice her. This probably explains why she’s in a place like ‘Skeggie’. Nothing of even the slightest significance ever happens in Skegness.

As a mark of friendship, I did allow her to call me ‘Stewie’. The only other person in the office who could call me that without getting a look that could kill was the current sales star of the branch, Sandra Brown.

Sandra could make a damp hovel seem worth a million quid. She just had to flatter her eye-lashes or expose a bit too much of her frankly drop dead gorgeous legs and the deal was done.

Sandra called me Stewie on my first day and I didn’t have the nerve to correct her so it stuck.

Gwen was still waiting for an answer.

“Gwen, I really have not given it any thought and that’s the truth.”

To be honest, I’d have loved to be going with anyone. Gwen was going with Pete. He worked in the Chippy down the road. Sandra? Well, the other top salesman in the office, a complete bastard by the name of Jeff ‘with a J’ Cook had announced to everyone on the day the event was announced that he was taking Sandra.

I saw Sandra visibly shiver at the thought. It was common knowledge that Jeff was the son of the area manager and on his way to head office very shortly. I guessed that her lack of argument about going with him was more down to wanting to keep her job than anything.

“Don’t leave it too long. All the best people already have dates.”

I picked up my phone and began to dial a non existent number in an attempt to get rid of her.

“Ok. I get the message.”

To be honest, the whole thing was making me very irritable.

[Two days later, a Friday]

“Well Stewie, one week to go before the big event? All the regional offices are coming to us this year and the word from on high is that everyone is to attend or there won’t be a bonus this year,” announced Gwen.

Just what I needed. A whole evening surrounded by people wearing dresses. Dresses that I’d rather be wearing than some stupid suit and tie.

[The following day]

As it was a Saturday and as I don’t work on Saturdays, I decided to indulge in a bit of retail therapy. Skegness is the back of beyond so got up early and took the early train to Sheffield.

I had to change trains at Grantham. As I waited for my connection, a London train stopped on the other platform. It was a freezing cold day and the train looked so warm and inviting, I almost abandoned Sheffield and headed for London instead.

I resisted the temptation and took the train to Sheffield where upon, I took the tram to the Meadowhall Shopping Centre.

Christmas is actually a great time to be a tranny. It is the one time of the year that no one questions or even gives a second glance to men buying women’s clothes.

In a fit of madness, I bought myself a LBD. Not a ‘Little’ but a ‘Long Black Dress’. If I didn’t go to the Christmas Party, then at least I could get dolled up and enjoy myself. I already had a new pair of heels that would go fine with it.

My second indulgence was some perfume. I even tried a few different ones. The smile on my face must have given whom it was for away. The Assistant smiled at me and said,
“By the smile on your face, I guess this is for you?”

I had to own up.

“Yes… Yes, it is for me.”
She grinned back.

“If you want someone to share it with, you know where I am.”

You could have knocked me over with a feather. My mouth fell open in amazement.

“T…Thank you for your kind offer but I live a long way from here.”

She didn’t blink at my statement as she wrapped up my purchase.

“I’ve written my phone number on the back of the receipt. Just in case you are back in this neck of the woods.”

I mumbled a thank you and hoped that my bright red face wouldn’t be noticed too much as I hot footed it out of the shop as fast as I could go.

After a bite to eat for lunch I’d recovered my composure somewhat. The more I thought about it, the more I began to appreciate the comment she’d made.

I bought a few presents for a selected few in the office and then headed to my final destination, a shop that rents DJ’s. I was determined to look the part next Saturday. Somehow I’d come round to going to the party even if it were without a date.

With a DJ ordered and to be collected from their branch in Boston, I headed home very satisfied with my days work.

At 17:29 precisely, my euphoria disappeared in a flash. My train from Grantham to Skegness had stopped at Boston already a good seven minutes late. I guess I am pretty anal about timekeeping.

The train was already pretty busy and I could see a lot more passengers waiting on the platform. The next train was not for another hour so I fully expected a bit of a crush.

What I wasn’t expecting was that the first person to get on the train was Gwen.
My heart stopped. I really hoped that she wouldn’t see me.

No such luck.

“Stewie? What on earth are you doing on this train?”

Without waiting for an answer, she plonked herself down onto the seat next to me.

“Been shopping I see?” She commented at the various bags with store logos that were balancing on my lap.

“Yes,” I mumbled.

Once she’d gotten herself comfortable she tried to peer into those very bags. This was a different person to the one I worked with. I wondered if she could have been drinking?

“Gwen? What are you doing?”

She smiled back at me and said,
“I’m wondering what you have bought me for Christmas?”

I swallowed hard and replied.

“If I might have bought you a present, you won’t find it here. Besides, who has given you something for the past two years and never even received a Christmas card in return?”

That little bit of truth stopped her inquisitiveness, or so I’d hoped.

The reality was that there was ‘Fat chance of that’.

Sadly, Gwen didn’t know when to give up.

“Isn’t that a bag from Jones & Harris?”

“Yes? So?”
I groaned to myself and tried to prepare myself for then inevitable inquisition that I was about to face.

“That means, you’ve either been to London, Leeds, Sheffield or Birmingham. Which is it?”

I sighed and tried to shrink back into the corner.

“Oh come on Stewie. Don’t be a spoilsport. We’ve got more than forty minutes on this ‘rattlebus’ of a train until we get to Skeggie. We have to talk about something now don’t we?”

I stayed tight lipped.

My silence didn’t deter Gwen.

“Ok, so you won’t say where you have been. We’ll come back to that.”

For someone who normally wouldn’t say boo to a goose, this was a side of Gwen that I’d never seen before.

“I’m guessing that some lucky lady is going to get a nice present this year. That bag from Jones & Harris is a big one.”

I’d had enough.

“Will you give it a rest Gwen? I’ve had a long day and I’m tired. I’d like to finish the journey in peace if you don’t mind.”

She glared at me but eventually she got the message.

*

When the train arrived in Skegness, I deliberately waited for Gwen to get off and start walking among the platform before I alighted. I really didn’t want to talk to her any more. What had started out being a really nice day had turned sour in a big way.

To compound this the weather had turned nasty and an easterly wind was bringing sleet in off the North Sea and the Taxi rank was empty.

I waited in the increasing cold for some 20 minutes but no cabs turned up so I started walking the long mile home, my promising weekend totally ruined by a not very ‘Brief Encounter’.

*

I was still in a grumpy mood when I arrived for work on Monday. As I suspected, Gwen was already in the Office and telling anyone who’d listen about our little encounter on the train.

I headed for my office and tried to get on with planning my day.

Sandra soon came in looking totally delectable as usual.

“What’s this I hear about you doing some fancy shopping at the weekend? Jones and Harris eh? I once visited their store in Bond Street. It was really hard to leave without buying at least some of their wonderful clothes.”

She sighed at the memory. Then she added.
“So who’s the lucky girl?”

I nearly mumbled ‘me’ but I managed to stop myself just in the nick of time.

“Is it for your date on Saturday?”

I shook my head but said nothing.

“Oh Stewie, you are a dark horse. A very dark horse indeed.”

She looked at me smiling.

“There is a lot more our Stewie than first appears. I must get to the bottom of this.”

With that, she left me alone. The feeling of dread that things are about to get a thousand times worse.

I didn’t get much work done that day. My shopping trip was the single topic of gossip in the office for several days.

To avoid hearing this gossip, I spent a lot of time out of the office at the various properties in the area making sure any final maintenance jobs were all wrapped up before the Christmas Holidays.

The downside of this was that the weather had really turned bad. Snow showers were coming in from the dull grey North Sea on a stiff Easterly wind. More snow was forecast for the end of the week. Luckily I had a decent car to drive courtesy of the company. However by the end of the week, I couldn’t hide any longer and besides, the incessant playing of ‘Christmassy music’ on the radio was starting to drive me crazy.

The week before Christmas is ironically the busiest time of the year for moving house. Even with the depressed state of the housing market, the office was busy with people coming to collect the keys to their new homes.

Christmas is stressful enough for many families so quite why so many people would want to add the stress of moving home to that was quite beyond me. That part of the business was pretty separate from mine. I dealt with houses and flats that were already let to tenants. Most of them wanted their repairs done yesterday. I was trying my best to get the backlog reduced to a minimum before the holidays. To some extent, being on the road for a few days was a good way of achieving that goal which made me a bit happier than I’d otherwise have been. I even found time to get to Boston and pick up the suit I’d rented for the Company ‘Do’ at the weekend.

When I returned to the office on the Friday afternoon, to my dismay, only Sandra and Gwen were there. Everyone else had buggered off down the pub for a long lunch several hours earlier.

It didn’t take long before the ‘hot’ question was being asked by Sandra once again.

“Well Stewie? Are you coming tomorrow night? And what delicious babe are you bringing?”

I didn’t answer but felt myself go red in the face as I headed into the back of the office and my little hidey-hole.

*

I spent most of the following day cleaning my flat and making it look at least slightly festive. I’d bought a small Christmas Tree and with a few decorations it looked quite nice in a very understated way.

One of the things that had made me buy the place was that despite it being on the floor over a betting shop, the place was by modern standards huge. I had three large rooms on the 1st floor and a small bedroom in the roof above. Whilst the kitchen was by comparison tiny, there was more then enough room for me. All of this at a price I could afford because of the business below.

Once I had moved in, I’d spent the next six months decorating it to my tastes. As a result, it was not the sort of place that you’d normally associate with a single man yet it wasn’t all pink and soft. In fact, I hated pink. I much preferred stronger colours. Red curtains contrasted nicely with the white walls.

With the place all neat and tidy, I allowed myself a long bath. The bath was a delight. I could just about float in it, it was so long and deep. It was then that I made the decision not to go to the ‘Do’ that night. The ‘girly’ part of me too over and said ‘bugger off’ to the male part.

By 6pm, I was transformed into my alter-ego, Louise. I’d taken my shoulder length hair out of its normal pony tail and styled it a bit. In truth, I would have loved to colour it but was a bit scared of what everyone in the office would say.

As I was going to be ‘Louise’ for several days and the dress I’d bought a little revealing, I glued on my false breasts. These had been my present to myself the previous year.

While the glue was drying, I remembered the mess I’d made of it the first time I’d tried. Putting them on was ok. But I soon found out that unless you are careful, removing them could also remove considerable amounts of skin at the same time.

With them firmly in place, I sat down at my dressing table and applied some makeup. I’d been taught how to do it by a very understanding Landlady when I was at University. Well, her and her 16yr old lesbian daughter. It was their influence and understanding that eventually persuaded me to tell my parents.

I felt myself shudder at that particularly hurtful memory.

It didn’t remain long in my mind as I put on the dress I’d bought the previous weekend in Sheffield.

I added some earrings, a necklace and a couple of bracelets. Lastly, a dab of perfume and I was done.

I paraded myself before the full-length mirror in my bedroom.

Ok, to my eyes, I still looked like a ‘man in drag’ but I felt happy with myself and frankly at that moment, that was all that counted.

Just as everyone else was arriving for the Office Party, I was sitting down to my own. I’d bought some very nice steak and some Ox-tail pieces. I’d made it into a casserole. It had been cooking slowly for most of the afternoon. It was done perfectly and with a bottle of full bodied red wine to go with it, it was certainly going to eat a bit better than the inevitable rubber chicken that was going to be served up to everyone else on the other side of town.

*

A few miles away at the party, things were not going very well.

Gwen’s date had cried off at the last moment. He was needed at the Chippy. Then Jeff (with a J) had a case of the wandering hands. From the moment they’d all sat down, his right hand had been trying to work its way up Sandra’s leg towards her crotch.

No matter how many times she removed it, it soon returned. More than once she’d been tempted to stab the back of the hand with her fork but if she made a scene, it would probably rebound on her no matter what Jeff was doing.

Finally, she got an idea of how to stop his wandering hands.

She simply poured her glass of water over his crotch. It looked like he’d peed himself as he dashed for the toilets.

That left Sandra and Gwen alone at their table.

As soon as he was out of sight, Sandra said,

“Fancy going to find out where Stewie is? It can’t be any worse than this disaster.”

Gwen was not someone who made impetuous decisions. In fact, she hardly made any decisions at all especially if it could be delayed but she’d been knocking back the G&T’s all evening so all her normal inhibitions had been somewhat overshadowed by a new bravado.

Even so, Gwen hesitated. The thought of going out in the cold without another G&T was not all that appealing.

Sandra was not going to let this defeat her so she grabbed Gwen’s hand and almost dragged her away from the table.

After a little bit of resistance she gave in and went with Sandra. As they retrieved their coats, Gwen began to hope that she could slip away from Sandra at some point and head for home.

Much to Gwen’s disappointment, there was a taxi waiting outside the venue so less than a minute later, they were safely in the back and heading for Stewart’s home.

*

At the very same moment, Louise had finished her meal and had just cleared everything away. She was looking forward to an evening watching a number of romantic comedies that she’d recorded from TV in the past few months accompanied by the remainder of the wine, some of her favourite chocolates and a few tissues. Bliss!.

*

The Taxi containing Sandra and Gwen arrived outside Stewie’s flat.

As it drew away, Gwen complained,
“What if he’s not in? This place is a long was from a bus route.”
Sandra sighed.

“Look up. There are lights on. He’s at home.”

“How do you know this is his place?” Said Gwen looking for a way out.

“Don’t be silly Gwen, I sold it to him. That’s how I know.”

Without waiting for Gwen to raise any more objections, Sandra rang the bell to Stewie’s flat.

As soon as Louise heard the bell, she froze and a pit of despair opened in my stomach.

Her immediate thought was, “Who on earth would be ringing my bell at this time on the 23rd December? Everyone I know is at the Company Party.”

She was going to ignore it and hope that whoever it was would soon go away.

It didn’t. The bell rang again.

Louise stayed put determined to see it out.

Next the banging of the door-knocker announced the determination of whoever it was to not going to go away anytime soon.

Before Louise could even react, a voice shouted through the letterbox,

“Stewie. Come on. Be a love and let us in. The party sucked big time and it’s freezing out here.”

That bottomless pit opened wide and the bridge I was standing on was burning from both ends.

“Us?” she’d said. Who could be with her? I sincerely hoped that it was not her date for the night.

“Stewie! We know you are there. Come on, let us in it is really freezing out here.”

At that moment, the bridge collapsed. I was done for and heading right into the abyss below.

“Ok. Ok. Hold your horses,” I shouted back.

I stood up and went to the top of the stairs and ‘buzzed’ them in.

As the door opened, I stepped back into my sitting room wishing that for real that the earth would open up and swallow me whole within the next five seconds.

Sadly it didn’t.

I heard two pair of shoes resonating on the wood as their wearers climbed the stairs.

“Stewie? Where are you?” said Sandra as she reached the top of the stairs.

“I… In here” I replied.

Then Sandra saw me.

“Stewie?”

Then Gwen saw me and burst out laughing.

“Shut the fuck up Gwen,” said Sandra angrily.

“That must be the dress he was carrying when I saw him on the train last week,” replied Gwen totally ignoring Sandra’s outburst.
“I told you so!” She added triumphantly.

Sandra stopped being angry with Gwen and turned her attention to me.

She took off her coat and threw it onto one of the chairs that were by the dining table.

“I must say Stewie, that this is not what I expected to find when I suggested to Gwen that we come over and cheer you up.”

Gwen started to protest but as usual, Sandra ignored her.

“Are you going to offer your guests a drink?”

Her sudden switches of conversation had thrown me completely.

“So...Sorry. Please take your coats off and sit down. What can I get you to drink?”

Sandra settled for a Red Wine while Gwen decided to have some Cranberry Juice once I’d explained that I didn’t have any Gin or Tonic.

I went off to the kitchen to prepare them.

As soon as I entered the kitchen, I could hear some frantic whispering going on behind my back.

The two minutes I spent preparing us all a drink, gave me time to at least think of something to say about me and who I am.

*

I returned to the sitting room and as soon as I appeared, the whispering stopped.

“Here you go,” I said trying to sound cheerful as I handed the drinks out.

Then I sat down and looked at my two guests.

“Yes ladies, I’m a trannie. I’ve been one for as long as I can remember. I was born in the wrong body. I’m one of those sad men who think that they can be a woman in real life. There I’ve said it, I’m a sad tranny.”

“Now that you have found me out, I’d really like you to finish your drinks and leave me alone. I’ll be emailing my immediate resignation from the company in the morning so you won’t have the pleasure of exposing me to that bunch of morons in the Office after the holidays.”

There was silence.

“In fact, I’d like you to leave now if you don’t mind.”

To my surprise, it was Gwen who spoke up.

“I’m not going to leave. In fact, there is nowhere I’d rather be at this moment.”
She saw the look of astonishment on my face.

“If you are going to resign, then I’ll do the same. Stewart needs friends who will stick by him. I’m going to do just that.”

Sandra’s mouth dropped open. She was speechless.

Gwen piped up,

“Well Sandra, are you with us or against us?”

Slowly a smile appeared on Sandra’s face.

“It appears I’m outvoted besides, I think you are right. Stewie does scrub up rather well as a member of the fairer sex.”

I was not really interested in frivolities but the support of Gwen and a somewhat reluctant Sandra started to hit home.

“Ok. You can stay.”

There was an awkward silence for nearly a minute.

Then Sandra broke it.

“Oh for gods sake, isn’t someone going to ask Stewie what he calls himself when… when he’s dressed as his female better half?”

“Louise,” I answered quietly.

“Louise it is then. No more Stewie. Agreed?” Asked Sandra looking at Gwen.

She was sitting quietly and observing me. She just nodded her head in agreement. Then she said,

“I’m so sorry Ste… sorry Louise, for all that ribbing about your shopping last Saturday. You really must hate me for that?”

I gave her a small smile.

“No, it’s all right Gwen.”

I paused for a second before adding,
“But there were times when I wanted to strangle the living daylights out of you there and then. You just wouldn’t shut up.”

That relieved the tension considerably.

We all were more relaxed. So relaxed in fact that we spent the rest of the evening talking about all sorts of stuff apart from me. Eventually, I had to go and pee.

As I stood up, I saw the time. Then I noticed the four empty wine bottles on the table.

“Oh god. It’s well past one o’clock.”

I disappeared towards the toilet hoping that my hint about the time might get them moving.

When I returned, I found two quite drunken women trying to stagger towards the door. Neither of them was in a fit state to go home that much was obvious.

“Ok girls, I think you two had better stay the night. You are both far too pissed to get home safely.”

Gwen managed to say thanks. After her early reluctance to drink anything alcoholic, she’d relented and imbibed with the rest of us.

“I’ll make up the bed in the spare room if you don’t mind sharing?”

“Let me help?” Asked Sandra.

“No. It will be quicker if I do it myself.”

While they sorted out going to the toilet, I slipped off my shoes and started making up the bed. As it was my spare room, I didn’t have the heating turned on so it was a bit cold. I just hoped that it would be warm enough for them.

I made up the bed and also retrieved two warmish nightdresses from my room.

“There are a couple of nightdresses on the bed. I hope it will be warm enough. There is an extra blanket on the chair by the window,” I announced to them when I’d finished.

“Thanks Louise,” said Sandra as she flopped down on the bed and closed her eyes.

Gwen shook her head and started to get undressed totally ignoring the fact that I was standing in the doorway.

I closed the door and beat a hasty retreat to my room.

*

Sleep was very hard to come by that night. So much was going on in my mind. Eventually, I must have dozed off because I was woken up sometime later.

I felt two bodies getting into bed with me.

“What are you doing?” I said in an urgent whisper.
“It is so cold next door. We came in to get warm,” muttered Sandra.
“But…”

“Feel my hands,” she said as she touched my face. They were ‘like ice’.

My protests were in vain because Gwen was already lying beside me with her arms wrapped wound me. Sandra got in on the other side and did the same. I realised that no amount or protesting was going to make a blind bit of difference.

I closed my eyes and tried to go back to sleep.

Sleep was impossible. I felt so on edge. Here were two women in my bed. Not one but two. I’d never had even one in my bed before. Relaxing was impossible.

It was Gwen who noticed the tension in my body.

Her left hand found it’s way to my very erect penis. She massaged it gently and said.
“Relax darling. We are just three women in a bed so go to sleep.”

*

I came too with the sun streaming through a crack in the curtains. The gentle breathing of my ‘companions’ told me that they were still fast asleep.

I was rather nice to be sandwiched by two warm bodies but eventually the call of nature started to prove impossible to ignore. The problem was the sandwich. How could I get out of bed without waking the two sleeping beauties?

In the end, I slid down the bed and out the bottom. As I tiptoed out of the bedroom, I breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of the pair of them still sleeping.

When I went into the kitchen to put some coffee on to brew, I stopped in my tracks. The view over the rooftops towards the sea was one of white. It had snowed in the night. We had a white Christmas but I was not really in the festive mood. I had a bit of a hangover and would have to start looking for a new job in a few days. Not the sort of Christmas present I would have wished on anyone.

I walked over to the window and peered out. The whole town was quiet. I could see a few vehicle tracks in the road below. A milkman was treading carefully as he went about his deliveries. I guessed that at least 3in of the white stuff had fallen in the night.

As much as the view pleased me, I groaned at the thought of my two guests being totally ill equipped for the current weather situation in the footwear department.

I had distinctly mixed emotions as I sat in the kitchen drinking coffee and waiting for my guests to wake up.

After an hour without a sign of movement from my bedroom, I gave up and went into the spare room. This was where I kept my male wardrobe. Despite the heating being on for the last two hours, it was distinctly chilly in there. I opened up the radiator to full in the hope that it would warm up. It was a faint hope as this room had two outside walls and with the weather as it was, it was only too evident that the one tiny radiator was going to struggle.

I quickly got dressed in jeans, shirt and sweatshirt. Then I saw a reflection of myself in the mirror. I stopped dead with my mouth open. I’d neglected to remove my makeup the previous night and my guests hadn’t said anything the previous night. Add to that there were two obvious mounds sticking out of my chest, I most certainly didn’t look male at all.

I sighed at the thought of trying to get the marks out of the bed linen. I’d put a set of rather nice dark green satin bed linen on as a special treat for Christmas. Another best laid plan up in ruins.

*

It was nearly midday when my guests stirred themselves. I was anxiously looking at the clock for the umpteenth time when I heard the bedroom door crack open.

“Hello? Louise? Stewie?”

It was Gwen.

“I’m in the kitchen Gwen.”

She waved at me and headed for the bathroom. A few minutes later, she emerged and joined me in the kitchen.

When she saw the time, she gasped.

“Oh fuck. Is that the time. Why didn’t you wake me? I should be going home.”

I giggled.

“Have you seen outside?”

“What?”

Then she saw the snow covered roofs stretching away to the sea in the distance.

“I really need to be going.”

“You won’t get very far in the shoes you were wearing last night.”

“I’ll have to get a Taxi.”

“Why don’t you have some coffee first? Is Sandra awake yet?”

Gwen shook her head.
“Nah. She’s snoring like a good trooper.”

“Should I go and wake her up?”

“I think so. I have a feeling that she was going to do her food shopping today. I’d expect there to be very little left on the shelves by now.”

Without thinking of the consequences, I said,

“Why don’t you spend Christmas here? I have plenty of food. Far more than I’d get through.”

Gwen’s mouth dropped open.
“Do you mean it?”

“I guess I do now that I’ve said it.”

“Wow. I didn’t expect that. I really didn’t.”

“I didn’t either. It just sort of came out.”

[To Be Continued]

This story has five parts.

I poured a cup of coffee and gave it to Gwen.

She disappeared into the bedroom to give it to Sandra.

Ten seconds later, there was a scream and a lot of swearing coming from that part of the flat.

Then it went silent.

Thirty seconds later, Sandra emerged from the room carrying the coffee cup.

“Why didn’t you wake me up before this?”

“What do you mean? Do you have to be somewhere?”

“Yes. I should be sitting on a plane at East Midlands Airport about to take off for Portugal. I’m supposed to be spending Christmas with my fucking sister,” she spouted back at me angrily.

“Have you seen outside? It snowed in the night. There might be delays at the airport. Let me see. Why don’t you go and get dressed while I find out? There are some warmer clothes in the second drawer down in the bedroom.”

Sandra swigged down the coffee and disappeared. Gwen came into the kitchen looking a bit ashen. She’d not expected that tirade of bad language from Sandra.

I pulled open my laptop and looked for the airport. Less than a minute later I had the answer.

“Sandra!” I called out. “
There is no need to rush. All flights from East Midlands have been cancelled today”

She appeared at the doorway stark naked.

“No flights? None?”

“That’s what is says here. Look for yourself.”

Sandra did just that. She came into the kitchen and leaned over my shoulder to see for herself. I had a pair of breasts sitting on my shoulders. I looked at Gwen who was having trouble stopping herself from laughing.

“Thank Christ for that.”

Both Gwen and I were surprised by this sudden change in attitude.

“My frigging Sister is married to a complete jerk. All he cares about is football and getting drunk. As a bar owner, he does that every day. Last year, he tried to get into my bed almost every night I was there. Ugh. I don’t know why she puts up with it.”

I smiled back.

“Why don’t you go and put some clothes on and we can talk about what we are going to do?’

Sandra looked at me strangely and was about to say something before she realised her state of total undress, She disappeared back into the bedroom.

With her gone, Gwen came and sat at the table.

“That was a bit strange wasn’t it?”

I thought for a few seconds.

“I hate to say it, but perhaps it is that time of the month? Isn’t blowing hot and cold like that how it affects some women?”

“Perhaps.”

She thought for a moment.

“Are you really serious about us staying here over Christmas?”

“What would you be doing if you weren’t going to be here?”

“I was going to see my Aunt in Leicester on the 26th but other than that, nothing much.”

“Don’t you have a family?”

As soon as I said it, I realised that I might have said the wrong thing.

“Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

Gwen smiled at me.

“It’s ok. I do have one. Well sort of. Mum lives in Cyprus with a Greek. She got to forty and decided go on holiday on her own. She met this Stavros guy in a bar. He is younger than me. She never came back.”

“Wasn’t there a film about something like that?”

“Yeah. It’s called Shirley Valentine. If you watch it, you could put Mum in place of Pauline Collins and you have everything you need to know.”

“What about your Father?”

Gwen looked really sad.
“He never recovered from Mum leaving. He died nearly 5 years ago. Mum didn’t even bother coming to his funeral. I’ve not spoken to her since then.”

She changed the subject to me.
“What about you? You never mentioned them in the office.”

“They exist, somewhere. I got thrown out when I came out to them. That’s life I suppose. I have learned to get on with it since.”

Gwen tried to smile.
“We should be trying to look on the bright side rather than talking about people who don’t really care for us any more.”

“Yes we should. So what’s keeping Sandra?”

As if on cue, she appeared wearing a skirt and top that she’d found in my bedroom.

I poured her another cup of Coffee as she sat down at the table with us.

“Gwen is going to stay here for Christmas. You are more than welcome to join us now that you are not flying off to the sun.”

Sandra took a sip from her coffee.

“Yes. I think that would be nice. But you are going to have to do something about sleeping arrangements.”

It was Gwen’s turn to look hurt.
“I thought how we ended up last night was pretty good.”

Sandra nearly choked on her coffee.
Then she thought for a moment or two.

Finally, she smiled.
“Ok but there has to be some ground rules.”

We both looked at Sandra.

“No fucking. I started my period yesterday.”

I couldn’t resist smiling.
“What’s so funny?” She demanded.

“I raised that possibility with Gwen. You did blow a bit hot and cold earlier.”

She looked at me straight faced for a second.
“Yes. I do get a bit like that at times. I’m sorry.”

I raised my hand.
“That’s ok. I’m happy with that rule but lets’ see how things go eh?”

There was no disagreement with that.

*

The ‘girls’ left me alone in the flat shortly afterwards. They were going to their homes to get ‘stuff’ as Gwen called it. She wouldn’t be drawn on exactly what ‘stuff’ meant but I assumed that it was a little more than a change of knickers.

I spent an hour tidying up, changing towels and generally preparing for the return of my slightly unexpected visitors. We’d agreed that they should get back around 4pm so once the place was tidy, I removed what visibly remained of Louise and went shopping. I needed to get them a present. As I shut the door to my flat and headed for the town centre, I had absolutely no clue what I’d get them.

The town was packed with last minute shoppers. All the food stores seemed to have nothing but bare shelves but I managed to get some food for that evening.

By 3:30pm, I was getting a bit desperate in my search for a present for my guests, I found myself standing outside a second-hand jewellers trying to keep out of another snow squall. I peered into the window just to pass the time when I spied three remarkable similar silver rings. Something inside me said ‘buy them’. I couldn’t resist and went inside the shop.

*

I arrived home just before 4pm. Sandra was waiting somewhat impatiently in her car.
“It’s freezing out here,” she complained as I opened the door to my flat for her.

I hoped that this was another of her hot and cold flushes and not a sign of things to come.

Sandra had bought loads of ‘stuff’ including some food and two suitcases of clothes.

“Well Darling, you didn’t say how long we were staying so I packed lots. I hope you don’t mind?” She said in a faux ‘actress’ voice when she saw my concern.

“No, it’s fine.”

*

Gwen arrived in the back of a Taxi a little while later so by 5pm, we were all squared away and I began to prepare our evening meal.

“What are we having?” Asked Sandra as I headed for the kitchen.
“Wait and see,” I replied calmly.

She giggled.
“Is that ‘wait and see’ with a twist or on the rocks?”

We all laughed.
“You can both come and help me if you’d like.”

*

I’d thought that my kitchen was pretty large but with the three of us all trying to do things that needed the same bit of the space at the same time, proved to be more comical than productive.

“Why don’t I go and set the table? That would give you more space to work in?” offered Sandra.

There was no disagreement from either Gwen or myself with that suggestion. I’d gotten the distinct feeling that Sandra didn’t do much cooking herself.

Working together as a team, Gwen and I soon completed the preparation for the evening meal. When we entered the sitting room, we both had a surprise.

Sandra had as if from out of nowhere, produced a load of Christmas decorations. She’d be busy making my minimalistic decorations into a work of art. She’d even found a few candles that had been lit and placed around the room resulting in a very homely effect.

“This is most delightful Sandra. Thanks,” I said as I examined the tree. She’d made a really good job of it. It had needed the women’s touch. I’d realised a long time ago that despite knowing I should have been born a woman, I was more of a ‘tomboy’ than a ‘pink and plays with dolls’ sort of person. My home was certainly in need of a real woman to finish things off.

A thought flashed through my mind.
I wondered if somehow the three of us could be an extended couple.
I dismissed it as quickly as possible. There was no point in counting chickens and all that.

I went back into the kitchen to get a bottle of wine. When I returned with it and the glasses, I saw the two women that had very much come into my life in the last 24 hours despite being part of it for several years. A strange twist of fate indeed.

*

[Christmas Morning]

Must as happened the previous day and just as dawn was breaking, I slid out of bed leaving my companions sleeping gently.

As I busied myself tidying up the mess from the previous night in the kitchen, I had a chance to reflect upon the events of the night before.

It all started with both Sandra and Gwen insisting that Stewie disappear for the foreseeable future. That was something I couldn’t disagree with.

By the time I’d finished transforming myself; Gwen was almost ready to serve dinner. I’d heard the two of them whispering intently but I had no clue about what it was about. I just knew that I’d find out sooner or later.

It turned out later. In fact, I didn’t find out that evening. When I returned Gwen handed over the cooking to me while the got themselves ready for the day.

*

Once a very enjoyable Christmas Lunch had been consumed and things tidied away, it was time for presents.

“I’m sorry girls, I didn’t really have time yesterday to find anything for you,” I explained as I passed out the presents that were under the tree.

“That’s ok Louise. You are here and that is all we need,” said Gwen as she smiled at Sandra.

Most of the presents were what we’d bough ourselves but Sandra had managed to find something for both Gwen and myself.

I opened it to find that it was some hair colour. In my case, it was something that could only be called Chestnut. For Gwen, it was a deep black with some blue highlights. She had another bottle as well. This was a vibrant red.

“What’s this one for?”
Sandra smiled.
“For the ends darling. For the ends.”

Gwen sat looking at them for sometime. She didn’t say anything for well over five minutes.

Then she did.

“Are you expecting that I change my hair colour?”

I smiled at her.
“I think that is Sandra’s general idea. You do realise that if you do, you will need to brighten up your wardrobe considerably.”

A look of almost shock spread over her face as she realised what was being suggested.

“Why?” she asked almost in a whisper.

Sandra answered before me.
“Because Gwen, you try to hide yourself. People don’t know you exist. I want to change that.”

“What about you Louise. Are you going to do it?” asked Sandra.

I smiled sweetly at her before answering.
“If I do then it is goodbye Stewie for ever isn’t it?”

Sandra grinned.
“What do you think? From what I’ve seen of this place and your two wardrobes, isn’t it time for him to disappear for good? You seem to be managing as Louise quite well. Your mannerisms are really quite feminine. Even your voice is different.”

A shudder of realism went through my body. Was this what they were whispering about the previous day? I couldn’t be sure.

“Besides, we will be here to help.”

A deep and very bad thought went through my mind in a flash.

“I… I can’t. I’m scared”

There was no reply.

Then the though surfaced once again.

“But what if this is all a trick you are playing on me? I’d be finished. I’d have to move away.”

It was Gwen who surprised me with her reply.
“I’m not going to be a party to any tricks like that. I know what it is like to be bullied at school. Then she pulled up the sleeves of her blouse. There was a thin scar on each wrist.”

I was stunned.

“I was fourteen and a gang of ‘in’ girls kept taunting that I was a Lezzie. I tried to kill myself.”

Tears were running down her face. I pulled out a handkerchief from the sleeve of my blouse and gave it to her.

I looked at Sandra. She’d said nothing for sometime.

Then she stood up and left the room without saying anything. She returned a few seconds later with a cloth bundle.

“Darlings, we all have secrets. Louise is a Trannie. Gwen was bullied and tried to top herself. Me? Well this will tell you something.”

She unwrapped whatever was in the bundle.

I saw a band of metal about 6cm wide and 20cm in diameter.

Then I saw the padlock dangling from it.

“What is that?”

Sandra smiled.

“This is my little secret. I’m into being tied up by people I trust. This is a collar. It is regarded as a symbol of submission on the part of the wearer.”

“But… You are so extrovert?” exclaimed Gwen.

“Normally I am. You have to be to sell Houses these days. But there are times when I need to be bossed around. The trouble is finding a fucking man who will do it according to my rules and desired. They start out ok but soon take things in a direction I don’t want to go.”

“Are you saying that you will wear that for us?” I asked.

Sandra lowered her eyes to the floor. This was a foretaste of a reaction we would see a lot of in the coming days.

“Yes. I will give you the keys. You decide when I can take it off’”

“Do you mean that you would wear it to go out? To work and all that?”

“Yes… Well If I could make it a little less obvious to the clients. Say with a scarf?”

I was gobsmacked. My opinion of Sandra had just done a complete 180-degree flip.

Before I could say anything else, she opened the padlock and gave it to Gwen. She handed me the collar. It was obvious that she wanted me to put it on her.

Still reeling from her revelations, I did just that. I closed it up around her neck. Gwen handed me the padlock. I put it in place but didn’t snap it shut.

“Are you really sure I should do this?” I asked.

Once again, Sandra’s eyes lowered.
“Yes. Yes I do.”

“Ok. I’m going to give the keys to Gwen. I’d like her to hide the keys somewhere. If you want to be released, then you will have to persuade her. I’m having nothing to do with it. Understand?”

Gwen smiled back at me.
“Yes. I understand.”

Without further delay, I snapped the lock shut.
I removed the keys and gave it to Gwen.

Reluctantly, she took it and rather to my surprise, she put them in her handbag.
“I’ll hide them later. That way no one but me will know when and where they are.”

The change in Sandra became more and more evident as the day wore on. Her normal bubbly and quite extrovert character slowly disappeared. Ironically, the more it did, the bubblier Gwen became. It was as if things were balancing out.

Sandra had given me a new makeup box in addition to the hair colour. She’d done the same to Gwen.

I watched Gwen’s face as she opened the box. In all the time I’d known her, she’d never worn any makeup.

“Sandra, thank you for the present, but… I don’t wear make-up.”

I decided to help Sandra out.

“Girl now is the time to come out of your shell. Live a bit. Put a bit of slap on. Change your hair colour and make-up and let the world see a new you.”

Gwen looked at me strangely.

“If you will do it, so will I. Then we can say goodbye to the old Gwen and to Stewie? What about it?”

Her mouth dropped open in amazement.

I recoiled a bit when I’d fully realised the implications what I’d said. Then I relaxed and decided to go with it.

“Are you saying that you’d do all that for me?”

I smiled.
“Yes Gwen I am. I’m sure that Sandra here will give us all the help we need.”

Gwen was still undecided.

“You do realise that the new look will involve a lot of shopping and the spending of a considerable amount of money?”

“Eh?”

“We can’t have the new Gwen wearing the old Gwen’s clothes now can we?”

“What do you think Sandra?” asked Gwen.

Sandra smiled back at us.
“I’ll be happy if you both do what is in your hearts.”

That was not the sort of answer I’d expected from Sandra but then I realised she was being submissive and deferring any real opinion.

“Sandra, will you do the honours and do my hair?” I asked trying to force the issue a bit.

She smiled.
“Yes but not today. Let Gwen think things over. It is almost as big a change for her as it is you.”

I couldn’t disagree with that.

*

By the time we went to bed that night, it was Gwen who was the life and soul of the party. It appeared that Sandra had retreated into her shell a little too far.

As we lay in bed together, I said to her,
“Sandra, I think you are being far too submissive. I think we’d both like to see a little more of the old Sandra again.”

Sandra breathed a sigh of relief.
“Yes, I think I did go a little too far.”
Then she gave a little giggle.

“What’s so funny?” asked Gwen.
“You. Well, not really funny but it was nice to sit back on the sidelines and see you come more into things. It was what I’d hoped all along.”

“You mean to say that this… this whole thing was planned?” replied Gwen obviously feeling hurt.

“No. That is not what I meant. All the time we have been working together you have not played your part. It was you who was the junior partner in everything you did. Yes, I know that a lot of that was down to me but you couldn’t help see the way that Stewie and I worked. We’d tear strips off each other over a bit of business but there was never any malice. On the other-hand, you my dear Gwen would just sit and take it especially from the other men in the office. You never objected to a thing. So when we got the chance to spend some time together, I thought it might be nice to see what the real Gwen was like.”

Gwen didn’t say anything straight away so I tried to help.
“I really like the Gwen we’ve seen emerge today. I think I’d like to keep her around for good.”

“Louise, did you know about Sandra’s plan?”
“No. Nothing. I was and still am so much on a high about you two being here and accepting me as I am that frankly at the moment, nothing would surprise me.”

Then the several too many glasses of wine took over,
“Well just about nothing. The only thing that would surprise me is to lose my virginity to one of you two lovely ladies who are here with me now.”

Sandra couldn’t stop herself from laughing.
“Is that Louise’s virginity or Stewie’s?”

I’d had time to realise that I might have gone a bit too far.
“Both,” I said quietly.

Gwen reacted by kissing me and reaching for my penis. She was too late. Sandra had already found it.

*

I didn’t lose my virginity that night but none of us got any sleep for quite a long time. I was beginning to enjoy the company and really didn’t want it to end.

*

All of us were a bit subdued the next morning. However that didn’t stop quite a few passionate kisses from being exchanged all round over the breakfast table.

Gwen had to my surprise followed Sandra by walking around the flat stark naked.

“It’s rather nice not to be wearing clothes,” she answered when I asked her why.

Then she added,
“Why don’t you join us?”

I looked at Sandra who was like Gwen naked apart from that collar.
She just grinned.

“If you are sure?” I asked feeling a bit nervous.

“We felt enough of your body last night to know what it is like,” replied Sandra.

I stood up and began to strip off.

Gwen helped me out of my bra. Sandra helped by removing my knickers.

As a result, my neatly tucked in penis sprang to life.

Sandra started grinning like a Cheshire cat as she sat down and after opening a jar of raspberry jam that was on the table; she stuck a finger in it and then proceeded to wipe it off on my very erect member.

Then she knelt down and after clasping her hands behind her back proceeded to lick it off slowly and gently.

Gwen to a hint and joined in by starting to lick the tip of my nose. She’d found out the previous night that it was very sensitive and sensual.

Sandra finished licking the jam off but carried on and literally tried to swallow my penis with her mouth. Her tongue went to work and within a few seconds, I came.

Gwen noticed me stiffen up as it happened. She stopped kissing my nose with the tip of her tongue and then went ‘deep throat’ with it.

By the time we all came up for air, I was quite breathless.

Sandra stood up licking her lips.

“My, that tastes good.”

She then kissed Gwen and let her taste me.

We all fell about laughing as Gwen started coughing.

She went very red in the face.

“Ugh. Jam and semen really doe not mix. I’ll have to try with the peanut butter tomorrow…”

*

By late morning Gwen was sitting in a chair with a sheet wrapped around her still naked body wincing every few seconds.

Sandra was cutting her hair.

It had taken some time but eventually, Gwen agreed that her new style required a shorter cut. Sandra calmly stated that she’d spent a summer working in a ‘Hair Salon’ of some repute in London.

The ever growing pile of hair on my nice kitchen floor and the obvious delight of Sandra coupled with Gwen’s displeasure was a sight for sore eyes.

In the end Gwen had a new hairstyle. It was more ‘Hair Salon’ than regional ‘Hairdressers’. Even without the still to be done colouring, Gwen looked very different. Much younger and far more attractive.

Sandra let Gwen see the result.
“I like it already. You look much younger,” I told her as she looked at it.

Slowly a smile began to appear on Gwen’s face.

“Ok. Don’t just stand there, let’s get the colouring on before I chicken out.”

*

Two hours later Gwen was done. Her now Jet-Black hair had the last two inches coloured bright Red. Sandra was now giving her a makeover and at the same time instructing her on how to apply it.

I was giving her a manicure and a totally new nail colour, one that matched the red of her hair.

*

Dusk was falling by the time we’d finished, the new Gwen was ready to see herself in the mirror.

“Hold on. We aren’t finished. Your new look needs some new clothes.”

The three of us headed for the bedroom and began going through my selection of clothes.

Soon a pile of discarded ones lay on the floor as Sandra kept saying ‘No’, ‘No’ with a very rare ‘Yes’ as she flicked through the garments on the rail.

In the end, a short (for Gwen) black skirt, red opaque tights sadly not quite the right shade and a strapless bustier was selected.

“But I don’t have the tits for this,” complained Gwen when she put it on.

Sandra looked crestfallen.

“Don’t worry. I have the solution. You’ll need to take that off first though,” I replied pointing at the bustier.

I started rummaging in my bottom drawer.

“Here we are,” I said proudly as I pulled a pair of false breasts out.
“Here’s the glue as well. I wondered where that spare tube had gone.”

I turned to present my solution.

When Gwen saw them she exclaimed,
“What? You can’t be serious!”

Sandra was sniggering quietly to herself.

Gwen turned to her and asked slightly angrily,
“And what’s so funny? Don’t I have breasts?”

“Yes darling, you do but these will do for now.”
“What do you mean? Speak sense or I’ll never give you the keys to your collar.”

Sandra totally ignored the threat and still smirking, she replied,
“They will do for now until you get some proper ones of your own? Oh! Wouldn’t that be nice if you got yours at the same time as Louise?”

To say that you could have bowled me over with a feather was an understatement. Getting implants had never crossed my mind. Well not for years.

As I thought about it I realised that Gwen hadn’t said anything.

I looked at her. She was just starring at them. Then she looked at mine and how they were attached.

Finally, she burst out laughing.

“I can’t wear them like Louise. I have some already! Breasts that is.”

I grinned back.
“So have I. They are called ‘man boobs’”.

That really broke the ice. Both of them collapsed laughing.

Ten minutes later, the ‘new’ Gwen was lying on her back holding her new ‘boobies’ as she started calling them in place while the glue dried.

A very long five minutes later Gwen got to her feet and jiggled them around.
“Hey, they are really stuck on.”

*

“Well, what do you think?” asked Gwen a little later as she paraded up and down in her new get up.

“No Gwen, it is what you think that matters,” suggested Sandra.

“I think I look great. Thanks Sandra. I did have my doubts but apart from the fact that I look like a tart, I feel great.”

She looked at me.

“There is one thing missing. Wait here.”

“Another thing?” groaned Sandra.

“Just wait here ok?”

I didn’t wait for an answer as I dived into the other bedroom. This was where I kept all my shoes. Like any self respecting ‘T-girl’, I have an extensive collection of heels. I chose a nice black patent pair with 4in heels and headed back to the girls.

“Here you are. The finishing touch,” I said as I gave them to Gwen.

She went white in the face.
“How on earth do you expect me to walk in them?”

“Like any self respecting babe!” I replied grinning.

“Don’t worry darling, there will be plenty of time to practice. Tomorrow, it is Louise’s turn for a makeover tomorrow,” announced Sandra.

“Why not today?” asked Gwen as she tried to step into the heels.

I smiled at her efforts.
“Because my darling, it’s dark outside and I’m feeling hungry,” remarked Sandra.

As if on cue, my stomach rumbled.
“And I’d really like to put come clothes on. Both Sandra and I are somewhat underdressed.”

[To be continued in part 3 of 5]

As the saying goes, ‘all good things come to an end’. For the three of us, that meant having to go back to work. Still we were happy at how things had turned out over the Holidays.

The three of us made a staggered entrance on the first day back. Gwen got a few ribald comments from Jeff. That was nothing in comparison to what I received.

As I walked into the Office, Jeff pounced.
“Hello, my name is Jeff. Can I help you Ms?”

“Hello Jeff, my name is Louise. I am Stewarts replacement.”

There was a stunned silence. Jeff said,

“I didn’t know that he’d resigned.”

Then he looked at me and saw Sandra and Gwen sniggering.

“Oh shit. You are… Stewart? You’ve gone over to the dark side!”

“Thanks for the warm welcome Jeff. It is nice to know who ones friends are don’t you agree?”

It took him a second or so to realise that I’d actually insulted him.

He glared at me and disappeared out of the office door muttering something about a viewing.

When he’d gone, we all had a good laugh.

The other salesman, a meek man named Eric who was close to retirement age piped up,

“Well Lass you scrub up better than Mr Stewart ever did.”

With a smile on my face, I walked over and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

Eric went very red in the face before he said,

“Well, it is not every day that a pretty girl kisses an old codger like me. Thank you my dear.”

The whole office was in good spirits as New Year’s Eve approached. The three of us girls were going to get together to see in the New Year.

Thankfully none of the properties I looked after needed any work so I was able to plan our little party properly this time.

Then on New Years Eve, we received an unannounced visitor from Head Office. This was none other than Jeff the salesman’s father, Harry Turner. He arrived and spent a good hour closeted away in the main office with his son. The usual incumbent, Alan Hughes was still on holiday.

After an hour, the pair came out. Jeff looked pretty pleased with himself as he told us all to be in the Office pronto at 3pm.

Three PM came around and all of us were present in the office waiting for whatever news awaited us.

“Thank you all for being here. Sadly, Alan is still away and won’t be back in the country until tomorrow,” said Harry.

“I’ve been dispatched from Head Office to give you all a bit of news.”

He swallowed hard. It was then I knew that it wasn’t going to be good news.

“I am sad to say that we are closing this office on the 31st of next month. Each of you will be given three months severance pay. That is apart from Jeff who will be transferring to the Newark Branch at that time.”

Everyone looked at Jeff who was grinning from ear to ear. It was evident that we’d been stitched up. He was the worst salesman in the company yet every month he seemed to acquire sales from the rest of us thus avoiding the sack.

The rotter smoothed things out by giving those who actually made the sales their bonus in cash. I knew not that this was all part of his plan to follow his father into senior management.

“Right. Any questions?” said Harry.

I looked around at the others. None of them looked like they wanted to speak so I did.

“What about the properties what we manage on behalf of the owners?”

“Ah yes. That is as yet undecided.”

“So Head Office decides to close the branch but does not have a plan to wind down the business?”

“No. That is not true.”

“Well? What are Head Office going to say to the owners who I might add make us a good deal of money every year on the properties we manage that they are suddenly going to be high and dry?”

“That hasn’t been decided yet.”

“Well, Mr high and mighty bringer of bad news perhaps you should go back to Head Office and get your colleagues to sort themselves out. In the meantime, I had better start informing the owners of the situation.”

Gwen was grinning at me.

Feeling full of confidence, I added,

“Are we done here? If so then us girls are going home to put our glad rags on.”

The three of us walked out of the office leaving the men behind.

We’d only got about 50yds up the road when Eric came after us.

“If you don’t mind Ladies, could I treat you all to a drink? I think you hit them where it hurt.”

I looked at the other two who grinned. Gwen and Sandra took Eric’s arms and off we set.

In the days since Christmas, Eric hadn’t said much to me. He was a quiet chap anyway but since my change he’d been even quieter.

He treated us to a few drinks in ‘The Feathers’. It was getting busy with people having a drink to see the old year out. As I was wondering if I should get another round in, he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out an old and tattered photo.

“I want you to take a look at this,” he said as he passed it to Gwen.

We all peered at the picture. It was a very faded colour print of some people standing outside a shop.

“That’s me standing outside the first Biba shop in London. Nineteen Sixty something.”

All the people in the picture were dressed as women.

“Eric?” I said.

“Don’t worry Lass. I only wish that I were forty years younger. I never had the nerve to go fulltime. Back then no one mattered what you looked like so at weekends I’d put on a dress and take the bus from Clapham Common to Kings Road and hang out with lots of people like me.”

A tear had started to form in his eye.

“Sorry. I’m just being a sentimental old fool.”

“No Eric, you are just letting a lot of history come out,” said Gwen.

She took his hand in hers and gently stroked the back of it.

I handed the picture back to him.

“What are you going to do now?” I asked.

“I think it is time for me to retire.”

“And?”

He looked at me.

“Oh! I see. I think I’m a bit old for that don’t you?”

“Eric, no one is ever too old,” said Sandra.

“What are you three going to do?” said Eric trying to change the subject.

“I don’t know about you two,” said Gwen
“But I think we could make a go of running the Lettings Business. It makes money so why not?”

Sandra and I turned to look at her.

“Gwen?”

“Well, we are going to be unemployed in a months time. So why don’t we are least consider it. Someone has to manage the properties don’t they?”

“Eric? What do you think?”

He finished wiping away a tear and said,

“If anyone can make a go of it, it is you three.”

“If we do it, why don’t you work with us?” asked Sandra.

Eric smiled back.

“Thanks for the offer girls. I think I should retire and tend my garden.”

We soon broke up and went our separate ways. Sandra and Gwen were due to come round to my place around 8pm and then we were going out for the evening.

I’d not long got home when I started to feel deflated. I didn’t much feel like going out and was about to call the girls then my phone rang. It was Sandra.

“Hi Sandra.”

“Yeah. Me too. I was about to ring you. What do you want to do?”

“Yes. That sounds good. What about Gwen?”

“Ok. See you soon.”

I spent the next few minutes tiding up and getting a few plates and glasses ready. We were going to stay in and see the New Year in together.

If I had any thoughts about getting rather pissed, they disappeared the moment Gwen arrived at my home.

“What are you carrying there?” I asked as she struggled with four large box files and her laptop.

“Our future.”

Despite my pressing her she wouldn’t answer until Sandra arrived. She was also loaded down with files.

I opened the first of what promised to be several bottles or wine as the others set out all the papers on my big table.

“Ok, here’s the wine now what’s the plan?”

“I went back to the office and bought all the lettings details,” said Sandra.

Gwen laughed.

“I went back and grabbed all the financial records I could.”

I looked at the pair of them

“Is this legal?” I asked.

“Well? If we decide to bid for the business, we have to go through a process call ‘due diligence’. Let’s call this a sneak peek at the books.”

I wasn’t happy but there wasn’t much I could do about it. So I gave in and let the others guide me.

We went through all the lettings and worked out the profit and loss for each property given the current contract. Gwen entered this into a spreadsheet so that we could model the potential cash flow over the next 12 months. As we progressed, she got more and more frustrated. At first, I thought that it was the wine but she’d hardly touched her first glass so that wasn’t it.

In the end, I asked,

“Ok Gwen, spill the beans. What is getting you all hot under the collar?”

She looked up from her laptop with anger in her eyes.

“The bastards. It is no wonder they are closing the office.”

“What do you mean?” asked Sandra.

“Someone is systematically skimming around five per cent of all rental profits before they get reported to head office.”

“Who could? Jeff. It has to be Jeff.”

Gwen shook her head.

“No. He never gets near the books. He barely passed his GCSE Maths. Sums is not his strongpoint,” said Gwen.

It was well known that Jeff and Gwen had been at school together. He was in the ‘IT’ crowd while Gwen wasn’t. He never let her forget the fact that he’d dated all the pretty girls. The implication was obvious yet this past week had seen her come out of her sell a very long way.

I asked, “What happens to the money then?”

“It gets reported to regional.”

“So how come you can discover that now?”

“Because the papers that I grabbed for some reason contain the figures that regional report to Head Office.”

Suddenly a light went on in my head.

“Jeff’s father. It has to be. Did you get these papers from where the two of them were working earlier?”

“Yes why?”

“Those papers were not meant to be there. They have to go back as soon as possible.”

No one disagreed.

“So first thing in the morning they get returned? Ok?”

Gwen looked at Sandra and they smiled.

“After we copy them sure,” said Sandra.

By the time it got close to midnight we had a good picture of the potential income that could be made from managing the current portfolio of rental properties.

“It’s a profit but it is not enough,” said Sandra.

“Enough for what?” I asked.

“To replace what the three of us currently earn. The income from house sales does to some extent allow the office to operate.”

“Is that before or after the profit skim?”

“Before. Why?”

“Then we have two options. Firstly we cut the costs or secondly we increase the number of properties we manage.”

“How do you suggest we cut the costs?” asked Gwen as she finally got around to emptying the glass of wine that I’d poured for her hours before.

Then I opened my big mouth.

“Why don’t the two of you come and live here? There is plenty of room. Then we only have one set of outgoings.”

The both looked at me with their mouths open.

“Are you sure?” they both asked together. Then they burst out laughing.

When they’d finished I said,

“It just came out but it makes perfect sense really. Why won’t it work? You both rent at the moment. So?”

“I… W…. B…. “ Stuttered Gwen.

“Oh fuck. Yes. Why not,” said Sandra?

We both turned to Gwen.

“Do you think this can work? We can work?” asked Gwen as her composure returned.

I took their hands in mine.

“We did all right over Christmas didn’t we?”

There was no immediate answer from either of them. Finally Gwen said,

“But I’m not a lesbian.”

Sandra burst out laughing.

“Neither am I darling. But I think this will work,” said Sandra.

Gwen sat for a long minute with her eyes closed.

Eventually she opened them and smiled.

“Very well. But we have to set some rules.”

Just then we heard the firework display start on the Promenade.

“Happy new year flatmates,” I said.

We toasted in the New Year with the last of the wine.

New Years day was not a holiday for us. We spent all the day working on our business case. Well, Sandra and Gwen did the work while I provided the food, coffee, moral assistance and using my laptop to create the business plan.

It was a long day before we we’d done all that we could before we all fell asleep with exhaustion. I sent them on their way home with a tinge of regret but we all had to go to work the following day.

Gwen went into the office as usual bright and early. She normally opened up the office on weekdays so this was nothing out of the ordinary. Her fist job was to replace all the files she’d purloined on New Years Eve. Then she called Sandra who arrived a few minutes later and did the same with her bits.

By the time I arrived the girls had the coffee brewed and were looking all innocent sitting at their desks pretending to do some work.

I walked through the door and bade them good morning.

“Hello girls. Is everything as it should be?”

“If you are referring to maintenance calls then there are none,” said Gwen.

Then the three of us burst out laughing.

While we were being jovial, Jeff walked in.

“What’s so funny? Should you be laughing now that you are on Notice?”

“Jeff,” I said,
“Fuck off.”

He went red in the face.

“Who are you to be telling me that? You were a failure as a man and you will be even worse trying to be a woman.”

That was it. I’d taken just about enough from him.

“Jeff, you might think that I’m a failure but what about you eh? Where’s your wife then? Oh yes, she’s living in a caravan in Mabelthorpe. All the time you are living well beyond your means. What failing estate agent can afford a Porsche Cayenne? Which incidentally is about the ugliest car on the road.”

Before he could say anything I added,

“You should look at yourself in the mirror sometime. Then perhaps you will see that you are fast becoming your father. You are destined to be a middle manager nobody who will go nowhere with their life. You might criticise me but I now know where I’m going with my life. Thankfully you will play no part of it so good riddance to you and your bullying.”

Then I walked to the rear of the office and my little domain. As I did so, Gwen, Sandra and Eric who’d arrived in the middle of my diatribe started clapping.

Jeff just left without a word to anyone.

Now that the office was officially open we had legitimate access to the documents about the skimming. Sandra had great pleasure in explaining it all to Eric.

“Sandra, this is dynamite. I know a few people in head office. They will love to see this evidence.”

Sandra to my surprise shook her head.

“Sorry Eric. This has to go to the police. A crime has been committed here. They should be made to pay for it properly.”

Gwen stood up and went to Sandra’s side.

“We can always do both you know.”

Eric smiled.

“I don’t know what you three witches are cooking up but if there is space for an old codger like me then I’d like to play a part. I do have some money I’m looking to invest. Erica could even be persuaded to come out of retirement.”

We all looked at him.

“Are you serious?” asked Sandra.

“Yes I am. But there is a lot to do before those sorts of decisions need to be made.”

“Such as?” said Gwen.

“Pitching that business plan to the company. Let me make a phone call to set up an appointment.”

“Eric! What are you not telling us?”

He grinned.

“My son is the Company Financial Director. He got me this job to help me ease into retirement. Suddenly I have found that I’m not exactly ready to retire.”

Then he added,
“If anyone can provide a coherent explanation for the sudden closure of this office then it is him. But we really need to put all that evidence to him face to face.”

None of us could disagree with that.

[To be continued in part 4]
[Authors note:]
Sorry for the delay in posting this part. Real World events have got in the way of things. Hopefully, I'm on top of things now.

Decisions-Decisions 4

Eric made the call to his son from the Managers office. It didn’t take long. When he returned he said,

“John will meet us on Thursday at 10. The problem is that we have to go to see him in Derby. That journey will need an early start.”

He was right. Living in the back of beyond has one huge disadvantage in that it takes ages to get nowhere fast. The roads in the region are crap. Full of potholes and often covered in mud from farm traffic.

I opened my handbag and pulled out the train timetable that I’d used for my trip to Sheffield before Christmas.

“Bummer! The first train from here gets into Derby after the meeting is supposed to start.”

“Then it is agreed. I’ll drive and we leave at six sharp?” said Eric.

“Eric. It was good of you to volunteer but this is our plan, our company,” said Sandra.

He smiled.

“Don’t worry. I’ll just be your driver for the day. If they accept your plan then I am willing to invest but I’ll be very much in the background. You three deserve the opportunity to decide your own future. But I’ll be there if you need some advice from me. Sort of like a mentor. The last thing you want is an old fogey like me muscling in on your business. I like you all and want to help you in a small way succeed. I can help now by opening a few doors. Later? Well, it is all down to you isn’t it?”

We all sat in silence for a while trying to take in what he’d said. It didn’t take me long to realise that this was Eric being … well Eric. Quiet and unassuming in everything he did. When he made a sale, there were no celebrations. All he’d do was go and make himself some Tea using a blend that was reserved for just that situation.

As neither of the others was saying anything, I took the plunge.

“Eric. Thanks for the offer. Driver it is then but we need time to talk over investment and everything else.”

He smiled.

“And I wouldn’t have it any other way. As I said, Thursday is a big day. Let me cover for you here while you three pretty young things go and sort out what you are going to wear. That will take you all day won’t it?”

We all saw the funny side of his remark.

I went over and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. That was something that Stewart would never have done in a million years. Now it just seemed natural.

Eric was right. I didn’t have a thing to wear. Well, nothing suitable for a business meeting. Back at my place Gwen said,

“Sandra why don’t you take Louise over to Lincoln and get her something suitable to wear for Thursday? I’ll make us something to eat for when you get back.”

“I guess I should get keys made for both of you then?”

“I’ll do that while you are away. We probably ate you out of house and home so I’ll need to do some shopping anyway.”

I grinned back at her.

“What’s so funny?”

“I do like the new and improved Gwen. Before Christmas, you were almost invisible. Now you are ready to make decisions. What do you think Sandi?”

Sandra nodded her head.

“Something changed in you our Gwen. I don’t know what it is but if you could bottle it you’d make a fortune.”

At that we all hugged.

Sandra and I went off to Lincoln in search of clothes.

After an hour of fruitless searching Sandra exclaimed,

“You are being such a woman. Why can’t you make up your mind?”

I giggled.

“Thank you. That was such a nice comment.”

Then I kissed her right in the middle of the Debenhams.

After another hour I settled on a Dress/Jacket combination. The dress was black and white. Knee length with a ‘V’ neck. Because I didn’t have any real cleavage, I also bought a white blouse to go with it. The jacket was ¾ length and matched the dress perfectly.

“Well genius? How do I look?”

“Knock’m dead baby. Well… apart from a few little things.”

My feeling of euphoria disappeared in an instant.

“Tights and Shoes. Then your hair.”

“What’s wrong with my hair?”

“It needs a bit of style.”

“But… you trimmed it.”

“But you need to have a bit more style.”

“Ok. We go to a hairdresser?”

Sandra smiled.

“Doesn’t anything get you down?”

“Sure but not for long. We are here for a finite time. Why not try to enjoy every minute of it?”

This time it was Sandra’s turn to gush.

“Whatever happened to that person…. What’s his name? Oh yes. Stewie?”

“He disappeared without trace sometime around Christmas Eve never to be seen again.”

Then she kissed me. This time we were in the middle of ‘House of Fraser’.

On the way back to Skeggie, Sandra arranged a hairdressers appointment for the following day.

“Don’t worry, it will be fine,” said Sandra.

“But…”

“Look girl, you are great. So what if they make you? Does it really matter in the long run?”

“I suppose not,” I replied reluctantly.

“Look Louise, you are going to have to sell this idea to Eric’s son. It is your idea and … well you are so passionate about it, neither Gwen nor I can sell it like you can.”

“I know. But…”

“We’ll be there with you.”

In the end, the trip to the hairdressers went well. I emerged with a not only a new hairstyle but a bit of a new hair colour. While I liked the deep auburn that Sandra had died my hair at Christmas, I was a bit envious of Gwen with her red tips. I emerged with a nice bob and a fringe that was now platinum blonde.

Both Sandra and Gwen thought it was cool. They had to look at it not me so that made me happy.

Thursday morning was frantic. Three women all trying to get washed, dressed and madeup all at once was crazy to say the least. At least it taught me one thing and that was that there would have to be some alterations to my home if they moved in on a more permanent basis.

Still, we emerged looking as good as it was going to get dead on 06:00. Eric was waiting for us patiently.

“Morning Ladies. You all look fantastic today,” said Eric as we climbed into the car.

Sandra who was sitting in the front gave him a big lippy kiss on the cheek.

“Enough of that. Imagine what the neighbours will be thinking?” remarked Eric.

The street was deserted. Some discarded fast food wrappers were blowing around in the cold wind that was coming right off the sea.

The three of us burst into laughter.

“That’s the spirit. Shall we go?” asked Eric.

“Yes please.”

The drive west to Derby was long and boring. We stopped for a natural break near Nottingham. We had enough time to do some makeup repairs before we set off on the last leg of our journey.

At 10:05 the three of us was shown into a meeting room at the company head office. Eric’s son was waiting for us.

“Good afternoon ladies. I have been expecting you. Please sit down. My assistant will be in with some tea and coffee shortly.”

We all sat down. I pulled a buff folder out of my bag and placed it on the table in front of me.

“My father was very circumspect when he called me the other day. He wouldn’t say what you wanted talk about. He was very insistent so in deference to him I agreed to meet you today.”

He paused.

“Thanks for seeing us. I’m Louise and this is Sandra and Gwen. We all work with your father in Skegness.”

“So who’s first?”

“That would be me,” I said.

He sat back and waited for me.

I looked at the others and they both gave me a small nod.

“As you know, the Skegness branch has been earmarked for closure.”

“Hold on a moment. What is this?”

“We were told on the 31st of last month that the branch was being shutdown at the end of the month.”

“Who told you this?”

“Jeff Cook. He works at the Lincoln regional office. His son, also Jeff is head salesman in our office.”

John went rather red in the face.

“This is not right. We are supposed to be closing the Louth Office not Skegness. Let me get HR. Please excuse me a minute.”

He dashed out of the room.

I turned to the others.

“I smell a rat here.”

“Me too,” said Gwen.

“Yeah and Jeff is at the centre of it. Why am I not surprised?”

A few minutes later John returned with a woman.

“This is Linda Stone, head of group HR. Can you please tell us right from the beginning what happened on New Years Eve?”

“Ok. We were called to a meeting in the Office where Mr Cook from the Lincoln office addressed us. He said that because of falling profits the office was being closed at the end of the month. That was it in a nutshell.”

Ms Stone said,

“Did you get any paperwork? Such as an official letter explaining the reasons and giving advice plus a statement of your redundancy settlement?”

“No. We got nothing. Nothing at all.”

She looked at the others.

“Nothing,” said Sandra.

Mr Stone took charge.

“We are closing a branch but not yours. Please forget what was said to you. There are proper procedures that have to be followed. That is the law.”

“Have you seen Mr Cook since then?”

“Which one? Senior or Junior?” asked Sandra.

“Senior,” said Ms Cook.

“No we haven’t. Well we wouldn’t would we? He works in Lincoln.”

“What about the son?”

“Been conspicuously absent since the 31st.”

“I think I should call Lincoln and check up on Jeff senior,” said John.

He stood up but I Interrupted him.

“There is something else.”

He stopped mid stride.

“What is it?”

“We came here originally to investigate the possibility of taking over the Skegness branch and running it ourselves. In the course of our work we came upon some information that seems to show that the two of them were skimming off profits from the branch. We estimated that at least thirty thousand pounds has gone missing.”

I handed over the sheet of paper that we’d found in the office.

John looked at it for almost 30 seconds.

“Where did you find this?”

“In the office. On Jeff’s desk.”

John looked at his colleague.

“I think we need to find both of them pronto? I have a few questions for them.”

She stood up saying,

“I’ll make some calls. That paper looks important. You carry on examining it.”

John carried on looking at the paper for another minute. Then he looked up.

“You said that you found this in your office?”

“Yes,” answered Gwen, “Is there a problem?”

“Well, if what this says is correct then they were rather foolish to leave it there. If this isn’t true and it will take a lot of investigation to find out one way or another, I can’t help but think that this is some sort of horrible prank like telling you that you were all out of a job.”

None of us said anything.

John put us out of our misery by asking me,

“Louise, my father told me that you were Stewart. I suppose he showed you that picture of Erica?”

“Yes. Yes he did.”

“He thinks I don’t know buy my mother told me a long time ago. Tell him from me that if Erica wants to make an appearance then he’ll be very welcome to visit.”

I was stunned.

“You don’t mind?”

“He’s my father.”

You couldn’t argue about that.

As if she’d been cued in, at that moment the door opened and in walked Ms Cook.

The look on her face said that she’d not been successful in locating the Jeff’s.

“No one has seen them since New Years Eve. I tried his mobile but no one answered.”

“I think I need to verify the figures on this before we go any further. Why don’t the three of you go back home and carry on with work and I promise to let you know what is going on before the end of the day.”

“Thanks for that,” said Gwen.

“Can we have something in writing stating that we are not going to be made redundant at the end of the month?” asked Sandra.

“Linda?” asked John.

“That won’t be a problem. I understand your concerns. Give me a few minutes and I’ll have something for you.”

“Good,” said John.

“Ladies, thank you all for coming. It has been nice to meet you all. It would have been nice to have been in better circumstances.”

As the meeting broke up, John made a point of shaking each of us by the hand.

Then we were left alone again.

Sandra had a smile on her face.

“What are you smiling about?” asked Gwen.

“I think he fancies me,” replied Sandra.

We looked at her.

“He gave me a little squeeze.”

I giggled

“He did the same to me. What about you Gwen?”

She smiled and nodded her head.

“Oh well, a girl can dream,” said Sandra.

“Aren’t we good enough for you?”

“But he’s a hunk.”

We couldn’t argue with that.

“And there was no ring on his finger.”

I laughed,

“As long as I can catch the bouquet when you get married.”

That lifted our spirits as we left the building with a letter stating that we weren’t being fired at the end of the month. It remained to be seen if this would turn out to be our ‘Munich’[1] moment or not.

[to be continued]

[1] This was then Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain returned from meeting Hitler in Munich with a paper declaring ‘peace in our time’. Then the 2nd world war started less than a year later.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_for_our_time

The journey home was very quiet. There really wasn’t much to say once we’d updated Eric on the situation.

As we approached Lincoln, Eric’s phone beeped.

“Can you see what that is please?” said Eric as he passed Sandra the phone.

‘It’s from John,” she said as she looked at the screen.

“He says that the Jeff’s have probably done a runner. He wants us to drive past Jeff seniors home in Lincoln to see if there are any signs of activity.”

“I don’t know about that,” said Eric.

“Go on. Let’s do it,” I said from the back seat.

“Please?” added Gwen.

“Oh very well. Anyone got the address?”

“It’s in the text,” said Sandra.

“Well don’t just sit there put it in the Satnav?”

Fifteen minutes later we drove past the house. Outside was a ‘Sold’ sign.

“Can we go back?” asked Sandra.

“Why?”

“I didn’t get the phone number of the agents down.”

“It’s all right. I have it in my phone,” I said.

“Why do you have it?”

“Because one of the owners we manage a letting for works there,” I said slightly smugly.

“Eric, can you stop for a minute, I think you need to update your son,” said Sandra.

“I think you are right,” relied Eric with a tinge of sadness in his voice.

“John, its Dad.”

“Yes. We drove past. There is a ‘Sold’ sign outside. Looks like they’ve done a runner. The agents are King & Barton. Can you follow it up?”

“Ok. Thanks. Bye.”

Eric turned to look at the three of us.

“John is going to contact the agents as well as the police. I don’t think that there is nothing more we can do today is there?”

I suddenly had an idea.

“Why don’t we go back and see if a forwarding address was left?”

Everyone looked at me.

“Part of the Police now are we?”

“Hmmpppphhhh”

We didn’t go back.

The three of us were quiet as we got back to my home.

I was preparing something to eat when Gwen said to Sandra.

“You were ogling John something rotten.”

Sandra just smiled.

“But….” Said Gwen.

I looked at her face. She looked worried.

“What’s troubling you Gwen,” I asked softly.

“Oh… Just as we were having a good time now Sandra’s going off with a man.”

I took hold of her hand.

“Gwen, we’ll be having none of that. I’m not going anywhere. You won’t be on your own again. Besides the new Gwen is far more fun than the old one.”

“It’s all an act you know.”

“What is?”

“Me! This! You really don’t know how hard this is,” came her plea.
A tear formed in her eye.

“Come on let’s go and sit down and we can talk things through.”

I took her hand and led her into the sitting room where we sat down together still holding hands.

“Now what was this about an act?”

She sat silent for a while. Then she spoke quietly.

“Me! I’m nothing but a fake. All what you see is a lie.”

“Everyone has their secrets. Look at me?” I said trying to put a brave face on things.”

“But I’m not what you think.”

“Really? I see a wonderful person in front of me.”

“I was raped when I was fourteen. It was this older student at my school. He was seventeen. I was walking home from hockey practice when he grabbed me. He said that I’d been coming onto him so here he was to get what I wanted to give him. So…”

I wiped a tear from her cheek.

“So he raped me. I was so scared and ashamed that I didn’t tell anyone. Then a week later he did it again. I became his plaything for a few months until one time he got violent and beat me up. I couldn’t hide it any longer so I went to the Police.”

“When it came to court the Defence Barrister tried to make out that it was all my fault. Thankfully the jury didn’t believe him but that was probably down the fact that three other girls came forward and accused him of rape.”

“The whole experience broke me. I retreated into the background. The old Gwen. I could be me in my own world. No one ever looked at plain boring old Gwen.”

“Then I got a bit tipsy at the company thing and left with Sandra because she wasn’t a man.”

“But I’m a man.”

“But Sandra was always there to keep me safe. Now she’s going.”

“Who said that I’m going anywhere?” came a voice from the bedroom door.

We both turned to see Sandra standing there stark naked apart from her collar and a pair of high heels.

I’d forgotten that she was still wearing the collar.

Then she came over and sat with us.

“I am not going anywhere understand. These past two weeks have been brilliant. No more than brilliant, liberating. Why would I even think about going somewhere when I’m having so much fun with you two?”

“But… you were flirting with David?”

“A little flirt is a long way from moving in with him. Besides, didn’t you see the ring mark on his finger? He’s probably married or at least spoken for.”

The level of tension in the room dropped considerably.

“Now? Who’s up for a double up in the shower? Gwen?”

Without waiting for an answer, Sandra took Gwen’s hand and let her into the bedroom.

Two minutes later, two naked bodies ran from the bedroom to the shower.

I sat there for a minute or two before going into the kitchen and turning off the oven. Dinner was going to be a tad delayed and it didn’t bother me one bit.

The next day, two Detectives from Lincoln came and interviewed all of us including Eric. This wasn’t a problem for the others but I got a bit of grief because I’d not made my name change legal. This was soon smoothed over and after a couple of hours they left us alone but none the wiser about what was going on.

After a few days, Eric managed to get his son to spill the beans.

“David gave me an update last night. It is all rather complicated to say the least. Firstly, Jeff senior sold his house and used his brothers law firm to do the legal work. Instead of sending the money to the Mortgage Company right away, he delayed it a few hours. This is not unusual but he’d arranged for the completion to happen on Christmas Eve and on that day, the banks shut at lunchtime. That meant that the money was going to sit in their client account over Christmas. Only it wasn’t there when the law firm opened up after the holidays. That and all the other money in the client account had been moved offshore, the Cayman Islands naturally. That’s where the trail goes cold. The two suspects are known to have flown to Miami on the second. After that, who knows eh?”

“They nicked it?”

“Yes. More than two million. Apparently Jeff Senior’s wasn’t the only sale proceeds that were half-inched.”

“What about our Jeff?”

“His flat on Beacon Way was one of the other properties where the sale proceeds were diverted.”

“But he was here with his father on New Years Eve?”

“According to my son, they were tidying up a few loose ends before he scarpered.”

“Loose ends my foot,” said Gwen quiet angrily.

“What about the embezzlement from the company?”

“Apparently that’s how it started. Jeff Senior lost a bundle at the Casino. Small amounts to begin with then more and more as they got in deeper.”

“They?”

“Our Jeff wouldn’t let his Dad get in too deep but it was probably too late. They only took around thirty grand from the company.”

“Only thirty grand?” said Gwen indignantly.

“That is less than the money we make from twenty property sales,” said Sandra. Then she added,

“It is just as well that the lettings business revenue all goes through to Head Office from the bank isn’t it. That’s where all the money is these days,” she said with a resigned tone to her voice.

“What do we do now?” I asked still trying to digest the information.

“I think we should just get on and do our jobs as before. Put in every effort to increase sales and lettings. We really don’t want this place to close now do we?” said Sandra.

“But,” she added, “things will be much harder because we are a man down so to speak. I don’t see a replacement for Jeff in the short term. We’ll all have to all do extra shifts.”

None of us disagreed with that.

[One week later]

“Hi girls,” I said cheerily one afternoon when I returned to the office from supervising a maintenance call at a property on the outskirts of town.

“Just the person we need to talk to,” said Sandra.

“Ok. Let me drop this off in the back and make a cuppa then I’ll be all yours? Any more for a cuppa?”

“I’ll have one, thanks,” said Gwen.

I took my things into my room at the back of the office and put the kettle on.

A few minutes later I returned to the office with two mugs of tea. After putting one down on Gwen’s desk, I sat down on one of the chairs normally reserved for customers.

Just then Eric came back to the office. He’d been off doing a viewing.

“Hi gang. Just made a sale.”
“Well done Eric,” said Sandra.

“Any tea in the pot?” asked Eric as he saw our cups.

“There should be, Louise made it a few minutes ago.”

“Great. Let me grab a cup and we can chat.”

When he returned and had sat down at his desk he was grinning broadly.

“I also have a property to be listed. It’s the one next door to mine.”

“Your neighbour? She hasn’t been there very long,” said Gwen, “I remember the sale. It was handed by the long gong Jeff.”

“Yes. She’s not going far though. She’s moving in with me.”

There was a collective gasp from the three of us.

“You dirty old man!” joked Sandra.

“Not quite,” said Eric still grinning from ear to ear.

He remained silent but still grinning.

“Erica?” asked Gwen silently.

He nodded his head.

“Erica was putting some peelings on the compost bin last summer when Carol spotted me. I thought she’d gone out. Well, I was caught in the act. But it all turned out very well. She calmly invited me around for tea. That was the start of our relationship. I asked her to marry me last weekend and she said yes.”

“Congratulations to you both,” I said.

“Does this mean that Eric is an endangered species?” asked Sandra.

“No. Erica is not really passable out in the street but she’ll be around at home.”

“Does David know?”

“Yes. I managed to get him on the phone a little while ago. I wanted to tell him first.”

“Does he mind? About Erica?”

“No. He’s just happy that I’m happy. He’s going through a particularly nasty divorce at the moment so he has more than his old man wearing a dress to think about.”

“When’s the happy day?” I asked trying to change the subject.

“In the summer. Not sure when yet but Erica will be wearing a dress.”

Sandra went over to Eric and gave him a big hug, which was followed by a kiss on the cheek.

Later that day, Sandra and I went to value the house owned by Eric’s fiancée, Carol.

She made us very welcome and plied us with tea and cake.

“Now Louise, I have to thank you,” said Carol.

“Me why?”

“If you hadn’t come on the scene then Erica would still be in the closet. You gave Eric the confidence to tell his friends.”

“I really didn’t do anything.”

She smiled at me.

“You are far too modest. Eric said that you were and now I can see for myself.”

When we’d finished the valuation, Sandra sat down with Carol.

“Carol, my valuation for the property is One Nine Five.”

“That’s about what I expected. The place over the road sold last year for around that. This place is cheap when you want to buy into the area but getting out is a real problem.”

“But you aren’t going anywhere?”

“No. I was just saying that the price of property is good then you move here but going just about anywhere else is a big problem because prices here are so cheap. Take my sister for example. She moved to Mablethorpe two years ago from Leeds, to be near me. Fat lot of good that was because she goes and dies six months ago and left everything to me. Her five-bedroom bungalow, quite why she wanted five bedrooms, was sold for One eighty, twenty grand less than what she paid for it.”

Carol saw the look on my face.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to pop my clogs just yet. Erica has given me a new lease of life.”

We left her making dinner for Eric and headed back to the office. Sandra was by her standards very subdued.

As we pulled up outside the office I said,

“Ok, Sandra what’s going on in the devilish mind of yours that you wanted to talk about earlier?”

She didn’t answer right away.

“Later. Let’s talk later ok?”

I sighed.

“Ok.”

Later turned out to be after dinner. As usual, I’d done the cooking so it was up to the others to clear up. Sandra drew the short straw this evening so Gwen and I went to sit down.

“Do you know what’s on Sandra’s mind?”

She shook her head.

“No. She wouldn’t tell. All she’d say was later.”

“Yeah, she did that to me aswell.”

Sandra came in from the kitchen and sat facing the two of us.

“This can’t go on,” she said.

“What do you mean can’t go on?” asked Gwen.

“The chaos that is the three of us trying to get washed, dressed and makeup applied and at least one cup of tea or coffee in the mornings. There are nowhere near enough washbowls, makeup mirrors and everything for the three of us. As much as I love being here, I can’t do this much more.”

She was right. Mornings were totally chaotic and that was being kind.

“What do you suggest to solve the problem?”

“Move,” came her succinct reply.

“Where do you suggest?”

“Carol’s house.”

“Carol?” asked Gwen.

“Eric’s fiancée,” said Sandra.

“Oh, the place you valued today.”

“Oh yes. Sandra put a value of £195,000 on it.”

“That’s a lot of money. There are plenty of cheaper places. So why that property?”

Sandra grinned.

“Well, I’m not getting any younger and I would like to have a family. The place is great for that and there are two people who would love to babysit their god children right on tap.”

Neither Gwen nor I said a word.

“Look, I know we haven’t gone the whole way in bed but I think it is time we did. If I got pregnant I’d be the happiest person alive but we if we are going to carry on as a threesome, then we need somewhere more suitable to live.”

“How can we afford it? That is a lot of money,” said Gwen totally ignoring the issue of sex.

“Well, can’t this place can be sold?” I offered.
“I only paid ninety grand for it. I have a little over fifty outstanding on the mortgage. So that’s easily the deposit. What about the rest? Mortgages are hard enough to come by but three women living together is going to be hard work given the new rules.”

No one disagreed with that.

“Why not ask Carol about renting it. From what you said, she does not need the money?” asked Gwen.

“But we couldn’t make the changes we need to,” I replied.

“Perhaps she would pay for them?”

“That’s asking an awful lot from someone we don’t know isn’t it?”

“Why don’t we go and ask them?” suggested Gwen.

“Now?” said Gwen.

“Why not. Strike while the iron is hot?”

Sandra stood up and started to turn away.

“Can I say something?”

She stopped and looked at me.

“If we are going to do this and try to start a family then there are some things that we need to think about. For starters, I think the two of you should get married. That way you will have at least some security if there are children involved. But I think we should all adopt the same surname.”

I took a deep breath.

“I know that both of you think that I sometimes have a hard time making decisions and this has one not come easy but I think it is for the best if we want to be a long term unit.”

Sandra looked at me. Then a huge grin spread over her face.

“Wow!”

Then I felt Gwen wrap her arms around me. Then her lips were plastered all over mine.

We didn’t go out that night and neither did we get a lot of sleep.

At breakfast the following morning, I gave the others the rings that I’d bought before Christmas.

“I’d like us to each wear one of these to show that we are a threesome,” I said to a suddenly quiet kitchen.

The answer from the others was to hug the living daylights out of me.

Sometimes hard decisions can have unexpected results especially when you add the laws of unintended consequences into the equation.
Deciding to answer the door to two wonderful women could well turn out to be the best decision I’d ever make in my life.

[The End].

[Authors note:]
I got the idea for this story whilst standing on a bleak seashore on 'The Wash' in late November trying to photograph the miriad of seabirds flying as the tide pushed them towards us. There were intermittent snow showers all afternoon yet all the time in the distance were the lights of Skegness on the Horizon.