The Replacement Bride
"I'm telling you Fred, I'm really at my wits end and don't know what to do. I don't understand why she did it, nor where she's gone, but if she doesn't turn up before next Wednesday I'm history!"
I don't know why I had let him talk me into coming here today. It had been a long shift and I was tired and not really in the mood for idle chit chat. It wasn't even like he was my friend or anything. He was only a work colleague, and one who had always been a bit of a moaner if the truth was known. Still, I had to confess to having some sympathy for him at the moment, despite it all. It's not everyday that you get married to a rich heiress and then return from honeymoon without her, so I let my better nature get the best of me and here I was!
Tom Ryder was already on his fifth bottle of beer, and it was export quality as well, and he was showing signs of being the worse for wear. I yawned - I was fast catching up with him. He had already been through this whole thing once and I was beginning to regret agreeing to meet him after work for a drink at Chilli's, my favourite watering hole. I was starting to get bored and anyway, I had my own problems. The car plant that we worked for was shutting down this week and although Tom seemed to be set up I was struggling to find work, along with the hundreds of others that were joining me. I decided to indulge, just this once more.
"Well you must have done something to upset her. I mean, I know women are mad and everything, especially Suzy, but no girl would walk out on a two-week marriage without reason, especially after she had gone against her father's wishes and risked being disinherited just to be with you!" I exclaimed, exasperated.
He glowered at me for a moment and I wondered whether I had gone too far in talking about his wife in such a way but then he cursed, and his invective was aimed at Suzy's father.
"Yeah, and wouldn't that old bastard just love to say 'I told you so', and 'I said it would never last' he said bitterly, mimicking his father-in-law's voice and signalling to a nearby waiter to bring him another beer.
I was a little startled at his outburst. Although Tom was a moaner, as I've already mentioned, I hadn't thought that he would have felt so strongly about Suzy's father. In fact, I seem to remember him saying before the honeymoon, that he hadn't even met him. I looked at him for a moment, thinking that he seemed different somehow, although I couldn't quite place what it was, and that seemed to shake him a little and he calmed down.
"But you know her Fred," Tom continued, "most people thought that she was a bit flighty and I'm certain that she was enjoying all the attention from those Italians in the hotel at our honeymoon in Venice."
Flighty! Well I suppose that was true all right, although I didn't really know her at all. I had once tried to tell Tom that he was most probably just a distraction for her and was most likely just another way of getting back at her father, but he wouldn't have it. Truth told, I don't really know whether he thought that it would ever truly last and was probably drawn into the marriage by the thoughts of experiencing a little of the 'old money' wealth that Suzy's family had in abundance. I wasn't going to indulge him now though.
"Well don't you forget that it's that same old bastard that is taking you into the family business next week, even if it is just to keep Suzy happy. Are you sure he doesn't know about her disappearance?" I asked him, as I looked around for my jacket. I wanted to wrap this up and go home before Tom got paralytic, and I ended being his nursemaid for the night.
"No - I'm sure that she hasn't gone running back home, else I would have heard about it by now. For all Suzy's sweetness she still has a stubborn streak and would never have given 'Daddy' the satisfaction of being proved right."
Well, I didn't know about the being sweet and all, because from the stories that I'd heard she was just a spoilt brat, but I didn't want to upset him by telling him that, I just wanted out of here!
"Well I've got an early start tomorrow Tom, some of us still have to go job-hunting and, as much as I'd like to, I can't stick around much longer. Why don't you go home - she might have left a message for you," I said, putting a friendly arm around his shoulder and helping him to stand.
"Yeah - well maybe you're right, and maybe I am being a little self-indulgent but if Suzy doesn't come back then I'll most probably be joining you soon."
He was still sitting there with a full beer when I left, promising that he'd follow me in a few moments, and that was the last that I saw of him until I got a call two days later, the night before my last day at the plant,
"Fred," he had said on hearing my voice, "I need to see you. Something weird has happened and I need someone to talk it over with, and you're my best friend."
Best friend - wow! I didn't know about that, because I certainly didn't regard him as a friend at all - just an acquaintance. The guy MUST be desperate!
"Well, I don't know - I don't think I'm really in the mood to go out and I'm sure I wouldn't be very good company. Besides - where have you been the last two days," I replied, and then regretted asking him, knowing that the question would keep the conversation going.
"I'll tell you later, when me meet. It's too complicated to go into now. Meet me at Chilli's at eight and I'll tell you everything," he said, and then hung up, just adding to the mystery of all this.
Well, I had fallen into that one and didn't have the heart to refuse to go so, sure enough, there I was at Chilli's at the appointed time with two cold beers at the ready for when he walked in. I soon saw him searching for me amongst the crowd and when he saw where I was, he walked over, all smiles and looking great. It was the last thing that I expected after seeing the state that he was in two days ago, and I sat back to listen to what he had to say, marvelling at how animated he was.
"Well what do you think?" he said, running his hands up and down his body in a most uncharacteristic fashion.
"What do I think - what do I think about what?" I asked, wondering where this was going.
"Well, about me dummy. Don't you think I look about five years younger!" he said as he turned his face from side to side so that I could get a better look at him.
I didn't quite like him calling me 'dummy' - it was a bit to familiar for my liking but as I looked at him I had to admit that he did, indeed, look younger. Now I knew what it was that I had spotted when he walked in. He looked about twenty pounds lighter and all the strain he had showed during the last week or so had vanished completely.
"Okay, I suppose you do, but calm down a bit will you," I said, trying to play this down a little. He was being over demonstrative and we were attracting stares from the other tables and that was something I just didn't like.
"I'm sorry Fred, it's just that I think I've found the answer to all my prayers and the future has never looked brighter - that is, if I can just remove the one last cloud that remains on my horizon."
"Is Suzy back then?" I asked, leaning forward slightly, hoping that this was the reason for his good mood.
"Not exactly Fred," he said ambiguously.
"Not exactly - what does that mean? So shoot Tom. Are you going to let me in on what's been going on, or am I going to have to guess everything?" I said sarcastically, although it went completely over his head.
"You remember two nights ago - yeah - well I got home eventually, at about eight o'clock - hey, same time as now right - and was about to open a beer from the cooler when I heard a knock on the door..."
He paused for effect and took another sip of his beer before continuing.
"It was certainly unusual for me to get a caller of any kind, much less one at that time of night, so I opened the door a crack to see my neighbour, holding a large parcel and a note. Apparently, these had been sent from the hotel that we had stayed in and had some of Suzy's belongings. They had found them in another room."
"In another room - what do they mean in another room! I thought you had brought all her things back with you after she'd disappeared!"
"Yeah - I had. I had brought back everything that she had left except what she was wearing or carrying with her. That was what was in the parcel. They knew it was her stuff because of her driving license and things, that were in her purse, so they returned it to me."
"And wasn't there any explanation about what her things should be doing in someone else's room, or any indication of where she might have been?"
"Well, I rang the hotel the next day and they said that the room had belonged to a young couple and their baby child, a boy. It seems that the wife had left with her baby the day before, after some sort of fall-out with her husband. It was obvious that the inference was that Suzy had been having a fling with the man and the wife had found out about it and had stormed out, taking the baby with her."
"And Suzy had stayed there with the man I suppose."
"It seems that way, although that isn't the strangest thing. With the details that the hotel gave me, I managed to track down the husband. He didn't want to tell me anything at first, because it seemed like he had made up with his wife and wanted to forget about his little, shall we say, transgression. I managed to make him see sense when I told that I could make his life a misery by constantly bugging him and his wife if he didn't tell me where Suzy had gone, and that was when he opened up to me and admitted that he honestly didn't know. He did admit however, that he slept with her that night but when he woke in the morning she had gone."
"Oh right! Well that's very sad but it still doesn't explain why you're looking so much younger," I said, hoping that he would eventually get to the point.
"Just hold your horses - I'm getting to that. When I pushed him again he told me that Suzy had disappeared all right, there was no doubt about that, but where she had been sleeping was a baby boy, just a few months old, lying right next to him on the bed."
"But I thought that you said the wife had taken the child with her!" I exclaimed.
"I did, but listen - what was stranger was that this boy was the spitting image of their other child. Of course, he rang and apologised to his wife and then checked that she still had the child with her, just to make sure that he was all right. She did and they were both amazed at the miracle that had happened as they saw it, and had put right a wrong that they had never recovered from."
I was starting to get drawn into this tale now and took another sip of beer as Tom continued.
"You see, they originally had twins but one of them died soon after the birth. They thought that this was God's way of easing their loss and of bringing them back together again, so the husband returned home with the new baby and gave no further thought to Suzy until I rang."
"But that still doesn't explain Suzy's vanishing act."
Tom felt inside his pocket and produced a tarnished looking necklace that had a representation of a small cherub at its centre.
"This was in her belongings. It was something she picked up one day at a local market. I found out it has strange powers. I took it out of that parcel that night, and accidentally brushed it against the clothes she had left that were in there with it. About twenty minutes later Suzy was back and sitting in our bedroom again."
"Suzy!" I snorted, "are you telling me that the medallion was magic or something, and that it somehow brought her back to you?"
"Well yes and no, I suppose. Yes, it was magic, and no, it didn't bring Suzy back - it changed me into her. I tell you Fred, and I swear by all that's holy, that medallion changed me into my errant wife. That was why I haven't been at work the past two days, I couldn't show up on the line looking like her now, could I?"
"But Suzy - what happened to her, and how did you change back?" I exclaimed, not knowing which question to ask next!
"I'm not sure, but if she had this medallion, and she somehow touched it to something belonging to that baby boy - well, what do you think?"
I was horrified - was he trying to tell me that somehow, Suzy had been transformed into that baby boy? I had no doubt that he believed what he had described had really happened to him, and that he thought he knew what had happened to Suzy, but how could such a thing be possible! I took another mouthful of beer, never taking my eyes from him for a second, as he continued.
"I know that you'll probably think I'm mad, and if I was in your shoes then I'd probably think the same, but it really happened Fred, and that's why I appear so much younger now. Let me explain. I correctly reasoned that it must have been the medallion that changed me, and I guessed that because I had touched it with Suzy's clothing then it turned me into a version of her. What I didn't know was whether the change was permanent or not, and if not then how long would it take me to change back. Well I tried there and then of course, using a shirt that I had taken off earlier, but nothing happened. I can tell you Fred, I had a few nervous hours until I figured it out - I didn't relish the prospect of living out the rest of my days as a woman!"
I didn't know what to say, so I just did the sensible thing and ordered two more beers as I saw Tom examine his empty bottle.
"Anyway, as I said. There I was, thinking that I was stuck as a woman and I had a few worrying hours that's for sure, but when I tried it again, later the next morning with a piece of my own clothing, I found that I started changing back again. It seems like it needs more than just a few hours before you can use it on yourself again, but after that it seems fine! The thing is Fred, the clothing that I used was old, it was something that I hadn't been able to fit into for years!"
"Oh, so that's why you look so unfashionably fashionable today," I mocked him, but had to admit I couldn't see any way that he could have lost so much weight, or how he could have appeared to be so much younger, by anything that I was aware of! I began to see where he was leading now, or so I thought!
"Oh these! Well I can soon buy some new clothes, once I've replenished by bank account," he said, looking down at himself.
"So you managed to change back. Why can't you rescue Suzy and change her back as well?"
"Well, although I know how the medallion works I can't be totally sure that the baby boy is really her, and there's no way that a small baby could tell me. Besides, even if it was then I'm sure that cramming all those years of her life into a baby's smaller brain would have erased a lot of what made her Suzy. Would it be fair to change her back?"
There was no way I could answer that so once again, I just sat there while Tom continued.
"But enough about Suzy - this is where you come in."
"Me!" What's this got to do with me?" I asked, finding my voice and wondering how this conversation had suddenly shifted towards myself.
For the first time since I had set eyes on him this evening he went quiet, in the way that somebody will do when they are breaking bad news to you. This didn't last too long though and I sunk to new levels of embarrassment as he went down onto one knee and took hold of my hand, seemingly forgetting the fact that we were in a crowded bar.
"I don't quite know how to say this Fred, but would you - would you consent to be my wife?"
I can honestly say that what ever else I had expected to hear it wasn't that. Words were beyond me at first, and I don't think that I shall ever forget the look of impish amusement on Tom's face as he watched my jaw hit the table. Nor will I forget the looks of those at other tables nearby, or at least those within earshot who had caught what was said. I can remember mumbling something like "Christ Tom, what in heaven's name are you talking about," and then walking out of the bar as quickly as I could manage with him following in close pursuit. As I hit the night air I came to my senses and spun around to look at Tom standing behind me.
"Why did you do that - I'll never be able to go into that bar again? They're bound to think we're gay or something!"
"After what I've got planned I don't think you'll ever have to worry about Chilli's again. That would be far too down market for you. Why don't you calm down a little and take a walk while I'll explain everything," he said, and led the way.
I followed as suggested, although it was against my better judgement, partly because I was curious to find out what he was going to say next and partly, well I hesitate to say it but something told me that his fanciful tale might not be quite so fanciful after all. After all, I had the evidence of his youthful appearance.
As we settled into an easy rhythm he started to talk again.
"I know what you might be thinking, but I meant what I just said Fred. The medallion really does work as I described it, and I want to use it to change you into Suzy."
"B..but why? Why should I want to be Suzy - she's a girl?" I said stupidly, stopping dead in my tracks.
Tom looked around but it was all clear. We had the street to ourselves. He grabbed hold of my arm and started walking again.
"Because of a number of reasons actually Fred. First of all, don't tell me that you're not curious about what it might be like to be a girl. I can tell you from first hand experience that it can be quite fun, if you know what I mean!" he said grinning, obviously pleased at his less than subtle innuendo.
"Secondly, you are the only person I can trust to come through for me. I would never be able to talk like this to anyone else. Third, there will be a sack load of money in it for you if we can pull this off. Say, maybe ten thousand or so."
"Ten thousand!" I exclaimed, "but for doing what?"
"Ah ha - I thought so! You do believe me don't you - well it's time to put Suzy's money where your mouth is, so to speak. I want you to impersonate Suzy at the social that her father's planned for next Tuesday. He's planning to announce that I'll be joining the firm that night, and if we can get away with that then we're home and dry."
"Well that's ridiculous. Even if you could make me into her double - if I ever agreed to such a thing - then I would never know enough about her to get by."
"Don't worry about that. We can work on it and you'll find yourself feeling quite natural after a short while - believe me. Suzy's body will soon start to feel as natural as your own."
I was getting both more disturbed and intrigued by the moment, and was mostly disturbed by the fact that I was getting intrigued if you can see what I mean! I knew that I was seriously starting to consider his proposal of sorts, and was now looking for as many reasons as possible as to why I shouldn't do this. I also felt very uneasy at the thoughts that wearing Suzy's body could ever feel natural to me.
"B..but what if the real Suzy showed up? I'd be exposed, or worse. What would we do then?"
"But don't you see Fred - Suzy is no longer Suzy. She's probably that little boy now! She must have accidentally touched the medallion with something of the other boy's and turned into a duplicate of him. Besides, if I've got the medallion now and that is her then how is she going to change back, even if she could ever get anyone to believe her once she's learned to talk again, and even if her memory remained intact. No, we won't be seeing Suzy again, not the original one at any rate."
He seemed to have an answer for everything except what would happen once I changed back to Fred again, after the social evening, but he said he'd cross that bridge when he came to it. One thing at a time. I also had to admit that ten thousand would come in handy, for I had no other job to go to and no money to fall back on. How bad could it be to be a girl for a few days?
I put Suzy's fate to the back of my mind and decided there and then that there was only one way to find out.
"Okay!" I said, stopping to look at him, "It's a deal. When do we do this?"
* * * * * * *
After that things seemed to happen far too quickly for my liking. Although my instincts told me that Tom had been telling me the truth my intellect did not truly accept it and, when he told me to call at his house today, one day after his revelations, I was half expecting him to laugh at my gullibility. When this didn't happen I had such a feeling of trepidation that I felt my bowels might give way at any moment.
My mind went back to last night.
"Tomorrow - why tomorrow?" I asked him, assuming that if I agreed to the change then it would happen just before the social, leaving me in Suzy's body for the minimum period of time.
"There's going to be so much you're going to have to get used to that you'll want to spend as much time feeling comfortable with your new body as possible. I'm going to have to spend some time coaching you, especially about Suzy's home life, and you're going to have to very quickly learn how to cope with as many aspects of being a female as possible. Luckily for you though, her mother died when she was young and she never got on at all well with her father, so it shouldn't be too hard. Nobody is likely to know her as well myself, although I suppose even I didn't really know her," he said, going all melancholy for a moment.
"Besides, your last day at work is tomorrow, so no-one is going to miss you!"
That really hit home, although I knew that Tom hadn't meant it that way. He was right though. Although I was only twenty-four I had long ago lost touch with my family. Also, Tom was the nearest thing that I had to a friend, even though he was really just a work mate. It also reminded me that I would be virtually penniless soon, and accepting his offer was my only immediate chance of salvation!
So here I was. It was Saturday night and I was outside Tom's door, waiting for him to show me in.
"Fred - come in. Glad to see that you've decided to go through with it."
"I don't know Tom. Are you sure that this is the right thing to do? Maybe you should go and rescue the real Suzy - she might be so grateful that she will come back to you and settle down," I said, still hoping he'd tell me that this was all some big joke.
"No - this will teach her a lesson. Don't forget that she was cheating on me and I could have ended up on the scrap heap. Maybe, after this is all over I'll see about it. A little time as a baby will do her good. Now, I'd offer you a drink but I don't think it would be a good idea to take alcohol before the change."
I took a deep gulp and sat down on his sofa.
"Now loosen your clothing a little. You're going to end up quite a bit smaller overall, but you'll get somewhat larger in .. uh, well - certain areas," he said, looking at my chest.
My hands automatically there, and if what he told me was true, my flat chest would soon be gone and I'd have tits - breasts - a bosom. Oh God, what was I getting into!
Before I knew it he was holding out something towards me, and I took it automatically, not even taking much notice of what it was in my befuddled state. He then handed me something else, which sent a shudder throughout my body.
"Wh..what was that!" I said, looking down to my hands, and seeing the medallion that Tom had shown me earlier, and a pair of silk panties.
"Well I thought there was no point in waiting, and to tell you the truth I can't wait to see Suzy's body again - she's such a looker!"
I was only half-listening to him by this time. I was already acutely aware that something was happening to me and my vision blurred for a moment, and then settled again as my eyes changed shape slightly. No sooner had this happened than I experienced a churning sensation within my stomach, and felt nauseous as my insides started re-arranging themselves. Incredible though it may seem, I almost missed the re-forming of my genitals into a female configuration, my attention being almost totally focused on my newly developing breasts.
All the time Tom sat there staring at me, his eyes growing wider by the minute.
"Incredible Fred, incredible. Even though I knew what was going to happen I am still amazed - I don't think I will ever get used to this!"
I looked up at him through a curtain of titian hair, exactly the shade that I remembered on Suzy. I then looked down at my refined and slender fingers and the long nails that sat proudly at the end of them.
"W..wow - what a trip .." I started to say, but stopped at the sound of Suzy's voice - my voice - emanating from my mouth. It seemed to be coming from someone else and I found it hard to believe that it was now mine.
Tom walked over to me and offered me his hand, which I gratefully took, and I let him help me to my feet, feeling the need to stretch my stiff limbs.
"You..you'll feel a little weak at first, it takes a lot of energy to effect the change Fred, ..or ..or maybe it would be better if I called you Suzy now," he said, looking quite emotional. He was obviously finding the sight of his wife here again, more upsetting than he had anticipated.
"S..Suzy!" I exclaimed, "have you really got to call me that?" I said, feeling a strong need to remind myself that I was really Fred - Fred Quigly.
"Well of course - that is who you are now," he said as he watched me move my body, feeling how different it all felt.
"Besides, you'll have to get used to others thinking that you're the real Suzy so it will help if I start calling you that myself now."
Just then the phone rang and Tom went to answer it. I took the opportunity to examine myself a little closer and pulled open my loosened shirt and lifted my breasts - MY breasts! They felt so different than what I had expected. They seemed to hang like dead weights from my small chest and although the skin felt smooth I was getting no excitement from them. I moved my hands up towards my nipples and I noticed that they seemed almost rubbery, but I could tell that they promised more, and made a mental note to try again later, when I had a little more privacy. The next thing I knew, Tom was walking back into the room, wearing a embarrassed smile on his face, and giving me a funny look.
"Uh Suzy," he said, looking a little embarrassed at calling me his wife's name, "it's for you."
"For me!" I said surprised, "but nobody knows I'm here - how can it be for me!"
"No - not the you - Fred, I mean it's for YOU - the Suzy you! It's Suzy's father on the phone - he wants to talk to you."
I looked at Tom incredulously, how could he have put me in this situation!
"Are you mad - I don't know anything at all about Suzy's life, other than what you've sometimes told me, but that wasn't much anyway! He'll know it's not me and that'll be that, and worse!"
"I wouldn't worry too much, as I told you, she never got on with her father anyway, and I didn't want him to start asking where she was so I said I'd come and get you. Now just calm down, take a deep breath, and then go and be yourself, whoever you feel that may be," Tom said, steering me towards the phone in the hallway, not giving me chance to protest.
I must have made a comical site as I wobbled my way out of the room. I had one hand pulling my shirt around my breasts and the other trying to lift the, by now, too large pants that I was stumbling over, although I really couldn't see the funny side of it. This most probably helped me though, in what was to follow, because I had so many things on my mind that I ended up picking up the phone and barking out a "Hi!" before I was aware of what I was really doing.
"Well hi to you too, baby, I just thought I'd give you a call to see how you were. I haven't seen you since the honeymoon," a gruff voice answered me.
"Daddy - you know I don't like you calling me baby!" I said, surprising myself with the fierceness of my tone, and also by what I had said. Where did that come from?
"Well anyway, baby, I'm sure looking forward to seeing you next week, and I hope that husband of yours is looking after you. Why if he doesn't I'll..."
"Oh Daddy, don't take on so," I interrupted, "I just can't tell you what Tom is doing for me, you wouldn't believe it, how he is treating me."
"Well as long as you're happy baby. Now I've got to go now, but I'll see you both, next week. I just sure hope that Tom lives up to your expectations 'cause I'm not going to keep him on otherwise."
"Oh, I think Tom will do just fine," I said, looking across at him and seeing his questioning look. "Well I've got to go now, Daddy - we're just about to eat."
We exchanged our goodbyes and I then hung up before turning around to look at Tom again. A pregnant silence filled the room as we stared at each other, neither quite knowing what to say, and then we just both burst out laughing, me from the sheer relief of passing my first test and Tom, for putting one over on his father-in-law.
"Oh that was just incredible Suzy," he laughed, "it was just like listening to the real Suzy, the way she told off her 'Daddy', and how much she hated him calling her baby. I don't know how you knew that she called him Daddy, or how you knew that she hated him calling her his baby but this is going to work honey, this is going to work!" he laughed, and gave me a hug as he spun me around.
"Whooahhh - slow down there! First, don't start calling me honey. Suzy I can just about live with, I can understand the need for that, but honey! No, I don't need any terms of endearments thank you very much. As far as calling him Daddy, well that's what most girls call their father's, and as for baby - well I don't know about Suzy but I am certainly not going to let myself get addressed in that way. It's almost as bad as honey!"
"Okay - I'll try and remember that, but you have to admit it was a stroke of luck with you reacting that way, just as Suzy would have done."
I hoped that it was just down to luck. Anything else might have led me into areas that I didn't want to explore or admit to. It was spooky though!
"Okay, so put me down already. I..I need to go to the bathroom," I said, wanting to escape from Tom's clutches, but also recognising a fullness from inside of me, that was looking for a way out.
"Oh, okay. Well you'll find it on the second left off the hallway," he said, putting me down and smirking a little, as if he knew something that I didn't.
Well I soon found out what that something was when I stepped out of my pants and realised that I would have to get used to a whole new way of doing what came naturally, because to me it didn't. It wasn't the act of sitting down, I could cope with that, it was, rather, the sensation of the pressure being relieved from somewhere much further back than what I was used to. If it hadn't been for that, and the accompanying noise, then I don't think I would have been sure that anything was happening, it felt so alien!
I resisted the temptation to examine myself down below, other than giving myself a cursory wipe. I knew that if I spent too long in here it would be obvious to Tom what I was doing, and I felt oddly embarrassed at that - even though I knew that he had been through the same thing, just a few nights ago. I left the bathroom and returned to the living room, finding Tom waiting for me. I suddenly felt very tired and flopped down on the sofa again, wanting to rest and spend some time on my own to get my, or Suzy's, head together. I looked at my suddenly overlarge watch and saw that it was now almost half past ten - I hadn't realised just how quickly the time had flown by, since my transformation!
"You look all in hone..Suzy. The bed's all ready when you are if you want to get some rest he said, and sat down beside me.
"What, you mean that you're expecting me to sleep here in this house!" I exclaimed, realising I hadn't really thought about anything other than returning back to my own small apartment.
"What else did you expect? We're supposed to be married, remember! We need to spend time together so that you can get as comfortable as possible with who you're supposed to be, and you've got to forget all about Fred Quigly for now, and that means keeping away from his apartment. Besides, what would the neighbours think if they saw a beautiful woman coming and going from your apartment - we can't afford that sort of attention," Tom said, as if I had no say in the matter.
I suppose, in a way, I didn't really have much choice. I had said I was in this all the way and would have to see it through, and what Tom had said made a lot of sense. I stood up and walked towards the apartments only bedroom, seeing a look of hope appear in Tom's eyes that then got quickly dashed as I threw a pillow, some covers and his pyjamas's onto the sofa.
"Okay - I'll stay, but if you think that I'm sleeping in the same bedroom as you then you've got another think coming. I'll see you in the morning - good night!" I said, not giving him a chance to protest as I locked the bedroom door behind me.
I leaned against the door for a moment, as I listened to Tom finally getting his voice back.
"Oh, okay, but I wouldn't have tried anything - honest!"
Maybe he wouldn't have but I knew men well enough to know not to trust him. He was still struggling to stop himself calling me honey for goodness sake, and all I needed was for him to forget who I really was, in some half-wakened state, and try something on with me. No, I wasn't going to leave that to chance. Men were all the same - opportunistic by nature, and led by their gonads - I should know!
"Yeah - well good night again, anyway," I said and decided to look for something to sleep in.
I looked in some of the drawers but could only find nightdresses in Suzy's things. Funny, I had never taken her for a nightdress person for some reason - it seemed far too conventional for someone like her! I then searched in Tom's drawers and thought about wearing some of his pyjamas for a moment, but that just didn't feel right to me. It wasn't just the fact that they were way too large - it was more to do with they reminded me of what I had temporarily lost, so I settled for Suzy's nightwear and crawled into their large double bed.
* * * * * * *
I spent an undisturbed and dreamless night, being too exhausted to do anything else, and finally woke up at around nine o'clock, not remembering who, or where, I was until I went to turn over and felt an obstruction. It confused me at first until I moved my hand down towards it and encountered a breast - MY breast.
"Oh no, so it was all real then!" I groaned, hearing Suzy's voice speak my thoughts out aloud.
Now fully awake, I felt down the length of my body and encountered a bare behind from where the nightdress had bunched up during the night. The skin felt so smooth and soft as I ran my hands along it, that I could scarcely believe that it was now my own. I continued downwards until I reached the furry little thatch that I had seen just a hint of before I had buried myself under the covers last night, and stopped for a moment. There was only a light covering of pubic hair and, again, it seemed quite smooth and silky, quite unlike the wiry and course covering I had possessed only yesterday.
"Hey - are you awake yet sleepy head," I heard a voice call from outside of the bedroom door which I recognised, of course, as Tom's.
"Yeah - I'm awake all right," and how I thought, as I dragged myself out of bed and sat upright. "Just give me a minute!"
Everything felt so wrong at first, as I sat there feeling a combined sense of tightness from some parts of my body, and looseness from others. It didn't take me long to realise where it was coming from. The looseness was mainly from around my chest, for every movement I made seemed to send those parts of my body moving in different directions, and when I explored further I found out that my bra had worked itself free somehow, during the night. That was soon remedied, although it took me a few moments to negotiate this modern instrument of torture, and then I stood up and lifted my nightdress to see where the tightness was coming from. Sure enough, the thin panties I had put on last night had, somehow, wormed their way up into my intimate parts but a quick tug released them from the crevice that I now possessed. I started to feel comfortable again, or as comfortable as I could be, given the situation.
I unlocked the door and saw that Tom was still standing there - Jeez, I hoped this didn't continue and that he'd give me a little space!
"Breakfast is ready hon..Suzy," he said, quickly changing what he had been about to say, seeing the look on my face that could have killed from fifty paces.
I said nothing and walked out into the small but well equipped kitchen before sitting down at a stool and lifting the glass of freshly squeezed orange juice to my mouth. It was cool, sweet, and tasted absolutely divine and I didn't give a thought to the usual full strength Java that I would have drunk at this time. I peeled a banana and started chewing it slowly as the fog started to clear from my head. I turned to see Tom was still next to me, although this time he was sitting on the other stool and bearing a wide grin.
"Amazing, absolutely amazing!" he exclaimed, his overbearing enthusiasm irritating me at this early hour. "I mean, here you are, sitting on her stool, drinking her drink and you have automatically eaten what she would have done. I'll wager that this isn't your usual routine is it?"
I stopped in mid-chew, knowing that he was right and that this was nothing at all like my usual routine. As I have already said, first the strong coffee, then a bowl of something, usually grapenuts, and then some toast - that was the fuel that usually stoked my fire!
"I thought so," he grinned, "Your body is taking what it's used to and you haven't even noticed that fact. I noticed that I had started to develop a few new habits, even in the short time that I had been Suzy, but we've got things to do today so get yourself showered and dressed and then we're off out."
He wasn't even giving me a chance to think about what he had just said before he dropped the next bombshell on me, but I didn't think I liked the idea of new habits - what did that mean?
"Out! Leave things to chance! Things to do!" I repeated rather idiotically as my mind struggled to come to terms with the thoughts that I might become more like the real Suzy. "I'm not going out anywhere - not like this!"
"Not like what? You look every inch a pretty young girl and nobody is going to think it strange if you do what any other young girl would do. In fact they might think it stranger if you didn't! Now you just need to start learning to act how you look, and that's what I'm going to help you with," he said, as he tidied up the breakfast things.
I watched him scurry around, and thought about what a wonderful wife he'd make, and smiled at the irony of those thoughts, knowing that it was me that was now the wife. But what did he mean by doing things that every other young girl might do? Well, I was soon going to find out I knew, and in less than an hour I was standing by the front door and waiting to go out as Tom made sure that he had his keys with him. I took a quick look in the full-length mirror that was by the door and could hardly believe that the reflection I was looking at was really me, Fred Quigly.
The girl in the mirror was wearing a pale blue pastel coloured dress decorated with little white daisies, a pair of white slingbacks, and carrying a matching white purse. That was topped off by a full head of vivid red hair that had been tied back in a ponytail behind her neck. I felt extremely self-conscious and I had protested at first, when Tom had suggested that I wear a dress - stupid I know, but maybe it was a part of my suddenly suppressed masculinity that was rebelling, but he had been so persuasive that he had won the battle. He had argued that although I looked fully female on the outside, I still had a lot of work to do on some of Suzy's characteristics and mannerisms. To do that I needed to understand more of what it actually felt like to be a woman, and be totally feminine and that could only come from first hand experience and what he had planned would help me - that included the dress. It hadn't taken me too long to get ready because Tom suggested that I shouldn't even attempt to put on make-up yet, that could be sorted out later, whatever that meant, so I just to the simple look.
As I said, he had won the battle but there was still the war to be fought over. I was taken, without consultation, to the nearest mall and led in and out of the type of shops that Suzy would have frequented until I felt dizzy from it all. I reasoned that whatever else I had inherited from her, it didn't include her shopping genes. I found the whole thing intensely boring and Tom seemed to be getting more of a buzz out of it than I did, seeming to revel in the fact that he was walking around with me hanging from his arm, and that was yet another battle that I had lost!
When he had first told me to link his arm I had almost recoiled in horror, refusing to get even that intimate with him until he pointed out that we would have to act as man and wife next Tuesday. As he had done before, he argued that we would have to appear as natural as possible and that the more we practised then the more natural it would seem. I didn't know about that, for I didn't think I would ever feel natural holding onto a man's arm and having to look up to him to catch his eye, but I went along with it anyway. I was started to get a little apprehensive though. So far, he had managed to argue and charm me out of every objection I had thrown up, whether it had been changing into Suzy in the first place, or to how I was now dressed and behaving. I was beginning to wonder what else he might charm me out of before the next five days were over!
The day moved on and it seemed like we had been walking for hours, and in reality I suppose we had, and I started complaining that I wanted to rest and put my feet up for a while. I was tired and I needed a rest. That was when I found out what the next 'treat' that he had planned for me was.
"Well that's quite timely, the next stop was going to allow you to do exactly that!" he said, and steered me towards the next shop door which turned out to be a beauty parlour.
"Oh no - OH NO!" I said vociferously, trying to pull back against him but finding out that he was far stronger than I WAS as he propelled ME towards the, by now, open door.
"Don't worry - I'm sure that you'll enjoy it. It's just another part of going through the ..."
"The whole female experience - I know," I finished for him in a tone of resignation and giving up the struggle as he led me to a smiling and painted doll who told me that she was called 'Sandra', and who then advised me what they suggested I should have done. Tom decided he wouldn't wait and told me that he'd pick me up in two hours time.
Two hours! What the hell were they going to do to me that could possibly take that long I thought, as I was placed in a comfortable leather chair?
Another battle lost.
"You know, you're a lucky girl to have such a caring husband who's prepared to set this up for you. He's told me that you want a complete make-over and that I should take you through it step by step. I can see that you haven't had much experience of this," she said, as she scrutinised my face.
I felt my hackle rise at this, how dar e she! Why I..I..!
I stopped myself, recognising that I was responding like a girl when faced with such a put down, and decided just to go with it, concentrating on the ten thousand I was going to get in only another four days time. It had better be worth all this!
* * * * * * *
I had to admit that if what Tom had planned to do was to make me feel more feminine then it had certainly worked. I could hardly have felt otherwise after I had been fully made up, had my nails - hands and toes - manicured and varnished, had my hair slightly restyled and been shown how to do all this myself for whenever I would need to do it again. Finally though, after two laborious hours, they told me that they had finished with me. My first reaction, on hearing this, was one of relief, and I resolved that I wouldn't be going through what I had just been through again, not in the near future which, thankfully, would be all that I would have to get through. I had been prodded, poked, pulled and tweezed in too many places to count and I couldn't believe that women went through all this voluntarily. My views subtly shifted though, as they made me stand up and look at myself in a conveniently placed mirror.
Looking at myself I could not deny that they had done me proud, and I knew that I looked absolutely gorgeous. I almost fell in love with the sight of myself and I felt a momentary fluttering of my heart as I considered the effect that I might have on Tom. I was pretty sure that he had never seen the real Suzy like this before, not whilst I had been around at any rate!
I soon found out the answer to my unspoken question as I saw his reflection join my own as he entered the salon and walked up behind me.
"Suzy - you look wonderful!" he said as he gave me the once over, and as I looked back at my reflection again, I had to admit that he was correct.
In fact I thought that I looked like a million dollars at this moment, although I would have happily settled for ten thousand of that and call it quits now if would help to quell the disturbing feminine pride in myself that I had just recognised. In fact I was so overwhelmed by this that I responded automatically to the name of Suzy for the first time!
"Why th..thank you!" I said graciously, and meant it as well, for I could see the appreciation written bold across his face, and I defy anyone not to feel some kind of thrill when given such a heart felt compliment.
Tom paid the assistant and threw in a large tip before leading me back outside into the mall. We didn't spend too much longer because he decided that maybe we should get something to eat, and I gladly went along with him, beginning to feel the first pangs of hunger myself. An hour later we were back in Tom's old car, and driving back to his, or to our now I suppose, apartment having eaten a light lunch.
"You know Suzy, I think the first thing I'm going to get myself, once the money starts coming in again, is a new car. This old thing has seen better days and I think that it's about time I put it into retirement."
"Well I wouldn't go getting carried away with yourself too soon!" I warned him as I felt his hand brush my leg as he shifted gear. "There's a long way to go yet and even if we do carry this off you're going to have to think about explaining away Suzy's absence, especially if you decide not to rescue her, or if you find it impossible to!"
"Uh - oh well, okay. I guess that could be a problem, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it," he replied, his hand falling off my leg as I swung them away from him.
"You - when YOU come to it Tom. I'll be outta here by then - long gone," I stated firmly, although I wasn't too sure why I was stating this quite so firmly as I was. I suppose it was partly because he had always seemed so darned upbeat since I had changed, and he was starting to make me feel nervous. It just wasn't like the dour Tom that I had always known!
The rest of the short journey went by with neither of us saying anything else, and I could feel that my comments had most probably put a damper on things, but it couldn't be helped. He would have to face up to the reality of things at some point or another.
After he had gotten out of the car he came round and opened the door for me, something he repeated at the outer block door, and also at the door to the apartment. In fact he had been the perfect gentleman ever since he had met me at the beauty parlour and I was starting to realise just what it felt like to be treated as a woman, as well as starting to feel like one. Another confession - I also have to admit that it didn't feel too bad either, but I had better stop thinking like this before I got to enjoy it just a little too much!
We didn't do too much else during the rest of the afternoon, because I needed some time to get over the ordeal, and when he suggested that we went out for the evening, to maybe a restaurant or a club, I declined. He tried to persuade me to change my mind once again, but I wasn't going to buy it this time - I couldn't let him win all of the battles now, could I! A quiet evening was spent with me taking a bath, mainly to avoid Tom for a while, and him watching a game on television.
We agreed to follow the same sleeping arrangements as the previous night, but that was where the similarities ended. Tonight I was more relaxed and, after the bath, was starting to feel more at home in this body. That had been the first real chance I had to explore my new self because I don't count last night - I was still in too much of a state of shock I think, and maybe in a state of denial. Tonight was different though.
I had run the bath and scattered the scented bath oils that Suzy had left behind into the cascading water. I was such a strange feeling as I gingerly stepped into the water, taking great care less I should slip, for I was still not THAT confident in my control of this feminine form, and then let myself sink beneath the warm water. In doing so I quickly learnt one of the necessities of a woman's bath routine as I felt my hair starting to get wet, and I wished I had put it up first.
The thoughts of my hair were soon forgotten as my eyes wondered downwards, to see to small pink mounds peeking above the water. I drew my finger down past my neck towards my rubbery teats as I remembered the promise that they had held from my first tentative explorations, yesterday. My fingers traced the aureole and saw small goosebumps appearing as my skin tingled. I started to feel an inner heat build from within, as the lower part of my body started to respond to my delicate stroking, and I sent my other hand to explore the area it was coming from. As my fingers moved over my huge hips, at least they felt huge to me, I could feel the folds of skin that now existed between my legs start to unfold in anticipation and I felt a delicious shudder as my fingers finally met them.
I was starting to lose myself, or to lose Fred Quigly to be more precise, and all thoughts of my recently male past evaporated like the steaming bath water I was luxuriating in as my body appeared to be operating outside of my control. My other hand now joined the second as my legs spread wider and as I eased apart my inner lips I ran a finger from the other hand around the small hole that they had been protecting, feeling a need to draw it, or something else, deep inside of me.
And that was the point that Fred decided to return, whether in response to the deep-seated fear that the masculine part of me had in being penetrated, or because he was fascinated and wanted a piece of the action, I don't know. Whatever the reason I felt shook up and the dreamy mood I had been seduced into, disappeared.
* * * * * * *
I woke up the next morning feeling a little more normal than the previous day, and there was not the same sense of surprise this time, when I felt the pressure of my breasts remind me of their presence as I turned over. I squinted slightly as the early morning sun found a small crack between the curtains, and took the opportunity to seek out my face, and dragged myself out of bed.
I looked at the small clock next to my - Suzy's - side of the bed and saw that it was ten o'clock.
"Wow," I sighed, "no early morning call. The service is getting really bad here!" I said and then walked towards the door, easing the bunched up panties out of my crevice, quite unconsciously this time. I was adapting!
I opened the door to see that the room was still darkened, and I could just make out the form of my 'husband', lying prostrate on the sofa. I decided not to wake him and walked bleary-eyed out into the kitchen and opened a carton of orange juice. As with yesterday, I didn't even think of making my usual morning coffee and sat down on the barstool to gather my wits. The gentle noise I must have been making woke Tom and I watched him walk stiffly, into the kitchen as he scratched his chin, yawned, and rubbed his back.
"Ohhh.. good morning honey," he said as he forced his eyes open and smiled at me.
"Don't call me that Tom - you know it makes me feel, well - it just doesn't feel right!"
"Sorry, I'll try a little harder to remember next time," he said, as I watched him walk past and pick up a packet of Advil.
"Uhhh - is there something wrong?" I asked, as he threw two into his mouth and washed it down with some of my orange.
"Oh, it's just that my back is playing up. I don't think sleeping on that sofa is doing it any good at all," he said, and went to the bathroom to perform his early morning ablutions.
Well he would just have to live with it. There was no way that I was going to agree to a change in our sleeping arrangements, and there was no way that I, a girl, was going to give up a comfortable bed for man. I had gone through a few drastic changes here so I might as well enjoy some of the perks of my new gender!
A few minutes later Tom emerged from the bathroom, looking clean and sharp again. I could see that he had shaved and, for a moment, felt a brief moment of envy as I knew that I could no longer perform that most basic of masculine acts, but then thought, what the hell! I hated shaving anyway! Maybe this was another example of one of the benefits of being female, and I smiled as I thought that maybe I should start enjoying this experience and look for the positive in it - that is the positive, apart from the ten thousand that I was in this for.
Any brief illusions that I might have had, that maybe my life might be easier this way, were soon dispelled as Tom threw on his jacket and took out his wallet.
"Okay Suzy. I'm just going to get a newspaper and then we're going for a little walk. Get yourself freshened up and dressed in something smart, it'll be chance to see if you remembered any of what you were taught yesterday."
"Out! Again! Where?" I said, not relishing the idea at all!
"Every week Suzy and I would take a Sunday morning constitution. I think we should follow the same routine - it might give you some feeling of what it means to be her."
I never got a chance to answer, for he was out of the door quicker than greased lightening, and I stood there, suddenly wide awake, as I thought that something that he was telling me just didn't fit. He had hardly known Suzy long enough for such a routine as he had described to become established and besides, she hardly seemed the type to get decked out in her Sunday best for a walk with Tom. She was far too unconventional for that!
No, I was sure that Tom was up to something but whatever it was surely couldn't be that big a deal so I decided I would just go along with him and see what happened. I went back into the bedroom and looked around her closet for something that might be considered 'smart'. The problem was though, is that I didn't have a clue as to what that might be!
I looked around until I saw something in a colour that appealed to me, purple. It had always been my favourite and that seemed as good a reason as any to choose it. I held the knee length dress out in front of me as I looked in the mirror. It seemed to compliment my colouring perfectly and I was starting to get interested in seeing what I looked like once I had it on. Jeez - what was happening to me here?
I didn't need a shower or anything having only bathed last night, so I fished around in Suzy's lingerie drawer until I found something smooth and slinky, and then started taking my night-clothes off. When I had dressed yesterday it had mainly been functional but now I was more able to appreciate the subtleties of what was happening as I eased up the panties until they fitted snugly around my crotch. Never had I been more aware of the space between my legs as I was now, and I looked down at my smooth profile and walked around the room, marvelling at the sense of freedom that I felt as my legs moved unencumbered by my old penis and balls. My fascination with my nether regions didn't last too much longer though, for something a little further up my body started competing for my attention as the movement from my chest reminded me that I hadn't quite finished putting on my undergarments. I walked back to the bed, noting the sway of my hips, and picked up the bra that I had left there and held it up to my breasts. Remembering the brief struggle I had yesterday, I leaned forward as I had seen some of my old girlfriends do on occasions. Yes, this was easier. The rest was a little harder but I eventually managed to get the minuscule hooks located in the eyes and then stood up straight.
Somehow, all of a sudden, it all felt right. The snugness of the underwear, the support on my chest - yes, it felt good, although I felt uncomfortable admitting that to myself. Fred Quigly would never have felt good like this!
I knew what would have to come next and I went over to the dressing table to see what was in that cosmetics bag the salon had given me. It was all there - everything they had shown me and tried out on me was in that bag, and I concentrated for a moment, to see if I could remember the correct sequence of events, and trying to remember what Sandra had shown me first. My eyes wondered down towards the bag for inspiration and spotted a small flesh coloured tube.
"Oh yeah - foundation!" I said to myself as I picked it up and unscrewed the top.
I squeezed a small amount on my finger and then started to smooth it in to my face. Everything else seemed to fall in to place after that as all Sandra's coaching came back to me. Fifteen minutes later I had finished. I felt fairly pleased with what I had achieved, but I really had nothing to compare myself with. It was only now that I realised that I had never really taken much notice of the detail in a woman's appearance, whatever effort they had put in I had taken for granted.
I pulled up the hose that I had found in her lingerie drawer, the dress down over my head, making sure not to undo my good work, and looked at my self in the mirror. The dress seemed to be clinging to my legs a little, and it was only then that I realised that I need one of those slips I had seen. A matching pair of shoes and a handbag completed the outfit, and after a final look at myself I walked out of the bedroom, feeling quite light-headed and pleased with my morning's work.
Without knowing why I found myself humming contentedly and walked back into the main living room, wondering where Tom had got to when I saw him walk out of the kitchen, his eyes clearly showing his pleasure.
"Suzy - you look absolutely wonderful. Those lessons yesterday certainly proved to be good value for money. I wouldn't have believed it possible!"
I patted my wavy red hair into place and blushed a little, not used to being scrutinised in such a fashion, and attempted to make light of his comments.
"It..it was not that hard really. I mean, how hard can it be to put a few splashes of cream and powder in the right place and besides, it's only my day make-up so it's not overly heavy," I said as I looked in my compact just to check that everything was still okay.
"Don't be modest. I know that it can be harder than .." he started to say, but then blushed himself, as if he had started to say something that he shouldn't have before walking to a cupboard in the hallway and taking out a short white jacket and gloves.
I looked at him puzzled for a moment and then felt something that I had never experienced before, like a nagging that was insisting that something wasn't quite as it seemed. Was this what they call women's intuition?
"Well come on then - the day is waiting for us," he said, changing the subject and walking behind me to help me on with the jacket.
Being helped on with the jacket in such a way made me feel so feminine that I forget my concerns and he hurried me along, not giving me any more time to think, and only allowing me the briefest of moments to admire my completed look. The short jacket only served to emphasise my womanly hips, and I turned around to catch the swell of what felt like my enormous behind, although I knew that it was only that of a typical female. That thought gave me quite a jolt - Fred Quigly - a typical female!
"Vanity - thy name is woman!" Tom said as he spun me around and patted my bottom, virtually pushing me outside of the door, but I knew what he meant. Since my change I had hardly been able to stop gazing at my reflection at every opportunity, but I am sure that any other would have done the same in my situation.
I let Tom lead the way and I slid into the passenger seat as he held the car door open for me. I wouldn't go so far as to say that expecting this treatment was becoming second nature to me but it wasn't exactly a surprise anymore, either. I was also aware that it felt kind of nice in a way but fought back when I analysed my thoughts on this. Within moments we seemed to be pulling up outside of a large park and Tom was now reversing his earlier process by holding open the door for me to get out.
"You know ho..Suzy - it's really a beautiful day. Far too nice to be staying in," he said, as we walked through the park gates and onto a narrow pathway, a little too quickly for my liking.
I still felt uncertain about even the small heels that I was wearing, and I was beginning to feel unsteady walking at the pace that he seemed to want to so I held on to his arm for support.
"It is, but I'm glad I wore these gloves. It may be Spring but it's still quite cool" I replied, feeling a light, chill, breeze exploring its way under the skirt of my dress.
Little more was said for a while, for I was enjoying the tranquillity, away from the noise of the traffic, and I could sense an inner turmoil building within Tom that I didn't want to broach. We walked past a small lake and I watched the ducks making their way across the smooth water, as Tom started making small talk again, and stopped and looked at the city in the distance.
"You know Suzy, we put so much importance on the material things in life, like whether we've got the biggest house, the fastest car, the biggest diamonds, and all those other things we seem to crave. Well I'm not so sure that it is really all that important in the scheme of things, and I could honestly say that I would swap it all just to be with someone special to me - someone who I could share things with."
At first, I couldn't understand what he was talking about. What was it that he wouldn't swap?
I stared straight ahead, not daring to look at him or talk as he placed his hand over my own that was still resting on his arm. Even though we had stopped I had left it there, forgetting to take it away, although I have to admit that, up until now, I had derived a degree of assurance from this act. I became aware that my heart was starting to beat faster and I took a deep breath to calm myself, fearing where this was going to lead.
Tom continued as if in a daze, seeming to be talking as much to himself as he was to me.
"I was never really happy when I was younger. I was always told that I was too fragile and special to run through the grass, to climb the trees, and to do all the other things that would never have been questioned in a boy of my age. As a result I became frustrated and angry; angry with myself and angry with the world in general. I would do anything that gave me a chance to rebel and thumb my nose at those who would seek to impose their authority on me."
I felt his arm grip my hand tighter as he, again, caused me some confusion about the things that he was saying. Tom had never spoken to me, to Fred Quigly, about such things before and I felt awkward, as it appeared he was going to reveal some hidden depth about himself.
All of a sudden I felt myself being spun around, and I found myself looking up into his intense eyes that seemed to burn deep into my soul. There was something there that I recognised but this man seemed like a stranger to me - I had never seen Tom like this before, but then again - I had never been with him as a woman!
"That was Suzy, until...until I met you. All of a sudden it all makes sense to me - you make sense to me!"
I was really getting worried now and he was starting to scare me. Before I knew what was happening I felt a hand behind my neck, pulling my face towards him. I tried to pull back but he was much too strong for me and I could feel his warm breath on my lips.
"No - I mean it - don't struggle. You are perfect - the very image of Suzy, but even more so. Please honey - kiss me!" he said and I felt his lips touch mine.
I managed to twist my head away as a feeling of panic threatened to overwhelm me. I was so confused. The part of me that was still Fred wanted to slug him and run away as fast as these pretty legs would carry me. The part that was Suzy wanted to respond to him - to kiss him, and surrender to him just as I now knew that he wanted me to. The worst part was that I could no longer deny that this part of me existed, and I don't know if it was the body that responding to him and was threatening to overwhelm my male soul with a cocktail of female hormones and worse - desires, or something else. I hoped it was the former, because if it was more than that then I would have real problems when I changed back to Fred again.
For now though, the male part of me won the battle with all these self doubts, and my fear drove me onward. I used a typically female tactic to protect myself and stamped down hard on his foot with my heel, causing him to release me and hop helplessly up and down, grimacing in pain.
"Never Tom. Never! You may have put me in her body and dressed me in her clothes but I'm still Fred - I'm still Fred Quigly. I am not your wife!" I yelled, and started to feel tears building up in my eyes.
I am not sure what happened after that, but I just ran, ran and ran, until I could run no more. I can only imagine how it must have looked to others but I didn't care. Whatever was left of Fred had retreated now, and I was just a hysterical, mixed up and confused woman, young and (gulp) in love?
Stop - where had that thought come from. It..it must have been a reaction to the situation and to Tom's move on me. I was still Fred Quigly and I was still a man, deep down.
* * * * * * *
Tom had caught up with almost as soon as I had fled, apologising for his impetuousness and his lack of self-control, but I was too upset to answer him and we returned home in silence. As soon as we got in I went to the bathroom and examined my tear-stained face in the mirror. Oh, I looked a mess!
I immediately started work on cleaning myself and then started on repairing the damage although I'm not sure why. I had no intention of going anywhere else today that was for sure, it just seemed the right thing to do somehow. I had started to take a sort of pride in my appearance!
That finished I left the bathroom and went into the kitchen to make myself something hot to drink. I felt all cold inside. I ignored Tom, who was sitting in his favourite armchair and reading the paper that he had bought earlier, and took the drink into the bedroom where I could buy myself some time to think things through.
I must have made a ridiculous picture, sitting there in the dress that I had gone out in, and looking miserable. I was miserable because I was confused, and I was confused because I just didn't know what was what anymore. Oh sure, I was still Fred Quigly all right - under this feminine shell I knew who I really was, but I also couldn't deny the feelings that Tom had brought out in me. They were certainly nothing like Fred would have felt, or even have admitted to himself, so did that mean that I was now somebody else and if so, was I Suzy!
I looked in the mirror and saw the upper part of my body reflected back at me. The face was familiar - it always had been - but this time in a different way. As I searched my thoughts I became aware that I wasn't really surprised to see the face staring back at me anymore. I had expected to see Suzy's face for the first time. I still didn't regard myself as Suzy, there was no doubt about that, but if I wasn't Fred and I wasn't Suzy then who was I?
I played with the curly tresses of my hair and, idly, looked at my red fingernails. I couldn't sit here feeling like this all the time, analysing every thought and feeling that presented itself - I would surely go mad if I continued down that path or, at the very least, have some sort of nervous breakdown. No, I had to re-assess what was going on here!
I shook my head, feeling the long hair swish around my face, and took a deep breath. I was in a situation that I had entered into willingly, even though I hadn't really believed that it was possible when I had agreed to it. I knew what I would become before I had arrived at Tom's apartment and I had since gone along with everything that had been suggested for me. Why was I so full of self-doubt now, after all - it was only temporary?
No, I was kidding myself - I knew exactly why I had suddenly started feeling so unsure, and it was the same reason that I had run like a frightened rabbit back in the park. It was because Tom had kissed me and because I knew that I could have easily given into him if I hadn't fought the real desire I felt to do so. What did that make me? Who did that make me?
A new determination seemed to take a hold in my breast and I chided myself for acting in the way that I had done. I suppose it was natural really. To Tom it must have seemed like a miracle, having his estranged bride returned to him and living together, as he had always wanted. It must have been really hard for him, seeing what seemed to be the love of his life here, in front of him, and then keeping him at arm's length. The poor guy must have had a boner the size of Nelson's column with me just being here, and I knew how frustrating that felt, and how it sometimes meant that you acted completely out of character in your desire to get some relief.
I looked back in the mirror and gave myself a smile, knowing that I could cope now - I was sure that Tom wouldn't try anything again, not after what had happened earlier. I could live with being Suzy for a while, surely, and at least I'd have the money and some greater appreciation of what it was like to be a woman. Hell, it might even help me get a girl myself once I was back to normal, especially if I knew how they truly felt about these things. Maybe I should push this girl thing to the limit and try and live the part over the next few days - the limit being the obvious, of course. I had a life to lead afterwards after all, how could I face Tom when I became Fred again if I surrendered to that final part of becoming a woman and went all the way!
I stood up and walked over to the full-length mirror on the wardrobe door and brushed myself down, smoothing the invisible wrinkles that I was sure were there. I felt a new burst of confidence as I looked at myself, and noted that I seemed to have grown a few inches, but I knew that this was down to my change in attitude. I blew a kiss to myself and laughed - there was no way that I was going to admit to giggling - that would have been too much!
I pushed my hair back into place and strode back out into the living room and saw Tom peek over the top of his paper, almost as if he was afraid to make eye contact with me. I walked over towards him, now fully aware of the sway from my hips, and pulled down the front of his paper.
"Well husband - are you going take me out to eat or do you expect me to spoil this dress by making us something here?"
Oh, that moment was priceless. I could almost hear his brain whirring as he tried to make sense out of what was happening here, and I felt a momentary flush of power as I realised that I could have him eating out of the palm of my hand - I was in control of the situation!
"Bu.but - I thou.. I thought that you were still annoyed with me. I thought that you we..."
"Were what? Did you think I was going to sit there and sulk and starve myself to teach you a lesson - I don't think so! No, I'm going to see this through and I'm going to become Suzy in every way but one over the next few days, and I'm going to have fun doing it. Now come on - this girl's gotta eat and you're buying."
He stood up and groaned for a second, holding his back, before looking for where he had thrown his jacket, his face a mixture of pain, pleasure and puzzlement at this sudden turn-around from me and from the stiffness of his back. I even heard him mutter "women!" to himself and that made me laugh again. I knew exactly what he must have been feeling at that moment, about how illogical and irrational that 'us' women were, but he just didn't have enough experience of living on the other side to have seen the world from the perspective that I now was. I was still finding plenty out myself, but I was already starting to appreciate it.
* * * * * * *
The rest of the day had gone well. We had eaten at a modest restaurant, spent some more time just walking around and talking, and had done the sort of things that any other young married couple might. I was even holding on to his arm once more, feeling far more confident in my ability to ensure that we didn't get a repeat performance of what had happened earlier.
By the time that early evening had arrived we had returned back home, my feet aching from all the walking, and with us both feeling rather tired. I offered to make us a light snack and while I did that Tom went and had a shower. He came out shortly afterwards dressed in just a bathrobe but looking much happier than I had ever seen him before. I felt warm inside and pleased for him, glad that I could have done something to postpone the agony that I knew he'd feel again, when this was all over.
I know that he was doing this for the moment but had he really thought about how hard it would be, especially after enjoying having Suzy here with him again - even if it was by proxy - when things returned to normal?
I doubted it but why should I worry? This is what we both agreed to and he knew the score.
"That looks good Suzy - I'll get some wine to go with it!" he exclaimed as he looked at the simple meal of chicken with Caesar salad that I had rustled up.
"Oh, it's nothing special - just a something I made up from the leftovers," I replied as I watched him bend down to the fridge and pull out a bottle Frascati.
As he bent down his robe opened slightly, and I saw the light covering of black hair that was spread across his chest. Before I was aware of what I was thinking I mentally compared it to my own thinking how different it was from the smooth and contoured version that I now owned. I couldn't take my eyes off of him and was like a moth drawn to a flame as I felt my heartbeat increase and a weakness spread throughout my body as I recognised how attractive he was becoming. I couldn't help remembering the taste of his lips as my body started to react in further pleasurable but undesirable ways, at least they were undesirable to me, and was saved from myself as he stood up and went to get a bottle opener.
He opened the wine with a pop and then took out two glasses and set them on the table before half filling them and offering a glass to me.
"Here - I think that this always goes down well with something light," he said as he clinked his glass against mine.
I felt myself lifting the glass to my mouth and took a small sip, shocked at first by the dry acidic flavour of the grape, before following it with a larger mouthful. It tasted a little better now that my taste buds were better prepared and I took another sip before setting the glass down and smiling across nervously towards Tom. My reaction at seeing his chest had unnerved me but I continued to study him, even though the more I looked at him the more I felt my confidence draining away.
As I had noticed before, there was still something about Tom that was different, only that time I hadn't been able to pin it down. I had assumed that it was because I had been viewing him from within this female vessel but I now knew that it was more than that. I had never seen Tom act so thoughtfully with anyone before, even the original Suzy, and, if anything, he had always been a little on the crude side. I was sure that this was the main reason why the real Suzy had been so attracted to him, almost as an act of rebellion against her father. Now, here he was, recommending the best wine to go with the meal and treating my just like a lady, and I remembered that he had done the same in the restaurant earlier - it just hadn't registered as unusual at the time!
No, there was definitely something here that didn't quite gel but I decided to put it at the back of my mind for now, maybe because I think I preferred him this way!
When the meal was finished, and the wine along with it, I stood up to go to the bathroom to freshen myself up and get into something a little more comfortable, leaving Tom to clear away the table. The minute I stood up though I felt a little giddy and realised that the wine must have gone to my head.
"Hey - are you all right?" Tom asked, and reached across the table to hold onto my arm as I straightened myself.
"Y..yes - I think so," I said, and then laughed to myself, feeling a bit silly and thinking it funny that two glasses of wine could make me feel this way.
"I..I'd better go and take a shower and clear my head - that wine was strong stuff," I said and, gaining my sea legs, walked towards the bathroom.
"Okay, then I'll see you in short while - unless you'd like me to come and scrub your back," he replied, and then rubbed his own. It was obviously still bothering him.
"No - no thanks. I think I can manage well enough," I replied and then took went into the bathroom and shut the door behind me.
I leaned back against and laughed to myself again, thinking how bizarre this whole situation was, and then decided to take a bath instead of the shower. A few minutes later and I was slipping beneath the hot water that had been liberally laced with some of the aromatherapeutic oils that Suzy had kept. It made me feel so relaxed that I resolved that I would try some of these when I changed back into Fred again, and then picked up the small bottle to see what it contained. I laughed again when I read that it was supposed to help one to feel sensuous and was also reputed to be a mild aphrodisiac and that some people would believe anything. I couldn't deny though, that it made me feel good about myself.
Forty minutes later I was dabbing myself dry and then putting on an ankle-length nightgown that I had found, followed by a bathrobe. I brushed my hair quickly before stepping back into the living room, and giving a big yawn.
"Oh Hi sleepy head. I thought that you'd shrivelled away or something. I take it that you enjoyed yourself!" he said, and then walked out into the kitchen as I settled myself onto the sofa.
"Yes I did actually. It's been a tiring couple of days and I think I needed that to wind down," I said, as I heard him rummaging around for something.
I closed my eyes for a moment and then felt the sofa sink a little as he sat down beside me. This caught me out because I had expected him to sit in his favourite chair and I didn't quite know how to react as he handed me another glass of wine, taking it automatically from him.
"Oh, I don't know if I should really have any more. The last one made me feel - well, a little strange to tell the truth!"
"Yes I noticed!" he said smiling, which caused my heart to flutter a bit, " but it's the perfect thing to help you relax and God knows, I think we both need that. We've got a hectic few days coming up so lets just enjoy the moment. There's a movie worth watching on soon, I've been meaning to watch it for a while."
He leaned across me to pick up the remote control that was next to me and, as he lifted his head he looked up at me appreciatively.
"Mmmmm - you smell good!"
"Yes - I used some of that oil in the bath. It was really relaxing!"
"And I'll bet that's not all it was!" he said and laughed, as if at some private joke which I ignored as we settled down to watch the movie that had just started.
The rest of the evening passed with us sitting close together, but neither of us making any sort of move towards each other, I noted with relief, or at least that's what I should have thought. The reality though, was that it wasn't really a relief. The sense of anticipation between us, as if we were waiting for the each other to make a move, was quite electric, and it was impossible to concentrate on the movie. I felt my body reacting to this situation, and began to feel quite nervous and uncomfortable as I felt my nipples hardening and a heat build up within my loins, recognising this as the first signs of my arousal. At one point I even sneaked a peek at Tom and noticed him fidgeting as he tried to cover up his own growing excitement before I made an excuse and told him that I was tired and wanted to go to bed.
I had to do something to avoid what I now knew that I wanted and could no longer deny to myself, yet I knew that I would regret it if I followed through on my thoughts. I justified my feelings by convincing myself that my burgeoning yearnings were quite natural for the girl who I seemed to be and, indeed, was. I went into the bedroom and lay down on the bed, grateful to get away from any temptation. I was sure that these feelings would disappear once I became a man again, but for the first time I started to question whether that was what I really wanted and then fell to sleep as the effects of the alcohol finally claimed me.
* * * * * * *
I woke up the next morning with a hangover and groaned as I attempted to lift my head up from the pillow, feeling like it had trebled in weight during the night.
"Oh God, why did I let him talk me into sharing that extra bottle of wine!" I complained as I let my head fall back down on the pillow.
Then, I remembered how I had felt the previous night. I gave an involuntary shiver as I recalled the feelings I had felt about Tom, and how I had almost been ready to surrender to them, and thanked the Lord that I had gone to bed when I did.
I dragged myself out of bed and went through the living room and straight to the bathroom, just about noticing that Tom was still lying flat out on the sofa. I thought I heard him groan but ignored him, finding the need to perform my morning ablutions being far more important than his suffering. Once I had finished and returned again he was still groaning, and I was a little more able to pay some attention to him.
"Oohhhhh Suzy - help me will you - I'm in agony here!"
"What is it?" I asked him as I yawned and walked towards him.
"I..I think my backs gone - I can't move!" he moaned as he tried to stretch his body.
I pulled the covers away from him and, finding it hard to see him properly in the darkened room went to open the shutters on his window to let the light in. When I looked at him this time I could tell the pain that he was in.
"Oh dear Tom, you look awful - here let me help you," I said, and offered my hand to him, to lend him some support as he struggled to lift himself up.
Of course, my hand wasn't too much use to him because it carried no strength whatsoever, and when I then offered my arm that didn't seem much better either! It was a stark reminder of my newly weakened state and it only served to remind me of what I now was, a member of the gentler sex. No matter though, I couldn't ponder on this too long for Tom had somehow managed to pull himself upright, although it would maybe be more accurate to say that he had pulled himself up and bent over.
He looked like an old man.
"Why don't you go and have a nice hot soak and ease those stiff muscles. I'll get some breakfast ready for when you get out. It's a good job we've got no work to go to today, you'd never be able to cope!"
"Yeah - good idea. Mind you, if the job was still open then maybe we wouldn't have had to go through his, and maybe I wouldn't be in such a sorry state!"
It was the first time that I had heard him indicate that he had any sort of regret about the deal we had made and, inexplicably, I felt a sharp pain pierce my heart which I knew was my disappointment. Heavens, surely I couldn't feel disappointed that Tom, another man, might not want me - could I?
As if reading my thoughts he qualified his previous statement and smiled kindly at me, his eyes looking misty for a moment, although I'm sure that this was down to the pain that he was in - at least I hoped so.
"And by that I mean the condition that 'I'm' in - not you - I don't think I've ever been so happy during the last two days Suzy."
There was a pregnant pause as I wasn't quite sure how to react. Instead I just went a bright shade of crimson and tried to tear my eyes away from his piercing gaze that seemed to burn its way into my very soul. I could feel myself melting and for a split second in time wanted to go over to him and let him envelop me in his arms and him overwhelm me.
Instead, I banished these treacherous thoughts and tried to regain my composure.
"G..go and have your bath Tom, and you'll most probably feel better," I said, and turned around and went to the kitchen.
"Mind you - it would have been interesting to see you on the assembly line as you are now - I think you would have caused a riot!" I heard him say, just before the bathroom door clicked shut.
Wondering what he meant I looked down at myself and then suddenly realised what he meant. I had removed my nightdress when I had gone to the bathroom earlier, and was just wearing the bra and panties I had had on underneath it, covered by a bathrobe. In my half-wakened state, and with all the fuss regarding Tom, I hadn't even noticed that my bra had come loose and that a part of my left breast was hanging out of it, including a large and prominent nipple. My bathrobe had also become partly undone, most probably when I had helped Tom, and my charms were clearly on display such to the extent that even Tom, in his pain-ridden state, couldn't have failed to notice it.
Again, I felt a sudden rush of heat as my embarrassment spread beyond my face and down to my chest and I hastily gathered the bathrobe together although to was far too late now of course, the damage had already be done. I couldn't fail to notice though, how large and sensitive my nipple was and had a fleeting vision of Tom's mouth wrapped around it, cooling it with his tongue, but stopped myself quickly and almost ran to the bedroom, deciding to dress myself before Tom emerged again.
* * * * * * *
The rest of the day passed by uneventfully, although I suppose it wouldn't have been so uneventful if I was still Fred. Maybe it was a growing sign of my acceptance of myself as Suzy that I should have thought that spending an afternoons shopping, having a facial and my hair done, and then stopping off to watch the latest Julia Roberts movie could be classified as uneventful. Fred would have been goggle-eyed at this prospect, less than four days ago.
Was it really only four days? Walking, sitting, eating, washing, performing my bodily functions, it all seemed so natural to me as a woman now, that I was finding it hard to remember what it had ever felt like to do these things as a man. I even had to admit that the freedom of walking without those fleshy protuberances dangling down between my legs, and not having to rearrange them more often than not whenever I was sat down, was a definite plus. Also, walking back to Tom's car and letting my hair blow in the breeze and knowing that I looked good - in fact very good - was such a wonderful feeling that I began to envy women and such simplistic pleasures for the first time. I was envying what seemed to me to be the oh so many opportunities that they had to make themselves feel attractive and, dare I say it or even admit it to myself - well, sexy. Yes damn it - sexy!
That was what I felt right now and it felt good. But did the fact that I felt sexy mean that I wanted sex? I didn't think so but I was beginning to feel unsure about even this. I was becoming curious to know just what it would feel like to be taken and loved as a woman, and an unbidden vision of Tom sprung into my mind, as I remembered the look that he had given me this morning. I pulled myself together again and wondered how Tom was feeling. He hadn't been up to coming out with me today, but had insisted that I went by myself.
"You don't want to sit around here all day watching me suffer. Go out and have some fun - you only have a couple more days to find out what it feels like to be on the other side of the gender barrier so make the most of it!" he had said - so I did!
Just a short drive later and I was back at what I had begun to think of as home. I opened the door with the key that Tom had given me and went into the living room, dropping my bags on the floor and gasping. My hands flying to my mouth as I saw the prostate form of Tom lying flat out on the floor.
"Tom!" I shrieked.
"Oh, Hi Suzy - it's alright, I'm fine. I went down to the gymnasium this afternoon and had a massage. It has done wonders for me and I'm mobile again now, but they advised me to stretch myself occasionally and make sure that I keep myself limber."
With that he almost leapt up and I was, again, looking up into his eyes as he smiled at me.
"And how was your day? I've got to say that you look terrific. I would never have believed that it would have been possible for Fred Quigly to look so darn sexy," he laughed and then winced as I punched him, feebly, on his arm - just like a girl would have done.
"You pig!" I said in a hurt tone of voice as I pouted, but then found myself laughing with him before explaining what I had been doing.
"Ouch!" he said, as he heard how much I had spent. "I said enjoy yourself but at this rate you will have spent my first three-months paychecks before 'Daddy' has even confirmed that he is giving me the job."
"Oh, you'll get it all right you can be sure of that. I am sure that 'Daddy' will not notice that anything is remiss at all - men are so useless at noticing things like that," I said, and walked past him to get some orange juice form the kitchen.
"That's true!" he replied, his voice carrying a hint of bitterness that was just loud enough for me to hear, and I thought it was such a funny thing for him to have said. It was so out of character that it took me aback for a moment.
"What was that!" I exclaimed and turned around to face him.
For the first time I saw his face colour, as if he had been caught doing something that he shouldn't have been, and then he tried to shrug it off.
"Oh - oh, nothing - nothing at all," he said, and then went quickly into the bathroom before I could pursue it any further.
I stood there looking at the closed door and tried to fathom out just what was going on here. Something, some alien and undefined feeling, was trying to get my attention, trying to tell me that something wasn't how it should have been, but I just couldn't grasp hold of it!
I shook my head in frustration and went into the kitchen to make myself some herbal tea. I had always thought it was too flowery and sweet up until now, but I had started developing a taste for it since I had changed. I went back into the living room and drank it slowly while I waited for Tom to return, which he did soon afterwards. I looked up at him expectantly but instead of sitting down and paying me the kind of attention that I had first felt uncomfortable with, he just threw on a jacket and went towards the door.
"W..wait Tom, wait - where are you going?" I cried, sounding, even to myself, like a pathetic and whining woman.
"Out - I'm just going out for a while. A guy's got to have some space you know!" he said, practically shouting and then, a little shamefaced and guilty.
"But how long will you be gone - do you want me to make you a meal or something for when you get back?"
"N..no - and don't wait up for me, either!" he said, and left me staring at the door as he slammed it shut in his hurry to get out.
I must have sat there looking at that door for a long time, although I wasn't counting the minutes. I feel empty, sad, and all alone for the first time since I had changed and wondered where I had gone wrong and what I had done that had upset Tom? Something had seemed to snap in him and he seemed to be going through some deep inner turmoil that I must somehow, have triggered!
As I thought about him I felt a churning in my heart. It seemed to twist and knot as I thought and worried about where he was. I knew that I was worried and concerned about him but this was something more than that - these feelings I had I recognised from an earlier period of my life, a period when I had my first crush on a girl at school.
Oh my! Thank God I only had one more evening to get by as Suzy, for I knew that I was falling in love - I was falling in love with Tom!
* * * * * * *
It had gotten dark a long time ago when I heard a key enter the lock in the front door, and then turn. I was still sitting in the same place I had been when he had left earlier, when the living room door opened and he turned on the light forcing me to squint. The look of surprise on his face was almost comical for a moment as he did a double take.
"S..S..Suzy! B..but I thought you'd be in bed by now!"
I laughed softly at him and then went serious as I looked down at my skirt, feeling to shy to look directly at him.
"I couldn't relax Tom, not until I knew that you were coming back."
He stood looking at me for a moment, as if he was trying to think of something to say.
"Have you been sitting there like that all night?"
I laughed again, but this time looking him straight in the eye.
"No silly, I've only just sat back down again after making myself something to eat. Are you hungry?"
"No - I've eaten. Look, I'm sorry - I shouldn't have walked out like that. It was just..."
"You don't have to explain," I said yawning, "but I think I want to retire now. I'm feeling pretty pooped," I said, and I was!
Now that Tom had returned safely, and he seemed to have faced his inner demons, I knew that the emotions and experiences of the day had caught up with me. I stood up and went into the bedroom, having noticed the awkward way that he had been standing, and returned a minute later carrying some sheets and blankets. It was obvious that his back was starting to play him up again, and that he was having some sort of relapse. He couldn't last another night on that sofa without ending up as some sort of cripple - at least temporarily, and he couldn't afford to face my - Suzy's - father in such a state.
"Okay - you can take the bed tonight, and I'll take the sofa. I can't see you ending up like you were this morning again!"
I tried to breeze past him to make up the bedclothes but his hand held me back as he spun me around to face him.
"No Suzy - I can't let you do that for Heaven's sake! What kind of man do you think I am to let a woman to do that?"
"Well I don't know about what kind of man you are but you're forgetting - I'm not exactly a woman am I?" I stated firmly as I pulled away from him.
"But you are Suzy - that's exactly what you are. Every muscle, sinew and fibre of your being is female, just as every part of me is male. You've felt that haven't you Suzy - haven't you!"
He was so intense - he was almost pleading for me to admit that what he was saying was the truth! The thing was I didn't even have to think too much about what he had said because I knew that he was right. The thoughts and feelings that I had been through this evening had left me in no doubt of that, I didn't want him to know that though - I wasn't sure how he might react towards me if I did. I hastily tried to get back to the sleeping arrangements.
"Well that's got nothing to do with anything. You just cannot sleep here tonight and end up in agony again. You will just have to think of me as Fred for tonight, and forget about anything else - there is no other option!" I said firmly.
"Well there is actually. Our bed - I mean mine and Suzy's - is a king size one, and there is more than enough room for us to share without.. without - well, without us getting compromised," he said, looking expectantly at me, trying to gauge my reaction.
"Oh..no!" I said, "No, no, no! There is no way that I will agree to that. If you think that I am going to share a bed with you then..."
"Oh for goodness sake - what the hell do you think that I am? Don't you think that I can control myself, just for this one night - just for this evening!" he interrupted me, looking annoyed.
I realised that I had hurt his feelings and started to feel a little guilty. Before I had a chance to recover he moved past me and started laying out the sheets, wincing as he bent down to tuck them into the cushions.
"There's nothing else for it - if I can't be trusted then I'll just have to sleep out here because there is no way that I am going to a let a lady do that while I'm tucked up comfortable in a real bed."
I was going to protest again but I knew that there would be no budging him and that I'd be wasting my breath. Anyway - it was quite sweet of him really and I couldn't help but smile to myself as I found myself enjoying being on the receiving end of his chivalry. I put my hand on his shoulder as I saw him bend down again, wanting to save him from any further pain.
"Look okay - maybe I was being a little over-sensitive but you've got to try and understand how I feel. As you said just a moment ago - I suppose I'm not Fred right at this moment, but I want to get back to being him as soon as I can. I know that you've got to think of me as Suzy for a while, just so we can get through tomorrow evening but that's it - just keep it to your thoughts. I beginning to find this all a bit unsettling and I..I don't want to.. look, what I'm trying to say is - why don't we share then! I'll give it a try, but you've got to promise me that you'll behave," I said, trying to maintain some semblance of control over this situation.
"Oh I will - I'll be on my best behaviour all right hone..Suzy," he smiled, and I felt a strange fluttering inside of me that made me wonder whether I had done the right thing in agreeing with his idea!
* * * * * * *
For the first time since I'd been here I decided that I'd go into the bathroom to change into my night-clothes. There was no way that I was going to get undressed in front of Tom so I went into the bedroom before him and looked for some clean nightwear. The long nightdress that I had been wearing up until now had gotten a little messy. (I had woken up this morning with what I had presumed was the female equivalent of a stiffy). To my consternation I found that all that was left in her drawers were the short ones that she favoured so it was either wear one of those, or maybe wear one of Tom's t-shirts and hope that it would be one long enough to provide some decent cover.
I quickly went to his drawer and looked for a t-shirt but couldn't find one. Either he kept them somewhere else or he didn't have any, although I'm sure that I had seen him in them in the past.
"Come on honey - I'm tired. Are you going to be much longer?" I heard him call out from the room.
"Just a moment Tom - I'm just getting something," I called back.
"Well okay, but I don't know what you think you're hiding from me. Don't forget I married the girl that you are now and I've seen everything you've got before," he replied, sounding a little exasperated.
"Not on me thought buster!" I retorted, giving him short shrift.
His remarks had caused me to blush and, again, I wondered if I had done right thing in agreeing to share the bed with him as I suddenly realised that however much I tried to cover myself up he most probably knew every inch of this body - intimately!
Starting to get flustered I grabbed the nearest shirt in his drawer and then went quickly to the bathroom. I got out of my day clothes and looked at my reflection in the mirror briefly, still somewhat shocked to see a naked female reflection staring back at me. It hadn't been so bad earlier, when I had been putting my make-up on, but seeing the breasts hanging down and feeling them move and sway on my body as I watched them, was still very difficult to get used to. Maybe I wasn't totally female yet after all, if I could still feel uncomfortable like this!
I found that thought oddly re-assuring and knew that it confirmed that Fred Quigly was still alive and well and living in this gorgeous body - or, at least a part of him was. I just had to maintain that thought for another day.
I pulled the navy blue shirt around my body and started doing up the buttons, but had to pause for a moment as my orientation had to re-adjust to them being back on what had always been the right side for me, up until the last few days. It surprised me at how quickly I had adjusted to buttoning up Suzy's things the wrong way around as I rolled up the too long sleeves and adjusted the collar.
I turned back to the mirror and, this time, I expected to see a reflection that had been neutered somewhat, by the wearing of male clothes. I should have known better though and silently cursed myself for not realising sooner that there is something about a woman wearing men's clothing that makes her look incredibly sexy. It is difficult to define what it is but a girl looks so vulnerable and childlike when she is wearing something oversized and masculine, and it actually enhances her femininity rather than reduces it.
I could feel the male part of me respond to my reflection and felt a heat building up, once again.
"Oh brother!" I groaned and just prayed that Tom would have the light off when I went back into the bedroom.
I lingered in the bathroom a little longer, hoping that the longer I waited the more likely that Tom was to have turned out the lights but as soon as I reached the bedroom I saw that I wasn't in luck. Worse than that, he was lying inside the bed and appeared to be naked, at least from the waist up!
He looked up from the paper that he was reading, with a devilish smile on his face.
"Hi, at last! I thought that something had happened to you. I expect you were finding out just why women take so long in the bathroom."
I remained looking at him, not saying a word, until he finally looked down at himself and he realised why I was staring. He looked back at me, then down again and, finally held my gaze.
"Oh, don't worry. I've got some shorts on underneath," he replied and then put down his paper and slid fully underneath the sheets.
"I've recently found out that I prefer sleeping topless - it makes me feel so much freer," he said, as I slid in next to him and lay down on my side, facing away from him.
I was yet another strange comment for him to have made but I chose to ignore it, not trusting myself to say anything such was the tension that I felt. He turned out the lights which at least meant that he would not be able to see my discomfort but I had no doubt that he could detect how I felt, anyway. If nothing else, then he must have at least heard my heart pounding away - to me, it was almost deafening! If he did then he made no reference to it, merely wishing me good night.
I hugged my body to the edge of the bed as I felt the mattress move under his weight as he turned over, and breathed a sigh of relief as he seemed to fall straight to sleep. I followed him soon afterwards.
* * * * * * *
I had a strange dream that night - a very strange dream. It was so vivid that it was one of those that when you wake up the next day, you have to check yourself to tell whether it was real or not. Well this dream was just like that.
It started off with me - that is the Fred Quigly me - going out with Tom for a night on the town. It wasn't anything special that we were doing, just spending another night watching the game on the large screen TV down at Chilli's and enjoying a few beers. Well somewhere in this dream a woman came into it. She had long and flowing red hair, a thigh length bottle green dress, and looked as if she was - well, as if she was hungry for it!
She just stood in front of the screen and asked me whether I was going to dance with her or not? I can remember looking at Tom and he was winking his eye at me, and motioning for me to do as she said, so I thought why not and took her hand. Now if this had happened in real life then I think I might have run a mile - it would have been far too embarrassing for me, what with everybody knowing me there, but as it was just a dream, I went along with the flow!
The music was playing gently in the background and as she buried her face in my shoulder I could smell the sweet scent of her hair as it rested underneath my nose. It was sublime and I soon found myself swaying more in time with her increasingly sensuous movements as I fell deeper under her spell. Before I was aware of it she was leading me from the bar room and through a small back door which opened onto a room containing a bed. I walked with her as if in a daze and let her undress me before she slowly removed her own clothing. She lay down flat on the bed and spread her legs wide, coaxing and urging me to join her until I found myself between her legs, and smelling the musky aroma of a female in heat.
"Tell me Fred," she breathed sensuously into my ear, "do you think I look beautiful, don't you want me?"
"Ohhh - yes," I moaned as her slim fingers closed around my cock, and the next thing I knew I was gently pushing inside of her and enjoying the feeling of my hardness sliding into her velvet lined inner walls. I started to lose myself and had no idea how long I had been there until I finally climaxed and seemed to find myself clothed again, and following her back into the bar.
She started dancing with me again and I closed my eyes and let me lips embrace her until I felt her pull away slightly, and then heard Tom's voice say:
"Excuse me - can I cut in here?"
I can't really remember what happened after that, but I knew that she must have turned him down, because the next thing I knew I was being lead back into the room again, the one that she had shamelessly seduced me in, earlier!
As before, I could feel my clothes being removed and as I was pulled towards the bed I opened my eyes again for a moment, and spotted the green dress lying crumpled on the floor. I closed my eyes once more as I fell under the spell of the caresses that I was receiving and then opened my legs and prepared for the moment of penetration. It felt so warm and damp there, and I eagerly pushed back against the body that was joined with me, feeling myself surrender and wanting to give myself fully, to this person and this moment of pleasure.
I groaned and moaned and my lover joined in with me until I was almost at the point of no return. It was just at that most exquisite moment, that timeless and weightless point in time when you recognise that you are about climax and can do nothing to stop it, when I heard my partner say to me:
"Ohhh Suzy - please Suzy now!" and then, as I felt a warm and unfamiliar sensation in my insides, I opened my eyes at the exactly the same moment that I felt my orgasm claim me.
"Tom - TOM!" I shrieked, seeing for the first time that I was lying underneath him and knowing that he was pumping his seed deep into me.
He must have thought that I was shouting out his name in ecstasy, because he continued to thrust and grind himself into me, and despite the horror of what I was doing, I couldn't help but to join in with him, returning his thrusts with a frenzied passion. We continued this for a couple of minutes more until he finally started to slow down, and I felt his hardness soften and then slip out of me. It was at that moment that he rolled over and away from me, and as I felt the mattress move, that I knew that this was no dream, at least not this part!
I was numb with shock as I finally realised that I had slept with another man, and that I had even let him climax inside of me. I still couldn't move when I felt his body turn over towards me again, and as he let his arm drape casually across me and play with my exposed nipple, I started to moan again. Where had the shirt gone - what was I doing? Oh dear Lord help me!
A million questions ran through my head as I waited expectantly, and I could feel him start to harden again as he spooned himself into my back. Even worse though, I could feel myself starting to respond to him again, and when he leaned over and lightly bit my nipple I knew that I was his, and that I wanted and desired him every bit as much as he so obviously did me.
This time though our lovemaking was gentle and slow, and I was fully conscious and able to savour every moment of it. I no longer cared whether I was Fred, Suzy or something in between, as I felt his penis slide into my ready and accepting body. What I did know though was that whatever or whoever I really was, at this moment I was definitely a woman, and I was loving every minute of it!
* * * * * * *
I didn't have a clue as to what time it was when I next opened my eyes, although as I squinted and rubbed them I could see that it was at least morning. I groaned and felt a soreness between my legs that reminded me of what had happened last night between Tom and I. I pulled myself up onto my elbow and looked over to where Tom had slept, but he wasn't there. I don't know whether I was relieved to have a moment of privacy, in which I would have a chance to face up to my feelings about last night, or whether I was lonely. A large part of me wanted him here, for him to put his arm around me again and re-assure me that he hadn't just used me for my body!
I got out of bed and stretched, again concerned about the thoughts I was having, knowing that this is just how a girl would have thought, but on the evidence of last night I was beginning to think that being a girl was actually not such a bad thing. It certainly had its compensations.
I walked out into the living room and then into the kitchen, after having put on Suzy's bathrobe, and saw that Tom was sitting at the breakfast bar, sipping a cup of coffee. He looked at me a little sheepishly as I yawned and then sat down beside him.
"Suzy!" he said, "about last night, I'm so, so sorry. After everything I said I just..."
"Sshhhhhh - don't say anything," I said, and then kissed him lightly on his lips.
I don't know who was the most surprised by my act - me or him - but it felt such a natural thing to do that it didn't matter. I went and got myself an orange juice and a banana and then sat down beside him again, rubbing his back softly and smiling.
"I can see that your back is a lot better. You weren't just using that as an excuse to get a girl into bed with you were you?"
"No - I wouldn't do a .." he started to say indignantly, but then stopped again, as the saw the devilish smile on my face, knowing that I was teasing him.
"Well even if you were I don't mind you know. I think I've learnt a lot in these last few days and although I never imagined that I take part in what we shared last night, I'm not sorry that I did. It will stand me in good stead once things get back to normal," I said, and then suddenly became serious again.
All this time, ever since my change, I had been scared of what I had become, or to be more accurate, what I had started to feel. Now that I had broken through that fear I wasn't really sure that I wanted to lose what I now considered that I had gained.
I decided that I would deal with this in the only way that I knew how - I would avoid the issue!
"It's eleven thirty and we've got things to do before this evening. I'm going to shower and then make sure that everything's ready for tonight. I'd suggest that you do the same."
"Sounds good to me," he grinned, and started to follow me as I walked towards the bathroom, but I stopped him dead in his tracks.
"Separately Tom - some things a girl wants to do alone," I said, and then closed the door on him before sliding the lock into place.
I couldn't help smiling as I saw the look of disappointment on his face. God, the power us girls have!
The day passed quickly by, and as the hours progressed Tom seemed to become more nervous. There was a lot at stake for him this evening, and I wasn't surprised that he was feeling this way. What was more surprising was that I didn't feel more nervous myself. I had grown very confident over the last few days in my ability to pass as a female, and although I would now have to pass as not only a female but also as someone's daughter I was sure that I was going to pull this off. Men really do not notice the same level of detail about things as women do, and there is definitely some kind of in built radar within the female mind that can sense things that a man might miss. I know - I have been both!
No, a few right words in the right place and a kiss on the cheek (but not too much - I was still supposed to be a bit rebellious, I remembered) and I would get by. 'Daddy' had far more important fish to fry than get concerned with my female prattle as he would see it, that I might come up with - I would make sure of that! His real concern regarding me, I was sure, was that my chosen man, of whom he had disapproved, would be able to take care of me and that I would go running back home again. I was pretty sure that he wouldn't want that to happen, not form the rumours I had heard, although I was also sure that he really loved his daughter despite it all!
* * * * * * *
It had taken me an age to get ready. I suppose it wasn't really in keeping with how the real Suzy would prepared for a social event organised by her 'Daddy', but I was also aware that this might be my last chance to celebrate my temporary womanhood. I was determined that I was going to enjoy my few remaining hours in this state, and would go all out for the 'girlie' look.
I had put on the evening make-up that this event required, and was wearing a mid-thing length black dress, set off with some pearls that 'Daddy' had given Suzy. Some matching accessories, cleaned and conditioned hair, and a spray of perfume and I was ready. I looked in the mirror and fell in love with myself, and just at that point that Tom walked in.
"Oh wow! It just gets better," he said, and walked across to kiss me on the lips.
"Mmmm..mmmmmmm stop it!" I moaned, "I'll have to re-touch my lipstick now," I said as I pulled out my compact and checked myself. As I looked at myself I could see his face as he stood behind me, looking very serious for a moment.
"I just can't believe how much you've changed in the last few days. I would truly never know that you had not been a woman from birth and, if I'm really being honest with myself, you are a real improvement on the original Suzy. You're the woman she should always have been, but never wanted to be!"
I felt very self-conscious and more than a little embarrassed under his scrutiny, and then he suddenly changed again, becoming all business like as he looked at his watch.
"We'd better get going - the cab should be here at any moment and we don't want to be late," he said, ushering me out of the room.
Ten minutes later, and all my adjustments made, we were sitting in the cab for the twenty minute drive to Suzy's father's house. I could tell that Tom was nervous for he kept fidgeting with his hands and looking, but not really looking, out of the window as we drove along the quiet streets. I felt quite sorry for him really - so much hung on today's session, not least that he would not be able to pay me the ten thousand if he didn't get the job. I snaked my hand across his lap and placed it in his own, and felt him squeeze it in response before turning around and giving me a 'brave' smile. Somehow the money did not seem so important any more.
We arrived on time, Tom had insisted on not being late, and as we approached the large house I studied it carefully. To call it a house would not be doing it justice, it was more like a mansion, and I felt somewhat awe-struck as I compared it to my own small apartment.
As we entered the large entrance hall a smartly dressed man approached us and smiled warmly at me.
"Miss Suzanne - it is good to see you again," he said as he took my coat from me, "and I hope you're keeping well."
I was caught out for a moment, neither knowing who this was, nor what to say.
"She is very well thank you Stevens," Tom answered, putting a protective arm around my shoulder.
'Stevens' looked across at Tom, his face betraying his puzzlement until he regained his composure.
"And this, I presume, is..."
"Tom - Thomas Ryder - my husband," I said for him, feeling the need to establish myself and not play the little wife.
"Ah yes - quite," he replied, although looking down his nose as he did so.
Tom led me away and towards a room I could hear the sound of mumbling and clinking glasses.
"How did you know who he was - I thought that you'd never met any of Suzy's household?" I whispered under my breath as he pulled me close to him.
"Oh - w..well I think I heard Suzy talking about him at some point, and I just assumed that it was him!" he replied unconvincingly, and before I had chance to question him any further we had walked into the room.
I was overwhelmed at first. All around me were men in black jackets, just like the one that Tom had hired, and women in evening wear and showing off their jewellery in an extravagant display of wealth and influence. I felt totally out of place and was starting to have real doubts about my ability to get through this evening when I felt a tug on my arm and felt Tom lean towards me and whisper in my ear.
"Don't worry - you'll be okay. Most of these have hired their outfit for the night and are no better or worse than ourselves. It's a little ritual they play where they have to be seen to be successful in order to be successful. It's expected!"
I was startled. It was as if Tom had been reading my mind and his timely intervention steadied me a little, although I was wondering about him again. Wondering in particular how he seemed to know so much about what was expected here when he, himself, had no experience of such things. I was just about to ask him that very question when yet another interruption prevented me.
"Ah Suzy - so glad you could make it, and looking so lovely as well," a largish man in his late fifties said as I turned around.
"Oh - eh, well hello .. Daddy!" I replied, suddenly realising a fatal flaw in all our planning. The one thing I hadn't seen was a picture of Suzy's father and didn't have a clue as to what he looked like! It was such an obvious thing that we had both missed it and I felt my heart sink as I saw a puzzled expression appear on the mans face.
"Daddy?" he repeated looking puzzled and I was dumbfounded, not knowing what to do, and even worse - so was Tom. It was the first time since I had agreed to this charade that I had seen him lost for ideas - he must have been cursing himself for our stupidity!
Our blushes were saved by another large man approaching who also appeared to be in his late fifties, but looking far more confident than the first man had. He was striding towards me so confidently that it seemed like he owned the place. I guessed that he most probably did and decided to take a gamble.
"Yes, Daddy," I repeated and held out my arms to this new man who looked pleasantly surprised at my actions.
"Baby - how are you. You know that I've missed you!" he exclaimed as he hugged me, and then stood back to look me up and down.
"And I have to tell you - you look absolutely wonderful, totally! I half expected you to arrive dressed in denim, or any other of those things of yours that used to annoy me so, but this - this is just perfect!"
It was so strange. I actually felt a surge of pride in his obvious pleasure in my appearance and could only imagine the hard time that the real Suzy must have given him to make him respond in such a fashion. Then, just a moment after being his centre of attention he switched his gaze towards Tom, and held out his hand to him.
"Well I don't know what you've been doing to her my boy but whatever it is you just keep it up. I've never seen her look better and she would make any father proud to be called by that name. Don't you think so too Davies?" he said to the first man who was still standing beside him, and who I later found out on the board of his company.
"Oh yes!" he agreed quickly, "I've never seen her so radiant."
I could swear that I could see a tear forming in the corner of Suzy's father's eye and I found myself taking to this man, finding it hard to believe all the things that Tom had told me about him. On top of that I could see that Tom was smiling like I had never seen him smile before. He looked relieved and happy and I just knew that things were going to turn out okay from this point on, and that Tom would get what he wanted.
The rest of the evening carried on in this vein, with Tom being introduced to some of his future colleagues, and me hob-nobbing with their wives. I still felt strange to be taking on this subservient role but it wasn't as bad as it could have been, and I actually found some of the gossip quite amusing!
As I watched the men talking business I still had doubts that the Tom I had known would be able to hold his own with them - I mean, you really have to be borne into these things, or to have fought your way to the top ruthlessly to do so, and Tom had done neither of those but he didn't seem too bothered at all.
"Don't worry," he said to me, when I brought this up, "Daddy will make sure that his little girl is happy and will give me all the time I need to get to a position where I can contribute something meaningful to the business. You are my safety net that will buy me time."
But what would he do when I changed back to Fred?
When the evening came to a close, Suzy's father offered us a bed for the night but Tom declined on our behalf, presumably so that I could change back to Fred as soon as we returned to his apartment. He did arrange a chauffeured drive back home however and as we sat back and relaxed in the plush back seat of the car I rested my tired head on his shoulder, unconsciously, my red hair spilling over the jacket of his tuxedo.
"Well that went all right Tom. I don't know what the fuss was all about - 'Daddy' was such a sweetie. We've had a good evening out; you've got the job that you wanted, and at double what you were earning at the plant, and I will be ten thousand pounds better off. All in all a win, win I think!"
He didn't reply at first, and just looked outside the window at the darkened streets, obviously deep within his own thoughts.
"Hey!" I said, nudging him in the ribs with my elbow, "It's rude to ignore a lady when she's talking to you!"
He turned around to look at me, his face filled with sadness.
"But that's just it - in an hour or so's time you won't be a lady any more. You'll be ex-car plant worker Fred Quigly again, and..and..."
I quietened him in the same way that I had done so this morning and kissed him lightly on the lips again, and felt the now familiar burning sensation start to build in between my legs, as well as the hardening of my nipples. I gave an impish smile as I saw the startled look on his face.
"Well maybe not tonight then. I'm not exactly in any kind of rush, and I would maybe like the chance to..."
This time I was the one to be interrupted by a kiss, but this was no light peck on the lips. Tom was kissing me full-on and I felt my body melt into him as his tongue probed my mouth.
It was all we could do to keep our hands off each other, and when we finally got home we tore off our clothes and leapt straight into bed for a repeat performance of what we had enjoyed last night. It proved to be every bit as good as I had expected and I finally fell asleep in Tom's warm embrace, a satisfied and contented woman.
* * * * * * *
It was me that woke first the next day, and I got out of bed carefully so as not to wake Tom, and went to the bathroom. I sat down to relieve myself and wondered what it was going to feel like to be able to stand again. It would seem strange at first, I was sure! I then looked down at my breasts and lifted them gently with my hands, feeling their weight and enjoying the pull they gave my chest as I let them fall again. I looked at face in the mirror and admired it gracefulness and its beauty, maybe for the last time!
I felt an overwhelming despair for just a brief moment, at the thoughts of going back to being a man, but then shrugged it off fatalistically. I couldn't just walk in and take over someone's life permanently - could I? I had a sudden thought of the original Suzy, most probably just that small baby boy, and wondered whether she had adapted to her new life as well as I had. I was pretty sure that she would have done as I knew that the body bore a tremendous influence in how you felt about things - I was proof of that!
I walked back into the bedroom and saw that Tom was stirring so I went and put on the coffee which was ready by the time that he walked into the kitchen.
"You know Suzy, if you don't mind me calling you that just this one last time, I am going to miss you," he said, looking at me and smiling sadly.
The pathetic look on his face tugged at my heart strings and I felt a desperate urge to hold him and console him. He took my hand in his and looked deeply into my eyes.
"It seems a long time ago now, but do you remember that night in Chilli's when I first told you about the medallion?"
I nodded my confirmation, never breaking eye contact for a moment.
"I thought you might. I..I'm really not sure how to say this, although I've though about nothing else since last night. I have already asked you this once before but this time I really mean it."
He moved away from me a little but still hung on to my hand as he dropped down onto one knee.
"Suzy, it would make me the happiest man in the world if you agree - w..would you marry me - let me make you my wife?"
I know I should have maybe expected this but I was dumbstruck - flabbergasted! I must have looked like a fish gasping for its last drop of water!
"Now before you answer me I've got something to tell you. I know that I've got no right to ask you what I just have, but I have never been so happy in my life and, although I might lose Fred's friendship, I am willing to take that risk. Please hear me out first, though."
I let him sit me on a chair and sat quietly, still struggling to come to terms with what I felt at this moment.
"I haven't been entirely truthful with you Suzy - things aren't exactly what they seem to be," he said, looking more than a little guilty.
Suddenly my feminine instincts come erupting to the surface, knowing that the uncertainties I had felt earlier about Tom were about to be exposed. I held my breath as I waited for him to continue.
"Just about everything I have told you in the past is true, all the way up until the honeymoon. The honeymoon didn't go well though - we had constant problems."
"Problems?"
"It started with the drinking. The first night when we were away I was prepared to put it down to tiredness, over-excitement, or virtually anything that might explain it to me. By the time that the second and third night followed the same pattern I decided that I couldn't put up with it and was determined to have things out into he open."
I was spellbound and couldn't believe what I was hearing. I could have believed that Suzy was into drugs, stimulating civil disturbance, Hell - I wouldn't have been that surprised to find out that she was gun-running to some tin pot dictator somewhere but drink! She just didn't seem to be have been the type that would have gone down that path. Tom carried on, not even noticing my surprise.
"I think that I would have been prepared to have put up with it longer if it hadn't got worse. It was when the violence started and I got the first beating where I lost two of my front teeth that I knew I had made a big mistake, and I decided I wanted out."
"Violence - I don't believe it!" I exclaimed and held my arms and hands up alongside his. "How could someone - a girl like me - do something like that to you?"
He looked up at me and then laughed, although it didn't carry much humour.
"Oh, I see. Well maybe I should have explained - I'm not really Tom, or at least I didn't start out that way. Just a few weeks ago I got married to Tom - I was Suzy!"
It took a few moments for what he had just said to penetrate through the fog that had suddenly enveloped me. When it did though it all started to fall into place. Thinking back, Tom had never seemed the same person since he had returned from the honeymoon. Before his sudden marriage he had been crude, and had always been fairly disparaging towards women. Now though, it seemed that he had almost become the perfect gentleman - quite a change!
I finally found my voice.
"The..then what you told about the medallion and that young couple wasn't true was it? And what about Tom - what happened to him?"
"Parts of it were true. The baby boy dying at birth certainly was. Other parts were altered a little, such as the one that had been fooling around had really been Tom. He had been messing around with the wife and it was the husband who had found them and had walked out in anger. Of course, the wife had the baby with her and somehow Tom, who had taken the medallion from her ,to sell and buy drink with, must have touched something of the child's and become his twin brother. Of course, I can't be sure that Tom really did become the other baby boy, but can you explain away one missing husband, and then the sudden miracle of the dead baby suddenly appearing again? It's too much co-incidence to think otherwise!"
"But surely, if that's the case, then you can't leave Tom as a baby can you?"
"Why not? I don't know what I ever saw in him, other than a way of escaping from my father. He beat me, was a habitual drinker and really had nothing to offer the world as he was. Now - well, now he has another chance to start all over again. It could have been worse, he could have ended up as a baby girl!."
I wondered why Tom thought that it would be worse to be a baby girl, after all - I was enjoying being a woman, but I held my tongue. I was now more interested in why Tom, as Suzy, hadn't got along with her father, and asked him the question.
"Daddy never really wanted a girl. He had always wanted a son so that he could hand over the family business to him one day, and would never have abided a mere female taking over the reins. When my mother died when I was young I didn't have a stabilising influence in my life anymore and instead, rebelled against everything that my father thought a girl should be. That was the Suzy that the real Tom married. Of course, I now know that all he wanted was any of the family money that he could lay claim to, but in the end that, and his treachery, were his undoing."
The room fell silent again with me not knowing what to say, and Tom thinking deeply again. He seemed to rally a little and then looked back at me.
"Now - well, for the first time in my life I actually enjoyed being in my father's company - as one man to another. I had a new respect from him and I feel right now, and I know that I can make something of Tom's life by living it myself."
My voice was trembling as I stared into his eyes.
"And me - is that why you are asking me to marry you? Do you need me around because the real Suzy won't be coming back? Was I part of your plan - maybe a chance for you to get some of your family money back?"
"Oh no - your part in this was a complete accident. Oh sure, I wanted some of the family money all right, but you - well I'm totally in love and I can't imagine life without you. It's ironic really - I couldn't live as Suzy but now I find that I can't live without her!"
The room felt quiet again and the only sound that I could hear was that of my brain spinning as I thought about what to do. When I had been Fred I had been all male, and could never have imagined that it was possible that I could have enjoyed life as a woman. The last few days though had proved different. I could not deny that I felt comfortable as Suzy, and the sex had been great but marriage - a woman forever - that was never a part of this deal. I thought for a moment longer, with Tom not daring to say a word.
"Tom - have you still got the medallion?" I asked him.
His face fell but he got up and went back into the bedroom. Seconds later he walked back in and handed me the medallion.
"It's okay Fred - I understand. It was too much to hope for."
I got up and walked over to the window and looked at the people passing by. I opened the window and took a deep breath of fresh air as I thought about a future as Tom's wife. I held up the medallion and looked at it closely and then threw it out the window before turning to face Tom. He looked puzzled as I just said one word.
"Yes."
"Yes?" he repeated.
"Yes - I will marry you. I know that in the eyes of the law that we are married already but I - me - Suzy - want to marry you - Tom properly, for the first time.
It had been a long time since I had seen a grown man cry but our tears mingled as he held me tightly.
"Suzy," he said, as he pulled his face away from mine.
"What do you think about a family of our own?"
The End