Mistaken For A Girl Singer - Chapter 3

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"You girls were just. I'm speechless, ladies! What can I say! I want. No, I NEED to record you guys. If we can reach an agreement, then.

Hell. Girls, the sky's the limit!"

Terry and Margo were having hot flashes of excitement.

This was all too unreal!

First, the audience didn't like them - they loved them. Then, this!

"What kind of agreement?" Margo asked.

"Well, the usual money stuff - how the profits are split, etc but before we get to that.

Well, how do I say this nicely?

Your singer. The four of you on the instruments are drop-dead gorgeous, but your singer. She's kind of a dog. Love the voice, but her look isn't going to work."

Both the girls were startled into silence. Then Terry felt a wave of defensive anger wash across her face.

"Chrissie!?" she blurted out a little too loudly.

"Chrissie is a dog!?

Chrissie is just a kid."

The man waved at her to calm down.

"I know that's a harsh thing to say, but this is a harsh business and I am telling you right now, your friend either has to really work on her look or you'll need a new girl. I don't want to upset you  Just laying out the facts of life in the music business."

Terry was about to let loose, but Margo grabbed her arm and stopped her.

"Listen, Mr... What is your name?"

"Sorry. My name is Stewart, Evan Stewart and I represent American Records."

"Ok, Mr Stewart. You see, Chrissie, our singer and Terry here are twins and Terry is a little bit of a mother hen when it comes to Chrissie.

"Oh." Stearns looked a little embarrassed.

"Sorry, Terry, but I stand by what I said."

"Ok," Margo continued, "but Chris has only been our singer for a week, so this stage stuff is new to 'her'. We actually have another singer that we used until last week.

His name is Chris, too. Maybe you'd like to hear us with him singing?"

Terry saw where Margo was headed and joined in. "Yes, Mr. Stewart, I think you'd like his voice a lot."

Stewart shook his head.

"Absolutely not. My gears are really turning to promote your sound, but I am psyched about a 'chick group,' not some guy out in front of a band that will become forgettable. I know how to do this right, girls, but you have to cooperate. Tell you what; I will be in town until Tuesday night.

Today is Thursday, so take the weekend and talk to Chrissie, that's her name, right?

Talk to her - in a nice way about her look and see if you can come up with a look that she can live with and that will sell units for my company.

Ok? I will make arrangements for you guys to open a gig for another of my up-and-coming artists, Oki Rainbow, at the Windy Ranch Bar down on the main strip.

You can use their amps and drums. I will send you a standard recording contract via email tonight and you girls can have a lawyer review it for you.

Then, if things go well Tuesday night, you will be headed to Nashville to start recording within ten days. How does that all sound?"

Terry looked at Margo and gave a slight shake of her head indicating, 'no,' but Margo turned back to Stewart and offered her hand as a sign of agreement.

"You got a deal, Mr. Stewart. We'll see you on Tuesday!"

They exchanged information with each other, then Margo and Terry headed for the door.

"Are you nuts?"

Terry asked. "How are we going to find someone to replace Chris in four or five days?"  "Let's cross that bridge when we come to it, ok?

Let's get back to your house and you and me and the girls will meet on campus tomorrow. Let Chris go to school and we'll figure out how to deal with this," Then, suddenly Margo started to bounce up and down on her toes.

"Holy shit, Terry! We might have a recording contract on Tuesday!"  Terry stopped dead in her tracks as the reality of that hit her.

"Oh, my God, you're right!" and she hugged Margo with all her might. "But not a word to the others until we all meet tomorrow to figure this out. Poor Chris. I'm not sure I can screw him over like this."

"You know, Stewart said he would email those papers to me tonight. When I get his email, I will see if I can persuade him to hear our other singer, again.

Maybe it will all work out for Chris, too!"

"So, that's where we are right now," Margo finished bringing Grace and Gina up to date regarding the opportunities that had come their way last night.  Grace spoke up. "Wait, so, we have a chance, but only with a girl singer and she has to sound just like Chris? Is this even possible?"

"No, it's not and it's not fair to Chris either," said Gina. "It was his voice that turned everything around for us and last night was the proof of that."

"I know, I know, but I talked to this guy via email for almost two hours and it's got to be a "chick band" and we have to sound like we did last night," Margo said with finality.  They all sat quietly for a few moments and the same thought hung over everyone's head; "This sucks."

"So - do we throw this chance away or do we do the obvious?" Margo rallied  Terry, who had been listening quietly, and spoke up. "Margo, this is stupid."

"No, it's not - it's our only alternative."

The other girls looked from Terry to Margo in confusion.

"What?"

They asked in unison.  Terry let out a deep, frustrated breath. Margo had brought this up earlier. Terry thought she was kidding at first, Margo was being persistent.

"Margo has a crazy idea.

She thinks that well because Chris is so small and thin. well, she thinks..."

Margo couldn't wait for Terry to get through her sentence, "We have to disguise Chris as Chrissie for Tuesday night and we have to do him up right."

Terry interrupted, "Margo...."

"Listen, he's a skinny guy. He's got longer hair that we could probably make look a little girlier and he's already got the voice. He is our only chance, but he has to be a she! Just for that night and then we'll try to find another solution. We can't let this pass us by and he's our only chance."

Silence.

"I need to talk to my mom before we talk to Chris," Terry said.  Margo nodded "We'll come with."

"Are you out of your minds?"

"Mom, I know, I agree, but what can it hurt to ask him?"  "What can it hurt? My God, I don't know where to start to answer that question!"  "Mrs. Walters," Margo said trying to calm things down, "this may be our only chance and Chris', too! How can we not try?"

"I know, girls, but you are asking my son to give up his masculinity.

I can't imagine how he will react to that?

And being a woman isn't just wearing a dress, you know! How do you plan on pulling this all off?"  Gina jumped in, "My mom is a hairdresser, Mrs. Walters.

I spoke to her and she'll help and there is a makeup artist at the shop, too. She can help us get him looking good. He looks a lot like Terry already, so it shouldn't take a lot to make him pretty."

"Make him pretty!? Do you hear yourselves!?"

"Mom, I promise we won't push him. Please, just let me ask him. If he says 'no' then the answer is 'no' and we'll look for another option, but what if he thinks it's worth a shot? If we don't at least ask him - well, it will be like we're going behind his back to find someone else. Don't you think we should at least ask his opinion?"

"Please, Mrs. Walters," Margo added.

"Ask him? What do you think he is going to say, Theresa?" Terry knew her mom was revved up when she used her full name.

"He worships you?"

"What are you talking about? He doesn't worship me!"  "I know you never see it, but, honey, you have always been healthier, smarter, stronger, better at school, better at sports and, until recently, better at music.

He has always worshiped you and I know he's always been a little jealous of how easy the world is for you. This band thing is like a dream come true for him. It's his chance to do something with you - something that he is good at. If you ask him, he will say 'yes' and I just don't know if that's the right answer."  "

Mrs. Walters," Margo said after a few seconds of silence had passed, "I know this is a family issue, but Chris is really talented and this is a great opportunity."

Terry's mom's tone was less excited now as she stopped Margo, "And you, Margo. You have always thought of Chris as Terry's 'Little Brother,' but he is the same age as her and he has been infatuated with you since the first time you walked through my kitchen door.

You flirt with him all the time and he melts every time. He'd do anything for you, too. For all of you. He's a shy, insecure young man and you are all bright, self-confident, beautiful women. Think about it. How could he say 'no?'"

There was silence as they thought about what Mrs. Walters had said.

Finally, Grace, the most quiet of them all, spoke up.

"I am sorry, Mrs. Walters. We all are. We just got caught up on this.

I guess that it just wasn't meant to be. We'll call this guy and explain things and maybe... Well, we're really, very sorry. All of us. We were being selfish."

"Gracie, honey, you aren't being selfish, but" Mrs. Walters started, but then she noticed the tears running down each of the girl's faces.

It wasn't a girlish play for attention or phony, crocodile tears. The girls were defeated and sad. Mrs. Walter's heart melted.

"Arrrg" she groaned, "I can't believe that I am saying this, but, ok, you can ask him.

But his decision is final. Am I understood?"

The girls all started talking as one, but Mrs. Walters continued, "One last thing, girls, and I want to make sure you all understand this. Chris isn't as strong as you might think. Terry, you only ever needed me to stand behind you while you achieved, but Chris, well, Chris needs me or someone maybe you - beside him to help him all the time.

He's had a rough road up to here and the only thing he's ever really been confident about is his singing and music, so if that boy ends up looking like some ridiculous drag queen or a freak of some kind, I will shut this down myself. He ends up drop-dead gorgeous or he is plain, old, male Chris. Ok?"

"Ok!" they all yelled and ran to the basement to begin making plans.

"This is awesome! When do we sign the contract?" Chris was jumping out of his skin.

Terry put her hand on his and grabbed his attention again. "Honey, you have to let us finish. It is an awesome opportunity, but let Margo finish."

Slowly Margo walked him through all the details and finally dropped the girl-band-bomb on him. He went pale and looked around at the four faces sitting around the table, then across the room where his mother was leaning against the counter with her arms folded and her head down, not giving Chris any indication of what she was thinking.

"So, we do the audition on Tuesday with me in a dress and then tell him the truth and see if he'll let us make the switch to me being a guy singer in the band? Is that what you're asking?"  "Well, yes and no," Margo said.

"You see, baby," Terry continued. This was the second time since they had all sat down that Terry had used a childish nickname for him and that felt a little weird a little motherly. "You don't just have to wear a dress. You have to be a beautiful woman.

Hair, attitude, clothes, makeup - everything has got to be female and beautiful."

Margo took over when Terry stopped talking. "You have to be the prettiest and most feminine of all of us, Chrissie.

Not just a guy in a dress. The beautiful and sexy lead singer for Dusty Rose. We'll help you with it, but you'll have to spend all weekend getting ready. You'll miss school on Monday and Tuesday and be ready for Tuesday night's gig. Gina, tell him about your mom."

Gina leaned in and spoke with an undercurrent of excitement in her voice. "Ok.

So, I sent my mom some pictures of you, Chris, and she likes how much hair you have, but she wants to add a weave you know, extensions, but real hair and sewn into your own hair and she'd like to take your hair just a few shades lighter, too.

She can do that today. Then she has an electrolysis lady in her salon who can see you early tomorrow for your body hair and eyebrows believe me! Electrolysis is less painful than waxing. Then we have her makeup lady do your first makeup design."

"Meanwhile," Margo continued Gina's talking, "while you're having all that done, today, Terry and I are meeting with a guy who specializes in transvestite appliances and phony boobs that should match your skin tone perfectly.

We're going to use Terry's skin tone and breast size as a model for you. Tomorrow, after you have your electrolysis visit, we'll attach the breasts so you look like a natural woman."

Chris let out a long sigh. "Mom, what do you think?"

"Honey, I honestly don't know what to think. I mean, I don't care if you're straight or gay or a cross-dresser or a nudist. I just don't know where this will take you, baby.

But, whatever you decide, I will support you and give you as much help or money as you need to do what needs to be done."

Then Chris looked at Terry. "What do you want me to do?"

Terry looked around the table at the other girls, then reached across and took both of Chris' hands in hers. "Chris, honey, I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want you to do it, of course, but I don't want you to do anything that you don't want to do. Now, every day when I wake up, I make clothing decisions.

Do I wear pants or a skirt or a dress?

So, me dressing up as a guy wouldn't be a big deal, but I know that, for you... for a guy, it's different.

If you want to do this, and I truly believe that you can do this, I will thank you forever and ever and I will owe you, big time. But, if you decide you can't do it, that's ok, too, sweetie, and I will understand and I will never bring it up again."

Chris closed his eyes and thought for about 15 seconds then he opened his eyes and a self-conscious smile spread across his face.

Then he quietly said, "Ok, I'll do it."

The girls all shrieked and grabbed Chris in a tight group hug.  Gina was the first to pull out of the hug.

"Oh, shoot! Look at the time! Come on Chrissie, we have to run!" She and Grace grabbed Chris and dragged him out the door.

"Come on, Terry, we have to get downtown in the next forty-five minutes to see a man about a pair of boobs!" Margo joked as she and Terry headed to the door.

When all the noise had died away, only Terry and Chris' mom was left in the kitchen.

"Well," she whispered to herself, "this is definitely one of those days a mother never forgets."

Chris was lying back in the reclined chair as Marie, Gina's mom, was rinsing the shampoo out of his hair. "This is what we're going to do, Chrissie: First I will color your own hair; make it a little lighter and prettier. Then, we'll rinse it and dry it.

After that, we'll make tight, little braids around the sides and back of your head and sew a mesh onto that, luckily you have collar length hair, so I have some good length to work with.

Then we'll sew in your new hair, and this is all human hair, onto that mesh. With the coloring and extensions, the whole thing will take five or six hours. It's 3:30 now, so, relax because you're going to be here till about 10:00 tonight. Is that ok with you?"

Chris looked a bit like a deer in the headlights. "Sure, I guess"

"Great, now you probably don't want to wear your good clothes while you do the coloring, so why don't you go in the changing room and put on your other clothes."  "Other clothes? I don't have any other clothes with me."

Gina said, "Oops. I'm sorry. I meant to mention that, but I was in such a rush, I forgot. Oh, you know what?

I have some clean gym clothes in a bag in the car! They'll fit you, I'm sure.

I'll be right back." And she ran out the door to grab the clothes while Marie led Chris to the changing room instructing him to start undressing.

When Gina handed the clothes in, Chris let out a sigh of relief - just a tank top with shorts. The shorts were pink and said "Juicy" on the butt, but that wasn't so bad.

As he pulled on the clothes, he realized that the shorts were very, very short and grabbed his rear end a lot more than his gym trunks did.

Then, as he pulled on the tank top, he noticed that there was a built-in bra and the material around his belly was very clingy, so it looked like he had a little bit of a bust line.

Again - not all that bad. The smock would be covering him most of the time anyway.  When he exited the dressing room, Gina let out a little laugh.

"What? Do I look stupid?" Chris asked.  "Not you, hon, but your boxers are longer than my shorts, so they're sticking out and looking kind of silly. Here," she reached into her gym bag and pulled out a pair of pale blue, nylon panties, and handed them to him, "go back in and put these on. They're plain and they're boy-cut, so they should fit ok."

"Isn't this ok?" Chris asked with just a little fear in his voice.

"Well, the shop is open for another couple of hours, so, do you want people to see your boxers sticking out?

If everything looks like it should, no one will even notice you, but if your clothes look out of place, people will start looking more closely at you."

"Ok."  When he emerged, he looked much nicer except for a little hair on his legs, but that would be taken care of tomorrow.

"I don't know what boy these 'boy-shorts' were made for, but they sure fit differently than all the boy's underwear I've worn my entire life!" Chris joked as he sat in the chair and Marie covered him with a smock.

All the women laughed.  Chris sat back in the chair as Marie began the process of putting foils into his hair.

As she was beginning the process, an Asian woman pulled a chair up beside Chris placed a rather tall ottoman between her chair and Chris', then placed Chris' right foot on the ottoman.  "Wha, What are you doing?"

Chris asked her.

"That's Ginger, my mani/pedi girl. Ginger, this is Chrissie. Chrissie, say hi to Ginger. She'll be doing your toes and fingernails for you."

"Hi, Chrissie."

"Um, Hi, Ginger."

Then tedium set in. It was a sensory overload for Chris, his hair being played with, his toes being massaged, his fingers being caressed and then the braiding began. It was so relaxing that he fell into a deep sleep.

Chris felt a kiss on his forehead.

"Come on, sweetie, wake up. I'll take you home, now."

It was Gina. Chris opened his eyes and looked into the mirror. When he saw his reflection, he laughed out loud.

"Oh, my God! What the hell am I looking at?"

Grace was picking up Chris' clothes and she joined his laugh.

"That's what it takes to be a pretty girl, Chrissie."  In the mirror, Chris saw his face under a hat made from a kerchief which obviously covered hair rollers.

When he reached to feel his head, he noticed that his hands were sporting longer fingernails that had been painted a very soft, feminine pink. That made him look at his toes and he saw that they matched and that someone had put bejeweled, pink flip-flops on him.  Gina offered him a hand and helped him up.

"Leave those rollers in overnight - mom's orders - and be back here tomorrow morning at six."

"Six!"

"Yeah, six, and you'll start your electrolysis. That will take a long time, too, Chris. Five or six hours. Mom will take out the rollers and show you how to do your hair and makeup and then, voila, you'll be one of the girls."

Chris stood and took off the smock he'd been wearing saw the shorts and the tank top with the hint of a bust and stopped to look in the mirror. "I look kind of stupid, don't I?"

Gina and Grace came over and stood on either side of him and spoke while looking at the reflection as well. Chris noticed that Gina, who he knew was a tall girl, as all the girls in the band were, was a good three inches taller than him when he was standing in the flip-flops. Grace was a little shorter than Gina, but still at least an inch and a half taller than him.

"You're only half-done, sweetie. Wait till you see the rest. You'll be beautiful," Said Grace.  Gina put her arm around his shoulders and said, "Did you ever see a girl the night before a prom or a wedding?

It's always darkest just before the dawn and I promise you, my mom will make you the prettiest girl in the band. Honest," Then she kissed him on his cheek.

Now, let's get you home. It's after 10:30 and Margo called a while ago. She and Terry have some stuff for you before bedtime."