Urban

The Dance Of Changes - Part 16

Added 2021-11-12 13:33:40 +0000 UTC

Sarah seemed to be happy but not particularly surprised when I announced on Monday morning that I was willing to accept the additional responsibilities offered, and straightaway asked me to deal with the Johnsons when they came in that afternoon. Rob had had to go out to meet a client first thing, and so she told him later. By this time, the others were all out of the office, so he asked to have a word with me in the back office while Sarah dealt with anyone who came into the shop.

'I'm glad that you've accepted our offer, Michelle. I believe that Sarah has mentioned, we would like you to take over as liaison between the vendors and purchasers for the Houghton Regis sale.'

'Yes, I'm looking forward to it and will be seeing the purchasers when they come in later today.'

'You will also have to deal with any issues raised by the vendors' legal department.

'I know, I understand from Helen, that the best way is to get on friendly terms with their secretaries, that way, you will tend to get things done more quickly,' I replied.

'I hope you don't mind remaining as Michelle while it is all happening. The vendors are important clients who could give us more business which might keep us going during the recession. I want to give them the impression that we are an efficient company with a 'professional staff.

'So you think that Michelle is likely to be more 'professional' at her job than Michael was at his?' I asked, teasing a little.

He looked a little embarrassed.

'Well, you said it, not me. I'm sure that Mike would have grown into the job in time, but somehow Michelle seems more ready to take on additional responsibilities. The main thing, though, is that I wouldn't want them dealing with Michelle one week and then Michael the next.'

'I understand, and you don't need to worry, Rob. It has been my decision to remain as Michelle; nobody has been pressuring me, and it isn't only because of work. I feel that Alan and I have done quite well so far with the demonstrations. I've had a long talk with Louise, who would be more than happy for me to take over responsibility for her dances as well, so I would need to remain as a girl until early December, in any event.'

He smiled.

'You and Alan haven't just done 'quite well, you have both been brilliant and make an excellent partnership, so I'm pleased to hear that you are now offering to take over the remaining dances. I had wondered whether Sarah had strong-armed Louise into taking them over in the first place,' he replied.

'As she did with me,' I replied, smiling. 'But please don't worry. Of course, I am sorry about Sarah's accident, but in the event, I'm quite happy with the way things have worked out for me. In fact, my decision to continue may even give Alan and I a chance to earn ourselves a little extra money before Christmas if the Bristol group decide they want us to repeat our demonstration for them.'

'What you do at weekends is up to you, but I think that you should also begin getting out of the office a little more to see how things are done. To begin with, this will probably involve you going out with myself, Richard or Helen until we can send you out on your own.

'What about my existing clerical duties?'

Sarah will do some of them as she is going to be tied to the office for the next few weeks. We can also leave some tasks for the weekend staff, but I hope we will all muck in and do whatever needs to be done.'

'Yes, of course. I'll be happy to do so.'

'Sarah, Helen and I are all going to be in the office tomorrow, so how would you feel about going out with Richard for the day? He has to survey a house and some farm buildings near Leighton Buzzard and could do with an assistant to hold the tape and take notes. It will give you more of an idea of what he does.'

'I would enjoy that very much.'

'You may need to dress in a trouser suit and some sensible shoes if you have some.'

'I'm sure I can borrow one, and I keep a pair of flat heels at work in case I ever need to drive the car,' I replied.

I told Mum about the latest developments at work over dinner that evening, and she offered to loan me her dark grey trouser suit, which she said would be equally suitable for a girl my age to wear to work.

'So who is this Richard?' she asked.

'He's the guy you saw with my friend Helen on Saturday, the one who made a video of us dancing. He's a qualified surveyor.'

'Oh yes, he didn't say much.'

'I suppose not, but he is an excellent cameraman.'

'I'm pleased that you're being given more opportunities and responsibilities.

'Yes, me too.'

'They must think highly of you; after all, you are still quite young to be representing the company.'

'I guess so,' I replied, conscious that Helen had been twenty-one before she'd been given such responsibilities, but I suppose Sarah's accident had created an unexpected opening for me, albeit a temporary one.

Mum now seemed anxious to move on to another subject.

'As we've finished dinner, we can sort out your costumes for the next demonstration, if you like, Michelle.'

'Alright,' I said, 'I was wondering if you were planning to do so.'

'You will find my black flapper-style dress hanging in your wardrobe. Why don't you put it on, and I'll go and get the other accessories?'

It was a three-quarter length, sleeveless dress, so it was just as well that I now defuzed my arms and armpits as a matter of course. The dress had a tasseled hem and 1920's art deco style beadwork, front and back. It had rather a low neck, and I wouldn't have been able to wear it without my latest breast forms, which I was now quite used to wearing. I put on the dress together with Mum's black tap shoes, and she arrived with a matching headpiece with a feather, a feather boa, and a long black bead necklace, which I also put on. I looked at myself in the mirror and felt like a character attending one of The Great Gatsby's famous parties. I couldn't wait to show off the outfit to Alan and the other dancers.

'The dress comes with a pair of elbow-length black gloves, but I doubt if you would want to wear them when you're dancing.'

'I suppose I could start off with them and then get Alan to pull them off for me during the course of the dance,' I said half in jest.

'You're supposed to be dancing the Charleston, not doing a striptease,' said Mum, fairly primly.

'Alright, but do you mind if I wear this dress and the accessories to the rehearsal tomorrow night so I can show the others what I have in mind?'

'Yes, go ahead but make sure it doesn't get dirty as it is the devil to clean with all that beadwork.'

'So that is my costume for the Charleston sorted; what do you have in mind for the Tango?' I asked.

'Come through to my bedroom; I've something to show you.'

Mum opened her wardrobe and took out a dress which she hung on the door so that I could inspect it. I'd not seen it before, or at least I'd only ever seen it in the photograph that Mum showed to me on the first occasion she had met me as Michelle. It was the full-length deep carmine red dress which she'd worn when she won her first championship. It was backless but with a halter-style neck and the front decorated with silver and rhinestones to represent a bird's feathers. It also came with a matching net underskirt, two matching floats attached to rhinestone armbands, and two rhinestone bracelets. (It is the dress that I'm wearing in the picture attached to this story.)

'This used to be my favorite dress and has many happy memories for me. I think it should be ideal for you when you dance the Tango.'

'Wow, Mum, it looks really gorgeous,' I said.

'Yes, it does and moves well while you are dancing as well. Would you like to try it on?'

'Are you sure that you want me to wear it?' I asked.

'Of course, I am. Once I stopped dancing for a while when I was pregnant with you, I began to put on some weight in my hips and was never able to wear it again. I was intending to alter it but never got round to doing so. I think it should be alright for you to wear, though.'

'Shall we see whether or not it fits me?'

'As it is backless, you won't be able to wear a bra, but there are bra cups sewn into the bodice which will keep your boobs under control while you are dancing.'

It no longer seemed odd to be discussing my boobs with Mum.

'Alright,' I said, removing my bra and stepping into the dress.

'It might have been made for you and seems apart from the fastening at the back which requires a little attention,' said Mum. 'I'll have to use a safety pin for now, but I can easily fix that for you.'

I looked at myself in the full-length mirror but didn't say anything.

'I always found the dress was good to dance in and never hampered my movement in any way,' she continued. 'So, what do you think?'

'I think the dress is lovely, but the color is relatively bright. Are you sure that it looks alright on me?

'Yes, of course, I'm sure. 'If you are going to wear the dress, we will have to get you some lipstick and nail varnish to match.' It is called American Rose,' she replied.

'What about shoes?' I asked.

'I used to wear this dress with a pair of black high-heeled dance shoes,' she replied.

'In that case, I'll do the same.'

I retrieved a pair from my room and put them on.

'What do you think?'

'They look great. There are some rhinestone grips to wear in your hair and a red ribbon to match the dress.'

She made a few final adjustments, and then I got up and again walked over to the full-length mirror.

'I think you should look pretty eye-catching dancing the Tango in that, what do you think?' she asked.

'Oh, Mum, I should love to be able to wear it.'

'Good, I would love you to wear it as well,' she said smiling. 'So that is your two costumes for the next demonstration decided.

'Fine, I'll take your flapper dress to a rehearsal, but I intend to keep this one a secret until the day of the demonstration and surprise everyone.'

'Maybe you had better tell Sarah what you are planning.'

'Alright, but it will be a surprise to all of the other dancers.'

If I'd learned one thing during the two and a half weeks that I'd been living as Michelle full-time, it was how important the right outfit and grooming were to how a woman feels about herself, whether at home, at work, or when she was in some social situation. As Michael, so long as I was wearing clean and reasonably smart clothes, that was all that I thought about the matter, but things were somewhat more complicated for Michelle. I now gave thought to what clothes were going to be appropriate in terms of look, style, and practicality. I was now more conscious of how I looked and regularly glanced in the mirror to make sure that my hair was tidy and to check whether my makeup needed refreshing. In some respects, this was a bit of a chore but was more than compensated for by the pleasure one felt at looking good. This was equally true on the dance floor, at work, and at home.

Apart from my brief venture into our loft, the following day was the first time in a fortnight that I'd worn a pair of trousers rather than a skirt or a dress. There was no doubt that I was going in to work as Michelle, though, since I was wearing the pale pink silk blouse and still retained the crystal drop earrings from the previous weekend. I also had to wear the pink lingerie set that Mum had bought for me recently as they were the only clean underclothes I had left. This set included a suspender belt and came with a pair of stockings, which was just as well as I had also run out of tights and didn't wish to go into work wearing a pair of socks if I could avoid it. Mum was going to do some laundry that day, and so I would probably be alright for the remainder of the week, but this reminded me that now Michelle was going to be around for the next two and a half months, I was going to need some more clothes. I, therefore, promised myself to take some money from my savings account and treat myself to some new sets of underwear and pairs of tights at the first available opportunity.

I made the journey into work wearing my heels, as usual, intending to change into my flats when I needed to go out with Richard. I also took in Mum's flapper-style dress and accessories with me, together my tap shoes. I was planning to meet up with Alan immediately after work for a quick practice session before we unveiled our plans to the other dancers. I suppose I could have danced the Charleston wearing the trouser suit, but I was keen to show the others the effect I hoped to achieve.

'I see you are wearing stockings and suspenders today – very sexy,' whispered Helen to me as I was changing my shoes.

'It was all I had left that was clean,' I said, blushing slightly.

'Oh, I assumed they were for Richard's benefit,' she replied, with a wicked grin, but then noticed I was getting embarrassed.

'Sorry, I was only teasing,' she said.

'But how did you know?' I asked.

'How did I know what? That you were wearing stockings or that you quite like the look of our surveyor?'

'The former, of course, since the latter isn't even true,' I said, continuing to blush.

'The rubber discs that hold up your stockings make a slight protrusion mark under your trousers which is visible when you bend over or sit down,' she replied.

It occurred to me that girls were much more observant about such things than men.

Richard and I left the office together at ten o'clock and spent most of the remainder of the morning beyond Leighton Buzzard, where he had to survey some farm buildings. He was more business-like and not so chatty as Helen during the twenty-five-minute car journey, but he answered all my questions about what he did. When we got to the farm, he clearly explained to me what he wanted me to do, and why, so I had no difficulty following his instructions. In fact, we worked well together and had completed all the survey work shortly before one o'clock.

'We've finished sooner than I'd expected, but it's going to take us some time to drive back to the office; how would you fancy having some lunch at a local pub first?' he asked.

'Alright, that would be fine by me,' I replied, even though it would mean that I would have to defer my planned lingerie shopping expedition for a day or so.

He drove us to 'The Grand Union at the Three Locks' at Stoke Hammond nearby. As its name suggested, it was a refurbished canal-side inn, somewhat more expensive than I would normally wish to pay for my lunch during the week.

'What would you like to eat, Michelle?' he asked. 'I'll treat you.'

'Thanks, but I can pay for my own lunch,' I said and went ahead and ordered and paid for a toasted sandwich.

'Well, at least let me buy you a drink to thank you for your help this morning.'

'Alright then, I'll have an orange juice, please.'

I retired to the 'Ladies' to check on my hair and makeup while he waited for our orders to be prepared. I emerged just as he was carrying them over to a table near to the window.

'Thanks, Richard,' I said with a smile as I sat down.

'Thank you for your help this morning.'

I was about to reply that it was part of my job but stopped myself from doing so as this might sound ungracious. I, therefore, responded with a smile and a nod. Then there was an awkward silence where neither of us knew what to say next.

'Come on, say something; it's the guy's job to initiate the conversation, after all,' I thought to myself, but apparently to no avail.

The silence was beginning to get embarrassing.

'To be honest, I was a little surprised that you are willing to be seen out with me in public,' I offered and then wished I hadn't said it.

He looked a little awkward.

'Maybe for the first few days, I wasn't sure what to make of 'Michelle,' I suppose I thought of you as a guy pretending to be a girl,' he replied.

'But not now?' I asked.

'No, not after I saw you dancing with Alan for the first time, and then you had your makeover. I started to see you in a different light. Then last Saturday's performance was wonderful. You really are a great dancer.'

He sounded as if he meant it.

'Thank you,' I replied, beginning to color.

'But I just wonder how I will feel about you once you re-appear at work as Mike,' he continued.

'Me too!' I said, blushing.

'That's why I was pleased when you were offered a contract until the end of the year.'

'Yes, it puts off that awkward day,' I replied.

There was another awkward silence.

'Have you ever been clubbing, Michelle?'

'No, I'm afraid not; it's quite a different kind of dancing to the ballroom.'

'I know, but you might find that you enjoyed it all the same. I could take you some time if you were interested.'

I looked up, quite surprised.

'I don't think Helen would be too impressed with me if I went clubbing with her boyfriend.'

He smiled.

'You have the wrong idea, Helen and I have been friends for several years and go out together from time to time, but we have never been what you might call "an item," as you seem to believe.'

'Oh! I assumed you were as you had a meal together last Saturday evening.'

He laughed.

'We spent most of the evening discussing you and your dancing. In fact, it was Helen who suggested to me that I should offer to take you clubbing as a means of fending off any unwelcome attention from potential male admirers – assuming, of course, that such attentions would be unwelcome.'

I blushed as I realized my mistake. In some ways, it came as a relief to find that my two workmates had not been going out together, but in other respects, it put my own feelings into a quandary.

'Well, what do you think?' he asked.

'I don't know, Richard, I'm not sure I'm ready to go out on a date as Michelle.'

'I'm only offering to take you dancing, that's all.'

I blushed again.

'Alright, on the understanding that we are just going out dancing as two friends, I should be happy to go with you,' I replied.

'Helen has her eyes set on some guy she has met recently. I could suggest that we go as a foursome if that would be easier for you.'

'Alright then, if it suits you as well.'

'Are you doing anything this coming Saturday night?'

'No, I don't think so.'

'Then would you like to go to the Diamond Nightclub in Cheapside?'

'I'll look forward to it,' I replied, smiling.

He looked happy as well.