Working for a Boutique - Part 12

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Forward by Julia -  This is another joint part with parts I have written, and Urban’s original story edited to fit the storyline. I hope you enjoy reading it.

For the rest of July and all of August, I was off work and was really unable to do much.  I just stayed in bed or on the couch and hobbled around the house, as it was so painful to walk.  And my daily torture sessions, called dilation, were just as painful.  As soon as it started getting easier on me, of course, the schedule told me to go up a size, and the pain would start in again.  It was not fun becoming a woman at this point in time.  Ms. LaRue was busy at the store and would work late. She always told me if I had any issue with calling her, and she would come home to help me.  Other than the aches and pains in my crotch, my chest was a different story; in a couple of weeks, my new boobs looked great.  I was really tempted to get larger ones, but that would have limited me in modeling; they can always make them look bigger, but it’s very hard to make them look smaller, and I didn’t want to only model swimsuits and lingerie.

Lisa Newman called me in mid-August, but I told her that I was laid up for a few more weeks and I wouldn’t be able to work for her. She wished me good luck and told me to give her a call to let her know when I was able to work again.

I started feeling better after Labor Day, and things kept improving. We flew back to Chicago in mid-September to see the doctor for a follow-up visit.  He examined me in the clinic and declared the procedures a success, there were no complications, and my new bits came through with flying colors!  He told me that my vagina was not yet ready for intercourse, and I told him that I had no plans for that in the near future.  He told me in a month to two months, when I was using the largest dilator without any pain, it would be ready.  Ms. LaRue and I stayed in the same hotel overnight and flew back home the next day.  She was happy that the procedures were a success as well.

By the end of September, I was going stir-crazy sitting around the house, so I started working at the store, performing just light duties.  I wasn’t picking up or moving anything heavy, and I was allowed to sit down if I felt tired.  It was fun to be at the store again, as it felt like such a long time that I had been away.

Indian Summer had just begun to taper off as the third week in October was drawing to a close. I went to work Friday night as usual and found a note on my time card. This time it was from Sally, who worked informal apparel. I punched in and walked up the stairs to the balcony and found Sally at the rear. She was standing next to a woman on her knees who was fixing the hem of a bridesmaid's dress.

"What do you need?" I inquired.

She motioned me back to her small office. As I walked by the woman on her knees, I caught a glimpse of an ear-to-ear grin.

"One of our clients' bridesmaids has been in a car accident and can't make the wedding. It's tomorrow, and she needs someone to fill in. You're about her size. I know you modeled for the store; Danielle and I said I might find someone to substitute. They already bought the dress, and it would be a shame to disappoint the bride. Can you help them out?"

I was a little stunned, to say the least.

"Well, first of all, I'm scheduled for work tomorrow and"

She cut me off and said, "I talked to Ms. LaRue. She said there's nothing here that has to be done that urgently."

"Okay, I guess I can," I answered.

"Oh, that's wonderful. I'll call her right away to let her know. Come back up here when you're finished working so we can alter your dress."

I left and went to the loading area and began moving stock out on the floor. After finishing up with my cleaning chores, I went back to the balcony and found Sally.

"I'm all done," I announced.

"Splendid. Go in my office, change into a foundation and come back out."

I walked to her office and closed the door. God, I couldn't believe I had agreed to this! I undressed and put on the white body briefer. I stepped out of the office and walked over to where Sally was. She handed me a long petticoat, and I stepped into it. She held up a peach-colored satin tea-length dress by the hem, and I slipped it over my head. She zipped me up and adjusted the dress over the petticoat.  Working with pins, she fixed the hem, then stood back, some distance away. "Put the shoes on next."

I put on a pair of white three-inch dyeable heels.

"The shoes she bought would be too small for you. Do those fit?"

"Yes, these will be fine."

"Good. I'll dye them tonight."

She unzipped me and helped me take off the dress. I removed the shoes and stepped out of the petticoat. After I finished changing into my clothes, she handed me a sheet of paper.

"This is the address of the church. The wedding is at noon, but they want you there at 10:30 to be dressed and made up. Everything will be at the church for you. The rest of the sheet details the ceremony and the itinerary afterward. I'll drive you back to the church after the reception, dinner, and dance."

"Dance?" I don’t know if I will be able to do that yet, since my operation."

"You won't have to. You are going to be the punch girl at the dance after the reception. Besides your escort, the bride's brother, Eddie, is gay, and he's not going to try anything!"

"Well, okay, I guess."

I went back to the loading area, punched out, and then drove home.

I took a hot shower, went to bed, and slept soundly. I got up and showered again, and I went over the itinerary and memorized the service processional.

There were only a few cars when I arrived at the church around 10:15. I went inside and found Sally waiting near the door. "I'm glad you're early. Come with me."

I followed her to a small room at the back of the church. Once inside, I saw she had set up a folding chair and a table with my foundation, hose, and wig on it.

"Get dressed and let me know when you are ready."

I undressed and put my clothes on the chair and then put on the body briefer, hose and wig. I stepped into the petticoat and the peach-colored heels. I opened the door and let Sally back in. She unzipped the dress and removed it from its hanger, then helped me put it on. After adjusting the hem around the petticoat, she zipped me up. The peach-colored hairpiece was attached to the top of my wig. From her purse, she removed blusher and lipstick and did my face.  We applied polish to my nails in a pretty peach color. Sally was all smiles when we finished.

"We're all set. The bride and the other bridesmaids haven't arrived yet. When we are ready for you, I'll let you know."

She walked out, and I sat down and began thumbing through a couple of bridal magazines that had been left on the table. I paged thru the magazines slowly as I had about a forty-minute wait. I could hear people arriving as I looked at one beautiful dress after another. Satin was not only gorgeous to look at, but it felt wonderful against smooth skin as well.

The prelude music began, and the buzz of conversation died down. There was a knock on the door, and then Sally walked in.

"Showtime!" she announced.

I stood up and smoothed my dress as I walked out to the main entrance. The bride and her dad, as well as two bridesmaids and their escorts, were standing ahead of me.

"Danielle, this is Eddie, the bride's brother. Eddie, meet Danielle, one of the employees at Amelia's."

I smiled and shook hands with Eddie.

"I am pleased to meet you, Danielle, and I'm so glad you could fill in today. My sister and I really appreciate it."

"I'm glad I can help you out," I said as I put my arm through his.

We took our place in line and waited for the processional to begin. The music stopped, and the wedding march began. As we began to move forward, Eddie patted my arm and said, "Try to relax. You look fabulous. Just follow my lead."

The wedding went off without a hitch, and after the people left the church and the pictures were taken, Eddie drove me to the reception hall. Eddie was the perfect gentleman, opening doors for me and taking my hand as I exited the car.

I found the punch table and began serving the guests who didn't care for alcohol. Following the dinner, Eddie drove me back to the church. We wouldn't be missed at the dance since most of the people were pretty well lubricated by that time and wouldn't remember much of anything.

Eddie thanked me again and left as Sally arrived and helped me get the dress off. She stepped out, and I changed back into Danny's clothes. She gave me a container of face cream and some tissues. I removed my makeup and wig. From her purse, she handed me a white envelope.

"The bride is very appreciative of what you did on such short notice, and she wanted you to have this."

"Thanks," I replied as I left the church.

When I got home, I opened the envelope, and inside the thank-you card was a hundred-dollar bill. Not bad for an afternoon’s work and tax-free to boot.

The end of October came, and I received a large envelope in the mail with some of the pictures taken at the wedding. The attached note read, "Thought you might enjoy these, Danielle." The photographs were sharp and clear. I looked as pretty as any of the bridesmaids and almost as radiant as the bride herself.

I put them in the drawer with the copies of photos from the jobs I had done for Lisa and Jenny. Included with these photographs were cuttings from newspaper photographs of our store's ads as well as from the articles about the shows at the convention center. I was slowly but surely building a portfolio of my work. I had a better resume for work as Danielle than I ever did as Danny.

As Thanksgiving drew near, I was continually being asked to work in the shoe department with one excuse or another. I wasn't falling behind in my stocking duties, so it didn't really concern me too much. I had no better flair for shoe sales than anything else but had learned quite a bit about the different styles and types of shoes women were buying as well as a lot about human nature. I continued to fill in when I was needed.

I was still unsure about college. I normally had no problem making a decision about anything, but I still was not certain what course in life I should take. Right now, money was not a problem; with a part-time job at the Boutique four days a week, working for Ms. LaRue as a maid, and the extra money I got as Danielle, I was getting by well enough.

Thanksgiving came again this year, and I made up another great Thanksgiving feast for Ms. LaRue and me.  We talked about my future and if I was still interested in becoming a professional model.  Ms. LaRue was smiling as I talked about my plans for becoming a fashion model.  I knew she was holding something back from me, but I figured it was going to be more fashion modeling work for the store.

On Monday afternoon, I found a note on my timecard to see Ms. LaRue. I wondered if it was more mannequin work in the store. I had hoped my days of being Danielle the mannequin at the store were over since I could do much better freelancing her image to others outside my regular employment.

As I walked through the store, a couple of the girls smiled as I walked past them. Now what? I thought as I climbed the front stairs to the main offices. Anne had gone for the day, so I walked directly back to Ms. LaRue's office and knocked on the door.

"Come in," she said.

I opened the door and walked in. Ms. LaRue was seated behind her desk. Sitting in the corner chair opposite her was a tall woman with dark brown hair.

"Danielle, this is Cindy Rome. Cindy, this is Danielle LaRue."

I extended my arm as she stood up, and we shook hands. "Pleased to meet you, Danielle," she said as she sat back down. "Same here, Ms. Rome," I said as I took my seat.

"Ms. Rome is the owner of a California modeling agency based in Sacramento. She has a three-year contract with us to do all of our ads for print as well as the film ads for TV commercials. She has seen your work for us here as a live mannequin, tapes of the two convention shows, as well as copies of the freelance work you have done for both JENCO and Lisa Newman. She feels you are a perfect candidate to be our new Amelia's Girl and has a business proposition for you."

Cindy spoke in a soft, almost melodic voice.

"You will be the featured model in all the stores' advertising. You will be working in Sacramento doing the photoshoots and will occasionally travel to the other stores to do live mannequin work as well as appear at grand openings of new stores. We also may feature you in future TV commercials.  You will have a three-year contract that coincides with the agencies. There are stipulations, however.

"The first and most important of these is that you can no longer freelance yourself to other studios or agencies. The second is that you must follow the instructions you are given. Insubordination, cutting up at shows, et cetera. will not be tolerated. You will wear what the agency tells you to wear, when, where, and how to wear it. In addition, you will be told what to say and how to act at various functions.

"The third stipulation is that after a company physical, you will strictly adhere to a diet. You will also be given vitamin supplements and an exercise routine specified by the agency so that your weight stays around 130 but not over 135. Amelia's retains the rights to all of your pictures and video ads for TV. You will have life, health, and dental insurance paid for as well as all expenses. Your compensation will be $240,000 per year.

"You will receive $20,000 each month. In addition, you will receive relocation expenses not to exceed $30,000. If you own a home, a local realtor will handle the sale of your current home, and the company will loan you fifty percent of the cost of a new home, interest-free until the old one is sold and you get your money. All of this is spelled out in the contract."

She handed me a folder with the papers inside.

"Take some time to think it over. Consult an attorney to go over the contract with you so you know exactly what we expect of you. We have to know your decision by December 1st. You will have to be in Sacramento by January 2nd to start work. Do you have any questions?"

I was absolutely stunned. I honestly couldn't believe what I had just heard. An extra fifty bucks an hour here and there was one thing but three years guaranteed at two hundred and forty thousand per year was unreal!

"I don't know what to say except that I will take the time to consider this."

"That's fine, Danielle; we understand completely.  Just be sure to let us know by December 1st."

"I definitely will.”  I got up, walked out to my car, left the papers on the front seat, then went back inside to work. It was hard to be thinking of anything with that mind-boggling offer on the table. I had never been to the west coast. The weather would certainly be much nicer. The cost of living would be higher in California, but the difference in salary would make it worthwhile. I went about my usual chores and drove home, still somewhat dazed at the offer.

I learned my lesson not to sign a contract without reading it first, preferably with a lawyer. That week I made an appointment with an attorney recommended by the man who helped me with my mother's estate. I introduced myself as Danielle LaRue, and I told him that I would be modeling under this contract and kept my questions to what was outlined in the contract. Everything seemed to be in perfect order.

This job would require me to live my life full-time as Danielle, and I was glad that I had transitioned fully now; there would be no slip-ups and no worries that I might be revealed to be a man. My swimming had kept me trim, and maintaining my weight would not be a problem.

Over the next few days, I would jot down questions I wanted to ask Cindy when we talked again.

At the end of the three years, I would be able to start any school in whatever field I decided with no financial hardship; at graduation, I would be still young enough to have no difficulty entering the labor force. Or I could even sign a more lucrative contract with another modeling agency in three years' time!  I had a few sleepless nights the week leading up to my deadline. I read and reread the contract stipulations and felt there would be no problems with any of the requirements they would impose upon me. It seemed that I was being drawn to do this, so I decided to sign the papers.

I called Cindy, and she answered my questions. After signing the contract and making photocopies, I turned in the originals to Ms. LaRue.

I had one month to get things in order before I would be officially on board as an employee, and I wanted to have everything taken care of ahead of time. My condo was still a smoking hole in the ground, I didn’t need the money from it, but I listed it for sale with a local realtor. I doubted it would sell, but in the meantime, while it was on the market, I would be able to get an interest-free loan from the agency for 50% of the cost of a new condo, until such time, however unlikely, that it would sell.

The fire turned out to be a blessing for me in disguise, as I didn’t have to move anything other than my clothes and laptop to California.  I decided to make it a road trip and drive out west in the Mercedes.  I knew I wouldn’t have any problems doing so.

I received a package from Cindy the next week with a letter confirming the receipt of the signed contracts and enclosing several containers of vitamin supplements that I was to begin taking immediately. There was also an appointment card for an employment physical I had to take the next week,

I reported for my physical the next week, and it went quickly.

I gave my two weeks' notice during the last week in November. I had packed up all my clothes at Ms. LaRue’s home.  I packed as many as I could that would fit in the car, and the rest I had shipped to the agency in Sacramento.

I signed a sales contract with a local realtor.  I told him my burned-up condo assignment would be a very hard sell, and there was no deadline to sell it.  I made out a trip itinerary with a travel club. I made reservations for a week at a motel in Sacramento, as well as contacting a local realtor there to set up appointments to see some small condos in that area. I was pretty much set for my trip out west.

A week before I was due to leave, I stood in front of the mirror after showering and was surprised at the way my body looked.  Since I began my transition over a year ago, my skin seemed to have a softer texture and a feminine glow to it. I had a woman’s figure, with breasts, a small waist, and wider hips and thighs. My smooth, hair-free body with no beard shadow, feminine eyebrows, and the longer hair on my head gave me quite a feminine appearance.  My new boobs looked great, and I never had to worry about any boy parts giving away my secret. I was intrigued by the way I looked and knew I was going to pass easily as Danielle since I planned to go stealthily. Yes, I was transgender, but I easily passed as a woman in every way, and I figured why I should complicate things?

I worked my last day, and Ms. LaRue handed me a check for hours worked to date.

She said, “I will see you at home; let's go out to eat somewhere tonight to celebrate your new career.”

Anne was on the phone, but she smiled and waved goodbye. I walked through the store for the last time, and the girls who did see me leaving were smiling as I walked by. I passed the loading area on the way out and saw a young boy, not unlike myself several years ago, loading up boxes of stock on a handcart.

I went to the bank, cashed my check, and closed my accounts. I purchased some traveler's checks and headed home. I checked my list for the last time and found I had done everything to get ready to move.

I planned to leave a week before Christmas. A small storm had just passed through the mountains, leaving about three inches of snow. It would be about a week before the next system would be coming from the west, so I would have about four days of good traveling weather.

Monday morning, I said my goodbyes to Ms. LaRue and thanked her for all her help.  She cried and hugged me goodbye and told me she would miss me and to call regularly to let her know how I was doing.  I jumped in my Mercedes, tooted the horn goodbye, and headed west. I was leaving Danny behind me, and I wasn't really sure what lay ahead.

I looked into the rear-view mirror and saw a reflection that told me Danielle would control where my future would go.  A new beginning is supposed to be a good thing, and probably this would be all of that. There was a little uncertainty in this adventure I was embarking on, but like my stepmother once said, "No matter what happens, tomorrow is another day."

THE END.