Working for a Boutique – Part 7

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Forward by Julia - As you know, I had written parts 5 and 6 of this story.  Urban thought she had lost this story, but she was able to recover it, and she sent it to me.  I thought I could edit this storyline to work with what I had written, so here is a flashback before Danny's condo fire.  I am sure you will enjoy it.

I have been so taken up on my transformation into a young woman, I almost forgot of some of the events I endured while I was still halfway between Danny and Danielle, so let's travel back in time to the week after I served Ms. LaRue and Ms. Verdot as a maid for the first time.

Monday after I punched in, I had just started unpacking some boxes when Ms. LaRue stopped by on her way out.

"I'm very impressed with the job you did Saturday, and so is Ms. Verdot. She has flown back to the coast and will be making several more trips to see our Illinois and Minnesota stores before purchasing a home. She seemed to like this area quite well."

"I'm certain she was pleased with our store because of your management. The fact that we have, under your direction, opened sooner and within our budget guidelines, as you stated in the last employee meeting, is a credit to everyone's hard work. Plus, judging by the amount of stuff I have been unpacking, our sales are up too. Everybody is doing a good job, I think."

I was hoping that little bit of flattery was taken in the right way. Everyone had been doing a good job, especially me, doing double duty as both a male and female employee. I was hoping I would not be called upon to do that again, but maybe the rewards would be more significant if I were.

"Have a good night, Danny, and thanks again." She smiled at me again as she left for the night.

July began, and so far, it was a hot slow month, and August wasn't going to be much better.  I received my work schedule that was for the rest of the summer into September.  We were just barely above sales goals for the year. The Fall line of merchandise began arriving the last week but was kept in storage in the back until the upcoming August summer clearance sales were over. I was going to work all three days of the Labor Day weekend.

Friday, I left Ms. LaRue a copy of my upcoming Fall school schedule. Saturday morning, I helped re-stock the shoe department with the latest fall styles and the beauty shop with makeup and nail products in the new fall colors. I installed another shelf in the wig salon, and then I put a dozen wigs on foam heads and placed them on the shelf.

That afternoon, I unpacked the new formal apparel line and carried them up the stairs of the rear balcony, where the sales girls removed the plastic film covers and put them on hangers. As I walked down the stairs after delivering the last load, I overheard them giggling, and one of them said something about being "too pretty for a boy."

Sunday, I brought boxes to the lingerie department, where the girls filled the shelves and cabinets. In addition, I moved several half-mannequins to the floor from their display stands so the girls could dress them. When they finished, I cut up the boxes and carried them back to the recycling bin.

Monday at nine, I came to work and found a note on my time card from Ms. LaRue. It seemed about the only time she wanted to see me now was when she needed Danielle, not Danny. I reported to her office as she was finishing up some paperwork.

"Come in, Danny." She looked up at me and smiled as I entered her office. "Ms. Verdot has decided to purchase a home in Rochester, MN. She will be here about every two months on her inspection trips. She will be here next Saturday and Sunday to do some auditing and perform the routine inspection of our store. Anne is having her eye surgery on Friday, and I need someone to be here that weekend to assist Ms. Verdot. Of course, she knows you only as Danielle, who I said works here in an administrative capacity and pro-vides maid service for me on her own time. I know you have taken both computer and accounting courses at your high school and have earned very high marks. Can you be here as Danielle, my administrative assistant, next weekend?"

I swallowed hard. I was pretty well caught up with my other tasks except for the night cleanup.

"What would I be doing? I usually stock on the weekends, and most of that is already done. I'm not familiar with your system the way Anne is."

Ms. LaRue smiled and shook her head.

"No problem, Danny. Anne has agreed to work the rest of the day with you to familiarize you with our system. Actually, you need only pay close attention to payables and payroll as they are the only records she will be looking at."

Her face had taken on a more serious look.

"What about cleanup? I usually have to do that before leaving."

Her voice had a more serious tone. "Don't worry, I'll have one of the other employees do that. If you spend today with Anne, do you think you can be ready by next week?"

"Well, yes, but what about, I mean she is expecting a girl and,"

"Madge will be here about eight-thirty when you arrive. She will assist you with wardrobe and, as Jean has informed me, you are now capable of doing your own makeup, correct?"

"Well, I did it that once but I," She gave me a tight smile.

"Good, then when Ms. Verdot arrives, she will find a properly dressed, made-up, and coiffured administrative assistant."

"What about pay? I mean before you..." She cut me off with a wave of her hand.

"Oh, don't worry. You'll be on double time. Just be sure Ms. Verdot is pleased with your work as well as your appearance."

"Well, alright."

"Report to Anne, and she will go over the system with you. Make sure you ask questions; I don't want anything to come up that you can't answer."

I nodded in agreement and walked back to where Anne was sitting at her desk. Ms. La- Rue left the office as Anne began showing me where everything was located in the desk drawers and the filing cabinets. The phone paging system was next. Finally, I learned how to boot up the computer system and access the files that would be audited the following weekend.

I was feeling pretty comfortable with everything by the time we got back from our noon lunch break. I made a couple of practice entries to locate as well as update information on the computer. The phone hadn't rung at all since it was a holiday, but just for good measure, Anne went out on the floor and, with her cell phone, made several calls asking for specific extensions and requesting information from various files on the computer that might come in during the weekend I would be handling the phones.

"I guess you've got it," she said as she picked up her purse. "Good luck next weekend, Danny! Oops, I mean Danielle!"

I bit my lip as she smirked at me and then left the office. The rest of the day was uneventful.

The week went by quickly, and I hadn't even thought about the masquerade I was going to be a part of that weekend. Friday night, I did some stock work, and after cleaning up, I punched out and went home. Saturday morning, I got up early and took a hot bath, and shaved again. My hairless body was now ten pounds lighter. I decided it was easier to modify my eating habits and maintain my weight at 135 than to constantly yo-yo up and down whenever the occasion required it.

When I reported to Madge in the beauty parlor at 8 AM Saturday, I was hoping this would be the last time I was going to have to do this, but I had my doubts about that.

I punched in a few minutes before eight and walked over to the beauty parlor. Madge was on the phone, giggling. As I entered the salon, she whispered something and then hung up.

"Good morning, Danny. Put these on, and I'll be right back."

On the chair were the foundation garments and hose. I began undressing as she left and put on a long line bra and girdle. Nylon stockings were next, and after I hooked them to the garters, I stepped into a half-slip.

Madge knocked, then came in. She put the breast forms in the cups, helped me adjust the straps, and then closed the hooks in the back. I picked up the lacey camisole and put it on, and she helped me adjust those straps as well.

"Jean tells me you know how to use makeup, so stand at the mirror and fix your face." I walked over to the mirror and applied a pink blusher and lipstick. When I finished,

Madge handed me the wig cap and helped me adjust the blonde wig. She removed a frilly

Pink blouse from the hanger, and I slipped it on. I fumbled with the front buttons, much to her amusement, then stepped into a slim black skirt. I tucked in the blouse and closed the side zipper. I put on a pair of three-inch black leather pumps, placed the cosmetics and the office keys in a black purse, and slipped it over my arm.

"You are good to go," said Madge. "Oops! I almost forgot!

She stood in front of me and clipped a pair of earrings on my earlobes.

"There, that's better. You better get up to the office; you don't want to be late on your first day as a secretary! Don't forget to modulate your voice like you did at Ms. LaRue's house."

I walked out of the beauty shop through the empty store. The sales clerks were already at their stations, all smiling as I walked by. It was ten minutes before opening, and the store was quiet except for the sound of my high heels clicking on the floor as I made my way to the front stairway to the office.

As I closed the door and began to walk up the steps to the office, I could hear the sound of giggling and laughter coming from the girls nearest the stairwell door. I unlocked the door and turned on the lights. After making the coffee, I switched on the phone system and booted up the computer. Ms. Verdot was scheduled to come in around 9:30, so I had a little time to relax. I went over my notes from the previous day, then sat down to await Ms. Verdot's arrival.

There were a few phone calls, which I was able to transfer properly, and several requests from other stores about stock pricing. I managed to locate the required information and passed it along with no problem. Ms. Verdot arrived at 9:30 am.

I stood up and greeted her with a cheery "Good Morning!"

"Good morning, Danielle!" Bring me some coffee if you would, please." She breezed past me and walked into Ms. LaRue's office.

I brought her a cup and set it down in front of her. She smiled as she looked up at me. "Give me a few minutes, and we'll get started."

I walked back to my desk and sat down. About ten minutes later, she came over to me with a sheaf of papers in her hand and took a seat at the desk behind me. She handed me several sheets from the folder.

"Double check these for me, will you, Danielle?"

I took the papers from her and began checking the figures on my adding machine. I handed them back to her when I was finished.

"Thank you. I'll be on the computer for a while, so just take care of the phones for now."

I nodded and turned around. Saturdays weren't busy in the office, so I opened the desk drawers and found some of Anne's magazines. There were some tabloids and a few fashion magazines. I decided on the fashion magazines and began reading the articles on dresses and makeup.

There were no more phone calls that morning, and, except for helping Ms. Verdot with a few things and locating some information in the filing cabinets, the morning had gone quite quietly. It was 11:45 when she got up from her desk; after picking up her folders, she walked back to her office. She returned a few minutes later.

"Get your purse. I'm taking you to lunch."

I reached into the drawer and took out my purse, and followed her out to her car.

It was a short drive to one of the better, classier restaurants in the city. As I got out of the car, I even remembered to smooth my skirt.

After we were seated at our table, I glanced at the menu. I was a little nervous. It was the first time I had been in public dressed like this, and I was very self-conscious.

"Relax, dear." Ms. Verdot smiled at me. "You seem a bit edgy today." "I guess I am. I had a very busy week."

We both ordered salads and diet soft drinks.

"I see you have removed your nail polish and are still wearing those clip-on earrings.

You would look great in pierced earrings." "Thank you, but I'm really not much for jewelry, and I think fussing with my nails is more trouble than it's worth."

"Sometimes, I wonder about that myself. Have you made any plans for tomorrow?"

"Well, no, I haven't. Why do you ask?"

"The fall line is in, and usually print ads from California are sent directly to the stores to be sent on to local publications. There was a computer glitch some- where and those files were somehow lost, so each store must take their own photos and submit them Monday for publication in next Sunday's morning newspaper. I was just informed of this before coming here. I would like to know if you would mind coming in again tomorrow to model suits, skirt-blouse combinations, and their related accessories.

"I talked briefly with Ms. LaRue on the phone, and she said you had helped us out in the past at the formal apparel show and had done a wonderful job. You would be compensated additionally, of course."

I didn't know what to say. The last thing I wanted to do is model again, but I didn't seem to have much choice.

"Yes, I guess I can."

"Good. The store opens at 10 on Sunday, and we want to be finished by then, so you will have to be in early; around six would be fine. Madge said she would be there to help out, too, so report to her at the beauty shop. The photographer will be there by 6:30, so be sure you are ready. Now finish your soda, and we'll get back to work."

I drank the last of the soda and wiped my mouth. I was about to get up when Ms. Verdot stopped me.

"Freshen up your lipstick, Danielle. A lady should never be seen white-lipped in public."

I opened my purse and took out my compact and lipstick. After applying the makeup, I replaced the items in my purse, and we left. The rest of the afternoon was uneventful as we completed the audit. Ms. Verdot left around 5:30. After making sure everything was shut off, I locked the office, went back to the beauty shop, and changed back to Danny again.

I drove home and ate a bowl of soup and a sandwich for supper. I read the paper, then I decided to rent a couple of movies. I picked two adventure movies to keep my mind occupied so I wouldn't be thinking about the next day. The movies were pretty good; afterward, I showered and went to bed.

It seemed I had just gotten to sleep when the alarm went off at five. I had a leisurely hot soak in the tub and shaved again. I dressed and checked my face in the mirror for any trace of hair. Satisfied, I drove to the store, dropping the movies off on the way.

Madge had things ready for me when I arrived a little after six. She stepped out, and I put on a black longline bra and girdle. I put the nylon stockings on and fastened them to the girdle. After placing the breast forms in the bra cups and adjusting the straps, I applied my makeup. When I finished, Madge walked in and smiled.

"You're getting pretty good at this, Danny. It won't be long before you will be able to do this without me!"

"I was hoping I wouldn't be doing this at all anymore," I said. I turned around, and Madge closed the last three hooks of the long line bra. I put on the wig cap and a dark brown wig that curled up at the shoulders. The cool softness of the black lacey camisole felt great as I pulled it down over myself and tucked it in the black half-slip. I turned back around to face Madge, and she was nodding approvingly. "The photographer was just about ready when you came in. Let me check with them before you go out there." She came back in a few minutes.

"All set. The clothes you'll be wearing are near the ladies' dressing room closest to the front. Follow me."

I walked behind her and saw that a small, makeshift stage about five feet by five feet and a foot high had been set up on one side of the aisle. A camera and two lights were opposite the stage. A blond woman was standing behind the camera with her arms crossed.

"Your first outfit is inside. When the photographer is finished with that style, come back here and put on the next one."

I nodded and stepped inside the dressing room. The first outfit was a sleeveless purple satin blouse, black skirt, and short-sleeved jacket. I put them on, then I slipped my feet in a pair of black leather four-inch heel pumps.

When I stepped out of the dressing room, Madge looked me over and handed me a pair of black leather three-quarter-length gloves. I put them on and slipped the black handbag over my left arm. Carefully, I made my way to the stage and stepped upon it.

"Stand in the center, please," ordered the photographer.

After shooting several poses, she waved me off. I walked back to the dressing room and undressed. My second outfit was a black long-sleeved jacket and skirt combination. The third and fourth were brown variations of the first two. I was getting quite adept at my ability to change quickly and pick the proper accessories. At 8:15, we took a break.

"You're doing a good job, as usual, Danny, whoops! I mean Danielle," said Madge.

Keep up the good work!"

The rest of the time was spent modeling a series of dark long-sleeved blouses and slim skirts of various lengths. At the center of the stage, I always struck one of two poses with each ensemble. The first was standing straight in the center facing the camera with my right arm at my side and my left arm across my body with the purse dangling from my elbow. The second pose involved standing in the center but with one leg straight, and the other turned to one side with my left arm cocked at an angle, the purse dangling from the crook of my elbow and my right hand placed smartly on my hip, just as I had done previously when I modeled the suits.

The last shot was taken about fifteen minutes before ten. I went back to the dressing room and removed the last blouse and skirt, and after kicking off the heels, I walked quickly back to the beauty shop to remove my makeup and change clothes. Just as I was leaving, Madge came running up to me.

"Thanks again, Danny; I know Ms. Verdot and Ms. LaRue will be well pleased with your work. Please take this card." She handed me a white business card.

"The photographer asked me to give you this. She said she liked the professional way you handled yourself and wanted to know if you were available for some independent shoots she has coming up in the near future. I told her I would give this to you and you would contact her. Enjoy the rest of your day off."

That's all I need! I thought as I walked out to the car, somebody else who thinks I am too pretty to be a boy! I stuck the card in my wallet and drove home. I was tired from getting up early that morning and didn't feel like doing anything. I was getting very tired of playing a girl too. I was making good money at it, and the extra time off gave me ample time to keep ahead of my schoolwork. My change in diet had stabilized my weight; overall, I never felt more fit in my whole life.

The Sunday want-ads didn't offer much in the way of improving my employment if I left the store, nor did the following Sundays, but I did enjoy the store's full-page ad with me modeling their Fall line. I had been able to maintain a modest savings account, and because the condo was paid for, I had no bills to speak of. Except for this charade I had to perform every once in a while, things were going pretty well.