The Women's Job - Part 18

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Kim had a suggestion. "I know a little Italian restaurant that serves great pasta, the tables are all private, and the waiters are all harmless, sweet, little old men."

That sounded like something I could handle. "No bar? No salesmen?"

"No bar, no salesmen." She assured me, grinning.

"That sounds alright."

Kim was right about the restaurant. I was a little place in a strip mall. There was no bar. Couples and small groups filled the little private booths. We had to wait a few minutes for a table, but it was worth it.

I had to agree with her description of the waiters. They were all little old Italian men. Ours was delighted to have the four of us at one of his tables. He had a wonderful sense of humor and probably paid a little more attention to our table than he ought to have. Each time he came to us, he made his little jokes or comments. He had us all laughing. Here, I could relax and enjoy being out with my friends.

During dinner, I talked about Mike Park and asked for their advice. I reminded them of what happened in our last encounter.

"I wouldn't be the least surprised if he tried something. From the way you described him, he'll, no doubt, want to take you out for dinner or something over the weekend." Trish was relatively sure of that.

"Connie said she'll try to keep him away from me." I hoped she'd be able to.

"You can't count on her being able to divert his attention all the time. You better be ready for anything." Kim told me.

"How do I handle him if he does try something?" The idea that he might scare the hell out of me.

They had lots of suggestions. We talked long after our meal was cleared away from the table. We finished off the second bottle of wine. The waiter hadn't raised an eyebrow when Trish ordered the first, asking for four glasses.

Judy's question surprised me. "Do you dance?"

"You don't think he'd ask me to go out dancing?"

"He might."

"I couldn't!"

"You may not have a choice," Kim told me in all seriousness.

I tried to picture that scenario. "I can dance slowly, I suppose."

"That may not be good enough."

"I don't fast dance very well, and I certainly don't know how to dance like a girl."

All three of them thought for a minute. "You've got a good feel for music. I've watched you do aerobics," Trish noted. "It wouldn't be too hard to teach you."

"I don't have time to learn. He's coming tomorrow." Even if I wanted to, I couldn't picture myself on a dance floor with him.

Trish took charge. "Let's take you home, and we'll give you some lessons."

"Right now?"

"Can you think of a better time?" Kim agreed with Trish.

"It sounds like fun. We'll teach Jennifer to shake her bootie." Judy liked the idea, and she loved kidding me.

It was still early when we got back to the apartment.

Connie hadn't settled in for the night yet; she was still dressed. "What's going on?" She asked when the four of us walked in on her.

"We're going to give Jennifer some dance lessons," Trish explained why.

Connie's eyes lit up. "Wonderful. I hadn't even thought of that. That's an excellent idea."

I started toward the bedroom. "I'm just going to get out of these heels before we start."

Kim spoke up. "Oh no. Just leave them on. If you're going to learn, you need to do it in your heels. You can't very well take them off if you're asked to dance out somewhere. And it's not the same, dancing in flats."

I knew she was right. As much as my feet hurt, the shoes would have to stay on.

"May we see your room?" Judy asked out of the blue.

I hadn't given a thought to them being curious about where I lived or how. I tried to remember what shape I had left my room that morning.

"Sure," Connie replied to the question.

They were going to see how I lived and for the first time. I was worried about what they'd think. Did I put away the nightie, or was it still lying on my bed?

"Oh, I like this," Trish commented as she stepped into the room.

"It's so bright and cheerful looking."

"I love this," Kim said, picking up my nightie. I had left it on the bed.

I felt my heart sink in my chest when Judy went to the closet and opened it. "Look at all of this. Trish, Kim. Come here and see."

They both went to see. "Jennifer," Kim turned back to me, smiling. "I never imagined that you'd have so many pretty things. You said you went out and bought new clothes, but you didn't tell us you bought all this."

I was so embarrassed.

Connie, standing at the door, looked pleased that they were impressed, but she could also see that it was bothering me. "Jennifer needs those to fool our visitor."

Judy pulled one of my dresser drawers open. By chance, it was my underwear drawer. The one that held the bras and panties Connie and Virginia had bought me. "Oh, these are so pretty." She held up one of the string bikinis.

I expected Connie to speak up, but Trish and Kim came to my aid instead. "Let's leave Jennifer's things alone," Trish told Judy.

"You're embarrassing her," Kim added.

Judy looked ashamed. "I'm sorry, Jennifer. I didn't mean anything by it. I was just impressed that you've got so many pretty things. I think it's great."

"If Jennifer's going to pull this off, she's going to have to feel like a girl, right down to her skin," Connie explained. "It's taken a lot of courage for Jeffrey to do this." She reminded the girls.

"Jennifer's very special," Trish said, smiling at me.

"I thought we were going to teach her how to dance?" Kim reminded everyone.

"Come on, I'll crank up the stereo." Connie led the way out to the living room.

For over an hour, they tried to get me to relax and just go with the music. My moves were so awkward. I watched them and tried to mimic their moves, but I felt like such a klutz. It was, after all, a lot different from the way a guy dances. I wasn't used to shaking my ass and moving my hips the way girls do.

Finally, I mastered some of the moves they tried so hard to teach me.

"You slow dance?" Connie asked, sitting on the couch.

"Sure."

"Think you can do it without leading?"

"I think so."

"Ok," She got up and walked over to me. "Put on something nice." She told Kim. "Let's see how you do. Left-arm on my shoulder. That's it, now the right." She put out her hand and took mine.

Kim found an easy listening station on the radio.

"One, two, three. One, two, three. That's it, Jennifer."

It wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. Connie worked with me for a half-hour until I grew accustomed to being lead.

"You're getting the hang of it. I think you'll be all right if we have to go out." Connie was satisfied.

"Just watch the other girls around you if you find yourself on the floor for a fast dance. Mimic them the way you did us." Kim reminded me.

"Just go with the music," Judy added.

"We better go. Jennifer's got a big day tomorrow." Trish told the others.

"Just let me get a picture of the four of you," Connie asked as she went to the table in the foyer for her camera.

"What for?" I asked.

"I promised to take pictures for Virginia. She so wanted to see you in your new things." Connie explained. "Now give me a nice pose." She told us.

That was no problem for the three beautiful models. "How do you want me?"

"Here, I'll show you." Trish posed me with one hand at my waist, the other on my upper thigh, and my hips swung to one side. "There, perfect. Now, big smile." The four of us stood close to each other. I decided that I wanted a copy of that print too.

Connie checked through the lens. "Jennifer, relax. Where's that pretty smile? Let me see that pout."

I did my best, and the camera's flash blinded me for a moment.

They wished me luck.

"Don't forget our date Saturday," Trish said at the door.

"Date?"

"We're supposed to go to the spa. Did you forget?"

I had forgotten, completely. "I did. Why don't we skip Saturday."

"Why skip it?" Connie asked.

"It would be such a hassle to go through for just an hour's workout." I would have to take off my nail polish, put it back on after. I showed Connie my nails so she'd understand. That was the least of it, of course. It was getting unceasingly uncomfortable trying to do aerobics wearing the band on my chest. I couldn't explain that, right there in front of the girls.

"No, you should go. It's good for you, and if you start skipping it, you'll get out of shape, and you've worked so hard to tone up."

Kim had what she thought was the obvious solution. "Just go as Jennifer."

"I can't do that. Lots of people there would recognize me. Karen would know me right off." Karen was the aerobics instructor.

"We'll just go early in the afternoon instead of late." Trish offered. "There's someone else teaching the early class, and the people we know all go to the later class."

That may have sounded like a simple solution to Trish. "I don't know."

"Jennifer will go," Connie said from behind me. I spun to face her.

Before I could raise an objection, she said to me. "What better way is there to get acclimated to pretending to be a girl than to do as many things as you can as Jennifer? It's the only way you'll ever get comfortable with the role."

Sure, she was probably right but how awkward for me. "I suppose."

"Do any of you have a leotard that Jennifer could borrow Saturday? We won't have time to buy her one between now and then."

"That's alright. I'll just wear my tee shirt."

"Don't be silly, Jennifer. I'm sure I have something that will go with your leggings." Kim offered. "Ok, if I go with you two?"

If I was stuck going, I'd just as soon have both Trish and Kim with me. "Of course."

"I can't go. I have to go to my mother's Saturday morning." Judy was disappointed.

"You'll do fine tomorrow." They assured me as we said goodnight.

Now I could kick off my shoes. My feet hurt even worse after all the jumping around, dancing.

We were alone now. "Did you have a good time, Honey?" Connie asked.

I told her about the experience at the bar and how terrified I was. "I thought my knees were going to buckle under me when I got down from the stool."

"I'm glad they got you out of there." Connie hung on me every word.

"Dinner was fun," I told her about the restaurant, the waiter, and our conversations.

"Trish and the others really care about you."

"I like them a lot." It amazed me that these girls would be willing to make a guy like me comfortable acting like a girl. I wasn't about to ask why. I was simply grateful to have them as friends.

It was getting late. "Honey, why don't you wash up and slip into your nightie. I still want to do your toenails tonight."

I had forgotten about Connie wanting to do them.

I didn't waste any time in the bathroom. As I slipped the nightie over my head, I told myself that Connie had told me to put it on, so it wasn't as if it was my idea to wear pretty lingerie. I could justify wearing it more easily that way.

I gathered my hair into the elastic tie. As I looked at myself in the mirror, a little shiver went through me. It wasn't clear to me if it was delight or fear that I felt for just an instant.

Connie spread a towel on the couch and, as I watched tv, she painted my toenails for me. I sat there with cotton balls stuffed between my toes while the polish dried.

My thoughts were on anything but the show on tv. Was the fear I had felt earlier in the evening, at the bar, just a taste of what was to come tomorrow?

When the eleven o'clock news went off, my toenails were dry, and it was time for bed.

"Have you decided what to wear tomorrow?" Connie asked as we got up from the couch.

I had given that a lot of thought but couldn't bring myself to decide. "I'm not sure."

"Wear the blue dress. The print one. That looked so cute on you at the store."

The one she alluded to was a light blue dress with a bright, flowered print. It had short, full sleeves, a scooped neckline, and a short swing skirt.

"It's so low cut." I traced the outline of the neck.

"That's what makes it so adorable." She knew what worried me. "You don't have to worry, especially now."

I knew what she meant, now that I had breasts. "It just makes me nervous. What if someone sees."

Connie laughed, "It's not that low cut, Honey."

Maybe I did exaggerate, just a little. It was just that I was scared. I had to trust Connie. "All right."

Connie didn't ask me to kiss her good night. Maybe that's why she seemed so pleased when I did kiss her on the cheek. "Good night Mom."

She put her hand on my left cheek as she kissed the other. "Good night, Sweetheart. Sleep well."

"I hope I can," I said as I left her to go to my room. I was surprised when she came in a moment later, carrying a glass of water and something in her hand.

"Here, Honey, take this." She handed me a small white pill. "It'll help you sleep." She held the glass of water out to me.

I did want to sleep. I didn't want to dream. "Thanks."

Bobbie did not beat us to work that Friday. I was actually disappointed; I was looking forward to her opinion of how I looked that morning. I had Connie's praise, but she was prejudiced.

I had worried about how I'd look in the dress. When I was all ready to go, I took a long look at the girl in the mirror. She was charming.

Connie had been wise to have me start dressing as Jennifer the day before Mr. Parks' arrival. I was much more ready for him, and the folks at work were more relaxed with me. The novelty of me dressing as Jennifer had certainly not worn off, but neither was it too new. The word had been passed early that morning that all would be normal. No one was to tease me or act as if I were anything but Jennifer, Ms. Sackett's assistant.

Mr. Park's plane was due at ten, and the limo would pick him up from the airport, bringing him first to the Mariott, waiting while he checked in, and then bringing him to the office.

When the clock on my desk said it was ten thirty, I started to feel anxious. The driver called in to tell us he was at the hotel. Bobbie took the call and passed on the message.

"He said the people from Jansen had just gone into the hotel to check-in."

"People?" I asked. "There's more than one?"

Bobbie seemed surprised. "How many is there supposed to be?"

"I thought from their fax that it was just Mr. Park. Who's with him?" I asked in almost a panic. I assumed the worst. I assumed that Robert must have come with him.

"The driver didn't say," Bobbie replied. "What's wrong?"

I tried to get hold of myself. "Did he say if it was a man or a woman?"

"He just said there were two of them."

"Call me as soon as you see the limo, please."

"I will," Bobbie assured me.

Connie had overheard me and came out to see what was wrong.

"Mr. Park isn't alone," I told her.

"Who's with him?" She asked calmly.

"Bobbie doesn't know. The driver didn't say. Do you think it's Mr. Niles?"

"I don't know, but let's not panic. Just calm down. We'll handle them, no matter who it is."

She was right. "Ok, ok." I had to trust her.

It was about a quarter to twelve when Bobbie called back. "They're here."

"Who's with him?"

"They're just getting out of the car. The driver's opening the door. There's a man; it's Mike Park."

I held my breath.

"There's a woman with him." There was a pause. "It's just the two of them, Mr. Park and a woman. I Gotta go."

My first thought was to thank God, and that was all I had time for. It was my job to go upfront and bring the people back to Connie's office. Bobbie's call, announcing them, came within seconds.

Connie nodded and smiled, indicating that I should go. I showed her my brave smile. I took a deep breath as I walked up the hallway to the lobby.

"Mr. Park, it's so nice to see you again." I instinctively extended my hand to him.

He took it, then leaned over and kissed my cheek. "It's Mike, Jennifer. It hasn't been that long."

I was embarrassed enough, but Bobbie saw him kiss me.

He introduced the woman to him. "Jennifer, this is Miss Crawford."

I knew I was safe to give her my hand. "It's very nice to meet you." My smile was genuine.

"Please call me Pat." She said, returning my smile.

"Pat is my executive assistant."

His secretary. She was an attractive woman. I was beginning to realize that most women in the fashion business were attractive. Pat was certainly no exception. She was a blond, about my height. She reminded me of Cybil Sheppard, only younger. She couldn't have been over twenty-five.

"It's a pleasure, Pat."

I turned back to 'Mike.' "Ms. Sackett's waiting for us. We took the liberty of ordering in lunch, and it should be here any minute." That was one of Connie's brainstorms. It was one way to keep me from having to go out to lunch with the man.

I led them down the hall to our office.