The Women's Job - Part 6

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Connie helped me load my things in the car Sunday morning and I got my first look at my new home. Her apartment was on the fifteenth floor of a very posh high rise. There was a valet to park our cars, a doorman, and even an elevator operator. Connie exchange pleasantries with them but didn't introduce me. That was fine,

"You must pay a fortune," I commented on the way up in the elevator.

"It's worth it." She told me. "Besides, now I have someone to share some of the expenses."

That was more than fair and I didn't mind a bit. In fact, I had insisted.

The apartment was large. The condo appeared drab compared to her place.

She led me directly to one of the two spare bedrooms that would be mine. I didn't know what to expect, I hadn't really given it much thought. I stood in the doorway with my arms full of bags, staring in surprise.

"How do you like it?" Connie asked, standing behind me.

I was glad she couldn't see my face at the moment. "It's beautiful." I told her. I took the room in at a glance. Two big windows, complete with window seats and lace curtains lit up the room from either side of the white poster bed.

The white quilted bedspread had a delicate, flowered print and long ruffles.

On either side of the bed were matching white nightstands. Each held a small gold lamp with lace-trimmed shades. They rested on white doilies.

To the right of the bed was a long low dresser with a large rectangular mirror. The same style doilies lay under what appeared to be a jewelry box on one end of the dresser and a mirrored tray set on the other.

On the far wall was a matching white vanity table, complete with a lighted mirror. A leftover, I assumed. I would have no use for it.

I wasn't sure what to make of it all. It would seem strange staying in this room.

Connie stepped by me. "I had it redecorated late last year. My mother stays with me when she visits from up north." She put her armload of my things on the bed.

I was relieved to learn she hadn't decorated it this way for me. I walked to the closet next to the vanity table and opened it. "What's all this?" Hanging there were a dozen or so garments.

Connie turned to see what I was talking about. When she saw she said "Oh, I completely forgot about those. Virginia Castle sent that to the office for you late Friday, after you left. Since you were coming here anyway, I just brought it home with me. There are some really nice things she sent you."

I had mixed feelings about what she might have sent. Part of me wanted to pretend the things weren't there but another part was curious. I hung up my things then started looking through what she had sent.

Connie's question interrupted me. "Jeffrey, what are you saving these God-awful things for." She was putting things away in the dresser drawers and she had opened my suitcase to find all the things I had brought with me from home. "You don't wear these old things anymore. We might as well give them to Good Will."

I wanted to tell her no. I really didn't want to part with them. I tried to think up a good reason to keep them but I was at a loss. Except when I was home alone, I never wore them. As far as Connie knew, I didn't want to. How could I tell her no.? "I guess so," I said reluctantly.

Connie put them in a pile on the floor. "Good riddance."

It took another trip to the car to get everything. I put away my things in the bathroom while Connie finished for me in the bedroom. When I came back into the bedroom, the pile of my old clothes on the floor was gone.

"We'll put your vitamins here where you can find them." She put them in the kitchen cabinet, apart from hers. "It looks like you're running low. I'll stop at the store later and get you more."

"I can do that, you don't have to." I did have a car now.

Connie insisted, "No, I'll get them. I have to pick up some things for myself later anyway."

I didn't argue with her.

"What time are you meeting Gwen at the spa?" She asked as we made lunch.

I had almost forgotten I told her I'd meet her to work out. "Three o'clock."

"Great, that gives us time to run to the Sports Authority and get you some things to work out in."

"I'm paying this time." I insisted.

"Are you sure you have enough money?"

Connie knew that I sent money home each week, to pay back my parents for all the money they spent on me when I was in trouble. I also had to pay the parole officer. "Jesus! I completely forgot."

"What is it?"

"My parole! I don't know if they'll let me stay here permanently." I hadn't given a thought to the fact that I was on parole and that meant that eventually, I'd have to go back north. That could ruin everything.

Connie seemed unexcited about my revelation. "Oh Jeffrey, I've already taken care of that. Your parole officer in New York said it was no problem to transfer your parole to Georgia. He just said he needed someone here to be responsible for you."

"You mean like "

"I mean like me. I told him that I would take full responsibility for you. You don't even have to report anywhere anymore. I'm your sponsor."

"When did all this happen?" I was shocked. I knew nothing about it.

"Late last week. I had the legal office in Manhattan push it through."

She put her hand tenderly on my cheek. "You don't think I'd let them take you back to New York? I need you too much here."

I would forever be in her debt. She was like a mother to me. More attuned to me than my own ever was. "Thank you," I told her gratefully.

"Let's hurry up and have lunch so we can get out of here." She suggested as she put the tuna on the lettuce I had put on the plates.

"I don't like any of this stuff. It's all so blah." Connie acted disgusted with the selections the Sports authority had for guys.

I wasn't paying much attention. I was too concerned with feeling self-conscious. Connie had told me, after finishing lunch, that I should change before we went out. She said the dress slacks and shirt were too dressy for where we were going. She went through the new things in the closet and found some things she thought were more appropriate.

The white, ankle-length, spandex leggings that hugged my legs and ass were comfortable, that I had to admit, but. At least the oversized bright yellow tee covered my ass. Ms. Castle had sent me more than just the clothes. Connie picked out a pair of soft-sided white flats she sent along to go with the outfit. I had never seen guys' shoes that looked like them but Connie insisted they were fine.

"Will you leave yourself alone and come over here?" I looked up to see Connie looking at me. She had crossed the aisle to the juniors’ department and was going through the racks of clothes there. I looked around to see if anyone was watching before I walked over and joined her.

"These are girls’ clothes," I said in a whisper.

"I know. That stuff back there is awful. It's so bland. We'll find you something nicer here."

"But "

She ignored me, "Look around and see if there's anything that hits you."

Nothing 'hit' me. Connie, as always, picked out everything. I put three outfits and a pair of Rebocks on the counter. Even the sneakers came from the women's department.

I had a pair of white bicycle pants with pink, yellow, and red accents on the outsides of the legs. I had actually picked out the calf-length spandex pants but I wanted black. The switch to hot pink was Connie's doing. I also bought the coordinated shirts that went with them. Luckily, I was able to talk Connie out of the spandex tops that went with both of the sets.

The nylon warm up suit wasn't so bad. It was colorful and I actually thought it looked good on me.

The girl on the register didn't seem phased by my buying the girl's outfits and I realized why when she put my change in my hand and said, "Thank you ladies, and have a nice afternoon."

Connie made a joke of it when we got outside. "That girl was a real idiot. How could she possibly mistake you for a girl? She has to be the product of generations of inbreeding."

I didn't laugh it off so easily. "Do you think I look like a girl?" I asked Connie seriously.

She stopped in her tracks about ten feet from the car. "Are you serious?" She looked very concerned about my question.

I shrugged it off playfully, "No! I was only kidding." I didn't know the question would bother her that much. I let it go.

We hurried home and I changed into my bicycle pants and top. It was warm outside so I only wore the pants from the warm up suit. I had plenty of time to get to the spa. It felt great to drive fast with the windows down and the warm breeze on my face. I started putting my hair in a ponytail after my first workout. It had gotten damp with sweat and was constantly in my eyes.

Gwen thought my new outfit looked terrific on me. The girls were amazing. No matter how strange I felt, they always were able to put my fears to rest. I had never known friends like them.

We had a great workout. I was getting much better at aerobics and while I was soaked in perspiration when I was done, I felt great.

Gwen didn't like to shower at the spa either, for her own reasons. I went home to Connie's. I remember how strange it was to think of my boss's apartment as home but she was so much more than just my boss. It was really nice to go home and have someone there who was glad to see you.

Since we weren't going anywhere that night I didn't care what I wore. The leggings and tee-shirt I wore earlier were just fine for hanging around the apartment. I was toweling my hair dry and came out of the bedroom to see what she was doing.

"You really look comfortable in that." She commented from the kitchen as she watched me from the pass-through between the kitchen and living room.

"They're like having a second skin. You hardly know you're wearing anything." We talked for a few minutes then I started back to the bedroom to finish drying my hair. I stopped at the doorway and turned back to her with a question. "Don't you think my hair's getting a little long?" More and more, it was getting in the way. It was brushing my face at work and when I slept it would always find its way into my mouth somehow.

"Long? Lord no! It's just getting to a nice length. It would be a sin to cut your beautiful hair. No, you definitely don't want to get it cut. I'll be happy to make you an appointment with Jimmy to trim the split ends if you want?"

"No, that's all right. I was just wondering." I could live with it.

"Why don't you go in and dry your hair? Then you can come back and help me make dinner. I thought you might like a nice home-cooked meal for a change."

That sounded great. It was nice to have someone to talk to and the lasagna she made tasted wonderful, even though she used all dietetic ingredients. I helped with the dishes afterward.

It was difficult for us not to talk about work over dinner but I didn't mind. I was so eager to learn all I could about the business and she was willing to teach me.

After dinner was a different story. "Do you like to watch TV?" she asked as we left the tidied-up kitchen.

I did, "Yes."

"I like to get comfortable and curl up on the couch and watch a good movie. Would it bother you if I got into my nightgown?"

That was alright with me. "No, I don't mind at all," I told her smiling. It was sweet of her to ask me.

"You never told me whether you liked the pajamas I bought you." She commented as she walked toward her bedroom.

"I love them. They're the most comfortable I ever wore." It was the truth. I wore them every night.

"Why don't we both get comfortable?" She suggested.

That was fine with me.

We watched sitcoms till nine and then we watched a movie she had been waiting to see. It was a love story and I usually don't mind watching them but this one was very slow-moving.

As I sat there on the couch my hair kept falling across my face and I unconsciously brushed it back. I didn't realize Connie was watching me. "I'll get you something to stop that."

She was up off the couch before I could stop her. She came back from the bedroom with a white elastic headband. It was trimmed in lace. "I'm sorry but it's the only one I have. We'll pick you up some of your own next weeks."

She went behind the couch to put it on me. "No Connie, that's alright."

"Don't be silly. It's just me and you." She brushed my hand out of the way and put it on me. "There, isn't that better?"

I was sure I looked foolish. "I suppose so." It did hold my hair back.

"It looks nice on you. You make such a fuss sometimes." That was the end of it as far as she was concerned.

I had laid out one of the new outfits to put on and was finishing up in the bathroom the next morning when Connie knocked on the bedroom door.

I put on the robe from behind the door and went to see what she wanted. She was holding a shopping bag. "Jeffrey, there's something personal I have to talk to you about." I stepped out of the way and let her in.

"What's wrong?" Had I done something?

She sat on the edge of the bed and set the bag on the floor. "I've wanted to tell you for a long time but wasn't sure how to broach the subject."

I had done something. "You can tell me." I was nervous.

She continued to hedge, "You know that I'm really pleased with you and I want to see you grow, both as a person and with the company?"

"Yes?"

She hesitated. I decided to make it easier for her. "Connie, if I'm not doing something that you expect me to, just tell me, I'll fix it."

"It's not that Jeffrey." She seemed to be gathering her courage. I could only wait.

"It's the way you dress." She blurted out.

She shocked me. "I thought you wanted me to dress this way," I said with surprise.

"Oh I do," She answered quickly. "It's just that you could look better."

I didn't know what she wanted me to do. I just stood there waiting.

"Jeffrey, this is very awkward. Your underwear really takes away from the way you look when you're dressed in your new things."

"My underwear?" What was she talking about?

"You've got lines where lines shouldn't show and they make you look terrible sometimes."

"What should I do? Stop wearing underwear." I wondered what other choice I had.

"No, of course not. You need to change the kind of underwear you wear. Your old underwear was fine when you wore those old heavy things but now it shows. I bought you some new things while you were at the spa yesterday. I finally decided you had to do something after seeing you in your new leggings. They looked really nice except for the lines." She dumped the bag out on the bed and a dozen pairs of women's cotton panties fell out.

"Connie, I can't . . . "

"Before you say that, think about this. You want to look good, don't you? You want to show people you have style. No one has to know what you wear under your clothes but you. I would never tell anyone. It's up to you but you certainly can't make a good impression showing off poor taste in the way you dress."

We were only a few minutes later than usual getting to work. Everyone thought the new outfit was adorable. I was getting a little tired of that expression, but they meant well.