The Women's Job - Part 3

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Thursday's shoot was a last-minute thing. Connie only told me about it that morning. I had to really scramble to get everything arranged in time for four o’clock that afternoon.

Not everything went quite as planned. As usual, I stayed in the background as we waited for the last of the models to show up. They were over half an hour late already. I was responsible for the phone and when it rang I grabbed it.

Connie wasn't at all happy when I told her that Gwen wasn't going to make it. The shoot required four girls and three guys in a cocktail party setting. Gwen was the fourth girl.

"We'll just have to cancel." Terry, the photographer, suggested.

I knew Connie was trying to think of a way to salvage the shoot. It cost a lot to bring all this together to just quit. I was watching Connie to see what she was going to do. She looked around and her eyes fixed on mine for a minute before she turned back to Terry. "We're not going to cancel anything." She told him.

Connie walked over to Stephanie, the wardrobe girl. She said something to her I couldn't hear. Then she called Pam over to join them. Pam was responsible for the girl's makeup. They talk for a few minutes then Stephanie headed for the wardrobe room and Pam to her room. Connie walked over to where I stood.

I wondered if she was going to try to use one of them in the shoot but Stephanie was a stubby little thing and Pam was almost six-two. They really wouldn't do.

"This is not good."

"I know." I had to ask, "You're not going to use Stephanie or Pam are you?"

Connie smirked. "No way."

"What are you going to do? It's too late to get someone else." I was sure of that.

"There's only one thing I can think of Jeffrey."

I waited to hear how she was going to pull it off.

"I'm going to need your help." She said flatly, her expression was quite serious, I knew she wasn’t kidding.

"What can I do?" I asked innocently.

"You have to fill in for Gwen." The expression on her face said she wasn't kidding.

"Me!?" I nearly fell off the stool. "I can't pass as a girl." Even if I wanted to, which I didn't.

Her tone was calm and level. "Stephanie, Pam, and I discussed it and we agree you can save the shoot."

"Me!?" I was repeating myself but I didn't care.

"You can do it, Jeffrey. Remember when I told you that you were part of the team and that the team does whatever it has to, to get the job done?"

"I remember but. "

"You're not going to let me down now when I really need you, are you?"

She hit the right cords. How could I refuse? Her eyes compelled me like they had never done before. She waited for my answer.

"If you think I can"

Connie turned to Terry before I even finished. "We're on. Jeffrey's going to fill in for Gwen."

The models turned to look at me. All of their faces betrayed their surprise.

Terry had something to say. "I don't know Connie."

"He'll be fine. Stephanie has just the dress and Pam is sure she can make him up to look convincing. No one will ever know."

"The camera will know. It sees everything."

I just stood there, dumb, while they argued.

"Ok, what's the problem?" Connie asked her.

"He's got hairy legs."

"Black stockings," Connie responded.

"The camera will know," Terry said flatly.

"He'll shave."

"What about his arm hair."

"Depilatory." Connie had an answer ready.

"His hair's not right for the shot."

"Stephanie's already combing out his wig."

Terry shrugged his shoulders. "All right, I give in. Let's see how he looks."

Connie turned back to me. "Come on Jeffrey, we have to hurry." She turned to the models on the set. "Just relax while Jeffrey gets ready." Connie hurried me into makeup.

Pam was waiting. "Here, take this into the bathroom and hurry." She handed me a plastic bottle of lotion, a razor, and a bottle of hair remover.

"I'll go with him," Connie told her.

When I came out of the bathroom, I was wearing just my underwear. My legs were smooth-shaven and my arms completely hairless. I felt very strange and helpless. Pam and Connie weren't even phased at seeing me this way.

With me seated in her chair, Pam went to work putting makeup on. She turned me away from the mirror so I couldn't see what she was doing.

She had been working on me for about five minutes when Stephanie came in carrying a wig and a black dress. "He'll have to shave his armpits and chest. This is the only dress I have right now that might fit him but it might make him look fat."

I looked at the wig and dress. The wig was almost the same color as my own hair but wavy. It was about six inches longer than mine.

The dress was a simple little black dress' with sheer sleeves, cuffed with jeweled buttons. The jeweled neckline plunged enough that my fine chest hair would show. I couldn't imagine that I could look convincing in it. I turned to Connie with a pleading look on my face. She was watching me. "Don't worry, You'll do fine." To Stephanie, she said, "Do you still have that waist clincher back there somewhere?"

"I think so." She replied. "I'll get it."

Pam let me up from her chair and we made a second trip into the bathroom. I came out a few minutes later with clean- armpits. The lotion made quick work of my sparse, fine chest hair.

Pam finished making me up and fitted the wig on me. She pinned it securely to my hair.

Stephanie had left us while we were in the bathroom. She was back now, holding a bra, panties, stockings, and the waist clincher.

I got a sick feeling in my stomach when I saw it all. Just the idea of wearing women's lingerie made me feel sick. "I need to use the bathroom," I announced.

"Go ahead dear but try to hurry," Connie told me. "Don't mess up your makeup," Pam added. I threw up what little I had in my stomach. I was sure they could hear what I was doing but I didn't much care.

Connie came in as I leaned over the bowl. "That's all right. Let it out. You'll feel better afterward."

"I don't know if I can do this," I admitted as I looked up at her.

"Of course you can." That was it. "Come on now. Everyone's waiting."

Connie had the panties and stocking in her hand. "Slip these on and come on out." She left me there.

I know I took longer than they expected but I finally came out wearing the lingerie. I felt so foolish.

Stephanie fitted the bra and tight-fitting waist belt on me while Pam touched up my makeup. I just stood there and let them do it. The bra cups had foam inserts that made me look like I had real breasts.

"I have to do something with these eyebrows," Pam said, sounding frustrated.

Connie came around and looked. "Just do what you have to." She said to her impatiently.

"My eyebrows?" I asked with panic.

"Don't worry. Pam will only do what she has to, to make you look pretty." Connie told me. It wasn't very reassuring.

Pam started plucking and she seemed to pull out a lot. I still couldn't see what she was doing and that bothered me a lot. She took her little scissors and cut them short.

She finally stopped and stood back to view her work. "That's much better."

Connie looked to see. "Very nice."

I couldn't resist looking. The person in the mirror wasn't me. It was a very convincing-looking girl. My complexion was flawless. My eyes looked just like a girl's with all the color on my lids, the eyeliner, and long lashes. My eyebrows were narrow and short. They arched up in a curve over my eyes.

I appeared to have high cheekbones but that was just the blush Pam had put on. The most noticeable feature was my bright red, shaped lips. I couldn't believe they had been able to make me over so convincingly.

Connie obviously thought I was admiring their work. "See, I told you they could make you look pretty." She said smiling and apparently pleased.

"I guess so," I said turning to her. I didn't echo her pleasure.

"Now let's get you into your dress." Stephanie was waiting. I stepped into it while the girl held it for me. She zipped up the back and came around to see how it looked.

"He has a better figure than I do," Pam commented.

I looked at myself in the mirror and I had to admit that I did have something of a girl's shape. I had just always thought of myself as skinny. It didn't help me feel any better to realize I had a girl's figure. The waist belt, a clincher as they called it, gave me a slender waistline.

"Size eight? Right?" Stephanie asked. I looked over to see her holding a pair of black heels.

"That's right," Connie said from behind me. "Try them on Jeffrey." She told me.

It was uncomfortable, standing there in high heels but they did seem to fit, apart from pinching my toes a little. I was worried about how I would walk in them.

"These will be perfect with his dress." Stephanie took a pair of earrings from her pocket and showed them to the others.

"Perfect." Connie agreed and Stephanie removed the hoops from my ears and put in the black and gold dangle earrings in the holes in my earlobes. I didn't want to look. I didn’t want to see myself anymore.

"That's it. He's perfect. Let's go." Connie said taking my hand and leading me. "I don't want you to fall in those shoes so just hang on to me."

She didn't have to tell me twice. I felt very clumsy. Everyone turned to see me when we walked out onto the set. The girls who had been waiting all turned and smiled. "Jeffrey, you look absolutely beautiful," Trish said approvingly. "You look positively precious." Joyce agreed. "Lovely" Kim added. They each had something to add.

They guys didn't say much. Their looks were not approving. They made me feel really uncomfortable. Surely, they had to know I wasn't enjoying myself. It wasn't my idea.

Terry's remark was from a critical point of view, not a condemning one. She commented, "You didn't do his nails. His hands don't look right."

"Damn, I missed that." Pam hurried back to her room. She came back a moment later with a tray.

"A couple of you give me a hand. We can do this twice as fast if we work together." They sat me down at the little table they brought out under the lights. Kim and Trish took my left hand while Pam and Joyce did my right. It was amazing to see how quickly they applied the fake nails. They were accustomed to doing it, of course. Pam insisted on applying the bright red polish herself. "It's a quick-dry formula." It was quick.

With Terry finally satisfied, they had me posing on the set in minutes. Posing was the easy part. I had only to stand with my feet together, my side to the camera, and hold a glass of champagne in my hand. Getting me to smile the way they want me to, was the hard part. Connie finally got me to achieve the look they wanted as she talked to me from off-set. She was convincing enough to get me to smile.

I had sat through several shoots but I found I had no idea of the work it was for the girls on the set. It wasn't till the fifth shot that I got the knack of smiling the way they wanted me to. By that time my feet were killing me.

I got used to the feeling of wearing a dress and it was beginning to feel like any other piece of clothes. As comfortable as it felt, it still wasn't right, me wearing a dress in front of the camera.

I knew the agenda of this shoot so I knew when the last shot was done before anyone told me. It would have thrilled me to go in back and get out of those things but Connie had a better idea. "Jeffrey, you did a beautiful job tonight. I really owe you a lot for this."

What could I say? "I'm part of the team." Now this team member wanted to change. "Ok if I change now?" I asked.

"Oh Jeffrey. Do you suppose I could have just one picture of you for myself? Just to remember tonight? Just one?" Connie asked so sweetly.

What else could I do? I had already had well over a hundred pictures taken of me in a dress. What difference would a few more make? "I guess so."

"You're a sweetheart." She turned to Terry who had been listening. "Just a few simple shots."

I posed sitting and standing. Terry took a few shots of me looking pensive, a few looking distracted and thoughtful and finally, a half dozen shots smiling. It did get easier as I worked at it.

The guys left the set to change but the girls all stayed to watch. "You did very well, I was impressed," Trish told me. This is the girl who had hardly said two words to me in a week. Kim and Joyce were just as complementary and, despite the weird circumstances, I appreciated their praise.

I admitted to them that the guys made me nervous. They laughed out loud. When they saw the hurt look on my face Kim explained. "Don't let them bother you, Jeffrey. They're all gay."

Now I understood her laughing. "I didn't know."

"Don't give them a thought. I'm sure you make them uncomfortable." Trish told me. "A lot of male models are gay."

Knowing that made me feel more at ease. I could live with making them uncomfortable. That was their problem.

I didn't realize how late it was. I hadn’t been able to see the clock from the set. Now I saw that it was almost eleven. It felt good to get out of the pumps finally. My own clothes, as alien to me as they had first seemed, were a pleasure to put back on. It was a relief to get out of the wig and brush out my hair. I wouldn't complain about my styled cut anymore. I was content with it.

We were on our way out the lobby door when I realized I was still wearing the long nails they had put on me. I had gotten used to them over the course of the evening. I had been wearing them for over five hours. "I need to go back and take these off," I told Connie.

"You can take them off at home. Come on."

It was late and there was no one on the streets at this hour. I was going straight home. "Ok, you're right."

Connie walked beside me as we headed for the car. "You really did a marvelous job tonight. You saved the shoot and I want you to know I really appreciate that. You proved tonight that you're really a team player."

I wanted her to know. "I really appreciate the opportunity you've given me with the company. I also want you to know that what I did tonight, I did for you. I wouldn't do anything like that for anyone else."

"I appreciate that Jeffrey. We're going to make a good team." Connie said with a smile.

It took some work but I eventually managed to get the nails off with the polish remover Connie gave me to use.

As I got ready for bed, I studied myself in the mirror. Were all the traces of the girl I had been tonight gone? As I studied my reflection I realized that she wasn't completely gone.

My hairless chest, arms, and legs felt strange to wash as I stood under the steady stream of water in the shower. They were so smooth and silky feeling.

My eyebrows were still narrow and arched.

The last thing I did before I slipped under the covers was to massage in my lotion on my hands and face. As an afterthought, I also applied the lotion over the rest of my hairless body. I only did it because the lotion made my skin tingle in a pleasant way. I would have to remember to ask Connie where to get more. The small bottle was almost empty and it would be gone quickly if I continued to use it at this rate.

I seemed to get a lot of offhanded looks the next day. I wondered how many people knew what I had done. No one said anything to me except the people who had been on the set with us. Trish came by to say that she admired my spunk, "That took a lot of guts and I admire that. You're very special." That sort of made up for the funny looks. I had made some real friends.

A few of the other girls had heard about it and actually came in and asked if it was true. "I helped out." That was all I told them. I didn't care to elaborate. While I got some funny looks, the ribbing I expected never came.

I was in Connie's office around ten when the delivery boy came in with a vase full of a dozen red roses. They were for me. Connie watched me, smiling, as I took the card and read it. They were from her, thanking me for what I did the night before. I didn't know what to say. "They're beautiful. Thank you."

"It's just my way of telling you that everything you do for me is appreciated."

No one ever gave me flowers before. Quite a few people heard about them and a number came by to see. All I got were compliments.

I was a little shocked when four of the girls came by the office at around four to tell me that they were all going out for a drink after work and wanted to know if I'd like to join them. I would have been a little skeptical about going if Trish and Kim weren't among them.

Connie heard them asking from her office. She came out. "You should go, Jeffery, you deserve to get out and have some fun. All you do is work."

I was a little nervous about going. Up till that day, I had hadn't gone out in public, not anywhere and the outfit I had worn was a little flashy, my leather pants and geometric print silk shirt. I was afraid I might draw the wrong kind of attention.

"Come on Jeffrey. Go with us." Kim urged.

I really wanted to get out. I was being asked to go out with four very beautiful young women. How could I say no? I agreed.

I went in Kim's car with her and Gloria. Trish followed in hers with Judy.

I listened as they talked about their day. Kim and Gloria had a shoot that morning at another agency. Beyond modeling, I had little in common with them.

"So, do you like working for Ms. Sackett?" Kim finally asked me.

I didn't want to say the wrong thing. I really didn't know these girls or how close their relationship was with Connie. "I've never worked for anyone like her. She's great."

"She really seems to have taken to you," Gloria remarked.

"I hope so. I really like working here better than up in New York." It was true but it was a little hard being so far from home.

"Where are you staying while you're here?" Kim wondered.

"They’re letting me use the company condo," I answered innocently. I notice the two girls exchange a brief knowing glance.

"Why? Is there something I should know?"

Kim looked nervous like she wished she hadn't asked. "No, it's just that it's normally used for visiting executives and sometimes we use it. Trish, Gloria, and I keep some things there."

"Those are your things in the closets and bathroom? I didn't realize."

"Yea," Kim answered.

I answered what I thought was her concern. "I haven't touched anything, honest. What I did last night, that was the first and only time."

Both Kim and Gloria breathed a tiny sigh of relief. Kim turned the car into the parking lot of the Calypso Bay Lounge.

"Are you sure I'm dressed alright for this place?" I had to ask.

"No Jeffrey, you're fine. Don't worry." They assured me.

We got out of the car as the others pulled into a parking spot.