The 26th Edition of the JOE BATES Story

     Joe stirred as he heard the rauchous buzz of the clock radio. Linda
reached over and turned it off, leaving the radio playing softly. She had set
the alarm. Joe hadn't even bothered, since today, he had no need to be up till
nine, and then to go to the hairdresser. He wouldn't have any problem being up
in time for that. Linda needed to be up sooner, and she got up almost
immediately after the alarm. She left the room, going straight to her own
without saying a word, probably Joe was still asleep.


     Another day, Joe thought. What was it now, Thursday?  Tomorrow he would
be like this a week already. He had long since given up the hope that he might
wake up somehow miraculously changed back. If anything, he was still changing,
continuing to look and feel a bit softer and even more feminine each day.

     Joe raised his arms above his head and stretched. Then he made what was
becoming his regular morning inspection, checking for differences, new
changes, and anything else that may have occured as he slept. Joe knew he was
still undergoing the strange metamorphosis, but the things happening now were
very subtle, nothing really definite.  Each day, he felt his body get just a
little softer as it proceded to develop the thin layer of fat under his skin
that made female skin feel so different...softer, smoother than a males.  At
the same time, Joe's shoulder muscles, chest, and arms continued to slowly
reduce in overall mass and strength. He was also just beginning to detect some
extra flesh starting to form at his hips and buttocks. Although all this was
happening very slowly, but Joe could could tell, and as he lay there he
thought about the few remaining traces of his masculinity slowly slipping
away.

     Joe tugged at the night shirt borrowed from Linda, raising the bottom hem
up to his waist, and then carefully felt between his legs. Every day it
seemed, the bump of his pubic bone became a little more pronounced. It was
definitely more prominant than before the change, and now that area felt
strange to his touch, with his penis, or clitoris actually, seeming to be a
bit further down than he remembered it just yesterday. I guess my pelvis is
changing too, he decided, hoping that his hips wouldn't get much bigger than
they already were. He flexed the muscles in his crotch...the ones used to stop
the flow of urine when he pee'd.  As he did, he could sense some of the
internal differences too.  It was really only then that he could he detect the
presence of his vaginal spincter.  Usually, except when he bathed, he
practically avoided touching himself down there, as if this most female part
of his body would simply change back to the way it was if he would just ignore
it.

     It sure didn't seem to be happening that way, however.  It all felt so
wierd to his touch.  His balls were completely gone...sure, his penis wasn't
like it had been either...it didn't stick out at all now, and he couldn't even
use it to urinate...much less for sex, but at least he could still feel
it...sort of.  But his testicals...they just simply weren't there anymore,
replaced only by small, sensitive folds of skin.  This skin felt much like his
scrotum, but it was divided down the center. Normally, the slit-like opening
it formed remained fairly closed, mostly hiding what little actually remained
of his penis, and it completely concealed his much changed urethral opening as
well as the new opening that had formed slightly below that. Joe slowly ran
his finger along the soft, delicate folds, and when it felt ready, adequately
lubricated by the slippery secretions that always seemed to be there, he
gently separated the sensitive tissues and cautously placed the second finger
of his right hand inside this new, somewhat mysterious body cavity.

     It was amazing how much the feel of his changed genitalia reminded him of
Linda's. God, how can I even dare think I'm still a guy, he wondered.  Though
he still had some of the sensation of having his penis, it was obvious that he
didn't really posess that organ anymore. Neverless, it was still difficult to
accept the idea of having fully functioning female organs. Joe closed his eyes
and clenched his teeth as he explored himself with his finger.

     He flexed his crotch muscles again, feeling them gently contract on his
finger. It was a most unusual feeling...most of the time, he couldn't even
tell there was a vagina down there, but with his finger inside it, there could
be absolutely no doubt. But almost all the feeling was on outside, the skin
folds, and around the vaginal opening, which itself seemed to be less than an
inch from his anal orifice.  He slowly withdrew his finger and then gently
rubbed his clitoris with the slippery lubricant. Doing that felt so good...and
more familure...very much like he was rubbing the bottom of his penis near the
head, but much more intense. Though it was quite small, his clitoris felt much
more exposed...more obvious to his touch...than Linda's.  The minor surgical
procedure which had relieved him of his foreskin as an infant now served to
expose the tissues that had become his clitoris to an almost painful degree.
But if he was gentle and careful, the sensations he recieved when he touched
there could be almost exquisite.

     Joe had to restrain the urge to move his hips as he slowly, gently
caressed the tiny bundle of nerves, and soon Joe felt the little folds
engorge, creating a sensation somewhat like an erection, but causing his
genital folds to open like petals of a flower and secrete even more of their
clear slippery fluid, as if they were preparing for the entrance of
something...anything.  Just as the other night with Jay, Joe was finding the
urge for penetration to be nearly irresistable.  He had always considered his
sex drive to be quite strong, but the feelings he was now experiencing made a
simple "hard on" seem almost trivial. Maybe he didn't have his penis anymore,
but now the feeling of stimulation involved practicaly his whole body.

     Not knowing what to do to relieve the almost overwhelming demand for
penetration and release, Joe continued the slow, gentle manipulation, creating
a large wetspot on the bedsheets with his juices, until he silently exploded
in orgasm.  It was one of the most intense he had ever experienced.  He was
amazed that when it was over he still had the urge to continue, so he bravely
put two fingers inside himself, careful to avoid any direct contact with his
clitoris, which was now far too sensitive to touch. With his other hand, he
felt under the satin night gown and massaged one of his breasts, feeling the
nipple harden almost as soon as it was touched. Whatever else may happen, Joe
thought, it will all be worth it just to have experienced this.

     Another climax followed almost immediatly after the first, and then Joe
reluctantly stopped masturbating. He placed the palm of his right hand tightly
over his wet, sticky vulva and pressed it as hard as he could. Though he
desperately yearned to have something inside there, he was afraid to
experiment with anything he might have available.  A hard penis was exactly
what was needed right now, he thought to himself, but there were simply none
of those around.  Of course, I guess that's the basic problem, isn't it, he
mused.  He considered Linda...how could she resign herself to living with
him...as he was now, like this? Surely all this must feel the same for her
too.

     As he lay there, his breathing returning to normal, he thought about the
many times he had made love as a male, the last year or so exclusively with
Linda.

     Joe was coming to realize that the methods he had used, the way he went
about making love...was so wrong...far too ham-fisted for Linda or any of his
other partners to enjoy the full satisfaction of being with him. It was
probably too late now, but if he ever did really get his penis back, the
things he learned by having his body feminized like this could serve to make
him an extraordinary male lover.  Slower, gentler, softer...now he knew.  But
of course, it was probably too late now.

     A Joe lay in bed, still recovering from his self stimulation experience,
Linda was dressing for work. With only her slip on, she came into Joe's room
to see if he was awake.

     "I'm going to put some coffee on." She said when she saw his eyes were
open. "Would you like some?"

     Even though they were both apparently women now, Joe thought, Linda was
still instinctively wanting to wait on him.

     "Thanks." He said, hoping she couldn't tell what he had just done. "If
you want to finish dressing, I'll make the coffee."

     "Would you?" Linda returned, genuinely suprized. "You dear. But you
really don't have to get up for a while do you?"

     "I'm not sleepy." Joe explained. "I think I'll get up and get ready. I
can read until it's time to go to over to Sally's."

     Wearing only the nightshirt, Joe started to walk to the kitchen. He would
start the coffee, and then brush his teeth and dress while it perked. As he
walked down the hall, he felt the jiggle of his breasts as he walked. The
stretchy nylon bodice of the little nightgown clung tightly to his curves, but
offered no support. His firm new breasts exibited almost no sag, but without
the support of a bra, they did bounce and sway with every movement. It didn't
hurt really, except maybe if he attempted to run or jump, and even that didn't
actually cause pain, just felt slightly uncomfortable.  In any case, it felt
very strange having his chest moving around like that. Joe had already become
accustomed to the more secure feel wearing a bra provided.  He placed his arm
across both breasts, preventing them from bouncing as he entered the kitchen.

     After putting the coffee on, Joe went back into his room. In the
bathroom he examined his face in the mirror. Taking a washcloth and a little
of the facial soap that Linda had provided, Joe gently scrubbed the remaining
sleep from his eyes. He brushed his teeth, and then, taking a hairbrush, he
attempted to brush his own hair into an acceptable shape. 

     This would be his first time in public without the wig since Karen had
given it to him. He was a little apprehensive about doing it, but if he could
leave the hot hairpiece at home, it would be worth it. He wondered what Sally
would say about his masculine haircut. Linda had already told her that a
"friend" in St. Louis had cut it this way, and she (he) didn't like it.  He
would have to format any story on that premise. Just as well, he thought.

     He brushed his hair the best he could, bringing it down a bit lower in
front than he ever had when he was male. Maybe it didn't look all that bad, he
concluded. It seemed that his hair was getting softer too, at least the bit
that had grown out in the last week. He was glad the hair on his head hadn't
all come out like that on his chest and elsewhere. Being like this was strange
enough...to be completely bald would have really topped it all off.

     When he was finished, it was time to dress. He couldn't wait to wear the
new dress Linda had bought, but still had to decide what to wear with it.  He
glanced over at the shower door, seeing the underwear hanging there. He had
already worn the little black set yesterday evening after work. He loved the
way it made him look and feel. Today, alone around all the women at Sally's,
he wanted to feel as good about himself as he possibly could. Just maybe the
little black bra and thong bikini would help. He knew it was hard to forget
what he was wearing when he had that on. The little undies fit so snug that
they kept him intimately aware of his changed anatomy whenever he moved his
legs.  At first, he always wanted to reach back and tug at it, since it felt
like it was always riding up, but he was now accustomed to that feeling too.
With that in mind, he decided to wear it again. Maybe, the next time he was in
the mall, he would stop at Victoria' Secret and get another set like it, this
time maybe in a different color.  Like Linda said, if makes you feel
good...wear it.

     Crossing his arms in front of him, Joe pulled the light blue night shirt
over his head. He pulled the black bikini from the shower door and slipped it
on. He was unable to resist feeling the slick fabric between his legs.  The
sleek feeling of his crotch, without the familure bulge of male gentitalia,
still felt so strange...just like the first time he touched there that first
morning.

     As Joe put the matching bra on, he thought it felt a little tighter...the
cups a little fuller than just yesterday.  Are these boobs still getting
bigger, or did this underwear just shrink a little when I washed it? He
wondered.

     After he had the underwear on, he went back out to the bedroom. Joe got
the dress from the closet but before he started to remove it from the hanger
he looked at the time...it was two hours before he needed to dress for the
hair appointment. He wanted to wear the dress, but he decided to wait to put
it on.  He found the gray shorts, and the black T-shirt he wore last night,
and quickly slipped those on. It would be easier to kill the time wearing
this, than the dress.

     Deciding to remain barefoot, Joe went to the kitchen, where Linda was
already preparing a bowl of cold cereal for herself. Joe didn't want any of
that, and the coffee wasn't quite finished perking yet.

     "Your hair looks OK that way." Linda complemented.

     "Do you really think so?" Joe asked. "It sure is a lot cooler like this.
I just wish my own hair was as long as the wig."

     "Don't worry, it'll grow out soon enough." Linda consoled.

     They both had resigned themselves that this is how it would be, Joe
thought. 

     Joe watched Linda as she sat eating her cereal. She was looking at some
papers, and didn't notice him looking. She was very pretty, he thought. A
natural beauty, and he found he was seeing her in a different way...not as a
man see's a woman, or even as another woman would, but in another way...a way
he couldn't describe if he had to. Maybe it was the female hormones...maybe it
was male hormones, or actually the lack of male hormones, that was making him
feel this way...to see her this way, He didn't know. But as he sat there,
gazing, he realized an admiration for her he had never realized. He didn't
know what to think about it.

     "You're all right, you know that?" Joe said simply.

     Linda looked over at him curiously, and smiled.

     "Why did you say that?" She asked quietly. 

     "I don't know." Joe said truthfully. "I just thought I should tell
you...I really do appreciate every thing you're doing...every thing you've
done already.  I don't know what I'd do without you."

     Linda stopped eating and looked at Joe. She wondered what was on his
mind...what had made him say those words. She could tell he was under a lot of
stress, what with all that had taken place, but she was amazed at how all this
had changed Joe. She had always loved him, almost from the first. She loved
his intelligence, his somewhat carefree, curious spirit, his zest for life, as
well as his handsome good looks. He always seemed to enjoy whatever he was
doing, always trying to learn more, to experience fully anything he attempted.
But, like a lot of guy's his age, maybe most of them, she thought he had
always seemed to be of the opinion that women were somehow inferior to men in
some ways.  Sure, he liked them...maybe he even loved them, but, it had always
seemed, to her anyway, they were not really to be considered as equals. She
wondered how he felt about womens equality now. Apparently, he seemed to
regard what had happened to him with an attitude which ranged from angry
irritation, to stoic acceptance, to actual pride. As he did with most
everything he ever attempted, Joe had approached it all as a learning
experience.

     It was really amazing to consider what had occured. If she could have
wished it, it couldn't have been any better introduction for a male to
experience what being a woman was like.  Unfortunately, this wasn't something
she had actually wished on him, rather it was more a bizzare industrial
accident, and apparently it had changed the man she loved into someone she was
still trying to understand.  Although he was obviously quite feminine looking
and sounding, almost to a fault...she actually envied his almost perfect
shape...he would sometimes talk and act just like before. It was very strange
when he did that...this person, this gorgeous woman, talking, moving, and
acting just like the man he really was.  But sometimes now, especially since
he returned from San Diego, he was different.  He was more quiet...reserved
maybe, sometimes almost cold around her.

     When he first came to her, he was afraid, confused, and obviously out of
place in what his body had become. Linda had tried her best to help him...to
make him comfortable with what had happened to his body. Although she had
never been intimate with a woman before, she tried to let on as if nothing had
changed...as if she had no problem relating to Joe's new femininity.
Strangely, as she did that, she found herself actually enjoying it. She
suprized them both with the sexual intensity that she showed.  Although the
intimacy of the relationship between them was changed...she was found that
Joe's timidity caused by the changes in his body required her to become the
agressor...and she loved the experience, and she even liked Joe's new feminine
softness too. That confused her. Even before Joe posed the question, she had
already begun to wonder about her sexual orientation. She never even
considered homosexuality an option before, and even now, she never actually
thought about her relationship with Joe that way, but she had to admit...she
really liked intimacy with him the way he was now...she liked the feeling of
being in charge.  The last few days, she found herself starting to wonder what
life would have been like had she been born male instead.  Joe seemed to adapt
to femininity so easily...what might it be like for her to have a male
physique...to be able to give him pleasure he had formerly given her.  It
wasn't that she was unhappy with her femininity, far from it, but if it turned
out that Joe would have to stay as he was now, she would consider volunteering
for the change...she would never voice such a thought...not yet anyway...but
if such an opportunity ever presented itself...  It now looked like almost
anything might be possible.

     "I love you Joe Bates." was all she said.

     Linda finished eating, and put her bowl in the dishwasher. Joe had poured
the coffee when it was ready, and they both sat there, slowly sipping at their
coffee. Linda finished first, and went to her room for a final check of her
appearance and came out carrying her leather briefcase. She went to wear Joe
was sitting and kissed him on the forehead.

     "Good luck at the hairdresser." She said, as she walked to the door.

     "Thanks." Joe returned. "Have a good day."

     When Linda left, Joe went back to his room. Almost two hours before I
need to get ready for Sally's, he thought. He made the bed, then lay on top of
the spread, taking the book he had been reading last night and started to
read. In a few minutes, he was again engrossed in the subject matter.

     It seemed like hardly any time had passed when Joe looked at the clock
and saw it was time to dress for the hair appointment. He felt the strange
nervousness start to overtake him again. It was scary to go alone to Sally's.
It seemed to Joe that a beauty shop would be one of women's private places.
And he'd be there all by himself.

     He got up from the bed, and pulled the T shirt off. He unbuttoned and
unzipped the shorts and pulled them off. He went to the closet and retrieved
the hanger holding the new dress. He liked the way it looked, and couldn't
wait to wear it. He took it out and layed it on the bed while he got a slip
from the dresser. As he was pulling the full slip over his head, he remembered
pantyhose. He found some he thought would look right with the olive colored
dress, and reluctantly slipped them on. Although he actually enjoyed wearing
most of these new feminine things, he really hated pantyhose. From the way
Linda talked about them, he figured she did too. There was a lot not to like.
Although his legs looked and felt great in them, pantyhose were hot, and
sometimes, when he walked, the darn things would droop down making the crotch
a few inches lower than it should be. If I'll have to wear stuff like this
forever, he thought, I'll have to check out other alternatives.

     With the pantyhose and slip on, he carefully removed the dress from the
hanger, and pulled it over his head, placing his thin arms in the short
sleeves.  He buttoned up the few open buttons in front and went to the dresser
mirror to admire himself. The dress fit well, flattering his still developing
form.  Using his hand, he brushed his hair around, trying to look as feminine
as he could.  No problem, he thought. My hair might be a little short, but I
sure don't look like a guy anymore.

     He found his black pumps, and was slipping them on when remembered his
little purse was in his flight bag. He got it out. He knew he'd have to carry
it to Sally's. Any "regular" woman would have one with her.

     With that, he was ready. He had a few minutes, but he decided to drive
over now, rather than wait till the last minute. He walked out to his car,
feeling good about himself, knowing he was well dressed, and quite passable.
When he got in the car, he had a bit of difficulty working the clutch wearing
heels, just like he did that morning. Although he had become fairly adept at
walking in heels, it was still easier to drive barefoot.

     It was only a short trip to Sally's, and as he pulled into the drive, he
thought it might be possible his heart was making more noise than the engine
in his car. He stopped the engine, slipped the seatbelt off, and then slipped
his little heels back on. Taking a deep breath, he bravely walked inside.

     There were four women customers in the shop, along with two bueaticians
besides Sally. Joe sat down on one of the cushioned chairs in the waiting
area.  Sally saw him enter and, as soon she could, came over to where he was
seated.

     "Might you be Joel?" She asked, pronouncing his name Jo-ell, perhaps
thinking it was more feminine that way.

     "Yes." Joe said, smiling at her, and hoping she didn't recognize him. He
had been once, before all this happened, to pick up Linda.

     If she recogized him, she certainly didn't let on. And Linda had told her
that Joel was Joe's sister, so some resemblance would be understandable.

     "I'll be able to get to you real soon." Sally said. "Make yourself
comfortable. There's coffee over there, and some reading material." She
pointed to the stack of magazines on the low table.

     Joe smiled at her, and went to the stack of magazines. They were all
women's interest magazines, and some were about hair styling. Joe took the one
on top, which was Cosmopolitain. He had already reached the conclusion that
Cosmo was roughly the female equivilent of Playboy. Strangely, it always
seemed to have a woman in a low cut dress on the cover...it had always caught
his eye, even before this had happened. He looked at this months cover. Yep,
as usual, there was a young woman wearing a skin tight blue Spandex number
with her cleavage promenently displayed. Joe grinned as he looked at it. The
sexy picture just didn't hold the same pizzazz anymore. He realized he was
just as interested in dress as what was in it.

     As Joe thumbed through the pages, he read the ads with interest. Tampons,
mini-pads, maxi-pads, hygene products...women were bombarded with accessories
for the female body and genitals. As he read an ad about a special soap, made
just for the "outer vaginal area", it made him wonder if he might have a
problem in that area.  Then he remembered...as a guy he actually liked the
smell of a normal, healthy woman. It was an unbelievable turn-on.  Why should
a woman want to mask that with some artifical flowery scent.  Probably because
they don't know that guy's aren't offended by their natural scent, and then
become especially self concous when they read stuff like this.

     He read an article about a sponge used for birth control. It was
apparently placed inside the vagina, and it contained a spermicide which
killed the little buggers before they could get to where they could do the
job. This sponge thing wasn't prescription either...he wondered what it felt
like...if it could be felt at all. He thought maybe, if he got to a drug
store, wherever they sell stuff like this, he'd get some. He didn't know when
the opportunity would present itself to bring the subject of contraception up
to Dr. Krell, but if the possibility for intercourse ever occurred again, he
wanted to be prepared.

     As he was just finishing the magazine when Sally came over to him.

     "Are you ready?" She asked, offering a friendly smile. 

     "Yes...I guess I am." Joe answered.

     "Follow me, please." Sally said, turning and walking away. 

     They walked to the back of the shop, where there were chairs placed in
front of small sinks, placed to allow easy shampooing the head.

     "That's sure a lovely dress." Sally said. "It's just you're color."

     "Thank you.  It's new." Joe said.

     Sally placed a towel around Joe's shoulders, and then had him sit back,
with his head over the sink. She sprayed his hair with warm water. It felt
great.  As she massagged the shampoo into his hair, she began to speak.

     "Linda tells me a friend cut you're hair like this?" She asked.

     "Yes...yes she did." Joe lied. "I was wanting to try something different,
but guess I don't like it like this."

     "How did you have it before?" Sally asked.

     Joe wondered how to answer. He looked around...there were pictures of
different styles on the walls. He finally found a picture of a dark blond
woman, who looked a little like he did now, and who's hair style he liked.

     "It was sort of like that." He said, pointing to the picture. "A little
shorter in front though."

     "And you didn't like that?" Sally exclaimed. "Girl, it'll be a year
before I can get your hair like that again."

     "I don't need it to look like that." Joe said. "Just make it look as good
as you can."

     "Do you have any idea as to what you would like?" Sally continued.

     "Any suggestions?" Joe countered. He had no idea what to say.

     Sally went to a large book, she thumbed through it, and then presented a
page for his comment.

     "I think you have about enough length to try this." Sally suggested. "It
might be a little short, but I think it would work.

     "Let's try it." Joe agreed. He had no desire to drag it out, and he did
kind of like the sort of page-boy cut she offered. Besides, the length of his
hair probably offered few other possibilities.

     When his hair was washed, Sally lead him over to a chair somewhat like a
barber chair, but apparently not as adjustable. Sally placed a silky drape
over him and fastened it around his neck. Then she brushed his hair. She
walked around Joe and then took scissors and snipped a few hairs, then she
took out a spray can of stuff. She sprayed a little of whatever it was, and
combed his hair some more.

     "This won't take long." Sally said. "You have very easy to work hair, and
this style is very simple."

     She was finished in an amazingly short time, and then swung the chair
around so that Joe could get a good look. He had already been watching in the
mirror on the other wall, so he knew that is hair wasn't changed much, but
that it was made to look quite feminine. There would certainly be no need to
wear the wig anymore.

     "I like it." Joe complimented. "You did a fine job."

     "Well, it's a little too short to do much with." Sally apologized. "You
come back in a month, and then I can make it a little better."

     Joe smiled. "Thanks a lot, thanks for the quick service."

     "You tell Linda hello for me." Sally said, as she took Joe's credit card.

     "I will." Joe said.

     "Linda says your from St. Louis?"  Sally asked.

     "Yes." Joe fibbed. "I'm staying with Linda. I think I like the Phoenix
area."

     "Well, welcome to the desert, we're glad to have you." Sally said.

     "Thanks." Joe said again. "Thanks for everything."

     "Oh, by the way," Sally said. "Do you have any of this styling spray?"

     Joe didn't, of course. He took the plastic spray bottle from her hand and
looked at it. NEXUS MAXXISTYLER. He probably better take some.

     "No, I don't think I have any of that." He admitted truthfully.

     "Do you want me to add it onto your card?" Sally continued. 

     "Yeah, I think that would be best." Joe admitted. He didn't have any idea
what this stuff would cost, and he figured he only had about twenty five
dollars in the little handbag.

     "I'll tear up the old ticket, and refigure it." Sally said.

     When she was done, Joe signed the ticket, retrieved his card, and saying
his goodbye's, went out the door.

     He touched his new hair do. It was quite stiff, not at all soft like he
thought it would be. He liked softer styles, not the heavily moussed styles
which were the current fassion. He'd have to be careful not to mess this up.

     As he started his engine, he glaced at the clock in the dash. It was only
ten thirty. The whole hair thing had taken less than an hour. He always
thought that women spent the afternoon in places like that, Of course, he
thought, most of them don't have hair like this either,

     He had been planning to go to work after lunch. They had said there
wouldn't be much going on in the morning, and probably there would be nothing
at all for him to do. What could he do to kill a few hours, he wondered?

     He remembered the ad in the magazine, the one for the contraceptive
sponge. Maybe he could look for some of those. He knew if he ever found
himself alone with a guy...Jay, or maybe even somebody else...he wanted to
have something to use. He didn't want to trust the guy to have a condom, and
he didn't want to carry some of those himself. With Jay, he could explain it,
but with a stranger, he didn't want to think about it. He wondered if he, or
the other guy could tell when it was in there. He grinned, what did he
mean...the other guy?  He was thinking about getting something to stick in a
vagina...HIS vagina.  And yet he was still thinking about himself as one of
the guys.  Old habits were sure hard to break.

     As he drove along, he came to the large food and drug supermarket where
he usually shopped. He figured that the personal products aisle had those
sponges.  He had bought condoms there before, and remembered seeing the
display for them when they first came on the market. Who would have thought
that now he would be thinking about some of them for his own use?

     Joe parked his car the way he always did when he went to a large parking
area, he parked about mid-lot, away from the other cars, the owners of which
all seemed to love bashing their doors into his thin-skinned RX-7. The
difference now was that it was much more work walking the distance in these
heels than the relatively comfortable men's shoes he had always worn.

     He went into the store and went straight for the personal hygene shelves.
There, among tampons, maxi-pads, and of course condoms, he found just what he
was after.

     The package in his hand said Today's Sponge. There were only three in the
box, and it cost four dollars and seventy five cents. Wow! He hadn't really
thought much about price, he just figured they would cost about as much as a
rubber.  All this sex stuff is expensive for a woman, he thought.

     He looked at the box a moment, read what little there was on the
back...it mainly said the directions were inside, and then decided to but
them. He looked around at the other things on display, mostly feminine hygene
products, and wondered if he should get something else too.  He decided that
he would try to get Linda to help him with that. Early on, he had impulsively
purchased a box of panty-liners.  He still had them, so if anything did "sneak
up" on him, he was covered. Having a female body was significantly more
complex than being male, he was starting to realize.

     He carried the box up to the counter, and when he saw that there were
only two checkouts working, and that both were staffed by young men, boys
actually, he almost decided to put it back on the shelf and leave. Then as he
thought a little more, he screwed up his courage, and went toward the counter.
There was nothing to be embarrassed about, was there? It was no different now
than buying condoms before. He remembered his first time for doing that, and
just how nerve wracking it was, and was had to supress a grin as he walked to
the young man behind the counter.

     The checkout boy eyed Joe with a combination of male curiosity and
teenage lust. Though it was Joe's first time to be the object of teenage male
hormones, he knew immediately that the young man on the other side of the
counter had already undressed him with his mind. Joe, rather than look
embarrassed to be the object such an obvious inspection, decided to play it to
the hilt. He looked down at the collar of his dress, and when he saw that it
was open slightly, he decided to pay for the purchase with a credit card.

     When the young man saw what this very attractive, sophisticated, older
woman of maybe twenty five with a fantastic bod was buying, it really made his
hormones go into turbo mode. Joe could see that the young fellow had trouble
keeping those curious eyes off his chest, and that it even took the lad two
passes to enter the box of contraceptives into the pricing scanner.  He hadn't
realized how easy it was...how obvious...to tell when a male was out of his
mind with desire. Of course, when you're seventeen, it don't really take that
much, he remembered.  The young man tore the sales slip from the register, and
gave it and the card back to Joe for him to sign name and phone number.

     Joe casually bent over to sign the ticket, being careful that the top of
his dress was open and in view of the sales boy. There must be some law
against this, he thought, keeping his face down to prevent the the young man
from seeing the grin on his face. He could see that he was giving him a good
view of cleavage, and even a good view of his black bra. It was evident the
kid was in voyuer heaven...the bulge in the crotch of his jeans appeared to be
in danger of ripping out. Joe found his own heart begin to beat a little
faster as he realized he too was enjoying the little flirting session. It was
so amazing...men, especially young men...were so easy...they seemed to be
almost totally visual oriented, and apparently, he now had the ability to make
most of them act like this. He was amazed at the extent of his new power.

     He slowly finished signing, did his best to put on a straight face, and
then stood erect, pushing his chest out and smiling as he looked the young man
straight in the eye.  The young man didn't make eye contact however, as he was
still eyeing Joe's boobs. Joe had noticed that before...now, even Jay
sometimes seemed to stare at his chest when they spoke. Joe wondered if that
happened to most women, and guessed that it probably did...he knew he was
probably guilty of doing it too, at least sometimes. Although he found it
somewhat embarrassing, he realized that it was actually sort of an unspoken
compliment.

     "Thank you for shopping Medex." The young man blurted, having said it so
often that luckily, he could say it without thinking.

     "Thanks a lot." Joe said smiling, speaking softly and demurely while
picking up the package. He knew his voice (which though still changing, still
held just a trace of male huskiness) now sounded rather sexy whenever he spoke
softly. At least that's what Jay had told him the other night. He thought it
might be just the thing to top off this little display. It all made him feel
absolutely wicked as hell. Being ogled could be as much fun as being the
ogler, he decided.  I didn't ask to look like this, he thought, but I don't
see why I can't have a little fun with it.
 
     Leaving the store, Joe drove the short distance back to Linda's and took
the package to his room. Curious about how to use the sponge, he couldn't
resist opening the package to read the instructions. He looked at one still
inside the wrapper.  It was round, sort of like a little pillow, and it had a
little loop on it, probably there to pull it back out.  It seemed pretty
large, but he knew that there was more room in there than it seemed. He was
suprized to find that the instructions recommended that a condom still be used
with the sponge.  He had been hoping that with the sponge, he could experience
what intercourse felt like without the guy's penis sheathed inside a condom.
He wasn't sure why he felt that way exactly, but he knew the screwing with a
rubber felt much different for the guy, and he thought it might feel different
now too.  Would finding out be worth the slight increased risk of pregnancy?
That was hard to say. The whole idea of getting pregnant was still so foreign
that he couldn't even imagine it.

     He took a couple of the sponges and placed them in his shaving kit, the
place he used to keep a couple of condoms. That seemed a little ironic when he
considered it.  The last one he left in the box, which he placed in the
cabinet under the sink in his bathroom. He didn't know what he might need it
for, but it wouldn't hurt anything there, and he doubted Linda would find it.

     After one last check in the mirror, admiring his new hair, he gathered up
his little handbag and went to his car.

     It was almost lunch time and he decided to stop and catch a bite to eat
before reporting for work.  One quick burger at Wendy's was enough, and he
finished it quickly, having to continually remind himself that people would
notice now if he ate his food as quickly as he usually did.

     When he finished his lunch he drove to Honeybone. He parked his car, and
as he walked to the security checkpoint, he saw the gate guard was watching
him approach. Joe wondered if the man recognized him, or if he watched all the
women that closely. Damn likely he did, Joe figured.

     When he presented his badge to the guard, the man cleared him through
with only a wide grin and a friendly wave. Yeah, the man had recognized him,
Joe figured. Probably they all did. He was glad that everyone had been so
understanding about what had happened. He thought it would be much different.
So far though, everyone at work was very nice to him and the others.  He
couldn't vouch for the others, but to now he couldn't say he had experienced
any teasing or persecution. He was glad of that. As difficult as it was to get
accustomed to looking so female, it would have been much harder if they also
had to endure all the other guys teasing and discrimination.  Of course, it
was all still new, and the whole idea was just so outlandish, so unbelievable,
that there was more curiosity than anything else.

     Joe walked the maze of halls to his desk in the Certification Department,
his mid-heeled pumps clicking on the polished terazzo in the main hallways. He
passed other employees, some of which he recognized, but none that he knew
well. They didn't seem to recognize him.  When he reached his work area, there
was no one else around.  He wondered where they might be, and decided that it
was likely they were in the lab. He went back down the hall and entered the
double doors of the lab.

     Inside the lab he recognized his boss Jim Matheney, Dr. Krell, Dr.
Roberts, and Karen.  There were three of four others also, but he didn't
recognize any of them. Dave, Mike, or Tim were not there.

     "Good afternoon Joe." Jim called across the room to him as soon as he saw
who he was.

     "Hi." Joe responded, waving to them, they had all turned when Jim spoke.

     "Your hair looks pretty good." Karen said as she came over to him.

     "Yeah. Linda suggested I try it. I went to someone she suggested. It sure
feels cooler than the wig." Joe said, grinning.

     "You're looking good, Joe." Jim said, habitually shaking his hand when he
reached him.

     "Thanks Jim." Joe said. "Where are the others?" He had expected Dave and
Mike to be there.

     "Well, Dave was here this morning." Jim answered. "But he left after
about an hour.  I don't think things are going as fast as he would like.
These folks are pretty methodical, and they don't ever get rushed."

     "Do you know where Dave went?" Joe wondered.

     "No, unless he went back home." Jim continued. "If you have anything else
you need do, feel free to come and go as you please.  They don't seem to need
much help from us, and I'll give 'em anything they might need."

     "Thanks." Joe said. "But I think I'll stay a while anyway. What's going
on?"

     "Right now they're just setting up the cages and getting the computers
working." Karen answered. She pointed at the row of cages designed to hold
small animals across one wall. 

     At a desk nearby, two men were working on a personal computer, hooking up
the monitor and printer.  It was probably used for record keeping, and perhaps
for typing reports.  It was plain these people were in it for the long haul.

     Joe walked over to where the men were working. One looked up at him,
smiled and said hello. He obviously had no idea who Joe was.

     Dr. Krell came over to where Joe was standing. He greeted Joe with his
usual friendly warmth.

     "What do you think?  The little man asked smiling. "Will this do it?"

     "I hope so." Joe answered.  "What are you planning to put in the cages?"

     "We have been able to obtain five Rhesis Monkees." Dr. Krell answered. "I
think we should try some experiments with primates first, don't you?."

     "You're the doctor." Joe answered.

     "Why...that's right, isn't it." Dr. Krell answered, as if he just
realized it. The man obviously had a sense of humor.

     Joe looked around at everything.  It was obvious that it would probably
be another day at least before they were ready to try anything.  Somehow, he
had thought that they would just be ready immediately, but when he considered
what they were actually trying to do, the scientific approach was absolutely
required here. It was his first experience with biological testing.

     Just then, there was a page over the intercomm for Jim Matheney. Jim went
to a nearby phone, and punched in a number. He listened and spoke for a
minute, looking over at Joe now and then. He hung up, and came over to Joe.

     "That was Mr. Peterson" Jim said. "He found out about what happened, and
he wants to know all about it."

     Mr. "Pete" Peterson was the President of Honeybone. His office was in
Minneapolis. Joe had met the man only once, and was suprized at how much
interest he had showed in the many facets of the big corporation he headed.

     "Is he coming here?" Joe asked. He wondered if the man would want to meet
him.

     "Well, actually, he wants you to come there." Jim answered. "Do you have
any problem with that?"

     "Problem? Why should I?" Joe answered. He didn't relish the idea of being
the subject of discussion and being put on display, but considering what had
happened, it was porbably inevetable.

     "Well then, how about taking the Cessna up to Minneapolis tomorrow." Jim
asked.  "I don't think you'll have to be gone more than two days."

     "All of us?" Joe asked.

     "Well, he only asked for one, but I guess it wouldn't hurt for all of you
to go....well, no maybe just you.  Perhaps we better keep Dave and Mike here
in case they might need one of you for something."

     Yeah, Joe thought. Heaven only knows what they might need any of them
for. But he shook his head in agreement.

     "Ok." He said. "If Mr. Peterson wants to see me, I'll go. Can I take
someone with me?"

     "I suppose so." Jim answered. "Just who did you have in mind?"

     "Well, I don't know if he'll be able to get away." Joe responded. "But
I'd kinda like my friend Jay to come along. He's an attorney, and since I
don't know what Mr. Peterson really wants, I'd like Jay to be there to help me
answer any questions."

     "So you feel you need legal representation?" Jim asked, obviously
concerned.

     "Don't worry." Joe said, a grin forming on his face. "I don't plan on any
legal action, or anything like that. As long as the Company continues to help
us with this mess."

     "Don't you worry about that." Jim responded. "They only want to help you
guys back. I honestly believe they have no plans to exploit any of you."

     "Well, I hope you're right." Joe said. "I really do. But I'll feel better
if Jay goes along anyway. Besides, he's my instrument student, and I can help
him get some multi time."

     "Well I guess it'll be OK, Joe." Jim agreed. "Just don't mess everything
up by coming across too threatening."

     "Have I been any trouble so far?" Joe asked. "I'm the one who's lost my
balls. Remember?"

     "Ok. Ok. You're probably right." Jim layed his hand on and squeezed Joe's
shoulder. "If it happened to me, I'd probably want legal representation
present when I talked to the Man."

     Jim called the hanger, and scheduled the plane for tomorrow morning. He
told the scheduler to plan for an 0600 takeoff.  Joe calculated in his head,
and figured he could get the 421 into Minneapolis before noon.

     When Jim hung up, Joe looked at his boss. He had just thought of another
problem.

     "If you really don't care, I think I'll leave now." Joe said. "If I have
to go into cold country, I'll have to get some warm clothes that fit."

     "Sure. No problem." Jim said. "And don't forget to turn in your expense
reports. Everything you need will be covered.  Get some nice stuff."

     "Don't worry, I will." Joe said, smiling as he gathered up his stuff to
leave.

     He thought he'd call Jay at work from Linda's, and then go on another
shopping spree.  Although the early spring in Phoenix was quite warm, it was
still cool in Minnesota, and he hoped he could find some clothes like he
needed. He wondered if he could get Linda to help him pick out some clothes.
She made it all seem so easy, almost fun. He never cared much about buying
clothes when he was getting men's things, but it was different now. So many
options, textures, colors, and styles. He had to admit, he actually looked
forward to shopping for clothes now.

     As he walked out to his car, he felt the afternoon sun in his face, and
felt another one of those good feelings rush through his body. He didn't know
what caused them...maybe the new hormones or something, he just knew that he
had only felt them within the last week, never before. It was an unusual
feeling, and it made him wonder if "real" women felt it. If they did, they
probably didn't even recognize it, he considered. Just like he had never
really noticed the sexual tension he had as a male, until it disappeared along
with his testicals.

     Joe drove into the drive at Linda's and went in to make some phone calls.
He had plenty left to do today to get ready for tomorrow.


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