"You were on the phone a long time, Marion," Rossiter McCann said to his wife as she hung up the phone. "Who was it?"
"That was Ronnie, dear. His spring break is coming up and he's coming home to stay with US for the week." A broad smile crawled across Marion McCann's she placed the phone back in its face as cradle.
"What are you are grinning at? What did he say?" Ross had been deeply involved in that days edition of the Bugle and had not been paying any attention to his wife's conversation with their son.
"He's bringing someone home for us to meet A girl."
That day's Bugle hit the floor as Rossiter leaped from his chair. "A girl!" He grabbed his wife by the shoulders. "Did he say who she was? A girlfriend?"
"He said her name was Amanda. He's known her for a while now, apparently they're very good friends."
"This is a very special day, Marion. And all this time I was under the impression that our son was gay. Now I can hold my head up high when people ask me about Ronnie in work. I can walk down the street and not have to worry about running into any of Ronnie's old friends or classmates. No more snide comments or accusations! My son has a girlfriend!" He did a little jig around his beaming wife and headed for the kitchen.
"Where will she sleep?" Ross said to no one in particular as his wife was busy picking up the pages of the paper and folding them neatly onto his footstool.
"They're college seniors, dear, think they are responsible enough to sleep in the same bed." Marion had followed her husband into the kitchen in time to see him chomp on a cold chicken leg he had found in the refrigerator.
"Let me meet her first, Marion. I'll decide who sleeps where in my house."
"I can't wait to meet her," Marion said quietly as she watched her husband tear apart the leftover. "And I can't wait to see my son again."
Nobody paid any attention to the tall, attractive couple as they walked together across the campus of Tyler University. This was the couple that was being discussed in a kitchen in the town of New Farnum over a cold chicken leg.
"I'm really beginning to think this was a bad idea, Amanda," Ronnie McCann said to his companion.
"It's not too late to cancel the trip. Or you could leave me home if I'm causing you to reconsider."
"Two weeks home alone? No, I don't think I could stand that. And not being able to go out when I want? No" He shuddered at the thought. "It's the other part I'm worried about - the baring of my soul."
"You have to do this, Ronnie. We've discussed this a hundred times. It'll go according to plan. Trust me."
"You don't know my father. I don't think they'll be any problem with my mother, but my father..." his voice trailed off.
"Uh, oh," Amanda said softly. "Look who's coming."
Ronnie looked up and saw a classmate of his heading their way on the small path that wound around the lake on the campus. "Oh, God, Peter White."
Just be cool. Ignore him. "
As they passed the solitary male student, they didn't see him turn and eye the two of them, a puzzled expression on his face. Peter White shrugged his shoulders and forgot about the thoughts of recognition that had flashed through his head upon seeing the tall, blonde woman and her partner. He took one last look at the girl's slim, sexy legs under the long print skirt as they disappeared around a turn.
"That was close," Ronnie said, "I don't think he knew me."
"I know he didn't know me. He's never seen me dressed like this." Amanda took Ronnie's arm. "I think that was a sign, dear. It's time to end our little outing."
"Okay." They headed, arm-in-arm into the dorm building, and up the two flights of stairs to Ronnie's room.
"It's so much easier going out when Mark's out of town," Ronnie said, referring to his absent roommate, already on his way home for the spring break.
"I finally get to come up to your room and I'm dressed like this," Amanda said, smiling.
"You look fine. I really appreciate your dressing like that today. It helped me a lot. We were just an ordinary couple out for a walk," Ronnie said as he kicked off his shoes. "Two tall girls invites stares."
"But this was the last time, remember. I can't abide these clothes!"
"They do look wrong on you," Ronnie said as he removed his wig, running his red-lacquered fingernails through his own matted blonde hair. "Why don't you get changed?"
"Gladly!" She had already tried to remove the tie hanging around her neck but had succeeded in only loosening it and producing a tight knot midway down the front of it. She pulled it up over her head and flung it across the room.
"Horrid male clothes!"
"I know what you mean,'' Ronnie said, now wearing only bra and pantyhose, and slipping into his robe. "I have to confess to my parents. I can't go two whole weeks without dressing."
Amanda emerged from the bedroom, a towel around her waist. "I'm going to take a shower. Then I'm going to get dressed properly and go out to eat. Want to Join me?"
"Sure. Let me get changed."
Marion heard the cab first and Jumped to her feet. "They're here!" she said, parting the curtains and peering out of the large bay window. "Ross!" she cried, and her husband emerged from the kitchen.
"I'm here. No need to shout." He went to the front door and opened it, watching his son and his companion exit the cab from behind the screen door.
"Doesn't Ronnie look well?" Marion said. To Ross, his son looked too thin, as always, but his attention was riveted on the tall blonde beside Ronnie.
She walked up the cement pavement beside Ronnie. She wore a pretty beige dress accented with red shoes, purse and belt. In the shoes she was taller than Ronnie, who was carrying their two suitcases. She seemed to be very attractive to Ross, but she didn't seem to move very well. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something was odd about that girl.
He pushed open the screen door as they reached it and Marion joined him to welcome them.
"Come on in," Marion chirped. "My, don't you look pretty!" she said, looking at Amanda.
"Thank you, Mrs. McCann," Amanda said smiling.
"Call me Marion, dear! You must be Amanda! Ronnie's told us about you!"
Amanda just continued to grin and looked over at Mr. McCann who was studying her intently.
"This is my father, Ross," Ronnie said nervously. "Dad, this is Amanda."
"Pleased to meet you," Ross said sticking out his right hand. Amanda took it and squeezed softly. "Likewise, Ross," she said and returned to that smile.
Ronnie noticed the stare-down between his father and Amanda and knew that neither would ever back down, so he picked up his bags again. "I'll take these up to my room. Let me show you where I grew up, Amanda."
Ross followed the two of them to the bottom of the stairs and then watched as they went up. When they had disappeared around the corner, he turned back to his wife, a puzzled look on his face.
"It will be all right, dear." Marion said, misinterpreting the look. "I think it will be fine if they slept in the same bed while they stay here."
Ross just frowned as upstairs, Ronnie was unpacking a bag that was spread open on the bed.
"I thought that went well," Amanda said, unfolding a blouse and placing it on a hanger.
"I think my dad knows," Ronnie said. "I don't know how, but he knows. I can't believe I ever thought this would work!"
"What does it matter? He's going to be told about me anyway."
"But the whole plan hinged on them believing you were a woman and then telling them the truth. And when they realized that transsexualism isn't all that terrible, I could tell them about myself."
"I agreed to go through with this little mind-trip of yours because you seemed to need it bad. I hate to see sisters torture themselves over what to say to their family and friends. I still think the best thing for you to do is just come out and tell them."
"That's easy for you to say because you don't. have a family to confess to. But it's not easy to sit your parents down and tell them that their son is contemplating a sex change!"
"I'll be there beside you. We'll tell them together. And then they can spend the rest of your time here getting to know their new daughter."
Ronnie looked at the still smiling countenance of the transsexual. "Okay. Maybe. But not tonight. Let them get to know you a little more, then we'll take it from there. I'm not going back to Tyler without telling them."
In the kitchen, Marion was busy cutting greens for the salad and Ross was leaning against the sink, his hands in his pockets.
"You're awfully quiet, Ross. What's wrong?"
"Amanda. There's something about her that bugs me. I Just can't put my finger on it."
"But she's so sweet! What could possibly bug you about her?"
"I don't know. Something about the way she moves, the way she talks, that voice..."
"Do you think she's a bad person? Or a bad influence? Do you think Ronnie shouldn't be with her?"
"I don't know! I would never forbid my son see someone, but this girl... I don't know. I wish I could put my finger on it!"
Marion dropped the shredded lettuce into the large plastic bowl and wiped off the knife. "I know what it is, I noticed it too."
Ross looked at his wife in astonishment. "You did?"
"Yes. And I know what it is that is just a little odd about her. I just don't know if Amanda and Ronnie want to tell us or not."
"What is it, what's wrong with her?"
Marion looked away from her husband, then opened the drawer containing the silverware, and placed the knife inside. Still not looking at Ross, she closed the drawer and said, ''Amanda's a man, dear."
To Be Continued...
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