Power Dressing

When Stevie awoke the next morning he lay for a while on his back staring at the white ceiling. Then he slipped from the bed and padded along the hall to he bathroom and showered. Under the shower he shaved his legs and armpits. He dried himself off and returned to the bedroom. He stood, thoughtfully, for some moments. He reached for the champagne panties he had been wearing the night before and put them on. Then the matching push-up bra. Then a clean pair of black pantyhose, Over these he wore a grey T shirt and a loose sweatshirt, his jeans and his black runners. He brushed his wet hair back off his face and collected it and tied it with an elastic band.

Dressed in this manner he went to work.

When he arrived home that evening he went unhesitatingly to his room and stripped off the jeans, the sweatshirt, the T shirt and the runners. He slipped his feet into the black patent flats he had bought with Chris. He went to her room and borrowed a black wool fine knit short sleeved sweater and a black, red and blue plaid, A-line mini skirt. Back in his own room he made up his face and untied his hair. He combed it downwards and then loosely back behind his ears and caught each side with a barrette.

Quite deliberately he placed some items into his sister's bulky, black leather handbag and slung it from his shoulder. He picked up his front door key and tossed it into the bag. Without hesitation he left the house and walked the two blocks to the local supermarket. There he did the weekly marketing, his purchases filling two carry bags.

When he arrived home Chris was there.

"Hi," she said brightly, "where have....oh! to the supermarket obviously."

"Uh huh. God these bags are heavy." He lifted them onto the kitchen bench. He felt Chris's eyes on him and thought she was about to say something but she didn't. "Help me unpack?"

Together they put away the various groceries.

"Got any money?" he said to the inside of the refrigerator.

"Sure. Why?"

"I just spent mine. I thought we might go back to the Mall and see Batman Forever. Maybe have a Big Mac?"

"Sure, why not? I'll change."

He followed her into her bedroom and stood by while she stripped off her tunic and put on a red wool shift and her white hip length jacket. She refreshed her lipstick.

"Can I borrow your black swing coat?" he asked. "It's coolish out."

"Sure."

He put it on and together they left the house and drove to the Mall. They checked the session times and found there was no time to eat first.

"I'll get the tickets," Chris volunteered.

"No, let me. Give me some money."

He felt her eyes on him as he went to the ticket box and bought two tickets. They passed through the ticket point and headed for the cinema.

"Hang on a sec," Stevie said. "I have to use the toilet."

Again he knew her eyes were following him as he entered the Ladies. There were women there in numbers. He found a cubicle and closed the door and raised his skirt and pushed own his pantyhose and sat and peed.

Outside Chris wore a smile which was both amused and interested.

They entered the darkened cinema and found seats.

Afterward they walked across the Mall to McDonalds.

"What do you want?" Stevie asked.

"Just a Big Mac and a chocolate shake."
"I've got enough from the change," Stevie said.

She went with him and stood beside him as he ordered and paid. They carried their trays to a vacant booth.

"God I think Val Kilmer is a dream." Chris said.

"Hmmm he is," Stevie agreed. "Tell you what though I'd kill for Nicole Kidman's wardrobe in that. She was divine."

"Oh yes. And speaking of wardrobes, Stevie. Something I want to talk about. We haven't spent anything of Dad's maintenance money for a while. There's about ten thousand in the bank. I think we can afford to spend half of it."

He looked up from his meal and caught her eyes.

"On you," she continued. "You can't live in one set of underwear and three pairs of shoes. Do you want to do that?"

"Yes I do," he said, quietly. "Very much."

"Are you working tomorrow?"

"No. Day off."

"Me too. How about tomorrow morning."

"We can't get hold of five thousand by tomorrow morning."

"No but I can use my credit cards. There's about that much free."

"Are you sure?"

"Sure I'm sure. I can't think of anything that would be more of a blast. Long as I can borrow some of your things too."

"Of course. I'd love that."

"Great. When we get home we'll make up a budget list. Try to get the most out of it."

She put her hand across the table and laid it on his.

"I'm very proud of you, Stevie."

"Chrissy I love you for all this. Thank you."

On the way home he thought, with tingles running along his spine, of what they were about to do. Buying female clothes for him. A lot of female clothes. He'd just have to wear them. Then he started panicking again.

At home she sat him down with a pad and pen.

"Let's start with underwear. We should buy sets. It's easier. And some extra panties. Black, white and flesh for basics. Maybe a couple of slips and half slips, a couple of teddies and a couple of chemise tops. Extra panties. Stockings and pantyhose. Oh and a couple of garter belts. We could get a torsolette for when you wear something strapless but you could borrow mine. Is that okay?"

Strapless? His mind boggled. "Sure."

"About four hundred in all I'd say. Now shoes. You need white and tan heels. Maybe navy. But we'll buy dresses first to see what we need. But with casuals and heels I'd say six pairs. That'll be about a thousand. Gosh it goes fast."

She was writing and totaling.

"Dresses. Let's say five at two hundred. Six skirts, a dozen assorted tops. Four sweaters. A couple of jackets. An overcoat. That's...forty two hundred. The rest on jewelers and some extra makeup. What do you think?"

He was shivering or shaking or something and she noticed it.

"You're shaking."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I'm not sure. I still feel... very strange about this. I can't believe I'm sitting here with you planning a female wardrobe...for me. I'm..."

He cast his eyes down. He was fiddling with his hands. "I'm so excited. I can barely believe I'm dressed the way I am now. That you and Sylvia were suggesting...or implying...or something that I could dress this way all the time."

"Do you want to?"

He hesitated a long moment. "Yes I think so. But..."

"But what?"

"I'm a boy Chris. Male. And I have been for seventeen years."

"Are you really? In your body, yes, of course. But what about in your mind. Are you a boy in your mind?"

"I don't now. I love dressing this way. I love what I look like, how I feel. I really do think if I could dress this way forever I'd do it. But that would mean I would have to think of myself as...a girl. Refer to myself as a girl. I mean, literally, pass myself off as a girl."

"Yes. So?"

He stared at her for a long moment.

"What about boys?"
"What about them?"

"If I'm a girl I'd be expected to date boys. I don't think I'm gay..."
"I thought you were sure you weren't."

"Well. I'm not positive. Until the last week I've never felt any attraction to boys and never felt as though I'd be attractive to them. But...well, when guys look at me the way they do I feel I like it. I feel pleased about it. And I know what they're thinking. I've done it myself."

She put her hand over his.

"Darling, listen. Keep your present job. Be a boy by day and a girl by night and when you're not working. Go out with me and Sylvia and the other girls. Let's just see what happens. Do the shopping as you did today. That was very brave by the way. Learn. Practice. I'll help you, guide you. If you want my view I think you're definitely more girl than boy but I understand why you're confused."

"Oh Chris. Is it truly, truly possible?"

"Of course. It's what you were doing today isn't it?"

"Yes. But all day, every day. What would I do for a job?"
"Oh I think that can be fixed."

"How?"
"When you're ready, we'll find a job for you."

"Oh Chris." He was still fidgeting.

"Stop doing that. Listen are you happy with the list?"

"Oh yes."

"Then let's get some dinner. I'm starved."

Later, when he was preparing for bed, he was down to his bra and panties when Chris poked her head around the door.

"I'll bet you like this better than your old pajamas," she smiled, and threw an item across to him. He caught it and unraveled it. It was a white, nylon satin, ankle length nightgown with shoestring straps and lace trimming.

He completed his undressing and put it on and suddenly, seeing himself in it, for the first time really, he hated the fact that he was so flat-chested. And when he climbed into bed and snuggled down into the sheets he knew, with crystal clarity, exactly what he was doing.