Art, The Story Ch. 04

I was just standing there, sort of stunned by the day's events.

Maria said, "Come over here little one."

When I reached her she picked me up and tucked me in her arms just like she'd been holding Juan.

I had to admit, it's hard to worry about anything while cradled in a woman's arms. I was even getting used to the inevitable finger checking my crotch to see if I was dry.

I didn't think I'd fallen asleep, but the next thing I knew Suzanne was standing beside us talking to Maria.

"He looks comfortable in your arms. Is that how he spent his day?"

"No, Arilla just left a short while ago and this little one looked like he needed me. While she was here she nursed him and played with him for awhile."

She blurted out, "And he's wearing a diaper, shouldn't he be trained by now?"

"I don know what he knows, but he's wearing one of your old diapers and you didn't stop wetting your pants until you stopped nursing. I know because I had to change you all the time."

Now I had a wide grin and almost chuckling out loud.

Suzanne snatched me out of Maria's arms and said, "I want to try and talk to him about what happened. Maybe he'll remember if I tell him what I know."

"If he talks, ask him his name," Maria asked as we left the room.

Once we were in Suzanne's bedroom, she set me down and the expression on her face said she was in an ass chewing mood. I had seen that expression at the Research Center. I crawled up on the couch and leaned back against the armrest. Suzanne stormed around the room, picking up things and then slamming them back down. Finally she said, "Maria had no business telling you the things she did."

I started to laugh and the more I laughed the angrier she became. I was laughing so hard my eyes were watering and I had a hard time saying anything. She stood there glaring at me.

Finally I said, "Oh wow, I'm a grown man sitting here before you in a little girl's outfit, wearing diapers and rubber pants. I've been bathed, spanked and had my crotch shaved by a woman and you're embarrassed?"

She stood there glaring at me and then a grin spread across her face and she started laughing with me. She sat beside me on the couch and we laughed together.

Eventually she said, "I need a drink. Would you like one?"

"Sure, I'm a beer and brandy guy. Either one will do."

She opened folding doors on a side wall and there was what looked like a pretty decent stocked wet bar. She crushed some ice and poured brandy over it in two goblet type glasses. When she handed me mine I could wrap my small hand around the stem. I figured she'd picked the glasses with that in mind.

Suzanne sat back down beside me. We touched glasses and she said, "To better tomorrows," and I echoed her toast.

"Now I'll probably get arrested for giving alcohol to a minor," she said with a smile. "OK, to what happened today at the Research Center. A Detective Sullivan visited me late this afternoon. According to him, the Coroner has little doubt that Uncle Ben died of natural causes, but they'll know for certain after the autopsy. It seems he didn't fall, he must have just sunk to the floor."

She stopped talking and we sat there quietly for a few minutes, each with our own thoughts on the Professor.

"The only question the police have is what happened to you. Sullivan said no one reported you missing and the police could find no family. We gave him the information you provided in your personnel file. They contacted your landlady and examined your apartment. He said they found some names and checked with those people, but no one had heard from you. He said without a missing person report, they had no reason to look for you.

"Their theory is that given Uncle Ben's relations with you, he caught you stealing something from him or the company and the shock was too great for his heart. That makes the death brought about by a crime a reason to find you. He said they found that Uncle Ben rarely carried much money. I told him I'd known him for thirty five years and could attest to that. He believes you stole something of value from the company, but until we report it, their hands are tied. He asked that we go through Uncle Ben's papers to see if anything is missing. I told him I'd secure his laboratory and go through his papers myself."

I said, "Did the police examine everything in the lab?"

"Only to see if there was anything that might physically relate to Uncle Ben's death. I told them all papers and such were proprietary information and they couldn't examine them without a court order. They said there was no need."

I said, "The HP laptop on the desk and the cell phone are mine. Bring them here with the papers and I think I can take care of some of my business that way. I'll give my landlady notice and send money to pay another month's rent on my furnished apartment and extra money to box up my personal stuff. I have a good friend who'll pick them up and hold them for me. I'll tell him I just can't work at the Research Center anymore with the Professor gone and I've made some contacts for work overseas. If the police check they'll find at least two people who had heard my voice and that I'm OK."

Suzanne said, "That should work and I've some ideas on where to go next to find someone to continue Uncle Ben's work, but right now we need to plan for your immediate needs. I can't think of anything except keep you here while we work things out. I was tempted to have Maria fix up one of our spare bedrooms for you, but then she'd hover and you could never be Art Jones. As much as I'm not crazy about a roommate sharing my bed and bathroom, at least in this room you and I can talk and make plans. I'll tell you up front, if you're offended by either one of us being naked in front of the other, Get over it."

"Hey, that's no problem for me."

"I can see that by the bulge in the crotch of those little girl panties. If you're dressed like a girl you'll have to remember not to sit with your knees in the air."

I looked down and I was sitting leaning back against the couch armrest with my feet up on the seat cushion.

Suzanne said, "That brings us to the problem of keeping you from being recognized." She went to her closet and came back with a woman's wig. "I use this when I've decided to cut my hair short and I don't want people to be staring at me to see what's changed."

She put it on my head and somehow pulled the extra hair to the back.

"You know that just might work. Your face isn't very girly, but at the age you seem to be, it's not always easy to tell anyway. I think we should keep you hidden as a girl."

"Hey, no matter what I'm running around in I really don't want anyone to see Art Jones. I can only imagine how much I'd be examined, poked and prodded if I'm found this size."

"OK, it's settled then. I'll give Arilla money to make all the purchases. She's taken care of small children for a lot of people so she knows where to shop and what to buy. Since she's willing to nurse you I guess she shouldn't object."

"Wait a minute I was just playing the role I was given. There was nothing sexual in it."

"Oh, blow it out your ear, Jones. I'm going to use the bathroom and take a shower before Maria sends dinner up. Are you going to join me?"

I almost broke my neck getting off the couch. She opened her closet door and started to get undressed. I was trying to do likewise, but I couldn't reach the damn buttons in back. I was still trying when she turned around from hanging up her clothes.

She said, "Let me help."

Standing in front of me in bra and underpants, she reached over me and unbuttoned my outfit. All the time I was staring at her mound bulging in a silken enclosure. She took off my outfit and hung it up, treating me to a beautiful only slightly covered rear end.

She grabbed a robe off a closet hook and headed to the bathroom with me following in her wake. Along the way she picked up the robe I'd worn this morning. It was sitting on a chair long with the nightwear from last night. The ever efficient Maria had seen to it.

I was confused by her attitude about our nakedness. It was if she didn't care. Maybe the fact that she's ten years older, she sees herself taking care of someone who is not only small, but far too young for her. In either case, our gender differences don't seem to mean anything to Suzanne. This whole experience goes from a peak of arousal to a crash of rejection in an instant.

She held the door to the shower open and said, "Come on, you won't be able to reach the faucets. It's best we shower together." Her large shower had built in seats on both sides and I climbed up on one. She used a spray hose to wet me down and then handed me a soaped washcloth to take care of myself. I was trying to wash my back when she took the cloth and scrubbed my back, including my butt.

When she finished I said, "Let me return the favor." She sat down on my bench while I scrubbed her back, but then she stood up and proceeded to finish the rest herself. I said, "Would you like some help there"?

She said, "In your dreams, buster."

Now I was confused even more. Apparently we were going to be platonic roomies. She'd see to my needs without reservation, but that's all there would be to it. The fact that I was a man didn't enter into it and that hurt the most. I decided then and there to make the best of it. She offered my only hope for the future and if she allowed some voyeurism along the way, I'd take what I could get.

Maria sent up dinner in a dumbwaiter and we sat at a table in her bedroom and enjoyed a quiet conversation. She told me about growing up and how her father had pushed her to excel. She said, "Sometimes I wished he'd married again so he hadn't focused so much on me. I concentrated so hard I wasn't there very much for Arilla and I know she resents it."

I thought, "If you only knew how much she resents you."

Suzanne said, "What about you? I read your file there's really nothing much in there."

"There's not much to tell. My parents died in a car crash when I was two and I ended up a ward of the State. I lived in a number of foster homes, always sort of a square peg in a round hole. Finally the court sent me to a State run Boy's School. After the foster homes I sort of liked the Boy's School and they stressed Industrial Arts. That's where I found out I had some natural talent working with my hands. When I was eighteen I joined the Army and they sent me for specialized training to work on sophisticated electronic equipment."

"I spent eight years in the Army, but then I wanted something else. A friend told me about your company. You weren't hiring technician's right then so I worked on the building and grounds crew until an opening came along. I floated around from lab to lab until I reached the Professor. I never worked in another lab after that. We just sort of hit it off."

"Did you know we spent every New Years Eve together? When he found out I didn't have any plans that first year he invited me over. His housekeeper, Mrs. Hoffman, would cook us a meal and then go home. The Professor and I would have dinner and then we'd sit in his study long into the night, talking and sharing a little brandy and schnapps. He told me about being a refugee and walking across Europe after WWII. He enjoyed teaching at the University, but it was his close friendship with your father that gave him a chance to do what he loved. And he talked about you. You were the apple of his eye. He'd say, 'My Suzanne she's so smart. Did I tell you what my Suzanne did? My Suzanne is so beautiful. My Suzanne walks on water'."

Suzanne laughed, "I could always count on Uncle Ben to take my side against father. We tried to get Uncle Ben to join us for New Years Eve, but in recent years he said that he and a friend always got together, but I didn't know it was you. I forgot to tell you the legal firm that handles Uncle Ben's affairs is also our company lawyers. We've been told that Uncle Ben made a few bequests to charities in his will, but you're named as his primary beneficiary. We don't know the extent of his estate, but I suspect you're a wealthy man.

"Ah geez, damn it to hell. Why'd he do that? I didn't ask him for anything. He was my friend!" I rattled on trying to keep the tears from coming. Suzanne went and poured us both another drink.

She sat on the couch. We touched glasses and Suzanne said, "To loved ones" and I echoed her toast. Never before in my life could I say that and really mean it.

We talked on until we both started to run down. Suzanne got up and went to the bathroom and this time I didn't follow. I went in after she came out and when I came out, she was already in bed. Since there's only one bed we're obviously sleeping together. I climbed in the bed and she reached out and turned the light out. I was lying there in the dark when she leaned over and gave me another tender kiss and said, "Goodnight Arty."

I said, "Goodnight Suzanne." She promptly rolled over with her back to me. Eventually I fell asleep. Several times during the night, we were in contact face to face and once I found myself covered by her long hair, but all in all I got a long night sleep. The next thing I knew Suzanne was shaking me awake and she was already dressed for work.

"Arty, I've already called Arilla and given her instructions on what I want her to do. She has a credit card issued through my personal account at the company. From time to time I've had her do things for me and I didn't want the statements going to where her mother or her husband would see them.

"I forgot to tell you that I've found a scientist that may be able to take over Uncle Ben's research. His name is Dr. James Berger and he's known Uncle Ben for years. He has his own research facility in England and I've directed our U.K. solicitors to thoroughly check him out. I'm leaving for London this afternoon to confer with our solicitors and draw up an exclusive contract with Dr. Berger. With luck I should be back in a few days.

"In the meantime, Maria will take care of you. You seemed perfectly comfortable in her arms yesterday. You'll also be busy with Arilla and since you and she have established such a close personal relationship, you shouldn't have any problems."

I was torn between what might be a bit of jealousy from Suzanne and what might happen to me in Arilla's hands. I said, "Are you sure turning things over to Arilla is a good idea? You said yourself that she can be a flake."

"I don't think there'll be a problem. Maria is still in charge and Arilla has her baby to see to. Now I have to get going. There's a lot to do before I catch my flight this afternoon."

With that I was treated to another brief kiss and Suzanne was gone.

I hopped out of bed and hurried after her hoping to discuss my options some more. By the time I made my way down the stairs to the kitchen, Suzanne was gone. When Maria saw me standing there in my nightgown, she said, "Good Morning little one. Suzanne said we should call you 'Annie' from now on because we are going to hide you as a little girl. Come over here, I fixed a potty for you so you can go yourself. Suzanne said we shouldn't have to keep you in diapers."

She opened some bi-fold doors and I could see some cleaning supplies on shelves. Sitting on the floor was a child's potty chair. Maria said, "This was Suzanne's. I used to keep it here next to the kitchen so I could check on her. Go ahead and use it."

Maria stood there waiting so I walked over and lifted my nightgown to pee, but she said, "No, no, sit down, girls don stand. If you stand you splash and Maria has to clean up."

OK, I did as I was told. I had to go bad enough that Maria standing there didn't stop me. She actually smiled when she saw by my expression that my bowels were working as well. I guess mothers do that. When I was finished I looked for paper, but it was up higher on a shelf. I stood holding my nightgown up and started to reach for it when Maria grabbed it first. She tore off some paper, bent me over and proceeded to wipe my bottom.

I thought, "This day is off to a great start. What's next?"