Blame Abba Ch. 02

She slid onto my head, and clipped on securely, a wig. But a far better wig than the cheap dark brown one I had worn before. This was luxurious, it was longer, finer - and red. I was a redhead, I loved the idea! Mary brushed it through several times, then got back to the makeup.

"I used to be an Avon Lady you know, in my twenties, just to get a bit extra cash. I got quite good at it, I used to enjoy seeing people's reaction after I worked on them. I can't wait to see what we can do here."

She started to smooth a light cream over my face, giving a running commentary.

"Really smooth, Don. I can see you've shaved closely lately, a very nice skin, won't need much cover-up at all ........ now, a slightly lighter cream here to hide the problems, ......... just a little blusher I think. I have always loved doing eyes, first the eye-shadow.... not too much though, don't want you looking a tart... blend it in ...., this is a good quality eyeliner, hold still, that's it.....And the mascara, this is wonderful stuff these days, this thickens and curls in one, let's get it really thick to make your lashes stand out.... that's lovely.....now I think that looks great. Now, hold very still while I do your lip liner, and now the lipstick itself. It's so much easier with a brush... there. No, you can't look yet, we have to do your nails."

She took a set of long deep red false nails, the same colour as the lipstick I had seen, added a drop of adhesive to each and slid them in place over my own.

"These are a good quality too. Jacqui and I found them in a shop the other day. Did she tell you where we went? Now to fix the wig, really firmly. We don't want it to give you away do we? "

She was very efficient, she had it clipped on behind my ears, and slid about 4 rings onto my fingers. She finished off my jewellery with a pair of earrings, large gold hoops 'from that shop too, a bit flashy but a girl needs to show off sometimes, very clever, they look as if they are in pierced ears'.

"Now, stop this 'girl' lark, Mary, I might get worried about your intentions!" I joked, trying to quell the excitement I felt at each stage of the dressing and making up.

When Jacqui came out of the bathroom, we both stood and looked. I don't really know what I looked like, I hadn't seen the effect yet. But she looked fantastic. She was wearing a very short red dress, almost maroon, with gold spangly bits all over it. And it was tight, to really show off her figure. And the high heels - well, mine looked good on me, hers looked incredible.

"Wow!" said Mary.

I had suspected, but at that moment - I knew. It was Jacqui that Mary was meeting later on.

"Don, you look wonderful. Now, slip this on."

Jacqui took another dress from the bag. It was – almost – a classic LBD, with gold highlights all over it. She threw it over to me.

"A dress. I can't...."

"Don, you haven't seen yourself yet. Trust me, this will work. Now, hold still, let's get this on. Step in and put your arms in... now let me zip it up... there. Right."

I looked down, the hem was about 10" above my knee. The dress was gorgeous, exactly the thing I liked to wear, in fact this dress was very similar to Jacqui's, the same material and the same tight cut to show the curves. Hers was short-sleeved and red, mine was long-sleeved and black. She picked up a black handbag and started putting things into it, searching through the pockets of my jacket hanging on the door.

"Let's see, some coins and a £10 note, in the purse, cigarettes, lighter, car keys, just in case. You'd better put that lipstick and mascara in, a small hankie.... a comb of course... that's about it."

Mary went over to the door, and turned towards us.

"I'll wait in the bar, it's nearly nine o'clock. OK?" she said as she left.

Jacqui looked at me, then opened the big wardrobe door so I could see the full-length mirror. My mouth opened. Literally, it did. I saw a woman. Not a man in a skirt, not a tart, but a rather classy woman, very nicely made up, great figure, nice legs, well manicured red nails, really, a woman."

Mary knocked again and came in.

"Come on you two, it's nearly time, the bar's full, everyone's here for your last night. Nearly the whole football team, they've just won 4-0 and are a bit tipsy already. And Eric wants to present the cheque to us at the end of the evening. He's got the local paper here again."

Jacqui took my hand.

"Don - or rather Donna - come on, we are going to knock them dead. Remember, it's all in a good cause, Don't forget to keep offering the collecting tin. And don't have too many G & Ts."

As we went down the stairs towards the entrance to the bar, I was shaking. The football team! Jeff had said last week I looked very female, that the sight of my legs excited him. And that was in the culottes! And Martin had looked very oddly at me when he lit my cigarette. What would they say now?

It was too late to back out. This was so much more than I had imagined but - I was loving it. Walking down the short corridor towards the bar in the tight dress, with my high heels tapping on the floor, I felt great. Mary went in, held the door opened, and gestured for us to wait. I saw her give a signal to someone behind the bar. Nat King Cole stopped and we heard the familiar strains of 'Waterloo' start up.

'My, my..."

"Right girls," called Mary, opening the door for us. "They are playing your song!"

Part 6 Winner takes it all

Well, what an entrance. The song blared out, the muttering in the bar grew as we entered, then everyone went totally silent!

I looked across at Jacqui. She looked at me, then past me to a small group of guys sitting near the bar. They began to smile, she smiled at me, I dared to smile back, then the whole place erupted! There where whoops and cheers, applause, loud clapping, absolutely everybody was looking at us in amazement. We held hands and walked together across the room towards the bar. I could see my mate Martin, huge Martin, staring open-mouthed at us.

Suddenly the pint of beer in his hand began to move, to bounce. I realised his hand was moving up and down, in time with the four bouncing tits he was staring at. Beer began to spill out before he realised what was happening, he grabbed the hand holding the glass with his other hand and looked straight at me, going red, very embarrassed. I just smiled again at him and then, summoning up some courage, reached to hold his hand and to kiss him on the cheek.

"Don't worry, Martin" I whispered in his ear "I won't tell anyone if you won't. I know you were watching my tits, I could tell, I was watching your cock!"

He turned, very embarrassed again. Indeed I had, I am sure nobody else noticed, they were all staring at Jacqui and me. But it had been most noticeable, one of us had caused that to happen, his erection had been rapid and rather large.

Quickly Jacqui and I were surrounded at the bar.

I was surprised - not that she was suddenly getting attention from the guys, basically those members of the team there to celebrate. She was indeed hot stuff tonight, really 'glammed up', even more than the Abba blonde she had first started out to imitate. But I was very surprised that I - Don aka Donna - was the object of the attention of so many women. They were looking closely at my 'breasts', admiring my shoes, asking where I got my dress, my earrings. I felt very much one of the girls for a while. Eric tapped my arm and proffered a gin-and-tonic, I needed it!

I had a great evening, pretending, posing, chatting to the girls, joking with the lads. It was Jeff who 'raised the stakes', offering me another gin and tonic. As I took it I put my hand over his and looked up through my long lashes. I caressed his hand with my glistening red nails.

I leaned in towards him and whispered as sexily as I could in his ear.

"Thank you, Jeff darling."

His reaction was immediate.

"Christ Don, you are so hot. If I didn't know, I could fuck you!"

"And since you do know, what?" I teased, smiling at him and pulling my skirt up just a little.

He couldn't reply to that, he just looked round for some help. Nobody else was listening at the time, he backed off and just grinned.

Some time later, after several poses with Eric and his wife for the press, things settled down. The guys got back with their girlfriends, Mary was chatting to Jacqui, I had begun to get an inkling that something was happening there. And I found myself being chatted up by a strange man!

He was not a regular, I realised he didn't know what was going on. He thought I was a woman. And that REALLY turned me on. I started being more friendly, smiling as he talked, just reaching over to touch his hand on the bar. I didn't really flirt consciously, it just seemed the right thing to do. Towards the end of the evening I realised we were being watched. Several of the customers had gone by then, there were just a few girls sat at the other side of the bar. Jacqui and Mary were staring at us. I realised why.

There was I, Don, Jacqui's brother, who they had all known for several years, sitting at the bar with an older guy, showing lots of thigh, and making all the right signals to him. Right, that is, for a girl on the make. I was just about to back off, to try to undo some of the harm I had probably done to my reputation, when I felt his hand on my thigh. I felt it slide up my stockings and just begin to touch my stocking clips. I gasped.

I looked up. Jacqui was there at my shoulder, with Mary.

"Sorry, Donna, we have to go. Be a good girl now," she grinned at me, then smiled a knowing smile at my companion. "Can you get a lift home?"

"It's all right, my dear, don't worry. I'll look after her," replied my 'beau', having slid his hand back into view.

He definitely did NOT know, and he was keen. He was aroused, he thought he was on a 'score' that night. I realised I had to do something, to get myself out of this. Suddenly I was nervous, VERY nervous.

"Er, George, please, I'm sorry, I really have enjoyed this evening but - I'm sorry. I hope you haven't got the wrong idea. Maybe it's my fault, but I'm not ready. For another relationship, that is. Please. Sorry."

And with that I slipped off the high stool, on which I had been sitting in order to show my legs to best advantage to him, and ran. Yes, even in those heels, I ran. For some reason, automatically, into the Ladies!

Even now I am not sure what all that meant. It was just an excuse to get away. As the door closed behind me I stopped. I stood still. What was I doing? I was in the LADIES! Tears very nearly came to my eyes, on the one hand I had wanted to walk out of there hand-in-hand with George, to let everyone left in the bar see me - for the woman I was. But on the other hand, I was ashamed of my own feelings.

I was still standing there when Mary came in behind me.

"Donna, I asked Jacqui to let me come to you. In some ways I know what you are going through."

And at that moment I did realise exactly what I was going through. It wasn't just playing any more. I knew Mary was a lesbian, a 'gay', that was what she was referring to. She liked to be with women, and maybe I needed - I admitted it for the first time - a man. I turned and flung my arms round her neck though, she held me close. Well, we both nearly cried.

A few minutes later, recovered somewhat, we emerged into the bar. George was gone. Not surprisingly really, everyone else had gone except Eric and Cheryl, and Jacqui. It was Cheryl who came over to me, realising herself some of my feelings, and took my arm.

But it was Jacqui who spoke.

"Come on Donna, it's time to go home. I have some news for you, a suggestion, but you need to sleep on it. I'll tell you at home."

As we walked out of the door Jacqui had fetched all our clothes from room 4, and it was Martin, big, rather slow but very sweet Martin, who came up beside us.

"I'll help you with that," he said.

Assistance was totally unnecessary but if that is what he wanted to do, OK. He and I walked out in front of Mary and Jacqui, we were apparently giving her a lift home. It was only twenty yards from the door to the car but it was the last half of that short trip which gave me cause for concern. Martin had the case in his left hand, he slipped his right hand into mine. It was the first time we were outside in the pub car park, and I was about to be driven home from the pub with me 'dressed'. Things were beginning to get too weird. I'd been happily flirting with one man, a stranger indeed. And now my mate Martin was holding my hand. This was too much, too soon. I released Martin's hand and slid my bum none-too-decorously onto the car seat.

Back home, as we got into the kitchen, Jacqui confronted me.

"Don, I know you enjoyed tonight, you can't deny it. You really did enjoy being a woman for the evening, but now you have to decide. I could lend you a night-dress? Do you want to stay dressed, maybe for a day or two?"

I didn't speak, I was so surprised at her suggestion.

"Well Don or rather Donna. You have gone some way down that road tonight. The lads from the team were very impressed. And that guy George, he was up for a one-night stand, you know, in more ways than one. I bet he would have booked you both into a room if you had asked. And then there was Martin, I saw you two holding hands. I really did expect you to at least give him a goodnight kiss."

Maybe I blushed at the thought, I don't know. But I do know I decided that was enough for one evening. It had indeed been one hell of an evening. I dashed upstairs to the loo, and came down ten minutes later. 'Don' did, missing my wig, earrings, well, nearly everything except I hadn't removed my nails, or breast-forms, or some of my makeup.

"Jacqui, can we talk?"

"Well, little brother, I suppose we must. But can we sleep on it first?"

The next morning, dressed in T-shirt and jeans, I sat down to join my sister at the breakfast table.

"Did I spoil things between you and Mary last night?" I asked rather sheepishly.

"Well, yes, you did. I rather suspected you knew what was happening, Mary really is a very nice woman, you know. Maybe that's why I sort-of understand what you are up to, you know, you maybe wanting to be female in some way. I don't understand it all, but some of it. You really have been down in the dumps during the week lately, but a different - woman - at weekends. It seem very odd saying this to you, dressed normally right now. But. I said last night. An idea."

I was puzzled, Jacqui seemed lively, keen to tell me something, enthusiastic but deadly serious. Suddenly the 'serious' took over, her tone changed.

"Don, last night while you were flirting with George - "

She paused for effect and smiled, I felt very embarrassed but then though - why? It was true, I had loved touching George, encouraging him, caressing his hand, it has added to my feelings of femininity.

" - Eric mentioned something which struck a chord. You remember the barmaid, Daphne, well, she has left, in a hurry. She wasn't there last night, Eric and Cheryl did manage with those two young barmen despite the crowd. But he really could do with some more help. It occurred to me. Say no if it seems an awful idea but you need a different job. How about it, working at the pub. Maybe evenings only?"

I didn't need to think, it was a great idea, I almost agreed straight away.

"As a barmaid," said Jacqui.

"Whoa!"

I was stunned. Surely she couldn't mean it. I didn't speak but my mind was racing. I looked her in the eyes - she did mean it!

"Don, you have really enjoyed the outings of the past few weeks, specially Friday. Why not? You could have fun, carry on collecting for the Baby Unit, dress up every night - and get paid for it!"

She was, of course, right. And there was absolutely no way I could turn down the chance.

"I'll need some different clothes," I said, my mind jumping immediately to what I could wear.

"Well, Don, I've thought about that since last night. When Mother and Father left they gave me some emergency cash, just in case we hit major problems. Since they are not due back for three weeks, I think you are justified in using it. You can pay back out of your wages maybe."

She had all the answers. Which is why, in room 4 at the pub two days later, on the Monday evening, I was ready for my debut as Donna the barmaid. We had reckoned not many of the lads I knew would be in there midweek, it would give me time to settle before maybe facing them later. I was really ready.

Very carefully made up, attractive but not too tarty I hoped, but I had allowed myself one luxury, or rather two. That morning I had gone into the TV shop Mary and Jacqui had told me about, and emerged rather embarrassed twenty minutes later with their second-largest breast-forms, most of the so-called 'emergency money' gone in one go. The assistant had tried to be kind and understanding, I just felt very awkward dressed as a male and buying something like that.

To be honest I don't remember much about the next couple of weeks, only that it was hard work! I turned up at the pub each evening at about 5 o'clock and went into room 4, and about an hour later emerged as 'Donna'. Eric was very surprised that first evening, that I do remember. He complimented me on my appearance, all the time staring at the two bulges at the front of my blouse. He didn't impose a total uniform code, merely white top, black skirt and black shoes. That I could cope with, by the end of the second week I had four such blouses, four skirts and five pairs of shoes, of heights varying from 2" to a totally towering 7". That last pair I hadn't dared wear for work, but I had just had to buy them when I saw them.

But it was at the end of the second week that events started to overtake me. A great many of the customers of the pub were casual callers, I was very grateful that none of the regulars gave my game away. I wasn't paid much but I got tips, and I soon learned that a well-aimed smile and an undone top button or two on my blouse helped in that department.

It was on the Thursday of that week that Jeff, in for a quick pint, paid me the enormous compliment of saying I looked 'really foxy' and of calling me Donna throughout our conversation. And it was at the end of Thursday night that I noticed Patrick - looking at me.

Patrick Hall was a resident in the pub, staying for a few days. Nobody in the village wanted to talk to him. He was from a firm in London, suspected of being here to inspect the HF Paper Company, one of the biggest employers on the Industrial estate outside the village. The rumour was that he was maybe going back to London to recommend closing the factory down and transferring all the work to their factory in Scotland. He had come on Tuesday and was booked in until Saturday morning. And that Thursday night, he was looking at me!

The next night, for some reason, I wanted to look specially nice. I took even more care than usual with my makeup and with brushing out my wig. I still had to work hard, the pub was rather full, with both visitors and regulars. It was just before closing time when somebody realised it was Martin's birthday and started to sing - THAT song! After which a couple of the girls gave him a birthday kiss. I was collecting glasses at the time, walking right past them, when I noticed him look at me. I put the two glasses I was carrying down and went over towards him. I put one hand gently on the side of his face and quickly touched my lips to his. There was a round of applause, and that was it, my first kiss.

Just after closing, as we were clearing up, Patrick appeared. I had spoken to him briefly when I had got him a drink the previous night.

"Donna, you look tired out. Can I buy you a drink?"

To be honest I needed one. I restricted myself to one each evening and put cash for any others offered in the staff tips box. I looked round. The bar was empty, except Eric was sorting the takings, and Cheryl would be in soon to finish dealing with the glasses. I was safe. And Patrick, despite the rumours about him, seemed a nice guy. I could do it, like any other barmaid, sit and have a quiet drink at the end of the evening.