The Fulfilment of Caroline

"Where are you going?"

"Nowhere darling just freshened up a little, I have a spare nightie if you want one?"

"Yes please give me a couple of minutes"

I sat up in bed deep in thought waiting for Lisa. I had definitely crossed several lines and realised there was no way back. I needed to be Caroline, how long for and whether or not it would be full time I had no idea but I couldn't go back to my old life without Lisa and without Caroline. I had too much fun and felt too comfortable. I had to go further and see where my limits were. As Lisa got back into bed, we realised we hadn't touched our wine, we chinked glasses and I said here's to us and to my new life. Lisa and I drank and then put the glasses down, luke warm white wine was no proper drink for such an important toast. Lisa and I lay down in bed kissed each other and held hands until we fell asleep. In the morning we showered, dressed and went for breakfast in the hotel restaurant, the guys from the night before toasted us with coffee cups as we entered, I blushed, Lisa smiled and waved. I looked on horrified.

"Lisa" I said in hushed annoyed tones, "don't encourage them!"

"Why not it's fun toying with guys sometimes"

"Ok but I'm not ready for that yet"

"OK" she said "I'll go easy on you"

During breakfast we chatted and discussed the day and the following week, when we could meet up, what we would do, Lisa couldn't get much time off work and she still had commitments at home. Lisa had to leave after breakfast to go home and would be at work Monday and Tuesday, she promised to phone every night and to take Wednesday and Thursday off work and we agreed to go to another more extreme club on Friday night. Lisa finally left at 11 o'clock and I went to my room to chill for a little while. I lay on the bed and before long I had dozed off dreaming of Lisa, dresses shopping and all things feminine. When I woke up it was around 2 o'clock in the afternoon, I got up freshened up and decided to take a walk and get some fresh air, I wore a light summer dress and white cardigan and light taupe sandals with a 3" heel. I made-up for daytime and left the hotel heading towards the town.

Caroline finds herself.

I reached a short parade of shops and was window shopping without taking a lot of notice, I was looking into a hairdressers, looking at the pictures of beautiful models with beautiful hairstyles and daydreaming about looking like one of them, when I realised someone was in the shop and waving at me. I re-focussed and saw a woman in her 40's waving at me and indicating that I should wait. She came to the door and asked;

"Can I help you? We are closed but I was just re-stocking the shop ready for Monday. I'm Helen by the way I own the place"

"I'm Caroline, pleased to meet you; I was just window shopping and wishing I could look as good as some of these pictures."

Of course you can you have a lovely face but if I can be honest, erm, your, err your wig could do with a trim. I'm sorry if I upset you I didn't mean anything honestly I didn't",

I laughed at her embarrassment; I felt totally at ease and said;

"Stop apologising it's OK, I hope I haven't offended you"

"Of course not, listen, do you fancy a cuppa and a chat? I've just about finished and there's nothing for me to dash off for"

"I'd love to Helen thank you."

Helen locked the door and led me towards the rear or the shop where there was a small waiting room with a settee, coffee table covered in magazines and a couple of chairs.

"Have a seat Caroline, tea or coffee, milk and sugar?"

"Could I have a coffee, milk, no sugar thank you."

"I'll just be a minute" and with that Helen disappeared into another room and I sat down with a copy of Hair magazine.

Helen came back and as we sipped our drinks Helen again apologised for being rude.

"Please don't say any more, I'm OK honestly, I suppose I should expect to be read, this is only my second day out dressed"

"Never, I don't believe you, you're a natural. I'm very observant being a hairdresser and beautician but an average person would never know."

"Thank you, I'm sure you're just being kind but thank you anyway. I'd love some advice if you can spare the time?"

Helen got up went to the front door made sure it was locked and turned the blinds so that no-one could see inside the shop, she held out her hand to help me up and led me to a stylists chair in the front of the shop.

"Let's see what I have to work with"

Helen spent the next hour explaining face shape, tone, eye shape and all manner of stuff I was sure I would forget.

"Can I try something?" Helen asked,

"Be my guest I'm in your hands."

"Close your eyes and relax"

I closed my eyes and Helen reclined the chair then I could feel her cleansing my face and lightly massaging my face and neck followed by a beautiful light moisturiser.

"Keep your eyes closed" she said.

I obeyed and Helen raised the chair and fiddled with my wig, adjusting it on my head and straightening it. She then started snipping lightly at the fringe, side lengths and the back,

"Don't worry I'm not going mad"

"I'm not worried" I said "I'm completely in your hands."

Helen finished with my hair, lowered the back on the chair and plucked my eyebrows,

"You've done a decent job but there are a few stray hairs need plucking, do you have a limit of how far to trim?"

"No limit" I said without thinking,

Helen plucked some more and I was totally immersed in the feeling of femininity I truly didn't have a care in the world.

"Where is your make-up?" Helen asked,

"I don't have much with me but it's in my bag on the settee"

"No peeking I'll be right back."

"OK"

Helen returned with my make-up, just lipstick, mascara and a small palette of eye-shadow.

"You need a different foundation for your tone."

With that Helen started on my face with foundation, blusher, powder, eye-shadow, eye-liner, mascara, lip liner and finally lipstick and gloss. Helen finally turned me around admired her handi-work then spun me to face the mirror,

"Open your eyes"

I opened my eyes and I knew it was me but what a difference, I was much better made-up, classy and my hair looked fantastic.

"Wow, I do look good"

I said, then, realising what I had said I burst out laughing. Helen laughed with me but said

"Yes you do good enough to be one of my models"

I said "you're just being kind, but thank you"

"Seriously you could, I'd be happy if all my clients walked out looking as good as you."

I blushed and then offered to pay Helen

"Now you're insulting me!" said Helen "

"I won't hear of it I've had fun and totally unexpected."

"Can I take you for a drink then Helen?" I said,

"That sounds like a nice idea but I need to change first."

"I'm staying at the hotel up the road if you want to meet me there?"

"Why don't you come with me to my place and then we can go out from there?"

"I'd love to, you are so kind"

Helen cleaned up, shut the shop and we walked a short distance to her car it was a sports car and I'd never had to get in anything so low but once inside I loved the low seat and was looking around, Helen noticed and said

"It's great you get some lovely looks with the hood down." Helen drove to her house and we went inside,

"Make yourself comfy, I'll just be a little while, help yourself to a drink, Kitchen over there and there's wine in the fridge. Get me whatever you are having, be right back."

I found the kitchen and looking in the cupboards until I found the wine glasses, I poured two glasses of white wine then sat down on a bar stool, at Helen's breakfast bar crossing my legs and sipping wine while flicking through a fashion magazine. Helen came into the kitchen and said

"Wow don't you look sophisticated?"

I laughed and felt so comfortable I stood up and started posing.

"You're a natural" said Helen.

Eventually I stopped messing about and Helen and I sat together in her lounge sipping our wine and chatting about where to go for drinks.

"Listen Helen, why don't you let me treat you to dinner, I've had a blast and you have never once made comment about me being a tgirl?"

Wow there I'd said it for the first time...I was a TGirl and I knew at that moment that it was true, I felt elated, I had become myself, finally.

Helen said "I'd love to have dinner but we'll share the bill. You are a lovely girl and I feel we could be friends."

We ordered a cab and as we waited finished our wine. Helen directed the driver to a quiet place out of town where we enjoyed a lovely light supper, some nice wine and some really good conversation. I learned that Helen was divorced, unattached and had been managing her own salon for about five years. The business was ticking over but Helen was almost living off her savings, the recession was hitting her badly. Add to that Helen had a flat above the salon and the last tenant had left in a hurry owing six months' rent. Helen was not in trouble yet but her business was not going to last another year without a turnaround in her fortune. I decided there and then to think of a way to help.

Caroline makes a leap.

Helen dropped me off at my hotel around 11 o'clock and went straight up to my room, as I was getting ready for bed Lisa rang and I told her all about Helen. She sounded a little jealous until I reminded her that I was a one woman girl and she was it! We said good night and Lisa promised to call me on Monday evening. I slept like a baby and woke refreshed on Monday. I had a leisurely breakfast and dressed for another day out window shopping and discovering the area. As I walked into town I called in to see Helen and asked if we could have a glass of wine after she finished work. I had some things I needed to discuss. We arranged to meet up at the shop at six o'clock. I continued my walk , window shopping, looking at clothes in some of the boutiques and stopping for coffee as I felt like it, I was having a very good time, I was relaxed in my femininity and felt better about myself than I had in years. I knew I couldn't go back to my old life, I felt liberated. That was it; I was liberated, free to be myself. The realisation came as a shock and I sat in a coffee shop sipping my latte and contemplating my future. Things seemed to be moving fast, I was so happy and was making friends a lot easier than I had ever done as a man. I walked further through the town without any particular goal other than to enjoy myself. As I walked past a garage I saw a beautiful white Audi TT convertible on the forecourt. It wasn't new by any means but looked very nice and thinking back to last night sitting in Helen's car I got to thinking, could I? Could I really do it? I looked in the window of the little car and it looked in fantastic condition, cloth seats but leather seat could be too cold on bare legs, giggle. As I stood up the salesman was already across the car from me,

"Can I help you? Would you like the keys?"

"Well yes I'd like to look inside and I'll let you know if I'm interested."

As quick as a flash, well as quick as an overweight car salesman actually, he was back with the keys, opened the doors and hung around waiting for me to ask something.

"Leave me for a while and I'll come and find you when I need you." I said.

As he walked back to the showroom, I slipped into the drivers' seat, adjusted the seat for driving in my heels and felt fantastic. I decided to have it. I got out of the car and the salesman was already on the way over.

"Do you like it?"

"Yes great but it's a bit above the price I wanted to pay, what is the service history and stuff, MOT, Tax and the like?"

"Well I'm sure we can do a deal, how much you want to pay per month, do you have a trade-in?"

"Don't worry about all that, cash sale."

I could see his mind working overtime as he was working figure out in his head; eventually he said

"£4,900 for cash."

"Sorry still too much, I'll keep looking."

And with that I turned to leave.

"Wait let me see if I can do better." He said.

"Tell you what I'll pay £4,000 cash and you service and MOT it. I can pay cash and collect Wednesday, take it or leave it."

I surprised myself with my assertiveness; the salesman didn't know what to do.

"I'll check with my boss, I don't know if we can go that low."

"OK, I'll keep looking, thanks for your time."

"Ok Ok, we can do it for that, can I take some details and a deposit"

Now I was stumped, I would have to reveal my true gender, how could I have been so carried away, what was I going to do?

"I have an appointment, I need to dash but I'll be back this afternoon with the deposit."

Without waiting for a reply I walked away trying to work out what I was going to do. My bubble had been burst, I was feeling stressed and I needed a coffee and a chat. I walked back to Helen's shop and popped inside.

"Hi Helen, are you free for a coffee at lunchtime?" I asked,

"Should be OK, around one-ish?"

"That's great you are a real friend" and with that I kissed her cheek and left the shop.

Checking the time I had another hour or so to kill so I walked into another part of the town slowly getting my previous confidence back, I was looking in the window of a jewellers' when I noticed the advertisement for ear piercing, without hesitation I went inside and asked for an appointment. As they weren't busy I had them pierced straight away and walked out of the shop with two gold studs in each ear, some instructions and a small bottle of surgical spirit to clean my piercings. I looked in another few shops and then went back to meet Helen.

Helen took me to a small café a few minutes' walk from her salon; it was a very nice place but seemed very quiet for lunchtime. Helen explained that it had been a goldmine in the past but the owners were not opening much and customers were finding alternatives. We sat in a quiet corner and ordered lunch, I told Helen about my morning and she was excited and happy for me when I showed her my ears. Then I started to tell her about the car, she couldn't see a problem until I got to the part where I had to pay and register it. Now I had to see how much Helen and I had really connected as friends.

"I really want to buy this sports car I saw this morning, I have the cash and have done a deal but I couldn't pay the deposit without revealing my identity. I had a thought....would you buy it if I transferred the money into your account? You could register it and then I would register it in my name later. It's a lot to ask and I would totally understand if you said no but it's the only thing I can think of and I really want the car."

"Stop, stop, let me speak for goodness sake." Said Helen. "Of course I'll help, I feel we can be friends and I'm on my own far too much these days. What do you need me to do?"

We carried on the discussion and I could barely contain my excitement. Helen agreed to go to the garage and buy the car and I called my bank and transferred the money (plus a little fee for Helen which I didn't tell her about) into Helens account. The garage said the car would be ready Wednesday afternoon and I arranged the insurance over the phone with my current insurer. Helen agreed that I could leave one of the cars at her salon whenever I needed. I couldn't thank Helen enough and as she went back to work I sat in the café not able to believe my luck or to think about anything but how fortunate I was. I went back to the hotel and relaxed in my room for the rest of the day.

I phoned Lisa and told her all about my day, she sounded jealous but I assured her that I was hers and she was mine. She was upset that we couldn't meet but I said we could have some real fun on her day off which seemed to make her happy. I had a bath, touched up my depilation and set about getting ready for meeting Helen. I rang reception and asked for recommendations for a small restaurant, suitable for a quiet meal, from the few that were suggested I picked an Italian and asked them to book a table for two for 8 o'clock. I dressed conservatively and tried my best with my make-up to try and look as good as I had when Helen had made me up the day before. I put on a new light jacket as the air was definitely a touch cooler and I wasn't sure what time I would be back. I walked to Helen's salon and went inside while Helen was finishing clearing up and cashing her till. We left at around 6.30 and walked to the Italian and were taken straight to a table in a corner, we ordered a bottle of wine and asked for a little time to chill before we ordered. Once again I thanked Helen for all her help and once again she told me it was no problem. I had never before made a friend so quickly and could only put it down to the fact that I was a nicer, more relaxed and open person as Caroline than I had ever been in male mode. We chatted and got to know each other a bit more, Helen was divorced and was not in a relationship, she had never met a tgirl before and had surprised herself that she had been so comfortable around me from the moment we met. I told Helen about Lisa and the fact that we were lovers, Helen told me she was happy for me and hoped she could meet Lisa sometime. I told her that it was certain as Helen was already my best friend after Lisa and I wanted then to be good friends too.

We ordered our meal and afterwards carried on chatting, more wine was ordered and the waiter said they weren't busy and we could stay as long as we liked. I began to tell Helen the germ of a plan I had and how she might help and also benefit. I explained my business at home and the fact that I wanted to semi-retire. I also explained that I wanted to be near Lisa and as Helen was now my other best friend I wanted to be near her also. I needed somewhere to live. I asked Helen if she would consider renting her flat to me.

"Yes of course, that would be fantastic" came the enthusiastic reply "it needs work but I can get that sorted."

"Helen" I said, "Why don't we do it this way? I'll take the flat as it is and have it decorated how I want it. Essentially unfurnished and I can have it how I like. I will be in and out and would need to go back to the business for periods but the flat would be my female nest."

Helen agreed and after a bit of haggling (by me to get the price up and not down) we agreed on a rent. I realised I hadn't even seen it! We decided to go straight around there to survey my new home.

The flat was compact, one bedroom, lounge/diner Kitchen and bathroom. The décor was tired and the kitchen was a bit tatty, on the plus side the bathroom suite was recent but the previous tenant had obviously been allergic to cleaning solution. I fell in love with the place and hugged Helen telling her how grateful I was. She said she would have the tenant agreement ready by Friday but I could start anytime I liked and gave me a door key. This was going too well, a sports car arranged and a place to live as Caroline! Helen took me downstairs to the salon and we made coffee and sat on the settee in the waiting room chatting like lifelong friends. Helen said if I needed tradesmen the firm who fitted out the salon were good and she could get me their number for tomorrow. As I looked at my watch, I was shocked to find that it was midnight!

"OMG look at the time, you have work tomorrow Helen. I must let you go."

"Not a lot of need Caroline, we're not busy. No appointments until 11 o'clock tomorrow."

"Really" I said? Could I come round and we can discuss the flat work and try to get your builder round?"

"See you at about 9.30 then?" said Helen,

"Sounds ideal, see you here later this morning."

We kissed cheeks and I walked back to the hotel and once in bed slept like a baby. I had never slept this well for years.

I was outside Helen's salon by 9 the following morning, Helen was already there and quickly let me in. I asked what other services she could offer, nails, waxing beauty etc? I had a plan hatching in my head, nothing firm but certainly a germ of a plan. Helen explained that she could do beauty but not waxing or nails but that she knew quite a few girls who were trained nail technicians, beauty therapists, spray tanning experts and body waxers. Helen explained that lots of girls trained and then either couldn't get jobs or had family commitments which meant full time work was difficult. She asked me what I was thinking.